Dear Santa Clara Unified School District Families and Friends,

I always think the same thought this time of year—I can’t believe another school year is starting. Here it is again! Let me be among the first to welcome you the 2018-2019 school year.

2018-2019 is a year of excitement and anticipation as we welcome our students and 60 new teachers, as well as a number of new classified staff members, to a brand new year. Some of our students are new to the district. To those who may be new, please know that this is a community of caring students, parents, and teachers who will do their best to make you feel warmly welcomed and comfortable in your new surroundings. People in Santa Clara Unified care.

This year, we are focusing on three main themes:

1. We have a goal that every student will graduate with a diploma. That diploma provides the options we want every student to have for college and career.
2. We want all our students to attend school regularly. Most of our students do this already, but a small percentage of students become “chronically absent.” Being present at school, where students can receive the instruction, help, and guidance of our amazing certificated and classified staff and administration offers our students the best chance for making positive progress toward their high school graduation and diploma.
3. We want to find ways to better support our students who have special needs to keep them on a positive path toward graduation.

More than teaching content and skills, we are teaching the whole child. We accept that responsibility because fulfilling it is necessary for the betterment of our community and our society. Our staff members and our parent community know how important education is to individuals and to our country. Over generations, families have risked everything just to be able to participate in the education that we offer here in Santa Clara Unified. How wonderful it is that we can all be part of such an important endeavor!

Please join me in celebrating our first day back to school by watching our video and looking at our photos. It was an incredible and exciting day for students, families, and staff across Santa Clara Unified!

I wish that you all have a wonderful year and that you stay connected to each other as our staff members partner with you to do the work of raising these wonderful students.

Sincerely,

 
Stan Rose, Ed.D.
Superintendent