Vol. 3, Issue 2
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October
2019
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Message from the Superintendent
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Dear HUSD Community,
October is here and I’m excited for this month’s newsletter to include some initial progress on three of our
strategic plan
focus areas. We have embarked on an ambitious three-year plan and it’s important for us to share some of the specific ways we are working to follow the guidance developed by our community.
One of the core values guiding our strategic plan is equity and our governance team, which includes our trustees, student board members, and myself, felt this topic was so important it merited its own workshop. We held that discussion on September 25 in place of a regular school board meeting. HUSD shared a
detailed summary
of that meeting earlier this week, but I wanted to share my gratitude and admiration for the four student board members representing our four high schools. They were courageous in sharing their personal experiences and provided important insight that will help guide our district's equity work moving forward.
HUSD also began the month by celebrating the official start of the Harder Elementary rebuild project with a groundbreaking ceremony on October 1. Hayward voters passed Measure L in 2014 for the construction, modernization, and upgrades of schools and it was wonderful to see our staff and students put on some construction hats and help us officially break ground on this project.
Finally, I want to share my appreciation to all the dads and father figures that participated in this year’s Million Father March activities. You inspire our students to believe in their individual potential to succeed academically and I could tell that your presence on that day filled our students with confidence and joy.
Sincerely,
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Matt Wayne, Ed.D.
Superintendent
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HUSD Strategic Plan Update
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HUSD wants to increase opportunities for students, particularly underserved students, to think critically and master academic content.
This month, students at Hayward High and Tennyson High took part in one of those deeper learning experiences.
Students learned about a woman who was found dead in her home by walking into their class after it had been turned into a fake crime scene. They investigated the scene, gathered evidence, and moved to the lab to analyze their findings. Through their examination of evidence, students learn observation skills, documentation skills, and the fundamentals of experimental design. They were also introduced to the structure of DNA and investigated how basic molecular biology techniques can be used to connect suspects with a crime scene.
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Our Service Excellence initiative is all about creating a welcoming and supportive environment by focusing on the needs of those that we serve. Service Excellence is meant to drive our district’s plan towards recruiting and retaining highly qualified staff that feel valued and supported.
To date, we have provided approximately ten hours of professional development to three of our service departments: the Maintenance and Operations Division (maintenance technicians/workers and groundskeepers), the entire Educational Information Technology (EIT) Department, and the majority of our site’s day and evening custodial staff. Well over 120 classified employees have participated in service excellence training. and the reception has been overwhelmingly positive.
We are in the process of scheduling our Service Excellence professional development with the other service provider groups in the district; include our school site support staff, the Business Services, Educational Services and Student and Family Services departments and divisions and Human Resources. We are here to serve and believe that all service should be excellent.
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Staff Feedback
“Why didn’t the district do this sooner?”
“I hope everyone else gets this training, too.”
“This is the first time since I’ve been in the district that we have all been in the same room receiving the same training.”
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Relationship-Centered Schools
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HUSD is focused on fostering relationship-centered schools. In an effort to expand parent engagement, HUSD is supporting a fatherhood initiative that engages positive male role models for our students. You can learn more about the initiative by visiting:
www.husd.us/fathers
The Million Fathers March, a day for
fathers and male role models to provide an escort of safety and encouragement to their children, is one of the many parent engagement events supported by HUSD. Research shows that children whose fathers take an active role in their educational lives earn better grades, score higher on tests, enjoy school more, and are more likely to graduate from high school and attend college.
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Watch news coverage of the Million Fathers March
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Proud to be
Made in Hayward
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Young architects in training
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A group of students from Schafer Park Elementary School were the only elementary school students invited to participate and exhibit their unique designs alongside architects at San Francisco's "Architecture and the City Festival." Teacher John Martoni has an urban planning background and has brought urban design/architecture into his classroom by integrating it with reading, writing, math, science and social studies.
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Palma Ceia Elementary recognition
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Eden Gardens Elementary received state recognition from the California PBIS Coalition for successful PBIS implementation at the GOLD level. This reflects the school's efforts in implementing the core features of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports. Congratulations!
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College and career readiness
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Tennyson students in the Biomedical Pathway Program had the exclusive opportunity to participate in a youth career day with Kaiser Permanente. The event provided students with the opportunity to explore diverse careers in the industry through realistic, interactive scenarios and simulations. Here, our students are playing the role of physician, nurse, technician, phlebotomist, and more.
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HUSD violinist to perform with Moscow Ballet
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Student violinist Matthew Nguyen of Mt. Eden High School has earned the opportunity to perform with the Moscow Ballet when they perform the Great Russian Nutcracker show on November 1.
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October 3, 2019
Teacher of the Year Ceremony
October 5, 2019
Hayward Foundation for the Arts Gala
October 9, 2019
HUSD Board of Education Meeting
October 10, 2019
Cafe Dad Meeting
October 16, 2019
Special Education Parent Engagement Meeting
October 19, 2019
AOETE/HUSD 5K Walk
October 19, 2019
Trunk or Treat Halloween Event
October 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 2019
Hayward High's Improve This!
October 24, 2019
Winton Middle School Fall Concert
*visit HUSD website for calendar event details
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Visual and Performing Arts
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Saturday, October 5, 2019
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Please join the Hayward Foundation for the Arts for the first annual benefit gala. Your attendance will help them reach a fundraising goal of $500,000 to support high quality arts education opportunities for Hayward Unified School District students.
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Teacher of the Year Awards
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The Alameda County education community is coming together on October 3 at the 2019 Teacher of the Year Awards in Castro Valley. It will be a celebration of the 18 amazing teachers chosen to represent Alameda County districts and ROPs, including HUSD's Mia Buljan of Fairview Elementary, and find out who will represent our county in consideration for statewide honors.
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Summary of school board workshop on Measure H
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At the September 11th, 2019 HUSD Board of Trustees workshop, several items related to the bond program were presented for board review and approval. Key decisions were made regarding modernization projects at Lorin Eden and Winton Middle School. The school board also provided direction on how to proceed with the next phase of the district's performing arts center and heard information on how the district will form a committee to inform the classroom modernization efforts.
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Questions regarding Measure H?
Email: measureh@husd.us
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Hayward Unified School District
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Website
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