Principal’s Message

Dear Families of Hirsch Elementary School, 

Welcome to the 2023-2024 school year! I am thrilled and honored to join the amazing Patriots family, which is  part of the beloved Tracy Unified School District where my journey as an educator began in 2009. After earning a B.A. in Mathematics, B.A. in Spanish, Masters in Educational Leadership from University of the Pacific, I started my tenure in TUSD as a high school math teacher at Tracy High School and then Kimball High School. I taught classes at every grade level including Algebra, Geometry, and Statistics.  My love of math and teaching gave me the opportunity to become a math specialist supporting math teachers across the district. In parallel,  I dedicated my summers to supporting students and teachers in the migrant education program across the country at University of the Pacific’s Academica de Matematicas STEM Summer Academy.  From there, I decided to join the brilliant team of administrators at West High School in 2018 as a vice principal before leaving to expand my knowledge of alternative education at Visions in Education. Returning to TUSD after four years feels like returning home and I’m grateful that is with all of you. 

In addition to meeting all of you, I am looking forward to learning from each of you. As a lifelong learner, I seek opportunities to learn from others, in both formal and informal settings. I value learning from experts in the field and life lessons I've learned from my students, colleagues and my own children. I believe in taking a strength-based approach to leading, and I’m confident that our unique and collective knowledge and experiences will help make Hirsch Elementary School even better.

My goal for this year is to learn about the amazing work students, teachers, and parents are already doing so I can best support its growth and trajectory. Additionally, we will work together to develop a plan to identify areas of growth, with the input from all educational partners. This includes building strong relationships with families and the community and maintaining a learning environment for our students to thrive and become lifelong learners prepared for high school and life after TUSD. As Plato once said "The beginning is the most important part of the work."

Ms. Elisavet Barajas, Principal