Informed WPUSD: Monthly Newsletter
STAFF EDITION | March, 2024
Superintendent Corner
Celebrating Employees
Years of Service
I've had the opportunity to visit those who have dedicated 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 and even 35 years of service in our District! Passing out these Years of Service pins is a highlight each year and brings me such joy!
Click HERE to view the photo album and be sure to check out my video this month to hear about some highlights!
Employees of the Year
Congratulations to our 2024 Employees of the Year! You are all rockstars in my book, but let's take a moment to recognize those who we are honoring this year.
Overall Classified Employee of the Year
Angie Selter
Teacher of the Year for Elementary
Stephanie Maul
Teacher of the Year for Secondary
Cindy Hagman
Congratulations TBMS!
Twelve Bridges Middle School (TBMS) was named one of 293 California Distinguished Middle and High Schools for 2024 (elementary schools are honored in odd years). There was only one other school in Placer County (Chilton Middle School in Roseville) that was also named. This is the third time that TBMS has been awarded this honor. We are so proud of TBMS and their work to earn this recognition.
HERE is a link to the press release from the California Department of Education.
Important Upcoming Dates
School/Office Closures
March 25-29 - Spring Break, NO SCHOOL, District Office open 10am-2pm
WPUSD Board of Trustees
Get to Know Your Board Members: Member Marjorie Proffitt
I became a school board member because of my desire to contribute to my child's education, advocate for quality education within our community, and to ensure the well-being and success of all students. Serving on the school board has allowed me to have a direct impact on educational policies, curriculum decisions, and overall school governance.
Of the newly adopted board objectives, which one resonates most with you/which one are you most passionate about and why?
Academic Excellence is the board objective that resonates most with me and what I am most passionate about. Student Success is my top priority. I want to ensure every student has the opportunity to excel and reach their full potential. A strong, rigorous education system contributes to the overall development of each student and has transformative power for personal growth and development, both academically and personally.
What does life outside of being a board member look like for you? How do you spend your free time?
My daily life is always centered around my family. Being a mother has been the most profound fulfillment and joy in my life. I am a part time fitness instructor and nutritional counselor but always a full time wife and mother. I travel frequently 7 months of the year with our youngest daughter who is a world champion competitive cheerleader, and my husband and I spend every free weekend spoiling and creating memories with our eldest grandson who lives close by.
Name a personal goal that you would like to see accomplished during your time as a board member.
My personal goal as a board member is to ensure WPUSD is the number one district in education in Placer County and the most sought after employer for teachers and staff.
Board Meetings Highlights & Upcoming Meetings
Board Meeting Highlights
- February 6 Highlights
- The Board honored Sandra Ruiz for her heroic, life-saving acts
- Audrey Kilpatrick, Chief Business Officer, presented on the Governor's Budget and COLA reductions
- Mike Adell, Director of Facilities presented the 2022-2023 Developer Fee Report
- Member Dykstra led a discussion on the status of the District's endowments and donations
- February 20 Highlights
- Twelve Bridges High School's Spotlight on Excellence meeting - highlighting TBHS programs additions, concerns around increasing enrollment, and celebrating the first-ever senior class
- March 5 Highlights
- The Board heard a presentation on Plateful (our Food Service Department) and their recent work in scratch cooking, securing additional funding for equipment and future plans for more farm to school production
Upcoming Meetings
- March 19, 2024 - First Street Elementary Cafeteria, 6:30pm
Miss a meeting? Click HERE to view them on our YouTube Channel
2023-2024 School Board Objectives
The School Board exhibited thoughtful consideration and collaborative efforts in adopting their school board objectives that reflect the best interests of WPUSD schools, students, staff and community.
BUSINESS & OPERATIONS
In This Section
🧑🍳Food & Nutrition Services NEW!
🖥️Technology
🏫Facilities NEW!
🤑Business & Payroll
🚌Transportation NEW!
Food & Nutrition Services aka Plateful!
Survey Results and Next Steps
First of all, THANK YOU to all who participated in our survey! It was a tremendous help in aiding our menu planning work for 2024-2025. We carefully considered your feedback and aligned it with our department goals and capabilities to continue improving our offerings for students (and soon, staff too!).
Two New Scratch-Made Items Added!
We added two new speed scratch items to our menus recently. A white cheddar mac & cheese and a chocolate strawberry rollup. The mac & cheese features scratch made cheese sauce with a whole wheat pasta. We are working with Nates Fine Foods (Rocklin), so we can buy a different pre-cooked pasta (Note: At the moment, we don't have burners at 4 of our elementary schools, so we are limited on our pasta cooking capabilities, but we are hopeful that will change in the future). The chocolate strawberry rollup is made with local strawberries and chocolate chickpea spread.
Adult Meals Start April 8th!
We finally have a date to start adult meals sales on campuses, April 8th! To request a Titan/Linq account, please fill out this Google Form HERE.
You will receive an account confirmation email within 10 business days. This email will have the details on how to set-up your Titan/Linq account and add funds online. Once you have dollars on your account, you will be able to purchase meals during student meal times at your site starting April 8th!
Follow Plateful on Social Media!
Did you know our department, Plateful, has its own dedicated social media accounts? Give us a follow to see what we're cooking up in Food Service!
Technology
Help Tickets
The easiest way to receive assistance with your tech needs is to submit a help desk ticket by emailing helpdesk@wpusd.org.
Who to contact for issues related to programs outside of the IT Department's scope:
Frontline (formerly AESOP) – DO Personnel
Informed K12 – DO Business
Employee Escape Portal – DO Business
Maintenance items – School Secretary
ParentSquare - Emma Oehler at DO
Facilities
Congratulations Hannah Dayton!
WPUSD's Assistant Director of Facilities, Hannah Dayton, graduated from the School Facilities Leadership Academy last week, a year long program that teaches leadership while intertwining the education of school facilities for the State of California. Not only did she graduate in high honors from the program, but she was selected to speak on behalf of her cohort at the Coalition for Adequate School Housing conference luncheon this past Friday.
"I am very proud to be a leader in School Facilities throughout the State of California, especially a woman in the industry of school planning and construction, and I cannot be more thankful enough to have the support of my District (WPUSD), colleagues, and friends by my side throughout this very evolutionary and ever changing career in school facilities."
Planning, funding, and constructing school facilities is very complex and can be difficult to understand. WPUSD is fortunate to have a Facilities Team that is dedicated to being experts in their field, which has and will continue to be vital as Lincoln continues to grow.
Business & Payroll
Overnight Field Trip Requirements
Just a friendly reminder: For ALL Overnight Field Trips or Camps we require that you
have it approved by the Board and you submit additional paperwork for insurance
purposes.
Grace Lowery will take care of putting your trip on the Board Agenda. The final board
meeting of the year is scheduled for June 18th. Kindly ensure that overnight field trips
and camps that are taking place in the summer are submitted no later than June 1st to
Grace for board approval.
Rochelle Christopherson will take care of the documents that are required for our
insurance company. These documents are necessary to ensure we are adequately
covered in case of any incidents.
We require the following documentation from you:
- Yellow Pre-Approval Application Filled out and signed by your Principal
- Any contracts you have entered into for the trip. All contracts must be signed by Audrey Kilpatrick or Carrie Carlson
- If your students are staying in a Hotel, we need a copy of the contract. We do not require insurance for hotel stays.
- If your students are staying in the Dorms, or housing provided by the camp, we need the following insurance information from them:
- A Certificate of Insurance naming WPUSD as a Certificate Holder. Make sure in the
- Certificate Holders box it says Western Placer Unified School District 600 Sixth Street Suite 400 Lincoln, CA 95648.
- An Additional Insured Endorsement naming WPUSD as an Additional Insured. Make sure Western Placer Unified School District 600 Sixth Street suite 400 Lincoln, CA 95648 is listed on this form. You cannot list WPUSD and additional insured on the Certificate of Insurance; you must request this separately.
- Additional Insured Endorsement Requirement sheet. This form needs to be signed by a representative of the camp or event you are attending. Rochelle will email you this form.
Please email these forms to Rochelle rchristopherson@wpusd.org. You will be notified
by email once the documents are approved.
We are here to serve You! Who are we?
Business:
- Carrie Carlson, Director of Business Services
- Rochelle Christopherson, Business Administrative Assistant
- Rhia Zinzun, Budget Technician
Accounts Payable:
- Favi Melendrez-Lopez, Staples and Amazon purchases, supports school sites
- Evelyn Keaton, District credit card, Cal Cards, supports district departments
- Elide Castillo, Supports food services and CARE program, also prepares district attendance reports and invoices
Payroll:
- Nora Liang, Classified employees with last names beginning A-K (recent change)
- Holly Shima, Classified employees with last names beginning L-Z (recent change)
- Jenn Gill, All certificated payroll and employee docks
*All three of our Payroll Technicians can answer your health insurance questions!
Forms, Forms, Forms
All business and payroll forms can now be found on the WPUSD Intranet.
Transportation
New Vans in Action!
Recently, the district received two new vans to help supplement student transportation for field trips, activities and athletics. They were ordered back in 2021, but were placed on backorder (for several years!). They've already helped students at Phoenix High travel to American River College to observe their Culinary Arts Program, among other field trips around the district. We are grateful to have them as added transportation options for students and staff.
Audrey Kilpatrick
Carrie Carlson
Tsugu Furuyama
Christina Lawson
Tom Butcher
Mike Adell
Boyd Pyatt
Hannah Dayton
Assistant Director of Facilities
Phone: 916-645-6350
Email: hdayton@wpusd.org
PERSONNEL SERVICES
In This Section
🎓Tuition Scholarship Opportunity NEW!
💆Wellness Updates NEW!
🤝Employee Resources
Tuition Scholarship Opportunity
Through our partnership with Grand Canyon University, we are able to offer our employees access to significant scholarship discounts on credentialing programs at GCU. Please see the information below, and if you have any questions, don't hesitate to reach out to Marie and Heidi, whose contact information is included in the information below.
Grand Canyon University has a new 32% scholarship discount opportunity for all paraprofessionals within Western Placer Unified School District.
New students who enroll in a bachelor’s degree in education will receive a 32% scholarship and new students who enroll in a master’s degree in education will receive a 25% scholarship discount towards all credits!
****This program is offered through your local Lincoln counselors, @Heidi Young and @Marie Higley and if any employee is interested, please click the direct link for more information.****
Start here to request more information https://c.gcu.edu/heidi.young
Questions? Please call
Heidi Young
(602) 513-4695
Marie Higley
(602) 513-4258
Wellness Updates
March Grokker Challenge
Our next Grokker challenge started on March 1, and we already have ton of participation! This time it is a site-based challenge! See below for sign up information. This challenge will have individual prizes AND a prize for the winning site (determined by a combination of the number of staff members active, and the levels of their activity). The winning site will get a healthy lunch buffet!
Pre-Game Warm Up, Mental Game Plan, Halftime Nutrition, Post-Game Stretch – Your Complete Playbook for Success!
Join SIG’s March Madness 2024 challenge that will give you all the tools you need to get fit and be in your best shape ever. Whether that means moving more, eating better, combating stress, or being more productive, Grokker has you covered!
Your March Madness 2024 challenge runs from March 1 - March 22, 2024. Join today!
Here's how it works:
- Don't have an account? Register here.
- Find your school and join team here.
- Start earning Wellbeing Minutes on March 1 by:
- Completing the Daily Workout
- Watching Grokker videos
- Syncing your wearable device to Grokker
- Self-reporting wellbeing activities that are not tracked on wearable devices.
Prizes: You've got multiple chances to earn raffle entries toward a $25 Health and Wellness e-gift card. (Check with your district for additional opportunities to win!)
Earn 1 Ticket for every 60 Wellbeing Minutes achieved.
Earn 1 Ticket for every day active in the challenge.
Earn 10 Tickets when someone that you've invited to the challenge joins the challenge.
Other Wellness News & Updates
Gym Discounts
Check out the entire list here, and be on the lookout for a new partnership with Crunch Fitness coming soon!
Yoga Class Leader?
We are on the lookout for a district staff employee who is a Yoga guru and would be interested in leading a yoga class. Interested in knowing more? Send Mike Maul an email!
Salsa and Cooking Nights
We have plans for a Salsa night (the dance and the delicious snack!) and a Cooking Night coming up later in the spring- stay tuned!
Line Dancing Night?
As we look for more ways to engage our staff in fun and healthy activities, we wanted to see if there was an interest in having a Line Dancing Night. Fill out this form if you are interested!
Wellness Spots
We now have wellness spots up and running at COES, FRE, LHS, PHS, TBE, and the District Office, with LCE, GEMS, and TBHS sites coming soon! All sites will have a spot by next year!
Employee Resources
Cliff De Graw
Mike Maul
COMMUNICATIONS
In This Section
💻WPUSD Branding Hub Now LIVE NEW!
✔️ParentSquare Resources NEW!
👨💻WPUSD Intranet Reminder
📱District Social Media
WPUSD Brand Hub Now LIVE on the Intranet
Now on the WPUSD Intranet, you can find a brand hub that holds links to all of our WPUSD logos, school site logos*, templates, letterheads, graphics and a link to the WPUSD swag store!
*Site logos will be added as they are rebranded. PHS, ATLAS and TBMS will soon be complete!
ParentSquare Resources for Staff
ParentSquare Notifications: What You Need To Know
Did you know there are several types of ways to receive communication? As a staff member, you are in the driver's seat with how and when you receive communication. Below breaks down the different types and what they mean.
Communication Methods:
- Email notification (all staff receive email notifications through ParentSquare)
- Text notification (this is set to 'Off' as a default; however, the District may override this setting as a form of communication in an emergency)
- App notification (this would require you to download the ParentSquare app and enable notifications)
You have the ability to control which notifications your receive by going to your account and selecting 'Notification Settings'.
Notification Frequency:
Instant = receive communication as it's sent
Digest = receive one notification later in evening with ALL communication that went out that day.
Available Training Resources
As a reminder, we offer ParentSquare resources for staff and teachers on our website located on the intranet and also on our public website HERE. We encourage district employees to download the app and turn on notifications in case of emergency. If you need help with your ParentSquare account or need additional training, contact Emma Oehler at eoehler@wpusd.org.
WPUSD Intranet
Many of our district documents and forms that were once on our public website have moved to the WPUSD Intranet! As a reminder, you can access the Intranet by entering your full email in the Username field. From there, you will be directed to select your WPUSD Gmail account or be automatically directed to the Intranet. You can find the link to the WPUSD Intranet in the main header of every website.
Stay Connected with Us!
Follow Our District Social Media Accounts
Did you know we have approved, district-run social media accounts? Be sure to give us a follow for some fun district happenings, highlights and more!
Emma Oehler
Marketing Communications Officer
Email: eoehler@wpusd.org
Direct Extension: 40145
Facebook: @WPUSD
Twitter: @WPUSD
Instagram: @w.p.u.s.d
ED SERVICES & SCHOOL SAFETY
In This Section
📈iReady High School Scores NEW!
❤️🩹NCI Training NEW!
☕SPED Corner NEW!
🫂DO Reunification Training NEW!
iReady High School Mid-Year Scores
Here is a link to mid-year iReady Language Arts and Math scores for both comprehensive high schools. The data doesn’t give specific percentages for each category, but does show trends in where students are achieving and where they are struggling.
Key:
Striped green = at or above grade level
Solid green = on grade level
Yellow = one grade level below
Solid red = two grade levels below
Striped red = three or more grade levels below
Nonviolent Crisis Intervention (NCI) Training
As we progress through the school years post COVID, we continue to see a drastic increase in concerning behaviors from some of our students. At times, these behaviors can be aggressive, both physically and verbally, which makes a trained staff response essential. With that, we have worked as a team to increase the training opportunities for staff in the area of de-escalation. Nonviolent Crisis Intervention or NCI is a training that provides staff with the skills required to assess and intervene when a student is actively engaging in a crisis cycle. The goal of NCI is to intervene at the most appropriate time of the cycle and de-escalate the student. NCI also provides training for staff on safe and approved physical interventions, to include restraints. While it is essential for staff to remain "hands off" at all times, when the safety of students and staff is in jeopardy, we will utilize a trained and approved restraint when needed.
This year, we've been able to increase the number of employees training by moving to a hybrid model where the lecture type material was provided online with the physical training provided in person. We are hoping this increased training will equip staff with the much needed knowledge and support on how to effectively de-escalate students in crisis.
If you are interested in attending a future training, please reach out to Scott Pickett.
SPED Corner
D.O. Reunification Practice
As you know we are continuing to set up and refine our district safety practices. Last week, many District Office Staff went an off-site location to practice a reunification scenario. A reunification is a process by which students reunify with their parents in an orderly and organized fashion as a result of an unsafe event at a school site, such as a natural disaster or an active shooter situation. Should an actual event occur, it is possible a reunification event could take place off campus at a predetermined location and additional staff (such as District Office Staff) would be required to assist in the operation. We worked with Lincoln PD to conduct a trial run. LPD provided great insight on ways we could improve our process. We're grateful for their partnership and dedication to our District's emergency preparedness.
Scott Pickett
Reno Penders
Ellie Martinez
Chuck Whitecotton
Emily Ortiz
Western Placer Unified School District
Website: www.wpusd.org
Location: 600 6th Street, Suite 400, Lincoln, CA, USA
Phone: 916-645-6350
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WPUSD/
Twitter: @WPUSD
Instagram: @w.p.u.s.d
Past newsletters can be found on our WPUSD Intranet.
See ways we can improve our Staff Newsletters? Let us know.