Principal Joe Johnson's Farewell Letter

Dear Parents, 

In this, my final Roadrunner newsletter article, I wish to express my gratitude to all the MHS students and parents for making my 19 years here a rewarding and memorable experience in so many ways. I have proudly watched over 1700 fifth graders being promoted, as well as witness the student body rise to nearly 600 pupils, an increase of over 225 in the past 19 years.

is so unique in its setting and beautifully built that it is hard to imagine there would be a need to expand. But as the student numbers swelled, it became a necessity. I was fortunate to oversee the physical transition of our campus, which included the addition of a library/computer lab, the construction of the lunch pavilion area, three new classrooms, the kindergarten rooms, as well as the modernization of the Main Office. More importantly, I have been extremely fortunate to have had an excellent and caring staff over the years. School staffing was transformed when the student-teacher ratio was lowered to 20:1 in 1996. Of the 28 teachers currently on staff, I am proud to say I have hired 24! And as every year passes, there are the inevitable staff retirements that give one cause to reflect and appreciate each one's gifts and contributions.

Retiring this year are Nancy Klaphaak, 22 years at MHS as English Language Development and second grade teacher, Mary Marthe, 26 years as our Resource Specialist, Janet Waldron, 26 years as fourth grade teacher at Marengo and counselor at MHS, AV, Marengo, middle school and the high school, Reita Bhatia, district psychologist, and Tano Pinedo, 31 years as MHS's evening custodian. I thank each of them for their hard work and positive attitude that helped define our school as a California Distinguished School for the second time in the past four years.

In her first year as PTA president, I wish to thank Chris Holmes for her dedication to MHS. The PTA Executive Board and our chairpersons planned well and devoted a lot of time planning events, activities and projects that were sufficiently funded and executed well. Thanks to the following Executive Board members for a job well done: Mary McCrae, Tracy Reiman, Ann Ogawa, Gloria Gee, Liv Nelson, Scott Vargas, Ed Stonick, Jeff Hohman, Gary Rowe, and Sally Takeda. I know the incoming Board is already planning for another outstanding year from the PTA. The major events have already been calendared.

Our School Site Council completed a very productive year, including overseeing our Distinguished School Award (DSA) application. Our DSA writing team consisted of Steve Chen, Amber Serkez, Christina Hansen, and Gina Tolleson. I thank them for their dedication for helping me complete the application on time. A new School Plan was developed and most of our efforts were put into improving our math and reading achievement as well as addressing school safety issues including implementing the Board's anti-bullying policy.

Thanks to outgoing parent members Cathe Daly-Nguyen (chair), Irene Wong and Charl Green for the time and dedication to oversee our school plan. Appreciation also goes to Maggie Moore, Amber Serkez, Karen Owens, and Pam McDonald for serving the SSC above and beyond their daily responsibilities. Congratulations goes to our three new Council parent representatives Sally Takeda, Lourdes Nonato and Leilani Scholtz as elected at our Open House. Their tenure, along with continuing members Erica Rolin and Lynne Serwin will be more challenging given the financial outlook for our schools the next couple of years.  

I wish to especially thank Robyn Saito and Irene Wong for publishing our "green" and very classy PTA Roadrunner and weekly update online newsletters this year! The newsletters truly have set a high benchmark for newsletters around the district.

As you plan for next year, please mark on your calendars that on August 13 (9:00 AM - 1:00 PM) and 14 (3:00 - 7:00 PM) will be our annual student summer registration dates ("Round-up"). There will be no designated date for you to register. A reminder notice will go out soon with the specifics of the registration process and times, so be looking for that. If your summer schedule does not permit you to register on those dates, you may register on another day before school starts. Please contact our office staff for to let us know that you will NOT be registering on August 13 or 14, and when you will be returning to do so. Let the office staff know if you will be missing any of the first days of school!

School begins on Thursday, August 23. Your child's class placement will be posted by 4:00 PM on August 22. On the last day of school this year, June 14, all 1st-5th grade students will be dismissed at 12:30 PM. AM and PM kindergartners will meet on a block schedule that morning.

In closing, I bid you all a fond farewell, and know that MHS will be in good hands next year.

Sincerely,

Joe Johnson