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PARENT INFORMATION NIGHT
A valuable opportunity for parents of seventh and eighth graders to learn about the distinguished schools in the Sequoia Union High School District (please see press release below for more information)
Tues., Oct. 7, 2008
7 - 9 p.m. *
Carrington Hall
Sequoia High School
1201 Brewster Ave.
Redwood City
* Pre-event reception for Spanish-speaking parents starts at 5:30 p.m.
HUNDREDS EXPECTED TO TURN OUT FOR SEQUOIA DISTRICT EVENT
REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Sept. 30, 2008 - As he stands before a crowd of hundreds at Parent Information Night on Oct. 7, superintendent Patrick Gemma will share his confidence that Sequoia Union High School District is ready to meet the needs of the families of middle-schoolers who choose District schools.
"We recognize needs vary widely," said Gemma. "We'll have parents in the audience who will be delighted to learn that they can send their child to a high-quality, tuition-free high school. Other parents will be excited to explore the myriad programs for students across all skill levels and the many opportunities available for students with varied interests in extracurricular and enrichment activities.
"We'll also have parents who are looking for reassurance that our schools prepare students to succeed at a top-tier university."
At the Oct. 7 event, parents will learn that over 95 percent of students graduating from the District's four comprehensive high schools - Carlmont, Menlo-Atherton, Sequoia and Woodside - go on to college locally or to Harvard, Stanford, UC-Berkeley and other renowned universities across the country.
"Regardless of their backgrounds or unique aspirations, we're focused on engaging and preparing all students to excel in a 21st century global society," said Gemma. "Sequoia district students benefit from an environment that not only exposes them to a rigorous academic program and vast enrichment opportunities but also to the experience of a student body that reflects the world students will inherit when they graduate.
"Another significant advantage of our schools is that students are offered an individualized academic path and student experience that's right for them."
Gemma is quick to point out that providing an individually tailored experience for the District's 8,100 students requires commitment and ingenuity on the part of the District's 850 teachers, staff and administrators, working in collaboration with parents and community volunteers.
That individualized attention starts with planning for the Parent Information Night event, to which parents of nearly 4,500 seventh and eighth graders in the Midpeninsula region have been invited.
For example, a Spanish-language interpreter will be translating the formal program - which follows a pre-event reception just for Spanish-speaking parents. Free transportation is also being offered to parents who would otherwise find it logistically difficult to attend the meeting.
Once enrolled in District schools, Gemma says he recognizes that not all students have smooth beginnings.
Adam Talib, now 24 and beginning a Ph.D. program in medieval Arabic literature at Oxford University in England, attended private schools through middle school but enrolled in Carlmont as a freshman after his family relocated to Redwood Shores.
Adam recalled recently that he got off to a shaky start at Carlmont. Although bright, he confides: "I was a bad student . . . I couldn't be bothered with homework."
Throughout his first two years at Carlmont, teachers "never gave up on me, and they tried to get me involved in scholastic work by supplying me with numerous and diverse outlets for my energy and curiosity. In ninth and tenth grades, I was allowed to immerse myself in drama activities, where I not only learned a great deal but gained a sense of purpose and much needed self-esteem."
The summer after ninth grade, Adam wrote a play - "a humble effort, trust me" - that was performed and directed by fellow students at Carlmont. He also sat on the school governance council, participated in Boys State and the Quiz Team, and served as the student trustee on the District's board of trustees.
Talib spent his freshman year in college at San Francisco State and then transferred to UCLA as a sophomore.
He says he probably wouldn't be pursuing a Ph.D. now "were it not for my teachers at Carlmont. I didn't just learn a lot academically from them. I learned about the dignity of hard work, about not being afraid to ask questions and ask for help, about the joy of studying a subject, and about not giving up on myself."
Following the formal presentation on Oct. 7, attendees at Parent Information Night will have the opportunity to engage in smaller conversations with faculty, administrators and parents representing each of the schools.
Crucially, parents will also learn about English Learner, special education and other specialized programs available at District schools as well as information about open enrollment and intradistrict transfers.
For parents unable to attend the event, a podcast will be available for viewing or downloading on the District's website at www.seq.org. Susan Berghouse at (650) 369-1411, ext. 2210, can be contacted for more information.
Established in 1895, Sequoia Union High School District serves the diverse needs of students in the San Francisco Midpeninsula region through the District's four award-winning, comprehensive public high schools and a model continuation high school, a middle college (in collaboration with Cañada College) and an adult school. With a robust portfolio of schools and specialized programs and services, state-of-the-art facilities and technology, and highly qualified teachers and staff, the District is committed to ensuring that all students are engaged and prepared to excel in a 21st century global society. For more information, visit www.seq.org.
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Curriculum & Standards 
