TUSD Weekly Update
Staff Webinar Tonight
California's Safe Schools for All Plan
Marie Russell, Chief Communication Coordinator
On December 30, 2020, Governor Newsom, proposed a school reopening effort that is built upon the following pillars:

  • Funding
  • Safety and Mitigation
  • Oversight and Assistance
  • Transparency and Accountability

The Governor's Office provided several resources as well:


In the science resource, the following was shared:

"The successful approach to preventing transmission in schools leverages layers of safety strategies. Core strategies include masks; physical distancing; small, stable groups; hand hygiene; ventilation; screening for symptoms or close contact; and asymptomatic testing. Each layer provides additional protection and, when used together, have been associated with low or zero transmission, even in communities with high COVID-19 prevalence."

A good visual to explain this layered approach to prevention is the "Swiss Cheese Respiratory Virus Pandemic Defence." Note: The misinformation mouse!
An often overlooked area of prevention is ventilation. As shared in our COVID-19 training for in-person instruction, keeping a window or door open is an important tool in increasing the air exchange in indoor spaces. A study out of Spain recommended the following:

"Schools only account for 6% of coronavirus outbreaks recorded by Spanish health authorities. The dynamics of transmission via aerosols in the classroom change completely depending on whether the infected person – or patient zero – is a student or a teacher. Teachers talk far more than students and raise their voices to be heard, which multiplies the expulsion of potentially contagious particles. In comparison, an infected student will only speak occasionally. According to the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) guidelines, the Spanish government has recommended that classrooms be ventilated – even though this may cause discomfort in the colder months – or for ventilation units to be used."

Questions? Just reach out to Chief Communication Coordinator Marie Russell.
Lozano Smith Let's Talk Podcast
Ever wondered about the roles and responsibilities of a Board member? Thank you to Board President Lori Carlson and Clerk Anthony Silva for recommending this informative podcast.
January marks School Board Recognition Month by the California School Boards Association and Turlock Unified School District. TUSD Board Members provide a critical link of accountability between the school system and local constituents, as well as critical support for all students.
Tech in TUSD: Ed Tech Bytes
Sitara Ali, Ed Tech Coach
Did you know that CLEVER contains multiple Library Resources? One of those resources is Britannica School, which is an information resource page filled with articles, videos, interactives, and other learning resources for elementary through high school students. Britannica School offers differentiated learning opportunities by allowing students to change the reading levels, from Level 1, 2 or 3, have articles read out loud, translate articles into 50 different languages, quick click dictionary, and more! Britannica School also offers Britannica Escolar, which is the Spanish version of everything with Britannica! This whole system is perfect for our dual Immersion Schools, Wakefield and Osborn, but also in our foreign language classes at our secondary sites! Have students use Britannica Escolar to research and learn any subject matter you are teaching in your classroom. The read-aloud function also supports Spanish, having the articles read out loud in Spanish! Check out Britannica today in your CLEVER page for great resources and tools to share with your students.
Circle of Friends
Student Support Clinicians
The 'US' in TUSD
Luz Gutierrez, Technology Support Specialist
How long have you worked in TUSD? I have been at TUSD since March of 2020.
 
What is your job title? Technology Support Specialist

Where did you work prior to TUSD? The Gaming Hub - a LAN center which specialized in eSports or competitive gaming. I spent most of my days there helping kids with our technology and showing them how to use a computer to play their favorite games.

Any info you would like to share about your job? Average day? My position is unique. In the afternoons you can find me on the Help Desk phone line helping staff and students with any technical difficulties they may be experiencing. In the evenings, I provide tech assistance for the Turlock Adult School staff and students.

Things you are most proud of? I am very excited to announce that I have started a Girls Who Code Club here at TUSD! It is open to 6th-12th grade girls that may be interested. Our first meeting will be January 22nd, 2021 at 5 pm. Virtually of course! This club is designed to inspire young women to pursue careers in STEM and create a new generation of female engineers.

Challenges? One of the biggest challenges I've conquered was going back to school to finish my bachelor's degree. It was challenging at first, but with the support of my husband and 4 kids, I'm happy to say that I've finally graduated from CSU, Stanislaus with a bachelor's degree in Computer science, class of 2020.

Favorite memory/story? One of my favorite stories is when I won second place at my first ever Hackathon. A Hackathon is a competition between software developers to test who can build a comprehensive program in a selected amount of time. For this Hackathon I created a mobile application that could support online voting for the state of California. This was a huge reassurance that I belonged in the tech field, I was really nervous too because I was only one of two women who signed up for the Hackathon. 

What are you reading? Currently, I have 3 books that I alternate between on my night stand, Beyond Infinity by Eugenia Cheng, The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger by Stephen King, and The Science of Good Cooking by Editors of America's Test Kitchen and Guy Crosby.

Any favorite shows you’re watching on TV? NBC's The Office will always be my favorite.

Fave movies? The entire Star Wars saga.

Anything surprising we may not know about you? About 7 years ago, my mother and I opened our own deli/bakery. She ran the deli and I ran the bakery. As a baker I mostly made custom cakes, many different types of cookies and even experimented with new flavors for cupcakes and cookies. My favorite creation is a delicious almond cream cheese cookie.

Anything about your personal life you’d like to share? I still enjoy baking regularly. One of my favorite baking endeavors is making homemade bread, from dinner rolls to cinnamon rolls you can usually find homemade bread in my kitchen. 
Save the Date: TK/K Registration
Seen on Social Media
San Diego County Office of Education: Not sure how to talk to students about the events at the U.S. Capitol? Both adults and young people may be scared, angry, or confused about how they feel--and that's totally understandable. The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) put together tips and resources for speaking with youth about the violence and unrest that occurred last week. You may not know what to say, but you can reassure and support.
ADL
COVID-19 Resources
Useful Websites
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.