INSIDE EDUCATION TOURS

MCOE relaunched its Inside Education Monterey County program, which offers community members an up-close and personal look into the intricacies of public education, and the remarkable work educators and school administrators are doing in today's classrooms.

Inside Education provides participants with a first-hand, interactive look at local educational programs, services, and partnerships. The program consists of six half-day, morning sessions once a month from September through March. Each half-day session focuses on a specific theme/curricular area and includes site visits. The program agenda begins at 7:45 a.m. and concludes between noon and 1 p.m.

The first tour was held on Friday, September 16, and focused on MCOE Special Education programs, with site visits to Arthur B. Ingham School, Toro Elementary School, and Bard Blades Early Childhood Education Center.

The program is free to participants, with five workshops remaining. For additional information or to register to join the 2022-2023 Inside Education cohort, click the link below.

Inside Education Monterey County Webpage 

RECOGNIZING CALIFORNIA SCHOOL BUS

SAFETY AWARENESS MONTH

During the Monterey County Board of Education meeting held on Wednesday, October 12, a resolution was adopted to recognize October as California School Bus Safety Awareness Month. This month honors school bus drivers and acknowledges the important role they play in a student's day. 

The County Board was especially pleased to recognize the MCOE Transportation Department, which plays an important role in promoting and offering driver training programs to school districts and drivers. In addition, they safeguard the transportation of our county’s most fragile students who need highly specialized intensive services. Accepting this resolution on behalf of the entire MCOE Transportation department was MCOE Assistant Manager of Transportation Jarrett Garife. 

Thank you to the MCOE Transportation Department, and to all school bus drivers for the important role they play in our student’s education. 

FILIPINO AMERICAN HISTORY MONTH

Happy Filipino American History Month (FAHM)! FAHM is celebrated every October to commemorate the first Filipinos to arrive in the continental United States at what is now Morro Bay, California on October 18, 1587. MCOE is proud to recognize the significant role that the Filipino community has played in American history, and the exceptional contributions they continue to make today! 

Monterey County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Deneen Guss had the unique opportunity to present the Monterey County Board of Education’s resolution honoring Filipino American History Month at an educator meet and greet event hosted by the Filipino Community of Salinas. The meet and greet, which took place on Sunday, October 16, invited Filipino teachers hired at school districts across the county this school year to meet one another.

"It was an honor to be included in this special event and be able to recognize the Filipino community," said Dr. Guss. "The important role each of these educators play in motivating and inspiring students to achieve their dreams is truly appreciated." 

CYBER SECURITY AWARENESS MONTH

October is Cyber Security Awareness Month. Recent cyber attacks at educational institutions are a reminder to be vigilant when using technology. Cyber attackers use many tools to do damage and often start with a simple email to an unsuspecting reader. These emails, called ‘phishing emails’, take advantage of most people’s desire to be helpful. Think before you click - if an email seems unusual, it may be an attempt to acquire sensitive information or install malware. Report and delete suspicious emails to prevent this from happening.

Additional tips to keep in mind this month: 

• Don’t delay software updates. Updates can prevent security issues and keep your devices running smoothly. 
• Use strong passwords. Passwords that are long, unique, and randomly generated can be difficult to keep up with, but keep your accounts from being hacked. 
• Enable multi-factor authentication. Strong passwords are helpful, but enabling multi-factor authentication makes you significantly less likely to be hacked. 

COMMUNITY VACCINATIONS

Free COVID-19 immunizations are available to all community members every month! Stop by the Monterey County Office of Education on the 3rd Tuesday of every month through December to vaccinate you or your child. No appointment is necessary!

For more information, click the flyers below. 

English Flyer Link

Spanish Flyer Link

Monterey County Vaccines Webpage

FENTANYL RESOURCES

As you may have seen in recent media coverage, multiple public agencies and health organizations are working to heighten awareness of the opioid epidemic, specifically around the recent surge of recreational drugs contaminated with fentanyl. 

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. Even the smallest amount of fentanyl, the size of a few grains of sand, can be deadly.

The Monterey County Office of Education (MCOE) would like to inform parents, families, and staff members of information and resources that can be used to help protect our students. The information found in the links below can be helpful in understanding the issue of drug abuse and why fentanyl is so dangerous: 

• Fentanyl Town Hall, English
• Fentanyl Town Hall, Spanish
• Strategies to discuss drug use and abuse with adolescents