Our Town, Our Schools

Hello Petaluma. I’m a fellow P-towner, school advocate and a 20 year veteran of the Petaluma school system where I taught for 20 years.  I am honored to be invited to write a blog about education in Petaluma for the Petaluma Patch. I  plan to report about local school events and arts, as well as our students' academic accomplishments. As an educator and veteran of the classroom, as well as the parent of two local kids, I’d like to offer advice on how best to help and support your kids with their schoolwork and with the maze that is growing up in our town.

 Our school age children benefit from community support. I’ve lived in Petaluma 25 years and have come to know that my town is a lively community, one concerned with the good fortune of our neighbors and the wellbeing of our children. I would like to start a public conversation about our schools and promote school support and involvement. I’ve always believed it takes a whole community to raise a kid, and I hope we can begin the conversation about how we can best give our support to our students and our schools.

May is here already, which means that high schools are about to hold graduation. Keep those dates at the end of May in mind for your favorite seniors. Finishing high school is an accomplishment to be applauded. While graduations are limited by space to immediate family only, no harm in sending a card or giving a handshake to a young person who has made it through 13 years of the same, daily, pretty intense “job” for over a decade. (Talk about showing up.) Congratulations Seniors. You deserve the credit.

A quick online search for summer programs in Petaluma this year comes up with a big not much. Budget concerns have, no doubt, limited some programs. Over the next few days I’ll be investigating what Parks and Recreation, Boys and Girls Club and the schools have to offer for summer 2011, for my next blog about Our Town, Our Schools.