Happy New Year to all our Sandburg families!  I hope you all had a special holiday season and winter break with family and friends.  The year past brought times of celebrations and sadness . . . over the break we lost a member of our Sandburg family – our hearts go out to the Blodgett family for the passing of Sherry.  She gave her time unselfishly to her own children, and the students during school hours and during extra curricular activities. She will be missed.  Life is precious and time passes quickly, we need to embrace every moment we have with appreciation and love.

The city is a buzz with the success of our San Diego Chargers.  At the time of this writing they are scheduled to play the Patriots in the first Playoff game.  Regardless of the outcome they have so much to be proud of.  I share with the students at every Monday morning assembly that the success of the team is due to TEAMWORK.  When Ladainian Tomlinson interviews he attributes his success to his team.  He wouldn’t be able to make the plays he makes without his teammates.  The fact that L.T. doesn’t glorify his successes and claim them as his own says a lot about his character.  This kind of character is what we expect all students and adults at Sandburg to live up to.  Together we can make a difference in the lives of our students by being role models.  The way we treat one another, the tone we use when we speak, the words we use and our body language sets the standards for our overall learning environment.  Let’s all work together to take on the L.T. approach to life, every day.  Go Bolts!

Safety First: Before the winter break we addressed the concerns we had about  “My  Space” with the fourth and fifth grade students.  Parents/Guardians of these students were invited to attend an information chat lead by San Diego Unified Police Department, Select High School students, Employees, Teachers and Administrators.  Students do not have access to “My Space” from school as it is blocked by the district.  The dangers of the Internet are brought to our attention weekly by the media.  “My Space” requires a subscriber to be 14 to open an account.  We have many students with accounts who are not of age . . . Do you know if your child has an account?  If you are aware, are you monitoring the information that gets on there?  Too much information can lead to a potentially dangerous situation for your child.

The district has started a new program, Family Friendly Schools . . . Super Service Commendation Program.  In the front office there is a compliment box for you to write a commendation or thank you to one or more of the employees at the school.  These compliments are forwarded to the district.  The staff and I appreciate all the positive feedback we receive, now the district wishes for you to write it down.  Thank you in advance for your continued support of the Sandburg community of learners.

Congratulations to Angela Halpin, one of our parents, for writing a Loews Grant for beautifying the school.  Because of her efforts the school has been awarded a $4,800 grant to make school improvements on the school grounds.  She will be sending out information to all of you.  We need gardeners and creators to help develop and implement a school plan.  One project we would really like to get going is to create a large size Tiger Topiary near the front entrance to the school.  We are looking for someone who has Topiary design skills and who would be willing to lead this project.  Please let the front office know if you are willing to take on this project.  There are so many ideas - we need your input.  More information to follow . . . Thank you again Mrs. Halpin!!

We have a new Area Superintendent who supports Sandburg.  Her name is Dr. Chelsea Smith, she has attended several of our Monday Morning Assemblies and plans to attend other events as well.  She is out in the community talking with parents, she values your input.  We have posted her schedule in the main office for your reference.

Speaking of Chats – We have our second Kindergarten Chat on Thursday, January 25 from 8:00 – 8:30.  Immediately following that Chat I will host a Principal’s Chat to address any global issues and ideas that might interest you.  Both Chats are open to anyone who wishes to attend.  Notices will be sent home, we hope to see you there!

To stay current on Sandburg activities please visit our website at www.sandi.net/sandburg.  Thank you to Caroline Gabuya for creating and updating our fabulous website.  It has received commendations from the district as being one of the best!  Thank you, Caroline!

Have a great January – Stay safe, happy and healthy!