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The Growing Healthy Kids (GHK) program is continuing to flourish in MDUSD, expanding from 17 to 19 elementary schools next year - providing both indoor and outdoor hands-on garden-related instruction in science and nutrition. The MDUSD School Board on Wednesday expects to approve a contract for nearly $900,000 to support the programs, which includes a California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) grant of almost $40,000 to pay for elementary school field trips to the Riverview MS garden, community plant give-aways, partnerships with three local farms and the creation of a "food forest" at Rio Vista Elementary. The program also partners with the Concord HS construction and Ygnacio Valley HS Education Academy career pathway programs to build planter boxes and provide educational lessons to elementary students.

On Thursday, Superintendent Dr. Adam Clark and other District administrators visited the Monte Gardens Elementary garden, where students showed off the fruits, vegetables and herbs they have grown, including strawberries, celery, carrots, peas, fava beans, lemon balm, lemon verbena, sorrel and lavender. Fifth-grader Tatyana Angel said she likes learning about plants and their roots, first-grader Finn Fitchett said he likes learning about the process of pollination, and several other students said they like to eat the produce and mix it with water to make tasty beverages. The students also said the garden space makes them feel relaxed and calm. Principal Bess Inzeo said, "The garden supports all of our students academically, socially, emotionally and behaviorally." Afterwards, Dr. Clark said in a tweet about the visit: "I am always inspired by those who create safe spaces for our students to learn and grow."

In 2023-2024, GHK served 8,402 students in daytime garden and nutrition lessons through the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) in the Garden program at 17 elementary schools, including Bancroft, Cambridge, El Monte, Fair Oaks, Gregory Gardens, Monte Gardens, Mt Diablo, Mountain View, Pleasant Hill, Rio Vista, Sequoia, Shore Acres, Silverwood, Sun Terrace, Valhalla, Valle Verde, and Wren Avenue. Next year, it will expand to Ayers and Strandwood elementary schools, serving 65% of MDUSD elementary schools with its NGSS in the Garden program. Its Riverview MS field trips also served students from Bel Air, Holbrook, Delta View, and Ygnacio Valley elementary schools. 

The program also partners with MDUSD Food Services, helping to bring organic produce from farms to schools and offering field trips to the cafeteria, where 4th graders from Shore Acres and Mountain View elementary schools helped food service staff prep vegetables for Friday menu items. And it coordinated the planting of 97 trees at Rio Vista Elementary and Riverview MS through a CalFire grant, with help from more than 200 community volunteers and more than 100 MDUSD high school students. 

GHK has also offered family/community education workshops to educate parents and child caregivers about nutrition issues such as excess sugar consumption. In addition, the program has partnered with MDUSD's Maintenance & Operations Department to improve school gardens so they can be used as outdoor classrooms for students. This included making the Monte Gardens Elementary school garden space wheelchair accessible and adding drip irrigation systems to 3 more schools this year, so 75% of GHK gardens are now fully automated with water efficient irrigation. 

Future plans include continuing free garden education field trips for Title 1 schools, expanding the Rio Vista Community Food Forest, improving ADA accessibility in all school gardens, working with Enrichment and Support teachers to include outdoor garden education in their programs, working with special education teachers to improve garden lessons and activities for Special Day Class (SDC) students, and adding Spanish and Farsi translations of GHK signs, worksheets and other curriculum for English Language Learner students and families.

Click on these tweets to see garden highlights from El Monte, Fair Oaks and Valhalla elementary schools!

This week's MDUSD Friday Letter highlights:

• Growing Healthy Kids programs across the District, with a special look at Monte Gardens Elementary;
• the Celebration of Success;
• Monday is Earth Day—a perfect opportunity to reflect on our Climate Change Resolution;
• No school next Friday;
• "Cafecito con las Consejeras" (Coffee with the Counselors) on Saturday;
• School News including Adult Education Center staff attends Legislative Advocacy Day in Sacramento, Middle School students visit trades union, Sequoia MS students attend Oakland A's AVID Sports Career Education Day & College Fair, Sequoia Elementary hosts 1st Multicultural Fair, Sun Terrace Elementary students enjoy early Earth Day activities, and Social Media Highlights from Monte Gardens, Walnut Acres and Shore Acres elementary schools;
• Student News including Northgate HS student chosen for Berlin and Beyond Film Festival Jury, students from Cambridge Elementary and Pleasant Hill MS win Concord Mayor's Art Contest, YVHS IB students Visual Arts Exhibition, and Student Social Media Highlights from CPHS, Olympic and MDHS;
• Staff Social Media Spotlights from Walnut Acres Elementary, Mt. Diablo HS and Olympic HS;
• And more!

You can read it here.

The Mt. Diablo Unified School District is pleased to announce that Superintendent Dr. Adam Clark has been named President of the California Association of African American Superintendents and Administrators (CAAASA).

CAAASA is a group of educational leaders committed to supporting African-American students in California through public policy and collaboration with other state leadership organizations.

“I'm stepping into the role of President of CAAASA with a tremendous sense of pride and excitement,” Dr. Clark said. “It's a true honor to serve and lead an organization that's close to my heart and vital to our communities.”

Dr. Clark was installed as President during the organization’s recent Professional Development conference. During the statewide conference, Dr. Clark and several MDUSD administrators presented workshops related to equity and creating culturally responsive and inclusive classrooms in schools.

“I'm inspired by our shared vision and the incredible potential of our collective efforts,” Dr. Clark said, promising to “push forward with our mission to champion equity, black excellence, and empowerment in education, all while uplifting the students and communities we're dedicated to serving.”

Dr. Clark was named President-Elect of the organization last year, and will be honored as “immediate past president” after his two-year term as President expires in March, 2026. He will continue to lead Mt. Diablo Unified as Superintendent while he is President of CAAASA.

"District leaders are encouraged to actively structure and participate in opportunities that develop greater public understanding of the education policy environment," he explained. "That said, I am excited to share that I am doing this in my new role as President of the California Association of African-American Superintendents and Administrators (CAAASA). I look forward to leveraging this opportunity to highlight our successes in MDUSD."

Last month, the we highlighted the District's 2024-25 Teachers of the Year: Walnut Acres Elementary teacher Mia Carella and Bancroft Elementary teacher Ingrid Wright. This week, we are highlighting the other three finalists: Westwood Elementary teacher Angela Beatty, Pine Hollow MS teacher Dr. Lizette Ortega Dolan, and Mt. Diablo Elementary teacher Michelle Howisey.

Beatty, Dolan and Howisey all said they were honored to be chosen as finalists. Like Carella and Wright, they all place high priority on building relationships with students, and emphasizing Social and Emotional Learning (SEL), as well as rigorous academics.

Westwood Elementary teacher Angela Beatty, Pine Hollow MS teacher Dr. Lizette Ortega Dolan, and Mt. Diablo Elementary teacher Michelle Howisey were named MDUSD 2024-25 Teacher of the Year finalists, ranking in the top 5 this year. The two finalists named Teachers of the Year are Walnut Acres Elementary teacher Mia Carella and Bancroft Elementary teacher Ingrid Wright. 

Angela Beatty

Westwood Elementary teacher Angela Beatty listens attentively to one of her 5th-grade students as he comments on class preparations to watch the solar eclipse. 

Beatty, 37, teaches 5th grade at Westwood Elementary in Concord, and has 11 years of teaching experience, including one year teaching 1st grade in Oakland, then eight years teaching Kindergarten and 1st grades at Shore Acres Elementary in Bay Point, before transitioning to 5th grade at Westwood Elementary last year. Although she enjoyed teaching younger children, Beatty said it's exciting working with 5th-graders because they are ready for more challenges and are able to do more projects or self-directed activities. She works to build strong relationships with students and their families to establish trust. "I feel so strongly about providing students with an environment where they feel safe and comfortable to be themselves and to take risks and to be vulnerable," Beatty said. "And while I know that starts at home, unfortunately some students don’t get that at home, so it's even more imperative to provide that at school, where they spend al lot of their time."

She says that making a positive impact on students’ lives on a daily basis is what she likes most about teaching. “Getting to know each student’s background, interests, strengths, learning styles and personality is such a privilege,” she said. “The special bond we form individually and collectively is such a gift.” She reinforces her focus on Social and Emotional Learning with positive messages in her classroom including a full-length mirror under a sign that says, “I am a changemaker” decorated with 18 affirmations such as, “I am loved,” “I am capable,” and “I have value.”

Beatty starts each day off with a “morning meeting,” where students sometimes talk about conflict resolution. At other times, she will speak with students individually about how their words and actions affect others to try to figure out what is triggering certain behaviors. “I think it’s so important to validate feelings more than anything,” she said. “That allows them to feel seen and heard and then they can open up about the why and they might be more inspired to make a change. We work a lot on empathy and putting themselves in other shoes.”

She does not know who nominated her, but she receives praise from both students and colleagues. Students said she provides them with interesting resources and helps them when they don’t understand a concept. They especially enjoyed learning about the solar eclipse on April 8th, when they researched eclipses, predicted what they would see when they went outside, observed the partial eclipse using safe viewing glasses, then drew pictures and wrote about what they learned. “She’s amazing,” said student Declan Burnett. “She makes class so fun and enjoyable. She told me it was cool that my prediction was correct.” Zion Ruiz-Hausia said Beatty is caring, thoughtful and funny. Although Zion predicted she would see a full circle during the eclipse, she said she learned the partial eclipse was different from a total eclipse. “It was a very memorable lesson,” she said. “Mrs. Beatty is the best teacher!” Marissa McCarty said Beatty is her favorite teacher because she’s easy to talk to and she makes everyone feel welcome. “She’s really open to talk about home life or school life,” Marissa said, adding that she thought the solar eclipse lesson was “pretty cool.”

Beatty works to make her classroom inclusive for all students, including newcomer English learners and Deaf or Hard of Hearing (DHH) students. An instructional assistant and educational interpreters who work with Beatty’s three DHH students praised her patience and the caring relationships she builds with her students and colleagues, as well as the effort she makes to individualize instruction to meet students’ needs based on their learning styles. “She makes everyone feel like they’re special,” said interpreter Juanita Nickerson. “She always tries to find new resources to use in order to challenge each and every student.” Beatty said she tries to make the most out of each day for her students. “My goal is always to have them leaving school feeling stronger, successful, and to truly feel like they’re a good kid,” she said. “I know staying calm and being consistent and patient and open-minded is crucial for them to have that kind of experience in school.”

Dr. Lizette Ortega Dolan

Dr. Lizette Ortega Dolan (center) gives feedback to 8th grade English student Alexis Pattison on an essay. The lights were dimmed to accommodate student requests. 

Now in her third year at Pine Hollow MS, Ortega Dolan, 48, teaches 8th grade English and heads up the “Prancing Mustangs” Dance Club she started on the Concord campus. She has 26 years of teaching experience and has previously taught 7th grade English, Leadership and AVID at Pine Hollow, has years of experience teaching high school in private independent schools, and has also worked for many years as an educational consultant specializing in equity and inclusion. She earned a Master’s Degree from Harvard Graduate School of Education and a Doctorate Degree in Educational Leadership from St. Mary’s College of California. “I firmly believe that education has the power to change lives,” she said. “I am committed to and believe in the notion that schools can serve as sources of self-discovery and growth toward a more equitable world.”

She builds strong relationships with students by understanding their individual needs and challenging them to think critically and do rigorous work to prepare them for high school. She has high expectations for all students, including English learners and those identified for special education who are mainstreamed in her classroom. “Teaching through relationships enables responsible risk-taking,” she said. “Students and adults thrive when they are in an environment where they are safe, seen and stretched. My classroom is a safe place. And so, my classroom is full of students during brunch and lunch. Students know that I will hold them, while holding them accountable. I am consistent with them and show them the respect they deserve, no matter how they interact with me.”

Dolan was nominated by students during her first year at Pine Hollow MS, and again this year, and was named a finalist both times. The students who nominated her this year were not available for interviews, but several other students said Dolan is their favorite teacher because they know she cares about them and they can trust her to keep personal things they may tell her confidential. “She’s chill,” said Tammy Zavala. “She’s cool. She’s trustworthy. And she explains stuff until you get it.” Mark Pier said Dolan is good at calming down the class if they get hyped up. “Sometimes she has a bell and she dings it,” he said. “Sometimes, she says ‘waterfall, waterfall,’ and everyone gets quiet.” Dolan said this is an AVID strategy, in which students respond “shhhh, shhh,” mimicking the sound of water falling. Melanie Walters, who is in Dolan’s English class and the Prancing Mustangs, said Dolan helps students figure out problems in class and is open to their choreography suggestions in the dance club, which she said “brings a new energy that the school needs.” Alexis Pattison, who was in Dolan’s Leadership class last year and is in her English class this year, said Dolan challenges students in a way that does not make them feel stressed. “She tries to help us,” Alexis said. “She gives us examples we can relate to.” During a recent class, Dolan challenged students to explain whether characters in the book they were reading responded to trauma with resilience by asking them: “Is it a healthy coping mechanism or not?” She teaches students to be resilient by stressing that it’s OK to make mistakes, but they should be viewed as learning experiences. “Let’s show some resilience,” she said to one student. “Let’s take the mistake and make it better.” She also teaches them to advocate for themselves. When some students asked if the lights could be dimmed so they could more easily trace images on their computer screens and take a break from overhead glare, she readily agreed.

Special education teacher Almira McGrath – who helps support the 17 students in Dolans 2nd period class with IEPs (Individualized Education Programs), including some who are English learners – said students who may have behavior issues in other classes do not act out in Dolan’s class. “She does really well with them,” McGrath said. “She shows them love first and they trust her. She is approachable. And she speaks Spanish, so she can speak to some of them in their language.” McGrath said Dolan provides a variety of resources to students based on their needs, supplementing books with movies that dramatize literature. “She has a big heart and she knows how to make the kids feel happy in the classroom,” McGrath said. “She’s a great teacher and I feel happy to be here because I can learn from her and from the other great teachers at this school.”

Dolan said she tends to each student’s needs and gives them the constructive feedback necessary to be successful in school. She knows that some of the students who show up happy and ready to learn in her class do not always attend some of their other classes. “That is the first barrier – getting them in the seat,” she said. “If they’re cutting and avoiding your class, you’re never going to get anywhere. I want to be the movie that everyone wants to see. But it’s not about me. I want to have the class that no one wants to cut.” She said she tells her classes, “I love you all,” and she is explicit and transparent about why she asks them to do specific assignments or to follow school rules, so they know it is to help prepare them for high school and to maintain a consistent school culture, not “because I say so.” She also tries to make learning fun. “We must take the work, not ourselves, too seriously,” she said. “If we can be gentle with ourselves, we can be gentle with the young people who are trying their hardest to make sense of this very confusing and ever-changing world.” 

Michelle Howisey

Mt. Diablo Elementary teacher Michelle Howisey leads her 3rd-grade class in a game of “Connections,” as they take a short break from math. 

Howisey, 41, has spent the last nine years teaching 3rd grade at Mt. Diablo Elementary in Clayton, and has 16 years of teaching experience. She started her career in MDUSD as a 4th grade student teacher at Silverwood Elementary, then taught 5th grade at Meadow Homes Elementary and has also taught 5th grade at Bel Air Elementary and 4th grade at Ygnacio Valley Elementary. “I love third grade,” she said. “I just feel like I’ve found my home. I love the age (8 and 9). They’re at a perfect school learning age. They still love to come to school, they get excited about learning, they haven’t hit any of the upper grade attitude yet, and they’re also reading and ready to dive into chapter books, which I love. I want to teach novels. I just finished one called “Book Uncle and Me,” and right now we’re working on a poetry novel called, “Love that Dog.” They also love idioms. There are a lot of idioms and figurative language in what we read. They catch them now, a lot more often.”

Idioms such as “Piece of cake,” “You’re toast,” and “Cut it out” are posted on the classroom wall along with their meanings. Howisey also uses idioms herself. During class on Wednesday, when students all started talking at once after she asked them to share with their partners, she got them to stop by saying, “Hold your horses.” When they looked up, she asked: “Do I actually mean I want you to hold a horse?” They said, “no.” She confirmed with a smile, “It’s an idiom!” Like Beatty, Howisey starts each day with a Morning Meeting, which she says gives the class “a moment for connection, wellness, reflection, appreciation and silliness.” These meetings help to build strong relationships in the class. “My kids know each other and care about each other and they know that I care about them,” she said. “I think they can learn better when they know they are loved and cared for and safe here in our classroom." They know each other so well that when horses were mentioned, students thought of their classmate Emily’s horse, because they know she horseback rides. And when Berkeley Ajirogi accidentally left her lunchbox outside, her classmates figured out it was hers even though it was labelled, “Emmeline,” because they know that is her older sister’s name.

Howisey focuses more explicitly on Social and Emotional Learning on “Wellness Wednesdays,” including calming activities such as stretches and deep breathing. Students also talk about emotions, such as compassion. A sign on the wall labeled “compassion” with a heart says: “May we be happy. May we be healthy. May we be safe. May we be filled with joy.” To give students breaks between lessons, she provides games such as “Connection,” in which students figure out which four words in a list go together and how they are connected. For example, on Wednesday, students figured out that “field,” “greens,” “grass,” and “lawn” were all “grassy areas.”

Students said Howisey is a great teacher who makes learning fun. They appreciate that she says “please” and “thank you” when she asks them to do things. “I love her,” said Quinn Pascoe. “She’s so nice.” Logan Dagg added: “Her teaching is good. Sometimes, she just gives us hints, but not the whole answer. And she likes to make things funny. If we act silly, she acts sillier.” Berkeley said one of their favorite activities is propagating plants in the gardens outside their classroom. Howisey is very proud of the sensory and succulent gardens, which were started through the Growing Healthy Kids program.

Although Howisey has been nominated in the past, this was the first year she was named a finalist. She heard that more than one person nominated her, including Principal Sara Harris. “Miss Howisey is an absolute force on our campus,” Harris said. “Not only is she an instructional leader in our math work, Miss Howisey works tirelessly to differentiate her curriculum, research and identify the best modalities to instruct her students, and consistently integrates inclusivity and equity in everything she does. Her energy and passion are truly exemplary and I am honored to work with such an exceptional teacher.” Howisey says she is an extrovert who enjoys interacting with as many people in her school community as she can. “That connection creates a trusting partnership where learning can flourish,” she said. “I love creating the classroom space where my students grow, develop, and learn. They become better global citizens, kinder friends, stewards of our environment, strong communicators, critical thinkers, perseverant students, and effective collaborators. Being a part of this child development is my favorite part of the teaching profession.”   

This week's MDUSD Friday Letter spotlights:

• Teacher of the Year finalists Angela Beatty, Dr. Lizette Dolan, and Michelle Howisey;
• Future Health Professionals (HOSA) at Mt. Diablo, College Park, and Ygnacio Valley high schools, and our HOSA advisor selected as a regional representative;
• Winter Student High School athletes who have earned MVP and All-DAL team honors;
• Congratulations to YVHS teacher Joseph Alvarico, a finalist for the prestigious FIRST Robotics Woodie Flowers Award;
• Superintendent Dr. Adam Clark is President of the California Association of African-American Superintendents and Administrators (CAAASA);
• District News including April is Arab American Heritage Month, April 7-13 was Adult Education Week, Board Briefs including Principal appointments for 2024-25, and upcoming meetings and events;
• School News including Sequoia Elementary kindergartners get special visit from PHPD, and Solar Eclipse School Social Media Highlights;
• Staff Social Media Spotlights;
• Community News
• And more!

You can read it here. 

MDUSD looks forward to celebrating our students' accomplishments as we say "goodbye" to graduates during Class of 2024 Celebrations and Commencement Ceremonies!

Below is a list of the upcoming festivities. Ceremonies taking place at the Toyota Pavilion may also be live-streamed by the City of Concord. Northgate High School's commencement may be live-streamed by the City of Walnut Creek. Please check with local schools for additional information about parking and other details.

• May 22: College Now End-of-Year Celebration - 6 p.m. at Diablo Valley College, Pleasant Hill
• May 29: Bridge Program Graduation - 6:30 p.m. at Loma Vista Adult Center, Concord
• May 29: Northgate HS Graduation - 7 p.m. at Toyota Pavilion, Concord
• May 30: College Park HS Graduation - 7 p.m. at Toyota Pavilion, Concord
• May 31: Concord HS Graduation - 7 p.m. at Toyota Pavilion, Concord
• June 1: Horizons, Prospect, Glenbrook, Crossroads Graduation - 11 a.m. at Toyota Pavilion, Concord
• June 1: Olympic HS Graduation - 5 p.m. at Toyota Pavilion, Concord
• June 3: Mt. Diablo HS Graduation - 7 p.m. at Toyota Pavilion, Concord
• June 4: Ygnacio Valley HS Graduation - 7 p.m. at Toyota Pavilion, Concord
• June 8: Adult Education Graduation - 10:30 a.m. at Loma Vista Adult Center, Concord

Congratulations to the class of 2024!

MDUSD is in need of Advanced Placement (AP) test proctors to work from the middle of April through most of May. We are reaching out to our community for assistance in filling these positions for the AP test season.

This is a paid part-time temporary position. The rate of pay is $23.35 per hour and the work location is Willow Creek Center in Concord. Applicants can sign up for as many or as few shifts as desired.

Please see below for the job posting link to apply and for additional information about the position.

AP Test Proctor Job Posting/Application Link

• Part-time temporary position from the middle of April through most of May, with the greatest need May 6-10; May 13-17; and May 22-24. 

• Scheduled hours/days will vary. Proctors need to be available for the morning exam/shift (6:45 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.) and/or the afternoon exam/shift (11:15 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.).  Hours may be longer, if administering to students with accommodations. Shifts will also be assigned for clerical duties.

• Proctors do not need to be available for all testing dates and times and may not be scheduled for every day of testing. Schedules will be made once we have everyone’s availability. Proctors will be notified around mid to the last week of April of their schedules.

• Proctors may be assigned to a large or small group standard exam, a small group accommodated exam, or a 1-to-1 exam. Large groups may be assigned 2 or more proctors on some days.

• Mandatory paid AP proctor training: Thursday, April 18, 3:30–5:00 p.m. and Tuesday, April 23, 3:30–5:00 p.m. at Willow Creek Center, 1026 Mohr Lane, Concord, CA 94519.