TUSD UPDATE

Back to School 2022

Scholars of TUSD

Celebrate Our Scholars


Do you have a scholar who deserves special recognition? Someone who aced a test? Accomplished a learning goal? Created an outstanding project? This year TUSD will be celebrating student learning by highlighting a scholar on social media each week. Just email Marie and she will come out and take a pic for social media and provide a special recognition treat!

Start with Hello

Save the Date: Start with Hello Week: September 19-23

We Hope You Join Us!


The Start with Hello Planning Guide provides ideas and best practices for teachers, staff, and administrators. The guide provides a planning strategy and sample, easy-to-implement activities —whether you do activities all week or just one day of the national call-to-action week.

Social Media Content Guidelines

Marie Russell, Director of Communications, Family Engagement, & Outreach


Did you know TUSD has Board policies related to District-sponsored social media? If you manage a page, please take the time to review this policy. Key points:

  • Teachers and coaches should obtain approval from the principal before creating an official classroom or team social media account.
  • Content should not violate student privacy laws. Verify parents have not submitted a media opt-out form before posting.
  • Page bio should contain a link to the purpose of the account and content moderation guidelines. Click HERE for TUSD's social media comment policy.
Board Regulation 1114: District-Sponsored Social Media

Social media can be a terrific way to connect communities, schools, business members, family, and friends.  However, the wrong content can cause substantial conflict, turmoil, and even loss of professional standing. TUSD recognizes that employees have a right to keep their personal interests separate from their professional ones. However, what employees say or do on social media or through text can impact how parents, other staff, and the community view them professionally. We understand social media waters can be difficult to navigate, here are a few best practices for employees:


  • Use Professional Accounts Utilize a District-sponsored Remind account and/or a professional social media account versus a personal one when communicating with students and parents. Be sure to maintain professional decorum.
  • Make Clear Opinions are One's Own When interacting on any social media platform you may be regarded, by virtue of your job, as a representative of TUSD. It is important not to mispresent yourself on any of these channels by claiming to speak as a school District representative on any issue.
  • Use Caution When Posting Be sure you are posting content to the correct page, personal vs. professional, and always consider the ramifications of every post, comment, status update, or picture including those you are tagged in. We have dealt with a number of fake Instagram accounts in the past year in which pictures of students and staff have been reposted without their permission.


We are proud of the social media presence we have in TUSD, including the many outstanding staff and student accounts. Reach out if you have any questions and thank you for telling our TUSD story!

Top 5 Technology Updates for the Beginning of the School Year

Robert Brogdon, Director of Technology Services

Incident IQ Knowledge Base Be sure to check out the Incident IQ | Knowledge Base located on the left-hand menu in Incident IQ. You will find informative articles that will help you resolve some of your technology needs. Examples include how to access Wi-Fi, adding email to your personal cell phone, and others. We will be adding new items throughout the year so do not forget to check there when an issue arises. 

Email Upgrade Over the summer our email system was upgraded to Exchange Online. This upgrade includes increasing mailbox size to 100 GB plus a 1 TB archive per user, improved security, and email will be accessible on smartphones during local network outages. As a result of the upgrade, your email account must be removed and readded to your smartphone. For instructions on how to do this, check out our recommended solution Android & iPhone | Outlook App or iPhone | Adding TUSD email to the native mail app.

Outlook Invites We have received some reports that it is difficult to invite people to new appointments in Outlook. If you are experiencing this, make sure that the Office Ribbon is not minimized. Look to the top right corner of Outlook. You will see the minimize ribbon button. Click on it to expand the ribbon and select always show ribbon. Then you can see the Invite Attendees button.

Microsoft Teams Microsoft Teams is a powerful collaboration platform that is included with our Microsoft Enterprise Agreement. Chat, meetings, calls, and more are available to improve communication with colleagues, parents, and business partners. You can learn more about Teams with Microsoft Teams video training.

Passwords Passwords are like underpants…This is a fun take on a serious subject. You should NEVER share your passwords with anyone, including the Technology Services staff. Do not store passwords on Post-It notes, under keyboards, in Outlook notes, or any place where others can find them. Saving passwords in your browsers, like Google Chrome, is not safe because they are not encrypted. 

 

Instead, utilize a reputable password manager, enable multi-factor authentication for every online account, and adopt these password best practices.

  • Use a different password for every account
  • Use long passphrases, 16 characters is best but 10 or 12 are good too
  • Use complexity: upper & lower case letters, numbers, and special characters

Tech in TUSD

August Farm Update

Hali Bream, TUSD Farm Coordinator


The summer was busy for the TUSD Farm. Apricots, peaches, plums, and nectarines were harvested during June to serve in summer school meals. TUSD Farm interns (high school agriculture students from Pitman and Turlock) worked hard in June and July to help manage the Farm and the elementary gardens. They pruned the walnuts, fixed orchard irrigation, harvested fruit, and weeded the Farm and elementary gardens to start the school year off right. In addition, the interns and I supported the FFA members who represented TUSD at the Stanislaus county fair! All did an amazing job, and the Farm is now quiet again with the barns being empty…


As we look to the start off the school year, the almond harvest will begin next week, and the Farm fruit is again being harvested to distribute in school meals. Thank you to the Child Nutrition staff who helped harvest the last week of summer so peaches could go out into school meals this week!


I look forward to working with the elementary site gardens again this year to support STEM, agriculture, and nutrition amongst our youngest scholars! If you have interest in a garden or horticulture (whether you have one at your site or want to begin something) please contact hbream@turlock.k12.ca.usWe have many opportunities for garden grants, classroom taste & teach activities, and harvest of the month programs that I will be sharing.

Induction Update

Denise Duewell, Coordinator of Induction and PD

 

Forgive me, I am going to wax a bit poetic today, so have patience with me.

 

As the 2022-23 school year begins, let’s remember the words of teacher, professor, and author, Ivan Welton Fitzwater, “The future of the world is in my classroom today.” A powerful reminder to be sure. When I read it, I both smiled and cried. I remembered the days I knew this statement to be true and the days I forgot who was in front of me. Teachers aren’t perfect, but they make a difference for the world's future.

 

This year we have 72 first and second-year teachers ready to inspire the future and be of significance to the world. Of those 72 teachers, 51 are induction candidates and 21 are teachers on intern credentials or short-term staff permits. They have 52 mentors among them, at least 20 of whom are brand new to mentoring! What an opportunity to make a difference! If we all look at who is in front of us, will we not see the better parts of the future? That is a goal of induction - supporting new teachers on their journeys to become the best educators they can be, to study their classrooms for what works and what doesn’t while striving to positively impact the future. How fortunate they are not in it alone. They have the individual support of their mentors, but they also have the other 700+ of us to fill the role of support system when things don’t go as planned. We know teaching isn’t easy, but it is incredible and important.

 

As we prepare to open our doors to future leaders, let us remember to offer our new teachers support, to help them see the future of the world in front of them, and the magnitude of the job they will do.

Call Me By My Name

Kelly Villalobos, District Itinerant ELD Teacher


As we all work to learn the names of all our students at the start of the school year, here is a good reminder on the importance of pronouncing them correctly.

Know Your Strengths

Clifton Strengthsfinder Assessment


This fall, TUSD will be promoting staff and student strengths as part of our reboot of the Clifton Strengthsfinder assessment. Did you miss out on taking this assessment? Email Shari Fraga in the Superintendent's Office to get a code!

Email Shari Fraga

Our TUSD Staff

Sharile Abbasi, Brown Elementary School


How long have you worked in TUSD? I worked at Dutcher Middle School for 6 years prior to leaving for one year and then returning.


What is your job title? Assistant Principal, Brown Elementary. 


Where did you work prior to TUSD? Assistant Principal, Apricot Valley Elementary School with Patterson Joint Unified School District.


Any info you would like to share about your job? My job allows me the opportunity to establish relationships with students, teachers, and parents based on mutual respect. On an average day I like to visit classrooms, interact with students on the blacktop, check-in with teachers/staff while completing other tasks like (PBIS, IEPs, 504s, and SSTs)


Things you are most proud of? My family! My wife Christine and my 3 kids: Noah Atour Abbasi (7), Nathan Rafi Abbasi (3), and Noella Diana Abbasi (7 months).


Challenges? Getting my 3-year-old son potty trained!


Favorite memory/story? One of my favorite memories is my grandfather walking me to and from Brown Elementary as a student. Many Friday’s he would drive to pick me up from school and take me to McDonald’s. 


What are you reading? Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Paulo Freire. 


Any favorite shows you’re watching on TV? Anything on ESPN: First Take with Stephen A. Smith, Get Up, SportCenter, and 30 for 30 sports documentaries. 


Fave movies? All of the Jurassic Park movies, especially the newest one (Jurassic World: Dominion).


Anything surprising we may not know about you? I was born In Iran, and I lived in Germany for 2 years prior to immigrating to the States in 1992. 


Fave quote? “He who opens a school door, closes a prison”.


Fave memory of someone in education who inspired you? My favorite memory in education came my sophomore year at Turlock High School. Mr. Brown, my Algebra Teacher motivated me to thrive in Mathematics and was the first math teacher I had that got me to actually understand what I was doing when solving algebraic expressions. Thank you, Mr. Brown!


Anything about your personal you’d like to share? My hobbies include playing outside with my kids, lifting weights, running, playing basketball, playing flag football, and biking.  

Share Your Awesome!


Marie Russell

Director of Communications, Family Engagement, & Outreach

mrussell@turlock.k12.ca.us

209.648.0968


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