Jennifer Carlsen, Student Support Clinician
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September is Suicide Prevention Month. How do you respond when someone is in distress? Did you know that you can follow 4 specific steps to help support someone who is struggling?
ASK
if the person is thinking about suicide. Be Direct. Use specific words like “suicide,” “kill yourself,” “take your life”
- “Have you had thoughts of suicide?”
- “Do you ever feel so bad that you think about suicide?”
- “Do you have a plan to kill yourself or take your life?”
- “Have you thought about when you would do it (today, tomorrow, next week)?”
- “Have you thought about what method you would use?”
LISTEN
without judgement. Let the person talk without interruption and make them feel heard. What to Listen For:
- Specific reasons to live
- Hope for the future/treatment
- Support systems
- Future orientation (school, jobs, children)
If they say they are NOT suicidal: Reassure the person that you are not there to judge them or do anything that makes them uncomfortable. You only want to understand their thoughts and feelings so together you can make the best choice for their health. Remind them that if they ever have suicidal thoughts that you are there to listen and ready and prepared to help. What to do:
- Stay Calm
- Acknowledge that they are in pain and that their pain in REAL.
- Convey care
- Stay with the person
- Remove sharp objects or lethal mean
- Go with the person to the ER or mental health clinic
- Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255
CALL 911 in the event of a medical emergency (someone has caused bodily harm to themselves or is threatening to hurt themselves or others.)
RESPOND
with kindness and care. Always take the person seriously. Phrases that are helpful:
- "You are not alone. I’m here for you. "
- "I may not understand exactly how you feel, but I care about you and want to help.”
- “We will get through this together.”4
FOLLOW-UP
with the person and support their transition from crisis to recovery.
You can help them overcome challenges after a suicidal crisis:
- People often experience increased loneliness or despair.
- They may not have been given appropriate referrals for continuation of care or have access to professional care.
- They may not want to continue care (you can help encourage them to make their follow-up appointments)
- If you can, go to them. Meet at their home or where it’s comfortable to them.
- Call them on the phone. A phone call is more personal than a text.
- Send a short text or email to check-in.
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2019 Attendance Awareness Campaign
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Gil Ogden, Director of Student Services
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September is Attendance Awareness Month in TUSD. We know that attending school has a huge impact on student success. Our outreach campaign this year is called “Count US In! Be Here. All Day. Every Day. We are asking all staff to support daily attendance by spreading the message and putting up a poster in their classroom.
Parents want their children to do well in school. However, most don’t know how many days their student is absent each year, and few understand the connection between strong attendance and achievement. One strategy for improving attendance is talking with families, guardians and other adults about absences.
What Can You Do?
- Help families understand that lessons build on one another—an absent student misses the chance to learn something that he will need in order to understand more difficult material later in the school year.
- Families want the best for their children, including success in school and, for many, a college education. Let them know that strong attendance will enable their child to do well in school, graduate ready for the work force or college.
- Help them to identify the barriers that might keep their child from getting to school. What approaches can help them address these challenges? Consider how you can provide families access to or information about resources that address challenges such as recurring illness, mental health and transportation challenges.
What Not to Do
- Don’t rely on robocalls to let families know that their children have missed school. Studies show that parents often don’t listen to recorded phone calls from school.
- Don’t rely on sending impersonal letters home which could add to the impression that no one at school cares about their children. Parents can be turned off by notices that use jargon or cite legal codes.
- Don’t jump to the conclusion that students miss school because their families don’t care. Most families believe their student is on track for graduation, even for students who are chronically absent.
Research suggests that building positive relationships with students if by far the most effective way to increase their engagement and attendance so they are in class
ALL DAY, EVERY DAY
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LCAP Executive Summary Now Available
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Marjorie Bettencourt, Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Accountability
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Athletic Director Sports Update
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Mike Brown, Turlock High School AD
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Football
Freshmen football defeated Clayton Valley Charter 28-15. JV football lost to Clayton Valley 27-7. Varsity also lost to Clayton Valley 21-7.
Volleyball
Volleyball defeated Oakdale last Monday for our Foundation game 3-0.
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Dave Walls, Pitman High School AD
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Football
Pitman Football hosted the Lincoln Trojans of Stockton in the first home game of the year and the growing pains continue for the young Pride. The Trojans came away with a 48-0 victory on the night. The Pride go into the bye week with some time to heal up and the opportunity to continue improving.
Volleyball
The Lady Pride went 1-1 on the week. On Tuesday the Pride traveled to Atwater to take on Buhach Colony and fell to the Thunder 3-1. On Thursday the Pride hosted the Hughson Huskies and came away with a straight set victory 3-0. The Pride are 2-1 on the year and look to continue their improvement and growth.
Pitman Athletics Upcoming Events 9/2-9/6
Mon. – VG Water Polo @ Johansen Scrimmage 8:00AM / Johansen HS
Tues. – B/G Water Polo vs Golden Valley HS 3:00, 4:00, 5:00, 6:00 PM Pitman Pool
Wed. – Volleyball @ Tracy - 4:00, 5:00, 6:00PM Tracy HS
Thurs. – Girls Golf vs. Modesto - 3:00 Turlock Country Club, BWP vs. Beyer 4:00 & 5:00 / Pitman Pool, FFB @ Denair - 5:00
Fri. – VBWP @ Sierra Shoot-Out / Rocklin TBA, JVGWP @ Frosh-Soph Tournament / Johansen HS TBA, TEN @ California Tennis Classic / Clovis TBA, VVB @ Golden Valley Tournament - Golden Valley HS TBA
Sat. – VBWP @ Sierra Shoot-Out / Rocklin TBA, JVGWP @ Frosh-Soph Tournament / Johansen HS TBA, TEN @ California Tennis Classic / Clovis TBA, VVB @ Golden Valley Tournament - Golden Valley HS TBA
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Sitara Ali, Ed Tech Coach
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What is it?
Google Draw is another tool from Google that allows teachers to give students a space where they can create and collaborate with each other to create flowcharts, organizational charts, website wireframes, mind maps, concept maps, and other types of diagrams. Google Draw allows the teacher to create a drag and drop assignment or quiz, where students drag pieces into place. This can be used for timelines, water cycles, photosynthesis, character chart, plot chart, sentence structure, etc.!
How do I find it?
This tool is already accessible for both students and teachers in our drive! Click ‘new’ and then ‘more’ until you see Google Draw! Teachers can create a template and through Google Classroom, they can create a copy of this template for all students to complete. Students can create mind maps on their own as well, or with a group.
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Pitman Cross Country Gives Back
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Tim McCabe, Pitman High School
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During the summer, most students are enjoying the time off; sunshine, BBQs, family trips, and lots of naps tend to hit a much needed reset button before starting a new school year. For some, however, it’s time to train. In June, 30 cross country athletes took to the mountains of Twain Harte to take advantage higher altitude training and bond with the teammates for the upcoming season. In between morning runs, hill runs, evening runs and canyon runs, they all cooled off at Twain Harte Lake, played some mini-golf and even went on the historical “Twain Harte Ghost Walk.” The most exciting and fulfilling part of the trip, however, came in the form of buckets, shovels, and wheel barrows.
Big Dreams Park, located in Tuolumne, California, has been the success story of Sarah Garcia who has envisioned a universal playground in the community for the last 15 years. Pitman Cross Country had the privilege and honor to get involved with that story. After a difficult morning run, the athletes worked to move more than 80 yards of gravel and over 70 work hours collectively to help prepare for the new surface to be poured. Sarah said, “I was shocked to see how much work was accomplished by the team…they saved our crews so much time. We will be celebrating our grand opening of our park Sunday, September 29th and we are hoping they and their families could join us to really see the impact they have had.” Coach Tim McCabe shared, “For the rest of their lives, they will be able to go to that small town with their own children and enjoy that park knowing that they helped build it. That is pretty special.” Coach Gabby Aguilar added, “not only that but to the parents that have children with physical needs, now they will get to experience some things other kids take for granted, like just going on a Merry-Go-Round, or a swing.” Much to everyone’s surprise Coach Eren Fisher said he was “speechless, and that’s a big deal to those who know me.”
We are incredibly proud that our athletes are hard workers when training for another historic season, but they also have a bigger view of their accomplishments and know that it is good and fulfilling to sacrifice for others even when there is no medal at the end of the race.
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Kris Leung, Administrative Secretary, Julien Elementary School
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How long have you worked in TUSD?
I just started my 26th year.
What is your job title?
Administrative Secretary 1
Where did you work prior to TUSD?
Tom Michael Insurance
Any info you would like to share about your job? Average day?
There is no such thing as an average, typical day. The only task I perform every day as part of my job is securing subs. My days are very busy and sometimes quite chaotic, but I wouldn't want it any other way!
Things you are most proud of?
My family and the fact that I have walked 3 half marathons, and I plan to walk my 4th half marathon in March.
Challenges?
Finding the time to do everything I want to do while still doing what I have to do.
Favorite memory/story?
Being in the delivery room when my grandson was born.
What are you reading?
High Voltage
;
The Autoimmune Fix
;
The Third Chapter: Passion, Risk, and Adventure in the 25 years after 50
. (Yes, I am reading 3 books at the same time!)
Any favorite shows you’re watching on TV?
Madam Secretary
;
This Is Us
Fave movies?
Father of the Bride
. I love both versions - 1950 with Spencer Tracy and 1991 with Steve Martin.
Anything surprising we may not know about you?
I am a Marvin the Martian fanatic. I have a very large collection of Marvin the Martian items, some of which are on display in my office at Julien.
Anything about your personal life you’d like to share?
Reading is my favorite activity, next to visiting the ocean. My family takes many trips to Monterey and Oregon where I can enjoy my two favorite activities of reading a good book on the beach, and enjoying the ocean air.
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Trevor Purdy, Turlock High School
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What schools did you attend in TUSD?
I attended Crane for kindergarten, Dutcher Elementary and Middle School, and then Turlock High School. Go Bulldogs!
What year did you graduate?
2010
What schools did you attend after high school? Major?
I received a B.S. degree in Molecular Synthesis (e.g. Chemistry) and a minor in Music from UC San Diego in 2014. I received my Master’s degree from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in Marine Chemical Biology two years ago. I am now beginning to wrap up my PhD at Scripps.
What are your career goals?
I plan to work in the biotech industry upon graduation. My primary focus is in pharmaceutical drug discovery. I hope I can continue to search for new pharmaceutical drug leads in the ocean.
What teachers/classes made an impact on you?
There are so many people that had an impact on my education! Not just my classroom teachers, but also the many extra-curricular activity instructors, counselors, and administrators that helped me achieve my goals. Thank you! I can't thank every single person here, so I’ll choose one in particular - Mrs. Harrison, my orchestra director from 5th grade through high school. She helped me excel in music and reach heights I didn’t think were possible. She was patient when I goofed off in the back with the bass section. She challenged me to become a better musician and leader in honor recitals. Music has been very important in my life, and Mrs. Harrison played a large role in my development.
Any advice for students?
Get involved in as many extra-curricular opportunities as you can manage. Learn new skills and find activities that you are passionate about.
Hobbies? Things your enjoy in your spare time?
I enjoy many outdoor activities, including skiing, surfing, rock climbing, and camping. The hobby that I enjoy most is ultimate frisbee. I play for the San Diego Growlers - San Diego’s professional ultimate frisbee team in the American Ultimate Disc League (AUDL). Check us out online!
Anything else you’d like to share?
Last thing I’d like to share is my favorite quote: "In a world where you can be anything, be kind." — Jennifer Dukes Lee
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eCademy Charter at Crane School
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We’re visiting eCademy Charter at Crane School today! Here are some facts about their school:
Est. 2010
Principal: Tim Norton
# Certificated Staff: 8
# Classified Staff: 6
# Students: 119
School Mascot: Crane
School Motto: Opening Doors for All
Fun Fact: Some senior students didn’t realize they attended Kindergarten here when it was Crane School!
Have a great year, Cranes!
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September Character Trait
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Rockin' our positive shirts today!
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Thank you Chief Amirfar and Turlock Police Department for the generous loaded backpacks donation to Crowell Kids.
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Saturday the TUSD Farm headed to the Turlock Certified Farmers Market on Main Street!
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Health Benefits Fair September 4, 2019
12:00-5:00 PM in District Office 102
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Pitman Preview of Champions, Saturday, September 28, 2019
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Pitman Marching Pride Boosters: Come line the streets and enjoy an exciting FREE parade as over 20 Northern and Central California high school and junior high school marching bands compete for top prizes in categories such as music, showmanship, and marching!
Parade starts at 9:00am on N. Tegner Rd down the street from the high school. Drumline competition runs simultaneously near the intersection of Sandstone Ave and Persimmon Rd.
And after the parade join us in the Pitman Quad for our campus party! The BBQ will be fired up serving hamburgers and hot dogs, and other snacks will be available... ice cream from
Oak Barrel Creamery
, Shaved Ice from
Kona Ice
! We'll have face painting, photo taking, tee shirt buying...and lots more...and stay for the Awards Ceremony which starts at approximately 1:00pm. Don't miss it!
- Schedule · Saturday, September 28, 2019
- 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM - Drum Line / Percussion Competition
- 9:00 AM - 11:20 AM - Marching Band Competition
- 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM - Campus Party with food and fun
- 1:00 PM - Award Ceremony
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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 email Marie Russell for an opt-out form.
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