Starr King Elementary School

Dear Families,

I wanted to introduce myself and welcome you (or welcome you back) to Starr King Elementary School. I’ve already been able to meet a number of families in and around the neighborhood. I am very much looking to getting acquainted with each of you as we engage in a full and productive year of teaching and learning.

As I was hired after the close of the school year, I also wanted to provide a little background about me:

• Eight years of experience as a school administrator, seven years as an elementary school principal and one year as a middle school vice principal.
• Thirteen years of teaching experience
• Twenty-six years of education experience overall
• A belief, based in evidence, of the potential of every child.

This past year, I visited shining examples of schools in cities like Chicago, Atlanta, Los Angeles and the Bay Area. I witnessed how these schools create the right chemistry atmosphere or environment etc. for excellence. With Starr King’s top notch faculty, engaged parents, and motivated students, our school has all of the right ingredients. I am honored that the school community chose me to be a part of its journey.

I have a couple of updates in response to questions I’ve already received concerning staffing, class assignments, and school uniforms:

• The school uniform policy will remain in place.
• I will post our revised staff list within the next week..
• Class lists will be posted the day before school begins.

This week, I will post (and mail) a calendar that includes important dates, some additional procedural information for new families to our school, a note about openings on the School Site Council, and other tidbits that might help you feel oriented and ready for a great school year. I will be on campus starting Friday of this week and then every day as of next Monday. Please feel free to drop by to say hello.

I’m excited to join the Starr King community and continue to build upon its tradition of innovation and excellence.

Looking forward,
Greg John
Principal