ELD Academy for 4th-6th Grade English Learners Ends ~ and Summer Vacation Begins!

We had another fantastic week for our English Learners. Mrs. Flores-Bertrand held the English Language Development Academy this week for 15 of our 4th-6th grade English Learners. She was assisted by two of our teachers; Mrs. LeeAnn Thomazin, 4th grade teacher, and Mrs. Beth Hollenhorst, 2nd grade teacher. This was a great week for our students and, like last week's academy, all students had perfect attendance for the week.

We had a few visitors stop by to observe how we run our ELD Academy. Mrs. Lari Nelson, Principal at Victoria Elementary School and her Title I Coach, Hans Kaufhold, visited for an hour and then met with Mrs. Flores-Bertrand to "pick her brain" about best practices she has found most effective with this group of learners.

This summer I have been inspired by the professional educators I have the privilege working with each day. During the past few weeks, I've had opportunities to meet with Earhart Cluster principals Russ Bouton, Jackii Hall, Randy Caudill, and Vivian Lee, to have reflective dialogue about the past year and the upcoming year. I also met briefly with Assistant Superintent Judi Paredes to share some of my goals for next year. Lari Nelson, principal at Victoria, and I have met to do some planning together. Since she and I have a long history of working together, it is nice for us to meet every once and awhile to bounce ideas off of each other.

Now it is time for some rest and relation and time to regain some balance in my life. As I head out for a few weeks of vacation, the first stop is Portland, Oregon, for a week of fun with my son and his wife and my precious 5-month old grandson. I will definitely be "stopping to smell the roses" at Portland's infamous Rose Garden ~ an awesome sight (and smell!) Then I will be spending a few weeks in Newport Beach which will be a nice relief from the heat of Riverside.

I will back in the office on August 10. I am looking forward to the RUSD Leadership Symposium on August 13-14. Dr. Rick Miller, our Superintendent, has provided the managers with some "homework" to complete prior to the symposium. Yes, even managers have homework! We are reading books, listening to podcasts, and viewing videos. I've found these "assignments" informative, inspirational, and refreshing.

I am excited about the upcoming school year and the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of our students. The Rivera community is fortunate to have such great students, parents, teachers, and support staff. Together, we will make it a great year for our kids!