Superintendent/Principal's Message

Introduction from New Superintendent/Principal, Christy Ng

 

 

Message from Interim Superintendent/Principal, Dr. Rosie Slentz.
March 2, 2023

 

Greetings,

 

This is it! As we turn the corner into Spring we are inviting awesome people to apply to join our family as our next Superintendent-Principal. Most people are not familiar with this hybrid administrative role. Like all Superintendents, this position takes direction from the Board of Trustees about "what" to focus on. It is the Superintendent-Principal's responsibility to figure out "how" to leverage and coordinate human, physical, and fiscal resources to manifest the District's vision. This dual role wears a variety of hats and is more hands-on than administrators in large districts. Years ago I was working with a group of Superintendent-Principals who described their roles with terms ranging from "rattlesnake killer" to "instructional coach". We are looking for someone who embraces the fact that they will find themselves occasionally cooking lunch, teaching a class, making bank deposits, and figuring out why the boiler is making strange sounds--that's the beauty of a small school setting.

 

Big Lagoon is a dream job. Every time a student walks by my office and squishes their face against the window it makes my heart sing. Like every administrative position, there are a gazillion tasks and forms to take care of, but here, there are very few students--and that means you have the opportunity to form meaningful connections. 

 

And if I didn't make it clear, this is a position for someone who will roll up their sleeves and pick up the trash that the mountain lion spreads around the parking lot. They will collaborate with teachers to support them in differentiating for 4-5 grade levels. They will juggle the schedules, absences, and needs of multiple part-time staff and ultimately, they will infuse the school community with joy and motivation to nurture the learning experience that our kiddos deserve. 

 

If you're an educator reading this, and it makes your stomach jiggly with excitement, this might be the job for you. If you have questions, please reach out.

The directions to apply can be found on the HCOE Personnel website and the due date is April 10th.

 

 

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Message from Interim Superintendent/Principal, Dr. Rosie Slentz.
December 6, 2022
 
Greetings,
 
I can't believe we are heading into Winter Break soon! As the fall weather has set in, we arrive each morning to a sparkling frosted field, speckled with hungry red-breasted birds. Our trusty boiler is keeping the classrooms cozy and our new cook, Shaina is keeping our bellies full with flavorful, scratch-cooked meals.

 

Our primary classroom (Ms. Rebecca) has nine students in grades K-3 and our upper grade classroom (Mrs. Macanas) has seven students in grades 4-6. If you are interested in attending Big Lagoon and you live in a different district, NOW IS THE TIME to fill out an interdistrict transfer request for your district of residence. Your chances of approval are highest if you apply between Dec.1-Feb.1. The link for the 2023-24 school year can be found here. 

 

One of the wonderful aspects of working at a small school district is the feeling of family and the way everyone pitches in for all the things that need doing. That said, we are searching for a couple more people to join our team. We need a bus driver and para-educator. Please email [email protected] if you are interested or have questions about these opportunities. If you live within our district boundaries, you may be interested in serving your community by joining our school board, which meets once a month.

 

We are really proud of our After School Adventures program. Mr. G operates this M-W-F, focusing on culturally relavant lessons and outdoor education. Kids get to garden, hike, and explore the forest each week. We would love to find someone to teach on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. Our first choice would be a music instructor, but art and other enrichment activities would be fun too. You do not need a teaching credential for this position but you should feel comfortable facilitating and managing a group of kids.
 
 
Be Well,
 
Rosie Slentz, Ed.D
Interim Superintendent/Principal of Big Lagoon School District
Director of Learning Support Services, Humboldt County Office of Education

 

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Message from Interim Superintendent/Principal, Dr. Rosie Slentz.

August 9, 2022

 

Greetings,

 

This is my favorite time of the school year. There is so much dreaming and planning taking place as our team readies for the return of the students. We're washing away the cobwebs, planning menus, organizing spaces, creating playlists, ordering origami paper, cleaning carpets, and assessing what will help our kiddos thrive. This is a moment of possibility [Can you hear Starship's Nothing's Gonna to Stop us Now playing in the background?].

 

Big Lagoon has a history of providing place-based learning amidst the spruce forest and on the lagoon shores. We also strive to integrate culturally relevant curriculum. I look forward to building on these strengths and creating an environment where staff, community, families, and students feel safe, heard, and valued. 

 

Do you have any awesome friends? Do they need a job? We are looking for a Nutrition Director, an Office Manager, a Paraprofessional, a Bus Driver, and a Business Manager--or any combination of those roles. Until we fill these vacancies, I ask that you give us some grace as we navigate these gaps.

 

We are a small but mighty team and we can accomplish great things. We can do even more with your help and support. Follow our Facebook page, ask how you can be of service, foster positive relationships, and let me know what your questions are.

 

Be Well,

 

Rosie Slentz, Ed.D

Interim Superintendent/Principal of Big Lagoon School District

Director of Learning Support Services, Humboldt County Office of Education

 

 

 

 

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Message from Acting Superintendent, Michael Davies-Hughes.

 

July 13, 2022

Dear Big Lagoon School Community,

I hope you are all enjoying a wonderful summer.  I'm reaching out to you with some information about some of the things going on at Big Lagoon School.  At the end of June, Linda Row resigned as Superintendent-Principal to take a position as Superintendent-Principal at Loleta Elementary School.  We wish her much success in her new position.  Additionally, all five members of the Big Lagoon School District Board of Trustees also resigned at the end of June.  These departures are significant for the school and community.

Until a new Superintendent-Principal is selected for Big Lagoon, as County Superintendent of Schools I will be serving in this capacity.  In accordance with California Education Code, the President of the Humboldt County Board of Education has appointed three Humboldt County Board of Education members to serve as Trustees for Big Lagoon School District until such time that new Big Lagoon board members are appointed or elected.  The current Board members are Thom McMahon, Sheila Rocker Heppe, and Loretta Eckenrode. If you are interested in serving on the Board (or if you know of someone who is interested in serving on the board) please email me as soon as possible at [email protected].  Interested individuals must reside within the Big Lagoon School District boundaries.  The District Locator Tool found at the following link may be used to determine your school district of residence: https://hcoe.org/schools/

 

 

 

 

The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Big Lagoon Board of Trustees will be held on Tuesday, May 10th at 4:30 pm in Room 1 on the school campus. Please be aware that, in accordance with the Board’s April 2022 vote, the meeting will be in-person only and there will be no Zoom option. Masks are required to attend the meeting. The agenda and packet will be posted on the school website (biglagoon.org) on Friday, May 6th. 

The Northern Humboldt Indian Education Program, Title VI, will conduct a Public Hearing and Parent Committee meeting on May 4, 2022 at 5:30 p.m. The hearing and meeting will take place via ZOOM conferencing. To attend the meeting, please log in to the Northern Humboldt Union High School District website at nohum.org, go to Calendar of Events, and go to the link. All parents/guardians of American Indian/Alaska Native students enrolled in Trinidad, McKinleyville, Blue Lake, Pacific Union, Arcata, Big Lagoon, Jacoby Creek, Fieldbrook, and Northern Humboldt Union High School Districts and community members are invited to attend. The purpose of the hearing is to receive community input to the 2022-2023 Title VI, Formula Grant application. For more information email [email protected]

Topic: PAC meeting to approve grant applicationTime: May 4, 2022 05:30 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada) 

 Join Zoom Meeting https://nohum-org.zoom.us/j/82094651530 

 Meeting ID: 820 9465 1530

Each year, public school districts are required to report on a number of “local indicators,” which are data points that the state does not have the means to collect. One of these required indicators is Parental Involvement and Family Engagement (LCFF Priority 3). We would appreciate it if you could take a few minutes to complete this survey. 

 

A wide variety of school endeavors require collaboration between the school district and its educational partners, who may be staff, parents, and community partners. Last year our partners provided valuable input on our COVID safety plans, the Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) and our local performance indicators. The next Educational Partners Advisory Committee meeting will be held on Wednesday, May 11th at 4:00 via Zoom. In case that time does not work for some people, another meeting (on the same topics) will be held on Thursday, May 12th from 9:00 to 10:00. We will review progress towards our LCAP goals. 

Here is the Zoom link for the Wednesday May 11th  meeting (4:00 -  5:00 pm)

Join Zoom Meeting

Meeting ID: 741 7282 8224

Passcode: y6g1sV

And here is the link for the Thursday, May 12th  meeting (9:00 - 10:00 am)

Join Zoom Meeting

Meeting ID: 771 6809 6745

Passcode: 8f8p3c