Dear SUSD Families and Community,

One of the things I love most about serving as Superintendent here is that this isn't just where I work, it's home. This is where I grew up, where I went to school, where I chose to build my life and raise my family. I began my career in Sebastopol as a student teacher at Park Side in 1999. I taught here for 17 years before becoming an administrator and over the years I was fortunate to be able to bring my three daughters to school with me every day and watch them thrive from kindergarten to 8th grade. Our schools have been my home for over 25 years.  

When I’m at Park Side and Brook Haven, there's something magical about walking through our hallways and seeing students fully immersed in their learning. Bright classrooms filled with natural light, colorful displays of student work, and learning spaces designed to spark curiosity, essential ingredients that help our students thrive. When you peek into a classroom, you might see kindergarteners building elaborate block structures while problem-solving together, or middle schoolers engaged in a lively debate about a novel they're reading. These spaces aren't just physically bright, they're alive with energy, questions, and discovery, and it is an honor knowing that our schools are supported by the same community that invested in me.

What makes our schools truly special is how we honor the whole child. Our students need time to create, explore, and play just as much as they need strong academic foundations in reading, writing, and math. You'll find students working on science experiments one moment and expressing themselves through art the next. But the real heart of our schools is the sense of community that connects everyone together. 

This local knowledge and genuine investment makes a real difference. We understand the unique strengths and needs of our community because we live them. We know our students, their interests, their strengths, their challenges, and their dreams. We know families too and building genuine partnerships is important to us. When students feel known and valued, when they walk into a school where adults care about them as individuals, that's when real learning happens. This is the kind of environment our administrative team is committed to fostering every single day. When we make decisions about our schools, we're thinking about all of our students, because they're our community's children, and their success matters deeply to us.

Every day, we work hard to honor the trust you place in us. We're committed to serving every single student in our community, ensuring they have the same opportunities to learn, grow, and thrive that our community and our community and this district once gave to us. 

Thank you for being part of what makes Sebastopol Union School District so special.

With gratitude,

Sara Gramm
Superintendent