Principal Matt Dunkle
June 2019
Dear El Molino Families,
Welcome to the 2019-2020 school year at El Molino High School! The official first day of school is Thursday, August 15. El Molino High School has been, is, and will continue to be a school where all students are safe and supported. We believe that all students are entitled to an education that provides them with the ability to graduate college and career ready and to participate in a variety of post-secondary opportunities of their own choosing.
Despite the tremendous lack of appropriate funding that has negatively affected public education in California, El Molino continues to provide a variety of excellent opportunities for all students. We have been able to maintain programs that many districts have been forced to eliminate. I firmly believe that our teachers and staff are committed to providing all students the necessary education essential for success after high school in a safe, supportive, engaging, and empowering school. El Molino High School has a strong sense of family, and we are grateful for all of those in our community and those who have come before us that continue to support our small school, with big school opportunities.
The very generous support that we receive from our families, community members, and alumni enables us to come together to ensure that our students have the opportunity to be successful in the classroom and beyond. In order to continue providing all of our students with these exceptional opportunities, we are asking each family to volunteer a minimum of 10 hours a year in service to one of our support groups or programs. We understand that not all families are able to volunteer their time due to a variety of constraints. If you are unable to volunteer, we encourage you to make a monetary donation in support of El Molino High School. All donations are tax deductible and will directly benefit our students.
Volunteering is a great way to learn more about and be more involved with El Molino, meet and work with other parents and staff, and demonstrate to your student the importance of donating your time in service to your school community. Please see the list of volunteer opportunities here, and please select according to your interest. Please fill out the form and return it to the front office to Anakarina Swanson.
We are excited to announce that the West Sonoma County Union High School District secured a two-year grant that will enable us to have, among other things, a full-time School Resource Officer, from the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office on campus. We believe having the SRO is positive addition to increasing both student and staff safety. The SRO will seamlessly become a part of the El Molino culture, campus, and community.
We are hoping to hold our first performances in the new Performing Arts Center this fall. Although it will not be entirely completed, we are elated with the very real possibility of hosting performances this school year while the construction is being completed. Also, we are looking forward to the new garden and greenhouse that are agriculture students will be able to enjoy. This will be a great opportunity for these students to expand their knowledge of and work with agriculture.
With our dedicated faculty and staff, along with very strong support and collaboration from our families, community, and alumni, we will continue to provide all our students a high caliber education in a safe and encouraging learning environment. We are confident that this will be accomplished because: Together, We are El Molino!
Best regards,
Matt Dunkle, Principal