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Superintendent’s holiday message

I write this letter with such mixed emotions – as educators, our students and our colleagues become a second family to us, as they did to those on the Sandy Hook campus in Newtown, Conn. We learned of an educator who gave her own life to save the children she was charged to educate. As teachers, I don’t think any of us imagined that the actual classroom instruction would be just one part of our job; truly a vocation which is so much greater than any of us could have understood before actually stepping into a classroom.

As a community of educators, we have so very much for which to be thankful.

Our community literally donates hundreds and hundreds of gifts to our students in need; they deliver turkeys and fixings so that families can have a delicious holiday meal; they create wonderful crafts so students are able take home gifts to their families; they come into classrooms and read holiday stories to children; they grieve with us as we all feel the deep pain from last Friday’s tragedy. The the list goes on.

All of our students and educators also give generously of their time and resources including:

• A group of middle-school students going caroling to the home of Adele Harrison and singing to the residents of Sonoma Care Center.

• All of our elementary schools getting into the spirit with donation programs that range from canned food drives (literally thousands of cans) for Friends In Sonoma Helping (FISH), collecting coats, collecting warm socks and purchasing gifts for families who need assistance.

• Elementary students raising more than $500 for our local Red Cross.

• Students writing letters to members of our military serving in Afghanistan, thanking them for their service to our country.

• Students pledging to complete 500 Random Acts of Kindness in our community.

• Senior Projects at SVHS that include making care packages for our troops overseas, collecting gifts for children with chronic or
life-threatening illnesses and their families and organizing gift giving in our local community.

• Staff members buying gifts for students and their families who do not have the resources to do so themselves.

• Students and staff supporting our Glen Ellen Fire Department and local Marines in their Toys for Tots drive.

• Board trustees and staff ringing the bell for FISH at our local markets.

• Our amazing clubs and leadership teams at our middle schools and high school collecting canned food, hosting coat drives, buying presents and volunteering time at local nonprofits.
 

Thank you for all you do for Sonoma Valley and the gifts you give to our community.

I wish you the very best for health and happiness during this holiday season.

• • •

Louann Carlomagno is superintendent of the Sonoma Valley Unified School District.