CONNECTIONS
MT. DIABLO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
MDUSD FRIENDS AND FAMILIES
Often the first face of the day for our students is that of a classified employee - the school bus driver, school safety supervisors, front office staff, cafeteria staff, custodians - these dedicated employees are committed to supporting our schools and our students and help provide a first-rate educational experience.
Our Classified staff are an essential part of our students' lives. They work hard every day to make sure our students are fed, safe, and learning. Although recognition and appreciation should be shown every day, the week of May 20-26 has been designated as MDUSD's Classified School Employees Week in honor of the contributions of these important and valued employees.
Below you'll find profiles of our two Classified Employee of the Year honorees, Jeremy Macahilig and Kimberly Montano; both went on to be named a County Classified Employee of the Year! I hope you'll join me in extending appreciation to each and every one of the 1,500+ classified employees serving the families of the Mt. Diablo Unified School District.
Recently we held a Principal for a Day event, pairing community, business, and higher education leaders in our community with our school principals to shadow them for a day, learn about the day-to-day school operations, and partner on ideas to continue the work needed to prepare our students for college and career, and to compete in a global 21st century society. It was an exceptional experience for all. I am pleased about the continued partnership and relationship-building that continues to take place as a result of the event, and we are already planning next year's event!
Sincerely,
Dr. Nellie E. Meyer
Superintendent
DISTRICT NEWS
Mt. Diablo Unified is proud to have a strong, dedicated team of classified professionals, and what a team it is!
- 1,442 Classifed Employees (excluding subs and temporary employees)
- 107 Noon Duty Supervisors (unrepresented classified)
- 68 Classified Retirees as active substitutes
- 1,661 additional classified sups or temporary employees (includes classified coaches)
We're also very grateful to employees who have spent, in several cases, decades as a Mt. Diablo Unified employee.
- Serving between 10-14 years - 265 employees
- Serving between 15-19 years - 256 employees
- Serving between 20-29 years - 193 employees
- Serving 30 or more years - 51 employees
Who are some of our longest-serving employees? Here are the most senior employees for each classified unit:
- Sandra Himel, Instructional Assistant, Valle Verde Elementary Hire Date - 10/3/1977 (41 years) California School Employees Association (CSEA)
- Lynda Gonzales, Principal Clerk, Maintenance & Operations Hire Date - 10/10/1977 (41 years) Clerical, Secretarial, & Technical Unit (CST)
- Jeffrey Lozano, Planner, Maintenance & Operations Hire Date - 3/17/1980 (38 years) Teamsters Local Union No. 856
- Trina Bone, Food Service Manager, Mountain View Elementary School Hire Date 1/8/1985 (33 years) Supervisory Unit
- Annette Campanella, Senior Personnel Specialist, Human Resources Hire Date 3/1/1989 (29 years) District Management Association (DMA)
Congratulations to all....and thank you!! Check out some photos of our schools and departments celebrating their classified employees in this gallery on our Facebook page!
Last month, we held a Principal for a Day event, intended to provide an opportunity for leaders from local business, medical, higher-education, social services, and other organizations, as well as elected officials and regional policy-makers to work alongside an MDUSD principal to understand and experience, first-hand, the daily challenges principals face, and to share their own leadership challenges.
The event dramatically exceeded our expectations and changed outcomes in a way we couldn’t anticipate but were overwhelmingly heartened by.
At a post-event luncheon and debrief, we heard repeatedly from our guest principals how eye-opening their experiences were, and how the day’s events had either changed misperceptions about local schools or served to enhance the positive experiences they’d already had.
For our principals, it was an important validation of hard work well-done, and leadership skills well-demonstrated. They were very moved at hearing from those who had been total strangers, now partners, about the potential and the accomplishments of students and staff they hadn’t previously known. One of my favorite comments was from a realtor who, after spending hours at Sun Terrace STEM magnet, said her new first-hand knowledge of the school would help her inform families considering moving into the neighborhood about the wonderful programs and leadership at the school.
For our principals, having community and business leaders shadow them was the equivalent of executive coaching; guest principals were able to offer ideas on building community and pathways to progress in the next century.
We are grateful to all who participated and are excitedly planning next year’s event!
For the sixth year in a row, the Mt. Diablo Unified School District (MDUSD) and the Mt. Diablo Education Association(MDEA) will hold its joint, annual Academy Awards event, honoring educators, administrators, classified employees, and parent volunteers and volunteer organizations for their significant impacts on the lives of students and families.
Edi Bersan, Mayor for the city of Concord, formally welcomed all attendees. Dr. Nellie Meyer, MDUSD Superintendent, and Guy Moore, President of the education association, served as emcees. The keynote speaker was Cherise Khaund, President of the MDUSD Education Foundation.
Students from Westwood Elementary School’s Show Choir and the Concord High School Mariachi Band with dancers will provide entertainment. A farm-to-table dinner will be prepared by student chefs in the Sustainable Hospitality Pathway from Mt. Diablo High School’s International Hospitality and Tourism Academy (IHTA).
Awards were presented to winners among approximately 130 nominees and 36 finalists. Final honorees included the following:
- Community Involvement Award (Teacher) - Jan Robertson, Willow Creek Center
- Creative Curriculum Award (Teacher) - Todd Bauleke, Northgate High School
- Leadership and Courage Award (Teacher) - Noel Rohland, Horizons Center for Independent Study
- Lifetime Achievement Award (Teacher)- Marianne Callahan, Silverwood Elementary
- Most Inspirational Teacher - Elizabeth Swanson, Silverwood Elementary
- Outstanding Administrator - Marga Marshall, Holbrook Language Academy
- Outstanding Classified Employee (Site) - Jean Sabolevskey, El Monte Elementary
- Outstanding Classified Employee (Central Office) - Maria Elena Heredia, Student Support Services
- Outstanding Parent Volunteer - Laney Cline-King, Mt. Diablo Elementary
Congratulations and thank you to all! See all the nominees in the program here!
It is always a bittersweet day when we honor and thank those dedicated employees who are retiring from their careers with Mt. Diablo Unified. Each year, we hold a reception to celebrate the accomplishments of our retirement- bound, and thank them for many years of service to our schools, students, families, and each other.
Please join us in thanking the 2018 Retirees! Some photos from the reception are in this gallery on our Facebook page.
SCHOOL NEWS
Oak Grove Middle School is pursuing authorization as an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School, and when approved as anticipated, it would become the second MDUSD school to have been accepted to the prestigious program after Ygnacio Valley High School.
By becoming an IB World School, Oak Grove would be able to offer the IB Middle Years Program (MYP) for students aged 11-16. The MYP is a challenging frameork that encourages students to make practical connections between their studies and the real world. Research has shown that students participating in MYP and do better in high school than students who did not participate in the program.
The authorization process is highly detailed and involves an approximate three-year timeline. Oak Grove MIddle is in the second stage of the process. Learn more in this Oak Grove International Baccalaureate video!
This school year three Mt. Diablo Unified middle schools - Valley View, Riverview, and Pleasant Hill - and over 600 of their students became Ocean Ambassadors as part of an innovative partnership with The Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito.
Ocean Ambassadors (OA) is a year-long middle school marine science program that provides middle school teachers access to curriculum, resources and professional development. The program serves 20 teachers and 1,500 students from the Bay Area at no cost to schools.
The Marine Mammal Center comprises a marine mammal hospital and education center emphasizing global ocean conservation. As part of the OA program, students explore the science of the Center, examine patient charts, and create action projects relevant to their community. The classroom curriculum component includes 10 lessons connected to Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and integrates field trips to Center and into the wild to see marine mammals.
As part of this school year’s activities, Valley View Middle School students were able to see the California sea lion “Argus” released at Rodeo Beach. Students from Riverview Middle School saw Pacific harbor seals hauling out at Pt. Bonita Lighthouse, and Pleasant Hill Middle School became part of a brand-new partnership with Blue & Gold Fleet that took 300 students out on the San Francisco Bay to see sea lions and harbor seals in their natural habitat.
Several MDUSD schools have wonderful gardens and garden programs coordinated by our after school program, C.A.R.E.S. As part of our C.A.R.E.S. program, we have a beautiful Garden Academy to serve our Bay Point schools, and wanted to share some photos with you! The Garden Academy helps students understand and be part of the relationship of seed-to-table, by planning, planting, watering, gardening, harvesting, and meal preparation. Check out more pictures on our Facebook page!
MDUSD CLASSIFIED EMPLOYEES OF THE YEAR
JEREMY MACAHILIG
Program Coordinator, CARES After School Program
Holbrook Language Academy
What was your response when you learned you'd been named one of the District's Classified Employees of the Year?
My initial response was that of gratitude, followed by feelings of revelation and excitement. I would have never imagined myself in a position of public recognition for doing something that I truly have a passion for. This entire process has been soulfully humbling and nothing could have prepared me for such an amazing honor.
The work of our classified employees may be behind the scenes to many people but it’s also really important to support of students, schools and staff. How would you describe how your work is of creating a positive educational experience for all?
I have always been intimately aware of how essential it is to provide a positive, encouraging, and engaging environment for young and growing minds. I do my best to offer my students, their families and my staff the tools and resources that they need to further cultivate themselves individually. My efforts are geared towards creating an environment where they can capitalize on their strengths, explore new talents, and challenge their weaknesses.
What is the most rewarding part of what you do?
The most rewarding part of my career thus far is the accumulation of all of the personal and fruitful partnerships I have had the pleasure of building throughout my years with MDUSD. My goal is to leave every individual with a positive and meaningful impression that will serve them well in the future. I ensure that everyone has a safe haven where creativity is positively cultivated, and passion is mindfully nurtured.
Paraeducator
Riverview Middle School
How long have you been working for MDUSD?
Eighteen years.
What was your response when you learned you'd been named one of the District's Classified Employees of the Year?
Complete shock. I even said, "how'd I get this?"
What is the most rewarding part of what you do?
When they grow up and are in high school or in their 20’s, sometimes our paths cross. They tell me if it weren't for me, they don't know how they would have done it.
What are some of the most challenging aspects of your work?
When they come from a negative environment and life itself is very challenging for them to begin with; you must constantly reinforce that they're valuable and reassure them that they can do anything they want if they set their mind to it, and anything can be achieved.
CAREER OPPORTUNITIES
Mt. Diablo Unified is always looking for potential team members. Please check our personnel website and our LinkedIn page for updated classroom positions and other positions we’re looking to fill, such as Special Education Assistants, Instructional Assistants, and a variety of administrative and clerical positions. Right now, we’re looking to hire coaches for fall and winter sports at our high schools, along with Special Education teachers, and credentialed school nurses! And we are always recruiting for Custodian Trainees, School Bus Driver Trainees, and Clerical Substitutes A $5,000 signing bonus is offered for Speech Language Pathologists. We also have some special short-term summer employment opportunities.
- Check here for classified (non-teaching) openings!
- Check here for certificated openings!
Come join #TeamMDUSD! Together, we make a difference!
SCENES FROM SCHOOLS
College Park High School
Concord High School
Mt. Diablo High School
Northgate High School
Ygnacio Valley Elementary Schools
Silverwood Elementary Schools
ABOUT US
Email: mdusd@mdusd.org
Website: https://www.mdusd.org/
Location: 1936 Carlotta Dr, Concord, CA, USA
Phone: (925) 682-8000
Facebook: facebook.com/MDUSDnews
Twitter: @MtDiabloUSD
DATEBOOK
June 18 - July 13, 2018
Summer School
June 25, 2018
Regular Meeting - Board of Education
1936 Carlotta Dr., Concord, CA 94519 (Get Directions)
- Closed session - 6:00 p.m.
- Open session - 7:00 p.m.
- View Agendas and Meeting Documents here!
COMING UP
- August 9 & 10, 2018 - New Teacher Orientation
- August 13, 2018 - Regular Meeting of the Board of Education
- August 13, 14, & 15, 2018 - All Teacher In-Service Day
- August 16, 2018 - FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL - WELCOME BACK!
- August 27, 2018 - Regular Meeting of the Board of Education
- September 3, 2018 - Labor Day Holiday - No School
- September 10, 2018 - Regular Meeting of the Board of Education
- September 24, 2018 - Regular Meeting of the Board of Education