Pacifica School District: Preparing Students for an Evolving World

Proposition 30 passed! The voters have spoken and we who support California education can take a sigh of relief and extend our thanks. Districts, including Pacifica School District, will no longer need to implement the budget triggered by the $441 per student loss. Once Proposition 30 is enacted we will be able to rescind the five furlough days and provide an updated 2012-13 school calendar so our students will receive a full 180 days of instruction! Thank you for endorsing education!

This election has also brought a change to our Trustees. Congratulations to Mike O’Neill, PSD Trustee for 12 years who will be moving to the Pacifica City Council.

We will be reviewing the process to fill the open seat by Mike’s election to the City Council. Additionally, Cynthia Kaufman and Eileen Manning-Villar have ended their tenure as Trustees, with Andrea Gould and Matt Levie filling the open seats. A very special thank you to all of these very special people.

We are so appreciative of the leadership provided by Mike, Cynthia, and Eileen and look forward to working with our new members, Andrea and Matt. One major focus for the December 5th Board meeting will be to honor their work.

Lastly, I would like to extend a special thank you to our students and families for helping us with our attendance on October 31st. We believe there were approximately 150 absences, above the norm. This number is a big improvement over our 400 absences in 2010. In terms of dollars, we had an approximate loss of $3,775 as opposed to the $11,515 loss of two years ago!

Kindergarten Tours: Our Kindergarten Tours are underway. Please make certain to inform in-coming kindergarten families of the importance of the school tours. The tours provide a great way to get to know the school and guide school choice. Enrollment Packets are distributed during the school tours and are also
provided at the District Office. Enrollment cards are to be completed and turned into the District Office no later than 4:30 p.m., Thursday, January 24, 2012.

Should anyone have questions, please contact the District Office, Beverly Duspiva (650-738-6606). Sibling preference cards available through the schools. Sibling Preference Card completion are by 12:00 p.m., Friday, January 18, 2012 and should be returned the school.

Transitional Kindergarten: Transitional Kindergarten (TK) has a new eligibility date for next year. TK provides students turning five between the dates of October 2nd and December 2nd an opportunity for a two year kindergarten experience: The first year being a developmental program and the second year focused on kindergarten standards.

Children who qualify for TK do not participate in the Kindergarten Enrollment
and Lottery Process. Families with TK eligible students are to come to the District Office to complete the enrollment forms. There will be two location options for TK next year: Sunset Ridge and Ortega. For more information, please go to the district web-site (www.pacificasd.org) or contact the District Office, Beverly Duspiva (650-738-6606).

November 16, 2012; End of our 1st Trimester: It is hard to believe, but we are at the end of our first trimester. We continue refining Balanced Literacy as our approach to teaching reading and writing and aligning our teaching to the Common Core Standards for both Mathematics and English Language Arts. We are so fortunate to have such dedicated teachers willing to develop their skills and knowledge to benefit our students.

School Holidays: We have two major holidays before us:
Thanksgiving Break: November 19-23
Winter Break: December 24-January 4
During the Winter Break all schools and district office will be closed. Schools and District Office will
reopen on Monday, January 7, 2012.

Wishing you a happy and joyful Holiday Season! Thank you all for a fantastic ending to 2012 and looking forward to 2013!