Dear Caroline Wenzel Elementary School Students, Family Members, and Staff,

I am truly honored to introduce myself as the new principal at Caroline Wenzel Elementary School. I know this upcoming school year will be full of hope and promise. As I announce a new era of leadership here at Caroline Wenzel Elementary School, I want to take a moment to recognize the leadership of Mr. Yang and the successes that Caroline Wenzel Elementary School experienced during his tenure. Thank you, Mr. Yang, for paving the way to a brighter future for us all.

As your new principal, one of my key goals is to continue Mr. Yang’s vision of increasing academic achievement and opportunities for our students. To do that, I will apply my educational background in Curriculum and Instruction and nearly 15 years of teaching experience in the Sacramento City Unified School District to meet the needs of our diverse student population at Caroline Wenzel Elementary School.

l join the Caroline Wenzel Elementary School family as an educator with a diverse background and leadership experiences within the Sacramento City USD that spans grade levels Kinder through 6th grade. And while I now live in our community, I grew up in the small rural town of Lakeport, CA, roughly a two-hour drive northwest of Sacramento. Like many rural towns, Lakeport is challenged with poverty due to a lack of opportunity. However, as the daughter of two teachers, I saw first-hand the power of education as a vehicle for future success. My experiences growing up in a poor community and in a household of educators, along with my many teaching experiences throughout SCUSD, have only reinforced my personal belief that the best education is one that promotes respect and inclusion-helping to ensure that all students have an equal opportunity to learn and grow in a manner that brings out the best in themselves and each other. Hence, promoting a climate of diversity and respect will be another one of my priorities during my tenure.

It is of the utmost importance to me to promote an environment of safety and security. lt is for this reason that I request that we ALL do our part to listen, communicate regularly, and be attentive to each other-for each other.

As a person who has lived in the Pocket Greenhaven area for nearly a decade, I look forward to this opportunity to lead in a neighborhood I callhome. Providing allstudents with an educational program that challenges and provides them with the aptitude to be successful in the future is undoubted of the utmost importance, At the same time, I am also looking forward to helping our children succeed while valuing peace, tolerance, and equality at Caroline Wenzel Elementary School.

I invite you to contact me! I am available at (916) 304-6242, or you may email me at kellv-rvan@scusd.edu so we can connect. I look forward to hearing from you!

Warmest regards,

Kelly Ryan

Principal