2017-2018
TUSD Weekly Update| 9.11.17
We hope you are enjoying this new communications effort designed to showcase and keep you in the loop on all the wonderful things happening in TUSD. Please follow us on social media for daily vs. just weekly updates! Got a story idea? Please reach out!
"My younger sister and I just moved down to San Diego at the ages of 18 and 19 to live with our older brother and start our college careers. We got ready early that morning to head to school because traffic was terrible and parking spaces were hard to find. We turned on the television and watched as a plane crashed into the South Tower (the 2 nd tower). At that age I don’t think we realized what was truly going on. But we stayed and watched as the horror played out on television. When we got to English class our Professor came in crying and announced that the college was going to close down for the day. She recommended that we go home and spend time with our families. I will always remember exactly what I was doing that day. It is ingrained in my brain like most Americans who experienced the event."

~Laura Bonander, Social Studies, Turlock High School
LCAP Executive Summary Now Available
Marjorie Bettencourt, Director of Assessment and Accountability
The Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) is a three-year plan that identifies TUSD’s annual goals and actions associated with California’s new funding system. If you don’t want to read a 136-page document, the LCAP Executive Summary is for you! Along with goals and key actions/services for the 2017-18 school year, the summary provides information on the State’s Eight Priorities, the LCAP development and engagement opportunities, and a snapshot of demographics of TUSD. Pick one up at any site or view online on the LCAP page of the District website, link below.
 
Dr. Anthony Muhammad in TUSD
Dr. Anthony Muhammad will be coming to TUSD on September 18 for a special speaking engagement at Pitman High School for certificated staff from 3:45-4:45 PM. According to the New Frontier 21 website: "Dr. Anthony Muhammad is one of the most sought after educational consultants in North America. He currently serves as the CEO of New Frontier 21 Consulting, a company dedicated to providing cutting-edge professional development to schools all over the world. He served as a practitioner for nearly twenty years. Dr. Muhammad served as a middle school teacher, assistant principal, middle school principal, and high school principal. His tenure as a practitioner has earned him several awards as both a teacher and a principal.

Dr. Muhammad is recognized as one of the field’s leading experts in the areas of school culture and organizational climate. His work has allowed him to work with schools in all 50 U.S. states, 10 Canadian provinces, the Caribbean, South America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.

Dr. Muhammad is a best-selling author. He is the author of the books  The Will to Lead and the Skill to Teach ; Transforming Schools at Every Level  (2011);  Transforming School Culture: How to Overcome Staff Division  (2009); and a contributing author to the book  The Collaborative Administrator: Working Together as a Professional Learning Community  (2008). He has published 26 articles in education journals and publications in seven different countries."

Many of our TUSD educators have been fortunate to hear Dr. Muhammad speak previously and they can attest that our certificated staff are in for a treat. Hope you can make it!
Meet Julio Harless
Technology Support Specialist Julio Harless hit his 1 year mark in TUSD in August. Julio worked in a similar line of work for 14 years and, at TUSD, spends most of his day answering email and phone calls in between building Chromebook carts and creating student accounts. Julio's main job is manning the "TUSD Help Desk" which you can reach by dialing 209.664.9220. During "peak season," when the network has few issues, Julio fields about 20 calls a day with issues ranging from inability to log into a computer/email to trouble with creating/resetting accounts. When Julio is not answering the phone, he enjoys spending time with his wife and 2 year old daughter. He also enjoys aerial photography and 3-D printing. Thank you, Julio, for helping put the "US" in TUSD!
Whatever ever happened to . . . Eddie Aljamal?
Eddie Aljamal graduated from Pitman High School in 2014 as his class valedictorian and went on to study Theoretical Physics and Pure Mathematics at UC Berkeley. He is slated to graduate in May 2018 and credits teachers like Gary Austin, Renate Staley, and Doug Reimers with helping him discover a love of mathematics, confidence in public speaking, and space to develop his own creativity. Eddie shared that his advice for other students is to "explore their areas of interest outside of class . . . read every day . . . and make it your mission in life to do what you love." Eddie wants to thank everybody that has motivated him to continue doing what he loves despite all the difficulties, especially his family and teacher/mentors. Good luck this year, Eddie, and Go Bears!
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The purpose of this weekly mailing is to keep you informed of all the great things happening in TUSD! Please contact Chief Communication Coordinator Marie Russell if you have a recommendation for future content including a retiree to catch up with, student to recognize, or employee to feature.
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