MARK Highlights
Manteca Unified School Board
the
April 2018, Issue 2
Get to know our Classified Employees and Educators of the Year see page 12
Why? Making a positive difference to each and every student daily.
District Celebrations see page 14
Contents
APR IL 2018, ISSUE 2
At Our Schools
MUSD School Board
Eagle Scout Project at New Haven
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President Stephen J. Schluer, Area 6
Comcast Cares Day
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Vice President Bob Wallace, Area 7
Modesto Nuts
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Board Clerk Evelyn Moore, Area 5
Child Abuse Prevention
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Golden West Family Night
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History Comes Alive
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Nancy Teicheira, Area 4
Donuts with Dads
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May the 4th Be With You
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MUSD Superintendents
Fun with STEM
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Interactive Theatre Arts
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Beauty & the Beast
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Safe Driving Campaign
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Eric Duncan, Area 1 Kathy Howe, Area 2 Michael Seelye, Area 3
Superintendent Jason Messer Deputy Superintendents Dr. Clark Burke Roger Goatcher
Vision
Community Outreach Classified Employees and Educators of the Year
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District Spring Celebration Reception
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Action Jackson
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MUSD Teachers Honored by Phi Delta Kappa
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be.tech Makes a Mark at Skills USA
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2018 District Art Show
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MUSD Advantage Field Trip
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ELD Walk Through Visits
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Lap Quilts of Love
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Lathrop Elementary Opens their STEM Lab
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The Mark Highlights is published twice per month, on average. It is a publication of the MUSD Superintendent’s Office Community Outreach team. Highlights content is contributed on a rotating basis by every school site in the district.
The Mark Highlights Team are:
Highlights is intended to be a reflection of the MUSD Vision and Mission, because above all, we value making a positive difference to each and every student daily.
Lindsay Stayner Content Coordination and Editor lstayner@musd.net
Victoria Brunn Director and Executive Editor vbrunn@musd.net
Manteca Unified School District will ensure every school day is relevant, rigorous, and leads students to become productive and engaged members of a global society while residing in the central valley.
Mission Manteca Unified School District is committed to providing a safe environment where all students will thrive with the tools, resources and support needed to achieve their academic and personal potentials.
Peter Gale Design, Reporting, and Editing Erica McCullough: Design & Photography Contributor Wendy King: Photography Contributor Community Outreach Interns
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Eagle Scout Project at New Haven
A former New Haven student and East Union High sophomore, Daniel Acosta, revitalized the 3,900-squarefoot front yard at New Haven School for his Eagle Scout Project. Daniel Acosta, at 16 years old, has earned 44 merit badges and is one step closer to earning his Eagle Scout Rank. The latter is expected to take place in the next few months. Daniel Acosta, together with Boy Scout Troop 414, put together a garden on the New Haven site. “His thought was to give back to the school in which he attended,” said his mother Veronica Acosta. Daniel Acosta coordinated with Aaron Bowers, John Lopez, John Mckillip, and Victoria Brunn on a drought resistant garden. He worked closely with a familiar face—David O’Leary,
the longtime principal at the school— on continuing the theme of moss rocks and plants surrounding the redwood fencing. Planning, as it turned out, took about 18 months due to a few unforeseen delays. The project would not have been possible without the donations and contributions by the likes of the Manteca Unified School District, New Haven Community Club, Rainforest Nursery, Stockton Wood Shavings, Ed’s Rockery, Orchard Supply Hardware, Lowe’s, Home Depot, Troop 414 scouts, leaders and family members. Special acknowledgement went to Truebeck Construction and Recology Grover, both major contributors to the project. All told, 53 volunteers took part in the effort.
“His thought was to give back to the school in which he attended,” said his mother Veronica Acosta.
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Comcast Cares Day Submitted by Lathrop Elementary
Comcast joined Lathrop Elementary to reinvigorate the Kindergarten gardens, paint the play areas, and create an oasis.
On this day, over 400 hundred volunteers made dreams a reality!
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Modesto Nuts Submitted by Great Valley Elementary One of our brightest and youngest students at Great Valley had the opportunity of a lifetime—a chance to throw out the first pitch at the Modesto Nuts game on April 14, 2018. Natalie is a TK student in Mrs. Elness’ class, who is as active as she is enthusiastic, and a role model to us all at Great Valley. Natalie’s physical therapist, Derrick Burnett shared, “Natalie is a great kid and a pleasure to work with! She has a great attitude, work ethic and embraces a good challenge. It is an enormous pleasure to work with Natalie and it was an incredibly humbling experience to be able to be by her side when she
threw out the first pitch. I am so proud of her and the work that she puts in every day with a smile on her face.” We congratulate Natalie for an awesome first pitch.
“The work that she puts in every day with a smile on her face.”
Child Abuse Prevention Brock Elliott Elementary wore blue for Child Abuse Prevention month.
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Golden West Family Night The Golden West Book Fair and Game Night is a bi-annual event you do not want to miss! Mrs. Bylow, our Library Media Technician, and her many volunteers coordinate this exciting family night. Students and families look forward to the Book Fair to purchase books, bookmarks, posters and much more! Inside the library, students can find special pals to read with, a magician doing tricks, a clown making balloon figures, face painting, an estimation booth, and lots of games to play together with family and friends. Clifford the Big Red Dog also stops in to share the fun with Golden West families. Mark your calendar for Parent Teacher Conference Week to stop by Golden West for Family Night at the Book Fair and Game Night. It is typically on Thursday evening. Come one, come all!
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History Comes Alive Golden West Elementary
Our 8th grade students made history come to life during living history week. For this project, each student chose a person who made an impact in history. Students had five categories to select from for this project: •
Women Who Led the Way
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World Leaders
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Entertainers and Artists
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Inventors and Innovators
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or Athletes. Each student spent
Living History has been a long tradition here at Golden West.
time researching, developing a speech and a presentation, as well as creating just the right outfit to make the person come alive. Students became the person and presented a biography of the life and times of the individual in front of their peers, staff and family guests. Next, they travelled the campus stopping in to classrooms to present the biography. Living History has been a long tradition here at Golden West and it is looked forward to each year by students, staff and families.
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Donuts with Dads
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George Komure Elementary We had an awesome start to the morning at Komure School on Friday, April 6th! The Parent Teacher Club hosted our Annual Donuts with Dad. It was standing room only at the recognition of the fathers and grandfathers in our students’ lives.
sons and daughters, while meeting other fathers and grandfathers in our community. We are so proud to be MUSD and working with wonderful families!
It was great to see Dads like Board Trustee Duncan taking time out of their busy schedules to have a donut with their
May the 4th Be With You Lincoln Elementary
Lincoln Elementary is proud to be gearing up for their annual Spring Carnival! This fun event will take place on May 4th with a Star Wars Theme. Staff is putting together a fun-filled afternoon of food, games, prizes, face painting, music, and more! Lincoln students challenged staff to a second student/staff basketball game on March 16th. Staff were determined to do their best against students in the challenge rematch.
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Fun with STEM Shasta Elementary Shasta’s Slug Life T-shirt was designed by two of their own; 5th grade students Aileene Rios and Mariana Cornejo Cruz. These t-shirts are made available for purchase for any 5th grade student whether they attend the Jones Gulch Science Camps or the Shasta Science Camp. Teachers are wearing an FBI t-shirt. The back reads, “Fungus, Bacteria, Invertebrates”. Shasta Elementary principal Audrey Parker said, “We are proud of our graphic designers, and our teachers for promoting such an enriching opportunity for our students”.
Sporting the Slug Life T-Shirts.
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Interactive Theatre Arts Lathrop High School
Lathrop High School’s Theatre Arts Department would like to welcome you to our production of
Wilma & Walter’s Wild, Wacky Wedding WEAVING A Wild Tale that will unfold:
Friday, April 27, 2018 at 6pm
Dear guests, YOU ARE ENCOURAGED TO ENGAGE WITH ALL THE ACTORS AND THEIR STORY LINE, because it WILL MAKE THIS EVENING THAT MUCH MORE ENJOYABLE...
with their theatre arts teacher Rachel LaFein, the author of this production. Ms. LaFein brought her students to see the production because they had just finished competing at the Mother Lode Drama Festival that day and decided to drop by.
Beauty & the Beast
LHS Theatre Arts Department was lucky to have thespians from Trinity High School in Weaverville be a part of the closing night performance of Beauty and the Beast. Playwright along
Trinity HS had presented the play Beauty and the Beast in March of this year and both sets of cast members were able to confer about their experiences with the play. A great time was had by all.
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Safe Driving Campaign by Nina Norton Manteca High School For the second year, Manteca High School’s College Prep Club has taken part in the Teen-to-Teen Safe Driving Campaign sponsored by the Teen Safety Center and Allstate Insurance Company. The club’s campaign goal was to involve as many students as possible in the safe driving campaign while making MHS students and Manteca Community aware of the dangers of distracted driving. Read the full 10-page story here!
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Classified Employees and Educators of the Year “Nora’s tenure at Sierra High School thus far has been a positive and successful demonstration of her commitment to the student body and staff. She goes above and beyond just knowing the basic skills required to do her job, and she sincerely cares for the growth and well being of the students.” Anne Marie Shaw, Vice Principal – Sierra High School
“Mrs. Mattos’ is an exceptional Attendance Clerk because she believes, whole-heartedly, that the best place for students to be, is in school. She advocates for student learning on a daily basis.” Lori Guzman-Alvarez, Principal – Neil Hafley school
“Mrs. Black is the backbone that keeps the school running and our students on track. She is an advocate for students who might not otherwise have or believe in their voice. She provides students the opportunity to build confidence when their home circumstances really wouldn’t warrant that. To say Mrs. Black is an important part of the Manteca Day School community doesn’t do her justice.” Jillian Friend, Principal Manteca Day School
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“It is always a pleasure walking into Mrs. Prado’s class and seeing the independence in her students as well as collaboration. Mrs. Rosie Prado is truly an asset to our school and a remarkable individual who is a model for all of us to follow!” David L. Silveira, Principal - Lathrop School
“Mrs. Spears is one of those teachers that has so much energy and drive to help students reached their highest potential. Jennifer is a champion for all students. She values each child and what they bring, each day.” Sherrie Jamero, Principal – Walter Woodward School “Mr. Dominguez-Olea is an exceptional teacher. He is passionate about science and doing what is best for kids. We feel very fortunate to have Mr. Dominguez on our staff. He is caring and compassionate to our students and goes above and beyond to make Great Valley a great place to be for our community.” ~Lisa Goodwin, Vice Principal – Great Valley Annex “Marlene Martin has an integral presence on the Sierra High campus. She is a focused and energetic instructor in the English department and works tirelessly to meet the varying needs of her students, while keeping them engaged as active participants in their own learning.” Anne Marie Shaw, Vice Principal – Sierra High School
District Spring Celebration By Peter Gale Community Outreach Team
Interview support provided by Community Outreach Interns.
Reception
Sierra High School’s Alexa Garcia is honored for being a State Wrestling Qualifier.
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MUSD Student Board Members and Community Outreach Interns helped run the District Celebration.
“To be recognized like this, I am dumbstruck,” said Javier Dominguez. From Weston Ranch HS, students were honored for being chosen as the King and Queen of the annual MUSD Valentines Dance.
Seeking both to honor more students and wanting to try a more casual and friendly format, the Manteca Unified School District Community Outreach team held a reception style District Celebration at East Union High School on Tuesday, April 24th. Staff members, students, and their families were welcomed at the door with a program and agenda for the evening. They enjoyed refreshments provided by the be.tech catering team, and a performance of the East Union Choir, while they awaited their turn to receive their awards and have their picture taken. The East Union JROTC began the evening with an impressive flag ceremony and
Stephen J. Schluer, MUSD Board of Trustee President, welcomed everyone with a few words to open the evening. “It is our great pleasure to welcome you to our semi-annual recognition celebration,” said President Schluer. “This day, in the Fall and in the Spring, allows us to acknowledge the efforts of our staff, the excellence of our students, and allows us to thank the community for coming together.” While our Student Board Members ran the celebration, a looping slideshow ran on a large projector screen and featured photos of some awardees. Commenting on the importance of the occasion, Student Board Member Jesse Moebius said, “An event like this highlights the athletic and academic achievements of the deserving students in the Manteca Unified School District so their hard work and their dedication to their education should always be recognized and congratulated.”
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MUSD Classified Employees of the Year, Educators of the Year, and supporting administrators gather with Union Leadership and the MUSD Board.
Awarded first were the classified employees and educators of the year. “I love my job, so for me to get this—it is just humbling,”commented Sierra High School’s Nora Anaya, who was selected for the Para-Educator category. “We have had some really good ELD teachers who do a phenomenal job for these kids.” Displayed at the back of the room near the certificate tables were easels honoring each of the classified employees and educators of the year. This included one for Neil Hafley’s Attendance Clerk, Lisa Mattos, about whom her principal Lori Guzman Alvarez wrote, “Mrs. Mattos is an exceptional Attendance Clerk because she believes, whole-heartedly, that the best place for students to be, is in school.” Principal David Silveira of Lathrop Elementary wrote about K-3 Primary Educator of the Year Rose Calvo Prado, saying, “It is always a pleasure walking into Mrs. Prado’s class and seeing the independence in her students as well as collaboration.” Surprised by being selected to be
honored, 4-6 Intermediate Educator of Year Jennifer Spears from Woodward Elementary said, “I keep getting told that I am a hard worker, that I am a champion for my students and put my students first. They are little engineers and I absolutely love being able to let them jump in and do Mystery Science because the hands-on science is fantastic.” “To be recognized like this, I am dumbstruck,” said Javier Dominguez from Great Valley Elementary, who was selected as the 7-8 Jr. High Educator of the Year. “I am a
Below: Recipients of the Every Student Succeeding Award. Bottom: Some of our Valedictorians and Salutatorians.
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science teacher through and through. It is my passion. I love the fact that I get to go into work every day and help create a generation of scientifically literate people.”
Top: Members of LHS Advanced Choir earned all Superior ratings at the Delta College Competition. Above: Justin Kakala is honored for his scholarship to Harvard.
Below: Staff Members honored for District Service, and Going Above and Beyond.
From Sierra High School, Marlene Martin was selected as the 9-12 Secondary Educator of the Year. Commenting on something that makes her successful, she said, “I have a really good administration that supports me and allows me to enjoy my job.” Explaining the fun sign on the wall behind her in her photo, Martin added, “Mondays are Magical Mondays. I have a unicorn button and when we mix up the name cards, the selected students gets to press the button. The button gives advice like, ‘Miracles are everywhere’ or ‘Gaze over the happy sunlit clouds today.’” Martin teaches English, ELD and Reading support. Her unicorn button is just one of many ways that she incorporates language and ideas into her curriculum.
Supporting Manteca Day School as a counselor, D’drea Black was selected to be honored in the Educator of the Year Support Staff Category. Her principal Jillian Friend, wrote, “Mrs. Black is the backbone that keeps the school running and our students on track. She is an advocate for students who might not otherwise have or believe in their voice.” Truly, these educators and employees bring excellence to Manteca Unified. In addition to these outstanding staff members, many more students were honored. Although a freshman, Manteca High School’s Megan Pangburn was honored for winning 3rd place in a regional Rotary Speech Competition after winning first place for Manteca Rotary. About her win, Pangburn said, “The speech class has definitely helped me and I will use these skills in the future. It makes me feel good and I’m glad I had this opportunity to compete.” Many students from the San Joaquin County Honor Band or Honor Choir were honored this evening. “I am so honored to be recognized for being in the county honor band this year, especially for being one of only two people from my school!” said Emily Halcomb, from East Union High. “I worked really hard to get
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in this year and I will continue to challenge myself for years to come!”
15 students who earned an FFA State Degree.
Members of the Lathrop High School Advanced Choir were honored for achieving a 4/4 superior rating at the Delta College Choir Competition. “This makes our choir feel accomplished,” said Lucas Pierce. “This is the first time we have ever gotten a top rating of four superiors in our choir group.”
“It makes me proud of myself for working hard towards FFA,” said Barraza. “I’ve put my heart and soul into this program that I really have a passion for.”
Also working very hard to achieve his goals, Justin Kakala of Manteca High was recognized for receiving a scholarship to Harvard. “I’m excited but also kind of scared,” said Kakala. “I want to study biology and hopefully become a surgeon.” For his athletic accomplishments, Gino Campiotti of Manteca High School was honored for his scholarship to Northern Arizona University. “I’m really excited because I’ve been dreaming about this forever, so it is cool that it is coming true. I’ve been playing football since sixth grade.” In addition to academic, artistic and athletic accomplishments, some students were honored for their extra-curricular accomplishments. Lathrop High School’s Leslie Barraza was one of
Although there are too many students to mention individually, the District Celebration awarded more than 200 students for their accomplishments. Pictures from the event can be seen and downloaded online at http://www. mantecausd.net
“I want to study Biology and hopefully become a surgeon,” said Justin Kakala of MHS. Below: Sierra HS FCCLA awardees. Middle: Lathrop HS Girls Basketball Team. Bottom: East Union HS JROTC Raiders.
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Action Jackson
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and Autism Awareness by Lindsay Stayner Community Outreach Team
The prevalence of Autism has risen to 1 in every 68 births in the United States—nearly twice the 2004 rate of 1 in 125—and, almost 1 in 54 boys. Nationwide, the month of April is dedicated to Autism Awareness; most commonly recognized by the puzzle piece symbol. This April, the efforts taken at Lathrop High School to support Autism Awareness Month has touched a special Spartan family of their own.
In late March, Irene hosted Success 101 Interviews for her students. Oscar appeared on campus as a guest panelist during the interviews.
Irene Munguia, Success 101 and Peer Resource teacher at Lathrop High, is an active spirit on campus also undertaking the role as junior class advisor. Irene, and husband Oscar Munguia, have a 7-year-old son named Jackson, who was diagnosed with Autism at the age of two.
On this day, Lathrop High had arranged to present both Irene and Oscar with the t-shirts. “I was completely touched that they thought of our family and our sweet boy, I was brought to tears,” shared Irene. “They ordered shirts for the entire Munguia family without my knowledge.”
The staff at Lathrop High designed and ordered t-shirts; Black and green, with colorful puzzle pieces and the word ‘AUSTISM’ designed on the front. Yet, what makes these t-shirts unique is the hashtag, ‘#LHSLovesActionJackson’ printed on the sleeve of the t-shirt.
“What really got me was the fact that each shirt had the inscription #LHSLovesActionJackson on the sleeve.”
“Action Jackson is a hashtag Irene and I created years ago. Jack is such an active boy. We use it when sharing pictures of Jackson to our social media accounts,” explained Oscar Munguia. Oscar is also the program director for Manteca’s non-profit, Give Every Child a Chance.
Marisol Munguia is the Attendance Clerk at Lathrop High and Jackson’s aunt. “The idea initiated from a simple brochure promoting Autism awareness t-shirts. If we ordered at least twelve,” she said with a laugh, “it would mean free shipping.” As it turns out, Lathrop High was interested in ordering more than twelve. Feeling inspired, Karen Dell’Osso, office support staff at Lathrop High, spearheaded the project and designed
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the custom inscription to the sleeve that reads: Autism is proof that love needs no words! #LHSLovesActionJackson Teachers, administrators, and support staff combined ordered more than fifty t-shirts. The Spartans came together to gift the Munguia family each a t-shirt. “Lathrop High really loves supporting and spreading awareness to various causes,” acclaimed Marisol. Together, the Spartans illustrated Autism Awareness and supported the Action Jackson hashtag every Wednesday throughout the month of April. “As mother of a son with Autism, my hope is that he is met with understanding and acceptance by others; I want my son to grow up knowing that he is loved, supported, and can do anything he sets his mind to,” expressed Irene. Autism is unique in that it cannot always be readily seen. It is a complex developmental disability that affects individuals differently, and to a varying degree. It is also known as a spectrum condition.
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“Jackson’s diagnosis has completely changed our lives. We now see the world through a different, but very special lens,” Irene pointed out. “We have our daily struggles, but we try to focus on the positive and take things one day at a time.” Irene Munguia has been a part of the Spartan family for ten years and Jackson Munguia is a student at Joshua Cowell Elementary in Mrs. Burden’s class. Irene praised, “Jackson has support not only from his own family and friends, but from staff and teachers within MUSD who have helped him grow and develop along the way.” She continues, “We are indebted to their service.” Next year, in support of Autism Awareness Month, Irene plans to involve her Link Crew students in a project that shares information and facts school wide. Taking one step closer to ensuring acceptance and inclusion. “It’s important that we are aware of the fact that everyone is different and has their own set of
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unique needs. Jackson may do things differently, but it doesn’t make him [or anyone] any less. It takes a village to raise a child, atypical or not, and we are fortunate to have the village that we do,” thanked Irene. Lathrop High intends to wear their t-shirts one last time on Monday, April 30th. Authors note: I’ve known the Munguia’s for about a decade now. Oscar hired me as a program coordinator with Give Every Child a Chance in 2008, and I stayed with the organization for about 6 years. Since then, this family has grown very near and dear to me. It was a special privilege to write and share this story. Happy Autism Awareness Month to one of my favorite families!
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MUSD Teachers Honored by Phi Delta Kappa
Submitted by Kristen Messer Two Manteca Unified teachers were honored at Phi Delta Kappa’s Annual Marc Jantzen Education Awards Dinner held at the Alumni House at the University of the Pacific on April 20. Phi Delta Kappa, founded in 1906, is a professional organization dedicated to supporting teachers and school leaders by strengthening their interest in the profession through the entire arc of their career. Every year, PDK honors members of the community who have made significant contributions to education. Andrew Griggs, culinary teacher at be.tech, was honored as a Distinguished Teacher for Career Technical Education. Andrew is an integral part of the be.tech staff who works diligently to boost morale and camaraderie among staff and students. “Chef Griggs is a shining example of an exceptional teacher. He builds rapport with students and tailors their learning to their interests. He truly puts students first and is very deserving of this award,” said his principal, Carey Simoni.
He has been with Manteca Unified since 2015. In addition to making sure his high school students are reaching their potential, Mr. Griggs is also an instructor at Teachers College of San Joaquin and will be receiving his Doctoral degree from U.O.P. Jennifer Morris, Resource Teacher at Brock Elliott, was honored as a Distinguished Education Specialist Teacher. Jennifer has been an educator for 17 years and has worked in Manteca Unified for 10 years. “I am always in awe when I get the privilege of observing Jennifer in action,” says Debbie Ruger, Principal of Brock Elliott School. “Her students are showling tremendous growth.” In addition to teaching, Jenn serves on the Brock Elliott Leadership Team, chairs the Annual Art Show, and runs the HOWDEE (Helping Out With Disabilities Everyway, Everyday) program on site which aims to promote disability awareness with students. Congratulations to both Andrew and Jennifer. You make us Proud to be MUSD.
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be.tech Makes a Mark at Skills USA
Submitted by be.tech
Last weekend, 14 students from be.tech competed in the SkillsUSA competition for California. These students represented all 3 academies and competed in cooking, baking, firefighting, CPR, stick welding and combination welding. “These students worked their tails off and gave up their time to practice and practice. And when we got there it showed. They did a fantastic job,” according to Chef Bryan Ehrenholm. First Responder instructor, Angela Ott, beamed after the closing ceremony. “I’m so proud of the kids and how well they did here!” Congratulations go to Gianni Chavez who earned a silver in culinary and Maria Alcazar who earned a bronze. Both of these students were asked to
prepare a clear chicken noodle soup, roasted potatoes, glazed carrots with a salad and champagne vinaigrette.
Congratulations also go to LeeAnn Clegg who brought home a bronze medal for baking, thanks to her beautiful pie crust, apple turnovers, pumpkin bread and cake decorating skills. Even the students who didn’t find themselves on the podium came home with learning experiences not soon to be forgotten. “The competition was stressful, but I want to go again next year,” says Tyler Bell who participated in welding. Jack Hutchinson, who competed in firefighting, is “coming back next year, but 10 times better!” It wasn’t all about the competition. All academies visited industry examples in Southern California— fire stations, bakeries, restaurants, and industrial fabrication businesses. “Industrial Technology students had the opportunity to not only use state of the art facilities
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to fabricate and weld challenging projects, but also to tour 5 outstanding businesses that exemplify quality craftsmanship and ingenuity in the Industrial Technology field,” explains Michael Patterson, IT instructor. The students also had the opportunity to interact with industry professionals and hear their stories and advice, as well as meet students from all over the state who have common interests. “It was a great experience for all of the students. They did a great job. They met some great people. And they are looking forward to next year already,” said Andrew Griggs, culinary teacher.
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2018 District Art Show by Devin York District Art Coordinator Manteca Unified School District hosted the Best of the Best 2018 District Art Show and Sale on April 23, 2018. Guests wandered the threeroom gallery and viewed the many award-winning works of art from all the high schools in the district. Before entering the gallery, guests were instructed on how to bid on silent auction pieces and reminded to vote for the People Choice Award. Refreshments were centrally located and provided by be.tech including lemonade, tea, and cookies. Students work very hard to reach the level of excellence needed to participate in the district art show, not to mention the dedication of the art teachers as demonstrated by the Best of Show winner Lyza Stevens and her teacher, Debbie Pavao. Congratulations to you both! MUSD provides art show participants with the opportunity to attend the annual MUSD Art Show Fieldtrip. This year, students are scheduled to tour the SFMOMA and visit Pier 39. Until next year, happy art making!
Sierra High’s Student, Lyza Stevens, Best of Show Winner, AP Conceptual Painting
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MUSD Advantage Field Trip Submitted by Stacia Lagomarsino Future Teacher Pathway Coordinator
The MUSD Advantage Future Teachers took a field trip. We participated in the University of the Pacific Math Steeplechase. The event consisted of 900 5th grade students representing 14 different schools. The 5th graders were challenged with various math problems and our Future Teachers were judges at the different tables. It was a great event and an excellent opportunity for our Future Teachers to get involved. A big thank you to Dr. Potter for letting us share in the fun.
ELD Walk Through Visits Submitted by Compensatory Education Dept. Every school in MUSD was visited by a member of the department as we gathered data on designated ELD instruction. Walkthroughs help us better determine current practices in place, and what the needs are for further professional development. We saw students engaged in collaborative conversations, teachers facilitating word work, the use of sentence frames to support language acquisition, guided annotation, and providing wait time to allow students to persevere through struggle as they
gain stamina. These strategies are proven to move English learners from the known to the new as their language continues to develop.
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Lap Quilts of Love Submitted by Jennifer Myers Lathrop High School
Erlinda Selga and I took a group of students to an Elder Care facility here in Lathrop to deliver some sunshine and goodies to their residents. be.prepared, a part of the be.Next charter, and LHS Fashion and Design students worked together to complete sewn baskets and lap quilts as a part of our sewing units this term. We filled the fabric baskets with lotion, chap stick, socks, notepads, and dropped them by. Students gained a respect for working with the elderly and the importance of giving back to the community. They were proud to deliver something they had made themselves, so that someone else may find enjoyment in it.
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Lathrop Elementary Opens their STEAM Lab