Dear Robla Community,

As the new superintendent of Robla School District, I want to convey to you my excitement for the opportunity to work with the students, staff, families and the entire Robla community. I am elated to be here, and I am eager to begin the extremely important journey of working with the Robla Board of Trustees and with all of the staff in the district in providing the absolutely best possible education to our students.

This is a very special opportunity for all of us. We are here to give our wonderful group of students exactly what they deserve, which is our absolute best. This opportunity in time is a culmination of years of hard work by each of you, the charting of new goals, the establishment of renewed missions and the acknowledgement of extraordinary possibilities. We will surely reach new and impactful milestones, and I am very excited to be the new leader of, and the witness to, the great work ahead of us at Robla School District.

A few years ago, I read a quote at a kindergarten promotion ceremony.  The quote reads: “From tiny seeds, grow mighty trees.”  The name “Robla” is the derivative of the Spanish word “roble” which means “cluster of British oak trees.” Our students are tiny seeds that will one day collectively grow to be a mighty cluster of trees in society, and we have the honor of helping them become mighty. Many of the Robla students have been attending our district since kindergarten where tiny seeds were first planted. Each day, each year, the Robla staff planted seeds of knowledge in hopes that our children grow into life-long learners and one day, strong adults who will contribute positively to our society. Under my leadership, we will continue this great endeavor.

In order for our students to grow, they need nutrients that will cause their tiny roots to grow deep…deep roots that are planted in the soil of self-confidence, high self-esteem and strong beliefs in community.  Our students must value their education and strive for excellence in everything they do. Our responsibility is to model the way, every day. Each day we will water them with hope, kindness and love, and in some cases have a needed conversation about responsible decision making.  We will feed them with nutrients of knowledge, character and wisdom. We will care for them so they will become blossoms of creativity, curiosity, intelligence, citizenship, leadership and integrity.

I know that our students have the necessary roots to support their growth. Strong roots will support each student as they branch out academically and socially, becoming bright, young leaders of our future; but they need our unwavering commitment to their education and well-being. They need us to be our absolute best so that they can be their absolute best. I am going to ask each of you to follow my lead and give your best every moment of every day at Robla, because our students deserve our best.

To the Parents, thank you for sharing your most precious blossoms with us, and for being an integral partner in nurturing the educational and social seeds we plant. Your students are a reflection of your dedication, hard work and support.

To the Excellent Teaching and Support Staff, I say to you:  Let's be EXCELLENT!! You have taught the children; you have laughed with them; you cried with them; you have inspired them; you have endured under extreme circumstances; but most importantly, you have loved them. I will need you to continue to do so! I know there was a lot of TOUGH love throughout the years; there is evidence of it everywhere I look in the district. The love you show for our children is amazing, and I am pleased to be part of a great and loving team!

Students, Parents and Staff, I leave you with this: My ambition is to provide our students an excellent education. The leadership and talent development strategy, “BLOSSOMS of Greatness,” that I will soon introduce, will ensure we develop and retain our top performing employees and create standards of excellence in our people, students and processes. By implementing a development model that recognizes and rewards staff high performance, we will enhance our employee skills base to ensure that Robla School District  meets our educational mission, objectives, financial goals and student needs. Our People – will enable ROBLA SD to become an inclusive, high-performing, innovative, agile, creative, efficient and rewarding place of work. Our Working Environment – we will create an excellent work culture, combined with excellent processes, that will empower staff to act effectively and efficiently, as well as enable staff to connect and communicate effectively with leadership and collaborate efficiently across the district. Our Organization Objectives – will ensure our processes are aligned with the Strategic Plan “The Robla of Extraordinary Possibilities,” simplified, mission-driven and consistently followed. I am looking forward to the journey ahead, and I am so delighted and thankful we are all in this together.

Sincerely,

Eileen Aguba Chen

Superintendent

Robla School District

Strong Community. Strong Schools. Strong Family.