I was standing outside an open house yesterday when I overheard an elderly gentleman tell another couple, “Sun Valley Elementary does a pretty decent job, but when you get to middle school, you better watch out. The middle school and high school are not good.” Wow, what a statement. Unfortunately, this man is grossly misinformed.

You see, I have two boys. The oldest is Charlie who is 16. He is a junior at San Rafael High School; he also attended Davidson Middle School. Daniel is 10. He is in fifth grade at Sun Valley Elementary School and will be attending Davidson next year. Both of these kids are well balanced, bright children. If you ask Charlie (4.1 g.p.a.) when the lights went on regarding academics, he will tell you, “6th grade math.” Ask him who is favorite teacher is and he’ll say, “Mr. Kordick, 6th grade Social Studies.” Yes, there are a slew of highly respected high school teachers that he likes now, but his middle school teachers held the keys that unlocked his academic vault.

Two weeks ago, I attended a function at Davidson Middle School. I was able to “shadow” a student through her morning classes. I am truly impressed by the mutual respect that the students and teachers hold for each other. The classrooms are clean and decorated with projects the students are working to finish. I was able to experience some great intellectual exchanges between student and instructor. The kids are not disruptive nor are they disrespectful. There seems to be a lot of learning going on at Davidson Middle School!

There is a large population of diverse ethnicities that attend the San Rafael City Schools. Our family looks at this cultural and ethnic diversity as a huge “plus.” One “gets” to experience different languages, different viewpoints and different cultures. This is real life! Take a look at California, where our children will one day work and co-exist with so many vastly different people. California is a conglomeration of ethnicities from all over this planet and our San Rafael City Schools reflect the melting pot that is California.

Next time you or someone you know wants information regarding San Rafael City Schools, I highly recommend making an appointment with the principal to see and experience the school firsthand. I promise you will be impressed beyond your wildest dreams. You can contact the school district through its website at www.srcs.org .

Posted by:Mark Machado