Message from the Superintendent: Wrapping up the First Week of the 2025-26 School Year!

Wrapping up the First Week of the 2025-26 School Year!

Dear San Rafael City Schools Community, I hope the first week of the 2025-26 school year has been both exciting and memorable for everyone! Over the summer, our incredible staff worked tirelessly to prepare for a smooth start, and on Wednesday, we were thrilled to welcome back students. This week, I had the privilege of visiting nearly all of our schools, and I was inspired by the energy and joy I saw. It reminded me why we do this work — to ensure every student feels seen, supported and challenged to reach their full potential. In the months ahead, I look forward to spending more time in our schools and connecting with students, staff and families as we embark on this new year together. I want to take a moment to honor the memory of two members of our SRCS community whose lives were tragically cut short this summer - Aaron Baten Gramajo, a SRHS rising senior, and Chris Brignetti, a TLHS mountain bike team coach. Our school communities have been coming together to celebrate their lives, and our deepest condolences go out to their families and loved ones. Additionally, we were devastated by the large structure fire in the Canal neighborhood yesterday. Sadly, three of our high school students and their families lived in the building and have been completely displaced. Our staff as well as many community partners and local agencies have come together with incredible dedication, working side by side to navigate this challenging situation and provide vital support to those in need — it has been truly inspiring to see. The City of San Rafael has shared information, and Canal Alliance has set up a support fund to provide displaced families with immediate relief. In looking ahead to this school year, I want to highlight some key areas.  Every Day Counts Consistent attendance is one of the most important factors in a student’s success. Being at school every day helps students stay connected to their learning and build stronger relationships with peers and teachers. Families are our greatest partners in this work. Please make attendance a top priority and help your child be present and ready to learn each day. Every class, every activity and every discussion matters - and missing even a little time can mean missing big opportunities. Strategic Plan Refresh This school year, we look forward to partnering with our greater SRCS community to review and evaluate our most-recent strategic plan (Together 2024) and to develop a revised plan. This will include a Strategic Plan Refresh Task Force, with representatives from various groups, including students, teachers, staff, parents, partners and more. Furthermore, the work will closely align with recent plans and efforts, such as our Local Control and Accountability Plans (LCAP), Artificial Intelligence Task Force, Committee on Culture, Equity and Belonging and more. Please stay tuned for more information.   Building for Student Success - Construction Updates  Thanks to the generous support of San Rafael voters, major bond-funded construction is continuing across the District! Construction recently wrapped up at new or renovated TK classrooms and play spaces at several of our elementary schools (Coleman's play structure pictured right) and significant HVAC work has been completed. Construction remains underway on the high school aquatic centers; the new Davidson MPR; and more. We’re also looking ahead to construction on the new SRHS Visual and Performing Arts Building and further enhancements to our middle and elementary school campuses. While construction can be noisy and disruptive, we deeply appreciate everyone’s patience and flexibility as we work to bring these long-term improvements to life. Follow progress and see updates at srcsbondprogram.org. Welcome New Staff We are pleased to have several new key school and District leaders: Don Drake, Madrone High School Principal Kim Evans, RTI Coordinator Mark Niemann, Davidson Assistant Principal Carolyn Reibel, San Pedro Principal Katie O’Donnell, Laurel Dell Principal Norma Oregon-Santarelli, San Pedro Assistant Principal Sydney Pestcoe, Bahia Vista Assistant Principal Justin Tomola, SRHS Dean Julio Villalobos, Bahia Vista Principal Alison Zampino, Venetia Valley Dean In addition, we welcomed 32 new teachers and certificated staff and 10 new classified staff to our SRCS community! We also have 20 teaching residents joining us for our third cohort. They participate in a rigorous teacher preparation program, earning their teaching credential and Master's degree in one year; each is paired with a mentor SRCS educator.  As we close out our first week, I want to express my gratitude for the energy, care and collaboration that make our SRCS community so special. Together, we have an incredible opportunity to make this school year one of growth, connection and celebration.  Sincerely, Carmen Diaz Ghysels Superintendent  2025-26 SRCS All Staff Welcome Back Celebration at San Rafael High School on Aug. 19 Customize Your Notification Settings In ParentSquare, you can fine-tune your notification settings for posts for each school and the district - you can select if you want a daily digest or instant notifications. In the upper right under your name, select "My Account" and then "Notification Settings.” Learn more.      San Rafael City Schools www.srcs.org  |  communications@srcs.org 310 Nova Albion Way, San Rafael, CA 94903