August 9, 2017 Hello O’Connell Families, By now you have likely heard that Principal Mark Alvarado will be transitioning into another position for this school year. It is clear that Mark Alvarado will be sorely missed by the O’Connell community. His leadership has been at the heart of shaping the O’Connell we know and love. As the acting administrative team, Vince Toan, Amy Abero and I want to reassure you that there is no change in the direction of our school. O’Connell is working on the same innovative goals that have made us the high school in SFUSD most associated with Vision 2025 and educating students for the future. Our students graduate having completed: ● ● ● ●
Rigorous coursework Extensive group work and project-based learning Two years of internships Independent research culminating in a senior defense in front of a panel of community members and industry experts
Students benefit from: ● ● ● ● ●
A full-time nurse and Wellness Center A vibrant after-school and enrichment program free of charge for all students in partnership with Urban Services YMCA, Youth Arts Exchange, and Youth Speaks A dedicated team of academic counselors with full-time college and career preparation partners such as Mission Graduates, FACES for the Future, Bayview Association for Youth, and JVS Teams of caring, talented teachers who provide individualized support to all students The collective investment of SFUSD College and Career Pathways, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC), Salesforce, the San Francisco Department of Children, Youth, and their Families (DCYF), and Mission Promise Neighborhood (MPN)
We are proud of a graduation rate at O’Connell that exceeds the average SFUSD graduation rate, with the strongest pathways in SFUSD for entering skilled trades in the city and over 70% of graduating seniors immediately enrolling in college. All O’Connell students develop the academic skills and the real-world skills to be successful in both college and career -- not one or the other. Scholarship awards to O’Connell students have tripled over the past few year. Looking ahead, we will be taking advantage of over 2 million dollars awarded to O’Connell in partnerships and grants from to expand our innovative instructional and program and student supports.
Our families are part of what makes the O’Connell community strong. Here’s what a few of our parent leaders have to say about O’Connell: ●
“It only takes 10 minutes at O’Connell to see that this is the place to be. We support our students, and we support our families,” Darrell Winston, African American Parent Partnership chair
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“Once you enroll, you are part of our family,” Annalis Hernandez, School Site Council (SSC) chair and former O’Connell parent
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“Now is a great time for parents to get engaged in school governance and to make their voices heard.” Saskia Verbeck, parent leader and SSC member
If you or your child are new to our community, please join us at the O’Connell New Student and Family Orientation on Saturday, August 19th from 9:30 am to noon. Parent leaders and teacher leaders will be there to answer your questions and introduce you to our wonderful school community. Also, please join us at the first O’Connell School Site Council Meeting on Wednesday, August 30th from 5:15 to 6:45 pm. These meetings are open to all community members. The O’Connell community is thriving, and will continue to thrive because of the commitment of our skilled and dedicated staff and parents in serving our talented and lovable young people.To paraphrase writer Vironika Tugaleva, there is nothing more powerful than people united. O’Connell is united in a clear vision to prepare all students for both college and career. We will continue making O’Connell the most innovative and supportive high school in San Francisco. My door is open, and feel free to contact me via email at
[email protected]. Warmly,
Susan Ryan, Acting Principal John O’Connell High School San Francisco Unified School District
Check out the O’Connell website:
https://jochs-sfusd-ca.schoolloop.com
