Danna Diaz Update

Update from SJISD Superintendent Danna Diaz

Dr. Danna Diaz – Contributed photo

November is the month to be thankful and I would like to take this opportunity to thank the school board, administrators, teachers, staff, students, parents and the community for making the San Juan Island School District one of the best school districts in the State of Washington.

The month of October was busy with the San Juan Public School Foundation Phone-a-Thon, the 100 Day Report Community Meeting, the Transportation Department’s Bus Ridership, Friday Harbor High School’s Homecoming, and the Friday Harbor Elementary School Halloween Parade.

State Representative Kristine Lytton met island superintendents and board representatives, including June Arnold, Vice Chair of the SJISD Board of Directors, and myself, to brainstorm on how we may be able to collaborate in the future. It was a great meeting on Lopez Island!

San Juan County Health and Community Services conducted flu clinics for students and staff at our schools. The School Board approved the Capital and Technology Levy recommendations. The district has begun committee meetings focused on the areas of Finance, Emergency Preparedness, Wellness, and more.

Our recent state test scores are astonishing. We surpassed the state scores at all levels on the Smarter Balanced Assessment!! Way to go students and teachers!!

Thank you everyone for an extraordinary month! Great things are happening in our district!

In November, we continue with our mission of excellence. We will meet with the University of Washington to consult about adding a course for our College in the High School curriculum. Right now, students are offered Oceanography!!

Our community dinner is Wednesday, November 4 at 5:30 pm. Please join us for dinner at the FHHS Commons. Our Food for Thought program is one of kind!! Please give Liz Varvaro kudos when you see her for a job well done!!!

Senator Ranker is planning a visit to our new STEM building, November 10 at 1:00 pm.

Have you noticed our capital improvements; for example, parking lot stripes at the high school? We have been meeting and planning for continued capital improvements. Floors are being completed and painters are refreshing the Turnbull Gym exterior. If you see Facilities Manager Garrett Holmes, let him know he is doing a great job!! I would also like to thank John and Eric Gresseth of John Gresseth Architects for their support in the capital improvement process. Oh, and I cannot forget our Business Manager Jose Domenech, as he is making sure we stay on budget and on time with our projects.

Did you know we have a Washington State Immunization Law? RCW 28A-100-120 requires every child attending a school is fully immunized unless exempt for medical, personal, or religious reasons.  If immunizations are not up to date, the law requires that your child will be prevented from attending school. 

 Not only do students have to be immunized but also employees. I received an email from our Human Resources Coordinator to ensure I have up to date records and documentation regarding the MMR vaccine. Our responsibility is to ensure all students and employees are safe. Do your children have all their vaccinations updated? Please check!!! San Juan county Health and Community Services is reviewing all of our student records to ensure we are following the law.

I encourage you to visit our schools and I look forward to hearing from you about how we can best provide an exceptional education to our community’s children. Please feel free to call my office at 370.7905 or email me at
dannadiaz @ sjisd [.] wednet [.] edu. Thank you for your support.

“Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.”
~ Melody Beattie

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