September 9, 2020   Dear Sunnyside Families — It’s incredible to think that one month of remote learning is already behind us. Although we would like nothing more than to have students back on campus, I have been so impressed by how our teachers and students have engaged in remote learning. I am so proud of our learning community and of your support as parents in helping our students adjust to this environment. Thank you for your commitment and patience through these ever-changing times.  Throughout this pandemic, our commitment to you has always been to reopen schools when the health department indicates it is safe to do this. Last week the Arizona Department of Health Services data dashboard signaled that Pima County met the criteria to open schools. However, local data from the Pima County Health Department places our schools at “moderate risk” for opening schools with public health tracking and prevention metrics not being met at this time. Given the progress we have made, we anticipate all the Pima County Health Department criteria required to consider opening schools (in limited capacity for hybrid instruction) to be met by mid-September. To review the nine criteria that Pima County school districts are following for making decisions on opening, please click HERE. For this reason, our Governing Board has set a target date to begin in-person hybrid instruction immediately following our Fall Break, which is now scheduled for October 12th – 16th. This means that the first day for in-person hybrid instruction will be October 19th, provided that the nine Pima County Health Department reopening criteria have been met. In order for us to best prepare for a responsible reopening, we are asking for your help in the planning process. Families will need to decide what choice is best for them so that we can anticipate how many students will return for in-person instruction. Families, please note that you may choose to keep your students online for remote learning for the second quarter if that is your preference. The two options are as follows: Hybrid Model – students will alternate between in-person learning and structured, online (asynchronous) learning throughout the week. Students will be assigned to an “A” or “B” schedule and will attend school on alternating days, for example: Group A attends Monday/Thursday and Group B attends Tuesday/Friday. This will help to ensure that fewer students are on campus which helps to maximize physical distancing and safety measures. On Wednesdays, all students will participate in remote learning with the teacher. An effort will be made to keep families/households together. For a detailed description of the hybrid model, visit our website’s “Reopening” page which you can access by clicking HERE. Remote Learning – parents have the option to keep their students in remote learning. Learning will continue to occur in a fully remote setting. Students who continue in remote learning may engage remotely with a teacher in a structured learning environment. It is likely that students remaining in remote learning will be assigned to a different teacher(s) than they are currently assigned to given that many teachers will be delivering in-person instruction. Students who continue in remote learning may engage remotely with a teacher and have both teacher led (synchronous) and teacher assigned (asynchronous) learning experiences. In the case that there are low numbers of families selecting the remote learning option, students will be enrolled in SOSA and engage in a self-paced learning environment. More details can be found HERE. It is extremely important that you make your selection by no later than Friday, September 18th. Please make your selection by filling out the questionnaire you can access by clicking on this link. This questionnaire is critical in helping us plan ahead so that we can ensure we have the proper safety measures and staffing in place for your children. In collaboration with the Pima County Health Department, we have implemented several mitigation strategies that are aligned with the Center for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines for the safety of staff and students. We invite you to review our mitigation plan which can be found on our website’s “Reopening” page, or by clicking HERE.  If you have any questions or concerns, please use our online form to reach us. I want to thank you again for your patience, understanding and assistance with this important request. Steve Holmes Superintendent 9 de septiembre de 2020   Estimadas familias de Sunnyside — Es increíble pensar que un mes de aprendizaje remoto ya ha quedado atrás. Aunque nada nos gustaría más que tener estudiantes de regreso en las escuelas, me ha impresionado mucho la forma en que nuestros maestros y estudiantes se han involucrado en el aprendizaje remoto. Estoy muy orgulloso de nuestra comunidad de aprendizaje y de su apoyo como padres para ayudar a nuestros estudiantes a adaptarse a este entorno. Gracias por su compromiso y paciencia en estos tiempos cambiantes. Durante esta pandemia, nuestro compromiso con ustedes siempre ha sido de abrir las escuelas cuando el departamento de salud indica que es seguro hacerlo. La semana pasada, el panel de datos del Departamento de Servicios de Salud de Arizona (Arizona Department of Health Services data dashboard) señaló que el condado de Pima cumplía con los criterios para abrir las escuelas. Sin embargo, los datos locales del Departamento de Salud del Condado de Pima colocan a nuestras escuelas en “riesgo moderado” de abrir escuelas con métricas de prevención y seguimiento de salud pública que no se cumplen en este momento. Dado el progreso que hemos logrado, anticipamos que todos los criterios del Departamento de Salud del Condado de Pima requeridos para considerar la apertura de escuelas (con capacidad limitada para instrucción “híbrida” combinada-en línea y en persona) se cumplirán a mediados de septiembre. Para revisar los nueve criterios que siguen los distritos escolares del condado de Pima para tomar decisiones sobre la apertura, vaya a este enlace AQUÍ. Por esta razón, nuestra Mesa Directiva ha establecido una fecha límite para comenzar la instrucción combinada en persona inmediatamente después de nuestras vacaciones de otoño, que ahora están programadas para el 12 al 16 de octubre. Esto significa que el primer día para la instrucción combinada en persona será el 19 de octubre, siempre que se hayan cumplido los nueve criterios de reapertura del Departamento de Salud del Condado de Pima. Para que podamos prepararnos mejor para una reapertura responsable, les pedimos su ayuda en el proceso de planificación. Las familias deberán decidir qué opción es la mejor para ellos para que podamos anticipar cuántos estudiantes regresarán para recibir instrucción en persona. Familias, tenga en cuenta que pueden optar por mantener a sus estudiantes en línea para el aprendizaje remoto durante el segundo trimestre si así lo prefieren. Las dos opciones son las siguientes: Modelo híbrido (combinado) – los estudiantes alternarán entre el aprendizaje en persona y el aprendizaje estructurado, en línea (asincrónico) durante la semana. Los estudiantes serán asignados a un el horario "A" o "B"  y asistirán a la escuela en días alternos, por ejemplo: el grupo A asiste lunes/jueves y el grupo B asiste martes/viernes. Esto ayudará a garantizar que haya menos estudiantes en las escuelas, lo que ayuda a maximizar el distanciamiento físico y las medidas de seguridad. Los miércoles, todos los alumnos participarán en el aprendizaje a distancia con el profesor. Se hará un esfuerzo para mantener unidas a las familias/hogares. Para obtener una descripción detallada del modelo híbrido, visite la página "Reopening" de nuestro sitio web, a la que puede acceder haciendo clic AQUÍ. Aprendizaje remoto – los padres tienen la opción de mantener a sus alumnos en aprendizaje remoto. El aprendizaje continuará ocurriendo en un entorno completamente remoto. Los estudiantes que continúan en el aprendizaje remoto pueden interactuar de forma remota con un maestro en un entorno de aprendizaje estructurado. Es probable que los estudiantes que permanecen en aprendizaje remoto sean asignados a un maestro diferente al que están asignados actualmente, dado que muchos maestros impartirán instrucción en persona. Los estudiantes que continúan en el aprendizaje remoto pueden interactuar de forma remota con un maestro y tener experiencias de aprendizaje dirigidas por el maestro (sincrónico) y asignadas por el maestro (asincrónico). En caso de que haya un número bajo de familias que seleccionen la opción de aprendizaje remoto, los estudiantes serán inscritos en el programa SOSA y participarán en un entorno de aprendizaje a su propio ritmo. Se pueden encontrar más detalles en este enlace AQUÍ. Es extremadamente importante que realice su selección a más tardar el viernes 18 de septiembre. Haga su selección completando el cuestionario al que puede acceder en este enlace. Este cuestionario es fundamental para ayudarnos a planificar con anticipación para que podamos asegurarnos de que tenemos las medidas de seguridad y el personal adecuados para sus hijos. En colaboración con el Departamento de Salud del Condado de Pima, hemos implementado varias estrategias de mitigación que están alineadas con las pautas del Centro para el Control de Enfermedades (CDC) para la seguridad del personal y los estudiantes. Les invitamos a revisar nuestro plan de mitigación que se puede encontrar en la página "Reopening" de nuestro sitio web, o haciendo clic AQUÍ. Si tiene alguna pregunta o inquietud, utilice nuestro formulario en línea para comunicarse con nosotros. Quiero agradecerles nuevamente por su paciencia, comprensión y ayuda con esta importante solicitud. Steve Holmes Superintendente View or Download the PDFs sent to parents:  September 9, 2020 - Spanish | English July 2, 2020 - Spanish | English Jun 19, 2020 - Spanish | English May 21, 2020 - Spanish | English

The current school meal program which enables all Sunnyside students to eat daily nutritious meals for FREE is set to expire in the near future. As a result, we are requesting that all parents who have not submitted a current SY20-21 Free & Reduced application and/or received a Notification Letter regarding their child's school lunch status do so immediately by clicking on the application link below. The entire process should only take 5 minutes. We appreciate your cooperation. Our Free or Reduced Meal Application is now Online! We just made it easier for you to fill out your student's meal application. The process is easy and only takes a few minutes.  Proceed to Meal Application NEED A PAPER APPLICATION? - See "How to submit a Paper Application below. How to Submit a Paper Application? Download the Application Print and submit pages 1 & 2 to either your child's school or mail in the application to: Department of Food & Nutrition - Application’s Office 2238 East Ginter Rd - Tucson, AZ 85706 PLEASE NOTE: We need only ONE application for all children in your household that attend school in SUSD. Things you'll need If you participate in SNAP, TANF, or FDPIR you will need to know your case number (not your card or account number) If you do not participate in any of the above assistance programs, you will need to report your total household income. In that case... If anyone in your household has a job, you may need to reference the earnings statement or pay stubs to report your gross income, which is different that the amount you actually receive in your paycheck. If anyone receives Social Security or retirement benefits, you may need to gather the benefit statements to report the amount and frequency of the payments. You may also need to reference other financial documents for additional sources of income. Your US citizenship or immigration status does not affect your eligibility for free or reduced price benefits. Frequently asked questions My child’s application was approved last year. Do I need to fill out a new one? Yes. Eligibility for free or reduced price meals only lasts for one school year. However, eligibility for the previous year carries over for the first few days of the new school year, or until the new eligibility determination is made. Please complete a new application for each school year. Do I need to fill out an application for each child? No. Use one free and reduced meal application for all students that attend school in Sunnyside USD in your household. If I don’t qualify now, may I apply later? Yes, you may apply at any time during the school year. For example, children with a parent or guardian who becomes unemployed may become eligible for free or reduced price meals if the household income drops below the income limit. My household participates in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and/or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). Are my children eligible for free meals? All children in households are eligible for free meals when at least one household member is receiving benefits from Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservation (FDPIR) or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). If you participate in other assistance programs, contact Sunnyside USD to see if you qualify for school meal benefits. You may qualify for free meals! What if my household does not qualify for free or reduced price meal benefits based on income, but I have a foster child? Foster children who are formally placed by State Welfare Agency or Court in a caretaker household are eligible for benefits regardless of household income. I adopted a foster child. Are they still eligible for free meals? Congratulations on the adoption! And the answer is maybe. If your child was approved for free meals before the adoption went through, then your child is still eligible to receive free meals for the rest of the school year. But next year the child will no longer be eligible for free meals based on foster status, though they may still qualify based on household income, so we encourage you to submit an application. I get WIC. Can my children get free meals? Participation in the Special Supplement Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, or WIC program, does not automatically qualify your children for free or reduced price school meals. You will need to qualify based on your household income by completing this application. My family needs more help. Are there other programs we might apply for? To find out how to apply for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or other assistance benefits, contact Sunnyside USD. May I apply if someone in my household is not a U.S. citizen? Yes. You, your children, or other household members do not have to be U.S. citizens to apply for free or reduced price meals. Will my child or I be subject to public charge if I apply for or receive school meal benefits? No, the non-cash benefits received through the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Programs are not subject to public charge consideration. In other words, you will not be deported, denied entry to the country, or denied permanent status because you apply for receive school meal benefits. Will the information I give be checked? Yes, each application is reviewed by the district to determine eligibility. We may also ask you to send proof of your household’s income. What information will I need to fill out the application? If you have this information handy, it will make the application process fast and easy. If you participate in SNAP, TANF, FDPIR you will need to know your case number (not your card or account number). If you do not participate in any of the above assistance program, you will need to report your total household income. In that case… If anyone in your household has a job, you may need to reference the earnings statements or pay stubs to report your gross income, which is different than the amount in your paycheck. If anyone receives Social Security or retirement benefits, you may need to gather the benefit statements to report the amount and frequency of the payments. You may also need to reference other financial documents for additional sources of income. Still not sure if you have everything you need? Don’t worry. Each page of the application contains detailed instructions and explanations about the information you must include, and you can gather additional information then. Who should I include in my household? A household is defined as a group of people, related or unrelated, that usually live together and share income and expenses. Don’t forget to include people if you support them financially, regardless of whether they earn or receive income including: Foster children Children that are away at college or boarding school Grandparents Extended family members that are living with you Foreign exchange students that are living with you People that are not currently living with you, but are only away on a temporary basis (like kids that are away at college) Family members of the armed services who are away from home because they are activated or deployed People living away from home for an extended period of time (such as parents who live and work away from home) Other people who stay at your house and you provide with shelter, utilities, clothing, or food. You should NOT include: Renters Boarders Children who do not live with you (such as children that live permanently with other relatives or friends) Children for whom you do not have custody and therefore do not live with you (if you have joint custody, see the help question: WHAT IF I SHARE CUSTODY OF MY CHILD? What if I share custody of my child? If time is split between houses, both parents may apply for benefits. If the eligibility statuses are different, the highest level of benefits will apply. For example, if you qualify for free meals but your child’s other parent does not, no matter which house your child is staying at, he or she can still receive free meals. However, if either parent chooses not to have your child receive free meal benefits while residing with them then that parent may simply pay for the meals. What if I disagree with the school’s decision about my application? You should talk to school officials. You may ask for a hearing by calling or writing. Please review the information provided in the Letter to Household on the next page of the application for more details. What is a child income? Child income is money received from outside your household that is paid directly to your children. Many households do not have any child income. I’m not sure on which income frequency to select. What are the differences between the income frequencies? Weekly – You usually receive 1 paycheck each week. With this frequency you usually receive 52 paychecks per year. Every two weeks – You usually receive a paycheck every other week. Generally, you receive it on the same day each pay period, such as every other Friday. You usually receive 2 paychecks per month, though some months may differ. It usually equates to 26 paychecks per year. Twice per month – You usually receive 2 paychecks per month on certain scheduled days of the month, such as the 15th and 30th Depending on that day in the month it could fall on any day of the week. With this frequency, you usually receive 24 paychecks 24 a year. Monthly – You usually receive 1 paycheck during the month. With this frequency you typically receive 12 paychecks per year. If you receive an hourly income, you can convert it to a weekly frequency: Multiply your hourly rate by the number of hours you typically work in a week to get your Weekly income. (Example: $10 per hour X 40 hours per week = $400 per week) Annual income conversion – Multiply: Weekly income amount by 52 Every two weeks amount by 26 Twice per month amount by 24 Monthly income amount by 12

FREE MEAL PROGRAM HAS BEEN EXTENDED The federal government has allocated funds that have allowed us to extend our free summer lunch program. Starting Thursday, September 3, we will provide free meals to all children under the age of 18 (no lunch application needed). Parents or students may stop by a school or designated bus stop Monday–Friday (excluding holidays) to receive a school lunch and a breakfast to go for the following morning at the following times: Schools – 10:30am – 1pm Bus Route – 11am – 12pm   School & Weekend Meal Distribution Sites You may pick up grab-and-go breakfast and lunch at one of the school locations listed below. In addition, we are now distributing weekend meals that may be picked up at select locations (Monday – Friday 10:30am–1pm). The schools listed below IN BOLD will distribute weekend meals. This means that on Fridays you may now pick up a total of six meals per student: 2 Friday meals, 2 Saturday meals and 2 Sunday meals.  Apollo Middle School Billy Lane Lauffer Middle School Craycroft Elementary School Challenger Middle School Desert View High School Drexel Elementary School Elvira Elementary School Esperanza Elementary School Gallego Primary Gallego Intermediate Liberty Elementary School Los Amigos Elementary School Los Ninos Elementary School Mission Manor Elementary School Ocotillo Learning Center Rosemarie Rivera Elementary School Santa Clara Elementary School Sierra 2 - 8 School Star Academic High School Summit View Elementary School Sunnyside High School Mobile Meals – Bus Distribution Sites Below is a list of sites where school buses will distribute grab-and-go breakfast and lunch. All school buses will continue to be equipped with mobile hotspots. For detailed information for each location, click on the bus icons on the interactive map below. S. Masterson Ave & E. Behan St. (SE Corner) S. Fontana Ave & E Delta Rd. (NW Corner) Fairy Duster & Silverweed (Rancho Valencia Rest Area) Old Vail Rd & Country Club (park on Vail Rd)  * this route will now be delivering meals at E Bantam Rd & Via Noche Buena Desert Shadows Park (on Greenway Dr.) Ponderosa & San Xavier Rd @ Ramada Santa Clara Ave. and Melridge St. 9776 S. Nogales Hwy (near Family Dollar) San Xavier Education Center Felix and Lansing Strav.    

Students will be logging in to their classrooms 3 times per day where they will interact live with their teacher and classmates, work in small groups, and access resources and receive assignments. Attendance will be taken during the Login times. 

Please watch this video as Superintendent Holmes shares important information about the start of school.   Mire este video que les comparte nuestro Superintendente Holmes con información importante sobre el comienzo de la escuela.

The following resources are designed to support teachers in teaching remotely.

Our Vision: Every child... College, Career and Community Ready. Our Mission: Our mission is to develop students with a strong sense of identity, purpose and agency, so that they leave our system as effective learners who act with purpose to achieve the conditions they desire in their own and others’ lives. Since the release of the 1983 report “A Nation at Risk” our public school systems have been challenged with the task of improving public perception regarding how we prepare students for the future. This issue of a quality of education was compounded with the accountability requirements under the No Child Left Behind of 2001, which focused primarily on one assessment.  This narrow focus on one metric as the definitive measure of school quality misrepresents the complexity of educating students and diminishes the great work of educators across this nation who make a difference in the lives of students every day, in every classroom. And though aggregate performance is a key variable for measuring success, it simply fails to tell a bigger picture of what our students have and will be able to do in the future.  For this reason we felt it critical to recast our PROFILE OF A GRADUATE within a broader narrative of student success. This new framework provides an unparalleled level of clarity that aligns our mission, vision, and the work.  This new iteration of our graduate profile picks up where our Strategic Plan left off in 2015 and drives the work forward through five competencies, key to each student’s journey towards graduation: 1). Knowledge for Learning, 2). Knowledge for Impact, 3). Creative Confidence, 4). Critical Consciousness, and 5). Self and Systems Awareness.  In addition to college and career readiness, Community Ready was added to this iteration of the work thanks to feedback we received from community members, as well as industry and higher education professionals who expressed certain intangibles that Sunnyside students brought to their organizations. Attributing to our students traits like, “community-minded”, “a sense of social justice”, “respectfulness” we felt strongly that Community Ready also provided us with a framework to bridge the gap between knowledge and agency. This framework allows our District to capture the summative experiences that mark each child’s learning journey so that personalizing the classroom is less about technology, and more about each student’s ecology.  Thank you for being a part of our journey.      COMPETENCY #1: KNOWLEDGE FOR LEARNING Our students are knowledge creators. We look to them to not only master the content, but also to transfer knowledge across disciplines: From science to the humanities, from mathematics to the social sciences—Sunnyside students are deep thinkers and well-rounded learners with a strong sense of academic identity.  We trust our students as knowledge co-creators who share their expertise with peers and teachers as part of an intentional process of collaboration. Sunnyside students understand that learning is a social and shared responsibility. By listening respectfully, students value learning from one another as they begin to develop transferable skills like responding positively and constructively, which are important skills to employers as they are assembling their teams.   COMPETENCY #2: KNOWLEDGE FOR IMPACT When Hurricane Harvey crippled the Texas coast in 2018, Sunnyside students in our JTED Construction program rolled up their sleeves, gave up their spring break, and traveled across the country to rebuild homes. When faced with the opportunity to speak at the state capitol demanding an increase in teacher pay, one Sunnyside student took to the microphone, took a deep breath and pumped up a crowd of tens of thousands.    Our students are engaged participants in their future, not merely bystanders. Equipped with deep knowledge of history and a sense of what is fair, our students are adept at using social media and student organizations to drive change. Sunnyside students are aware of community issues and possess real-world knowledge gained from internships and other experiences that put global issues into a local context.   COMPETENCY #3: CREATIVE CONFIDENCE All students are creative, and it’s our responsibility to nurture that creativity. Borrowing from the work of Tom and David Kelley (IDEO, Stanford d.School) we define creative confidence as the natural human ability to come up with great ideas and the courage to act on those ideas.  Sunnyside students take part in human-centric experiences that use empathy, systems thinking, and design thinking to unlock their creativity. Through building prototypes, using causal loops, challenging assumptions, and acknowledging that all ideas are worthy, our students learn how to take risks. More importantly, creative confidence relies on human collaboration, which is embodied in the performing arts. Sunnyside's tradition of excellence in the fine arts provides a first point of entry for students into a world of creativity that gives them opportunities to gain confidence and succeed.    COMPETENCY #4: CRITICAL CONSCIOUSNESS Workplaces, schools and colleges, and other social environments are defined by internal cultures and norms that are not always visible from the outside. Some environments are built to nurture and empower, while other systems have internal cultures that hinder upward mobility. This is why we give students the tools to identify systems that perpetuate inequality so they’re prepared to take action.  In collaboration with League of Women Voters of Greater Tucson and the YWCA Southern Arizona we host workshops that help high school students learn about running for office while deconstructing issues such as racism, discrimination, and LGBTQ rights. Fostering critical consciousness through debate empowers our students to keep up with important issues and to demand a seat at the table.    COMPETENCY #5: SELF AND SOCIAL AWARENESS Students who are self-aware have strong intrapersonal skills such as self-regulation, which develops in the early years and aids in problem solving and supports volitional behavior. Social awareness (or social intelligence) is part of an important skill set that, later in life, is what sets a transformational leader apart from an everyday boss. This profile of a graduate takes into account our students’ social and emotional development and values traits such as assertiveness, conflict resolution, positive self-talk (to name a few)—as important indicators—of self- and social awareness, which is key to our students’ ability to thrive after high school.   NEXT STEPS 1. Create a graphic representation of the Graduate Profile 2. Introduce the Graduate Profile at the 2018 Administrative Summit 3. Develop indicators for each of the Graduate Profile competency areas 4. Establish a continuum or rubrics by grade band for each indicator that will be used to support internal accountability metrics with the desired outcome of establishing our own school label system    

Following Sunnyside Unified School District on social media keeps you informed on what's going on in your school, your neighborhood and your community.   FOLLOW SUSD— facebook.com/SunnysideUSD twitter.com/sunnysideusd instagram.com/sunnysideusd

July 29, 2020 Dear Sunnyside Learning Community, A lot has happened since we closed our doors for traditional schooling on March 23rd. Over the last few months we have seen our Nation grow more divided on the public health impact of this pandemic, which has placed school reopening at the center of a political debate. Although starting school remotely is not ideal, scientific evidence along with recent guidance from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the Pima County Health Department suggests that the high level of community transmission supports the need for schools to remain closed for in-person instruction. It is most certain that we will stay in a remote learning situation minimally until after Labor Day. As educators, we are accustomed to using data to inform our decisions and will continue to do so in making decisions for in-person learning moving forward.  However, the COVID-19 virus is not the only issue of debate our Nation is contending with. The killing of George Floyd has exposed long-standing racial inequities in every aspect of American life and has forced a deep reckoning across society. From mass protests to intimate conversations with family and friends, conversations about race and equity are part of a national dialogue. For this reason, schools must find their place in the conversation and look at ways to improve the systems that perpetuate inequalities for children.  I would like for us to reflect on the following questions throughout the year as we have further discussion on equity: What are systemic patterns or practices in our schools or departments that foster inequalities and limit students’ future opportunities for success? What biases (unconscious or conscious) do we hold about the community and students we serve that may impact our approach to student learning? For those of us who don’t interact with students, how can we examine some of our own internal biases to create a work environment that is more inclusive of all? The conversation on equity is not new to the Sunnyside Learning Community. Equity is the foundation of our Graduate Profile and is central to the formative assessment process we have been implementing for the past few years. Drawing meaning to our work in the context of equity must be more intentional as we dive deeper into our own personal improvement of practice regardless of the position we hold in the organization.  On a personal level, much of my family conversation about race this summer took place while watching the movie version of the Broadway musical, Hamilton. The significance of diversity in the cast (led by mostly Black and Latino actors) and music (hip hop and R&B), and historical backdrop provided for rich discussions on multiculturalism and institutional issues of race that I know were critical and important for my family to engage in given the events that were happening across the globe.  As we embark on this year of many unknowns, I ask that we look at the opportunities that lie ahead for the students we serve. My hope is that we seek not to return to normal- which implies going back to the status quo - but that we learn from this experience and challenge our system to provide better and more equitable educational opportunities for the children in our community. As Hamilton would say, let’s “not throw away our shot”! Let’s seize the moment to revolutionize our students’ experiences so that they are College, Career, and Community Ready. In solidarity with you, Steve Holmes Superintendent