October 2017 Newsletter-FINAL

ISSUE 13 | OCTOBER DISTRICT NEWSLETTER 1

SUPERINTENDENT MESSAGE

Martha Martinez, During the last two months, I was able to visit schools during Back to School nights, helped at the
Superintendent Pop Up Produce Markets with strawberry distributions to our students made possible by the FRC,
walkthrough classrooms observing teachers teaching and attended other special assemblies or activ-
FOLLOW US ities. What I found most exciting was the smiling faces of students receiving special treats, students
engaged in learning and students leading school wide events. I marvel on how schools have taken
AND GIVE US A LIKE! student leadership to the next level with student led events becoming the norm at many schools.
What a treat it was to see the creativity of young minds come alive through thoughtful planning and
@SalinasCitySD guidance from their mentors (teachers and administrators).

TABLE OF CONTENTS In addition, I loved attending September Saturday programs at many of our schools. NASA pro-
grams are well attended and students were highly engaged in math/science-based projects. The
Testing & SIS ................................ 3 attendance recovery programs also began their first session and we are thankful for those teachers
Professional Development ..... 4 who are leading and teaching these Saturday programs. Attended by hundreds of parents, the
Curriculum & Instruction ........ 5 Parent Leadership Conference included a variety of sessions ranging from understanding literacy and
Music and Art .............................. 6 math academic curriculum, intervention programs to learning all about our school culture/climate
Human Resources ...................... 7 initiatives. Parents I talked to found the conference to be rich in learning as well as a fun filled day
Intervention .................................. 7 for their children.
SPED ................................................ 8
B.E.S.T After School ................... 9 The first forty days of school have been extremely busy and full of many changes. This year our staff
School Improvement/ Parent felt the challenges of change as we implemented several new systems in moving forward to become
Engagement ............................. 10 a more effective and efficient district. Our Business Department dedicated endless hours on the
New Teacher Support ............. 11 back end to make Escape seem to most users as a seamless transition. Our Educational Services
Climate and Culture ............... 12 Department was fully committed to the roll out of a new English Language Arts program. They
Business ...................................... 13 spent the summer months providing professional development opportunities to support teachers in
Food Services ........................... 14 having advanced exposure to new teaching methodologies and materials. In addition, they worked
Transportation .......................... 15 hand in hand with Maintenance department on the delivery of materials to school sites with over
Information Technology......... 16 one hundred truckloads needed for delivery before the start of school.
Social Media .............................. 17
Family Resource Center ........ 18 All the while our IT and the Assessment/Accountability Departments were anxiously troubleshooting
CASP Awards 2017 ................. 19 the integration of our Student Information System with new systems, Illuminate and Clever, for all
Trip Down Memory Lane... 20-24 users to have access to the many educational platforms needed for optimal operations and learning
opportunities for students. This meant thousands of devices used by staff and students last year
needed upgrades in order to function at full capacity.

As Superintendent, I am held accountable for student achievement, the lever of accountability to de-
termine our success of fulfilling our vision and mission for our students. In the third year of measur-
ing progress towards proficiency of California State Standards, CAASSP scores were released to the
public on September 27th. While there is great progress to be made, I am proud of SCESD’s overall
growth in ELA (+5) and Math (+3). Bright spots are highly evident across the district but I especially
want to highlight the amazing growth at third and sixth grade levels. Kudos to nine schools made
over 15 point gains in ELA and/or Math. This is clear evidence that our teachers and support staff
worked diligently to ensure more of our students went to middle school better prepared to meet the
rigor of middle school programs. Congratulations to those schools and
grade levels who exceeded your growth targets. Thank you for all you
did to ensure success for our students.

Warmest Regards,

ON THE COVER

Karen Roth, 2nd Grade/PBIS Lead
Teacher and Linda Saito, Instructional Aide,

embrace for a hug during Mission Park’s
“Honor Our Heroes” Assembly

See more photos on Page 22

WATCH VIDEOS THURSDAY

bit.ly/scesdyoutube 26OCTOBER

AFTERNOON

2 OCTOBER DISTRICT NEWSLETTER | ISSUE 13

TESTING & SIS

BY VIRGINIA GARZA-NUÑEZ

CAASPP 2017 SCORES ARE IN

The California ELA % growth compared to the County and State
Assessment
of Student
Performance &
Progress (CAASPP)
were released by
the California
Dept. of Education

QUESTIONS?

Please contact
Virginia Garza-Nuñez

[email protected]

WANT TO SEE
THE RESULTS?

Visit the CAASPP Math % growth compared to the County and State
website at
caaspp.cde.ca.gov ELA & Math % standards met/exceeded compared to the County and State
/sb2017/Search ISSUE 13 | OCTOBER DISTRICT NEWSLETTER 3
and search for
the specific school.

ED SERVICES BY LORI SANDERS

Professional
Development/
Meeting
Dates/ Times

October / November
2017 Schedules

PHOTOS FROM PREVIOUS PD DAYS

4 OCTOBER DISTRICT NEWSLETTER | ISSUE 13

CURRICULUM & INSTRUCTION

BY RON DILLENDER

OUR BENCHMARK RECAP

Students working hard in class.

A s we come to the end of our first units using Benchmark Advance and Adelante, it is wonderful to visit
classrooms and see talented SCESD teachers using these materials to meet the rigorous learning standards
to which they are aligned. I’m optimistic we can continue to support our students through differentiated,
small-group instruction using these tools. Remember the components that Benchmark uses with these small groups
and continue to modify so that our students are getting the most out of them.
Benchmark Advance/Adelante Teacher’s Resource System
Leveled Readers
Leveled Reader Teacher Guide
Text Evidence Comprehension Card
Multi-Leveled Reader’s Theatre
Multi-Leveled Reader’s Theatre Teacher’s Handbook

ISSUE 13 | OCTOBER DISTRICT NEWSLETTER 5

MUSIC AND ART

BY RON DILLENDER

W e are very excited to bring to our students another year of music instruction. Mr. Rossi and
Mr. Griffin do a great job and they love what they do. In addition to the choral music provided
this year, there are some other things that Mr. Rossi and Mr. Griffin are doing to enhance and

improve the experience for SCESD students. Working together, they are able to bring experiences to the

students that have not been available or even possible in the past. They are also working to provide other

experiences for the students in the form of Guitar Clubs, Glee Clubs, Garage Bands, School of Rock, Stomp

groups, and other things. If you would like more information about all the great things our Music teachers

are doing, reach out and let them know.

Art instruction and support from the Arts Council of Monterey County is coming for all classrooms this year.
We are excited to work with them as we plan to support both our city and district’s sesquicentennial next
spring. More information to come!

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HUMAN RESOURCES

BY DR. BEATRIZ CHAIDEZ

PILOT PROGRAM: EVALUAT’D

A dministrators and supervisors will engage in a free pilot of
Evaluat’d. Evaluat’d is a web application that helps district
administrators and supervisors administer and manage evaluation
forms online. We will use our existing negotiated evaluation forms
and streamline the process by accessing them online. Please contact
Assistant Superintendent, Dr. Chaidez, with any questions or comments
regarding this process.

BY JEAN FELIX INTERVENTION

WELCOME AVAILABLE DATES
IMAGINE MATH! 2-hour training

T his year, our district’s teachers and Time:
students have access to a powerful new
tool. Imagine Math (IM) is a stan- 3:30 PM – 5:30 PM
dards-based, differentiated resource for use
with individual students. Students are able to Dates:
work on the skills they need at the pace they need. This is a needed interven-
tion for all students, whether above, at, or below grade level standards. Inter- Wednesday October 11th
ested in learning more? You are in luck; we have four opportunities to learn at Roosevelt Elementary
more about the program and how to incorporate it into your day. During the Tuesday, October 17th
training, we will talk more about what IM is, how it will benefit your students, at El Gabilan Elementary
different ways it can be used during the instructional day, and how it can be Tuesday, October 24th
used to improve student learning. Please join us after school for a 2-hour at Sherwood Elementary
training. Teachers will be compensated at the additional rate of pay. Monday, October 16th
at University Park

ISSUE 13 | OCTOBER DISTRICT NEWSLETTER 7

SPECIAL EDUCATION

BY DR. JAN HAMILTON

BUSY

BEGINNING
WITH GREAT
SUPPORT

Our visiting teachers from the Philippines during our August 14 Board Meeting

T he Special Education Department has had a busy start to the school year. We welcomed more than 20
new staff members, including 5 visiting teachers from the Philippines, school psychologists, speech ther-
apists, occupational therapists, a physical therapist and teachers. Everyone is settling in, getting to know their
induction coaches & mentors and working hard on learning our online SIRAS system.

All of our amazing teachers have been hard at work utilizing the Benchmark Language Arts Program. Teachers
have already had the opportunity to work with our Special Education Academic Coach, Kara Lowney, during our
first Grade Level Release day. Teachers received additional instruction on how to modify the curriculum, access
materials online, and look at data to guide their instruction.

We are excited to announce that the Special Education Department was nominated to be part of the Support-
ing Inclusive Practices Institute Grant. This Grant will provide us with additional funding to further implement
Co-Teaching and Inclusive practices. Our Co-Teaching program is looking wonderful, as visitors are not able to
tell which students belong to Special Education and which to General Education. We have also partnered with
the Santa Clara County Office of Education’s Inclusion Collaborative to assist us with this new initiative. Interest-
ed teachers have been invited to trainings and informational meetings regarding Inclusion.

Dr. Jan Hamilton trained site administrators on the IEP process and developing
section 504 plans for students with special needs. She is also working with the
Santa Clara County Office of Education Inclusion Collaborative to facilitate our
Co-Teaching program.

Our BCBA’s attended a Mindfulness training and they are teaching our SDC and
RSP classes how to facilitate a mindfulness session in their classrooms. Mindful-
ness is a way of paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present
moment and nonjudgmentally. It empowers children to regulate their emotions and learn how to self-calm in
stressful situations through meditation and breathing exercises. In turn, this will promote increased attention
span, memory, motor coordination, and strengthened muscle tone.

8 OCTOBER DISTRICT NEWSLETTER | ISSUE 13

B.E.S.T AFTER SCHOOL

BY KRISTI BURNS

CELEBRATE THE 18TH “ANNUAL 
LIGHTS ON AFTERSCHOOL” ON 
OCTOBER 26, 2017!

L aunched in October 2000, Lights On Afterschool is the only nationwide event celebrating afterschool pro-
grams and their important role in the lives of children, families and communities. The effort has become a
hallmark of the afterschool movement and generates media coverage across the country each year.

The Afterschool Alliance organizes Lights On Afterschool to
draw attention to the many ways afterschool programs support
students by offering them opportunities to learn new things—
such as science, community service, robotics, Tae Kwon Do and
poetry—and discover new skills. The events send a powerful
message that millions more kids need quality afterschool pro-
grams.

Please join us on October 26th in celebrating Lights On Afterschool at one of the eleven SCESD school’s with the
BEST Program. Check for details mid-month on the district website and for fliers sent home announcing each
school’s planned activities highlighting the importance of quality afterschool programs.

See you in the BEST Program for Lights On Afterschool!

ISSUE 13 | OCTOBER DISTRICT NEWSLETTER 9

SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT &

PARENT INVOLVEMENT

BY ELIZABETH LOPEZ

Engaging Parents
in Education

When parents and members of the commu-
nity are involved with schools, all children
benefit. Adult participation sends the mes-
sage that school is important. Many people
may want to be involved, but don’t know how
to begin. In an effort to support parental and
family engagement, the following workshops
and training opportunities are being offered:

Parent Digital Literacy

Provides training opportunities on how to use email, word processing, Google Docs and access web based edu-
cational programs. Each school site will host a Digital Literacy training.There are nine sessions per cohort running
from September through May.

Latino Family Literacy Project

The training workshops are designed to establish family reading routines for Spanish speaking and English speak-
ing parents and their children. The program involves vocabulary development and English language development
for parents and their children. The initial Latino Literacy training took place in August, at the district office. Parent
Coordinators will host individual group trainings at their school sites throughout the school year.

Parenting Partners

This is a leadership and skill-building program, with a focus
in parent engagement. Four to six parents participate in a
two-day training and receive certification to facilitate work-
shops for parents for each school. The initial training was
held on September 21 and September 22 at Boronda Mead-
ows School. Parent Coordinators will host individual group
trainings at their school sites throughout the school year.

Parenting programs are ongoing through the school year and are taking place at all district school sites. Please
contact your site Parent Coordinator for more information and to sign up.

Parent Institute for Quality Education (PIQE)

Creates partnerships between parents, students, and educators to further students’ academic achievement. PIQE
program will take place at El Gabilan School between November and December.

Parent Leadership Conference

Workshops that provide parent training to enhance engagement in school community. The Fall Parent Leadership
Conference was held on September 9, 2017 at Boronda Meadows School. The Spring Parent Leadership Conference
will be held on March 10, 2018 at Los Padres School.

10 OCTOBER DISTRICT NEWSLETTER | ISSUE 13

NEW TEACHER SUPPORT

BY SOPHIA WITTING 2017-2018

Salinas City Elementary School District

NEW TEACHER

BOOT CAMPS

FACILITATED BY ERIN LAIRD AND SOPHIA WITTING

Professional Upcoming
Development for Dates and Topics

First Year Interns *Wednesday, October 25 3:30-5:30

Grading, Report Cards, and Parent Conferences

Saturday, October 28

Grading, Report Cards, Parent Conferences, and
Guided Planning Session

Saturday, December 9

Progress Monitoring and Formative Assessments

The Educational Services Department offers Saturday, January 13
professional development training called
New Teacher Boot Camps for first year Behavior Management Strategies
interns. Boot Camp facilitators assist interns
in learning about curriculum, resources, and Saturday, February 10
instructional strategies. Additionally, interns
make connections with other interns to Teacher/Student Relationships and Building
collaborate and improve instruction. Cultural Proficiency

• Location: District Office Board Room Saturday, March 6
• Hours: 8:30-12:30
• Please enter through the side door on English Language Development and Collaborative
Conversations
Acacia Street
• Coffee and light breakfast snacks Saturday, April 14

provided Student Records and End-of-Year Procedures
• Interns are paid at their additional
Saturday, May 8
assignment rate of pay
• For assistance contact End of Year Reflection and Celebration

[email protected] or
[email protected]

Please register by using S.C.E.S.D.’s OMS: https://salcity.k12oms.org

ISSUE 13 | OCTOBER DISTRICT NEWSLETTER 11

CLIMATE & CULTURE

BY RAFAEL ZAVALA

GREAT START & MORE TO COME

Teachers from Boronda Meadows attend an Olweus Training on thier Saturday

Mr. Zavala & Mr. Gaitan during C limate and culture are currently the most cliché words in education.
New Teacher Orientations They have taken on tired meanings that often mean nothing more than
the school environment. My first month at SCESD, brought me to a
My first month dynamic and very personal presentation of climate and culture. Whether it was
at SCESD, brought with the 40 plus new teachers engaging in building classroom cultures through
me to a dynamic games, language, and classroom systems, or the first OLWEUS “Triple C” trainings
and very personal at Boronda Meadows—SCESD’s way of life is focused on its students. At every
presentation of school I visited my first month, this mood was palpable. Lincoln’s sixth graders
climate & culture. modeled behavioral expectations for their peers. Monterey Park and Mission
Park held administrator led rallies to kick off our district focus of teaching expect-
ed behaviors and building positive relationships. Natividad and Los Padres are
building strong staff relationships and rapport with their staff celebrations. I at-
tended a Tier-1 meeting at Roosevelt, where their focused work was so organized
that they got through their long list of agenda items in a short time. Kammann
and Sherwood invited me into their work of supporting students and parents…
And this was just the beginning! Our October Bully Prevention Week Activities
are being planned and organized. Sites will be holding rallies, door decorating
contests, anti-bullying assemblies and carnivals; all in an effort to focus our work
on students.

12 OCTOBER DISTRICT NEWSLETTER | ISSUE 13

BUSINESS

BY LONA CHRISTENSEN

MEMORANDUM
FOR ALL EMPLOYEES

Subject: Changes displayed on End of Month Payroll Checks

1. Our district is converting our financial and position control system to a new system. This

has caused some changes in how employees are billed for medical benefits on their monthly
vouchers.

2. Health insurance payments are no longer paid in 10 months from September to June for

everyone, but instead will vary depending on the length your work year. Please see the at-
tached sheets for rates paid either 10, 11 or 12th month.

3. Monthly vacation payout for 11 month Classified personnel is now listed separately from

the monthly salary while before, it was all in one line.

4. MCOE is working on getting the hourly rates to display on checks and we hope to see that

soon.

5. There are more exciting changes coming before December- stay tuned!

Certificated Medical Classified Medical Dental / Vision
2017-18 2017-18 2017-18

To view the spreadsheet, visit To view the spreadsheet, visit To view the spreadsheet, visit
bit.ly/certmedical1718 bit.ly/classmedical1718 bit.ly/dentalvision1718

ISSUE 13 | OCTOBER DISTRICT NEWSLETTER 13

TRANSPORTATION

BY RICK ENRIQUEZ

ANNUAL MOBILE IN-SERVICE 2017

SCESD Bus ready for kids to explore Students from Monterey Park particpate in Bus Evacuation Drills

T ransportation kicked off the year with our Annual Mobile In-Service! Drivers received yearly protocol
information and pupil management training.

This marks our 2nd consecutive year SCESD has
supplied two buses and four drivers for this event.
Children who normally do not ride a school bus
enjoyed the opportunity to board and explore what
school buses are all about. Our drivers also enjoyed
the opportunity to answer questions and interact with
the families.

Bus evacuation drills are in full swing! We will see you
soon!

Transportation staff at The Santa Cruz Beach & Boardwalk

EVENT HIGHLIGHT
Coastal Kids Home Care

Touch A Truck

Sunday, September 10, 2017 | 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm | Salinas Rodeo Grounds

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FOOD SERVICES

BY CARLOS MURTA

Students from Boronda Meadows walk over for Second Opportunity Breakfast

S alinas City Elementary School District
Food Service Department is now offering
a Second Opportunity for students to
receive a full nutritious breakfast for those that
did not make it to the breakfast before the start
of school. Second Opportunity breakfast is cur-
rently offer only at Boronda Meadows, El Gabilan,
Kammann, Loma Vista, Los Padres, Roosevelt and
Sherwood. A menu for the Second Opportunity
breakfast has now been added to the existing
menu publications and the SCESD website.

El Gabilan students are ready for their
Second Opportunity Breakfast

ISSUE 13 | OCTOBER DISTRICT NEWSLETTER 15

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY BY MONIKA MACIAS

START OF A NEW CHAPTER
FOR SIMPLICITY, CLARITY,
AND PRIORITY…

If we understand
and embrace
the concept of
simplicity, which
starts with a
recognition that
“less is more,”
then our schools
will achieve what
previous gen-
erations never
thought possible.

I n his seminal work, “Focus - Elevating the Essen- Our meticulous work of the past months has been to
tials to Radically Improve Student Learning”, Mike focus student access to learning curricula and tools to
Schmoker proposes, the essential - under one portal. None of these existed in
their current configuration; many existed as silos. The im-
If we understand and embrace the concept of simplic- age above is a testament to the talented members of the
ity, which starts with a recognition that “less is more,” I.T. group and the support and collaboration of Student
then our schools will achieve what previous generations Information & Assessment and the Ed. Services Depart-
never thought possible. Best of all, none of the essential ments. All one Team, Focused on Radically Improving
elements must be implemented perfectly to have their Student Learning: Bringing essential learning tools under
intended effect… ordinary schools and teachers who im- one portal.
plement the elements in ordinary, imperfect ways…
still achieve spectacular results.

16 OCTOBER DISTRICT NEWSLETTER | ISSUE 13

COMMUNICATIONS COMMUNICATIONS

BY RICK GEBIN SOCIAL MEDIA

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FAMILY RESOURCE CENTER

BY CHERYL CAMANY

Pop-Up Produce Markets were popping up everywhere across Salinas City. Total of 12 sites were visited last month. More still to come!

The Family Resource center brings SCESD students to the Angel Tree NFL/NCAA Football Clinic
18 OCTOBER DISTRICT NEWSLETTER | ISSUE 13

COMMUNICATIONS CASP AWARDS 2017

BY RICK GEBIN FOUNDER’S AWARD

SCESD AWARDED THE
FOUNDER’S AWARD BY CASP

W ith many in attendance on a beautiful “I get to lead the work, but in reality, we all know it takes
Wednesday morning in September, a team to achieve extraordinary success.” said Superin-
Superintendent Martha Martinez and the tendent Martinez.
Salinas City Elementary School District was awarded the
Founder’s Award presented by the Community Alliance The Founder’s Award Winner embodies the spirit and
for Safety and Peace (CASP) for the City of Salinas. values of CASP and is a leader in the peace building
movement. Salinas City Elementary School District has
Honored by Mayor Joe Gunter and Supervisor Luis Alejo, been making major strides and has become a leader in
Superintendent Martinez accepted the award with grace the County for their positive culture/climate and bullying
and gratitude. She contributed the award to SCESD’s prevention efforts. With great programs like Restorative
teachers, support staff, and Administrators whose contin- Justice (RJP), Sticks & Stones, and partnerships with
ued work in School Culture/Climate is bringing recogni- Harmony At Home, PBIS, and Playworks, our students
tion to our District. are setting the expectations and our sites efforts go far
beyond the norm to instill a postive culture and climate
for our students to learn and grow.

ISSUE 13 | OCTOBER DISTRICT NEWSLETTER 19

TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE

‘EAST OF SALINAS’ SCREENING

20 OCTOBER DISTRICT NEWSLETTER | ISSUE 13

TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE

FALL PARENT LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE

ISSUE 13 | OCTOBER DISTRICT NEWSLETTER 21

TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE

SALUTE TO OUR HEROES

Judge Sam Lavorato visits Sherwood Judge Maldonado visits Los Padres
22 OCTOBER DISTRICT NEWSLETTER | ISSUE 13

TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE

BACK-TO-SCHOOL ACROSS SCESD

ISSUE 13 | OCTOBER DISTRICT NEWSLETTER 23

TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE

BACKPACK GIVEAWAYS

Costco

Taylor Farms Sri Lankan Community

Compass Church Deadend Magazine

Wal-Mart Shoreline Community Church United Way Monterey County

24 OCTOBER DISTRICT NEWSLETTER | ISSUE 13

STAY INFORMED, EVEN ON THE GO.
www.salinascityesd.org

CONTINUE TO THE NPEAXGTEPA2G2E

ISSUE 13 | OCTOBER DISTRICT NEWSLETTER 25

“STUDENTS ARE THE
FOCUS OF OUR WORK”

26 OCTOBER DISTRICT NEWSLETTER | ISSUE 13