Wednesday, August 23, 2017
 
Welcome Back, Team PUSD!

We are so excited to welcome you back to a new and exciting school year! We hope that you enjoyed our Welcome Back PUSD music video that was filmed and produced by our very own students (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hFhb-CK3l8). I had the opportunity to visit six of our schools today and was very impressed with how hard our staff, teachers, and principals all worked to prepare for such a smooth first day of school. I want to congratulate each and every one of you on a job well done.
 
I am so pleased to celebrate my first opening of the school year here in Poway Unified. The anticipation and excitement of watching our children arrive through the doors of learning with their brand new backpacks, first-day outfits, and nervous smiles always brings joy to my heart! Today, nearly 4,000 teachers, administrators and support staff, resumed the critical work of educating and caring for our nearly 36,000 young minds that pass through our school doors. 
 
Walking onto each of our campuses we instantly feel the familiar comforts of our homes away from home. Thanks to the efforts of our custodial and maintenance staff over the summer, our facilities and schools look amazing. New facilities projects, including roofs, classrooms, and solar energy panels are complete or are nearing completion. Seven of our schools have new principals, and over 100 new teachers have joined our PUSD family.
 
As Team PUSD, we are all motivated by the belief that every one of our students deserve a safe environment to learn and have opportunities to succeed. Every decision we make, and action we take, must always be focused on what is best for our children. I am reminded of my favorite quote, “Great leaders always have the voices of our children ringing in their ears.”
 
My vision for the 2017-2018 school year is to propel our District and students forward by leveraging our best practices and developing new educational programs and initiatives that support our District goals. We must expand the way our students learn and the way our teachers teach, to creatively use our resources for maximum impact. This includes:
 

• Creating personalized learning pathways that allow our students to be competitive in a global society.
• Increasing the educational technology presence in our schools that allow our students to gain experiences and the necessary skills to be successful in college and career.
• Developing and implementing innovative programs and learning experiences that allow our students opportunities to be multilingual, technology savvy, masters of the arts, and proficient contributors in the STEM and STEAM industries.
• Restoring financial stability to the District and growing community trust and support for PUSD’s district mission of college and career readiness for all students.

 
If you want to learn more about me you can tune into our introductory “PUSD podcast.” (https://soundcloud.com/powayunified/pusdpodcast-ep-1-marian-kim-phelps). I look forward to sharing more about my adventures and District news in our monthly #TeamPUSD newsletters.
 
Finally, as your new superintendent my hope is that this new year brings you and your family hope, inspiration, love, kindness, and many blessings! I look forward to our collaborative partnership in building a stronger and better district together!
 
Sincerely,
Marian Kim-Phelps, Ed.D.