August 18, 2023

Dear PCS Community, 

What a fabulous first week of school! If you didn’t get a chance to see our first day of school video or our new staff video, please take a moment to check out the amazing things happening right here in Petaluma City Schools. It was truly a lonely summer without our students and the staff and I are so happy to have students back for another exciting year! These past few days were filled with opportunities to reconnect with each other, rekindle existing friendships, and build new friendships. 

I want to take a moment to thank our incredible teachers and staff for their hard work. Each year, the miracle of the first day of school comes and goes, and it is our amazing teachers and staff who put in the extra time and effort to make sure our students and families experience a special start to the school year. The week before school started, our teachers and staff were engaged in professional learning that was focused around equity and meeting each individual student where they are, getting to know each of our students as individuals, and helping them achieve their unlimited potential through high expectations and rigorous and culturally-relevant classroom instruction. 

Several times throughout this year, we will be sending out a brief survey to our students to check the “pulse” of how we are doing as a District, with a laser focus on ensuring that every student has a trusted adult on campus. The information we gather will allow us to give extra support where needed. As we have all just experienced together, the beginning of the year brings excitement and anticipation for the amazing things the year will hold for each of us as individuals and as a broader community. We hope you will join us in supporting the many back-to-school activities and events throughout the year that are intended to build and strengthen our community. 

Just like we do with our students, I want to challenge you to put yourself out there, meet new friends, welcome new faces, and deepen your connections to our PCS community. Please keep an eye out for follow-up messages from your school site, where you will learn more about events on your campus, co-curricular and extracurricular opportunities, and school-specific updates. 

Have a wonderful weekend PCS, and I look forward to an exciting second week of school. 

In partnership,

Matthew Harris

Superintendent, Petaluma City Schools