Principal's Message
Dear McKinley Elementary Families,
My name is Elena Garcia-Yoshitomi and I am so excited to introduce myself as the new principal of McKinley Elementary School. I am originally from Oxnard, California where I live with my husband. I enjoy spending time with family, friends and continuing my education at California Lutheran University where I am studying social media and parental involvement. Over the past 15 years, I have worked as a teacher and administrator in Thousand Oaks and Oxnard, CA. Since joining the Santa Barbara Unified School District I have been meeting with teachers, staff, parents, and students on how to best serve our school community.
This year will be incredible as we have a wonderful staff that is eager and ready to help our school thrive. As your principal, I plan on working with all members of our school community in creating a learning environment where all staff members are dedicated to the success and safety for all of our students. I aspire to have our students feel they can learn, succeed, take risks, and grow from their mistakes. Academic achievement can only occur when students feel supported as they inevitably encounter challenges and roadblocks during the learning process. Our staff will nurture perseverance and resilience to ultimately find educational success. As a school community, we will make sure that our students know how to work hard and dream big! With your help and cooperation, together we can make the 2019-2020 school year the best year.
Ms. Elena Garcia-Yoshitomi