John Muir Elementary Needs Your Assistance
By Richard Johnson

Once again budgets are tight and if things go as usual, schools will bear a large share of the budget cut backs. In times of tight money, we need to look at our spending priorities and make sure we not only provide services but invest in the future. The voters of SF are to be thanked for establishing the City’s Rainy Day Fund that’s been used to support our school district, avoiding teacher lay offs for the past two years. This type of forward thinking is the first step in many that need to be made to assure that education regains top priority for CA. I want to make a suggestion, for the next step, that we as a community can do to assure that school funding achieves the maximum effect. Take time to get involved, through volunteering, in your local school.

This school year, 2009-10, at John Muir Elementary Principal Wheaton, Tzu Chi Foundation and the John Muir PTA have set the following goals to achieve.:
1. Strive to build upon last year’s greatly improved test scores (John Muir ES had the biggest improvement in the City) and continue to develop academic achievement for all students.

2. Assure that all students, no matter their social or economic status, have an equal opportunity to all the necessary resources necessary to gain an excellent education.

3. Build upon our recycling efforts, through incorporation into school curriculum, to nurture an environment that will create the future environmental leaders who will lead us to a sustainable future.

Here is how you, as a community member, can get involved, and through your participation help to achieve the above goals. You don’t have to be a parent to participate. One hour a week is a big help!

1. If you are a parent, with elementary-age children, enroll them at John Muir and become involved with the PTA.

2. Join us in welcoming students back to school on Monday August 24th (see Voice calendar for details).

3. Help break the cycle of truancy by making sure your child attends school every day.

4. Make John Muir a green school by assisting with recycling and work with teachers, students, parents and staff to implement their current design to green the school yard.

5. Become a school volunteer at John Muir. To start the process, contact Kalvin Arenas, SF School Volunteers, at either k.arenas@sfsv.org or 749-3700.

6. Become a tutor, volunteer in the class room, help out in the library, help with art projects, help out at noontime in the playground and volunteer in the parent room.

This year, make time and join me and all the many partners already collaborating with John Muir to “Let the Light Shine on John Muir”. We Can Do It by supplementing dollars with people power.