"Every kid is just one caring adult away from being a success story." ~Josh Shipp
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Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!
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All over TUSD last week our schools celebrated "Read Across America" and proved Dr. Seuss's adage: "You're never too old, too wacky, too wild, to pick up a book and read to a child." Shout out to our TUSD employees and Turlock community members who took time out of their busy schedules to read to our students!
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Wakefield Elementary Dr. Seuss Literacy Night, Maureen Pereira
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On February 28, 2019, our Wakefield teachers and families participated in a Dr. Seuss themed Literacy Night with a focus on the three ways to read a book; read the pictures, read the words and retell the story (a professional learning from The Daily 5 Second Edition by Gail Boushey and Joan Moser). Families viewed a video demonstrating the three ways to read a book and then had the opportunity to practice in that moment with one another. Resources to guide discussion and support meaning within reading were provided and connected to the evening’s experience. Our Turlock Library Community Liaisons also provided families with library card applications, a calendar of events at the library and a review of the online resources available. Families also enjoyed the themed snacks
–
Hop on Pop
popcorn,
One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish
Goldfish crackers and
The Lorax
truffula seeds (Trix cereal).
What a wonderful experience for all who participated!
We look forward to our future community-building events as we continue to support the importance of education not only at school but also within our homes.
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Crowell Elementary School
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It’s time for our spring Student Senates! Superintendent Dana Salles Trevethan met with a small cohort of students at Crowell Elementary School. Dana asked students 5 questions about Crowell:
- What motivates you to come to school every day?
- What is the most special or unique thing about your school?
- What are your suggestions for making your school even better?
- Do you have any concerns you would like your Principal to look into that would make all students and parents feel more connected to your school?
- What are you learning that makes you feel like you’re preparing to go to college or get a job?
Thank you to Principal Margaret Osmer for sharing your Cougars with us!
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Maureen Pereira, Early Literacy Instructional Coach
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Our Turlock Unified School District Walnut Elementary Odyssey of the Mind teams participated in the Delta Regional Tournament on February 23, 2019. Our Primary Team tied for first place and received the rare OMER award (in recognition of individuals or teams who demonstrate outstanding sportsmanship, exemplary behavior, or exceptional talent) and our Division Two team placed second, which qualifies them to participate in the Northern California State Tournament on March 30, 2019.
What is Odyssey of the Mind?
Odyssey of the Mind is an international creative problem-solving program with teams that range from kindergarten through college. The Odyssey program engages students in their learning by allowing their knowledge and ideas to come to life in an exciting, productive environment. Team members apply their creativity to solve problems that range from building mechanical devices to presenting their own interpretation of literary classics. Participants build self-confidence, develop life skills, create new friendships, and are able to recognize and explore their true potential. Thousands of teams from throughout the United States and about 25 other countries participate in the program. OOTM proves that students can have fun while they learn.
A Synapsis of Odyssey of the Mind within Turlock Unified School District:
- Our students develop team-building skills by working in groups of as many as seven students per team.
- Our students learn to examine problems and to identify the real challenge without limiting the possible solutions and their potential success.
- Our teams solve 100% of the problem, learning to solve challenges within their capabilities, be resourceful and develop a tremendous amount of self-confidence.
- The creative-thinking process is nurtured and developed as a problem-solving tool.
- Our students analyze why something failed or did not work.
- Our students learn new skills (sewing, engineering and simple machine principles, woodworking, art, etc.).
- We support the development of 21st Century skills to help our members be successful now and in the future
- The fun of participation leads to an elevated interest in regular classroom curricula.
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Sitara Ali, TJHS Science Teacher
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Turlock Junior High School’s Science Olympiad team placed 2nd overall in the Regional Science Olympiad Competition this weekend. The team of 17 students competed in 23 STEM events in multiple science disciplines and categories! Cheer them on as they move on to NorCal State Competition in April. Shout out to their coaches--Sitara Ali, Maria Canga, and Marlene Larios!
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Gil Ogden, Director of Student Services
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Assembly Bill (AB) 2291 requires TUSD to post on its web site an online training module developed by the California Department of Education (CDE) to assist all school staff, school administrators, parents, pupils, and community members in increasing their knowledge of the dynamics of bullying and cyberbullying. The module includes: identifying an act of bullying or cyberbullying and implementing strategies to address the bullying and cyberbullying. The online training module may be found
HERE
.
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Denise Duewell, Coordinator of Professional Development and Induction
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“Induction is an investment in retention, integration, and continual growth”; therefore, “Mentoring is more than guiding the completion of induction tasks to satisfy certification requirements. Effective mentoring creates cohesive and collaborative instructional partnerships by establishing the norm of ongoing learning about and from teaching,” according to Laura Lipton and Bruce Wellman in their book, Mentoring Matters (xvi). What Lipton and Wellman are saying is that our mentors are paramount to ensuring our new teachers are supported and have the most positive experience possible, so they are willing to stay, to learn, and to grow with and for TUSD students. For this reason, I continue to update you on induction through the mentoring lens.
Our February meetings centered around best practices in effective mentoring support. Because induction is based on quality mentoring, we are using video conferencing, reflection, and feedback to support our mentors in their desire to improve their craft.
We created scenarios that allowed our mentors to practice their skills with one another before taking them to the field. They then recorded themselves working with their candidates. After the recorded session, mentors reflected on their skills. The specific skills they examine are the ability to pause and paraphrase and to ask questions before simply offering solutions. Like many of us, mentors are working on their listening skills. Their conversations and reflections are the basis for the feedback they receive from the induction program. Then, as we all continue to grow in our capacity to effectively mentor, we will share videos with one another for discussion and reflection. That will then be the impetus for both an overall reflection of the year and a goal to be set for the following year.
Again, because induction would be impossible without our mentors, we continue to celebrate the work they do. Here are more comments from our candidates regarding their mentors. Last month featured mentors Scott Johnson, Roxanne Frazier, Bernadette Galvan, and Marisela Ornelas. This month we will spotlight Jill Valgos, Robin Swartz, Laura Perez, and Maureen Pereira with more to come in future months.
- “Jill Valgos is patient and kind. She is very good at explaining processes and requirements in simple to understand terms. I enjoy her sincerity and candor.”
- “Robin is always willing to help even if it means rearranging her schedule. She is always available to meet with, bounce ideas off of, and give support. Robin's love for students and helping others is evident in the enthusiasm she brings every single day. I know that I can depend on her for anything I need and she will be more than willing to help or give ideas. I appreciate Robin's help so much. Her hard work and energy is contagious. Thank you, Robin!”
- “From day one, Robin has made me feel that she truly cares about me, both as a teacher and a human being. She goes out of her way to try to make my life easier, whether it be a small gesture like bringing me a surprise cup of coffee, or something bigger, like helping me assess my students by taking running records. I am so lucky to have her in my life! Thank you, Robin!”
- “Laura is very helpful and always available for questions. Laura never makes me feel like I am bothering her and she is always very patient. Laura has also gone out of her way to make me feel included and that has been truly wonderful.”
- “Maureen Pereira stands out because she always has a smile that brings sunshine everywhere she goes. She loves her job and it shows in everything she does and everyone she interacts with. I love her willingness to listen, never judge and always build confidence that we are in this wonderful teaching craft together and every day is a learning experience. Thanks Maureen!”
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Women's History Month-Student Voices
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Lauren Machado, Turlock High School, Senior
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Silence is Golden
Silence is golden
Or so girls are told
Not quiet but cold
Enforced with scoffs and eye rolls
With hushes and pinched ears
And pressures that dare her to shed tears
But lying underneath her heart
And above her butterfly riddled stomach
Is a bubbling, burning sensation
That calls itself Voice
They can try to push it down
Bury it in sticks and stones
But it will continue to jump up her throat
Voice tugs on your ear
Says ‘allow me to tell you something you may not know’
Says ‘hear me’
They can send her to the deepest dark of space
And abandon her on some faraway planet
And they will still hear her whisper
Flicker in the stars and shoot down to earth
They can not erase her
She will not be defeated
But Voice is not enemy
It may win battles
But it does not start wars
It is friend
It is guide
It will slide along your skin
Give you shivers
And a quiver in her lip
Is all that it takes to warm your chest
Voice is a satin pillow
Voice provides rest
And if others aim to destroy
Mock her feminine poise
Or assume that she can’t play with the big boys
You can bet she will make some noise
You can bet Voice will shake the ground
And make earthquakes out of their hands
She doesn’t have any demands
She does not speak in ransom notes
Voice does not hold anyone hostage
It never has
And it never needed to
And you can cut off her microphone
But in a sea of yelling
Her confident cry can stand alone
Can face endless waves of disdain
You can try and box her up
Muffle her sounds with metaphorical muzzle
But Voice will still bellow and echo
She is lion’s roar
She is kitten’s purr
Voice will remain self assured
Silence is golden
Or so girls are told
But the bright Voice in their chest
Will never be dulled
Not with scoffs or eye rolls
Or hushes or pinched ears
Her tears are passion
Not fear
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Lauren Machado is a senior at Turlock High School. While participating in music programs as a flautist and competing in speech and debate, she is also a passionate poet and is deeply interested in literature and creative writing. She intends to major in English when she attends college this fall, and will pursue a career as an English teacher. Her goal is to inspire others to utilize creative writing to unite others and create social change.
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Athletic Director Weekly Sports Wrap-Up
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Mike Brown, Turlock High School
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Boys Soccer
22-3-3 overall record. Sad to say our Nor-Cal Championships came to an end this past Tuesday with a tough 4-1 loss to Bellarmine College Prep. Our boys did a fantastic job in the post-season and I want to say congratulations to Coach Sperry and all his athletes for such a great season. It was a lot of fun to watch you guys play!
Spring sports got off to a raining start but we did get some games and matches in.
Baseball
Baseball Varsity baseball kicked off the season down in Clovis and played a tough first game. We lost 2-1 to a real good Clovis team but made some mistakes that really cost us the game. JV played Denair varsity and beat them 10 -2; Freshman baseball beat Ceres 5-1.
Softball
Softball kicked off their season with a win against Merced 2-0 and then traveled down to Clovis East and won 7-1. We played Golden Valley on Wednesday and lost to them 2-0.
Boys Golf
Our boy’s golf jumped right into their season down at Merced Tournament. We had three medalists (3 out of the top 10 low scores)—Keenan Young, Elias Rabine, Fletcher Bacon. Great start to the season. We will be starting league next week.
Boys Tennis
Tennis started their season with a real tough Buchanan team and lost 9-0. They traveled down to Clovis this past weekend.
Swimming
Swimming started their league play against Gregori on Friday and had a clean sweep. JV Boys 127–45; JV Girls 114–62; Varsity Girls 131–51 Varsity boys 94–86. Congrats!
Track & Field
Track and Field Frosh/Soph kids started the season this week. Pitman’s Frosh/Soph meet this past Wednesday.
Top Finishers:
1st Place 2 x 200 Relay Josiah Gonzales, Cade Gilbert, Wyatt Romo, Luke Appleby 1:39; 1st Place Pole Vault Wyatt Romo 14’3”; 1st Place 100 meters Kylee Redman 13.17; 1st Place 4 x 100 Relay Avery Hayes, Candence Roy Williams, Kylee Redman, Nicole Ceballes 51.52; 1st Place 4 x 200 Kylie Viray, Signe Rodrigues, Kylee Redman; Nicole Ceballes 1:56; 1st Place Pole Vault Elizabeth Johnson 8’ 6”
Athlete of the Week:
Shelby Frutoz (Pitcher) who struck out 13 batters against Clovis and 18 against Merced. She has an ERA .41 She has also had some great games at the plate. She is batting .400 with 2 home runs, 2 doubles and 2 RBI. Great job Lady Bulldogs, keep up the hard work!
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Dave Walls, Pitman High School
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Baseball
The Pride's year started slow as rain puts a damper on the early preseason. The Pride starts the year 0-2 with tough loses to El Capitan 9-5 and Oakdale 4-1. The Pride received quality starts over the week from Kade Morris and Nick Tullio and the Pride look to get on the winning track this week with non-league matches against Beyer and Tokay.
Softball
The Lady Pride went 1-2 on the week losing a hard fought 4-3 game to Hilmar, bouncing back on Thursday with an 11-2 victory over Beyer and ended the week with a tough 6-2 loss to a solid Atwater team. The Lady Pride are 1-2 on the year as the head to the Rainbow Classic Invitational in Modesto this week.
Boys Golf
The Pride started the year in tournaments at Los Banos and Merced where they were very competitive. They lost their first league match last week at Modesto to go 0-1 on the year in CCAL play. Conner Cook hit the ball well and is finding his stride.
Boys Tennis
The Pride are 5-1 on the season after victories over El Capitan and Merced last week. The boys suffered their only setback last Tuesday when the fell to one of the top teams from Fresno - Buchanan High School. Royden Laia is 5-1 on the year in singles as the Pride head into CCAL play on Tuesday.
Swimming
Pitman Aquatics opened the season by traveling to Enochs for the first CCAL meet. The varsity boys came away with a convincing victory over the Eagles as they took first in every event. In varsity girls Shannon Sondeno won a nail biter by out touching Enochs in the breaststroke with a 1:21.34. Joelle Lok and Maddy Ngo both won their individual races. The Pride travel to Gregori on Friday.
Track & Field
Pride Track hosted the Frosh/Soph Showcase last Wednesday welcoming 10 teams to Joe Debely Stadium. Event winners for the Pride - Matthew Beckers, Jarod Moren, Sergio Romo, Jordon Grischott, Edgar Gonzalez, Kenna Bondshu and Mimi Verdone. Pitman Track & Field will host the Stan County Championships on Friday, March 8th.
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Stacy Mercado, Turlock High School
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How long have you worked in TUSD? T
his is my fifth year working at TUSD.
What is your job title?
I am a Paraprofessional for the Bridge program at Turlock High School.
Where did you work prior to TUSD?
Prior to working in Turlock, I was a tutor for the AVID program at Patterson High and an after school program leader for Yolo Middle school.
Any info you would like to share about your job? Average day?
I provide instructional support in English, Math, Living Earth and Edgenuity. Every day I work with students in groups, partners and one-on-one. Being that I am with students all day, I make sure they are reaching their individual goals and communicating with their teachers about their progress. I truly believe in my students and want to see them succeed.
Things you are most proud of?
I´m so proud when my students reach their goal to return to high school and continue to be successful. I get so excited when I hear from former students that they are playing on sports teams, doing well in their classes, applying to college, and are graduating.
Challenges?
Every student is different, especially how they learn content. Some challenges I experience are finding what unique learning styles helps students fully understand the material. In math class is where I get the most creative.
Favorite memory/story?
My favorite memories are our holiday parties. As a class, we form a circle, eat some food and play games. Just this last Christmas, we decided to played Pictionary. Little did I know, the majority of the class had never played the game. There were a lot of laughs over drawings and plenty of “How did you not guess that?”
What are you reading?
I love reading crime solving novels. I’m currently reading
NYPD Red
by James Patterson.
Any favorite shows you’re watching on TV?
My favorite shows are:
Hawaii 5-0
,
The Flash
,
Blue Bloods
, and
Criminal Minds
. I guess you can say if I ever switched careers, I would become a detective.
Anything surprising we may not know about you?
I really enjoy being active. Most people would not know that I have ran a half marathons, competed in CrossFit competitions and I am a Zumba instructor.
Anything about your personal life you’d like to share?
I am very close to my family. Despite everyone being extremely busy, we still have family dinners. I enjoy taking CrossFit and Zumba classes after work. Any weekends I have free, I love taking day trips to Livermore, Monterey or Santa Cruz.
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Students of TUSD: Roselawn
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Something new in communications . . . Last year we introduced you to our schools, this spring we are introducing you to our students—a little feature we’re calling ‘Students of TUSD.’ Thank you to Roselawn Continuation High School Principal Felipe Meraz for letting us visit with Jade, Ivan, and Kallie. Go Dragons!
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Some amazing teachers from TUSD showed off their NGSS pedagogical learnings at a CSUS-TUSD-CUSD NGSS symposium. Chris Alonzo, Lauren Waggoner, Ashley Martins, Molly Farrar, Scott Cortez, and Kyle Nicolson worked hard over the last few months to write and implement NGSS lessons that integrated multiple subjects. The lessons were written in conjunction with CSUS professors. These dynamic groups clearly showed the power of collaboration! Teachers demonstrated the excellence that TUSD has to offer. These lessons will be published by CSUS on their website, and we will be highlighting them on our TUSD NGSS hub. None of this would have been possible if not for the tireless work of Denise Duwell to connect our district with CSUS. Thank you Denise, and thank you to our amazing teachers! ~Eric Hauck, TUSD Instructional Coach
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Congratulations to Michele Van Nieuwenhuyzen and the Turlock High School Speech and Debate Team for qualifying 11 students to the State Tournament!
Abby Haggstrom-Dramatic Interpretation (Automatic State Qualifier) Katie Dahlgren-Oratorical Interpretation-(Automatic Stage Qualifier) Matthew and Nathaniel Haynam-Public Forum Debate (Automatic State Qualifier) Abby Kline-Original Oratory and Original Prose and Poetry (Automatic State Qualifier) Izzy and Stella Romeo-Public Forum Debate (State Qualifier) Lillyauna Perry-Original Prose and Poetry (State Qualifier) Fanney Bjargardottir-Lincoln Douglas (State Qualifier) Lily Poquette-National Extemporaneous (State Qualifier) Maya Parreira-Humorous Interpretation (State Qualifier) Matthew Haynam-Impromptu (State Qualifier).
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The Pitman High School Wind Ensemble will perform this spring at the Sousa Band Festival, an exclusive music event that will take place at the Concert Hall of Washington, D.C.’s John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The Pitman Band Booster invite you to join them in celebrating this great accomplishment at a Preview Concert on Monday, March 18th at 6:30 PM at Monte Vista Chapel in Turlock. The Ensemble will perform the exact set they will play at the Kennedy Center. This is a fundraising concert. Admission is $5.00 per person and desserts and coffee will be available for purchase after the concert. They will also be accepting donations in support of the Pitman High School Band, an organization committed to bringing PHS students quality music education and the opportunity to play at prestigious events on world renowned stages.
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Share Your Awesome!
Marie Russell
Chief Communication Coordinator
mrussell@turlock.k12.ca.us
209.648.0968
@tusd_mrussell
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We would love to have ALL staff help share our TUSD story to the world, but if that is not really your thing, just click on link below to download an opt-out form and return to "Marie Russell, D.O." via district mail.
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