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Mr. Marvin Atkins

Dear Students, Parents, and Guardians:

Welcome to Sonora High School, home of the Raiders! Our mission is to promote the success of all students in an atmosphere of mutual respect and caring while striving for excellence in academics, activities, athletics, and service to our community.  Together we can achieve this mission.

Sonora High School’s rigorous curriculum is the foundation that will prepare all of our students for future endeavors. To do this, we offer a variety of academic programs: International Baccalaureate (IB), Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID), Career Technical Pathways (Agriculture, Culinary, Gaming, and the Academy of Nursing and Medical Careers), Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC), after-school tutoring, online tutoring, along with support classes that are all designed to meet the needs of targeted learners. It is essential that the needs of every learner are met.

When addressing the needs of every learner, we must provide effective and appropriate support. Our teachers, administrators, counseling staff, and guidance techs are here to meet your needs and support you in your efforts. In addition to academics, we offer extracurricular programs, including music, athletics, and various clubs, as well as academic teams such as  Speech & Debate. Students, get involved in your school! If you do not see a club that you think we should have, then you are encouraged to add it.  This will look good on your college applications and resumes as well as make you a more rounded individual with a wealth of experience. Being connected to school makes it more likely that you will care about your education now and in the future. Sonora High School provides timely feedback to parents and students utilizing the Aeries Portal. Parents can also communicate with their child’s teachers via email. I would like students and parents to take advantage of these opportunities so that everyone is well informed regarding grades and attendance. In an effort to provide a safe learning environment, the administrators, in conjunction with the Fullerton Joint Union High School District, and in accordance with the State of California Education Code, have assembled a Raider Student Handbook. The rules and regulations contained in this are in effect and govern the behavior of students while on school grounds during school hours, off-campus during school hours, at school-sponsored functions, or while being transported to or from school activities. Please take some time to read this valuable information and familiarize yourself and your child with the information. Again, welcome to Sonora High School. I look forward to meeting your family and serving you as the proud principal of this special school.    

I am honored and humbled to be selected by the Sonora Community, the Fullerton Joint Union High School District (FJUHSD) Cabinet, Dr. McLaughlin, our Superintendent, and the FJUHSD Board of Trustees to serve as Principal of Sonora High School. I have been serving in education since 1999 and until now I have only dreamed of such an opportunity. My grandparents told me, "Get all of the education that you can because when I was your age I did not have the same opportunities." They also told me "Do as much as you can for as many as you can for as long as you can." I took those lessons and became the first in my family to graduate from a four-year college Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Art's Degree in History and obtain a Master's Degree in School Administration. I believe that anyone can achieve their dreams and it is my job to do as much as I can to help them get there. My career has given me the opportunity to serve in Virginia Beach, San Bernardino, Fontana, Santa Maria, Lake Elsinore, and ultimately Fullerton. The combination of my family's lessons in life along with my twenty-plus years of experience in various school districts gives me unique perspectives on how to effectively lead Sonora High School now and into the future.  

Here are ten little known facts that will help us become better acquainted:
1. Where did you grow up? I grew up in Virginia Beach, VA. I came to California in 2004.
2. What do you like to do in your free time? I like to bike ride with my son, James, who is six, or my daughter, who is 19, currently in college at Texas Tech.
3. Why did you go into education? The importance that my family placed on education and giving unto others.
4. What keeps you in education? Helping others (staff and students) reveal the full academic/instructional potential that, in many cases, is hidden inside of them.
5. What is one odd thing about you? I do not like avocados or guacamole (It might be a southern thing. Please do not kick me out of California.)
6. What is your favorite sport's team? DALLAS COWBOYS (Do not laugh)
7. Who is your favorite athlete? Michael Jordan
8. Did you play any sports when you were in high school? Football (DB/safety). I played trumpet in the band too.
9. What is your favorite dessert? Warm sweet potato pie or warm pound cake with ice cream, or oatmeal raisin cookies. Any of that with a glass of sweet tea...yum. You can take the boy out of the country, but you cannot take the country out of the boy.
10. What is your favorite quote? 1 John 4:11, "Since God so loved us, then we should love each other." This was my senior year quote from high school too.
 
If there is ever anything that I can do for you, then please do not hesitate to contact me at matkins@fjuhsd.org.