 | | Featured Article | | Gateway students create literacy center for preschoolers at ECE. |
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November Elections Bring New School Board Members and Passage of Bonds
The first all mail-in election in November in San Mateo County brought the passage of two school bonds and election of school board members throughout the county.
The mail-in election was a pilot program and appears to have been a success for voter turnout. The county estimates voter turnout was 29.5 percent, up 4.1 percent from the last comparable election in 2013. According to Mark Church, the county's elections chief, processing all the ballots went smoothly.
School Bonds Pass
After a previous failed attempt, the San Mateo-Foster City School District's Measure X, a $148 million bond, passed with 59.08 percent of the votes cast. (Bond passage requires 55 percent.)  Measure X will help the district provide adequate facilities for its enrollment growth. Projects will include: adding classrooms and instructional facilities at George Hall, Sunnybrae, Abbott, Bayside STEM, Borel and Bowditch Schools; building an additional small school in the North Central San Mateo community, which does not currently have a neighborhood school; building an additional school site in Foster City, potentially at the current Charter Square Shopping Center. If this site is unable to be acquired, additional classrooms will be established at existing schools.
"Our community does always support schools and quality education," notes San Mateo-Foster City Superintendent Joan Rosas. She attributes the passage of this bond to the 18 months of community outreach prior to putting the measure on the ballot. "Community feedback, both in San Mateo and Foster City, drove the project list," she adds.
Measure T, Redwood City's $193 million school bond, passed with 63.47 percent of the vote. The bond will allow the district to upgrade and repair existing school buildings, many of which are more than 50 years old. Projects include: renovating aging classrooms and science labs; updating school libraries, classroom computers and instructional technology at all schools; providing dedicated classrooms for music, art and performing arts electives.
New School Board Members Elected
School board member elections were held in the Belmont-Redwood Shores, Hillsborough, Jefferson Elementary, Redwood City, San Bruno Park, San Carlos, San Mateo Union High School, Sequoia Union High School, and Woodside Elementary school districts, and the San Mateo Community College District. Several incumbents were re-elected while new faces will take seats in many of the districts.
Among the newly elected trustees are Greg Land and Michelle Nayfack. Land, previously a school board member in the Burlingame Elementary School District, and principal of an elementary school in Los Altos, will now take a seat on the San Mateo Union High School District Board. With his daughter now a sophomore at Burlingame High, he became more aware of issues facing the high school district. He hopes to bring his expertise in blended learning and desire to see more innovation to his new post.
Michelle Nayfack, mother of a first-grader and soon-to-be kindergartner, brings her expertise in education policy, evaluation and teaching to her seat as a newly elected school board trustee in the San Carlos district. Formerly with the American Institutes of Research (AIR), Nayfack now devotes her time to part-time consulting and being a mom. She's looking forward to working on the "ambitious goals" set forth in the San Carlos strategic plan that include focusing on personalized learning, implementation of the Common Core and STEM education.
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Gateway Students Build Literacy Center
For Early Learning Center
When Cindy, a Gateway Community School student with a love of reading noticed an empty book donation box in the hallway at the Early Childhood Education Center (ECE) at the San Mateo County Office of Education (SMCOE) Tower Road facility, she thought why not start a book drive and collect books for the preschoolers. That was just the beginning of a literacy center for preschoolers designed and built by Gateway students. In September,
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| | Gateway students created this tree at ECE so students can sit under the tree and read to preschoolers. |
Cindy and a small group of students created a colorful flier with the title, "Play, Learn and Grow Together!" that they posted at the Tower Road campus and also sent emails to school and probation staff requesting donations. By mid-November they had collected more than 300 books. An empty ECE classroom seemed an ideal place to house the books and create a literacy center, so the students quickly got to work, removing spider webs, washing walls, cleaning the carpet and moving furniture. They decided that it would be nice to read to the children sitting under a tree so they created a life-sized one out of colored and painted crushed paper, staples and tape, and they decorated the room with a pocket chart of letters of the alphabet and posters. Now the literacy center is a bustling welcome addition to the Early Childhood Education Center where high school students read to the preschoolers. Gateway students volunteer several mornings a week through Project Friendship, a program now in its fourth year that links students as aides to the preschoolers.
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| | Gateway students decorate the literacy center with colorful posters. |
Twice a week in the afternoons, Gateway students, many of whom are in the English language development (ELD) class at Gateway, read to preschoolers in the Head Start Program. Reading to preschoolers helps them build their English skills while reading to them in Spanish helps to build connections. Sally Ploe, their Gateway teacher, builds into her lessons information on the developmental stages of reading, how to read to young children and practice sessions for the students so they can work on proper English pronunciation. "The Gateway students have a gift we don't have," says Mary Browning, site coordinator at the ECE. "Because many of the students are bilingual, they connect easily with the preschoolers, and because they're young adults, the preschoolers look up to them. When they see the older students reading, the young ones want to read, too." Being a part of this program has given the Gateway students, many of whom had erratic attendance before being suspended or expelled from their home schools, an added incentive to show up. Engaging with the children is rewarding, and they know the preschoolers are counting on them to be there. Several commented how they discovered they love being with kids and "seeing their faces light up when we read to them." For many, the program has opened up a belief in their future--they can see themselves down the road as teachers. Gateway students and the ECE Literacy Center welcome donations of gently loved picture books and story books appropriate for ages 3 mos.-preschoolers. They can be dropped off at 65 Tower Road in San Mateo.
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SMCOE Operation Recognition Event Honors Japanese-American
On November 4, the San Mateo County Office of Education held its second annual Operation Recognition event, where diplomas are awarded to veterans whose high school educations were interrupted due to wartime circumstances. San Mateo County residents who served in the U.S. Armed Forces in
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| | County Superintendent Anne Campbell and San Mateo County Board of Education trustees Ted Lempert, Beverly Gerard and Susan Alvaro congratulate Seiichi Yoshida on receiving his high school diploma. |
World War II, the Korean War or the Vietnam War with honorable discharge or who were interned in a Japanese-American relocation camp during World War II were encouraged to apply.
This year, the County Office honored Seiichi Yoshida.
Mr. Yoshida was born in Sacramento in 1925, and his family received evacuation orders in May of 1942. He was held temporarily at Pinedale Assembly Center in Fresno, CA, before being transferred to Poston War Relocation Camp in Arizona. It was in Poston Camp that Mr. Yoshida began to emerge as an artist, and one of the pieces he created--a still life drawing of a pitcher, vase, cup, and bowl with fruit--is in a special collection at the California State University, Sacramento Library.
Mr. Yoshida ultimately moved back to Japan, first working as an interpreter for U.S. Occupation Forces and then for Northwest Orient Airlines at Haneda Airport. After meeting and marrying his wife, Maruko, Mr. Yoshida returned to the United States. They have three children and seven grandchildren, and have been residents of San Mateo County since 1958.
At the recognition ceremony, Mr. Yoshida was presented with a flag that was flown over the United States Capitol Building--an honor arranged by Congresswoman Jackie Speier--while Wesley Taoka, Executive Director of the San Mateo Japanese-American Community Center spoke to the sacrifices made by the 120,000 Japanese-Americans who were confined in different camps. Mr. Taoka also acknowledged the difficult life Mr. Yoshida led during his internment: moving from camp to camp made it hard to study and continue his education, and Mr. Yoshida also needed to work to help his family.
After the diploma was presented, Mr. Yoshida thanked the San Mateo County Office of Education for honoring him. He said he had always dreamed of getting his diploma but never thought that it would happen. Being without a diploma had always bothered him, but now, with diploma in hand, he will move forward.
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Second Annual Bay Area ECET2 Conference Draws a Crowd to SMCOE
More than 80 educators from schools throughout the Bay Area gathered at the San Mateo County Office of Education on November 7, 2015 for a day of inspiration and celebration at ECET2 Bay Area 2.0, the second annual Elevating and Celebrating Effective Teachers and Teaching (ECET2) Bay Area conference, sponsored by the San Mateo County Office of Education (SMCOE) and funded through a grant from the New Venture Fund.
With the theme of
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| | Teachers display bubbles describing why they teach at the second annual ECET2 conference . |
"Innovation and Leadership," the conference included a TED-style "cultivating a calling" inspirational talk by Joe Young, math and STEAM coach at Palo Alto High School, who spoke about the importance of paying attention to student voice.
In sessions during the day teachers gathered in colleague circles to discuss real problems of practice--such as dealing with a difficult colleague, implementing a new curriculum or finding balance in their busy lives--that they had described and posted on Post-it notes on a giant board. In these circles they were able to share their experiences and solutions with their peers. On bubble-shaped pieces of paper teachers were invited to write why they teach and attach it to a photo taken at the photo booth set up for the conference. The photos and "bubbles" were displayed for all to see. Teachers also participated in many break-out professional development sessions led by teacher-leaders on such topics as the flipped classroom, co-teaching, blended learning, learning through movement, design thinking, TEDdy talks (Persuasive TED-style talks created by elementary students), generating classroom harmony and achievement using community building circles, and the paperless classroom. At the social media lounge, teachers learned how to use social media in their classrooms and to connect with their colleagues. The Twitter feed #ECET2BayArea attracted a number of participants. At the end of the day, several lucky teachers walked away with raffle prizes that included GoPro cameras, a Google Chromebook, tickets to the San Francisco Ballet, the Oakland Zoo and Winchester Mystery House. Every teacher received a discount from RAFT and a portable phone charger. Thanks go to conference organizers Sue Wieser and Mefula Fairley at SMCOE, along with their committee of teacher leaders: Lisa Reed, Stacey Tachiki, and Stefania Shaffer from San Mateo County; Julie Maynard from San Francisco; and Joe Young from Santa Clara County.
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Hartwig Takes the Helm in
Portola Valley School District
Eric Hartwig, retired superintendent of the Las Lomitas School District, says taking over as interim superintendent of the Portola Valley School District "seemed natural." The school districts are adjacent to each other, have similar school sizes and configurations, motivated kids and generous parents. Hartwig,
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| | Eric Hartwig is the interim superintendent of the Portola Valley School District. |
who assumed the position in October when former superintendent Lisa Gonzalez became vice-president of the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA) and moved to Sacramento, says he's enjoying the new post quite a bit. "The work here is so fun and interesting, and everyone here is so supportive, it feels like I haven't really been gone," he notes. "The challenges are similar to Las Lomitas--helping kids perform at the highest level, and keeping programs running." His main goal for this year is to keep on top of the many initiatives in the district--rolling out newly adopted math materials and a new program in social emotional learning, and focusing on the strategic plan. A resident of Half Moon Bay for many years, Hartwig is no stranger to schools and districts in San Mateo County. He was superintendent in the Las Lomitas Elementary District for five years and retired in 2012. Before that post, he was principal at Menlo-Atherton High School, and Director of Curriculum for the Sequoia High School District. Education runs in the family--his wife is currently a teacher in the Hillsborough School District and his daughter teaches in the Belmont-Redwood Shores School District. The Portola Valley School Board will soon begin their search for a new superintendent to take over July 1, 2016. At that time, Hartwig says, he'll resume his retired life--a little consulting work, traveling, playing golf and spending time with his three grandchildren.
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Burlingame Principal Garners Honorable Mention in Digital Innovation Contest
Matt Pavao, Principal of Roosevelt Elementary School in Burlingame, was surprised to learn last summer that he had been nominated for a Digital Innovation in Learning (DILAs) Administrator Trailblazer Award. To this day, he still does not know who nominated him. But at a tech conference he attended with Burlingame
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| | Principal Matt Pavao stands by the wall of ideas in the "building ideas room" at Roosevelt School. |
Superintendent Maggie MacIssac, he learned more about this national contest and then completed his application, which required him to create a three-minute video explaining the technology initiative at Roosevelt School. On November 20, 2015 Pavao received an Honorable Mention award at a dinner, hosted by contest sponsors Edsurge and Digital Promise, at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View. The winner and two other honorable mention awardees in his category were chosen from 400 applicants from across the country. When Pavao arrived at Roosevelt four years ago, the school had "really talented teachers," he says, but not a lot of technology. With his staff he set out to build a tech program that was "not just about devices but how to create students who could use technology tools effectively and create a place for ideas to come to life." Pavao says he was blessed with a supportive school board, superintendent and BCE (the school district's foundation), and an innovation grant from the San Mateo County Office of Education. "If we needed tools, anything, we could get it," he adds. "This award really belongs to the whole school and our community." The students are now divided into four stages, each of which builds upon the other. In K-1 they're "apprentices" and begin to learn about building things and 3D modeling. In grades 2-3, they're "journeymen," creating, prototyping and making products. In grades 4-5 they become "master craftsmen"-- they find a problem in the community, figure out a way to solve it with the help of technology, and then share their solution through public presentations. In order to teach students how to present their ideas with the use of technology, the school partnered with Duarte Design, a firm that has helped top leaders, such as Steve Jobs, with presentations and how best to tell their story. With their help, each fifth-grader culminates their learning at the end of the school year by giving a "TEDdy Talk"--a fifth-grade version of a TED talk about a problem and the solution they've created--to a community audience. Some of the solutions they've shared include a better school lunch, solutions to the drought and a pillow that will wake you up. This year the school is in the midst of redesigning one portable classroom as the "building ideas room." Here students brainstorm and put Post-its on the wall, work with the 3D printer, and practice their presentation skills. "We're building a community of thinkers," notes Pavao, "and training them how to share their solutions widely. They'll be the problem-solvers of the future."
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Check Us Out on Facebook
The San Mateo County Office of Education (SMCOE) now has a page on Facebook. We'll be providing frequent upd ates on SMCOE events and education news of interest, adding groups of interest, and linking to other education organizations. Check us out and "like" us today on Facebook!
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About the San Mateo County Office of Education
The San Mateo County Office of Education provides a variety of instructional, business and consulting services to the County's 23 public school districts, charter schools, the Community College District and County Office of Education staff.
Believe in Tomorrow: Think Green Today
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