Bill's Blog
August 5, 2009
Welcome to the 2009-2010 School Year!
Dear Ohlone families,
It is with the greatest excitement and enthusiasm that I welcome you all to the new school year. For the past 30 years or so Ohlone has been my home away from home. It has been a match made in heaven for me since the time I did my student teaching here with Jeannette Wei. One of the joys of my life has been working with Ohlone’s wonderful kids and its amazing parents over the years. It is a remarkable community that I feel extraordinarily lucky and honored to be the leader of.
I hope you have had a wonderful and restful summer break. For myself, except for a week away, it’s been a whirlwind of trying to get up to speed as quickly as possible. My learning curve is pretty steep right now. I’m sure that this will change once the year begins. So far, I’ve enjoyed all of the new experiences and knowledge. I feel very lucky to have Barbara and Chrys in the office to help me out.
I also feel extremely lucky to have the pleasure of working with a group of dedicated and committed teachers. They are an extraordinary group who put in a tremendous amount of time, as well as heart, into their programs.
New Teachers
We are fortunate to have the additional talents of three new and new to Ohlone teachers. Mike Airo, a former student teacher here, and 3rd grade teacher last year at Briones, is to take over my position in Room 15. The new Mandarin Immersion K-1 teacher is Judy Kislitsyn. I had the pleasure of interviewing her and know the talent and experience that she brings with her. Our MI program is still in the process of growing, and as a result we have a new teacher in the new 2nd grade classroom. Lee Kerk was hired as the teacher there last spring. She comes with an extraordinary amount of very supportive references and experience. All three of these teachers have already spent a lot of time preparing for the new year. All teachers new to Ohlone also get a chance to work with some of the more experienced teachers who serve as mentors.
Building News
Most of you already know that a new wing at Ohlone is in the design and development stage presently and the plans are proceeding at a good pace. The Building Committee, made up of parent and staff representatives, will continue to meet this year as we prepare for construction tentatively scheduled to begin towards the end of this school year or next summer.
Business as Usual
These are exciting times at Ohlone. The unveiling of this website is another example of this. While we will all miss Susan, I’m confident that things will operate as usual. I’m confident that Ohlone will continue to be a warm, safe, and exciting place for you and your children. Of course, the success of the school is dependent upon your continuing support and involvement. If you’re looking for a place to help out in addition to your child’s classroom, check into participating in our active PTA, Core Values Committee, Site Council, or Farm Council. We’re always looking for new people to be a part of these groups.
See You in the Farm Opening Day!
I hope you enjoy the rest of your summer vacation. I will see you opening day, August 25th. Classes start at 8:15am. I’ll see you in the Farm later that morning.
Take care.
Bill