An attentive audience of more than 400 transitional kindergarten (TK) teachers, administrators and policy makers attended the Northern California Transitional Kindergarten Conference on November 5, 2013 at the South San Francisco Conference Center. Jointly sponsored by the San Mateo County Office of Education (SMCOE) and Early Edge California, the focus was on providing support to those working in this new program, now in its second year of implementation throughout California.

San Mateo County Superintendent of Schools Anne Campbell was the keynote speaker at the full-day event. Other speakers included Dr. Ross Thompson, professor of psychology at UC Davis, who talked about the importance of the social and emotional aspects of children's learning and Heather Quick, Principal Researcher at the American Institutes for Research, who shared information about their one-year statewide study of the implementation of TK.

Currently TK is serving 80,000

One well-attended workshop at the Transitional Kindergarten Conference focused on early math skills.

students in California and that number is expected to grow to 120,000 according to Ernesto Saldaņa, Vice President of Partnerships and Local Engagement, at Early Edge California. All but one district in San Mateo County have implemented TK programs. Ted Lempert, President of the San Mateo County Board of Education and Children Now, noted in his opening address that TK is a key mover in breaking down the silos between programs that serve children 0-5 and K-12.

In her keynote message, Campbell saluted then State Senator Joe Simitian (now Santa Clara County Supervisor), sponsor of SB 1381, which called for the implementation of TK and moving back the kindergarten entrance date to September 1, and the audience for "serving as trailblazers in this field and doing what's right for kids." She acknowledged that the work of TK is "incredibly important in helping to prepare children for kindergarten," and hopes to see TK required someday for all 4-year-olds. "In doing this we would reap huge benefits for students and the K-12 system as a whole with fewer referrals to special education and moving toward closing the achievement gap," she said.

Following the keynote, workshops were held throughout the day. An all-day administrators institute focused on their role in supporting teachers, what TK classrooms should look like, and the social and emotional needs of TK students. Two-hour workshops for teachers were offered in the morning and afternoon--including engaging dual language learners, using formative assessments, encouraging family engagement--all focusing on best practices to meet the needs of TK students.

Outdoor Education naturalist Mark Kudrav, an avid birdwatcher and environmentalist, is on a mission. When he's not sharing his love for the environment with students from around the county at the San Mateo County Office of Education Outdoor Education facility at Jones Gulch, he can be found on foot or on his bike tracking down as many species of birds as he can find.

It's all part of what birders call "a big year," documenting as many species of birds as you can within a year's time. But since Kudrav is an environmentalist, he decided to do a "green big year"--using only human power and no fossil fuels to track down birds. Since last January he has covered 4,500 miles--as far east as the Nevada border and south to Los Angeles County. So far he has identified 316 species of birds, and with the end of the year getting closer, he is just two shy of matching the national record of 318 species set by previous green birders.

Mark Kudrav on his bike near Mono Lake.

One species he still hopes to see may be close by -- the Barrow's Goldeneye, a type of duck, has been known to spend time near the County Office of Education.

This past summer Kudrav covered 1,800 miles, east to the eastern Sierra Mountains and south to the Mojave Desert. But during the school year he only has time for shorter trips around the Bay Area. As he says in his blog, trying to beat the national record means his life right now consists of "Eat, sleep, work, bird."

Kudrav, who studied forestry in college, has been a naturalist with Outdoor Ed for 10 years and also oversees the organic garden at Jones Gulch. He says he continues to love his work and appreciates the supportive staff at Outdoor Ed, who are all rooting for him in his birding endeavor. The green big year is keeping him fresh and inspired as a teacher, and he hopes the journey will inspire other birders to consider their carbon footprint and engage in green practices when they're out bird watching, too.