Sequoia Sentinel
Sequoia PTSA's weekly eNewsletter in partnership with the Sequoia High School Education Foundation
PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE
The cycle of an academic year has its predictable ups and downs. August is a time of optimism. November goes fast and packs a punch. March seems to take forever but there actually are over a hundred days in May.  

This year’s circumstances have amplified each milestone’s impact. A first semester without smiles forced us all to dig deep to be our best selves. The prom, on the other hand, was as fun as any I remember after almost 20 years of supervising proms. Last week’s Ritmo Latino Fiesta, co-hosted by our Latino Student Union and ASB, felt almost cathartic as the 9-piece live band played well past our curfew. Students were dancing away the intensity of the year.

We are all doing the very best we can this year. And with graduation, a school’s most significant and enduring milestone, upon us, we should not miss this opportunity to inject some gratitude into our emotional closure of this important school year.

Starting with our volunteers from the parent and community ranks, there are so many individuals who deserve my thanks. Fundraising for athletics Boosters, our IB proctor corps, mentors, tutors, and classroom assistance – our community stepped up. I appreciated being able to share smiles with familiar faces at the snack shack during the football season and wave goofily from my desk as folks signed in and received their visitors’ badges from Susie Bass.

Each year, Sequoia’s PTSA presents the principal with a ceremonial check containing the value of the volunteer labor hours in a school year. I predict this year’s will be upwards of $500,000 – a conservative estimate by my count and not adjusted for inflation. Sequoia volunteers are an inspiration!

Thank you to everyone who made this year’s campaign for the Sequoia High School Education Foundation such a success. We have continued to grow in our ability to open pathways and opportunities for all kids at Sequoia. This year’s Annual Fund goal was ambitious but we are on track as contributions from returning donors and new families continue to roll in. What a community!

My strongest gratitude, however, is for Sequoia’s teachers and staff. Whether you’re a math teacher or the treasurer, you have worn more hats than ever this year. Setting aside your own anxieties about COVID-19 in order to provide opportunities and space for kids each day, you’ve provided emotional support, tough love, academic expertise, life coaching, and much more. The need to cover classes and duties for colleagues’ temporary sidelines was as intense this year as ever, meaning there was less time to prep, grade, and, well, breathe deeply.  

When you hear about the exodus of teachers from the profession, it is understandable after the year we’ve experienced. That this year’s attrition thus far doesn’t stray from the mean we’ve established over the past several years speaks both to the fortitude of our staff and the belief we hold in our community and our mission.  

I am grateful to work with such dedicated and versatile teachers and staff. I’ve had the term “toxic positivity” attached to me more than once, but I am sincere when I say that I am astonished by our community’s ability to lift one another up. I suppose I just have a privileged vantage point to see so much good around me each day. 
   
On Friday we will send the Class of ‘22 off. They will put the words of the great Bob Ross to the test in their lives outside of Sequoia and hopefully come to believe, as I do, that “the secret to doing anything is believing that you can do it.” We will close this school year and await the next one with a sense of wonder and renewal, a paradox akin to being able to predict the seasons while still marveling at the colors they bring forth each year.  

Thanks for reading along this year. Here’s to a safe and restful summer!

Best,
Sean
PTSA
Help us double our appreciation for Sequoia’s staff
We have two staff appreciation lunches coming up and we would love your help!

On Wed., June 1, the PTSA and Family Center will host a summer-themed lunch with homemade enchiladas and pupusas to celebrate our staff. 

On Fri., June 3, SHSEF & the PTSA will co-sponsor a grab-and-go lunch for staff to enjoy after graduation. 

Please sign up to donate lunch items and/or volunteer your time on June 1 or June 3, and thank you for showing our Sequoia teachers and staff how much we appreciate them!
HIGHLIGHTS
"That's So Raven" Ep. 20
This week on That's So Raven…

0:22 Mental Health Awareness Month
2:13 Class of 2023 Leadership Interviews
4:23 Credits
Thank you for supporting Sequoia’s 2022 Prom Gallery
Thank you, Sequoia Community, for helping to make 90 students’ dreams come true this prom season. You gifted our students a rainbow of fashion and support, ensuring that every junior and senior could attend prom feeling confident and stylish!
 
We would like to extend special thanks to our parent volunteers: Kate and Jay Corpus, Courtney Rappaport, Katherine Schembri, Kelly Roberts, Lisa Hane, Sarah Sorensen, Margaret Brockman, Aimee Swanson, Yolanda Barajas, Leslie Doyle, Joanna Jeffs, Gigi Casey and Justin Sears. Thank you also to the generous Crum, Schechter, Kaufman, Lindstrom, Rubin, Sarrail, Peavler, Rappoport, Roberts, Ledford, Baird, and Huljev families for donating an unprecedented $1,950 worth of gift cards.
 
Finished with your prom outfit? Help support students’ future prom dreams by donating your gently used formalwear. Kindly have it dry cleaned or laundered and drop it off at the Family Center (Room 129) before the end of the school year, M-F between 8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Questions? Please contact Elisa Niño-Sears: shsef.fs@gmail.com, or (650) 387-8390.
GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS
Summer Literacy Experience 2022
The Summer Literacy Experience 2022 will promote TRANS-LITERACY, or literacy across platforms. This includes listening to podcasts, looking at art, understanding infographics, vetting social media, reading non-fiction, and more. 

Watch the short video to hear Sequoia students share their plans for completing the Summer Literacy Experience! Questions? Contact Ms. Snow in the Media Center.
Aug. 20: Fifteenth Annual Alumni Association "picnic"
Sequoia High School Alumni
Save the date for the 15th Annual Sequoia High School Alumni Association “Celebrate Sequoia” picnic, catered by Bianchini’s, Sat., Aug. 20, 10:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. on the beautiful Sequoia campus. Activities include: 
  • Campus tours
  • Sequoia choir and cheerleaders performance
  • Vintage car display
  • Purple Patriot award recognition for Sequoia health aide, Claudia Rendon, and pole vault coach, David Stahler, individuals who have significantly benefited Sequoia High School.

All Sequoians are welcome (alumni, students, parents, staff, PTSA, Boosters, Education Foundation, and community members). Tickets are $40 per person. A limited number of tickets will be available at the door at $45 per person. Reservations due by August 17 and may be made online at www.SequoiaAlumni.org, by calling (650) 592-5822 or e-mailing SHSAA@SequoiaAlumni.org.
Sequoia socks - get yours today!
Hello parents and families! We are the Sequoia Sock Club. This year we designed our own Sequoia-themed socks and we are hosting a sock sale. The entirety of your purchase will go directly to Street Life Ministries to help aid the local homeless and at-risk community. Your support would mean the world to us! If you would like to buy our Sequoia-themed socks (for only $5), please fill out our google form.
June 1: Deadline for declaring IB Diploma status
Sophomores who attended the mandatory IB Diploma meeting on May 25 will receive an email with a link to the IB Diploma Declaration Form. If you want to do the IB Diploma, you will need to complete the IB Diploma Declaration Form by June 1. This is a firm deadline. If you do not meet this deadline, you will not be eligible for the IB Diploma.
SEQUOIA ATHLETICS
Boosters memberships for graduating seniors
As a gift to the class of 2022, the Sequoia Sport and Spirit Boosters organization is excited to offer each graduating senior a free one-year “new alums” Boosters membership. Benefits include one free ticket to next year’s Homecoming football game and access to Boosters info and activities throughout the year. Class of 2022 Ravens should visit NEW ALUMNI BOOSTERS to join.
Summer athletic season and support
School is out, but Sequoia Athletics programs are still putting in the work! Visit the Sequoia Boosters website and stay up-to-date with training and try-out information. Join the Boosters or renew your membership at Sequoia Boosters 2022-2023.

CLASS NOTES
Senior parents: We need your help during graduation week
Please consider donating items or volunteering for one of these events during graduation week: 

June 1: Senior class lunch
June 2: Senior brunch 
June 3: Grad Night check-in/security

We can't do it without you! Please sign up here.
Special alumni invitation for class of 2022
In honor of your graduation, the Sequoia High School Alumni Association extends a special invitation to members of the Class of 2022 to join our Alumni Association at the special rate of $20.22 (the year of your graduation) for a lifetime membership (a $50 value).

Members receive our newspaper, Smoke Signals, where they can follow Association activities, find news about other alumni, and receive reunion information. 

We look forward to having you as a member of the Sequoia High School Alumni Association! Click here for the membership form.
Lawn signs still available

Celebrate your graduating senior by ordering a class of 2022 lawn/window sign! See our website for details.
MEET ME IN THE MEDIA CENTER

Check out our May 2022 Newsletter and click here to find out what’s happening at the Media Center!

We look forward to seeing you,
Ms. Snow
THE PARENT EDUCATION SERIES
Thurs., June 16 Drawing on Courage: Risks Worth Taking and Stands Worth Making, Ashish Goel, Designer, Entrepreneur, Stanford d.school Teaching Fellow

Basándose en el coraje: riesgos que vale la pena tomar y posiciones que vale Ashish Goel, diseñador, emprendedor, docente de Stanford d.school
COMMUNITY RESOURCES AND EVENTS
June 16: College essay workshop
Heather Woods of Heartwood Editing creates a comfortable environment in which to write, reflect, and ask questions about college essays.

Workshop June 16, 7:00 - 8:45 p.m., 1101 Main Street, Redwood City, $37 per person. Or assemble 3+ students and pick your own date. Register for the workshop here.
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Sentinel Newsletter:

The Sentinel is distributed every Sunday at 8 a.m. during the school year. Readers enjoy hearing about activities, events, and accomplishments of Sequoia students, staff and community. 

Submit articles by the Wed. before desired publication. Space is at a premium so we run articles for two weeks maximum. If you have any questions reach the editors at sequoiaptsanews@gmail.com.

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