STUDENT SPOTLIGHT:
GRADUATING SENIORS
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RUBY MARTINEZ'S DAUGHTER
Jessika Martinez
Jessika Martinez is a 3.99 grade point average student who recently graduated from Salinas High School! While attending Salinas High School, Jessika was an avid member of the Hockey, Basketball, and Softball teams. She was acknowledged for her outstanding contributions to each sports team with the following recognitions:
- All League for Most Valuable Defensive Player for Field Hockey
- First Team All League for Field Hockey
- All League for Sportsmanship for Softball
- 4 Coaches Awards and 2 Most Improved Awards
Jessika will go on to attend Hartnell College in the fall with aspirations to transfer to a four-year university. She would plans on becoming a Physical Therapist.
Congratulations Jessika!
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MISTY MERRILL'S DAUGHTER
Natalie Shaw
Natalie Shaw is a recent graduate of Salinas High School. While attending Salinas High School, Natalie’s natural writing abilities started to shine through as she excelled through Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) English, Honors Placement English, and Advanced Placement (AP) English. Natalie also became fluent in American Sign Language (ASL) while enrolled in three years of ASL classes at Salinas High School.
Natalie will be attending Sacramento State University in the fall where she plans on studying Child and Adolescent Development.
Congratulations Natalie!
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JANET WOHLGEMUTH'S SON
Christopher Wohlgemuth
Christopher Wohlgemuth is a recent graduate of North Salinas High School. While attending North Salinas High School, Christopher was an active member of both the jazz and marching band, as well as the football and track and field teams. Aa a well-rounded student, Christopher has graduated with several recognitions, including:
- Top 25 in Academics
- Senior Scholar Athlete
- Community Service Award (400+ hours)
- United States Marine Corps Sempre Fidelis Band Award
Christopher will go on to study Chemical Engineering at the University of Alabama, with the hopes to work as a high school science teacher or for the federal government.
Congratulations Christopher!
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If any MCOE employees' children are also graduates, please reach out to Sitem Aytar saytar@montereycoe.org to get them featured on our next newsletter! | |
MPUSD STUDENTS COMPLETE AA DEGREES | |
Several Monterey Peninsula Unified School District (MPUSD) students have successfully completed an Associate in Arts degree or their Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) Certification through the district’s dual enrollment partnership with Monterey Peninsula College.
“This is an exciting time for students in our class of 2022,” said Superintendent PK Diffenbaugh, Monterey Peninsula Unified School District. “Earning your high school diploma is an accomplishment, and to earn either transferable college credit or an AA degree while still in high school is a remarkable achievement, especially considering the challenge of attending school during a global pandemic. We are extremely proud of our scholars.”
Through the College and Career Access Pathway (CCAP) partnership MPUSD has offered students the opportunity to take college courses taught by MPC faculty on MPUSD high school campuses since 2017.
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The CCAP partnership has expanded dual enrollment for students who may not already be college bound or who are underrepresented in higher education and provides an opportunity for a seamless pathway to community college.
Students who earned degrees or the IGETC requirements were honored at a recognition event on May 23, 2022 at the Student Center at MPC. The honorees were:
Marina High School
- Cassandra Chapa, Completed 4 AA degrees
- Katrina Chapa, Completed 2 Degrees and IGETC
- Deja Briscoe, Completed 2 Degrees and IGETC
- Jose Daniel Ramos, Completed 1 Degree and IGETC
- Corinthian Ealey, Completed IGETC
- Michael Garcia, Completed IGETC
- Bryan Gutierrez, Completed IGETC
- Samuel Rosa, Completed IGETC
- Erin Belle Sevilla, Completed IGETC
Seaside High School
- Alyssa Bui, Completed 1 AA degree and IGETC
- Brandon Le, Completed 1 AA degree and IGETC
- Marielle Mabaet, Completed 1 AA degree
Congratulations, students, on this phenomenal achievement!
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5TH ANNUAL AIM FOR AWARENESS DESIGN CONTEST | |
AIM Youth Mental Health began their 5th Annual AIM for Awareness Design Challenge in February 2022. Sixth through twelfth grade students were invited to enter their artwork and provide hope to someone struggling with mental health.
The overall winner and best-of-show was a submission that came from an anonymous student from Salinas High School. When asked about a positive message they would share with a youth who is struggling with their mental health, they responded: “What I wish I knew when I was younger was that mental health is nothing to be ashamed of. It is not something anyone would choose. So be kinder to yourself. Even if it was not something you wanted, your mental health is your responsibility. Stay present. Use the resources provided and ask for help.”
Congratulations to this anonymous student!
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STUDENTS WORK TO SAVE REDWOOD TREES | |
Students from schools in San Ardo Union School District (SAUSD) and San Lucas Union School District (SLUSD) are studying how to safely eliminate invasive non-native plants that can hurt our native habitat if left alone.
The program facilitating this exciting opportunity is Nature Corps, a nonprofit volunteer organization. Through Nature Corps, students were able to work along side park rangers to remove invasive plants and protect the natural flowers that grow alongside the base of redwood trees.
"We have been helping out trying to make these beautiful flowers come back to life," said Areli Gonzalez, 8th grade student at San Lucas Elementary School. "We're watering them and giving them that they need. Everyone is going, helping out, and making sure there is no flower that hasn't been watered yet."
We commend these students for all the hard work they are doing to save our natural habitat!
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STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
Yaresmie Vaeza
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Yaresmie Vaeza is a senior at King City High School and a blossoming artist. During the 2021-2022 school year, Yaresmie has won 3 different art contests: the Migrant State Parent Logo Contest, the Law Day 2022 Art Contest, and the AIM Youth Mental Health Design Contest.
“Art was the only thing that allowed me to express my feelings,” said Yaresmie. “The people around me have a difficult time expressing emotions, but I learned how to express myself without words in my art."
Yaresmie will be attending Hartnell College in the fall with the aspiration of transferring to a four-year university to study business and architecture.
Congratulations Yaresmie on all your accomplishments this year! We wish you luck in the next chapter of your life.
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ACADEMY AWARD-NOMINATED ACTOR VISITS NMCUSD | |
Academy Award-nominated actor Edward James Olmos visited North Monterey County Unified School District (NMCUSD) Youth Cinema Project at Echo Valley Elementary School on May 26, 2022.
The goal of the Youth Cinema Project (YCP) is to enhance a student's education and to turn students into more engaged learners. YCP uses filmmaking as a vehicle to inspire students to write and tell their own stories, think creatively and critically in the classroom, and develop the discipline to make a film product out of their writing. YCP enables students to learn classroom content, while honing their communication, collaboration, critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
NMCUSD began their partnership with YCP in 2016, after their Board of Trustees attended Edward James Olmos presentation regarding YCP at the California School Boards Association’s annual conference. During the 2021-2022 school year, YCP was offered at all elementary and middle schools under NMCUSD.
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“Our students bring their own backgrounds and culture that embrace storytelling as an art form and it is a means to empower one’s voice, to speak their truth, to share their experiences. The goal is to ensure the next generation develops the skills needed to thrive and define their own future,” stated Superintendent, Kari Yeater. “The majority of our students come from underrepresented backgrounds and are economically disadvantaged, and yet they graduate from high school and find a career/college pathway. The district has actively recruited our recent graduates to help us capture what our students are learning and how this is changing their future. Our YCP students are models for using film to communicate what is happening in the schools, district and our local community. They truly demonstrate and communicate the skills they have developed.”
Program founder Edward James Olmos, an Academy Award-nominated actor, visited Echo Valley Elementary School YCP students on May 26, 2022, to witness the program in action! "I had an extraordinary time with the NMCSD staff, teachers and especially with the kids,” stated Mr. Olmos. “YCP has a long standing relationship with the district that we cherish and value. I love being in the classrooms and witnessing the impact our program has. I am excited to watch the North Monterey movies and can't wait to come back!"
YCP students from NMCSD have been invited to attend YCP Legacy, the student film festival component within The Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival (LALIFF) on June 4, 2022. These special guests will be Kannon Rodgers from Prunedale Elementary School, Natalie Guzman, from Echo Valley Elementary School and Shreya Kumar from North Monterey County Middle School.
Congratulations, students!
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COLLEGE OF LAW COMMUNITY WORKSHOPS | |
Monterey College of Law is offering community workshops through the summer. These workshops address issues such as guardianship, small claims, family law, and more.
For more information, click below to view the flier:
Monterey College of Law Community Workshop Flyer Link
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PRELIMINARY TESTING FRAMEWORK | |
The CDPH has published anticipated changes to COVID-19 testing strategies for the 2022-2023 school year in California’s K-12 schools. These updated and anticipated changes are based on current scientific knowledge and anticipated trends. Updates can be found below:
CDPH Preliminary Testing Framework for K-12 Schools Link
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MENTAL HEALTH AND GRIEF SUPPORT RESOURCES | |
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The news of the mass shooting on May 24, which took place at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, has left us all feeling sad, angry, and heartbroken. Once again, we are faced with the incredible pain of knowing a school community was put in harm’s way and innocent lives were lost. Our thoughts are with all the victims of this truly horrific tragedy.
The California Department of Public Health Safe Schools for All Team has compiled resources that may be useful to students, parents, and educators as it relates to mental health and grief, especially in the aftermath of this tragedy.
Student Support
CalHOPE: Student Support builds community resiliency and helps people recover from disasters through free outreach, crisis counseling, and support services. www.calhope.org
- CalHOPE Student Support SEL Portal – www.calhopesel.org
- Angst- Building Resilience - https://www.indieflix.com/california
- Together for Wellness- link off of CalHOPE - https://calhope.semel.ucla.edu/
Mental Health Resources for Youth and Parents
- CalHHS Children’s Mental Health Resource Hub: a collection of mental health resources, tools, and hotlines available to youth and parents in California. https://www.chhs.ca.gov/childrens-mental-health-resources/
Support Program for CA Educators
- A Trusted Space: Redirecting Grief to Growth is a ground-breaking documentary and curriculum, created during the height of the pandemic to support our first responders in education. https://www.atrustedspaceca.org/
Support for Parents and Educators
Child Mind Institute: Hub for multilingual trauma resources, including guides for parents and educators for processing traumatic events with children K-12. These have been translated into 12 languages: https://childmind.org/guide/multilingual-trauma-resources/
- Easy lift coping skills resources for teaching and practice, and to aid in recovery following traumatic events: https://childmind.org/healthyminds/
- Specific Child Mind Institute articles on our website related to supporting kids’ around school violence:
- https://childmind.org/blog/children-hear-the-message-of-the-gun/
- https://childmind.org/article/helping-children-cope-frightening-news/
- https://childmind.org/article/anxiety-school-shooting/
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WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! | |
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Email stories to saytar@montereycoe.org
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MONTEREY COUNTY OFFICE OF EDUCATION
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