I’ve really enjoyed seeing how much our schools are celebrating the rich diversity of cultures that families bring. Gregory Gardens Elementary recently held a Heritage Night, which it turns out had invited the Diablo Taiko group to perform, and Diablo Taiko is a group that I joined last fall. So not only did I get to taste delicious food from countries such as Ukraine, Mexico, India, Nepal, but I also had the pleasure of performing and sharing Japanese drumming with joyful students!

Instrumental music is going strong in MDUSD as well. I was fortunate to see the stellar performances of both Concord High and Northgate High at the Folsom Jazz Festival, where both ranked as finalists among a field of many schools. And check out this video that Concord High created to recruit students into music.

Read on for:

• Board meeting this Wednesday
• Yondr - Phone free schools
• YVHS Teacher Joseph Alvarico honored at California Teacher of the Year Gala
• Register now for Middle School girls STEM conference

Board meeting this Wednesday

Tomorrow night’s board meeting will include 17.1 potential approval of a consultant to Assess the Electoral Feasibility of a Ballot Measure Related to Class Size Reduction. Thank you to the exploratory committee of teachers, parents, and community who vetted many and recommended this consultant. Visit mdusd.org/about/board-meeting-information to see all board meeting agendas, minutes, and how to participate.

Yondr - Phone Free Schools

Olympic High School presented at our last school board meeting about how their pilot Yondr program is going to create a phone free school and maintain healthy boundaries around technology.

This is something we could consider implementing in other schools or districtwide. You may have seen Yondr outside of schools recently at a concert or show, as many venues use this technology as well. Take a look at this Presentation, and let me know what you think!

YVHS Teacher Joseph Alvarico honored at California Teacher of the Year Gala

Ygnacio Valley High School’s Mr. Alvarico was one of just 5 teachers statewide honored as Teacher of the Year this year. He spoke at the celebration in Sacramento last week, sharing his inspirational story.  I encourage everyone to watch his speech and read the MDUSD article here.

Mr. Alvarico is such an inspiration. I love how he ended his speech: “Isn’t it remarkable that the lessons I learned from a small school in Manila are now resonating in the hearts and minds of students here in California? Yet, the crucial question we must ask ourselves is this: 'What limitless potential can we unlock in young minds when we bring these expanded, real-world, community-supported learning opportunities to every school in California?'"

Register now for Middle School Girls STEM Conference

The 2024 AAUW-OML STEM Conference for Middle School Girls (6-8th grade) will be held on Saturday, March 16, 2024 at Saint Mary’s College from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.  Each student will select 5 of her top choices out of the 14 workshops offered.   The cost is $50, but full Scholarships are available.  Click on the STEM Conference webpage for more info. https://oml-ca.aauw.net/stem-conference/

Registration is now open and will close on February 29th, but it is filling up fast. Click on the link to register.  https://forms.gle/qnShGjpGJMA2swYZA