Welcome to the 2023-2024 School Year!

Dear NVUSD Families,

I hope you enjoyed the last few weeks and were able to relax, catch-up with friends and family, and spend time doing what was most important and meaningful for you and your family. My family and I created an unforgettable memory driving 14 hours through Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and finally New York in a U-Haul as we helped my daughter move to Brooklyn and begin her first job after graduating college. I am grateful for the opportunity to spend those special moments with my family. 

As we enter the 2023-2024 school year and I begin my sixth year of service as the NVUSD superintendent, I am also full of joy, excitement, humility, and hope. NVUSD is poised for an extraordinary year of learning, discovery, and growth for everyone. Much of this success ties back to the implementation of our 2019-2024 strategic plan. This plan has served our students, staff, and families in so many ways, specifically as our anchor during the uncertainties of the pandemic. Over the last few years, we have shifted from financially at risk to financially stable. We have expanded academic and social-emotional programs, created state of the art digital learning environments at every school, implemented large scale curriculum adoptions across content areas, developed systems of support for students during transition years, invested in large scale professional development days and programs to benefit student learning and wellness, and much, much more. 

This progress has created a strong and stable foundation. For this reason, I am thrilled to announce that the 2023-2024 school year will be a period of new strategic visioning and planning as we prepare to strengthen our system for our students. We recognize that everyone in our community plays a role in the success of our students. That's why we will reimagine the future of our Napa Valley Unified School District learning community alongside our students, parents, staff, and greater community. The community engagement process we are implementing will ensure we are collaborating in a meaningful way with our families, staff, and community to develop our future vision and strategic plan. Be on the lookout for the various ways that you can contribute to creating our future vision and plan as we continue improving the educational experience for all NVUSD students.

In the spirit of continuous improvement, we will ensure open and regular communication throughout the school year. Your feedback and suggestions are always welcome as we strive to provide the best educational experience for our students.

As we look forward to the new school year, let us remember that the essence of education lies in our shared commitment to fostering an environment that nurtures curiosity, embraces diversity, and encourages our students to become lifelong learners.  I wish you and your student a wonderful first day back to school on August 16. 

Go NVUSD!

Sincerely,