Sunday morning... my favorite day of the week.

My usually chaotic house is quiet enough for me to grab a section of the New York Times, pour a cup of coffee and plunk down on the couch to read an article or two before my kids interrupt my nirvana.

 

This Sunday morning, I temporarily set aside the Times to  write my last monthly contribution for the Sentinel and as school is out in six weeks, I can't help but find myself thinking about the passing nine months.  It really does seem like yesterday as I wished my son good luck on his first day of junior year and watched him walk out the door.  

 

My relationship with Sequoia changed this year as I transitioned from parent and once-in-a-while volunteer, to PTSA president.  The move was intimidating to be sure -- following in the shoes of the many dedicated and dynamic presidents who have contributed immensely to Sequoia High School is no easy task. In a meeting last August where I was trying to orientate myself to all the systems, schedules, and players here, I remember Principal Sean Priest asking, "Does it feel like you're trying to take a drink from a fire hose?" And, yes, at first, it did.  But with the help of an incredibly capable Executive Board willing to jump in whenever needed, scores of supportive parents who throughout the year demonstrated their volunteer chops in so many ways, and an extraordinarily helpful staff and administration, I feel we were able to continue to demonstrate the PTSA mission: To positively impact the lives of all children and families. I will add to that our continued goal to help provide support to our teachers and staff in order for them to thrive at Sequoia.

 

Our time as high school parents seems to fly by and it can be easy to forget that as our kids transition into young adults before our eyes, our involvement in the place where they spend more of their waking hours than anywhere else is as vital as driving on a 3rd grade field trip or baking cookies for a class party.  Don't get me wrong, helping our public schools at any level is beneficial to our communities, but there's something special about the high school years.

 

I have been elected to serve a second and final term as PTSA president and I can't wait to see what 2016-2017 holds in store. Our Board is strong and we are full of ideas. If next year finds your student here, I look forward to seeing you, too.  I am sure you have thoughts about how we can help to make SHS the best it can be.

 

There's still plenty going on for parents and students in these coming weeks:  Jr./Sr. Prom, IB/AP testing, final exams, 2016 Grad Week activities, graduation, and much more.  Good luck and try to enjoy the ride.  I hope to see you soon!