Message from Superintendent Jerry Jennex - August 14th, 2025

Video Message from Superintendent Jerry Jennex August 14, 2025



Letter from Superintendent Jerry Jennex
August 14, 2025

Dear TJUSD Students, Staff, Parents, Families, and Friends of TJUSD,

First day of school! This is a day met with many different reactions depending upon your point of view. If you are a student, you might view this day with excitement along with some degree of regret because of the freedom of summer vacation is over. For staff, the same feelings might apply. Parents often are relieved to have their students get back into the routine of going to school every day. Families and friends catch the enthusiasm as they see our community’s young people head back to school.

Whatever your feelings are about the first day of school, I want to challenge us all to enter the 2025-2026 school year with a fresh perspective filled with positivity. I believe that we can all benefit from a reset in our mindset once in a while, and that is what I am working on as superintendent of Trona Joint Unified School District this year. I know that it is important for me to consider my work and how it applies to this district from many different angles. That is what I am going to focus on this year. Can I lead the district in our quest to be better by considering many new viewpoints?

Another focus for me is positivity. It is so easy in our culture and because we are human, to place undue emphasis on negativity. It can be transformational for us all if we seek out the good in ourselves and our work, the excellence in those we work and live with, and the good in our overall community. I am going to attempt to be mindful of adopting a positive mental attitude every time I think of it. Zig Ziglar, a famous motivational speaker and author from last century used the phrase of “stinkin' thinkin'” to characterize negativity. I encourage to do our best to eliminate “stinkin' thinkin'” from our perspective. There are many positives to celebrate here at TJUSD. We have wonderful students and staff. Families were very invested this morning in helping their students have a great first day. I encourage us all to work together to carry the excitement of the first day with us as we move forward in 2025-2026 and we attempt to “Educate, Empower, and Engage” all of our students.

Best wishes for a great school-year,
Dr. Jerry Jennex, Superintendent