ORINDA UNION SCHOOL DISTRICT
NEWSLETTER
August 17, 2018
SUPERINTENDENT'S UPDATE
Dear OUSD Families,

On behalf of the Orinda Union School District Board of Trustees, our site and district administrators, our teaching staff, and our support staff, it is my pleasure to welcome you to the 2018-2019 school year that begins next Wednesday on August 22nd. I would like to invite our entire community to celebrate the first day of school with us next week using the hashtag #OUSD1stDay on Twitter. It is my hope that this hashtag will become an Orinda Schools tradition because of your participation. Please share your back to school photos and thoughts with us using #OUSD1stDay .

I am firmly convinced that Orinda Union School District is one of America’s finest school districts, and that status is due to our supportive Orinda community, expert teachers who care deeply about our students, dedicated and knowledgeable support staff, and outstanding principals. 
Again this year, you will hear and read about our Orinda Union School District Strategic Plan . This Strategic Plan guides the daily work performed in our classrooms by our teachers and throughout our District by our support staff and administrators. The cornerstones of this plan are our four Strategic Directions:
  • Inspire Innovators and Problem Solvers
  • Create Resourceful Collaborators and Critical Thinkers
  • Cultivate Ethical and Respectful Citizens
  • Nurture Emotional, Social, and Physical Well-Being

Each Strategic Direction has accompanying “students will" statements that describe the expected student behaviors that demonstrate successful implementation. Working together, we can realize these Strategic Directions for all OUSD students.

I encourage you to stay connected this year by taking advantage of our many communication platforms. You can follow the District on Twitter @OrindaSchools, like us on Facebook , and get all the latest school information at www.orindaschools.org .

As always, thank you for your phenomenal support of our District. We greatly look forward to seeing our students next week. The Board of Trustees joins me in extending best wishes to you and your child(ren) for a fantastic school year!

Safety
On Monday morning, Orinda Police Chief Mark Nagel will present a campus safety session for all Orinda USD staff on the topic of armed intruders on campus. He will share information about proactive measures, "Run, Hide, Fight" protocols, contacting 911, law enforcement response, and providing medical support to victims. I thank Chief Nagel and the City of Orinda for their unwavering support of our schools.

This summer Keenan and Associates conducted a Threat and Physical Security Assessment focused on identifying existing security and vulnerability deficiencies on each OUSD school campus. The District expects to receive the final report in September and will work with the Board to prioritize addressing the identified deficiencies.

External water storage tanks holding nearly 10,000 gallons were installed over the summer break at both Sleepy Hollow and Wagner Ranch Elementary Schools as recommended by MOFD Chief David Winnacker. These tanks will provide firefighters with an additional water supply to keep our students and staff safe in the event of a wildfire.

Orinda City Council will be considering two gun safety ordinances at their regular meeting on August 21, beginning at 7:00 p.m. One ordinance relates to safe storage, and the other relates to regulation of gun dealers. Current California law, AB 231, makes someone criminally liable if he/she stores a loaded firearm on premises where a child is likely to gain access. Orinda City Council meeting agendas can be accessed here.

Summer Hiring
Over the summer, the District hired 20 new teachers, ten support staff, and one elementary principal. Former OUSD classroom teacher Ashley Appel is the new OUSD Math Instructional Coach. Here are the new employees for our school sites and the District:

OIS
Teachers : Martin Fong (Math), Yvonne Fuhriman (Core), Heather O'Brien (Spanish), Reka Pigniczky (Digital Media Arts/KOIS), Lisa Rudolph (Math), Katherine Schmolke (Core), and Julia Sullivan (Math)

Del Rey
Teachers : Sean Brennan (5th grade), Gretchen Loughran (Special Education), Christine Petrak (1st grade), and Jacob Roden-Lowe (2nd Grade)
Support Staff : Amy Bush (Inst. Asst.), Laurie Da Silveira (Inst. Asst.), and Karine Kalashyan (Spec. Svcs. Asst.)

Glorietta
Teachers : Anne Burgess (4th grade), Jeffrey Friesen (P.E.), Maureen O'Neil (P.E.), and Janet Robinson (Art)
Support Staff : Haley Haertl (Spec. Svcs. Asst.)
Principal : Tracey Lewis

Sleepy Hollow
Teachers : Jeffrey Friesen (P.E.), Rebecca Loboschefsky (4th grade), Jyotsna Puranik (5th grade), and Janet Robinson (Art)
Support Staff : Kathleen Baritell (Library Tech), Juliana Oliver (Secretary), and Shauna Simmonds (Clerk)

Wagner Ranch
Teachers : Adriane Ahnstedt (5th grade Long Term Sub), Maureen O'Neil (P.E.), and Shauna Yeager (1st grade)
Support Staff : Roda Hagit (Inst. Asst.)

District
Teacher : Katie Gardner (STEAM Instructional Coach)
Support Staff : Luis Estrada (Maintenance Craftsman) and Irene McGraw (Head Custodian)

We still have openings for part-time classroom assistants, part-time assistants to work with students with special needs, and substitute teachers. If you or anyone you know is interested in one of these positions, please contact Jennifer Valencia, Personnel Technician, via email at jvalencia@orindaschools.org for more information. Join our team!
To ensure you are accessing this newsletter in its entirety, you may need to select "Display images below" from your email and "View entire message." The last section is entitled, "Connect With Us!"

As always, I welcome your comments, suggestions, and questions on any topic related to our OUSD schools.

Sincerely,

Dr. Carolyn Seaton
Superintendent of Schools
OUSD NEWS
District Calendar
  • August 20: Professional Development Day
  • August 21: Teacher Work Day
  • August 22: First Day of School
  • August 22: Eid Al-Adha
  • August 28: OIS Back-to-School Night
  • August 29: NEW DATE - Sleepy Hollow and Wagner Ranch Back-to-School Nights
  • September 6: Del Rey and Glorietta Back-to-School Nights
  • September 10: Rosh Hashanah
  • September 14: Minimum Day for Professional Development (Elementary dismissal at 12:20 p.m.; OIS dismissal at 1:05 p.m.)
  • September 17: Regular School Board Meeting, 6:00 p.m.
  • September 19: Yom Kippur
  • September 20: Board Coffee at Glorietta, 8:30 a.m. (All are welcome!)
  • October 8: Regular School Board Meeting, 6 p.m.
  • October 8-12: Elementary Parent Conference Week, 12:20 p.m. dismissal
Board Shorts
OUSD Board Member School Assignments for 2018-2019:

OIS: Jason Kaune
Del Rey: Hillary Weiner
Glorietta: Carol Brown
Sleepy Hollow: Cara Hoxie
Wagner Ranch: Julie Rossiter
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The Board of Trustees took the following actions at their August 13, 2018, regularly scheduled monthly meeting:

      
The Board discussed, but took no action on the following items:

The Board will be continuing their monthly coffees the Thursday following each regularly scheduled Board meeting. New for the 2018-2019 school year, the coffees will rotate among the OUSD school sites. The next Board coffee will be held Thursday, September 20, at 8:15 a.m. at Glorietta . All our welcome! The schedule for future Board coffees can be found here .
Curriculum Update
Strengthening Our Culture of Safety and Wellness
In OUSD, we believe strongly that part of our success is how well we can develop ethical, respectful, resilient kids. As a part of our Strategic Plan, we are moving toward a more cohesive, collaborative culture of student safety and wellness. Some of the components of this work include:

  • Re-establishing the Leadership Class at Orinda Intermediate School
  • Developing and using a shared character education framework which focuses on specific character traits
  • Continued training of students, staff, and parents with programs like Kidpower, Thinkfirst, and mindfulness 
  • Campus safety trainings for all Orinda staff members

We are focused on everyone’s role in the critical work of developing healthy, balanced young people. This year Orinda’s guiding character principle is simple: What You Do Matters . We are confident that when we all model this idea, our students will respond accordingly.
Key Initiatives
Facilities Bond Measures E and I on the November Ballot
Over the past year, our District has completed a comprehensive Facilities Master Planning process that identified over $165 million in needed upgrades and repairs in Orinda schools. On July 19th, the OUSD Board of Trustees voted unanimously to place Measures E & I on the November 6, 2018, ballot to address these needs. If passed, these companion bond measures will provide $105 million in locally controlled school funding to complete the most urgent updates in Orinda schools.

Measure E would make improvements to maintain academic excellence and STEAM programs, and Measure I would address student safety and facility repairs. For more information about Measures E & I, Orinda schools' facility needs, or how to participate in this election, please visit the OUSD website at  www.OrindaSchools.org .
Spotlight on Tracey Lewis,
Glorietta's New Principal
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The 2018-2019 school year marks Tracey Lewis' 29th year in education. She originally hails from Wisconsin, and although she has now lived in the Bay Area for 30 years, you may catch her accent from time to time. Ms. Lewis is a proud undergraduate of UW Madison, and she will tell you that she fits the stereotype of a cheese and brat loving Badger/Packer fan. Since graduating with her Master’s Degree and teaching credential from UC Berkeley, she has worked in the Madison Metropolitan School District in Wisconsin as well as the San Leandro and Alameda Unified School Districts. She has served in a variety of educational positions including classroom teacher, reading intervention specialist, district professional development lead, vice principal, and principal. Ms. Lewis enjoys the elementary principalship because it provides her the chance to work collaboratively with teachers on a daily basis, while also remaining connected to young students learning and growing in the classroom.

Glorietta staff and parents are excited to hear that Ms. Lewis is passionate about making Glorietta an incredible place for students to thrive and learn and enrich their lives. Her goal is to strengthen Glorietta’s already positive school learning environment where students love learning. Ms. Lewis' bedrock life skills for students are hard work and kindness which she hopes to develop and nurture in students every day. Her goal for the Glorietta school community is to work together to create opportunities for deep learning where students think, create, communicate, collaborate, and contribute through hands-on experiences, complex problem solving, and connected learning. 

Ms. Lewis recently remarked, “From the district office personnel to the teaching staff, instructional assistants, Glorietta Parents' Club members, and Glorietta families, everyone has gone out of his/her way to say hello, welcome me to the community, and make sure that I have everything I need to be successful. It really has been a such positive experience! The only missing piece is meeting the students, so I can’t wait for the first day of school!” Please join us in giving Tracey Lewis a very warm welcome to Orinda Union School District!
SITE NEWS
DEL REY
Upcoming Events :
  • August 21: Popsicle Social (4 p.m. for returning families; 2 p.m. for new families)
  • August 22: First Day of School, Welcome Coffee in the Plaza (after drop-off)
  • September 4: Newcomers' Dessert Night
  • September 6: Minimum Day (12:20 p.m. dismissal)
  • September 6: Back-to-School Night (Grades 3-5, 6:00-6:45 p.m.; Principal/Parents' Club Presentations, 6:55-7:25 p.m.; TK-2, 7:35- 8:20 p.m.)
  • September 7: TB Assessment
  • September 14: Minimum Day (12:20 p.m. dismissal)
GLORIETTA
Upcoming Events :
  • August 19: Kindergarten/TK Picnic (5:30-7:30 p.m.)
  • August 21: Kick-Off Day (2:30-4:30 p.m. for new families; 4:30-6:30 p.m. for returning families)
  • August 22: First Day of School, Parent Coffee (8:00 a.m.)
  • August 27: Gopher Gourmet begins
  • September 5: Back to School Night for TK/K (6:30-7:30 p.m.)
  • September 6: Minimum Day (12:20 p.m. dismissal)
  • September 6: Back To School Night for Grades 1-5 (Grades 2-3, 6:30-7:15 p.m.; Grades 1, 4, & 5, 7:30-8:15 p.m.)
  • September 13: TB Assessment (7:30-9 a.m.)
  • September 14: Minimum Day (12:20 p.m. dismissal)
SLEEPY HOLLOW

Upcoming Events:
  • August 22: TK/K Parent Coffee (9:30-10 a.m.)
  • August 28: Returning Parent Coffee (8:15 a.m.)
  • August 29: Minimum Day (12:20 p.m. dismissal)
  • August 29: Back to School Night (Grades TK-2, 5:30-6:20 p.m.; Grades 3-5, 6:40-7:40 p.m.)
  • September 14: TB Assessment (7:30-9 a.m.); Minimum Day (12:20 p.m. dismissal)
  • September 18: Early/Late Schedule Begins
WAGNER RANCH
Upcoming Events :
  • August 19: Kindergarten Meet and Greet (2:00-3:30 p.m.)
  • August 21: New Family Orientation (2:00-3:30 p.m.), New Family Registration (4:00-6:00 p.m.), and General Registration (4:00-6:00 p.m.)
  • August 22: First Day of School Parent Club Coffee Connection (8:00-9:30 a.m.)
  • August 29: Minimum Day (12:20 p.m. dismissal)
  • August 29: Back to School Night (Grades 3-5, 5:30-6:20 p.m.; School Presentation in the MPR, 6:25-6:45 p.m.; Grades TK-2, 6:50-7:40 p.m.)
  • September 6: TB Assessment
  • September 14: Minimum Day (12:20 p.m. dismissal)
  • September 17-18: Picture Day
OIS
Upcoming Events :
  • August 22: First Day of School (9:25 a.m.)
  • August 22: 6th Grade Parent Coffee
  • August 24: Picture Day (during P.E. classes)
  • August 28: Minimum Day (1:05 p.m. dismissal)
  • August 28: Back to School Night (6:30 p.m - 8:15 p.m.)
  • September 14: Minimum Day (1:05 p.m. dismissal)
CONNECT WITH US!