Sierra House principal leaving Lake Tahoe for Vacaville

Ryan Galles, the principal of Sierra House Elementary in South Lake Tahoe, has announced that he is leaving Lake Tahoe Unified School District.

Galles has accepted the position of Director of Elementary Education for the Vacaville Union School District (VUSD), a district with 12,000 students and 10 elementary schools.

A letter sent by Galles to the Sierra House parents on Friday, June 16:

It is with a heavy, heavy heart as I make this announcement. It has been my honor to serve as Principal of Sierra House Elementary School the past 9 years. I will count my time at Sierra House as my best years in education. However, there are exciting new opportunities that lay ahead for both my family and me. I am therefore announcing that this is my last year at Sierra House and in LTUSD. Last night, I was hired as Director of Elementary Education in the Vacaville USD.

Galles said VUSD is excited about his collaborative background, professional development background, intervention background and experience in creating a theme school.

"I am excited to take my student centered approach, enthusiasm and innovation to a larger district to have an even greater impact on kids," said Galles.

Among his accomplishments while at Sierra House was the school's development of a fitness, health and mountain sports theme, valued partnerships with SLT Ice Arena, Heavenly, Lake Tahoe Golf Course and Escobar Training grounds, coordination of the district-wide GATE program until eliminated due to budget cuts, coordination of LTUSD Skate, Ski, Swim programs since 2011, completion of the Garden Domes in November 2014 after three years of grass roots planning and over $125,000 in fundraising and grant support, and the Summer Blast program created in 2016 which featured academics in the morning with fitness activities and hikes in the afternoon including partnerships with Inversion Gym, LTCC, SLT Ice Arena, and Heavenly.

"Being principal here has been my lifework and sharing this experience with my own children as their elementary school principal couldn’t have been more meaningful to me," said Galles. "I'm so proud of our school community and the people who have made our school so great. Our school community is full of amazing people who work hard to make Sierra House stand out as a high achieving community of learners reflecting the diversity of South Lake Tahoe."

As he and his family leave South Lake Tahoe, Galles said he hopes the school continues to develop their school-wide theme and for the district to focus on bringing equity to all schools and learning populations in LTUSD.

"While we are taking jobs that remove us from this community, we are not leaving forever," wrapped up Galles. "We plan to visit regularly to see our friends, enjoy community events and enjoy all the outdoor activities we love in Tahoe."

Galles' wife Carey has been hired as a Speech Therapist in Davis, the town they play on settling in. Their son Reid is 13 going into 8th Grade, and Rielly is 11, going into 6th grade. My wife Carey was hired as a Speech Therapist in Davis. We plan to reside in Davis.