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Superintendent's Office » Superintendent's Message

Superintendent's Message

James Symonds

Dear SGUSD Community,

 

I would like to welcome our San Gabriel Unified students, parents and staff to the 2021-2022 school year! We are excited to have most of our students return to in-person instruction this year at all of our campuses.

Our team has been diligently working throughout the summer months to ensure a safe return for our students who are returning to in-person instruction. The San Gabriel Unified School District has based the Return 2 Learn

Plan: Phase IV, The Return to School Roadmap on the mandated health and safety protocols set forth by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. Our site Principals and Staff will ensure that the health and safety protocols are implemented with fidelity at each site to ensure a safe return to school for our students. Families who are not yet comfortable having their child return for in-person learning have the option of enrolling in our Virtual Online Independent Study Program (VISP). These students have the option to return to campuses once their parents feel it is safe to do so. We are looking forward to reconnecting with our students and families this year, building relationships and reimagining education for our students.

 

The San Gabriel Unified School District is committed to excellence in providing our students the skills necessary to compete and thrive in the 21st Century. Our Educational Advisory Committee (EAC); a group of parents, students, teachers, community members and administrators have identified the key areas of focus for all of our San Gabriel Unified students. EAC worked together during the 2019-2020 school year and created our Portrait of a Graduate, which lists the six competencies that we would like to see all of our students build. These competencies are:

    •      Collaborator
    •      Communicator
    •      Empathetic
    •      Global Citizen
    •      Resilient
    •      Creative Thinker

 

We believe that by building these competencies in our students, we will be providing them with the 21st Century Learning skills necessary to be successful in the future. Our focus on 21st Century Learning and nurturing our student’s social emotional well-being are what the #SANGABRIELEXPERIENCE is all about. Our dedicated faculty and their commitment to our students is exemplified in the work they do each day with our students. It is this commitment to excellence, the nurturing of the whole student, and providing cutting edge 21st Century Learning opportunities that make San Gabriel Unified an exceptional school district. Our university bound students are prepared to compete at the next level academically and they are committed to making our world more tolerant and inclusive for future generations.

 

I would like to thank our entire San Gabriel Unified School District Community for your patience, resilience and support throughout the pandemic. I look forward to working with all of you and encourage your active participation as we embark upon this new journey in the San Gabriel Unified School District. 

 

Sincerely,

Jim Symonds

Superintendent