Outlook 76.3 | March 2023

EDUCATE INNOVATE INSPIRE

The San Joaquin County Office of Education (SJCOE) is a regional agency that provides educational leadership, resources, and customized services to assist school districts. The SJCOE promotes student achievement and accountability, serves San Joaquin County students, and strives to create an environment in which every student, regardless of circumstances, has an opportunity for a quality education.

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

BEE

JUNIOR HIGH DIVISION WINNER

Ishaan Ajay

Lincoln High School, Ninth Grade Winning word: clientele

Ishaan, along with runner-up Pranvi Rikkamalle from Jefferson School, will participate in the California State Junior High Spelling Bee Championship, scheduled on May 13, 2023, at the San Joaquin County Office of Education.

ACADEMIC DECATHLON

ELEMENTARY DIVISION WINNER

Praneet Aditya Kumaravel

Jefferson School, Sixth Grade Winning word: carafe

Praneet, along with runner-up Adrian Guevara from St. Anthony’s Catholic School, will participate in the California State Elementary Spelling Bee Championship, scheduled on May 13, 2023, at the San Joaquin County Office of Education.

DIVISION 1

TOP OVERALL SCHOOLS

1

Middle College High School, Lodi Unified School District

Tracy High School, Tracy Unified School District

Stockton Early College Academy, Stockton Unified School District

DIVISION 1

TOP SUPER QUIZ TEAMS

2 3 1 2

3

Middle College High School, Lodi Unified School District

Stockton Early College Academy, Stockton Unified School District and Tracy High School, Tracy Unified School District

Mountain House High School, Lammersville Unified School District

ENDING ON A HIGH NOTE

High

school student musicians honored with Nelson Zane Awards

Congratulations to the 31 outstanding high school student musicians from across the county who met the high standards to join the San Joaquin County High School Honors Concert all four years of high school and were honored with a Nelson Zane Four-Year Award at the 2023 San Joaquin County Honors Concert on Jan. 14.

BAND

Renato Balingit, Manteca High School

Sebastian Fiallos, Sierra High School

Coltrane James, Lincoln High School

Magan Jiang, Mountain House High School

Leah Johnson, Lincoln High School

Previn Langham, Lincoln High School

Peyton Prior, Lincoln High School

Bradley Randle, Lincoln High School

Alejandro Villalobos, Lincoln High School

CHOIR

Emily Anderson, Lincoln High School

Mia Bates, Tracy High School

Alyssa Buonocore, Lincoln High School

Taryn Escola, Ripon High School

Avery Terra, Escalon High School

ORCHESTRA

Sohyun Ahn, Lincoln High School

Anwar Akhtar, Lincoln High School

Haydn Eaton, Lincoln High School

Mia Gonzalez, Lincoln High School

Casey Kendrick, Lincoln High School

Alina Kim, Tracy High School

Katie Kim, Manteca High School

Maylene Lesgaspi, Lincoln High School

Amaris Martinez-Medina, Cesar Chavez High School

Arsh Muhib, Merrill F. West High School

Daniela Padilla, Lincoln High School

Thomas Park, Lincoln High School

Saanvi Rajeev, Mountain House High School

Marisa Rush, Sierra High School

Elizabeth Su, Mountain House High School

Roocha Thatte, West High School

Josiah Wiesner, Lincoln High School

The concerts were livestreamed and are available to watch at https://youtu.be/Wfd6n0M0Aek.

Learn more about the AgVenture agriculture and nutrition education program for third graders at www.sjcagventure.com.

READY FOR AGVENTURE

Third graders from Lincoln and Stockton Unified learn about agriculture

The annual AgVenture returned to the San Joaquin County Fair Grounds on Jan. 18. Eager third graders from Lincoln and Stockton Unified school districts unloaded from buses with smiles on their faces, ready to learn about agriculture.

Students ventured through the fairgrounds, stopping at displays to learn about livestock, agriculture, food, and more as they talked to high school Future Farmers of America (FFA) students and community members. Students also had the chance to pet animals, such as a calf and guinea pigs.

The San Joaquin County Office of Education’s (SJCOE) Greater Valley Conservation Corps (GVCC) joined the

community members there to teach the third graders. As students stopped by the GVCC display, they learned about conserving natural resources. Students had the chance to play a game and sort wooden pieces into the correct bins – aluminum, cardboard, compost, glass, plastic, or recycling.

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. The SJCOE is a longtime supporter of these events that provide our students with the opportunity to learn more about nutrition and the rich agriculture that surrounds them.

LEADERSHIP FORWARD

Annual conference unites women to empower them in the workplace and beyond

“Make your goals bigger than your fears,” said Adrianne Pozzi during her keynote remarks at the Women Together International conference on Feb. 2.

Pozzi, a senior mortgage advisor with U.S. Bank, named World’s Rising High Women Leader in Industry, was one of five dynamic women in the lineup of keynote speakers at the third annual conference hosted by Women Together International, Leadership Forward: ALL IN.

The free virtual event drew in over 275 attendees for a day of learning. Joining Pozzi, attendees also heard from KCRA news anchor, author, and award-winning journalist Brandi S. Cummings;

San Joaquin County Office of Education Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services and 2022 ATHENA awardee Jane Steinkamp; author and co-host of the Women at Work podcast Amy Gallo; and photographer, Preserve Studio owner, and creator of The Redefining Beauty Project Shannon Rock.

Founded by members of Lodi Unified School District and the San Joaquin County Office of Education with a vision to build a community of connection, Women Together International now unites women around the globe and aims to recognize the contributions of women and empower them in the workplace.

Rising Leaders Speakers Series

Women Together International invites you to join them on the third Thursday of the following months from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. to hear from women who are rising and inspiring in the workplace. All sessions are free and will take place virtually.

• March 16

• April 20

• May 18

• September 21

• October 19

• November 16 Visit www.womentogetherintl.org

COMPUTER SCIENCE EDUCATION BOOST

The path to computing jobs starts in K-12 education

Educators and advocates push to increase access to computer science education for students, wherever they are. It takes shape in events like Computer Science Education Week, which took place in December 2022.

It’s a popular time for teachers to take part in the Hour of Code -- a global movement to introduce students to computer science by showing that anybody can learn the basics.

Moving computer science education forward is a yearlong priority for San Joaquin County Office of Education (SJCOE) STEM Programs. The department offers events and workshops for students as well as training for teachers who want to learn the skills to start teaching coding to their students.

“It’s important to provide educators and students the tools to teach and learn about computer science because of all the opportunities for students to have access to high-paying jobs of the future,” said Stephen Callahan, SJCOE STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) Programs coordinator. The SJCOE’s commitment to it is also seen in its CodeStack Academy coding school, Teachers College of San Joaquin, and computer science curricula taught in its programs, he said.

Learning coding also helps students understand how technology shapes the world around them as well as shows them different ways they can express themselves. “Both personally and professionally, kids deserve to know computer science.”

CODING IS FOR EVERYONE

During Computer Science Education Week, the Discovery ChalleNGe Academy cadets in teacher Jeremy Love’s coding class didn’t have an introduction-to-coding activity becuase they had already been coding for months in the class.

They had been learning HTML and Java languages, but they happened to be using block coding on Tuesday during the special week. They were making video games and having fun deciding how challenging to make them.

“This is pretty cool. I’ve never done anything like this before,” said Hector, who has known for a long time that he wanted to become a mechanical engineer someday. The desire started by working with cars and learning what makes them tick. He didn’t realize it before he started taking the coding class, but he likes looking under the hood of websites to see how they work, too.

“I’ve done a lot with computers, but never anything like this,” he said, adding that learning to code will help him with his future plans, too. “This is something I will really take with me.”

None of the students in the class said they would have imagined themselves enjoying learning about coding before they enrolled in the quasi-military, residential program for youth at risk of not graduating high school.

Their teacher never doubted that his students had what it took to learn how to code. Love specializes in teaching coding to students in every learning environment, including students in Juvenile Hall in the SJCOE one.Program.

“Everyone deserves to learn this,” Love said. “You’ll be surprised about how much talent will be in the most unexpected places.”

Summer of Computer Science for Educators

TK-12 educators throughout the region can sign up for an array of professional learning workshops through a partnership with the San Joaquin, Placer, and Sacramento county offices of education. The stipend from the CDE Foundation is $175 per day. The Summer of Computer Science sessions will be offered from June 12 - 16. For more information and to register, please go to www.summerofcs.org.

GIRLS CODING COLLABORATION

Event aims to inspire young innovators to close the technology field gender gap

Future female coders from across San Joaquin County entered the San Joaquin County Office of Education (SJCOE) FabLab on Saturday, Jan. 21, eager for the start of the fifth annual Girls Coding Collaboration.

“The goal of the day is to introduce basic coding, engineering, and circuitry to the girls while empowering and encouraging them,” FabLab program manager Steffany Zanini said. “I also hope it teaches them that there are no limits to what they can achieve if they are interested in the coding or STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) career field.”

The project at hand for the day was to use computer code, LED lights, and creativity to engineer a dynamic work of art known as a LightBot creation. The coders spent the first half of the day working in pairs while they got familiar with Scratch - a block-based programming language and website.

At first glance, you would have had no idea that Sophia from Waterloo Middle School (Linden Unified School District) and Abbey from Veritas Elementary School (Manteca Unified School District) had never met before that morning. But the

two worked great together, exchanging ideas, and solving problems. They shared a love for programming and creativity. “It is fun when your project works and you see it in action,” Abbey said.

After receiving an LED light, a light noodle, wires, and a solderless breadboard, the girls got to work on building their works of art and bringing them to life. They wrote codes to determine the timing of the glowing and blinking lights. They did this using a small circuit board called a Raspberry Pi Pico and an online platform called Pipermake.

Once their LightBot creation was complete, the girls were able to take their project home to continue their coding journey. “I wanted them to leave with something that they engineered and coded themselves,” Steffany said. “There is a feeling of pride and accomplishment when you create something from nothing while learning valuable skills.”

The teams at the SJCOE’s STEM Programs and CodeStack departments are passionate about inspiring future female coders and closing the gender gap in the technology field.

The students at the event felt the same way. Sophia said that more representation is needed for women in fields such as coding and STEM. “We can have more ideas as a group when we have more people.”

The Girls Coding Collaboration is a free event hosted by the SJCOE's STEM Programs and CodeStack departments. It provides elementary, middle, and high school students the opportunity to engage in hands-on coding activities while teaching them how to work together to engineer and code simple smart devices.

The SJCOE first offered the Girls Coding Collaborative in 2019 in partnership with Girls Who Code – a national organization on a mission to close the gender gap in technology due to the decline in women computer scientists in the field and the drop off of girls in computer science between the ages of 13 and 17.

LEARNING IN ACTION

Conference focuses on power of play in early childhood education

Teachers, childcare providers, and others who work with the youngest children in the region, broke out the glue sticks, markers, and scissors during the lunchtime activities at the 6th Annual Early Childhood Education Conference in January at the San Joaquin County Office of Education (SJCOE). The theme of the conference was Play: Learning in Action.

In one room, they would take a children’s book like “Have You Seen My Cat?” and construct a path game connected to the book that promoted the learning of math and literacy. And they used the kind of inexpensive materials that could put this fun learning in classrooms, childcare centers, and homes across the county.

“In early childhood education, we know how important play is. We believe that play is a right that every child has,” said Shadaneca Harbour, a coordinator with the SJCOE Early Childhood Education department who headed the committee which organized the conference. “Play really allows children to develop socially and emotionally.

Additionally, play-based activities develop higher-order thinking and problem-solving skills, allowing for success in language, literacy, mathematics, and STEM,” she said.

The conference was focused on those providing services to children from infancy through third grade and sponsored by Kaplan, The Discovery Source, and Lakeshore. The conference began Friday evening, Jan. 27, and continued the following day.

Saturday presenter Lisa Murphy – founder and CEO of Oooey Gooey, Inc., a nonprofit devoted to reinforcing the importance of play in the lives of children – kept it fun as she moved from topic to topic. Along the way she shared educational concepts as well as practical ideas on how to, for instance, use everything from blocks to chalk to bales of straw to turn the outdoors into a fun wonderland of learning.

On the first day of the conference, both San Joaquin County Superintendent of Schools Troy Brown, Ed. D., and the keynote speaker Julie Nicholson, Ph. D.,

stressed the importance of the work done by those in early childhood education.

“You are brain builders,” said Nicholson, author and professor of practice at Mills College at Northeastern University. “You are brain architects helping young building foundations they will use all their lives.”

Conference attendees came to learn from both the speakers and each other. “You get refreshed. You learn. You get good ideas and you implement them with the children,” said Maria Alvarado, a family childcare provider in Lathrop. She said she came to the conference to help her offer a high-quality environment for children.

Safiya Price, who teaches in a Head Start program in Stockton Unified School District said she decided to come to the conference to enhance what she does in the classroom.

“I wanted to take the opportunity to learn new strategies I can incorporate in the classroom and make it more interesting and interactive,” Price said.

LOOKING OUT FOR EACH OTHER

First Peer-to-Peer Summit builds high school student leader’s skills to help fellow students overcome struggles

Being a leader in high school means connecting with fellow students to help them overcome struggles like mental health issues or substance abuse.

At the first annual San Joaquin County Peer-to-Peer Summit at the San Joaquin County Office of Education in November, 2022, about 270 students, teachers, and counselors took the day to learn how to build leadership skills and make an even bigger impact at their school sites.

They included a group of students in a conflict-resolution class at McNair High School (Lodi Unified School District) who already had some experience helping their fellow students and were looking forward to the day for new skills and inspiration.

“I’m looking forward to being given advice about socialization skills and how to talk to people who are hard to talk to,” said Jadi, a student in the class.

Tony Hoffman, the event keynote speaker, shared his own struggles

with mental health and substance use. “Leaders can’t lead unless they know what people need,” he said. Hoffman encouraged the students to be leaders who are changing and improving support for those with mental health issues.

Hoffman was followed by a series of hour-long workshops with topics ranging from suicide prevention, to how to be an LGBTQ+ ally, to training to be a peer helper.

The summit was part of efforts to reach students in the county funded through a $6 million Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission Mental Health Student Services grant awarded through a collaboration with the SJCOE and San Joaquin County Behavioral Health Services.

“Students are more likely to talk to other students about their struggles, especially when it comes to mental health, substance use, or suicide,” SJCOE Comprehensive Health Director Nora Hana said. “So, we want to make sure that students on campuses are able to help each

other, are able to reach out to each other, and support each other as much as possible.”

At Weston Ranch High School (Manteca Unified School District) student leaders put in the work to build a positive culture at the school as well as helping peers who struggle, said Debi Chavez, a teacher at the school.

“We are going to see how we can take what we learn here and do it as a school,” she said, adding that empowering students and making them part of the conversations to come is vital to push those efforts forward. “Once they take ownership, they run with it.”

Juan, a student at Merlo Institute (Stockton Unified School District) said he hoped the summit would be a place to help him as a peer leader at school while also showing him more about pursuing a career as a counselor, himself.

“I want my voice to be heard, not just for me, but for students who are too shy to do it.”

RESOURCES

TEXT/CALL 988 OR CALL

800-273-TALK (8255) 24-hour National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

TEXT TEEN TO 839863 OR CALL 800-852-8336

EVENINGS

Teen Line volunteers offer anonymous support by phone, text, or email. Call from 6 - 10 p.m. Text from 6 - 9 p.m.

TEXT HOPE TO 741-741

The Crisis Text Line offers 24/7 mental health support and crisis intervention

877-565-8860

Trans Lifeline run by and for trans people available 24/7

866-488-7386

The Trevor Project provides 24/7 crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LGBTQ+ youth ages 13-24

GREATER VALLEY CONSERVATION CORPS

Members of the GVCC work to make the five-county region a cleaner and greener place

The members of the Greater Valley Conservation Corps (GVCC) stand out.

It’s not just because the neon-green shirts they often wear while doing their work. And it isn’t just because of the work they do.

The GVCC members work hard to make the five-county region including San Joaquin County a cleaner and greener place.

In the region’s urban areas, the corpsmembers paint over graffiti, collect recyclables, or can be seen at community events collecting everything from electronic

waste to mattresses. In rural areas, they cut through invasive species, restore natural habitats, and clear away underbrush before it gets a chance to feed dangerous wildfires.

They stand out because they get the job done.

It’s something they bring with them when they sign up to join the GVCC, the only certified regional conservation corps operated by a county office of education. And because it is part of the San Joaquin County Office of Education (SJCOE), it shares goals and resources focused on preparing youth for their futures.

The Greater Valley Conservation Corps (GVCC) offers paid work experience to youth ages 18 to 26 while providing support with academic instruction, employment opportunities, green-job training, life skills, and more. The GVCC provides services to businesses, schools, nonprofits, municipalities, and other organizations throughout San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Calaveras, Amador, and Tuolumne counties.

That means the GVCC corpsmembers do not just earn certifications while learning specific skills to perform their day-to-day job tasks. It means they also receive support. It ranges from learning the soft skills that any employer is looking for, to getting help preparing resumés and hunting for jobs.

GVCC members also connect with counseling and educational programs to help them grow while in the program.

For more information about the GVCC and additional services provided, visit www. greatervalleycc.org

GVCC teams tackle all sorts of projects throughout the region, including:

• Landscaping

• Forestry and Defensible Space

• Trail Construction

• Habitat Restoration

•

•

• California State Parks Crews

•

CORPS to CAREER

learned to get the job done

ANN SLEIGHT KATIE YANG BRENT HOLLOWAY

After starting her conservation career at the Greater Valley Conservation Corps (GVCC) headquarters in Stockton, Ann Sleight decided to enroll into Columbia College. She stayed with the GVCC and transitioned to the team based in Sonora to be closer to school and focus on forestry. Her goal: land a position in the forestry industry. After supervising teams, acquiring additional postsecondary education, and working on a variety of fuelload reduction projects, Ann was able to earn a position with the U.S. Forest Service as a field technician. Ann spent the majority of the summer traveling to various wildland fires up and down the state, including the Radford Fire in San Bernardino County (pictured).

Katie Yang enrolled into the Greater Valley Conservation Corps (GVCC) to learn job skills, life skills, and receive industry recognized training while working her way through San Joaquin Delta College. As a corpsmember, Katie excelled at each task that she took on and quickly became an environmental steward. Just prior to graduating from Delta College, Katie won the GVCC Scholarship Program and used the dollars awarded, along with multiple AmeriCorps education stipends, to support her admission into California State University, Sacramento. Katie continued to work and commute to the GVCC while successfully completing her bachelor’s degree. She’s moved on from the GVCC but her passion for youth-development programs led her to a new opportunity. She is now a full-time crew supervisor with the Sacramento Regional Conservation Corps.

At the time Brent Holloway was hired by the Greater Valley Conservation Corps (GVCC) in 2019, he knew his dream job was in a state park. Brent started off as a corpsmember, and in a short time worked his way into a crew leader position. There, he excelled by supporting natural resource projects, recycling collections, and waste diversion events. In 2022, when the GVCC became the first local conservation corps to begin a formal agreement with the California State Parks, Brent was selected immediately to begin supervising a restoration team at Carnegie State Vehicular Recreational Area and Mount Diablo. Impressed by his work ethic and dedication to conservation, California State Parks offered Brent a position as a forestry aide. He is currently loving what he does and still gets to work alongside GVCC members on State Parks projects.

Stories from Greater Valley Conservation Corps members who paved a path forward by using what they

WORKING TOGETHER TO END IT

The San Joaquin County community came together for the Sixth Annual Human Trafficking End It Summit at the San Joaquin County Office of Education (SJCOE) on Jan. 11, National Human Trafficking Awareness Day. Organized by the Human Trafficking Task Force, the summit brings together educators, law enforcement, and community organizations to learn from each other while bringing awareness to this important issue.

Keynote speaker Russell Wilson gave a powerful testimony about his lived experiences as a “CSEC” (commercial sexual exploitation of children) survivor. He began the morning by debunking seven common myths about male trafficking. “Boys and men can be sexually exploited and victimized,” Wilson said. “And it has nothing to do with their masculinity.”

Investigators from the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s and Sheriff’s offices presented next. They went into detail on the time, effort, and research employed

by law enforcement that goes into finding and helping victims of human trafficking.

Outgoing task force Chairperson Joelle Gomez spoke about the importance of working together. “One person alone, no matter how passionate, can only do so much,” said Gomez, CEO of Children’s Home of Stockton.

“It is all of our responsibilities to continue to educate each other, and that is the only way we will be able to have results,” she said.

During her welcoming speech, Gomez introduced Jenn DeAngelo, the new chairperson of the task force. “Anytime there has been a child that I have worked with that needs advocacy, needs someone to help stand up for them, or needs protection, it calls to me,” DeAngelo said.

DeAngelo, an SJCOE family engagement specialist, said she is dedicated to spreading awareness about human

trafficking and helping people recognize the signs and symptoms of sex and labor trafficking when they see them, while also being cautious for their own safety.

Preventing this inhumane crime takes people and organizations working together, DeAngelo said.

“We work better side by side,” DeAngelo said. “We are only as good as the people we stand next to. And so, for the benefit of all the children in our county, across our state, and country, I want to make this go away.”

If you or someone you know is a victim of human trafficking, the National Human Trafficking Hotline can provide the support you need.

1-888-373-7888

ENRIQUE TALAMANTES

Graduate, Discovery ChalleNGe Academy Class 12

With four days to go before he graduated from Discovery ChalleNGe Academy (DCA), Enrique was perfectly calm.

That is not how he would have felt before attending DCA. The old Enrique would get nervous about doing or saying the wrong thing. The old Enrique also skipped school all the time and never bothered to push himself to meet a new challenge.

But Enrique had been able to change during the time he spent at DCA -- a quasi-military program in Lathrop that is a joint effort of the San Joaquin County Office of Education (SJCOE) and the California National Guard.

That’s why he wasn’t nervous at all. He was excited to graduate from the program, receive his diploma, and go back home to show his parents whom he had become.

“I’ve made my parents cry for the wrong reasons. So, seeing them cry about me for the right reasons makes me a lot more happy,” he said. “So, I’m really excited to go home and just show them the brand-new me.”

Born and raised in Stockton, Enrique struggled in traditional schools in Stockton and Lodi. “I didn’t have a path. I didn’t do anything,” he said. “All I did was ditch school, 24-7.”

The change wasn’t easy.

“It was really stressful when I first came here. I wanted to leave the first day,” he said. “Now looking back at it, I’m really, really grateful I didn’t quit.”

Before long, the strangers who were his fellow cadets and DCA staff became more like a family, he said. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. You’re trying to achieve the same thing -- we all had the same goal and plan, and we all stuck it through as a family.”

The DCA served up the challenges for the cadets, but it also gave them the tools to thrive, both at the academy and beyond. “You’d have to try to fail,” he said. “Because of all the support, you would have to put more effort into failure than actually doing the work.”

Going forward, Enrique knows he wants to be an actor. He has his path, now, and the confidence to see where it leads.

He also knows from his experience at DCA, that he will be ready for any challenges that come his way.

DCA Class 12 held its graduation ceremony at the Bob Hope Theater in Stockton on Dec. 10, 2022. View the photos at https:// bit.ly/3GxvvvG. For more information about DCA, visit iamdiscovery.org.

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

With a focus on career training and a goal of growing a career technical education hub for students in alternative education, the one.Program’s new Career Education Academy has launched with pathways to careers in the culinary industry, logistics, and computer coding.

The program includes an emphasis on hands-on training, rigorous instruction, high expectations of students, and the use of top-notch facilities and equipment designed to prepare students for whatever comes next, whether that means going to work after earning certifications and their diplomas or continuing their education after high school, said Tony Damele, coordinator for career technical education (CTE) for the one.Program, the San Joaquin County Office of Education (SJCOE) alternative education program.

PAVING THE CAREER PATHWAY

New academy focuses on career technical education training for one.Program students

The academy follows on the tradition of the one.Program to provide students a wide range of educational options that will allow to them to be successful in education and in life, he said. “We continue to always be innovative in meeting the needs of our students, and we never stop looking for tools for those needs,” he said.

The Career Education Academy is located on two SJCOE sites in Stockton already used by the one.Program, the Federal Building and Building Futures Academy. Students come from multiple program locations to the two centers, where there has been an investment in equipment and facilities focused on these CTE pathways.

“It’s a commitment from us as a program to give students the best. We care about them, and we’re truly invested in providing this training to them,” Damele said.

LOGISTICS

Even for somebody who’s never worked in a warehouse, the beeping noise of a forklift is easily recognizable.

Inside a warehouse, it is everywhere, all the time, said Hugo Ruiz, instructor for the logistics pathway at the Career Education Academy. But the horn isn’t so common. It is something that catches people’s attention. Which is why he puts such a priority on teaching safety techniques, so it becomes second nature for the students to know how to look at their surroundings and use the horn at the right time, all the time.

He explained this as Favian, a student, backed a forklift out of the warehouse while carrying a pallet-load of wood he would then gingerly place on the ground outside. At the Building Futures Academy campus -- one of the two sites where the Career Education Academy is centered -- there’s a warehouse, equipment, and other gear to simulate the real-world working environment.

Favian made it look easy. And it was for him, now. But not at first. He estimates it took about three months before he felt comfortable to safely and accurately pull off the maneuver he demonstrated for some visitors to the class.

The path to proficiency started using the technology that is also part of the program: A simulator.

But students learn more than technical skills. They learn soft skills and can practice applying for a job in mock interviews. Ruiz says he wants his students to be prepared to one day become supervisors or managers, if that is where they want to be.

“That’s my goal, to help them get their foot in the door so they can grow in the logistics field,” he said.

COMPUTER SCIENCE

Josh and Armando were running a system check on a drone they had assembled from a kit.

They had programmed the settings for individual pieces: the camera, the batteries, the controller, and more. Before it was ready for its test run, they hooked up the drone to a computer in their classroom.

With each click of the mouse, a propeller motor whirred while spinning around a piece of tape that stood in for the actual propeller during this testing phase. The students were checking that each propeller would rotate in the correct direction.

It’s kind of like a video game, but you need to take it seriously, Favian said. “It really helped me a lot to understand how I’m supposed to use the equipment and work in any kind of warehouse,” he said. “It helped me feel safe. I felt really comfortable and not having to worry about doing damage. It helped me be more aware of my surroundings.”

Ruiz, who teaches the logistics classes, has 20 years of experience in the field.

“I tell students once they are ready to interview in the real world, you are going to go against qualified individuals,” he said. That’s why getting certifications is a major focus of the program.

For Josh, programming drones was an entirely new experience for him. But he said he understood the assignment and was ready to get to work on the drone because of his teacher. “He explained it -- and now I’m on it,” Josh said.

They were programming the drones for practice mode, at first. They would keep working at it to build up their skills. The ultimate goal is to get their Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) license to fly drones.

“Our goal is to get our students certified in at least one piece of equipment before they leave the program.”

It could open up jobs in real estate, agriculture, or other fields where drone pilots are used, said Chad Cabrera, who teaches the course. Students in the class learn the fundamentals of computer programming, but Cabrera takes a broader view of how students can learn to use those technical skills.

“What I’m doing is teaching them how to create things, to use their imagination to make a website or even some basic computer games,” said Cabrera, who is also a program manager at CodeStack, the SJCOE’s software development department. And with access to the more-powerful computers in the classroom, the students can also create using high-end video editing software and 3D modeling. “So they can see that the computer is more than just a word processor for you to be able to turn in your schoolwork or type papers.”

CULINARY

This was not a practice run. At a cluster of food-preparation tables in what was once a mail-sorting room for the U.S. Postal Service in downtown Stockton, the students in the one Program culinary program carefully sliced tri-tip. The clock was ticking as the meat and side dishes were packed and sent out on the loading dock on its way to a catering appointment in Tracy.

It felt like a real-world job experience because that is exactly what it was. Real.

You find the same kind of energy in the culinary classroom as you do in a local business, said Michael Speer, who owns both a catering business and restaurant while teaching the one.Program culinary class.

“You start feeding off each other when you are moving in a restaurant-style kitchen,” he said. They learn to communicate with each other as they shift tasks and maneuver around the busy room.

Amiya, one of the students in the class, came to the program with knowledge from cooking for her family at home. However, she was able to pick up new skills, like taking orders at a busy event while dealing with customers, which used to make her a little nervous.

Amiya said she could see herself starting her own food truck business, but she’s more interested in going into cosmetology. The culinary class helped her develop the customer service skills she’d use in cosmetology, she said. It also showed her she has options.

“If I didn’t go into cosmetology in the future, I probably will go to a restaurant job because of the skills I’ve learned here.”

Students aren’t going to learn everything they will need to start a job in computer coding, but the class is designed to show students the way and help them take the first – and often most difficult – steps down that path.

Students will learn coding languages that will help them build websites, Cabrera said. Once they get an idea of how to write the code to create the visible website, they also get a better understanding of the coding and processes that happen behind the scenes.

There are also many coding languages that software developers use. But students in the one.Program class start learning about just a few of them. And once you learn one, the rest start to get easier to understand and use. It opens the door to future learning, Cabrera said.

“It’s just that initial hurdle that I’m helping them get over,” he said. “Once you start learning how the computer needs to communicate, you can keep learning as far as you want.”

“And these students are eating that up and completely working together,” he said. The real-world experience of fulfilling an order on a deadline was only part of the process. Along the way, students had learned about working with a client to set a menu, looking at the prices of the ingredients, setting a price point per person, and other pieces of the business side of fulfilling a catering order.

For Eli, another culinary student, he had a dream to start a food truck selling soul food or some kind of comfort food since he was in middle school. The class has helped him learn more techniques, both in the kitchen and on the business side.

“It feels more like an attainable goal,” he said. Eli recognizes that it was not fate that connected him to the culinary program. It was because he had a teacher that knew him and his interests, then recommended the culinary class to him.

At the culinary program’s home in downtown Stockton, there’s enough room to set up a salad bar and tables to give students a chance to manage a restaurant floor, too.

There is also a full-service trailer, so students get experience running a food truck at some of their catering events.

“one.Program schools are a lot more catered to you – the student,” he said. “The teachers help students and cater to what the students need.”

“They’re getting all the aspects of the culinary field.”

BUILDING A COMMUNITY OF EDUCATORS

SJCOE’s one.Program launches new professional learning communities

The science project that Grace Sandoval assigned her students was about more than just chemistry. It was a lesson in how to make a presentation, too.

Before the students started mixing together everyday household items to see what would happen, they needed to make posters to go along with their experiments.

There would also be a showcase in Sandoval’s classroom at one.Discover for students to present dramatic displays of chemistry, like when baking soda meets vinegar or a Mentos candy is dropped in a bottle of Coca-Cola. As a bonus, the showcase was an opportunity to invite student’s families to come and see the show, get involved in their child’s education, and build a stronger connection with the school.

In addition to teaching academics, building relationships is a top priority for Sandoval and her colleagues at the one.Program, the

alternative education program at the San Joaquin County Office of Education (SJCOE).

“If you have relationships with these students, they will work for you, and they will reach out to you,” she said.

Relationship-building is at the core of one Discover -- and this philosophy of making connections to learn and grow applies to the staff, too. From the campus security technician who first greets the students at the door to the teachers in the classrooms and all the other staff who work with students -- they keep each other informed about how students are doing and what to do to better reach them at the school.

This happens at the program level, too. And that program-wide coordination ramped up this school year with the creation of one.Program professional learning communities -- commonly known as PLCs.

“I like picking the brains of other teachers. There’s never a time for a teacher to stop learning,” Sandoval said.

Students in Grace Sandoval’s class presenting their dramatic displays of chemistry.

The PLC meetings at the central SJCOE campus in Stockton bring teachers, campus safety technicians, clinicians, counselors, and administrators all together in one place to learn together and grow, said Brandy Thurman, the one.Program director organizing the PLCs. “It’s a time to step back, exchange ideas, and find new ways to engage students.”

The PLCs are divided into groups focusing on different schools in the program: court schools, intervention sites, elementary sites, daily teachers, and independent study.

The program has sites from Tracy to Lodi in order to reach students across the county, so the PLCs bring teachers together -- especially those sharing subject areas -- and help build a stronger connection for all staff, said Melanie Greene, County Operated Schools and Programs division director who initiated the PLCs.

“There’s no better professional development than just giving teachers time to think about how they want to improve and build off their successes,” she said. “So, what better way to empower them than to give them time to think about what their students need, reflect on their instructions, and make changes?”

Empowerment is important, said Greene. “It’s just like with our students. We want our students to be driving their education, and we want our staff to be driving their learning.”

At one of the meetings of the PLCs this year, Sandoval was at the head of a classroom filled with her work colleagues. Along with fellow one.Discover teacher Gabriela Galindo, she led the group for teachers and other staff from daily community schools. The pair kicked off a discussion looking at data at the group of schools. Then the members of the group jumped in, talking about their students, and sharing what they were doing that was helping move the data in a positive direction.

The discussion was conversational. They shared stories and photos and moved from the numbers to how they were building relationships with students.

And they inspired each other. They shared things to celebrate. One teacher told the story about a student who seemed distant and untrusting of her teacher at the start of the year, but later turned in a writing assignment that showed she had felt connected to the teacher and to the school.

Another teacher shared how one of her students started off the school year by declaring that he planned to miss at least one day of school per week. But something changed as the year progressed. He came to class every day and told the teacher the reason why: “I like going to school.” This led the PLC discussion back to the data.

The educators dove back into the attendance numbers and started asking questions about incentive programs, in-home visits, and other ways to improve attendance at their schools.

The PLC session ended, and the educators left with new ideas in their minds and stronger connections with their colleagues.

What is a Professional Learning Community?

The purpose of a Professional Learning Community (PLC) in schools is to establish, support, and strengthen high-performing collaborative teams that work interdependently toward common student achievement goals.

In this issue, we’re turning the page over to San Joaquin County Office of Education Continuous Improvement and Support Director Lauren Dietrich to answer the question:

How do you start a Professional Learning Community?

Professional Learning Communities (PLC) can build a positive culture and climate among school staff while also encouraging thought-provoking and data-driven conversations around student outcomes. PLCs are learning environments for teachers, counselors, and administrators to work through a continuous improvement process by analyzing student work, setting goals, applying new strategies, and reflecting on the process and outcomes. They offer a place to feel valued and supported while being able to ask questions to one another without the fear of judgment.

Schools wishing to begin a PLC environment for collaboration can use a continuous improvement process made up of four components. The first is to establish goals. Consider what student outcomes are needed to make improvements. It’s important to set goals around areas of focus that align with school and district goals. Goal setting is one of the most important elements and should be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely.

After determining a goal, participants should establish meeting times to collaborate, review student data, and plan and prepare for lessons. Usually, these times are common planning or prep times for professional development. The New Teacher Project (TNTP) PLCs, a national nonprofit founded by teachers, is committed to helping educators create engaging classrooms, focused schools, and strategic school systems. TNTP recommends that PLCs are grounded in four critical questions that participants should be reviewing regularly:

1. What should students know and be able to do?

2. How will we know if our students have learned it?

3. How will we respond when students do not learn?

4. How will we support teachers to respond when students already know the learning targets?

After determining an action plan, participants will go back into the classroom and apply what they have learned. Maybe this is establishing consistent student expectations in grade levels to see if it will improve positive student behaviors, or it could be conducting empathy interviews to understand why there has been a low turnout for parent participation in school activities. Whatever the action is, the PLC participants try it out and come prepared to the next PLC meeting to share. It can be helpful to also establish PLC roles for participants, such as facilitators or lead teachers, recorders, timekeepers, and reporters.

The final and most crucial stage of the continuous improvement process for PLCs is monitoring and reflecting on the outcomes of the action. Participants will use the collaboration time to share what they learned and how it impacted student learning. Through a continuous improvement process, PLCs encourage collective responsibility for student achievement and allow teachers to be thought partners with one another to think of creative and innovative ways to keep students engaged.

For more information about establishing PLCs, or if you’d like support in developing or strengthening PLCs at your school, please contact SJCOE Continuous Improvement and Support Department at ldietrich@sjcoe.net or sglusing@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.

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A holiday tradition! The winner of the Annual Holiday Card Art Contest was surprised during class. Way to go, Natali!

Successful futures ahead! Seventeen inspirational students were recognized with an Every Student Succeeding award at the SJCOE on Feb. 8!

Reunited and it feels so good! Current second grade Tracy Unified teacher is surprised by the teacher that inspired her to become a educator.

andServing up student success! one.Culinary students served tacos to other students as a reward for testing scores.

Here’s a snapshot of what you’ve been missing if you’re not following the #SJCOE on social media!

Full STEAM ahead! Students presented their science projects to judges at the SJCOE STEAM Fair and Expo on Feb. 25.