Welcome to the 2023-2024 School Year!

Dear Poly families,

 

Welcome back! Bittersweet, to be sure, as this week marks the final days of summer vacation for many of you and the beginning of a new school year for all. Despite a hint of trepidation, I have always found this transition energizing. As a student, it helped me remember that I had a community invested in my success and sense of belonging. Poly’s extraordinary educators are passionate about their areas of expertise and the opportunity to guide their students. You are in good hands!

 

While things have quieted down a bit on our campus since the close of PolySummer and Partnership for Success, our student-athletes and coaches have returned to the practice fields, courts, and gyms, and Poly’s Operations crew is working around the clock to prepare the classrooms and outdoor spaces for all of us. I would be remiss if I did not call attention to my colleagues who have worked throughout the summer closing the books on the last academic year, updating the technology and phone systems, and laying the groundwork for another extraordinary year in the Admission and Advancement offices.

 

Today, I am excited to share a glimpse into an initiative undertaken last year by each division. Our goal was to craft a Portrait of a Graduate to enable us to develop a more cohesive experience for students as they move through Poly and into the world beyond. What characteristic skills, approaches to learning, and interpersonal qualities do we develop in our students across the Poly K-12 educational experience? When you have a moment, please learn more here. This fall, you will also hear from the division directors about how our Portrait of a Graduate work will unfold throughout the year.

Poly continues to move forward with plans to enhance our athletic, environmental science, and social-emotional health and wellness programs on a unique site in Altadena that has served as home to the beloved Nuccio’s Nurseries since the 1940s. For those of you new to Poly, our vision for the property includes tennis courts, a baseball field, and a multi-purpose field with a track for our high school athletes' after-school practice and games, along with facilities to support Poly’s outdoor education program and expand offerings in experiential science. We anticipate filing our plans with L.A. County in the coming months, after which it will go through a detailed public review process. We will keep the Poly community updated as we reach key milestones. You can find more information on the project here, including a detailed FAQ section.

I will close with an excerpt from the report written by the educators who voted to approve Poly’s school accreditation with the Western Association of Schools and Colleges and the California Association of Independent Schools in June. They wrote:

The profile of Polytechnic School… is comprehensive, accurate, and tells a compelling story of the school's founding and evolution to its position today. Polytechnic's steadfast commitment to traditions and values that permeate the campus and the culture continues today as they attempt to take a long-view approach to their students' educational needs, both individually and as a collective, while staying true to their core values and commitment to excellence. The Polytechnic School community has identified commitment to DEI as a strategic priority. The strong sense of mutual respect, gratitude, engagement, and investment on the part of the students, families, faculty, and staff is impressive to outsiders and unique to this vibrant teaching and learning community. Polytechnic School is clearly committed to its mission.

With that, we look forward to seeing you soon!

Best,

John