Dear Paradise Hills Parents, My name is Skye Oluwa and I want to take this opportunity to introduce myself to you, informally, as Paradise Hills' new principal. I am honored and blessed to be working at this site. What an amazing journey we are going to be on together! I received my B.S. in Psychology at Long Beach State. At that point in time, I did not know what I wanted to pursue as a career. There was a whole world out there waiting to be discovered, and so many choices, more than I could ever, and still could ever, imagine. How awesome is that? Upon graduating, a friend told me of the solid master's in education program at the University of San Diego. I had never been to San Diego, but I applied that summer, was accepted, and enrolled in classes for the fall. I knew instantly, this was my passion. How could I have not known that, when all my teenage summers had been spent working at Rainbow's End Camp as a counselor for children with special needs? How could I have not known that when I grew up in a family of educators? How could I have not known that when my two siblings grew up to be in education? It had been in front of my face all along. I began substitute teaching in the San Diego Unified School District in 2000 and was contracted to teach my first year out of my Master's program. I taught at a large urban elementary school where I began making connections with children, families, and other staff members. I was making a difference in the lives of those 24 or so children housed in my classroom. After several years, I knew I was ready to make a change professionally. At that point in time, I moved to Cabrillo Elementary, another small school in our district, where I became the In School Resource Teacher. During this time, I began making an impact on more than the 24 or so students housed in my self-contained elementary school classroom. It was also at this time at Cabrillo that I began coaching and co-teaching with colleagues in order to not only improve their practice and my own practice, but also aid in the achievement of our students. It was at this point, as my responsibilities and commitments continued to grow, and with the support of my loving family, I was ready to take the next step of obtaining my administrative credential. As I have grown in my own professional career, I know that my heart continues to be in the right place, doing what is best for children. First and foremost, I believe that every child deserves a champion. As I embarked on my administrative credential journey, I knew I was ready to be that champion for hundreds of students, through the work of leading and working with adults. Continually improving my own instructional practices through continual professional development and trainings, as well as my knowledge and understanding of leadership, I began to put my skills into practice as an instructional coach, community liaison, partnership coordinator, and family engagement provider. You are the most integral piece in your child's educational career. You are your child's number one advocate, just as my husband and I are for our two young children. Every single day, you send us your best, and as educators, we must remember that. Therefore, it is imperative to be open and honest with each other. I want to ensure that you feel welcome on campus and a part of the Paradise Hills community, whether you are able to physically make it to campus, or not. There are still opportunities for you to be involved. As I embark on this new journey at Paradise Hills, I look forward to continuing my growth as I learn from you, as I hope you are eager to learn from me. All of us, no matter what juncture we are at in our own lives, have lots to offer, not only to our children and other parents, but to our staff at Paradise Hills as well. I look forward to our first year together: getting to know each other, building each other's capacities, helping children to make gains, and being of support to one another. Please know that you will see me around campus, in classrooms, playing on the playground, in the cafeteria eating with the students, in the community engaging purposefully, and in my office. I do not believe that an open door policy is enough. Please stop me on or off campus and say hello. I look forward to seeing you around campus and interacting with you as we work for the betterment of our students, families, and ourselves! Yours in Education, Skye Oluwa