February is Black History Month and to honor this important time we have put together a Google Site where you can learn about the impact of Black and African American heroes, pioneers, and leaders in the US. You will find videos, documentaries poetry, resources, and scholarships to celebrate and support black excellence year-round.

What is happening?! That is the question on everyone’s lips. We were supposed to return from winter break rejuvenated and raring to go, but we returned to the chaos of Omicron. We are adjusting, but it has not been the sunshine and roses we may have envisioned.

 

This month, after meeting with all candidates and their mentors, I realized that I am constantly amazed by the strength and perseverance of our teachers. Some of our new teachers will spend the remainder of the year working on their Teaching Performance Assessments (TPA), and others will choose a problem of practice in their classroom and solve it, all while managing the ongoing student absences that are at an all-time high, meeting the demands of synchronous education for those who participate, differentiating for each student, and providing the social-emotional support for all students. This is in addition to facing the struggles in their own families, some hit hard by COVID.

I just wanted to let you know that I am grateful for my mentor and her kindhearted ways. I appreciate that my mentor is always open to meeting with me about any topic I need clarification on or even if I just need someone to decompress to. My weekly meetings and conversations with my mentor always help put a pep in my step and keep me moving through the day and through the week. She is also super helpful in keeping me on track when important dates are coming up. - Alexis Ruiz

I am so grateful for Patti because she keeps me sane, makes me laugh, and makes me feel right at home here at THS! - Halie Sisco

I am grateful for my mentor, Whitney Arriola, for always being available to ask questions, bounce ideas off of, and cry to when needed.  I am also grateful for my stand-in mentor, Nikole Tovar, for the above reasons, as well as being willing to take on a second mentee during all of the craziness this school year has to offer. I am grateful to my mentor for being a great listener when I am struggling and always having amazing teaching suggestions! - Sarah Alexander

Spring is coming soon! The Farm is finishing with winter harvests and planning for spring crops. Row crops of broccoli are in the ground for student meals this spring as well. Seeds have been planted for elementary gardens and also for junior high and high school programs.

The end of these winter months is when much farm maintenance takes place. The fruit and almond trees are undergoing their annual pruning, and the roses are being pruned as well by high school agriculture students! Pruning encourages new growth for the upcoming year and keeps our trees and plants healthy.

The January 2022 struggle has been REAL. If you are finding yourself overwhelmed and in need of support, consider Telehealth as an option to access mental health care.

What is it? Telehealth is a mode of delivering health care services, including psychotherapy, via communication technologies (e.g. Internet or phone) to facilitate diagnosis, consultation, treatment, education, care management, and self-management of a patient’s health care. This can be provided through platforms like Zoom, Doxy, and Thera-link, and is typically covered by insurance the same way in-person therapy is.

Pros- Convenience is probably the top benefit of accessing therapy through telehealth. You can do sessions from your home, your car on a lunch break… wherever and whenever. It has greatly improved the options in terms of providers, also. While there are a small number of therapy providers in Turlock, online you can select based on gender, age, experience, and specialty. You can also typically get an appointment much sooner.

Cons- Telehealth is not for everyone. Especially for younger children, it can be difficult to translate the interventions a therapist would do in the room to an online screen, and keep them engaged. As anyone who did distance learning can attest, there may be difficulties with connection quality and technical problems. Though all the same HIPAA laws apply to Telehealth, privacy issues may also arise with a web-based platform. Lastly, the environment matters... One of the main reasons therapy offices are designed to be calm, relaxing spaces is because just being there signals your brain to shift gears. It may be helpful to select your location for telehealth carefully, considering privacy and stressor reminders that would be present.

Resources – In finding a therapist, Psychology Today is a great place to start. You can see a picture and read a little about each therapist, as well as check which insurances are accepted and whether they provide Telehealth services. You can also access through apps like LiveHealth (for Anthem), Teladoc (Blue Shield) and many agencies like Kaiser, Aspiranet, and others have offered telehealth sessions as well. California’s Mental Health Parity Act, as amended in 2020, requires all state-regulated commercial health plans and insurers to provide full coverage for the treatment of all mental health conditions and substance use disorders, and Senate Bill 221 requires health insurers across the state to reduce wait times for mental health care to no more than 10 business days. (https://www.dmhc.ca.gov/HealthCareinCalifornia/GettheBestCare/BehavioralHealthCare.aspx)

For CSU Stanislaus students, call (209) 667-3381 to schedule a confidential (Zoom or telephone) appointment with our counseling staff. After-hours support and resources are also available. When prompted, dial 2 to be connected to a crisis counselor. One-on-one sessions and group sessions are available remotely, as well as Wellness Workshops available and a program called TAO Connect: Therapy Assistance Online, which includes assessment tools and a Mindfulness library.

If you would rather cash pay or are uninsured, check out Betterhelp and Talkspace. Remember that if you find that these services aren’t helpful, it may take time to find the right therapist. Just like any healthcare provider, you should feel comfortable and trust your therapist’s competence, and you can change at any time. Therapy can be daunting at first, but many people have found the support and outlet they have been needing through services like these. As always, if you would like more information about resources or would like to consult about the mental health needs of a student, please reach out to the CARE team.

How long have you worked in TUSD? This is my 16th year in TUSD. I spent 14 years as a Biology Teacher before getting my CTE credential. I’ve spent the past (2) years as a CTE teacher.

What is your job title? I am a CTE (Career & Technical Education) teacher that teaches the pathway for Arts, Media & Entertainment, as well as a 21st Century College & Career teacher and Head Golf Coach for Pitman.

Where did you work prior to TUSD? My first two years in education were in Hilmar at a continuation high school, then I taught science in Tracy before working for Pitman High School.

Any info you would like to share about your job? Average day? Teaching a CTE course is very interesting and rewarding at the same time because the classroom is really run like a business. The goal is to not only teach specific topics or skills like we would in a general education classroom, but to ensure that the skill that is being mastered can be applied to the industry. We want students to be able to leave the classroom and go right into the industry.

Things you are most proud of? I’m very proud that TUSD sees the true value and potential in CTE programs. With so much emphasis on students attending college, we know that college is not the only avenue to success. With our ever-changing economy, it is extremely important for students to leave high school with not only the skills such as: reading, writing, mathematics, etc., but also skills that can be applied to the work-force right after high school. When “No Child Left Behind” was implemented years ago, I thought that it was really “Child Left Behind” because at the time 70% of high school seniors enrolled in educational institutions after high school. That meant that schools weren’t doing anything for the other 30% of the seniors that were going into the workforce. And when society looks at schools and wants to know why students are unprepared for the workforce, the funding really wasn’t focused on this 30% of the student population, until now. And for that, I’m very proud of TUSD for leading the way in CTE programs.

Challenges? Pitman is still in the beginning stages of creating the Video Arts program. We are in need of the video industry standard, Mac computers, but TUSD is trying their best to expand technology to meet the needs of our ever-growing programs within the district. The other challenge that CTE programs face is the lack of information that students receive. CTE programs are not only a great way to earn credits for their A-G requirements, but learn an industry skill at the same time. CTE programs consist of hands-on, project based learning that make them very attractive to students of all learning abilities.

Favorite memory/story? I actually have an ongoing memory/story. Both Turlock High (Head Coach Jason Boswell) and Pitman High’s golf teams have been very fortunate to be invited to the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am for the past 6 years. Not only do our student-athletes get to walk the most prestigious golf courses in the world, but they have the opportunity to develop athletic relationships with professional PGA golfers in their sport, CEO’s and owners of major companies such as: Charles Schawb, Workday, Golden State Warriors, and many more. Not to mention the celebrities and athletes that play such as: Steve Young, Justin Timberlake, and Bill Murray to name a few. This type of opportunity is truly unheard with a professional sport and local high schools. Between Jason Boswell and myself, we have created a great working relationship with the Monterey Peninsula Foundation and the PGA Tour for the past 6 years.

What are you reading? I’m not a big fan of reading for enjoyment unless I learn something after reading it. I would much rather listen to music.

Any favorite shows you’re watching on TV? I am a YouTube junkie. I enjoy constantly learning. YouTube has taught me many things. Although, I need to find a video on how to finish a project, because that is something that I’m not very good at.

Favorite movies? Step Brothers and The Godfather I and II.

Anything surprising we may not know about you? I am a descendant of President Ulysses S. Grant, who is related to FDR, Teddy Roosevelt, Calvin Coolidge, George H. Bush and George W. Bush.

Anything about your personal life you’d like to share? I enjoy playing golf, fishing, and hanging out with family (especially my wife and our 2 kiddos) and friends. I also enjoy photography.

Now that we have transitioned to the Group Contact Tracing method it has become even more critical that those with symptoms of illness stay home to be tested. We encourage staff to monitor not only their own symptoms but those of students they supervise as well. Please refer any student exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms to TUSD Health Staff for evaluation.