Dear Duff Families, Friends, and Community!

亲爱的德福家人、朋友、和社区！

¡Queridas Familias, Amigos y Comunidad de Duff!

Welcome to Duff Language Magnet Academy, Home of the Dragons. I am Dr. Valerie Sun, the proud principal of our school, and we are excited to begin the 2025-2026 school year. Ms. Benitez, an experienced educator, will be our interim principal from August to December 2025 while my husband and I build a solid foundation for our first child.

We have an exciting addition of Head Start/TK to our school year! Officially a TK-6 dual language school, we have an entire crew of multilingual office staff, Head Start teachers, TK to 6th grade teachers, bilingual classroom instructional aids, Spanish enrichment teachers, noon duty aides, custodians, and Woodcraft Rangers after school to greet and help you!

Heading into the second year of our Community Schools initiative, I look forward to our continued growth within our community to develop a strong foundation in bilingualism and biliteracy in Mandarin and English, uplifting student agency while helping them develop social and emotional well-being. The entire staff at Duff is committed to caring for your children each and every day while providing them with an exceptional learning environment. We strive for professional growth through the refinement of instructional practices, enhancing school culture, and implementing innovative ways to engage all students.

As parents and partners, I invite you to support your children’s educational experience at Duff Language Magnet Academy. Here are some things you can do at home:

• Ensure your child attends school daily and arrives on time, ready to learn.
• Support classwork and homework expectations.
• Teach and practice organizational skills.
• Read at least 20 minutes daily to develop a love for reading and to improve literacy skills.
• Ask your child about their school experiences.
• Create a structure and routine at home for healthy child development eg. guided access to screen time, a consistent bedtime routine, etc.

Please know that our doors are always open. I wholeheartedly welcome conversation and positive input throughout this year. Our students are the primary focus of our work and I look forward to celebrating our collective successes during the school year. See you at the next Coffee with the Principal or PTO meeting!

I look forward to seeing everyone in January 2026!

Warmly,

Dr. Valerie Sun

Principal

Ps. Read our weekly message to discover the great things we're doing on campus!