Sierra Elementary School

Dear Sierra Families,

I am honored to introduce myself as the proud principal of Sierra Elementary School! I am
excited to be starting my 5th year as Sierra’s principal and it is my privilege to help shepherd
your students through this phase of their educational careers. It is my greatest hope that
your students will come to see Sierra as their second home; a place filled with people who
care deeply for them, who expect great things for them, and who are willing to go the extra
mile to facilitate their success. Here at Sierra, there are a few foundational beliefs that guide
us each and every day.

Social Emotional Learning (SEL) as our First Priority
Our hope is to create outstanding scholars here at Sierra Elementary; however, we believe
that creating good citizens of our community and our world is an even greater goal! Our
entire school community is centered around our commitment to providing opportunities for
our students to develop their social-emotional skills. Our PBIS and CKH initiatives aim to
build and maintain positive relationships, to explicitly teach our students the desired
expectations, and to reward our students for being good citizens. Our students receive daily
SEL instruction through our Second Step curriculum. We provide targeted SEL support
through our counseling programs and Social-Emotional Learning Center. We know that our
Sierra students come from a variety of diverse backgrounds and experiences and our
priority is to support them in becoming great students, friends, and community members!

Standards-Based Instruction in an Inclusive Environment
At Sierra, we want to ensure that our students are gaining the knowledge and skills that they
need to become college and/or career ready. In elementary school, we lay the foundation
for our students to be successful in middle and high school. We provide high-quality
instruction aligned to the California Common Core Standards. Our classes are fully
inclusive, meaning that all students, regardless of their unique learning needs or abilities,
are welcome in our classrooms. Students with disabilities, and those without, are provided
individualized supports and interventions through the diverse range of options available to
all of our students. Our individualized student supports may include participation in one of
our 3 learning centers, individual or group counseling, access to educational specialists and
interventionists, after-school tutoring and enrichment, and targeted supports in the
classroom setting. Small-group instruction is a key component of our instructional design,
ensuring that our students have access to instruction at their level and that they receive
effective feedback regarding their learning progress.

Our school staff is composed of outstanding educators who come to work each day
determined to see our students reach their potential. We commit to providing our students
with relevant and engaging instruction on a daily basis. We believe that ALL students have
the potential to learn and that it is our responsibility to provide each and every student with
the unique support and encouragement that they need to achieve success.

Relationships Above All Else
I believe that the family is the child’s first and most important teacher. Our goal is to provide
a welcoming environment in which our families feel encouraged to collaborate alongside us,
working together to help ensure their students’ success. Our doors are open and we invite
you to join us. Through ParentSquare, our families have access to their child’s teacher, as
well as all additional staff members playing an integral role in your child’s education. We ask
that you engage in the conversation with us as we explore your students’ strengths and
needs. My goal is that we all develop meaningful relationships with one another and that our
students build positive and meaningful relationships with their peers and our Sierra staff.

Our children today are facing challenges that children of the past have never experienced. I
see no two greater tasks than those of being a parent or an educator. As a Sierra educator
AND parent myself, I encourage you to join our village. The journey of educating our children
is challenging, but it is immensely rewarding. Let’s walk side-by-side, and embark on this
journey together.

Best regards,

Rebekah McConnell
School Principal

At Sierra Elementary, we believe in a school climate grounded
in the love of learning that will both inspire students to
become lifelong problem solvers as well as kind, respectful,
and responsible members of our society.