ORINDA UNION SCHOOL DISTRICT
NEWSLETTER
October 11, 2019
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Dear OUSD Families,
The California Department of Education has designated next week as "Week of the School Administrator." Our Orinda USD Principals and Associate Principal are passionate, lifelong learners who believe in the value of quality public education. Research shows that great schools are led by great Principals. I am particularly proud of the leadership and can-do spirit demonstrated by our school site leaders during the power outage. Please consider writing a note, sending an email, or otherwise showing your appreciation for your child's/children's school site administrator(s) next week. Thank you!
PG&E's Public Safety Power Shutoff
Speaking of the power outage, OUSD school and district administrators will be debriefing our protocols to determine what worked and what needs to be adjusted in anticipation of future PG&E PSPS events. I want to take this opportunity to once again thank our amazing teachers and staff for turning a challenging situation into a memorable day of learning. They modeled for our students how to make the best of a less than ideal situation. One parent emailed me noting, "
I’m glad we are opting to keep school in session. It helps all of us practice to be flexible, plan ahead, and anticipate needs. We need to show our kids we can cope when things aren’t quite perfect." I wholeheartedly agree!
ONE Orinda Fundraising Update
ONE Orinda aims to simplify the fundraising requests of parents, reduce reliance on parent volunteer hours to sustain fundraising, and open new donor opportunities including alumni of Orinda schools, educational and community foundations, corporate giving, and more. Led by representatives from each Parents’ Club and the broader Orinda community, ONE Orinda seeks to achieve these goals while maintaining sufficient flexibility to meet the individual needs and culture at each of Orinda’s schools. The Parents' Clubs from all five OUSD schools and Miramonte High School are working with EFO to continue efforts toward building a more collaborative, centralized fundraising model.
Read more
to learn about why we are considering a new approach to fundraising, the anticipated benefits, how ONE Orinda will operate, and how to get involved.
2x2 Committee Meeting - OUSD and Orinda City Council
OUSD and the City of Orinda have a "2x2" Committee comprised of Board President Hillary Weiner, Board Vice President Cara Hoxie, City Councilmembers Amy Worth and Nick Kosla, City Manager Steve Salomon, and me. The purpose of this committee is to discuss items of mutual interest to OUSD and the City.
Read more
to view a brief recap of the October 3, 2019, 2x2 meeting.
Measures E and I Update
OUSD has publicized
the Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for architectural services related to facilities bond Measures E and I. The purpose of the RFQ is to create a pool of qualified consultants from which the District may select to perform specific bond project assignments. Orinda USD has advertised the RFQ in the
San Francisco Chronicle
,
San Jose Mercury News
, and the
East Bay Times
. Architectural firms responding to the RFQ may be requested to interview with the District as part of the process for selection and retention of consultants related to Measures E and I. District staff hope to recommend an architectural firm (or firms) for approval early in 2020.
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As always, I welcome your comments, suggestions, and questions on any topic related to our OUSD schools.
Sincerely,
Dr. Carolyn Seaton
Superintendent of Schools
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- Oct. 14: Professional Development - Non-Student Day
- Oct 17: California Great ShakeOut
- Oct. 28: Board Workshop on Advocacy, 4:00-6:30 p.m.
- Nov. 4: Regular School Board Meeting, 6 p.m.
- Nov. 7: Board Coffee at Peet's Orinda, 8:15-9:15 a.m.
- Nov. 8: First Trimester Ends at Elementary Schools
- Nov. 11: Veteran's Day - Non-Student Day
- Nov. 25-29: Thanksgiving Break
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Sleepy Hollow Unplugged on 10/10
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2019-2020
OUSD Board School Assignments:
OIS: Hillary Weiner
Del
Rey: Liz Daoust
Glorietta: Jason Kaune
Sleepy Hollow: Carol Brown
Wagner Ranch: Cara Hoxie
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The Board of Trustees took the following actions at their October 7, 2019, regularly scheduled monthly meeting:
- The Board recognized reclassified English Proficient Students.
- The Board welcomed new Orinda Chief of Police, David Cook.
- The Board conducted a Public Hearing and approved Resolution #20-05, Sufficiency of Instructional Materials/Public Hearing.
- The Board approved the Report on California Dashboard Local Indicators.
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Public Release of 2018-19 CAASPP Testing Scores
The California Department of Education publicly released the 2018-2019 student CAASPP data on Wednesday, October 9th. OUSD’s overall scores remain very strong in both ELA (87% meeting or exceeding standards) and Math (85% meeting or exceeding standards). Please check the “headlines” section of the
OUSD website
for further details regarding Orinda’s scores. For an excellent overview of CAASPP data across California, please click on the EdSource article
here
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Celebrating Our English Language Learners
OUSD continues living our theme for the year: “Everyone Belongs Here.” At the October Board of Trustees meeting, the Board honored a group of English Language Learners who met the criteria to be redesignated as Fluent English Proficient. These hard-working students represent all grade levels and OUSD schools and reflect all that is good about Orinda Union School District. Students’ families were able to join our celebration, along with English Language Specialist Mary Dolan (pictured above, second from left). We are so proud of the growth that all of our English Learners are achieving and how our parents, teachers, and staff support them.
Read more
to learn about a recent Parent Education event, "Navigating the Social-Emotional Life of Your Middle School Student," and the powerful anti-bias training that the Anti Defamation League is providing to all OUSD staff to make our schools more welcoming and inclusive for all students.
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October is National Dyslexia Awareness Month!
The International Dyslexia Association estimates that as many as 15-20% of children may have symptoms of dyslexia. In 2015, the California legislature passed Assembly Bill 1369 which required the State Superintendent of Public Instruction to develop
program guidelines
for dyslexia to be used to assist teachers and parents to identify and assess pupils with dyslexia, and to plan, provide, evaluate, and improve educational services for pupils with dyslexia.
Read more
to learn additional information about dyslexia, watch videos, and access resources. If you have any questions or need more information about dyslexia, please contact
Dr. Carrie Nerheim
, Director of Student Services.
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Sleepy Hollow is just finishing a wonderful Diverse Abilities Awareness Week (DAAW). We kicked off the week with an assembly presented by Canine Companions as well as a special Movie Night at the Orinda Community Center. Throughout the week, students received presentations about particular diverse abilities, special read-aloud time in the library, and a class community circle about language that is hurtful. Even with the absence of electricity, students, teachers, staff, and parent volunteers provided an exceptional week of teaching and learning.
Coming soon is our annual Creepy Hollow, guaranteed to scare and delight all who attend. Be sure to carve out Saturday, October 19th, for a very scary-good time! Our Halloween Parade is also right around the corner. Note the new, earlier start time for the parade, which is at 8:30 a.m.
Upcoming Events
- Oct. 19: Creepy Hollow, 12:00-4:00 p.m.
- Oct. 26: School Site Council Meeting, 3:15-4:15 p.m.
- Oct. 31: Halloween Parade, 8:30 a.m.
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The Wagner Ranch Parents' Club hosted a school-wide Movie Night on October 4th with the showing of
The Nightmare Before Christmas.
There was a food truck, and all viewers were provided popcorn to enjoy during the show. Kids came in pajamas and filled the gym. On Oct. 10, the second graders took an amazing field trip to Bay Area Children's Museum to see "Where The Mountain Meets the Moon." The production was superbly done and the students, parents, and teachers raved about the story and lessons they learned. Today, October 11, was Crazy Hair Day, a school-wide spirit day! Students loved participating and showed their creativity with their hairstyles.
Upcoming Events:
- Oct 31: Halloween Parade
- Nov. 16: Bandit Bash, 6:00-10:00 p.m.
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The 2019-20
Others First
community service program at Orinda Intermediate School saw its kick-off this past month. With the support and planning of about a dozen parents, OIS is able to reinforce values such as kindness and empathy while encouraging students to contribute to their local and global communities. Others First provides students with activities throughout the year that allow them to experience altruism and giving in meaningful and enjoyable ways.
Orinda Intermediate School has partnered with
Sandy Hook Promise
(SHP), a national nonprofit that provides programs and practices for staff and students. The goal of the program is to ensure a safe and welcoming school environment. Last February, OIS students were presented with SHP's "Say Something" assembly. Last week, all students gathered for the "Start with Hello" assembly, aimed at teaching students to recognize and reduce social isolation, empathize with others, and create a more inclusive and connected school culture.
Upcoming Events
:
- Oct 11: End of First Quarter
- Oct 18: 7th/8th Grade Dance, 6:0-8:00 p.m.
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Del Rey believes strongly in cultivating ethical and respectful citizens; kids who have great character. The work of building a strong community is ongoing. Through programs such as Caring School Community, Think First, and Kidpower, Del Rey works to build positive interactions in a safe and caring environment. Each month, Del Rey gives special attention to one character trait to help students deepen their understanding of the trait's importance in the development of their positive interpersonal skills and also give them opportunities to practice applying it in their lives.
Upcoming Events
:
- Oct 11: End of First Quarter
- Oct 20: Annual Moms’ Hike & Brunch
- Oct 26: BooFest!
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Like many schools across California, Orinda schools, including Glorietta, are planning to practice emergency procedures during the Great ShakeOut on October 17th. Given the recent PG&E shut down, our staff has been reviewing procedures, roles, and responsibilities in an emergency including during an earthquake. These drills provide an excellent opportunity to practice with students and in our assigned teams.
Glorietta Gophers are excited about the upcoming FunFest! The community is invited to bring their Halloween spirit (costumes optional!) for some fall fun hosted at Glorietta Elementary on Sunday, October 20th, from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Upcoming Events
:
- Oct 11: End of First Quarter
- Oct 17: GL Coordinating Council Mtg., 3:15 p.m.
- Oct 20: FunFest, 11 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
- Oct 31: Halloween Parade, 8:15 a.m.
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EFO continues to need your donations to meet our commitments to OUSD for the current school year. Together with Parents' Club contributions, EFO's grants to OUSD help to make the magic happen at Orinda's great schools. This means small class sizes and art and music instruction at all four elementary schools and librarian instruction and 24 elective offerings at OIS. Every student benefits, so we need everyone to give!
Please donate today
. Thank you!
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