TUSD Weekly Update
Count Us In!
Our September Attendance Awareness campaign is still going strong. Yard and window signs are now available in Student Services. Just reach out for more information.
Talking to Children About Violence
Suicide Prevention Month
Jennifer Carlsen, Student Support Clinician
One contributor to depression and suicidal thinking is loneliness. To combat loneliness we have to promote CONNECTEDNESS.

Social media is only fun if it helps us connect with others IRL (as the kids say!) For more information on how to increase connectedness for yourself and your students visit "Promote Social Connectedness and Support."

Did you know that research has found that our mood improves even when we strike up a conversation with a stranger? Read "Want to Feel Happier Today? Try Talking to a Stranger."
Counseling Corner
TUSD College Night, Sept. 23, 6:00 PM, Turlock High School
Athletic Director Sports Update
Mike Brown, Turlock High School AD
Football: Varsity had a huge Friday the 13th football game with Sheldon and got a big win, 14–6. JV football also got a big win 42–9.  Freshmen played East Union because Sheldon doesn’t have a freshman team and won 29–8. Varsity and JV played Sheldon of Elk Grove.   
Girls Golf:  We lost to Enochs 213 to Turlock’s 253. We beat Modesto high. Turlock 262 and Modesto High 293. 
Volleyball:  Volleyball played El Capitan and lost a close one 3-2.                                                                                                          
Coming Up Next Week for the Bulldogs:     
Tues: Tennis @ Gregori @ 3:00, Golf is @ Downey
Wed: Volleyball is home against Gregori @ 4:00, Cross Country is @ Legion park in Modesto for their 1st Center meet of the year. Tennis is @ Enochs for JV.
Thurs: Freshman football are home against Central of Fresno @ 4:30, Water polo is home against Atwater @ 3:00, Varsity Tennis is @ Enochs, Golf is against Pitman out at the country club.
Fri: JV/Varsity football is home against Central of Fresno @ 5/7, Water polo is @ Watsonville 
Dave Walls, Pitman High School AD
Cross Country: Cross Country traveled to Folsom for the Josh Ruff Invitational. Varsity Boys ended the day in 11th place and the Varsity Girls finished 9th on a very hot Saturday afternoon. The Frosh-Soph Boys brought home the flag and finished 1st in their division while the Frosh-Soph Girls finished 2nd as the lower levels continue to lay the foundation for great running over the next couple of years. Great job Coaches Fisher and McCabe.
Football: Varsity Football traveled to Bullard of Fresno on Friday night falling to the Fighten Knights 63-10. The Pride got a field goal from Evan Kiely and a Kendal LaRosa to Jesse Luna TD pass in the 4th Qt to round out the scoring. The Junior Varsity defeated a tough Bullard JV 15-6 aided by a Kenny Jackson 83 yard sprint for a TD to seal the game in the 4th Quarter. The Freshmen defeated El Capitan of Merced on Thursday night 32-0 to move to 2-1 on the season.
Girls Golf: Girls Golf hosted the Gregori HS on Tuesday at Turlock Country Club and fell in a tough match. On Thursday the Lady Pride traveled to Modesto to face Downey HS at Creekside CC and captured their first CCAL victory over the Knights. Monet Sayadian had high score on the day. The Pride move to 1-2 in CCAL play and continue their upward trend under the leadership of head coach George Santos. The Ladies continue received strong play from Sayadian and fellow junior Isabella Rodriguez. 
Girls Tennis: Pride Tennis had a bye week as they prepare to open league play this week.
Volleyball: The Lady Pride went 2-2 on the week. On Tuesday, the Pride hosted defending Central Section D-I Champion Central of Fresno and defeated the Grizzlies 3-0. The Pride received outstanding play from Aleyah Higa on the night. On Thursday night the Pride hosted defending SJS D-3 champion Central Catholic - as the Raiders held court and defeated the Pride 3-0. Maddie Hall of the Pride gave an outstanding all around effort on the night. The Pride are 7-6 on the year and look to continue their improvement.
Water Polo: Boys Water Polo went 2-2 on the week. The Pride participated in the Roddy Svendsen Shootout in Atwater where they pulled out tough victories over Lincoln-Stockton (6-5) and Merced (6-5 OT) to end Friday 2-0 and first in their pool. On Saturday the Pride took on perennial power Rocklin in a hard fought match before falling 15-6. The Pride ended up 3th in the tournament and are 6-3 on the young year. Girls Water Polo did not play this week. 
Coming Up Next Week for the Pride:
Mon: Volleyball @ West of Tracy (3:30, 4:30, 5:30)
Tues: Girl Golf @ Enochs (Creekside CC 0 3:00PM), Girls Tennis @ Modesto HS (2:30)
Wed: Cross Country @ #1 CCAL (Modesto / Legion Park - 1:30PM), Volleyball @ Modesto HS (4:00, 5:00, 6:00), B-G Water Polo @ Lincoln-Stockton Pool (4:00, 5:00, 6:00, 7:00)
Thurs: Girls Golf vs Turlock (Turlock CC 0 3:00PM), Girls Tennis vs. Gregori HS (Pitman - 3:15PM), Frosh Football @ Monterey HS (Monterey HS - 3:30PM), B-G Water Polo @ Oakdale Pool (3:00, 4:00, 5:00, 6:00)
Fri: JV Football @ Monterey HS (Pacific Grove HS - 5:00 PM), Varsity Football @ Monterey HS (Pacific Grove - 7:00 PM)
Sat: Cross Country @ Pacific Invitation (Elk Horn CC - 9:00 AM), Frosh Volleyball @ Stockton Invitational (Edison HS - TBD) 
The "US" in TUSD
Manual Costa, eCademy Charter at Crane School
How long have you worked in TUSD? I have worked 35 years for TUSD, and I am retiring this school year in December (Reduced Workload). 
 What is your job title? I am an elementary school teacher currently at eCademy Charter housed at Brown School for the Homeschool Program.

Where did you work prior to TUSD?  I have always taught at TUSD. I have taught at Cunningham, Crowell, Dutcher (when it was K-6), Earl, and eCademy. Prior to teaching, I worked at Sanders Meat and Tri-Valley to pay for college.

Any info you would like to share about your job? Average day? My average day starts with a positive attitude and smile. Then I get to work and try to maintain my smile and positive attitude.

Things you are most proud of? My students! I am able to relate to my students and give them each some type of one to one interaction. I am proud of the effort they put into their learning and the growth they show.

Challenges? Understanding a student and learning how to motivate a student to achieve without causing stress while building self-confidence can be quite a challenge. 

Favorite memory/story? My first year teaching, an impoverished and huge behavioral problem student, gave me a Christmas gift that he had wrapped himself without his parents knowing. It was his favorite Hot Wheels car. I cried. 

What are you reading? I completed The Tenth Island by Diana Marcum.  I met the author a few summers ago in the Azores where she rented a house to write this book. Several stories deal with the time she spent in my village. Some names were changed, but I could figure out who the villagers were.

Any favorite shows you’re watching on TV? I seem to watch a lot of Netflix and Amazon Prime. I discovered Schitt’s Creek this summer and binge watched all 5 seasons. Grace and Frankie is also a favorite of mine.

Fave movies?  I don’t watch many movies, but I just watched Rocketman , the story of Elton John. I thoroughly loved it. It was like watching a Broadway show. And speaking of Broadway… Les Miserables is still my favorite.

Anything surprising we may not know about you? I travel a lot and have been to all the continents except for Antarctica (but it’s on my bucket list.) Doug and I have been to over 45 different countries. But we do repeat visits to the Azores where I was born and the family house awaits our yearly return. 

Anything about your personal life you’d like to share? I am married to Doug Hilson, who is a retired second grade teacher from Crowell. We have been together for over 30 years. We have a miniature schnauzer named Liberty (born on July 4th). She is adopted as were our previous two schnauzers. Doug and I love to travel and learn about different cultures and try new foods. Doug and I volunteer at The Gallo Center for the Arts in concessions. Next time you are at Gallo, stop by concessions on the main floor to chat with us.
TUSD Schools Rock
Walnut Elementary Education Center
We’re visiting Walnut Elementary Education Center today! Here are some facts about their school:

Est. 2007
Principal: Sumeet Singh
Assistant Principal: Angela DeTomasi
# Classified Staff: 26
# Certificated Staff: 44
# Students: 912
School Mascot: Discovery Dynamos & Renaissance Rays
Have a great year, Magneteers! 
September Character Trait
Seen on Social Media
Principal Summits
TUSD Principal Summits are now underway! Principals have the opportunity to share their site leadership team’s plans for the 2019-2020 school year with Superintendent Dana Salles Trevethan and her team as they relate to important TUSD initiatives: Student Achievement, Best Practices, College and Career Readiness, Technology, Safety and Security, and Leadership. We love hearing about the unique and innovative ways Principals and schools are “opening doors for more” and ensuring that “All means ALL” in TUSD!
Turlock High School
Today at lunch the School did a balloon release in honor of Kaden Farro. Students that were close to him also spoke about him. May we always remember him.
Equity Task Force
TUSD’s Equity Task Force took a deep dive into English Learner data at their first meeting of the 2019-20 school year with a focus on reclassification trends and long term English Learners. Equity Task Force members also finalized plans for this year’s elementary book project which will provide common literature and learning around equity for all TUSD K-6 classrooms.
TUSD Farm
The bees love dahlias as much as I love weekends!
Julien School Garden Project
Mrs. Danbom’s class was spotted investigating all that is corn. Besides some serious cooking and eating, they spent several days converting metric units; practicing geometry and averages; explaining pollination; reviewing products; genetic engineering; corn relays; relationships of Native Americans; and the Pueblo history, stories, and their amazing engineering practices. Now, that’s not corny!
The 411
Pitman Preview of Champions, Saturday, September 28, 2019
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
Share Your Awesome!

Marie Russell
Chief Communication Coordinator
mrussell@turlock.k12.ca.us
209.648.0968
@tusd_mrussell

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.