St. Helena schools remain busy with academics, athletics, visual and performing arts, career technical education classes, and more. Students and staff have launched 2025 with all sorts of new learning. This week, kindergarten and first graders proudly volunteered to read aloud, second graders demonstrated impressive abilities to find various groupings of 100, and fifth graders mastered similes and metaphors! Staff are equally busy collaborating with teachers across all grade levels to share best strategies and ensure we are preparing students to be successful in the next grade level. This past Wednesday afternoon, teachers from all sites came together in content groups to discuss their essential standards and the common threads that run from TK-12. These opportunities for staff to collaborate around student learning are priceless and part of what makes SHUSD so special.

On another note, we know that many of our parents and community members are concerned about immigration and how new federal policies could impact our students and families. If you have questions or need assistance, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. Selene Robledo, our Director of Community Engagement, has been working one-on-one with families, having conversations to ensure them of the laws protecting children in schools, their rights, and our commitment to ensuring every student’s safety.

And last for today, please mark your calendars for several upcoming events:

Thank you for entrusting us with your child’s educational journey! Together, we can continue to ensure that every student thrives!

Warmly,

Jodi McClay, Ed.D.

Superintendent

SHPS launched their One School, One Book campaign with an exciting kickoff assembly last week. 🎉 Students were introduced to their new book, Zoey and Sassafras: Dragons and Marshmallows, in a fun and interactive way.

🐉 A Special Surprise: Students got to meet a dragon—one of the characters from the book.

🔬 Hands-On Learning: Everyone participated in a science experiment, just like Zoey the scientist.

🍡 Sweet Treat: Each student received a marshmallow as they headed out the door.

📖 Stay tuned for an upcoming Zoom read-aloud & trivia night! More details coming soon. 📚

Favorite Part of the Job: "Working with a diverse group of students and learning from their unique backgrounds and perspectives is incredibly enriching. I love middle school—it’s such a fascinating stage of growth and discovery! I also enjoy running queries, updating student data, and meticulously maintaining cumulative student files."

Fun Fact: "I have two birthdays—one legal and one real! When my mom went to city hall to register my birth, she was asked for the date, and she mistakenly said, “I think it was two weeks ago,” instead of three. As a result, my birth certificate makes me a week younger than I actually am! Maybe that’s why I’m always so punctual with attendance."

Highlight: "What inspires me most is being part of the community in St. Helena is getting to see all the students grow and positively contribute to our world, knowing that I was fortunate enough to help them along the way. It’s a duty that I really try to take to heart and make sure that the students, their parents, and the school staff are adequately prepared to take on their day. Fortunately, this work pays off yearly with a new crop of excited students and heartwarming stories of past ones."