I hope that you and your families are staying well. Did you know about tonight's launch of the Open Conversations about Mental Health Webinar Series from 5-6:30pm?  Attending is easy—simply register in advance, and you will receive a confirmation email with all the information you need.

 When: Monday, January 25, 2021 at 5:00PM Pacific
 Topic: Open Conversations about Mental Health Webinar (#1)

Details from Dr Clark:

"To promote wellness, answer questions, and address common student and family mental health concerns, MDUSD is assembling a panel of mental health professionals who will host this webinar that is free and open to all. The panel will consist of MDUSD mental health staff, including school counselors, school psychologists, social work specialists, behavioral health specialists, and college and career advisors. Audience members may choose to participate and interact virtually, or watch only.

Our professionals are here to help. The stress and responsibilities of ordinary life are already difficult to manage, and this pandemic has created conditions that challenge our mental health and wellbeing even more so. Still, there are practical skills, remedies, and tools that can make all the difference. Tune in on Monday night to ask your questions, express your concerns, and hear from our mental health professionals."

Read on for:

1. School Board meeting Wednesday January 27th
2. Superintendent’s Friday letter
3. "The Hill We Climb" lesson plan
4. DVC DREAMers Conference
5. Cash for College

Next School Board Meeting Wednesday January 27th

Find the agenda here, along with information about how to watch the live broadcast as well as how to submit public comments.  Click here to see summaries of board action from prior meetings.

Please note: this year our board meetings have been moved to Wednesdays instead of Mondays.

A resolution will be presented in Recognition of February as Black and African American History Month.

Here is an excerpt: 

WHEREAS the History-Social Science Framework for California Public Schools, Kindergarten Through Grade Twelve states appropriately that the history curriculum of community, state, region, nation, and world must reflect the experiences of men and women and of different racial, religious, and ethnic groups and must be integrated at every level; and
WHEREAS Black and African American history is continuously being made, and concurrently, classroom discussion that is courageous is encouraged in our institution as an essential function of student-centered wellness and education;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Mt. Diablo Unified School District Governing Board proclaims the month of February as Black and African American History Month, and encourages all schools to commemorate this occasion accordingly with appropriate instructional materials, discussions, presentations and projects.

There will be two key reports:

• California Collaborative for Excellence in Education (CCEE) will present on Systematic Instructional Review
• Capitol Advisors will present on Key State & Federal Budget Issues

And a key business item will be the approval of a contract for online tutoring for English learners.

Superintendent's Friday letter

Click here to read Dr Clark’s January 22nd letter including: 

• Updates on negotiations and status of reopening
• new "Ask the CBO"
• Organizational Update
• T-Mobile Project 10 Million - free hotspot & data to families who have a student enrolled in the National School Lunch Program

"The Hill We Climb" Lesson Plan

I was amazed by National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman’s poem “The Hill We Climb,” at the 2021 inauguration.  Were you?  Here is a resource about how her poem "presents a great opportunity for educators and students to discuss the ways creative expression can help us think about the meaning of democracy."

https://www.tolerance.org/magazine/teach-this-the-hill-we-climb-and-the-2021-inauguration

DVC Dreamers Conference

Are you an undocumented student, or do you know someone who is?  Diablo Valley College is holding it's 10th Annual DREAMers conference Feb 3rd-5th, and Mt Diablo alumni are some of the presenters on these panels. Learn how to access college, scholarships and more.  Visit dvc.edu/dreamers for "a safe place that supports education for all members of our community, we created this website as a resource for undocumented students, their families, and their allies."

Cash for College

Join a Cash for College Webinar by the California Student Aid Commission to learn how to apply for CA Dream Act or FAFSA. Register at http://bit.ly/cashcollege21