Striving Toward Equitable Communities - Employee Recognitions
Striving Toward Equitable Communities
At East Side, perhaps now more than ever, we need to strive toward Equitable Communities as we pivot toward distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. But what does this mean? It means that we are continuing to strengthen our understanding, actions, and policies in order to continue building capacity among all staff members to ensure that equity and inclusion are essential principles of our school system.

It is incumbent on each and every one of us as employees of East Side to be committed to these principles, from myself as superintendent, to our teachers, PCIS, attendance clerks, directors, maintenance and operation, and so forth. It takes all of us to achieve success for our students! As coined by philosopher Aristotle, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, which aptly describes us as a team joined together in this monumental effort.

Every month, we will be recognizing our employees in order to showcase the people behind our student success! Below are examples of our employees creating Equitable Communities at East Side Union High School District.

Thank you for all that you do!

With gratitude,
Chris D. Funk
Superintendent
Joanna Shea
Independence High School
Chemistry/AP Chemistry Teacher

People Behind ESUHSD's Success:

  1. How many years have you worked for ESUHSD/IHS? 23 years.
  2. What do you like most about your job and how do you know when you have made a difference? I like my job because I make a difference by teaching science to high school students. Many come from families with financial struggles, become first-generation college students, and are from underserved populations. These students trust and seek my advice and follow my suggestions about pursuing the sciences in college. Through the years, I see my students grow, mature, and excel in science education. Many IHS students are now professionals in the fields of Healthcare, Science, Biotechnology, and Engineering. They become productive members of our society and are providing financial supports to their families. Our alumni keep me informed of their progress in college and their careers. They often come back to give current students advice about how their unique experiences in high school helped them in college and beyond. In addition to academic and career advice, many students treat me as their second parent. I am able to help them resolve other problems.
  3. What is something that people may not know about you? I was born in the British Colony of Hong Kong. I went to an an Italian order all-girls Catholic School from kindergarten to grade 13. My first language was Chinese/Cantonese, and my education was bilingual. My spoken languages before coming to the US were Cantonese, British English, and Italian. Hong Kong is an international city. I feel that I grew up like a Californian. Before teaching, I was a Food Chemist/Manager for a few Fortune 500 Food Companies, including Frito-Lays and Sara-Lee. My responsibility was to use my science knowledge to help these companies maximize profits, with little concerns about the health aspect of processed food. After fourteen years, I finally learned that was not the right career for me.

Kudos from the Principal:
“Ms. Shea is a true SIXER. Ms. Shea is challenging and protective of our students, pushing them to reach their highest potential. She is open and honest with her students, creating an atmosphere of serious work and serious fun. Ms. Shea's contributions to our Goodwill ASSETs program were highlighted in a recent state audit, greatly impressing the visiting auditor. Ms. Shea takes an interest in our students beyond the classroom, supervising student clubs and encouraging them to be involved in our greater community.” - Bjorn Berg, Principal 
Anabel Velasquez
Yerba Buena High School
School Registrar

People Behind ESUHSD's Success:

  1. How many years have you worked for ESUSHD? 31 years (25 years at YBHS).
  2. What do you like most about your job? One thing I like about my job is that I meet people from all backgrounds. I get very interesting stories every day and that's what keeps my job interesting. I never know who I'm going to meet!
  3. How do you know when you have made a difference? I know I have made a difference when I gain the trust of a student and their family. They come back to ask for advice even when it's something that is not related to school. Our immigrant families utilize me because I make myself available to them, they appreciate even the smallest thing I can do for them.
  4. What is something that people may not know about you? Something that people might not know about me is that the first school I attended when I came to California was Andrew Hill High School and it was also where I got hired permanently into the East Side.

Kudos from the Principal:
"I would like to recognize the school registrar, Ms. Anabel Velasquez for her hard work and dedication in supporting our students and parents. We can always count on her getting the job done. She is a valuable member of our Warrior family and we thank her for her contributions to make Yerba Buena High School a more equitable community." - Mary Pollett, Principal
Nicole Devincenzi
Evergreen Valley High School
English Teacher

People Behind ESUHSD's Success:

  1. How many years have you worked at Evergreen Valley High School? 17 years.
  2. What do you like most about your job? Honestly, I wouldn't be able to do this job if I didn't get to work with young people everyday. I love introducing students to books and resources and to help them grapple with big ideas and critical thinking and reflect on how these things relate to them.
  3. How do you know when you have made a difference? When a student says something like, "I hate reading and writing, but I love your class!" or "I never read or liked a book until I read [insert book title] in your class" or my favorite is when they come to talk to me after class or during lunch and tell me that they feel they can be themselves with me and my class feels like a safe place to express their ideas and express who they are. I want all my students to grow up to be accepted in the world so I make sure it starts here in my classroom.
  4. What is something that people may not know about you? It's true that I read A LOT and probably talk about books way too much, but I also love TV shows like WandaVision and Snowpiercer -- TV shows that get people talking about characterization, POV, setting, and symbolism. Literary criticism for TV! Also, I love HGTV and Food Network shows--I don't really cook all that well or decorate much but there is something so riveting about watching people do and make things on TV.

Kudos from the Principal:
"Ms. Devincenzi has done amazing work towards helping EVHS build a more equitable campus community. She consistently does an effective job establishing meaningful relationships with her students. Not only does she ensure that she teaches her students all the appropriate English content, but she has established her classroom as a welcoming, accepting, and safe place where students can explore issues related to gender, race, sexual orientation, identity, culture, and more. I am particularly appreciative of Ms. Devincenzi's work with the EVHS Book Club. Every month, she organizes a group of staff and students to read a selected book and then discuss the book together. This helps connect students to EVHS during distance learning. Most importantly though, the books she reads with the Book Club explore issues around race/ethnicity, LGBTQ rights, the prevention of sexual harassment and assault in young people, and more. I know her work in her classroom, along with her efforts with the EVHS book club, has helped EVHS build a more equitable campus community. Her work has helped uplift and amplify the voices of students who have too often felt like they are marginalized or in the shadows. Thank you to Ms. Devincenzi for everything she is doing to help all students know they belong at EVHS and are welcomed as they are." - Kyle Kleckner, Principal   
Bertha Zamora
Yerba Buena High School
Principal's Secretary

People Behind ESUHSD's Success:

  1. How many years have you worked for ESUHSD? 28 years (27 years at YBHS).
  2. What do you like most about your job? I like that I have the ability to work with each group in our community, I am able to help in any area of need. I like the fact that my job is a little different each day, sometimes a little challenging, but I know for sure I can make the best of it.
  3. How do you know when you have made a difference? I know for sure I have made a difference when any outcome is a positive one, and I feel that rush of fulfillment, the smiles of appreciation are always priceless.
  4. What is something that people may not know about you? I am an ESUHSD alumni, go Royals! Class of 1992.

Kudos from the Principal:
"Ms. Bertha Zamora has been working at Yerba Buena High School for 27 years. She has held multiple positions at our school and she has been doing everything very well. Ms. Zamora had done a great job as the support services technician when I was an APED. She is now the principal’s secretary, and she continues to do well in the new position. Ms. Zamora is always there to support our students, parents, and staff. We are grateful for her support so Yerba Buena High School continues to build an equitable community." - Mary Pollett, Principal  
Eva Castro
Education Center
Business Department Attendance Accounting Specialist

People Behind ESUHSD's Success:

  1. How many years have you worked for ESUSHD? 17 years.
  2. What do you like most about your job? Working with great people gives me great job satisfaction and helping other staff.
  3. How do you know when you have made a difference? Helping a newcomer navigate their way to success in their position.
  4. What is something that people may not know about you? I enjoy quality time with family, movie night, game night, and vacation.

Kudos from the Manager:
"Eva’s contributions to the district are incredible! Eva has always been an absolute pleasure to work with. She is a dedicated and knowledgeable employee, who is committed to continual professional and departmental development. She is a true team player and well respected by all staff and colleagues. We appreciate your hard work and commitment in making every task a great success. Eva, you truly are a Superstar. Congratulations and thank you for all the hard work." - Nadia Davis, Attendance Accounting Manager
Abraham Abundis
Calero High School
Head Custodian

People Behind ESUHSD's Success:

  1. How many years have you worked for ESUHSD? 6 years.
  2. What do you like most about your job? What I love most about my job is interacting with the students and staff. I love being the person they can ask for a favor. The tasks that come up make each day unique and rewarding.
  3. How do you know when you have made a difference? I know I made a difference when I see a project that needs to get done and I get the proud feeling of completing it. This can be something labor intensive like landscaping to make the school look presentable or making students feel less lonely by having a conversation with them during lunch.
  4. What is something that people may not know about you? Something people may not know about me is that I am an alumni of ESUHSD. I graduated from Mt. Pleasant High School.

Kudos from the Principal: 
"Since Abraham joined the Calero team, he has gone above and beyond to keep the site beautiful and safe. When he sees something that needs to be completed, he takes care of it. He picks up lunches at another site for our students daily as our kitchen is closed, and takes time to connect with our students. He is a valuable member of our team. I am delighted to recognize him for what he does to make Calero a better place." - Liz Gutierrez, Principal
Caitlin Beasley
Mt. Pleasant High School
Special Services Social Worker

People Behind ESUHSD's Success:

  1. How many years have you worked for ESUHSD? 5 years (4 years at MPHS).
  2. What do you like most about your job? I love being the ED Program Social Worker because I get to work closely with my students and their families throughout the high school years and our program is tight-knit. Our team of teachers/case managers and paraeducators make the program the welcoming and inclusive community that it is and I am so proud to be a part of it.
  3. How do you know when you have made a difference? I know that I have made a difference when one of my students is able to naturally apply a skill that we have worked on without prompting, such as self-advocating for their needs or attending class in spite of anxiety.
  4. What is something that people may not know about you? Something that people may not know about me is that I love planning, organizing, and budgeting. You'll never catch me entering a new month without a fresh zero-based budget!

Kudos from the APA:
"Caitlin is very well respected and a tireless social worker dedicated to supporting her students. She is a calming force for students who need counseling and responds with great care when they are in crisis. Her role on our campus is so important and we are very lucky she is part of our Cardinal family." - Alberto Solorzano, APA
Isabel Chadinha
Oak Grove High School
Principal's Secretary

People Behind ESUHSD's Success:

  1. How many years have you worked for ESUHSD/Oak Grove High School? 2.5 years.
  2. What do you like most about your job? I love being the "middle" person that can provide support to parents, students and our wonderful staff.
  3. What about working at Oak Grove brings you the most joy? I am so happy to have met so many wonderful people who put together Oak Grove and make it a great place to be as a student, parent and staff member.
  4. How do you know when you have made a difference? I know that I have made a difference when anyone feels comfortable coming to me with any sort of question, need of assistance or just lending an ear, I am always here to help.
  5. What is something that people may not know about you? I love soccer! In my younger years, believe it or not, I played soccer and field hockey.

Kudos from the Principal: 
"I am pleased to be able to recognize Isabel Chadinha for the wonderful work she does for the Oak Grove community.  Her knowledge of school policies and procedures allows for her to assist parents and staff members who have questions or concerns, or just need help navigating the school system. Her outgoing personality naturally helps to foster a welcoming environment and build strong rapport with those with whom she interacts: Staff, community members, parents, and students. Isabel is a joy to work with and a valuable member of the Oak Grove team!" - Martha Brazil, Principal 
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If you have positive stories about teachers, staff, students and exciting events at your site, we'd like to know about it. Email Linda Ornelas at [email protected].