Message from the Principal

August 4, 2021

 

Dear Glen Park Families,

Welcome to the 2021-2022 school year!!! I am so looking forward to seeing all of our students at school after more than a year of distance learning and partial return to school. I’ve been officially on the job for a little over a week now and am working to be sure our staff, systems, schedules, and building will all be ready for your child by Monday, August 16.

Our goal is not a “return to normal” or to pre-pandemic school life, but rather a restorative restart of a school community and educational program that is student centered, equity driven, and responsive to our current context.

• Student centered: a supportive academic and relational environment where students get the support they need to grow in knowledge, ability, and sense of self
• Equity driven: adults in the system work to ensure “equally high outcomes for all by removing the predictability of failure or success that currently correlates with any racial, social, economic, or cultural factor.”
• Responsive to our current context: Students have learned, teachers have taught, staff has supported students and families, and families have supported their children in different ways during the last 2 school years. COVID and the related concerns are still with us, and elementary students have not yet had the opportunity to be vaccinated.  In addition, we are all in a society affected by white supremacy culture, climate change, and ongoing racial and economic violence. Our teaching and learning must address our context in developmentally appropriate, healing ways in service of the change we want for our students and ourselves.

“Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing.”
Arundhati Roy

A few first-day logistics:

• If you are driving, arrive in plenty of time to find parking. PLEASE DO NOT PARK IN BUS ZONES ON EITHER SIDE OF THE BUILDING—indicated by white paint on the curb.
• The school day starts at 8:40 sharp, so come a few minutes early. The yard will be supervised starting at 8:20 am. We will have clap-in on the yard before going to classrooms, and we ask that adults stand behind students and not walk into the building with classes.
• All grades, K-5, meet their teachers in the big yard on the Brompton side—look for the sign with your child’s teacher’s name and room number. If you are not sure what class your child is assigned to, visit one of the Big Blue help tables in the Brompton yard. 
• If you need to complete registration, have questions about ParentVUE, ParentSquare, the After School Program, the Multi Purpose Family Income Form, the Emergency Form, school lunch, or other questions, please make your way to one of the Big Blue help tables set up in the Brompton yard.
• School ends at 2:55 every day except Wednesday, when it ends at 1:40. At this time, teachers will bring 1st - 5th grade students to the big yard for dismissal to their parents, the After School Program, or the school bus. Kinder students, and sibling groups with a Kinder student, will be dismissed to families from the K yard (and will be delivered to the school bus or After School Program as needed). Please meet your child at the gate.
• If you are sending your child with a snack or lunch, keep in mind our district and school healthy foods guidelines and choose alternatives to soda, candy, or chips. Also, we are asking that all families avoid sending nuts and nut products as we have several students in more than one grade with severe nut allergies. Our plan is to eat outside whenever possible.
• The beginning of the school year is always a busy transition—and often an emotional one. A good night’s sleep, a healthy breakfast, and a few encouraging words will go a long way towards providing children (and adults!) a positive experience during the first days of school. 

Introductions: We welcome our new Glen Park staff! Marcia Pendergast is our K - 2nd grade Special Day Class teacher, Ben Wieland joins our Resource Specialist team in Room 20, and Ofelia Ley-Molina brings her expertise as a paraeducator.

Supplies: We will provide the basic school supplies for our classrooms including: crayons, pencils, markers, glue, scissors, dry erase markers, paper, composition books, home/school communication folders, rulers, colored pencils, folders, highlighters, post-it notes, Kleenex, and more. We are very appreciative of any donations you may be able to make to supplement our basic supplies. Your child’s teacher will communicate directly to you regarding specific classroom needs.
 
Parent Involvement: Please know that we welcome your participation. If you are a carpenter, builder, homemaker, engineer, doctor, designer, cook, translator, etc. please let us know. Our teachers and parent groups will be in touch regarding how you can help our students and programs. Watch for more information about our Parent Teacher Organization (PTO), English Learner Advisory Council (ELAC), African American Parent Advisory Committee (AAPAC), School Site Council (SSC), and other opportunities for your voice and gifts to contribute to our school community.

There are far more details than can be shared in one letter. For more information, please see www.sfusd.edu/school/glen-park-elementary-school  and www.glenparkschool.org.

If you are new to Glen Park School and have questions about registration, please email Elizabeth Nuñez at nuneze@sfusd.edu or call 415-469-4713.

 

A few words of encouragement:  From my own experience and what I am hearing from others, anxiety is a big part of our shared experience right now. Change and uncertainty (especially when it comes after a long period of change and uncertainty!) can be tricky to navigate. But, I know we all want to make a strong start to the year, and that we will make adjustments along the way in response to new health information and conditions and the academic and social & emotional needs of our students.
 
We are still receiving students from the Educational Placement Center and will be able to share classroom assignments next week.

I’m looking forward to a year of social, emotional, physical, artistic, and academic growth for the children and adults in the Glen Park Community. Go Glen Park!

 

With love and respect,

Elizabeth Zarr

Principal