March - April 2018 District Newsletter

SUPERINTENDENT MESSAGE

Martha Martinez,
Superintendent

APRIL DISTRICT NEWSLETTER Night at the Future Museum at El Gabilan Elementary
YEAR: 2018 | ISSUE: 16
Each and every day there are many positive activities, events and student-learning that demonstrate
FOLLOW US how our staff and schools are working together to make SCESD classrooms a terrific place for our
students. This month’s newsletter captures some the many great happenings of our district.
AND GIVE US A LIKE!
March and April included the Lyceum Spelling Bee, the Migrant Speech & Debate competition, our
@SalinasCitySD Spring Parent Leadership conference, Public School tours at Roosevelt and Lincoln and Founder’s
Day just to name a few. I loved seeing our students and their proud parents at these various events
TABLE OF CONTENTS and witnessing their enthusiastic mindset in competitions and performances. I realize that many
hands are involved in helping prepare our students for these events and would like to extend a big
Tom Sabaska heartfelt thank you for making the programs and activities possible. SCESD could not carry out
Movers, Makers & Bakers these efforts without the support of teachers, support staff, administration and parents. Every-
Award Winner .............................. 4 where I go I hear the public, our families and our staff rave about the multitude of opportunities
Mary Harmon afforded to their children and the impact as result of these efforts.
Champ in Education Award .... 5
Jean Felix As I read the inspiring stories of our Employee Award Winners, I am deeply moved by the passion
Pearl Award .................................. 6 they speak about their profession. Tom, Mary and Jean each bring a different set of expertise to
Professional Development ..... 8 those they serve, yet each role, is so essential to making this district the best place for kids. Please
Testing & SIS ............................... 9 make sure to congratulate these outstanding employees for making SCESD a great place for kids.
Curriculum & Instruction ...... 10
School Improvement/ Parent As we enter the last weeks of school I would encourage you to take time and enjoy each moment
Engagement ............................. 11 and be proud of all you did to make a positive impact on our students, our staff, our schools and our
Information Technology......... 12 community. Have a wonderful month of May.
Migrant ........................................ 13
SPED .............................................. 14 Warmest Regards,
Transportation .......................... 15
Delta Kappa Gamma .............. 16 ON THE COVER
Family Resource Center ........ 17
Trip Down Memory Lane... 19-30 Tom Sabaska,

SCESD Maintenance Lead and
“Movers, Makers & Bakers” Award Winner

See her interview on Page 5

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MOVERS, MAKERS & BAKERS AWARD WINNER

Classified What brought you to Salinas City
Elementary School District?
TOM
SABASKA I originally worked in the new construction sector as a
plumber doing both plumbing,and heating installations
We are entering our final part of our 3-part series in new homes, however during the winter months the
highlighting our Employee Award Winners from 2018/18. work would generally slow down, and to stay busy I
We asked our award winners questions to describe what started working for the Salinas City School District on a
thier award means to them and what advice would they give part-time basis… Obviously 28 years later the part-time
to new educators and staff beginning their journey. aspect didn’t work out!
For our first interview, we spoke with Movers, Makers &
Bakers Award Winner, Tom Sabaska. What keeps you motivated and inspired
on a daily basis?
What’s your title and school location?
I stay motivated, and inspired easily as I still enjoy work-
SCESD Maintenance Department, Maintenance Lead ing to transform, and improve our school sites. Never
has the thought that “students are the focus of our
How many years of teaching/experience? work”meant so much....Principals,Teachers, and Aides
are tasked with educating the students directly ,indirect-
28 years ly the Maintenance Staff is responsible for creating the
proper learning environment for the children to thrive
in, we all work together for the common goal of educat-
ing our youth.

What does your award mean to you?

I’m very humbled and grateful to be acknowledged by
this individual award, but I would also like to acknowl-
edge my fellow team members who work hard on a
daily basis to keep our schools safe, secure,and in the
great working condition they are in.

What is the most gratifying thing
about your job?

The most gratifying thing about my job is knowing that
at the end of each work day the team’s accomplish-
ments from the day will hopefully translate into making
it easier for someone at the school site tomorrow ...to
either teach ,or learn...or both.

Any advice for new educators?

My advice to new educators would be to smile (it al-
ways helps)promote positive ideas, and relationships.
Keep the ideas fresh, explore other avenues to engage
or enlighten students if the old ideas no longer work .

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CHAMPION IN EDUCATION AWARD WINNER

Certificated job and went to CSUMB. As soon as I was done with
all my classes and state test, I knew where I belonged.
MARY I interview at the school that started off my career and
HARMON I’m still there.

For our second interview, we spoke with What keeps you motivated and inspired
Champion in Education Award Winner, Mary Harmon. on a daily basis?

What’s your title and school location? My students past and present inspire me daily. I know
my students love to come to school because their
Teacher, Henry F. Kammann Elementary School parents tell me and I feel I need to be there for them. I
just love to show them their potential and find out what
How many years of teaching/experience? works for them to learn best. Everyone learns differently
and it is up to me as their teacher to find out how they
11 years learn effectively and push them to be all they can be.
I’m so motivated when I hear a struggling student say I
What brought you to Salinas City got it and I don’t need help. Can I help someone else?
Elementary School District?
What does your award mean to you?
In 2005, while volunteer in my daughter’s fourth grade class
retiree Cheryl Mattison pulled me aside and told me I was The award was a nice surpise that so many people felt I
in the wrong profession and that I needed to get my teach- desired an award. Truly, I love my students and helping
ing credential. I thought about it and within a week quit my them all reach their potential is the award that means
the most to me.

What is the most gratifying thing
about your job?

There is nothing more rewarding than knowing and
seeing the evidence that I’ve made an impact on some-
one’s life or multiple lives. I sometimes cannot physically
see the appreciation or the impact I’ve made right away
on a student’s life. When they return to see me and tell
me that my classroom change their lives for the better.
My heart just melts for them.

Any advice for new educators?

When you are a teacher, you teach beyond the text-
books. You teach children how to deal with their emo-
tions, how to be independent and how to problem
solve. Remember to celebrate big and small accom-
plishments throughout the day, week and school year.
Don’t worry you don’t have to be perfect. The students
will accept you as you are.

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PEARL AWARD WINNER

JEANCertificated
FELIX

For our third and final interview for Part 3 of a 3-part series, What keeps you motivated and inspired
we spoke with Pearl Award Winner, Jean Felix. on a daily basis?

What’s your title and school location? The smiles and enthusiasm of our students keeps me
motivated. My inspiration is directly connected to the
TSA New Teacher Support, District Office dedication and professionalism that everyone (classi-
Academic Coach, Mission Park Elementary School fied and classified) exhibits throughout the day, at each
and every site. This desire to make a difference is what
How many years of teaching/experience? inspires me to be better, to be supportive and to be the
best person I can be.
20 years
What does your award mean to you?
What brought you to Salinas City
Elementary School District? This award is very humbling for me; there were so many
amazing people who were nominated for the Pearl. I
The school district was highly regarded when I started am also extremely honored because I feel valued and
teaching and I desired to be a part of the team. I wanted to appreciated for my dedication to my profession.
educate students from diverse demographic and cultural
communities. What is the most gratifying thing
about your job?

Working with so many wonderful people!

Any advice for new educators?

Remember you are educating someone’s child and
someday that child will be an integral part of our com-
munity. Treat everyone (students and coworkers) with
respect and honor, build relationships and don’t be
afraid to take a risk.

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ISSUE 16 | MARCH-APRIL DISTRICT NEWSLETTER 7

ED SERVICES

BY LORI SANDERS

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
MEETING DATES/ TIMES

May 2018 Schedule

PHOTOS FROM PREVIOUS PD DAYS

Salinas City Elementary School District 

840 South Main Street • Salinas • California • 93901 • (831) 753-5600

Professional Development Calendar

May 2018

/ Location Topic Who Should Attend
DO: Basement System 44 Cadre System 44 Teachers
Date/Times Conference Room
DO: Board Room New Teacher Intern Teachers
May 8 Bootcamp REWARDS Teachers
3:00-5:00pm DO: Basement
Conference Room REWARDS Cadre
May 8 DO: Board Room
3:30-5:30pm Induction Colloquium Year 2 Interns

May 8 DO: Board Room Inclusion Collaborative Interested GenEd and
3:00-5:00pm SpEd Teachers

May 15
$:00-6:00pm

May 22
8:00am-3:00pm

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TESTING & SIS

BY VIRGINIA GARZA-NUÑEZ

THE UPDATE

GLRT Visitations: Thank you to all of the grade levels Upcoming State Assessments:

that I’ve had a pleasure of visiting to observe the Data • Grade 3-6 CAASPP ~ ELA SBAC, Math SBAC, CZZ (CA
Teams process! As a friendly reminder the purpose is to Alternative Assess.), CAST (CA Science Test) Assessment
1) serve as a coach to site admin, 2) see first hand what is Window: April 23 – May 25, 2018, some sites may vary.
working well, and 3) observe the use of data to identify
student-learning needs to provide differentiated instruc- • Grade 5 PFT (Physical Fitness Test): Please continue
tion. to have your students practice on their mile walk/jog/run,
push-ups, sit-ups, etc. PFT administration window closes
English Language Proficiency Assessments for California on May 18, 2018 and student data will be entered via Illu-
(ELPAC): minate. We have created an Illuminate, training on “how
to” will be forthcoming from your site Vice-Principal.
• The ELPAC window February 1, 2018 – May 25, 2018.
We continue to thank you for your flexibility during one-to-
one and make-up testing.

ADA (Average Daily Attendance): tions to Los Padres for meeting the State ADA goal of 97%.
Please continue to communicate to parents and students the
The district’s ADA average for Months 1-7 was 95.06 % not importance of making everyday count!
including Saturday attendance recovery (AARC) and 96.01%
including Saturday attendance recovery (AARC). Congratula-

ISSUE 16 | MARCH-APRIL DISTRICT NEWSLETTER 9

CURRICULUM & INSTRUCTION

BY RON DILLENDER

SUMMER PD
AND WORKSHOP DAY

Summer Professional Development Workshop Day - Participants choose to attend four
sessions; each an hour long on the following topics:
We are still making arrangements for the voluntary June
Professional Development Days on June 4-8. This year • Units of Study
should be another success with a variety of sessions on • Repeat Sessions of After School Benchmark Trainings
the various days. Teachers would be paid per-diem for the • Footsteps2Brilliance
voluntary days. • Imagine Math
• Imagine Learning
Among the offerings we are considering are: • Illuminate
· Benchmark: Classroom Interventions, Special Education • Accelerated Reader and STAR

Curriculum, Small Group Instruction, DELD, etc
· Eureka: Fluency
· CUE Rockstar: Google Classrooms
· iSchool Initiative Teacher Certification

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SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT &

PARENT INVOLVEMENT

BY ELIZABETH LOPEZ

SPRING PARENT LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE

DRAWS LARGEST CROWD YET

Spring Parent Leadership Conference at Sherwood Elementary

T he Parent Leadership Conference took place on provided by Grupo Folklorico Citlalolin. A variety of public
Saturday, March 10, 2018 at Sherwood Elementary agencies were present and provided parents with a wealth
School. Over 200 parents attended. Guest speak- of information on community resources.

ers included Superintendent Martha Martinez, Monterey After each workshop, parents had the opportunity to
County Supervisor, Luis Alejo, along with Hartnell Director complete a satisfaction survey. According to results, the
of Communications, Esmeralda Montenegro-Owen and majority of parents in attendance thought the workshops
keynote speaker, Dr. Ramon Resa. were engaging and provided valuable information. Many

Conference workshops included topics such as math, parents also indicated that they are eagerly looking for-

reading and early literacy strategies along with the Local ward to the next Parent Leadership Conference which will

Control Accountability Plan, gang prevention, cannabis take place in fall of the 2018-19 school year.

awareness and immigration rights. Entertainment was

Keynote Speaker Supervisor Hartnell College Superintendent Building Positive &
Ramon Resa Luis Alejo Esmeralda Martha Martinez Healthy Family Relationships

Montenegro-Owen Cara y Corazón is an 8 week program that focuses on
strengthening the parent-child relationship. The lesson’s
goals are to re-integrate family traditions and values that
support the unity and harmony of the family. Through this
program, parents may reconnect with their own person-
al, family, and cultural strengths to create and maintain
a balance to guide and support their loved ones in their
daily lives.

The schools that will implement Cara y Corazón are
Roosevelt, Natividad, Boronda Meadows and El Gabilan.
The program will also be offered at the Family Resource
Center to support Foster Youth and Homeless families. All
Cara y Corazón classes are scheduled to begin in April.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY BY MONIKA MACIAS

WE CELEBRATE!

ADDITIONAL CHROMEBOOKS
BRING 1:1 TO 3RD-6TH GRADE!

D uring the first week of April, the I.T. Dept. will be Charging Chromebooks will differ in each classroom and
issuing the newly-purchased HP Chromebook 11 the Tech. Dept. will support each classroom - as needed.
G6 - Education Edition. Some classrooms have a school Chromebook cart, others
a Chromebook cart from the SUHSD donations, others
have charging crates, and others prefer a surge protectors.
We’re gathering empty crates from classrooms where the
donated SUHSD carts were placed, and purchasing surge
protectors.

These Chromebooks will augment the existing number of We only have to manage the
Chromebooks in grades 3-6 - taking us 1:1 based on each charging situation for 40 more
classroom’s current enrollment. days, or until the end of the
school year. In the sum-
With just over one month before CAASPP testing, our mer, we’ll replace all
students will each have access to a Chromebook, all day, the silver Chrome-
every day. Each Chromebook will come with a headset in books and put
its own ziploc bag for daily storage. policies and
procedures
in place for
students to take the
Chromebooks home in the
new school year.

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BY MARY PRITCHARD MIGRANT

SECOND PLACE FOR OUR
SPEECH & DEBATE TEAM

Mr. Salamanca and his students during the Migrant Region Speech and Debate Competition

W e would like to congratulate our 6th-grade
migrant students who competed in the
Migrant Region Speech and Debate Compe-

tition on March 10th at Harden Middle School. Our team

members were: Oscar Salcedo-Natividad, Max Corona-

Boronda Meadows, Ulises Arciga-Los Padres and Jorge

Aguirre- Loma Vista. They all did a fantastic job. The team

brought home a 2nd place finish in Prepared Speech and

a 3rd place finish in Extemporaneous Speech. A big thank

you to coach Osman Salamanca for preparing our students

for this event. Smart Start

We held a three day Spring break program and had over 90 Enrollment for our 18/19 Smart Start pre-
students participate. school and afterschool programs at Lincoln
and DIAS-Boronda has been open since
Our Early Childhood Education and Family Literacy services early February. Interest is strong and several
will continue evenings through the end of May. sessions are at or near capacity. We will be
sending out registration confirmations and
We are currently working on planning services for summer placement information in April. Applications
and for the 18/19 school year. are available on the district website. If you
have questions please call 831-753-5615 or
Our migrant staff is available if you have any questions. email [email protected].
Call 831-753-5685 or email [email protected].

ISSUE 16 | MARCH-APRIL DISTRICT NEWSLETTER 13

SPECIAL EDUCATION

BY DR. JAN HAMILTON

AN UPDATE WITH
SPECIAL EDUCATION

During CSEA Paraeducator’s Conference in Ontario, California during the end of February

WELCOME! WELCOME!

SARAH BOONE DYLAN LANGON

Board Certified Behavior Analysis School Psychologist - Kammann

T he Special Education Department would like to programs for the upcoming school year. The team’s col-
welcome several new staff members to the depart- laboration is appreciated. The Leadership Team will be
ment. We have a new Board Certified Behavior conducting a file review in the coming weeks to support
Analysis, Sarah Boone, and we welcome her expertise. the department’s compliant practices.
Our cohort of behavior intervention specialist (BIS) has
expanded to 16 personnel supporting our students A few RSP teachers attended ‘The Food for Thought
throughout the district, and this will continue to expand to Series on CDE’s Dyslexia Guidelines’. Our teachers were
meet the needs of the district. We would like to welcome provided with a two-sided list of the Dyslexia Legal Princi-
on board a new school psychologist, Dylan Langon, who is ples and Guidelines by the California Department of Ed-
currently working at Kammann Elementary and providing ucation. This information will be shared with all Resource
support for our preschool transition assessments. Teachers in our district.

The Special Education Leadership Team has had several We hope all of our hard working special education staff
very productive meetings as it relates to supports and had a wonderful and well deserved Spring Break.

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TRANSPORTATION

BY RICK ENRIQUEZ

MAKING PROGRESS

A t this time last year we were 8 drivers short!! I am On a good note, Monterey Air Resource Board has grant
happy to report that we are gaining ground and funds available for 1 Electric School Bus + infrastructure
should be at full staff by the end of the school year. to maintain. We have submitted our request and are very
hopeful! The funds are for a T-1 School Bus (Large Bus, 71
The new personnel we have attracted are progressing fast. passenger capacity). This School Bus will be mainly used
School Bus Drivers are still in high demand in the Monte- for home to school transportation. This will be the next
rey area. step our Transportation department makes toward lower-
ing emissions in and around our schools.
Currently we have 27 Routes:

24 Assigned time, School Bus Drivers
3 Retired sub, School Bus Drivers
7 Drivers in training (2 will complete training by the end of
April!)

On a daily basis we provide transportation for 900 to 950
Regular Ed students and 180 Sp. Needs students. This is
a Great accomplishment! As far as the buses in general,
this is not an easy task! With an outdated fleet of buses’
we are constantly working around breakdowns. In spite of
that, the drivers accomplish their daily duties with a smile.
I’m very proud of our drivers’ and their dedication!

ISSUE 16 | MARCH-APRIL DISTRICT NEWSLETTER 15

DELTA KAPPA GAMMA

BY RICK GEBIN

HONOR SOCIETY AWARDS

GRANT FOR ONE SPECIAL TEACHER

I n recent months, six Salinas City Elementary School District teachers have been recognized and honored by
Delta Kappa Gamma (DKG) Theta Omicron Society, a local Chapter of the International Delta Kappa Gamma
Society. DKG is a professional honor society of key women educators in the United States, Canada, Europe,
Latin America and Japan.
Lori Voogd, teacher at Lincoln Elementary School, was initiated and accepted as she displayed excellence in her
professional growth and personal development.
New teachers Adrian Uribe from El Gabilan, Jessica Georgalos from Boronda Meadows, Mariko Caster from Monte-
rey Park and Megan Crook from Loma Vista were carefully chosen to each receive an Early Career Educator grant of
$2,500 by Theta Omicron, to be used in the classroom for the 2016-17 school year. More recently, Angelica Guz-
man, teacher from Boronda Meadows, was selected for this year’s recipient (2017-18) for the same grant. She will be
using the funds to purchase guided reading books. Congratulations!
For more information about the Delta Kappa Gamma Theta Omicron Society, visit www.dkg.org.

16 MARCH-APRIL DISTRICT NEWSLETTER | ISSUE 16

FAMILY RESOURCE CENTER

BY CHERYL CAMANY

FRC AND SANTA CATALINA

HOLD LUNCH & ART SHOW

FRC Fun Friday Pop-Up Art History Project with Santa Catalina

Our Family Resource Center (FRC) and Santa Catalina School concluded their huge project with Super Saturday at
Santa Catalina for a Lunch and Art Show featuring art from our FRC students. A few weeks back, students from Santa
Catalina visited the FRC for Fun Friday and helped our students develop masterpieces that they then displayed during
the Super Saturday Art Show. This was such an amazing experience for our FRC students. Thank you so much to Santa
Catalina School for their continued support and for sharing so many smiles and laughter with our students!

ISSUE 16 | MARCH-APRIL DISTRICT NEWSLETTER 17

FACOMMMIULNYICARTIOENSS OURCE CENTER

FRC Super Saturday at Santa Catalina School Lunch & Art Show featuring Pop-Up Art History from FRC Students
18 MARCH-APRIL DISTRICT NEWSLETTER | ISSUE 16

TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE

PINK SHIRT DAY - FEBRUARY 28

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TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE

PINK SHIRT DAY - FEBRUARY 28

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TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE

LYCEUM SPELLING BEE

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TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE

NIGHT AT THE FUTURE MUSEUM AT EL GABILAN

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TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE

COWBOY POETRY 2018

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TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE

FOUNDERS DAY 2018 - ROOSEVELT SCHOOL TOUR

SCESD celebrated our city’s 150th Birthday with Historical Tours at both Roosevelt and Lincoln. Roosevelt was
the original West End school that had it’s start in 1874. This tour kicked off Founders Day week.

Councilman Steve McShane donated
a tree to commemorate SCESD’s 150
years of existence.
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TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE

FOUNDERS WEEK 2018 - ROOSEVELT SCHOOL TOUR

Students, along with Mr. Rossi and Mr. Griffin, provided amazing entertainment.

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TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE

FOUNDERS DAY 2018 - LINCOLN SCHOOL TOUR

SCESD celebrated our city’s 150th Birthday with Historical Tours at both Roosevelt and Lincoln. Lincoln was the
original East End school that had it’s start in 1868.

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TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE

FOUNDERS DAY 2018 - LINCOLN SCHOOL TOUR

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TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE

FOUNDERS DAY 2018 - CITY OF SALINAS

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TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE

FOUNDERS DAY 2018 - CITY OF SALINAS

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TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE

FOUNDERS DAY 2018 - CITY OF SALINAS

30 MARCH-APRIL DISTRICT NEWSLETTER | ISSUE 16

SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES

FOLLOW OUR SCHOOLS ON INSTAGRAM

BORONDA MEADOWS

@BORONDAMEADOWSELEMENTARY

EL GABILAN KAMMANN LAUREL WOOD LINCOLN

@EG_HAWKS @KAMMANNELEMENTARY @LW_DOLPHINS @LINCOLNLEAPORDSROARR

LOMA VISTA LOS PADRES MISSION PARK

@LOMA_VISTA_SUPERSTARS @LOSPADRESPANTHERS @MIPMUSTANGS

NATIVIDAD ROOSEVELT SHERWOOD

@NATIVIDAD_EAGLES @ROOSEVELT_BEARS @SHERWOODSHARKS

ISSUE 16 | MARCH-APRIL DISTRICT NEWSLETTER 31

“STUDENTS ARE THE
FOCUS OF OUR WORK”

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