"Every kid is just one caring adult away from being a success story." ~Josh Shipp
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Laura Brem, Coordinator of Environmental Studies and Applied Horticulture
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Spring is here, and that means life at the farm is in full swing! Students are busy settling in their animals, which include goats, pigs, sheep and heifers. Over the next several months THS and PHS FFA students, with the support of their advisors, will work long hours preparing to show the animals at the Stanislaus County Fair in July. Owning and caring for an animal provides students with an invaluable experience in animal husbandry, responsibility and empathy. The Farm allows students who would not otherwise be able to raise a larger animal do so, and it is exciting to watch and support students!
Over the last several weeks volunteers from American Ag Credit’s Turlock and Merced branches have worked over a dozen hours to help out with projects on the farm; primarily, the building of ten 16’x4’x24” redwood raised beds! Accomplishing this project just in time for spring is a huge benefit to many students in TUSD! Our first graders will explore square foot gardening, PHS’s special education class will help plant lettuce and herbs, and eight PHS/THS Environmental Horticulture students will take ownership of a bed through the spring and summer to raise and sell their own vegetables. So many planting possibilities: basil, heirloom tomatoes, sweet peppers, zinnias . . .
TUSD Science Instructional Coach Erick Hauck on an exciting new project at the farm:
TUSD's Anton Fernandes (THS) saw the almonds out on the TUSD farm and thought about how the pollination would happen and how expensive it can be. This led him to the idea for our Farm to host its own bees. Once that idea took hold, it was not long before connections were made with UC Davis to develop a research-grade apiary and pollinator sanctuary. There have been multiple meetings between TUSD Farm, UC Davis' Western Institute of Food Science and Safety, and UC Davis' Dr. Niño apiculture lab in the last month. These meetings have entailed writing a joint grant to develop a K-12 NGSS farm curriculum, developing the apiary layout, and getting researchers from UC Davis to work with our students. This opportunity has the potential to create a decades-long connection between our community and the university that is ranked number two for agriculture in the world!
Keep updated on TUSD Farm activities and events by joining us on Instagram @TUSDFarm, and look for us at Turlock Certified Farmers Market on Main Street on Saturday mornings starting in June!
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Statement from Turlock Police Department
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Last week, TPD officers participated in the
Every 15 Minutes
program, put on for juniors and seniors from Turlock High School.
The
Every 15 Minutes
program focuses on high school junior and senior students, challenging them to think about drinking and driving, and the impact their decisions have on family, friends, their community and many others.
The two-day
Every 15 Minutes
program is very dramatic and emotional, purposely so. Teenagers are constantly reminded about the choices they have to make involving alcohol and how many others are affected by their decisions. They know the statistics; however, many teens share the belief it will never happen to them.
This powerful program is designed to create and awareness among students that they are not invincible. The program helps open emotional doors, and helps students experience first-hand how their actions affect the lives of so many other people.
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Every 15 Minutes
was brought to TUSD nearly 20 years ago through through the efforts of Turlock Chief of Police Nino Amirfar, Superintendent Dana Salles Trevethan, Assistant Superintendent of Business Services Mike Trainor as well as retired educators Rod Hollars and Alice Pollard. We appreciate their efforts and the continued commitment of our TUSD staff to bring this important program to our students.
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Gil Ogden, Director of Student Services
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Since the 2017-18 school year, TUSD teachers and bus drivers received the foundational level training in the No Bully program. In addition, over 100 staff were trained as No Bully solution coaches and 16 staff became trainers. Further follow-up training has occurred with trainers and coaches along with coaching at each school site.
No Bully is a program that provides a step-by-step process and a set of interventions to prevent and stop bullying in schools. Bullying is different from natural conflict amongst students. Bullying is when conflict is sustained over a period of time with the intent of harming someone else, and when there is a power difference involved. That power different can be social, size, age, or position. However, sometime what gets labeled as bullying is simply a conflict between two students who are both equal and equally involved.
Staff are trained to recognize and address issues that range from normal conflict between students and true instances of bullying. The No Bully program is a process which involves all adults at a school site:
1. Level 1 - Build an inclusive school culture
2. Level 2 – Interrupt bullying or conflict when you see it
3. Level 3 – Refer to a solution coach
4. Level 4 – Implement an empathy building action plan
Solution Teams address issues of bullying, but are designed to be non-punitive. A Solution Team is an effective method that leverages empathy and allow students to help one another beyond any immediate disciplinary measures. Rather than punishing students and labeling them and creating a more divisive situation, a Solution Team uses the social dynamic to reconnect students and to restore and build relationships.
The Turlock USD No Bully Solution Team Trainers are, as follows:
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Brown: Rhonda Brazil, Andrea Rosales
Crowell: Mayra Moreno
Cunningham: Ann DeSa
Dutcher: Mary Duffy, Julie Perino
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Earl: Jeff Persons
eCademy: Tim Norton
Julien: Stacie Macias
Medeiros: Hillary Zaklan
Roselawn: Rachel Moran
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Pitman: Eva Lear
THS: Blake Amador
TJHS: Kristen Norman, Sandra Ortega-Ramos
Wakefield: Angela DeTomasi
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Stanislaus County Office of Education Science Olympiad
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Principal Jenny Henderson: Congratulations to Julien’s Science Olympiad team! They competed in several events and came in 8th place overall (out of 26 teams. A special thank you goes out to Ms. Ottersbach and Mrs. Valgos for leading the team and to all of the parent volunteers for their support!
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Principal Sumeet Singh: Congrats to Walnut's Science Olympiad team on finishing in 4th place, just a few points shy of 3rd!
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Athletic Director Weekly Sports Wrap-Up
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Mike Brown, Turlock High School
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Baseball
Varsity beat Enochs 13–2 and 11–2. Turlock is now 3– 0 in league. Freshman beat Gregori 7–2 and Downey 9-1.
Softball
We beat Downey 5–0, Lost a tough game to Enochs 2–1. Turlock is now 4–2 in league.
Swim
Girls got 3rd place in the Southern section championship.
Golf
We beat Modesto 394–510. Placed 3rd overall at the Oakdale Tournament.
Coming up next week for the Bulldogs:
Mon: Varsity baseball against Enochs.
Tues: Softball home vs. Modesto. Tennis at Gregori.
Wed: JV Baseball home vs Modesto. Frosh Baseball at Manteca. Track Center Meet at home. Varsity Baseball at Modesto. Golf mid-season tournament.
Thurs: Softball at Pitman. Tennis home vs Pitman.
Fri: Varsity baseball home vs Modesto High. JV Baseball at Modesto High. Swim at Pitman. Track in Arcadia.
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Dave Walls, Pitman High School
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Baseball
The Pride’s bats picked up as they got the sweep in a three game series over Downey. On Monday the Pride took a 9-7 victory over the Knights with Kade Morris getting the victory and Jay Huerta getting the save at the Pit, on Wednesday the Pride got a combined effort from Jay Huerta (W) and Nick Tullio (S) to take a 8-5 victory and on Friday the Pride got a complete game shut-out from Nick Tullio 5-0 to take the series and move to 3-0 in CCAL play.
Softball
The young Lady Pride saw some success for their hard work as the picked up crucial wins over Modesto and Downey. On Tuesday the ladies got a complete game from sophomore Gabbie De Leon in the 12-2 decision over Modesto. On Thursday the Pride got another solid performance from De Leon to go along with 2 hits by Kai DeLeon (no relation) in a 6-1 victory over Downey. Sophomore Kai DeLeon is in the top 10 in batting in the district.
Boys Golf
The Pride competed in the Oakdale Invitational and finished 11th.
Boys Tennis
The Pride were off this week due to Modesto Unified being on break and are 11-2 overall and 5-1 in CCAL play.
Swim
Pitman Aquatics traveled to Johansen on Saturday for the 15th Annual Stanislaus County Meet and finished 3rd on the day. Varsity Boys are 4-0 in CCAL and Varsity Girls are 2-2 as they head into the Cross Town Splash with Turlock on Friday at the Pit.
Track & Field
Track traveled to the Stanford Invitational and brought home several top times. The Boys 4 X 1 finished second to Monterey in the finals with a time of 42.53. School record for the Boys Distance Medley Relay at 11:04.43. Jayson Martin set two school records. Boys 4 X 4 finished 8th at 3:28.03 out of 30 teams.
Teams of the Week
Varsity Softball who have found the groove and went 2-0 for the week to climb back into the CCAL race for one of the three playoff spots. Varsity Baseball who took three from the Downey Knights to move to 3-0 in the tough CCAL.
Pitman Athletics Upcoming Events:
Mon: Varsity Baseball @ Gregori 3:45, Golf @ Atwater Invitational TBA
Tues: Softball @ Gregori 3:45, Tennis vs. Downey 3:00, Golf vs. Downey 1:00 TCC
Wed: Track @ CCAL Center Meet 10 AM, VBB Host Gregori 3:45, Golf @ CCAL Mid-Season Tournament – Dryden 9AM
Thurs: Softball vs. Turlock 3:45, Tennis @ Turlock 3:00
Fri: VBB @ Gregori 3:45, Swim Host Turlock @ 3:00
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Tell us about yourself:
My name is Vanessa Echevarria, I’m 17 years old. I’m a senior at Turlock High School. I grew up in Delhi but decided to transfer to Turlock, and I never felt happier about making that decision. I’m in Turlock High choir and I love drawing on my free time as it helps me de-stress. Also I love practicing natural glamorous make-up and special FX makeup.
How did you get started in photography?
I started being interested in photography when I was way younger during family vacations. They would always bring their cameras to take pictures and I wanted to be like them so I asked for a camera. That’s when my mom started pushing me to take classes and learn to get better.
What is your favorite subject to photograph?
I love to photograph people because in every photo everyone has their own unique style of beautiful and the models always end up feeling good about themselves.
If you could photograph any city in the world, where would it be?
If I were to go anywhere in the world to take photos it would be Paris and pictures I would take of is the Eiffel Tower, of course, the food, and the people.
What advice would you give a beginner?
Advice I would give to a beginner photographer is don’t be afraid to try new things such as angles and objects. Always take pictures with an open and creative mindset.
What’s one important thing you have learned in photography class?
I have learned how to position people and make them comfortable so the pictures come out the best. I have also learned how important lighting is, and how it affects not only the model but the whole picture.
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Wendy Langford and Kelly Villalobos attended the CABE, California Association of Bilingual Educators, conference last week in Long Beach. While it is labeled as a conference for bilingual teachers, it is one that can be of benefit for all teachers, as many of the workshops focused on practical applications of the content standards and ELD standards in our classrooms, K-12. The conference also focused on the importance of bilingualism and mindfulness of all students and their cultures. Wendy and Kelly were privileged to meet the children’s musician Jose Luis Orozco. Kelly also met Huda Essa, author of the book,
Teach Us Your Name
. Huda Essa gave an amazing presentation on equity and inclusion. She is a dynamic speaker and is brilliant, funny, and able to talk about difficult subjects in a meaningful, reflective, and positive manner. Check out her Tedx Talks where she speaks of the power behind your name and the ways in which learning names can teach us to be more culturally inclusive.
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Anita Eliazadeh, Wakefield Elementary School
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How long have you worked in TUSD?
I have worked for TUSD as a classroom teacher for four years, before that I was a substitute teacher and also worked as a classroom aide.
What is your job title?
I’m currently a 3
rd
grade teacher at Wakefield Elementary. This is my third year in 3rd and I also taught one year in 6
th
grade.
Where did you work prior to TUSD?
Before I started working for TUSD I worked as a wedding film editor for my husband’s cinematography company.
Any info you would like to share about your job?
I love that each day is different in teaching and there’s always something new to learn.
Things you are most proud of?
I am most proud of those moments where a student that has been struggling to grasp a new concept or strategy finally has that “aha” moment, it’s so amazing to see how excited they get! I think that any achievement my students make whether big or small is something for them and me to be proud of and celebrate.
Challenges?
In the beginning of my teaching career one of the biggest challenges for me was dealing with student behavior. I was able to pilot the Toolbox program for my students last year and after taking the training I was excited to introduce the Toolbox strategies to my class. The main takeaway from Toolbox is that all of our students have the tools inside of them that give them the strength and understanding to work through any challenges they may face in life. I have seen such growth from my students now that they are more aware that they are in charge of their emotion and how to solve problems they may come across.
Favorite memory/story?
My favorite memory was when we went on a field trip to UC Merced. Although college is a long ways away I think it’s so important that all students begin to think about their future and what they want out of their life. Our classes toured the entire campus and learned about the different types of majors and what “college life” is like. They really enjoyed it and were excited to get back and write all about their experience.
What are you reading?
Currently I’m reading;
Girl, Stop Apologizing
by Rachel Hollis. It’s a great book on how to embrace and achieve your goals without the fear of feeling judged.
Any favorite shows you’re watching on TV?
Currently binge watching
The Office
, for the third time!
Anything about your personal life you’d like to share?
I enjoy working out especially taking Zumba and weight training classes. Fitness and clean eating is a huge part of my life and I’m always looking for yummy recipes to make to convince my family to go vegan but none have worked yet! Maybe someday!
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Students of TUSD: Wakefield
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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 Wakefield Elementary School Principal Luisa Salinas for letting us visit with Emma, Joanna, and Dillon. Go Wildcats!
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Walnut Elementary Education Center
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Congratulations to Walnut Elementary Education Center's Odyssey of the Mind team for finishing in 2nd place at last weekend's competition in Santa Rosa. They will now be headed to the World Championships for the second year in a row!
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Check out this amazing activity from our Physical Education Department! Turlock High School Physical Education teacher, JoAnn Davison, had the students do a workout using a “Fitness Alphabet.” They use the letters from a classmates name to create their “Fitness Alphabet” workout. Today, the students celebrated Women’s History Month by using names of many great women in history. One of the names listed was Dana Salles Trevethan. Our first female principal at Turlock High School and the first female Superintendent for TUSD!
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Congratulations to Turlock High School's Jared Jeffries who is a finalist in the Stanislaus County Teacher of the Year awards.
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Pitman Play Field Project
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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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