Newly named principals at Two Rivers Elementary School and Leroy Greene Academy will meet students, parents and guardians on Tuesday, Aug. 4, in their respective campus multipurpose rooms.
Leslie Sargent will launch her LGA meet-and-greet at 5:30 p.m., while Colleen Perry has scheduled a 6:30 p.m. kickoff at Two Rivers.
Two Rivers and LGA are located only blocks apart, and many families in that neighborhood already know the two leaders: Sargent was Two Rivers principal last year and Perry was a key member of her teaching staff.
Sargent is transferring to LGA after leading Two Rivers to statewide honors as a California Distinguished School, which recognizes campuses that help to close the achievement gap while providing exemplary education to all students.
Two Rivers made headlines under Sargent in 2013 by recording one of California's highest single-year increases in the Academic Performance Index, the yardstick by which schools were ranked and measured in years past. Two Rivers' API score jumped 67 points.
Under Sargent's leadership, Two Rivers' community launched an after-school enrichment program that attracts hundreds of kids for classes such as keyboard typing, Google documents, chess, flag football, art, creative writing, drama and dance.
Perry, by contrast, is new to the position of principal but has taught at Two Rivers for 13 years. Besides her classroom duties, Perry has been the fourth-grade team leader, the school's English Learner lead teacher, and she has participated in a committee implementing a pilot program in academic supports and intervention.
Perry said that as far back as she can remember, even in kindergarten, she wanted to grow up to be a teacher and educator.
"It's something I've always felt called to -- I love working with children, especially elementary-school children," she said. "Education is opportunity, and I enjoy being able to give kids the opportunity to do whatever they choose to do in life."
Questions about the Aug. 4 meet-and-greets? Call Constituent and Customer Services at 561-5253.
