Outlook 76.4 | May 2023

END TO THE SCHOOL YEAR A magical

SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY’S 14 SCHOOL DISTRICTS

Banta Unified

Escalon Unified

Jefferson Elementary

Lammersville Unified

Lincoln Unified

Linden Unified

Lodi Unified

Manteca Unified

New Hope Elementary

New Jerusalem Elementary

Oak View Union Elementary

Ripon Unified

Stockton Unified

Tracy Unified

A BADGE OF EXCELLENCE

Four schools from San Joaquin County recognized in the state’s 2023 Distinguished Schools Program

Of the thousands of schools in California, only about 350 earned the title of 2023 California Distinguished School. Four of those schools call San Joaquin County their home.

Established in 1985, the California Distinguished Schools Award remains one of the important ways to celebrate exceptional schools, districts, teachers, and classified employees for their innovation, talent, and success in supporting students, according to the California Department of Education when announcing this year’s list of schools.

As part of the local recognition of the achievement of these schools, San Joaquin County Superintendent of Schools Troy Brown, Ed.D., and a team from the San Joaquin County Office of Education visited each school. During tours of the schools, they were able to witness a typical day in a celebrated school and meet students and staff. Here is what principals shared about their schools receiving this award:

PARKVIEW ELEMENTARY RIPON UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT

“It really comes down to the people and processes that are in place. The teachers hold themselves, each other, and their students to high expectations.”

- Principal Victor Ramirez

RIPON ELEMENTARY RIPON UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT

“Whatever the job is, everybody is always willing to collaborate and come together to make it a success. We have a good team that wants to make it successful no matter what it takes.”

- Principal Dana Phelps

PETER HANSEN ELEMENTARY LAMMERSVILLE UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT

“Peter Hansen is a Distinguished School due to the high student achievement, excellent classroom instruction, and community support.”

- Principal Corinne Pacheco

LAMMERSVILLE ELEMENTARY LAMMERSVILLE

UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT

“Lammersville Elementary is a Distinguished School because of the collaborative efforts put forth by all educational partners. Staff and families work together to ensure the success of all students.”

- Principal Jennifer Duran

TRAFFIC-SAFETY ROUNDUP

Walk, Ride, and Roll Rodeo event in Stockton brings together school district and city to make safer routes to school in Stockton

Stockton city officials have teamed up with the Lincoln Unified Public Safety Department to make streets safer for pedestrians and reduce the number of cars on the road.

In March 2023, the Walk, Ride, and Roll Rodeo was held outside Lincoln Unified School District’s Beverly Holt Boardroom. Families went through an obstacle course simulating streets, signs, and incoming objects to watch out for while walking to school. Two of the district’s public safety officers also demonstrated the importance of wearing a bike helmet, as families could see what happens to a dropped watermelon when it hits the ground with and without a helmet.

This “bike rodeo,” where bicycle lights and helmets were handed out to visitors, was the first city-funded event of its kind for Lincoln Unified.

“The main goal was to try to encourage kids to walk and ride their bikes to school, and to do that safely,” said Chris Bowman, district safety department director of safety and security.

Bike rodeo events are organized as part of the City of Stockton’s Safe Routes to

School Plan. With help from a recent city grant, schools are receiving education and equipment to teach traffic rules to community members. These instructional services are made possible by the nonprofit Safe Moves.

Pat Hines, Safe Moves founder, believes traffic education should be informative instead of fearmongering. She says schools are often taken for granted as dangerous areas, given how many vehicles are present during student pick-up and drop-off hours. This congestion may be due to a lack of parents who feel comfortable letting their children walk or bike to school, Hines says.

Hines believes proper traffic education could fix this problem. She believes schools would be safer environments with 20 percent fewer cars near entrances. “It is a slow way to make a mark, but it’s a beginning.”

Minnie Franco, project manager for Stockton Public Works Department’s Traffic Engineering Division, says bike rodeo events are being held as city officials work to add traffic signage and fix sidewalk gaps across Stockton.

“I think parents should attend a bike rodeo so that they can learn about the safety precautions that the city is making for their children to have safe connectivity to their schools,” Franco said.

Lincoln Unified will continue to host bike rodeo events, Bowman says. The Public Safety Department plans to use grant money for upcoming events at Claudia Landeen, Mable Barron, and Colonial Heights schools.

Stockton’s Safe Routes to School Plan is at www.stocktonca.gov/SafeRoutes.

Submitted by Licnoln Unified School District.

ROLLING WITH EARLY LITERACY

The Stockton-San Joaquin County Training Wheels program brings story time to preschools and daycare centers across the county

As Lisa Lee turned page after colorful page of a storybook, a group of preschoolers called out the colors and animals they saw.

When the book was finished, she congratulated the students on a job well done. “I didn’t read this book, you read it to me,” she said to the excited children.

Lee read a total of eight books to that preschool class from the inside of the Training Wheels bus, a mobile library on wheels from the StocktonSan Joaquin County Library that supports early literacy by visiting preschools and daycare centers around the county.

The Training Wheels bus stayed outside the Family Resource Center’s Joan Richards Learning Village throughout the day on a recent visit to bring story time to eight different classes from morning and afternoon preschool. Each student left with a book to take home, and each teacher left with another book to add to their classroom’s library.

The fun day and book giveaway promotes early literacy by engaging students with reading. It also supports the teaching done at the school.

“It’s so important. The library has always supported early literacy,” Literacy Coordinator Raquelle Deyto said.

The Training Wheels visits fit nicely with the way reading is taught at Joan Richards, Center Director Denise Robles De Alba said. The school emphasizes the importance of reading in the home as well as at school while also introducing fun activities that keep children engaged and allow them to use their imagination, and the Training Wheels program supports all of these, she said.

The love of reading has taken root in the Joan Richards preschoolers.

“I like to read all my books at my house,” said Francisco, who was excited about adding another book to his collection. “I like to read stories about bugs, instruments, trees ...” he said, while starting to recite a long list of the types of books that he enjoys.

Natalie knows exactly why books about princesses are her favorite to read. “My mom read them to me when I was a little baby,” she said.

TRAINING WHEELS

To schedule a Training Wheels visit at your preschool or daycare, call the Stockton-San Joaquin County Library at (209) 937-8143. The program is supported with funding from California State Library, the Library and Literacy Foundation, Friends of the Stockton Library, and Stockton Rotary.

A QUEST TO INCREASE STUDENT ENGAGEMENT

Leaders in education across the county engaged in creative problem-solving at Spring Summit

At the Student Engagement Through the 4 C’s Spring Learning Summit, educators found inspiration and learning tools to help create positive change in their classrooms and communities by focusing on creativity, collaboration, communication, and critical thinking.

The March 10 summit at the San Joaquin County Office of Education (SJCOE) opened with a speech from Travis Allen, the co-founder of ProSolve, which held the summit. He shared his own experiences as a frustrated student who felt the education system was not preparing him for real-world challenges. He said it was what led him to create a new type of learning environment to challenge the status quo and position students as creative problem-solvers and lifelong learners.

He introduced QUEST, which uses gaming concepts familiar to students to develop their

ability to think critically and solve problems. The teacher’s role in a QUEST experience is to establish the game and environment, then encourage students to work through challenging problems.

After the keynote, the educators at the summit sampled the student experience with their own QUEST, an escape room-type challenge that gave attendees 40 minutes to use individual strengths in the pursuit of a common goal.

“It was important to let go of preconceived notions that we had to solve problems and to do a better job listening to one another,” said Dr. Jim Bridges, superintendent of Jefferson Elementary School District, after his team completed the exercise.

Jessica Riley, principal at Waverly Elementary School participated in the QUEST with colleagues from Linden Unified School

District. She emphasized the significance of recognizing your personal strengths and being aware of when to step back and allow someone else to utilize their own strengths in solving a problem.

After the activity, teams from schools, districts, and the SJCOE got to work identifying real issues they were facing and approaching them from a different perspective. The goal was to leave the summit with one common solution to the problem that could be implemented before the school year is over.

“It was not only about people leaving with an action plan, but also learning a new set of tools that they can use to problem solve,” said Michelle Ament, ProSlove chief academic officer, who facilitated the exercise.

READY FOR AN ADVENTURE IN AGRICULTURE

Students pitch in to teach third graders at annual AgVenture

Every year, thousands of third graders attend AgVenture events across San Joaquin County to learn about the important agricultural industry that surrounds them.

And every year, teams of high school students from Future Farmers of America (FFA) chapters pitch in to share their expertise with the younger students as they learn about everything from how to put a saddle on a horse to the origin of the food that ends up on supermarket shelves around the world.

At the latest AgVenture, older students from Venture Academy Family of Schools were among the volunteers. Most of the Venture students came from the rural Durham Ferry Academy in Manteca and were no strangers to hands-on learning experiences, especially when it comes to agriculture.

The AgVenture event was at the San Joaquin Delta College Farm on March 28, but the preparations at Durham Ferry Academy began weeks earlier. Students chose topics they were passionate about, then worked on

demonstrations to share their enthusiasm with the third graders.

Choosing to present about horse breeds was an obvious choice for Sky, a Durham Ferry student who has been riding horses for years.

Getting to know and meet animals is always a hot topic at AgVenture. From horses, chickens, goats, and bunnies -- there was no shortage of fluffy friends to pet and animal-knowledge to share. The FFA students also showcased their first-hand knowledge of feeding, holding, and generally taking care of animals. The cuteness factor made the kid goats from Durham Ferry a popular attraction.

AgVenture is about more than presentations. The students are able to get their hands dirty during volunteer-led activities. They donned safety glasses and used drills, screwdrivers, and hammers to make holes in wooden blocks at one station.

After giving presentations at another station on how small engines function, the Durham

The March 28 AgVenture hosted nearly 1,000 third graders from Banta Unified, Jefferson Elementary, and Lammersville Unified school districts.

AgVenture continues to be a great experience for third graders to learn more about nutrition and the rich agriculture that surrounds them. AgVenture is organized by the San Joaquin County government and supported by sponsors and partners, including the SJCOE, and made possible by an army of volunteers.

Ferry students invited the third graders to pull the starter rope and bring the engine to life.

STUDENTS RECEIVE STATE SEAL OF BILITERACY

Ceremony honors students who master more than one language

More than 800 high students from nine school districts and the San Joaquin County Office of Education (SJCOE) received recognition at the State Seal of Biliteracy awards ceremonies held at the SJCOE on April 20, 2023.

The State Seal of Biliteracy program recognizes high school seniors who have attained a high level of proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing in one or more languages in addition to English. The awards help to encourage the study of languages, which benefits students by contributing to their cognitive development while preparing them to join the workforce, both in California and around the globe.

Students in San Joaquin County received seals for biliteracy in 14 languages this year.

"I have also witnessed how multilingualism is very important for healthcare professionals, especially to have a better quality of care for patients," said Suleet Correa Lopez, a student from Health Careers Academy (Stockton Unified School District) who witnessed the importance firsthand during a summer program.

Crystal Palma, a senior from Venture Academy Family of Schools (SJCOE), who plans to be a nurse, also looks forward to how her biliteracy will have benefits beyond earning the seal on her diploma.

"Each of you has gained a marketable skill and enriched your lives, tenfold," said SJCOE Assistant Superintendent Jane Steinkamp during her welcome speech to the students.

Abby Campos from Ripon High (Ripon Unified School District) felt the same way about biliteracy. "It gives you more opportunities, like the ability to speak to people outside your culture and future job opportunities," she said.

And those interactions with people from other cultures can be more meaningful, said Taylor from Lathrop High (Manteca Unified School District). "It helps us communicate in a different way. It shows a lot of respect when you take the time to learn someone else's language."

COMING TOGETHER TO PREVENT CHILD ABUSE

Broad spectrum of community meets and learns at annual Child Abuse Prevention Symposium

Educators, social workers, law enforcement officers, nurses, advocates, therapists, and other professionals working to prevent child abuse and help its victims met for the 23rd Annual Child Abuse Prevention Symposium on April 12. As part of National Child Abuse Prevention Month, the gathering allowed these professionals to network while learning strategies that will aid in their efforts throughout the year.

Hosted by the San Joaquin County Office of Education and the San Joaquin County Children’s Services Coordinating Commission, the symposium started off with a welcome from County Superintendent of Schools Troy Brown, Ed.D., and Children’s Services Coordinating Commission Chair Bishop Dwight Williams. Following the welcome, attendees heard a series of presentations, including keynote speaker Julie Kurtz, founder and CEO of the Center for Optimal Brain Integration, author, and international speaker.

This year’s theme: Complex Care & Diverse Needs with a focus on support for vulnerable populations.

“Children are vulnerable and deserve our protection, especially those with exceptional needs,” Brown said at the day’s opening. “There are children across our county with exceptional needs who need our support. We are coming together as a community today, to focus on the needs of these children.“

The symposium also included a ceremony for the winners of the Child Abuse Prevention and Intervention Awards, given to recognize the individuals and programs making a difference in the fight against child abuse in San Joaquin County.

Detective Alisha Cardenas Law Enforcement Officer of the Year

Kathie Dixon Volunteer of the Year

The Honorable Judge Anthony P. Lucaccini Service Employee of the Year

Human Services AgencyChild Protective Services Social Workers Agency Program of the Year

A MAGICAL MORNING

Students made lasting memories at the San Joaquin County Special Education Prom

Jesse was looking forward to prom. Since he was new to the area, it would be a chance to make new friends and bond with his classmates in the Manteca Young Adult program. And he couldn't wait to hit the dance floor when they played his favorite song: YMCA.

Jesse's smile and positive energy were contagious as he and his friends had a blast dancing to every song that came on during the prom for students in special education, organized by San Joaquin County Office of Education (SJCOE) Special Education Programs and partners at Kimball High School (Tracy Unified School District) on April 27.

It was a morning full of smiles, dancing, and pure magic. More than 150 students from high school and young adult programs in the county attended. When they arrived, they received a crown before being led inside to experience the magic.

The Kimball High School leadership class transformed the gym for the occasion. Decorated with a Disney theme, the gym was filled with excitement, music, and activities.

There was a photo booth to capture memories and tables filled with art supplies to encourage creativity and imagination. However, the dance floor was the main attraction, and it was never empty as the students danced and sang with each other and their new friends from the leadership class.

Danielle McPherson, an SJCOE Special Education Programs teacher at Kimball High School who organized the event, was overcome with joy during the event. When she began teaching at Kimball five years ago, she dreamt to one day give her students a traditional high school event in a smaller environment with the accommodations and support that they need. “My favorite part of the whole day was just seeing how happy the kids were."

THE WRIGHT COACH

Venture Academy coach elevated school team, regional competition

When teams clash in mock trial competitions, they put months and months of study, training, and scrimmaging on the line. Mock trial is more than a competition, aficionados will say. It’s a battle.

But even so, for the tight-knit group of teams in San Joaquin County, mock trial is something else, too. It is a community that values above all else the benefits of the rigorous, fun, and teambuilding that comes with participating.

That much was clear during the awards ceremony at the 2023 San Joaquin County Mock Trial Championship, where coaches stepped away from the battle and honored Venture Academy Family of Schools coach Spencer Wright (pictured above on the left) with a surprise award.

Wright’s teams have won accolades in local, state, national, and even global competitions -- and the lifetime-achievement award he received acknowledges the successes Wright-led teams have seen. But the award also celebrated the event, itself, and Wright’s commitment to growing mock trial participation in the county and supporting other local teams.

“He’s been a rock, across the board for helping our programs grow and getting teams involved,” said Steven Hurst, mock trial

coach at Merlo Institute of Environmental Technology (Stockton Unified School District). “He’s just everywhere whenever anybody needs him.”

When the Merlo program was just starting, Wright invited Hurst to bring the team to watch the Venture Academy team practice -- the mock trial-equivalent of showing an opposing team their playbook. “It was important to him for our team to grow and do better,” Hurst said of Wright.

Stronger programs mean more students taking part in a competition that helps them put critical thinking skills into practice, become better public speakers, or hone a host of other benefits students experience in mock trial.

Wright is part of the camaraderie that has grown among mock trial programs that lifts the sport in the county, said Erika Chapman, student events and activities coordinator at the San Joaquin County Office of Education (SJCOE). “They understand that this is about teaching kids,” she said. “The fact that coaches like Spencer can set aside the piece of the competition that is the competition has really helped build what we have here in San Joaquin County.”

Wright has been coaching mock trial since 1999, when he was both a law student and

teacher in the SJCOE’s one.Program. After seven years in the one.Program, he became a teacher at Venture Academy Family of Schools, where he coached a competitive program. He coached alongside his brother, Matthew Wright, for nine years. The pair also started a county junior high mock trial tournament.

Helping build tougher competition helps all the teams, Spencer Wright said. “Steel sharpens steel. If you go up against the best, you will get better.” And even though his Venture Academy team has filled shelves in the team’s classroom over the years with awards -- including a pair of world champion trophies from the international Empire Mock Trial World Championship -Wright says that helping students learn ranks higher than winning in his book.

And it’s about more than competing for students, too. “While the competition is fantastic. It is not why the kids do it,” he said. “It’s all about belonging to something.”

“Ten years from now, these kids are not going to remember some calculus problem or an essay they wrote,” he said. “They’re going to remember something they did with their friends. And we hope to make that a positive thing with mock trial.”

HIGH SCHOOL APPRENTICES EARN WHILE THEY LEARN

ARCH program apprentices work and take college classes while in high school

Catalina always looked up to her teachers, and it was her long-held dream to one day become a teacher playing an important role in the lives of students of her own.

That dream became a plan with a pathway forward after the Linden High School junior became an apprentice teacher’s aide/ paraprofessional through the San Joaquin County Office of Education (SJCOE) Apprenticeships Reaching Career Horizons (ARCH), the first-of-its-kind program for high school students in the state.

Through the program, Catalina has taken college-level classes and earned a wage while learning on-the-job skills working for the Linden Unified School District. She has learned and grown while getting enough real-world experience to give her a glimpse of what it would actually feel like as a career.

“I still want to become a teacher. It’s still what I am passionate about,” she said, adding that being an apprentice helped her put to rest doubts she had about being able to work with students.

Catalina is one of the students from Linden, Ripon, and Escalon unified school districts and the SJCOE who takes part in the ARCH program. In addition to the paraprofessional pathway, student apprentices are working in district Information Technology (IT) departments as well as learning to become assistant farm managers.

ARCH students concurrently earn college credit at San Joaquin Delta College. They continue to work as apprentices after graduating high school and take their remaining required classes at the college.

Aaron is a Delta College student and a 2022 graduate from Linden High. He entered the ARCH program as an apprentice for the district’s IT department during a point in the pandemic when students were distance learning. The IT apprentices were integral in maintaining and repairing Chromebooks at this critical time.

Aaron has continued working at the Linden Unified IT department. He enjoys working with teachers and his role has expanded

to taking on special projects, too. Earning a paycheck has given him time to work, study, and consider his career path. He likes the IT work, but he could see himself trying out something else, too. The ARCH program has helped him explore his options as he moved through high school and into college.

“It’s definitely given me time to breathe and think about what I want to do.”

Apprenticeships Reaching Career Horizons is the first program in California offering state-registered apprenticeships to high school students. The SJCOE College and Career Readiness department assists school districts wishing to offer ARCH to students. The program is also seeking employers in the private and public sectors interested in offering students more opportunities. More info: www.sjcoe.org/CollegeAndCareer.

ESPORTS CHAMPIONSHIPS ARE AN EVENT TO REMEMBER

Central California Esports League provides students a day of competition and fun

Professional esports events can fill arenas with cheering fans there to enjoy the competition, the spectacle, and everything else that comes with championships in a sport that is part of the multibillion-dollar video game industry.

So, an important step to hosting an esports championship is to play the part and provide an arena experience for gamers and spectators alike.

That’s why the Wentworth Education Center at the San Joaquin County Office of Education (SJCOE) was transformed into an event space for the Central California Esports League (CCEL) championships on April 15. Conference rooms more accustomed to hosting training sessions for educators had been filled with brightly colored lights, neon signs, and gaming platforms connected to big screens for the occasion.

It all set the stage for the competing high school teams as this growing sport and

league comes into its own in the region. “Esports is not considered a sport by a lot of people, and this is an opportunity to demonstrate what it is,” said Billy, a member of the varsity team from Ronald E. McNair High School competing against Lincoln High School in the League of Legends championship.

League of Legends and Rocket League were the two video games that were part of the championships, which was hosted by the SJCOE. Spectators could also play video games in indoor arcades stocked with Nintendo Switches (playing Super Smash Bros. and Mario Kart 8), Oculus Quest headsets, and forklift simulators. Outside the building, spectators could also step inside the 32-foot KAYGE Gaming trailer.

Competing teams meeting each other faceto-face adds something to the competition, said Jessica Dake, one of the coaches of the team from Lodi High School which took first in the junior varsity Rocket League competition.

2023 Central California Esports League Championships

• Varsity League of Legends : Lincoln High vs. McNair High*

• Varsity Rocket League: Lincoln High* vs. McNair High

• Junior Varsity League of Legends: Lincoln High vs. McNair High*

• Junior Varsity Rocket League: Lincoln High vs. Lodi High*

*Winning team

Tracy High School plans to start its own esports program in the 2023-24 school year. Principal Jon Waggle came to the championships to observe the competition.

The computers the school will use for esports will also be used in other programs at the school, from computer programming to the digital arts, he said.

And like other activities offered by the school, the esports team will have grade and attendance requirements. It will be one more activity at the school to offer students a way to engage and connect, he said. “This is a way to get in touch with kids who aren’t normally part of something else.”

LACY LAHMAN

Special Education Programs, Alternative and Augmentative Communication Specialist

As Lacy Lahman starts her day as an alternative and augmentative communication specialist at the San Joaquin County Office of Education (SJCOE), she can’t help but feel excited.

Working alongside a team of skilled service providers, Lacy knows that they are all committed to supporting the students and helping them reach their individualized goals. It’s this sense of support and shared purpose that drives Lacy and keeps her motivated day after day.

On this team, Lacy is like a coach who supports both students and teachers.

Since joining the SJCOE Special Education Programs in 2014, Lacy has focused on finding ways to help students harness their unique skills and abilities “Their skills might look different, but they are just as valid as someone else’s.”

And in that time, Lacy has learned more to help her team, by attending trainings, and receiving her certification in assistive technology and alternative and augmented communication. She knows that assistive technology can make all the difference in the world for her students. Whether it’s a pencil grip to help with fine motor skills or a tablet with symbols to aid communication, Lacy is committed to finding the right tools to support independence and self-expression.

When Lacy meets a new student, she takes the time to form a relationship with them, getting to know how they communicate and what their needs are. Communication can take many forms, and her goal is to help each student find their voice, whether that means talking or using alternative forms of communication. Lacy’s approach is personal and compassionate, and she works tirelessly to ensure that each student is heard and understood.

For example, she said a student might grab your hand and lead you to the cabinet to communicate that they want a cookie that is inside. Lacy takes advantage of this opportunity to teach the student how to communicate their wants and needs in a more universally understood way.

“This can be through a symbol of a cookie on their tablet or a button that says, ‘I want a cookie that is in the cabinet, please.”

Over the years, Lacy has worked with students of all ages and abilities, from preschool to young adults. For Lacy, her students are more than just pupils - they are teachers, too. They have taught her the power of empathy and the importance of seeing the world through different lenses. “They taught me that we are all people, and we all have differences, but those differences can be advantages in a lot of ways too.”

WE ARE SJCOE

We Are SJCOE is a regular feature in the Outlook to celebrate members of the San Joaquin County Office of Education community. If there is someone you would like featured, email sjcoepio@sjcoe.net. #WeAreSJCOE

INFLATABLE UNIVERSE

STEM Programs brings immersive educational experience to classrooms around the county with updated mobile planetarium

Clusters of galaxies twisted and floated on the horizon, stretching from one end to the other on the inside of a dome built to showcase the universe.

A group of seventh graders gazed upward at the view surrounding them as they learned about scientists’ hunt for dark matter, a mysterious matter that is elusive to study, yet fills the universe.

When the scene changed to a graphic simulation of the Large Hadron Collider, the immersive experience created a sense of motion -- students felt like they were zooming through the world’s largest subatomic particle accelerator.

The students were not watching this display inside a planetarium in Sacramento or the Bay Area. This was all happening on the campus at the STEAM Academy at River Islands inside the Star Lab -- an inflatable planetarium that San Joaquin County Office of Education (SJCOE) STEM Programs provides to schools throughout the region.

“Our Star Lab gives students in our area access to a quality, highdefinition experience to see constellations, to look at the stars, to look at the planets, and to feel the same quality and experience that they would in a large planetarium that might be somewhere they’re not able to get to,” said Bella Githere, STEM Programs coordinator. “So, this really gives all students quality access and the opportunity to be inspired.”

Providing access to high-quality STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education is a priority of the department, and the Star Lab is just one way to reach that goal. “STEM Programs really allow students in the Central Valley, especially in San Joaquin County, to have access to quality and Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)-aligned experiences,” Githere said.

Besides support from Githere and others in the STEM department, the mobile planetarium comes with prompts teachers can use to connect the experience with classroom instruction. This makes it more accessible to teachers. There is a wide range of programming that allows teachers to pick the right program that is both grade-level appropriate and can align with what they are doing in the classroom. The Star Lab can help teachers feel more comfortable teaching STEM topics while also being a tool for those who are more accustomed to teaching science.

The STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) Academy at River Islands (Banta Unified School District) has its focus in its name. So, it made sense that teachers from the school were some of the first to test drive the Star Lab. They volunteered to run the experience during the countywide STEAM Fair and Expo in February. It was the public debut of the new mobile planetarium, a high-tech upgrade from the one used by SJCOE STEM Programs for years.

In March, the STEAM Academy teachers brought the experience to their school. Over several days, students of all ages had a chance to jump into new, immersive voyages of discovery.

Amanda Hutchings, who teaches sixth and seventh grade science and a design-build class, remembers when she was a sixth grader An immersive, 3D experience on a big screen sparked a desire in her to float in space and kindled a dream of one day becoming an astronaut. Her love grew from that day.

“That was a fundamental experience for me. So, I really like the idea of the Star Lab, because I think it will give that to a lot of our students here without having to make a big trip somewhere else.”

The Star Lab supplements what students are doing in class, she said. Earlier in the year, students took part in an activity to engineer a rover to explore the planet Mars. A Star Lab video about the quest to return to the Moon brought in another real-world example to relate to the Mars activity.

And that video about dark matter? Hutchings planned to launch her seventh-grade students into the study of atoms and molecules using some of the concepts raised in that video. “It’s taking the theoretical and putting it into something that students can actually see,” she said.

“So, this really gives all students quality access and the opportunity to be inspired.”

“So, if you have a student who’s never heard of electrons, protons, atoms, or molecules -- this gives them a really good introduction to how they’re all pieced together and how they could be separated.”

The Star Lab fits into the STEAM-centered school’s approach of using multiple methods to drive home what students are learning, Principal Angel Mendoza said. “Engaging activities are really important for students because it’s a way to help students solidify their learning that happens in the classroom.”

He also had a memorable experience in sixth grade in something similar to the Star Lab. “I remember looking up and seeing all the stars around me and just wondering about everything that was around me,” he said. “I think our students get that opportunity with the Star Lab. That wonderment. That something that piques their curiosity.”

Wonderment is, indeed, what students of all ages found.

It’s like a virtual-reality experience, but bigger, said Ethan, an eighth grader. And a great way to learn science, he said. “If I could learn about all science through that, that would be pretty dope, I think,” he said. “I kind of wanted to go back in and kind of rewatch it because the visuals were fantastic.”

“You go on and it feels like you’re moving ... moving like on a spaceship as you’re going up to look at the stars. And I think that’s just amazing looking at it,” Parker said.

It felt like rising up and being surrounded by stars and galaxies, said Gabriel, an eighth grader. “When we were going through, it felt like I was actually there. It was really good.”

After watching a feature in the Star Lab about how scientists were working to build the rovers that could lead to more exploration of the Moon -- Aiden, a first grader, was fascinated about all the things robots would be able to do there. He also wondered what it would be like to join the people in spacesuits he saw on the Moon while in the Star Lab.

“It felt like I was in those suits,” he said. “I felt like I was a full-grown adult on the Moon. I was imagining what it would feel like.”

He said he’d like to go there -- for real -- one day.

“It felt like I was actually there, like I was an astronaut studying space,” -Parker, fifth grade

KEEPING STUDENTS WELL

Wellness centers and other resources to support the social-emotional well-being of students target of CalHOPE grant

Stressing the importance of kindness is always important at Waterloo Middle School (Linden Unified School District). But it took center stage when students joined schools across the state taking part in the Great Kindness Challenge in January.

The week kicked off with cheers and a dance-off at a school assembly. Each day of the week started with discussions centered on quotes about kindness, and students organized a full week of activities, explained Katie and Molly, two eighth students in the school’s California Junior Scholarship Federation. The week ended with another assembly, where the school watched a video of their fellow students sharing their thoughts on the importance of kindness.

“Kindness, to me, is helping others if they need help, and treating others how you want to be treated,” said Katie, the vice president of the group.

Shannon Roberson, the school’s principal, hopes one message resonates with the students: “They have the power to change the world with their actions.”

Kindness is a major focus at Waterloo Middle School, which has signed on with the San Joaquin County Office of Education (SJCOE)

Continuous Improvement & Support department to promote socialemotional learning. The school receives guidance from the SJCOE as well as funding through a CALHope grant.

“Social-emotional learning supports students in learning the skills they need to be successful in life, like problem-solving and communication,” SJCOE Coordinator Deanie Coleman said. “Students today are coming to school without mastery of these skills and instruction in these areas that are just as important as academics.”

The CALHope grant focuses on four schools in San Joaquin County: Waterloo Middle School, Escalon High School, Venture Academy Family of Schools, and the SJCOE Believe! program. The focal schools will be able to finish the school year of support with a fun event incorporating a BMX bike stunt show. In addition to supporting those schools, the SJCOE department has also brought together educators in the region in a “Community of Practice” to learn, network, and find additional support. The department also offered focused events for educators.

At the February Curriculum Breakfast -- the department’s ongoing speaker series for educators -- the topic was the Science of Hope. At Waterloo Middle School, the grant allowed them to convert classroom space into a new wellness center. Filled with games, puzzles, and more to give students a place to relax, recharge, or meet with friends from across the school.

Adults know how important it can be to take a moment to “reset,” Principal Robeson said. “This gives those strategies to kids,” she said.

“It’s important to have different kinds of spaces because we have different kids with different needs. We need to think about the needs of all students. A playground with sports equipment doesn’t meet everybody’s needs,” she said. “It’s important to make the whole campus a welcoming space, and this is just one aspect of the campus.”

Students can drop in on their own, and the wellness center is also available for teachers to bring students, too.

The wellness center itself, is packed with things to do -- but it has plenty of room for students to find a place to themselves.

Start from the Heart

Through the ever-changing challenges of the pandemic, the Linden Unified School District learned lessons that continue to strengthen the connection between students and their schools.

During a time when students were often out of school on quarantine, the district watched attendance carefully to make sure that students who were able to be at school would be in class. Then they acted with positive home visits conducted by teams that included the school principal, a social worker and other staff. Keeping families well informed was a priority, too. So was stepping in with support for students with behavior issues.

As conditions changed, the district still kept a tight focus on increasing attendance, reducing suspensions, and making counseling available to students. Efforts paid off. By reducing absenteeism and suspension rates for certain student groups, the district was able to show enough improvements to move out of the state’s “differentiated assistance” classification based on data collected in the California School Dashboard. The focus on student connection to their schools is still a priority in the district. It’s cemented in the Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) and all campuses now have an on-site social worker.

Waterloo Elementary, including its new wellness center, is a prime example of how the district uses that focus on the social emotional health of students to strengthen connections with students.

The districtwide theme of the school year is “Start from the Heart,” Superintendent Dan Moore said. “Students feel connected and safe at school because they’re connected to an adult on campus.”

On a recent visit during recess, students played games and solved puzzles that were offered in some of the activity stations in the wellness center. There were building stations, trays of sand where students could make patterns using tiny wooden rakes as well as a comfortable place to sit and read.

“I love it,” said Owen. During the winter, it’s a warm place to go in the morning before school, he said. (“Sometimes there’s hot chocolate!”) He likes building things with friends, he said. “It’s fun and soothing.”

Ashley, a sixth grader, says her favorite part about the wellness center is how nice everyone is there. “It’s relaxing and fun.”

Wellness Support

Schools or districts interested in finding out more information about how SJCOE Continuous Improvement & Support can provide resources to promote social-emotional health at your school may contact Deanie Coleman at dcrutchfieldcoleman@sjcoe.net or (209) 468-9179.

Welcome to the In The Classroom FAQ, where we turn the page over to educational experts to answer questions on the minds of educators. In this edition, the SJCOE Continuous Improvement and Support Coordinator Deanie Coleman answers the question:

We love to use buzzwords in education. They reflect important topics of discussion in the field, so it's important to build an understanding of what they mean. For the past few years, there has been a lot of talk about Social-Emotional Learning (SEL), and you might be wondering what this means for education and why it's important to prepare students for today's world.

The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL), describes SEL as an integral part of education and human development. It is the process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions, and achieve personal and collective goals. SEL competencies also include our feelings and how we show empathy for others, how we establish and maintain supportive relationships, and how we make responsible and caring decisions.

Research on SEL highlights the benefits for students in incorporating SEL strategies into the school setting.

The five competencies of SEL are self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision making. SEL programs that address all five of these competencies are associated with increased academic outcomes, a reduction in negative student behaviors, increased stress management skills, and a reduction in the symptoms of depression and anxiety in students.

Adults benefit from SEL education, too. Ongoing research shows that teachers implementing an SEL program have reduced burnout, higher workplace satisfaction, and improved relationships.

If you are curious about SEL and want to learn how to incorporate SEL into your classroom or school, the CASEL website at www.casel.org is a great place to start. It provides modules, research, training materials, reviews of curriculum, and webinars for free.

The SJCOE also provides a Community of Practice for SEL. We engage in quarterly sessions where we connect with other local educators on SEL implementation and best practices. Please email grodriguezramirez@sjcoe.net to be added to our list.

If you would like to learn more about SEL and how to implement it in your school, please contact Deanie Coleman at dcrutchfieldcoleman@sjcoe.net.

Educators!

Is there an educational topic you would like to know more about? Is there a question you have that can help us all grow as educators? Send them to the Outlook at sjcoepio@sjcoe.net. Please put “ITC_FAQ” in the subject line.

What Is social-emotional learning and why is it important in schools?

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