Ali Gaines, a teacher at the San Joaquin County Office of Education (SJCOE) one.Biddick School joins the list of dedicated professionals and volunteers in San Joaquin County who have received special recognition in the fight against child abuse.

Gaines students at one.Biddick stay at the Mary Graham Children’s Shelter, where children are brought if they have been removed from dangerous situations at home or a failed foster-care placement.

Time at the shelter is short, but it is long enough for a compassionate teacher like Gaines to leave a lasting impression. It is why he was one of three individuals and one agency program recognized at the 16th Annual San Joaquin County Child Abuse Prevention Symposium on April 20 at the University of the Pacific DeRosa Center. The theme of the event was: Choosing to be a Survivor.

“Not only to be a survivor but to be awesome at life,” said Gaines about what he hopes for his students. He said every last one of his students could make it to college if that is what they want to do. “Education is the key to success,” said Gaines, who has taught at the school for about 10 of his more than 20 years at the SJCOE.   “My goal is for them to see that opportunity.”

Hosted by the Children’s Services Coordinating Commission (CSCC) and the SJCOE, the annual event drew more than 300 dedicated professionals and volunteers working with children and families in San Joaquin County at high risk of abuse and neglect. Participants came together to network with each other and listen to a slate of speakers. The presentations were broken up by lunch and an awards ceremony honoring individuals in four categories of Child Abuse Prevention and Intervention Awards.

Gaines received the award for Service Employee of the Year.

California Highway Patrol Officer James Smith received the Law Enforcement Officer of the Year Award.

Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Mary Alt received the Volunteer of the Year Award.

The Lodi S.A.F.E. (Students and Family Empowered) Project received the Agency Program of the Year Award. It is a collaborative project with the Lodi Unified School District and the Child Abuse Prevention Council.

 The symposium began with remarks from San Joaquin County Superintendent of Schools James Mousalimas, and CSCC Chairperson Kathy Morrissey served as the emcee.

 The presenters were:

• Carol Redding, a Ph.D. candidate providing information about the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study, focusing on alcoholism, depression, and criminality
• Suzanne Schultz, coordinator of the San Joaquin District Attorney’s Office Family Crimes Division and director of the San Joaquin Family Justice Center project
• Katie Romaneck, survivor of a 1994 kidnapping and assault
• Larry Hansen, retired Lodi police chief

Hansen and Romaneck gave a joint presentation about Romanek’s kidnapping as a 12-year-old girl in 1994 and the search that followed.  “I was kidnapped by a stranger.  I was tortured, but I survived,” Romaneck said.

The encounter impacted her life in the years that followed, even when she didn’t realize it. When she needed help, she reached out and got it, she told the crowd of professionals that included many who provide that kind of help and other assistance. 

“If it weren’t for people like you, this community has zero hope,” she said.  “God bless every single one of you out there.”

About 300 people gathered for the California State Elementary Spelling Bee hosted by San Joaquin County Office of Education (SJCOE) for the sixth consecutive year on Saturday, April 23.

Competing for the championship were 56 fourth- through sixth-grade students from 28 counties in California who had been certified as county champions by their county superintendents of schools.

And right in the thick of it was Ethne Anders, 11-year-old fifth-grader from Venture Family of Schools.

She made it through the first six rounds, correctly spelling each word she was asked to spell: slump, target, crucial, shortage, tempestuous and hypodermic. She was not eliminated until the seventh round, when she misspelled “armistice.”

Ethne qualified for the state championship when she was runner-up in the county contest in December. Jefferson Elementary School District sixth-grader Izaak Valadez was the county champion. The Jefferson School student also competed in the state bee.

After 17 rounds, Ananya Vinay, 11-year-old fifth-grader from Fresno County, was named the 2016 California State Spelling Bee Champion.

Her winning word was “pugilist.” (Definition: a professional boxer. ) It was Ananya’s second state championship. She was also the 2015 State Elementary Spelling Bee Champion.

For photos from the 2016 California State Elementary Spelling Bee, please visit the album on the SJCOE's Facebook page.

Read the May issue now!  

Two Venture Academy Family of Schools students were recognized at The Record All County Student Pinnacle Awards on May 3.

Sarah Ruiz and Jan Marie Pastrana were among 91 graduating seniors who represent the top one percent of high school seniors in the San Joaquin and Calaveras counties.

“Winning the Pinnacle Award has added significance to the success that I have achieved through an efficient work ethic. I thank God, my family, my teachers, and my supporters,” said Pastrana, who will be attending California State University, Sacramento this fall.

The recipients of the award are chosen based on their GPA (70 percent), student activities at school (15 percent), and their community involvement (15 percent).

High schools are given the number of students they can nominate based on student enrollment. 

This is the 21st year for the Pinnacle Awards. The San Joaquin County Office of Education Student Events department helped coordinate the event. The top three percent of graduating seniors are also recognized as Distinguished Students.

County Superintendent of Schools James Mousalimas, along with University of the Pacific President Pamela Eibeck and Record Publisher Roger Coover, spoke during the ceremony.

For more information, visit: http://www.recordnet.com/opinion/20160504/our-view-best-of-best-pinnacle-winners-represent-excellence-in-education

For photos, visit: http://www.recordnet.com/photogallery/SR/20160503/PHOTOGALLERY/503009999/PH/1

Students in the San Joaquin County Office of Education (SJCOE) celebrated at the historic Yosemite Club in downtown Stockton to recognize a very special achievement.

They all had perfect attendance this school year.

The students were honored at a lunchtime ceremony May 9. They dined on prime rib prepared by students in SJCOE Career Technical Education’s culinary program housed in the historical building. The recognition was very nice, said one.Charter Academy for Visual & Performing Arts student Anastasia Retiz, 15. “It shows you that good deeds are rewarded.”

Students at the one.C.A.R.E. program at East Union High School in Manteca are taught a mantra: Know where you’re supposed to be. Be where you are supposed to be. Do what you are supposed to do.

“These guys took that to heart,” said Doug McCreath, the program director.

The lunch was a nice surprise, said Blake Johnson, one of the one.C.A.R.E. students at the lunch. “I was kind of shocked,” he said, but it was nice to be recognized.

Many of the students at the lunch were also recognized at a May 3 evening awards ceremony for alternative education students in programs under SJCOE County Operated Schools and Programs. Students received awards for writing, GPA, and other achievements. The top award for the night – the Concept of one.– was reserved for students who exemplified the core mission of SJCOE alternative education, known as the one.Program.

It’s a reminder of the one. concept that each individual can make a difference in the world and individuals can join together and work as one.

Hundreds of Nightingale Charter School students enjoyed a fun-filled afternoon on their very own campus at a carnival thrown by the San Joaquin County Office of Education (SJCOE) Educational Services Division.

The students at the Stockton Unified School District charter school had earned it. That’s because Nightingale had the highest rate of perfect attendance this school year of all the schools participating in the Every Day Counts program, a countywide initiative from the University of the Pacific’s Beyond Our Gates. It encourages students and families to get to school and to get there on time.

The school with the highest rate of perfect attendance is recognized every year.  This year was different, because SJCOE Educational Services had offered to throw a party for the winning school.

The offer came last summer. Since then, each department within Educational Services had planned what they were going to bring to the carnival. The carnival was a team-building exercise, but it fit in nicely with the day-to-day work the Educational Services departments do to help provide a quality education to students throughout the county.

“The day is soul food for our Educational Services team and also a way to support a school that has made attendance a priority,” Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services Jane Steinkamp said.  “Success in school is all about attendance. At Educational Services, we are all about supporting kids, and we wanted to do something for a school that has worked very hard.”

In all, the SJCOE employees brought 23 different attractions to the carnival on May 16. There was a sack race, bowling, football toss, face painting, and more.

The Regional System of District and School Support staff members wore fantastical costumes and performed a guess-the-card trick in true carnival fashion. The Assessment Projects staff ran an on-the-spot photo booth. Students would grab wacky props and pose for a picture, leaving within minutes with an instant souvenir to take home with them.

Students were engaged throughout the carnival, and school staff were grateful of both the support and love shown from the SJCOE employees, Nightingale Principal Maya Muchuca said. “It has truly been amazing,” she said. “We are speechless.”

Muchuca said the school community is proud that its attendance rate was high enough to win the Every Day Counts Attendance Challenge. “We are always encouraging students and parents, saying that every minute counts,” she said.

When the last face was painted and the last sack race was run, the students lined up to go back to class.

Somebody blew a few short blasts on a whistle, and a playground full of students responded in one voice: “Thank you.”

To read a story in The Record about the carnival, please visit http://www.recordnet.com/article/20160516/NEWS/160519745.

The first language Maira Tureez learned was Urdu, a language native to India and Pakistan.

She began learning English when she was 2 years old. By the time she was 5, she had started picking up some Spanish.

The eighth-grader from Joe Serna Jr. Charter School in Lodi Unified School District was one of many young linguists welcoming the crowd to the 2016 State Seal of Biliteracy and Pathway Awards on May 19. The chorus of welcomes at the three ceremonies held that day came in English, Urdu, Spanish, Korean, American Sign Language, and more.

In all, 412 high school seniors received a Seal of Biliteracy Award. Their diplomas will bear a golden seal. Also recognized were 122 students in grades 3-8 receiving Pathway to Biliteracy Awards.  In all, 245 students attended the ceremonies. Families, district administrators, principals, and teachers were also in attendance.

Maira is on the path to mastering three languages, more than enough to receive the golden seal when she graduates high school. She already has seen how speaking Spanish has helped her communicate while assisting with her family’s property management business.

She sees that the seal – and what it represents – will help her achieve her college and career dreams. She is aiming high, setting her sights on Princeton.

Created by state law effective since 2012, the State Seal of Biliteracy program recognizes high school graduates who have attained a high level of proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing in English and at least one other language.

The awards were hosted by San Joaquin County Office of Education (SJCOE) Language & Literacy. Families and friends joined SJCOE officials there to honor the students.  The awards presentation was spread over three back-to-back ceremonies to accommodate all the represented school districts: Escalon Unified, Jefferson Elementary, Manteca Unified, New Hope Elementary, Oak View Union Elementary, Stockton Unified, Lincoln Unified, Linden Unified, Lodi Unified, Ripon Unified and Tracy Unified. Students from the SJCOE’s Venture Academy Family of Schools were also recognized.

“Language is how we communicate with one another, how we learn about each other, and how we learn about our cultures,” San Joaquin County Superintendent of Schools James Mousalimas said to the audience. “I want to commend all our student here today who have learned at least one other language in addition to English. That’s going to serve you well as you go on to college and careers. This is really going to be a huge advantage to you.”

Biliteracy will open doors to success, said Ben Foley, a graduating senior from Lincoln Unified School District’s Lincoln High School. Literate in English and Japanese, he said it could help him reach his career goals.

But learning a language is about more than just something to put on your college application, he said.

“Bilteracy helps open doors to other ideas and the thoughts of other cultures,” he said. “Think about what you can learn from its native speakers, and what biliteracy can do for you.”

There were 100 graduates from Teachers College of San Joaquin (TCSJ) who completed programs offering master’s degrees or teaching credentials and were honored at a June 5 graduation ceremony at the Bob Hope Theatre in Stockton.

They were joined by keynote speaker Coach Jim White, the inspirational coach who was the subject of the movie McFarland USA. The movie starred Kevin Costner, who portrayed Coach White. The movie told the story of the against-all-odds triumphs achieved by the cross-country team White coached at a high school in Kern County.

His story inspired moviegoers, and White inspired many of those who heard him speak at the graduation ceremony.

He told stories from his 40 years in education and gave advice to the graduates. He told them they could make the choice to make a difference in the lives of their students. “That’s the important thing in life. Make a difference,” he said. “So make a difference. Make up your mind what you want to do. You can. You will, if it’s important to you.”

TCSJ President Dr. Diane Carnahan addressed the graduates after White. She noted that White covered the “Four Rs” that are so important to education: rigor, relevance, reflection, and relationships. “The relationships that you have with your students, your parents, the staff at your school, your communities – they matter,” she said. “And by building those relationships your jobs will be easier. Remember everybody wants to know they matter, as well. So build those relationships.”

White wasn’t born in Stockton, but it is where he grew up. He was a classmate of TCSJ Board of Trustees Vice Chairperson, Anthony Gutierrez, who said he knew White would be a great speaker for the ceremony because of the coach’s experience with disadvantaged students. “He gives them spirit, faith, hope, and belief in themselves,” Gutierrez said. “I wanted to bring him back to Stockton.”

More than 900 tickets were requested for the ceremony. The graduation began with an introduction from San Joaquin County Superintendent of Schools James Mousalimas. Gutierrez and TCSJ Chairperson Gary Dei Rossi also spoke, as did four students who received their master’s degrees.

Graduates received different diplomas or credentials, depending on the programs they completed. Not all of the 241 students who completed programs this past year took part in the ceremony on Sunday. The college offers credential programs for teachers and administrators as well as programs to obtain master’s and doctoral degrees in education.

TCSJ is part of the San Joaquin County Office of Education’s Educational Services Division.

To see photographs from the graduation ceremony, visit the TCSJ Facebook page.

Click here to read the full report.

As of July 1, the SubFinder system will no longer be available. All absences will need to be reported to SmartFind, our new absence tracking and substitute calling system. All jobs previously entered have been moved to SmartFind.

It is very important to register yourself in SmartFind as soon as possible! You will be required to record your name and change your PIN number. Both your ACCESS ID number and your PIN number will be your Escape payroll ID number, which can be found on your pay stub (if your payroll ID number is less than 6 digits do not enter the leading zero's (i.e. your payroll ID number is 320 and printed on your paystub as 000320, use 320 as your ACCESS ID number).

Very important: Substitutes will not receive calls for jobs if they are not registered in SmartFind!

How-to guides can be found on the SJCOE website on the Human Resource page http://www.sjcoe.org/HumanResources (click on the Substitute Services link to locate the handouts) and on inside.sjoce.org under the HE Resources tab. The document can also be downloaded by clicking the link below.  

To access the website click on this link http://www.sjcoe.net/smartfind/

If you have any questions contact HR at (209) 468-4863.

The SJCOE Math Department offers professional learning opportunities for teachers, coaches, and administrators of Grades TK-12.  These sessions will help bring you up-to-speed in the math-world.

Please sign-up as soon as possible as the seats are limited in each session.  The following is a list of the professional learning opportunities offered by grade level for the FALL/WINTER 2016/2017 school year.  Please see the enclosed attachment for session descriptions as well as links to flyers and registration.   

GRADES K-12 ADMINISTRATORS

- Mathematics Professional Learning for Administrators:  October 14, 2016

GRADES TK-5

- NUMBER TALKS...A Powerful Strategy:  September 14, 2016

GRADES K-5

- Developing Rich Mathematical Tasks:  January 18 & 19, 2017  

GRADES 6-8  

- Developing Rich Mathematical Tasks:  January 12 & 13, 2017

- Number Talks...A Powerful Strategy:  September 15, 2016

GRADES 7-12 

- Dan Meyer presents Beyond Relevance & Real World:  Stronger Strategies for Student Engagement:  November 17, 2016

GRADES 9-12

- Developing Rich Mathematical Tasks:  February 27 & 28, 2017

Please contact Denise Irvin at 209.468.9177 or dirvin@sjcoe.net if you have qusetions regarding any of these professional learning opportunities. 

Summertime gives students with a love of science a chance to explore the world of biotechnology in a series of boot camps at the San Joaquin County Office of Education (SJCOE).

Hosted by the SJCOE’s STEM Department, the summer's first Biotech Boot Camp began with a group of sixth- through eighth-graders, who donned white lab coats and rubber gloves on July 6. They learned how to use the tools of biotechnology to separate molecules, quantify proteins, and insert DNA into bacteria.

July is also the month for two other three-day Biotech Boot Camps. The ninth- and 10th-gradersmake solutions, analyzed DNA, purify proteins, separate molecules, transform bacteria, and clone DNA fragments. At their own boot camp, high school juniors and seniors produce reagents, amplify DNA by the polymerase chain reaction, detect genetically modified DNA in corn chips, and analyze proteins through polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.

The Biotech Boot Camps are just some of the summertime learning offered by the SJCOE’s STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) Department.

For more information about SJCOE STEM, please visit http://www.sjcoescience.org/

Now availible online!

The 2015-16 San Joaquin County Spring Honor Roll has been published by the Stockton Record and is availible online for viewing.

Click Here to view the complete list.

Congratulations to these hard-working students!

Download the attachment to read the newsletter. 

Story from The Record

James Wagner and Steve Wagner III had a choice to make a few years back: Stay in school to secure their futures, or drop out to help their father with his present. They chose to help their dad, potentially putting their futures at risk. They were just boys when their father was severely injured in a car collision.

...

Although they had put their education on hold, they have found another avenue to a degree. Later this year, the Wagner brothers are scheduled to graduate with a diploma from the Building Futures Academy.

…

Eventually, the brothers were introduced to the Greater Valley Conservation Corps, another program at the SJCOE that helps youth ages 18 to 25 years old with academic instruction, employment opportunities, job training and life skills. Because of their hard work and passion, they were recommended for a paid internship and apprenticeship with Ten Space and the Corps, working with crews on restoring a multi-floor office building at 110 N. San Joaquin St. in downtown Stockton.

Read the entire article from The Record at: http://goo.gl/kDFPxO

“There is nothing quite like the anticipation and excitement of the start of a new school year. The smell of freshly sharpened pencils and sight of colorful backpacks exhilarate our children as they venture into new beginnings and embark on new experiences. Children wonder who will be in their class, what they will wear that first day, what lunch period they will have, and to which teacher they were assigned. Parents wonder if their children will make new friends and if they will be educationally challenged as well as socially and emotionally guided. Teachers prepare their classroom and lessons, making them visually appealing and academically effective. Principals organize schedules and assignments in preparation of leading their staff and students into a successful year of education. Nothing beats the mark of a new academic beginning.”

To read the entire letter from San Joaquin County Superintendent of Schools James Mousalimas, please follow this link to recordnet.com.

An informational meeting will be held on Thursday, October 13, 2016 at which time Notice of Intent to Participate forms will be made available.  The informational meeting will be held at SJCOE/Wentworth Education Center/Kingston Room and will start at 4:00 p.m.  SJCOE can accomodate up to 30 teams for each tournament and priority is given to those attending the informational meeting.  Notice of Intent to Participate forms will be available on-line on October 14, 2016 for those unable to attend the meeting. 

Please watch the website for updates regarding the 2017 Math Tournaments. 

Tournament Dates:

Grades 4-6 - April 1, 2017

Grades 7/8 - April 29, 2017

Contact Denise Irvin at (209) 468-9177 if you have questions about the Informational Meeting or the 2017 Math Tournaments. 

The first SJCOE Tech Summit is coming soon! 

Choose from over 30 sessions presented by regional educators who use technology in their own classrooms and vendors such as Google, Apple, STEMScopes, LiveBinders, and more! A vendor fare will be available throughout the day in the Wentworth Education Center Lobby. Cool tech giveaways from vendors like SWIVL and Sterling will be happening throughout the day. 

Important Tech Summit Information

When:  Saturday, September 10, 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Where:  Wentworth Education Center, 2707 Transworld Drive, Stockton

What to Bring:  Your Sched itinerary and your own device.  

Fee:  Early Bird Registration $75 (through August 15) / Late Registration $95 (closes September 1). Fees include breakfast and lunch.
Who:  Educators, administrators, curriculum leaders, and IT staff members are all welcome to come.  

Spaces are limited and you must pre-register and pay to attend. Click here to register. 

For questions please contact Amy Kennedy at (209) 468-4880 or akennedy@sjcoe.net

These sessions will help deepen your practices using the CCSS ELA/Literacy and ELD standards. 

Please see the attachment for session descriptions as well as links to fliers and registration.

CA ELD Standards Fall Institute

October 5, 19 & 20, 2016 San Joaquin COE                   

October 18, November 1 & 2, 2016 Yolo COE                  

Advanced Paraprofessional Institute focusing on English learners 

(only for those who have previously attended the 5 day Paraprofessional Institute)                           

September 20, 27 & October 4, 2016                                

Paraprofessional Institute focusing on English learners 

January 10, 11, 26, 30 & February 2, 2017                        

Close Reading –using the CCSS ELA and ELD standards in tandem

Grades TK-2                  October 25, 2016                                                               

Grades 3-8                     September 29, 2016                                                          

Writing across the Text Types – using the CCSS ELA and ELD standards in tandem

Grades TK-2                  November 15, 2016                                                           

Grades 3-5                     November 1, 2016                                                             

Argument Writing

Grades 6-12                   November 8, 2016                                                             

Spanish Language Institute –HILT (High Intensity Language Training)  

June 19 – 23, 2017   

Venture Academy Family of School (VAFS) film students received the Youth Visionary Award at the Betting On Our Future (BOOF) Spotlight Film Festival in Anaheim in June.

The eight students produced three different films for the (BOOF) project. The films consist of two 30-second public service announcements (PSAs) and a documentary-style film about the negative effects of gambling as well as gambling addiction prevention.

The 30-second PSA that received the Youth Visionary Award sets a scene of children being left in a hot car while the parents are gambling inside a casino.

VAFS CTE film instructor Jory Kusy said that one of the students involved in the project plans to continue her education in mental health, which is where the idea came from for the winning PSA.  

The students’ ability levels ranged from intermediate beginner to advanced. Students were selected for the project based on their dedication to film and their overall work ethic, Kusy said. They met voluntarily after school, November 2015 through May 2016 for three hours a week, to design, film, and produce the projects.

The production costs are funded through a $5,000 grant received from the California Office of Problem Gambling (OPG). California Friday Night Live Partnership, a program focused on promoting healthy lifestyles among youth, offers an annual grant opportunity through the Tulare County Office of Education provided by the OPG. This is the fourth year that the SJCOE has received the grant. Last year, VAFS film students won the Best Use of Visual Effects award at the same festival.

 Watch the three films here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCc32zXtemMuetz1KoVtkWaQ

 For more information about Venture Academy Family of Schools, a San Joaquin County Office of Education charter school, visit www.ventureacademyca.org.