January Newsletter
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Welcome to Our New Superintendent!
We are pleased to announce the conclusion of the search for our next superintendent. The Board has selected Mr. Jason Sutter as the final candidate. At the regularly scheduled Board meeting on Thursday, February 12, the Board will review and take action on an employment agreement.
Mr. Sutter was selected following a rigorous and thoughtful process that included extensive community input, multiple rounds of interviews, reference checks representing all constituent groups, and a comprehensive background investigation. He brings more than 30 years of experience in education, serving as a teacher, principal, district administrator, and most recently as Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources in Petaluma City Schools. Throughout his career, he has demonstrated a strong commitment to student-centered decision-making, collaboration, and steady leadership.
A longtime Sonoma Valley resident, Jason and his family have deep roots in the community. He officially begins his role on March 1 and looks forward to reconnecting with staff, students, families, and community partners as he listens, learns, and works closely with the Board to support student success. The Board also extends sincere thanks to Rena Seifts for her outstanding service as Acting Superintendent and looks forward to her continued leadership as Associate Superintendent of Business Services.
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Important Dates
1/8-2/27: Intra-district Transfer Request Window Open
1/27: SVUSD Special Board Meeting
1/28: Trustee Landry Office Hours at Altimira
2/2: Trustee Bell Office Hours at Sassarini
2/12: SVUSD Regular Board Meeting
2/17: Trustee Bell Office Hours at El Verano
2/20: Trustee Guzman Office Hours at Flowery
School Highlights & Happenings
Sonoma Valley High School students have selected their courses for the upcoming school year. Counselors provided informational presentations and then met individually with students to review course requests and answer questions. On January 22 SVHS held their Winter Rally to recognize and celebrate our winter sports teams. Administration is excited to share that 199 of the 206 (97%) Winter Sports student-athletes were academically eligible. JV/V girls soccer, JV/V girls basketball, F/JV/V boys basketball, & eSports were all 100%. We know the amount of work it takes from our student-athletes, coaches, families, teachers, and staff to achieve this and we are so proud of our Dragons! Looking ahead, February 2–6 is National School Counseling Week, with the theme “School Counselors Amplify Student Success.” This week highlights the vital role school counselors play in supporting students’ academic success, personal growth, and future planning. We invite our community to help us recognize our school counselors. If you would like to share a note of appreciation, please submit it through this Google Form by end of day Tuesday, January 27. Messages will be posted in the copy room and on counselors’ office doors during the week of February 2. Creekside High School students will begin preparing for their Student-Led Conferences. These conferences provide students with an opportunity to share their progress at Creekside and outline their plan for reaching graduation. Altimira Middle School's winter semi-formal dance is taking place this Friday and the Winter Rally will be taking place on 1/30. Thank you to our leadership class for organizing these great events and helping to build a positive culture and climate at Altimira! Students have been enjoying tending to chickens in the garden and regularly collect eggs and take care of the flock. El Verano Elementary School will launch its third cycle of Walk to Read! This cycle incorporated a new curriculum in some groups, using Six-Minute Solution, a research-based reading fluency program. EV is expanding their use of Building Thinking Classrooms strategies across grade levels! Site leadership team has been reading and discussing this book, and several classrooms have begun implementing this approach with math. Math thinking tasks have proven very popular with students and teachers for engaging students in math conversations. Prop 28 dollars at work: this week, Ballet Folklorico classes began in 5th grade to great enthusiasm and success! All classes will be participating in 8 lessons this year, with dances from different regions in each grade level. El Verano is excited to celebrate The Great Kindness Challenge during the week of January 26-30 and the Leadership students have a number of fun activities planned. Flowery Elementary School will host a Kindergarten Information Night on January 28 at 6:00 p.m. Interested families are invited to join to learn more about the outstanding dual-immersion program. Flowery is also excited to take part in the Great Kindness Challenge from January 26-30. Students will participate in activities and be recognized for their kindness on campus. This month they are also excited to host the Flowery Principal Learning Walk. This will be an opportunity for leaders from across the district to visit classrooms and see the amazing work our teachers are doing—especially the strong implementation of SEAL practices. Prestwood Elementary School students and staff are excited to celebrate the 100th day of school on January 23, followed by the Great Kindness Challenge during the week of January 26. Throughout the week, students will take part in service learning activities designed to spread kindness throughout Sonoma. We will also be hosting a sock drive to support F.I.S.H., along with fun spirit days each day to build community and school pride.
Sassarini Elementary School students did an outstanding job showcasing the Makers Lab and their projects at the January 8 Board meeting. Sassarini has had several exciting field trips coming up this month! Kindergarten students will be visiting the Children’s Museum, and 4th grade classes will head to the California Academy of Sciences. Join Sassarini on Friday, January 23, from 5:00–7:00 p.m. for their Movie Night Fundraiser. All proceeds will support 5th Grade Outdoor Education. Sassarini continues to welcome newly enrolling families to tour our campus. To schedule a tour, please contact our office at 707-935-6040.
Elementary School Tours for Interested Families
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Upcoming Spring Assessments of Student Performance & Progress
Starting February 3, some students will be participating in the English Language Proficiency Assessment for California (ELPAC) and the Physical Fitness Test (PFT).
ELPAC:
Multilingual Students, also called English Learners (EL) Students, will take part in the English Language Proficiency Assessment for California. This test is given yearly until students meet the reclassification criteria. This test helps us evaluate how well students are understanding and using English if it is not their primary language. It’s an important step in supporting our students’ language development. For more information about the assessment, practice tests, sample questions, score reports, and resources, visit the ELPAC Starting Smarter website. It is in both Spanish and English.
PFT:
Students in grades 5, 7, and 9 will take part in the Physical Fitness Test during their PE class. The five fitness components of the PFT are Aerobic Capacity, Abdominal Strength and Endurance, Trunk Extensor Strength and Flexibility, Upper Body Strength and Endurance, and Flexibility. We no longer collect height, weight, or gender data. The main goal of the test is to help students in starting life-long habits of regular physical activity. They are designed to help students set personal fitness goals and track their progress throughout the year. Please encourage your child to participate and do their best, as the tests are a great way to promote health and wellness!
Both of these assessments will be administered during the school day, and teachers will be working closely with students to ensure they are prepared and confident. We encourage you to speak with your child about the upcoming assessments, and we’re happy to answer any questions you may have. As always, thank you for your continued support in helping our students succeed!
California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress Spring 2026 Parent/Guardian Notification Letter
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SVUSD Negotiations Update for January 2026
Negotiations Process
Valley of the Moon Teachers Association (VMTA) and the Sonoma Valley Unified School District (SVUSD) Negotiations met on January 13, 2026 for the fifth session. We continue to discuss changes to a limited number of Articles in the collective bargaining agreement, specifically Article 15 Salary and Salary Schedule Placement and Article 18 Health and Welfare Benefits.
Making Progress
The teams discussed Article 15 Salary and Salary Schedule Placement and SVUSD made a counter proposal on salary offering an increase for 2025-26 and 2026-27.
Medical Benefits
SVUSD strives to have a competitive salary and benefits package to help attract and retain staff. Our goal is to make the District’s contribution to the benefits plans equitable for all employees.
We offer all full time employees the choice of three medical plans, Kaiser, non Kaiser HMO, or a PPO at a 90/10 cost sharing. This means SVUSD pays 90% of the total premium cost for single employee, single employee +1, or family for the three plans.
SVUSD and VMTA continue to discuss medical benefits plans and health plan providers.
Salary
VMTA proposed a salary increase. SVUSD made a counter proposal offering a salary increase.
The cost of a 1% increase for VMTA unit members is approximately $236,000 annually not including automatic step increases for those eligible employees. Our district has a “me too” implied clause with all employees. The cost of 1% for all employees is approximately $425,000 annually plus automatic step increases for those eligible employees.
Next Steps
Negotiations will continue and the next date to meet is set for February 26, 2026.
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Youth Truth Family Survey
We’d love to hear from you! Please take about 15 minutes to complete our annual Youth Truth Family Survey and share your thoughts about your child’s school. Your feedback helps us make our schools even better.
The survey is anonymous and run by YouthTruth, a nonprofit that works with schools nationwide. Please complete the survey by midnight on Friday, January 30: ytsurvey.org/svusdfamily26. We appreciate your time and thank you for sharing your voice!
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All-Star Teacher Contest Now Open!
NBC Sports Bay Area & California, in partnership with Provident Credit Union, is proud to launch the 19th Annual All-Star Teacher Contest, recognizing outstanding elementary, middle, and high school teachers across the San Francisco and Sacramento regions. The grand prize-winning teacher’s school will receive $30,000.
The nomination period runs until January 31, 2026. Community members age 18 and older are encouraged to submit nominations at NBCSportsBayArea.com/ast.
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In the Spotlight: Recognizing the Dedication & Excellence of SVUSD Staff
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Ana Coca Cruz, District-wide Custodian
Q: How long have you been working for SVUSD?
A: 1.5 years
Q: What's a moment from your time at SVUSD that made you feel proud to work here?
A: I feel proud when I can combine the time with my family with my work and I feel proud when other people notice a change when I am working at their site.
Q: Reflecting on your journey, who was a mentor or champion in your life who helped you get where you are today?
A: My parents, they always pushed me to give my all to get my all.
Q: If you could share one piece of wisdom with our students—something you wish you had known earlier in life—what would it be?
A: What I repeat every day, try and keep trying.
Q: What's a song that always puts you in a good mood?
A: September by Earth, Wind & Fire
Q: If you could have any superpower for one day, what would it be?
A: To make other people feel good and happy.
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Krissy Landini, Teacher at Sassarini Elementary
Q: How long have you been working for SVUSD?
A: 11 years
Q: What's a moment from your time at SVUSD that made you feel proud to work here?
A: Any time I have a Sassarini shirt on and how people see me in town and share their experiences with me about how they attended there and loved the school.
Q: Reflecting on your journey, who was a mentor or champion in your life who helped you get where you are today?
A: My dad taught me work ethic, you have to work hard to get what you want and you have to work 110% to get them.
Q: If you could share one piece of wisdom with our students—something you wish you had known earlier in life—what would it be?
A: You have to work hard in everything you do to be successful and don’t try and get bad grades on purpose.
Q: What's a song that always puts you in a good mood
A: Country Roads by John Denver
Q: If you could have any superpower for one day, what would it be?
A: I would have a photographic memory, because I am very forgetful.
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Liliana Zepeda, Principal at Flowery Elementary
Q: How long have you been working for SVUSD?
A: 13 years of service
Q: What's a moment from your time at SVUSD that made you feel proud to work here?
A: One of my proudest moments has been seeing our teachers and staff come together around a shared vision for students especially when classrooms come alive with strong instruction, meaningful relationships, and a sense of belonging for every child. Walking into rooms where students are engaged, confident, and supported, and knowing that growth came from collective effort and trust, makes me incredibly proud to lead at SVUSD.
Q: Reflecting on your journey, who was a mentor or champion in your life who helped you get where you are today?
A: My older sister has been my mentor and champion all of my life. She believed in me, supported me, and helped guide me at key moments in my life, often before I fully recognized my own potential. Her encouragement, honesty, and constant presence have shaped who I am today and reminded me of the importance of showing up for others the way she has always shown up for me.
Q: If you could share one piece of wisdom with our students—something you wish you had known earlier in life—what would it be?
A: You don’t have to have everything figured out to move forward. It’s okay to make mistakes, change your mind, and ask for help along the way. What matters most is being kind to others and to yourself and continuing to learn. Growth doesn’t happen all at once, it happens step by step, especially when things feel hard.
Q: What's a song that always puts you in a good mood
A: It's a Beautiful Day by U2
Q: If you could have any superpower for one day, what would it be?
A: I’d choose the power to pause time just for one day. I’d use it to catch up on everything without rushing, be fully present with people, one moment at a time.
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