Back to school!

I love this time of year! Parents, students and educators are all gearing up for the start of school. For many, this is a bittersweet moment – we are excited about the new school year but also wondering what happened to summer vacation. Our lists of things to get done in the copious amount of free time we have during the summer look untouched. And of course, for many, summer vacation has become a short break from the school year.

Almost 25 percent of our students attended summer programs, for enrichment, remediation or to get a jump on their fall classes. Likewise, for many of our teachers, bus drivers, cafeteria workers, and custodians, summer is business as usual, supporting those students who are with us during the summer.

For the last several years, Sonoma Valley schools have also sponsored a student worker program, hiring numerous middle and high school students to work with our maintenance and ground crews. They earn a nice wage while spending their time painting, doing landscaping, and general cleanup, and getting paid for it.

In addition to the work that these students perform, we believe it also provides them with a sense of ownership in their schools. After spending several days scraping gum off furniture or sidewalks, they may be strong advocates for proper disposal of gum! They also come to know the maintenance and grounds crew, and gain a better understanding of the work that these dedicated employees do year around to keep our facilities clean and safe.

The District also gets construction projects done over summer vacation that cannot be done while school is in session. For example, we installed new heating and ventilation systems on the roofs of the buildings at El Verano School. Because of the configuration of the campus, we had to use a helicopter to remove the old units and to put the new units into place. Clearly, this could not be done during the regular school year.

Teachers are busy getting classrooms ready and working on lesson plans. Families will soon be stopping by their schools to register or to look at class lists. Parents will be searching for new fall clothes in a variety of ways, including a hunt for hand-me-downs and visits to thrift stores. And everyone will be shopping for school supplies.

So, when you see school buses rolling on August 15, think warm thoughts for the drivers, the educators, the students and their families as they embark on the adventure of another school year.