New principal welcomes families next week at Highland Ranch

By Elizabeth Marie Himchak

Highland Ranch Elementary families will have a couple of opportunities to meet their new principal next week.

Principal Cindy Venolia will speak with parents and students during the PTA’s Popsicle party at 4 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 20 on the Carmel Mountain Ranch campus that many Rancho Bernardo children attend.

In addition, she will meet with parents at 5:45 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 22 in the school’s multi-purpose room during back-to-school night. That begins at 5 p.m. for kindergarten to second-grade families, with the third- to fifth-grade session starting at 6 p.m.

Venolia transferred from Stone Ranch Elementary in 4S Ranch, where she was principal for six years. Prior to that she was an assistant principal at Park Village Elementary in Rancho Penasquitos and started her career at James Dukes Elementary in Ramona, where she taught for nine years and was the summer school administrator.

“I always wanted to be a teacher,” Venolia said. “When I was young I loved school and had a passion to teach.”

Venolia added, “I absolutely love school and children, love education and the idea we can make the world a better place.”

She graduated summa cum laude from San Diego State University with a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts and earned her teaching credential and master’s degree in education administration from National University.

Venolia said she postponed her career to take care of her children. While doing things at their school in Ramona, the principal asked if she ever considered teaching, not knowing she had a degree in the field.

The Vista native said she understands the struggles military families face because her father was a Marine. During one year she attended three elementary schools and they moved to Michigan while in middle school. But the family returned to Vista by the time she was in high school.

“I want the community to understand that I know how complex (life is) for military kids and moms raising kids on their own,” Venolia said. “I understand deployments ... (and need) for the family unit to be cohesive.”

She said those family dynamics require flexibility as does teaching and learning in general since all children learn differently, something she realized with her now-adult children, Natalie and Jake, who varied in their enjoyment of school.

Venolia said she enjoys the elementary level because that sets the foundation for children’s education. “Everyone has potential,” she said. “We (the staff) need to reach children ... get to know how they think to get through the barriers.”

She said teachers enter the profession because they “love school,” which is necessary to inspire students.

Her first goal is to learn the names of Highland Ranch’s 700-plus students, something Venolia said is doable since did the same with 1,200-plus students at Stone Ranch.

She does not plan on making any immediate changes, but is looking forward to embracing and encouraging the Character Counts! program and new math curriculum required by the Common Core standards. Regarding the latter, Venolia said there is no reason to panic since the standards will lead to students having a better understanding of the material.

When not at school, Venolia said she enjoys cooking, water skiing, hiking, snow skiing, spending time with family and traveling. The latter included a vacation in Italy where she and husband, Steve, celebrated their 25th wedding

anniversary.