Thanks to Brad for asking me to become an occasional contributor to Monrovia Now.
I imagine many of my postings will revolve around our public schools and the different youth activities available in Monrovia – in addition to being on the Monrovia School Board, I am on the PTA board for Clifton Middle School, I am leading a Girl Scout troop for an 11th year and recently became a Boys and Girls Club Board Member. But every once and a while I might throw in a piece on one of my sister’s new books or the latest new watering hole on Myrtle.
Welcome back Monrovia Unified families! Summer came to an end, probably much earlier than anyone hoped, and the school doors opened once again on Monday, August 30th. This was my first year being a School Board member on the first day of school and I was very excited to receive a tour of our campuses from Deputy Superintendent Debby Collins and see how our schools welcome students back.
What Dr. Collins and I found were 10 campuses with students where they needed to be, staff handling everything with grace and campuses that were clean and orderly…and knowing we were starting our tour at Monrovia High School, I was unsure how our MHS Staff and Students would handle another “1st Day” under construction.
Students at the high school were arriving on the softball field to pick up their revised schedules as they had been directed to, staff was out in force to direct students to new classroom locations and the counseling staff worked through problematic or missing schedules. I even saw a couple of parents accompanying their freshman onto the high school campus for the first time. Listening to parents during this first week of school, you know things get missed (“PE in the wrong period”, “I guess she will be taking Mandarin”, “please no zero period”), but I thank the staff for remaining calm, returning calls so promptly and trying to find solutions for parents and students as they have fewer and fewer resources.
The middle schools welcomed new “Teaching Assistant Principals”: Courtney Glass at Clifton and Megan Esquer at Santa Fe. As we have less and less money, we have to look for creative ways to cut staff/administration while ensuring our students are supervised and the staff is supported. Mr. Glass and Ms. Esquer will be teaching two periods a day and being Assistant Principal for the remainder of the school day. As a high school and middle school parent, I miss the “Welcome Back Coffees” that many of the elementary schools host for parents that first day – a port in the storm for new elementary school parents as they hand off their little ones to the “public school”. Oh how I could have used that when I brought my oldest to “MIDDLE SCHOOL!!!” years ago.
The elementary schools seem to pick up like no time has passed…as I walked into the Mayflower Workroom, a place I have spent hours, days...YEARS! – I see familiar faces already making copies for teachers and going over plans for the first fundraiser. Well-oiled machine! The new immersion program at Monroe was my favorite visit and it was great to see how our parents embraced such a great program. Who knows, maybe next we will offer French at one of our other schools?
I am really looking forward to this school year and hope our parents will keep the good work in everything they do for our students in Monrovia.
Go Wildcats!
Alex Zucco
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