ORINDA UNION SCHOOL DISTRICT
NEWSLETTER
August 9, 2019
SUPERINTENDENT'S UPDATE
Dear OUSD Families,

Welcome Back to School ! One of the aspects I love about being an educator is that each new school year is filled with infinite possibilities! I hope that your children - our students - enjoyed countless adventures with family and friends over the summer and are ready to join us as we welcome them back for a new school year on Wednesday, August 14th.

I applaud our teachers and other certificated staff who attended training this summer focused on phonics, math, Reading and Writing Workshop, and/or other curricular areas to continue honing their skills. In addition, many teachers spent countless hours preparing their lessons and classrooms for their students. Our shared goal is that all students will feel welcome and begin learning on day one. I thank our certificated staff for their commitment to lifelong learning, effective instruction and assessment, and providing welcoming classrooms for our students.

Kudos to our OUSD classified personnel who spent this summer cleaning and preparing classrooms, MPRs, grounds, and other important areas of our schools. Other classified personnel at the District Office and school sites worked diligently to ensure our transition to a new school year goes smoothly.

Our theme this year is "Everyone belongs here." You'll learn more about our work in this area in the Curriculum Update section. I hope you'll reinforce this philosophy at home with your child(ren). My goal is that each child and adult feels welcomed, supported, and connected at school, particularly those who are new to our school district.

OUSD Emergency Procedures Document
Thanks to the work of Board Members Jason Kaune and Liz Daoust, Director of Facilities Stuart House, and the input of our OUSD Principals, we now have a two-page document linked here that contains important details about our school district's emergency procedures. Highlighted are our protocols for earthquakes, sheltering in place, fires on campus, wildfires, and lockdown scenarios.

The OUSD emergency notification system is SchoolMessenger. This system has the capacity to send simultaneous emails, phone calls, and text messages in an emergency. You must opt-in to receive an emergency text message. Text "Y" to 67587 from each wireless device on which you wish to receive messages. For more information about SchoolMessenger, click here .

Also included in the OUSD Emergency Procedures document are ways parents can help, information about emergency supplies at our schools, and reunification plans when students have to be moved to a different location.

In related news, on Tuesday of this week, KTVU Channel 2 aired a story by reporter Tom Vacar on the innovative ways Orinda USD has partnered with the Moraga Orinda Fire District and Splunk to prevent and combat wildfires. Check it out here !
Summer Hiring & Openings
Over the summer, the District hired 14 new teachers/ certificated staff, eight support staff, and one associate principal. Please join me in warmly welcoming these outstanding new OUSD employees!
OIS
Teachers : Samantha Eck (Special Education), Nicole Reader (Librarian)
Associate Principal : Maple Lai
Del Rey
Teachers : Isabella Fasheh (4th grade), Nico Peters (Psychologist), Amanda Taylor (5th grade), Heather Thornton (P.E.), and Kendra Valentine (K)
Support Staff : Julissa Kemp (School Clerk I), Chelsea Ouimet (Spec. Svcs. Asst.), and Michaela Thomas (Spec. Svcs. Asst.)
Glorietta
Teachers : Jeremy Hull (P.E.), Nico Peters (Psychologist)
Support Staff : Stephanie Rogan (Inst. Asst.)
Sleepy Hollow
Teachers : Emily Desai (3rd grade), Stephanie Helder (K), Jeremy Hull (P.E.), Jennifer Leighty (3rd grade), and Annette Robison (4th grade)
Wagner Ranch
Teachers : Julie Cohen (4th grade), Jeremy Hull (P.E.), and Sean O'Connor (5th grade)
Support Staff : Shelby Galvan (Inst. Asst.), Jennifer Jones (Inst. Asst.), and Shane Thompson (School Clerk I)
District
Director :  Dr. Carrie Nerheim (Dir. of Student Svcs.)
Support Staff : Alan Cercado Zamora (Maintenance Craftsman) 

We still have openings for a school secretary at OIS, part-time classroom assistants, part-time assistants to work with students with special needs, and substitute teachers. If you or anyone you know is interested in one of these positions, please email Jennifer Valencia, Personnel Technician, at  jvalencia@orindaschools.org  for more
information. Join our team!
As always, I welcome your comments, suggestions, and questions on any topic related to our OUSD schools.

Sincerely,

Dr. Carolyn Seaton
Superintendent of Schools
OUSD NEWS
District Calendar
  • August 12: Regular School Board Meeting, 6:00 p.m.
  • August 14: First Day of School (Late Start for OIS only, 9:25 a.m.)
  • August 21: Back to School Night at OIS
  • August 29: Back to School Night at All OUSD Elementary Schools
  • September 2: Labor Day Holiday
  • September 9: Regular School Board Meeting, 6:00 p.m.

Please note that our 2019-2020 school calendar has been revised to move elementary conference week to September 23-27, 2019. The 2020-2021 school calendar is also available.
Board Shorts
2019-2020 OUSD Board School Assignments:
OIS: Hillary Weiner
Del Rey: Liz Daoust
Glorietta: Jason Kaune
Sleepy Hollow: Carol Brown
Wagner Ranch: Cara Hoxie
The Board of Trustees will hold their regularly scheduled monthly meeting on August 12, 2019, at 6:00 p.m. Items on this month's agenda include:

  • Presentation of $10,000 check from Northern California Regional Liability Excess Fund for reimbursement for Fire Water Tanks
  • 45 Day Budget Revision
  • Contract for Cal Engineering regarding Wagner Ranch Landslide Project
  • Update on Summer Facilities and Technology Projects 
  • Summer Staff Development and Plans for Fall Training
  • Discussion of Emergency Back Up System for PG&E Outages

Upcoming Events
  • Aug 15: Board Coffee, Peet's Orinda (8:15-9:15 a.m.)
  • Aug 21: Board Workshop, Ranch House at Wilder
Curriculum Update
Diversity and Inclusion

The Orinda School community is committed to our Strategic Directions , which were developed by staff, students, and community and approved by the Board of Trustees. We continue to dedicate our energy and resources toward supporting the whole child with programs like Kidpower and Thinkfirst. Our theme for this year is “ Everyone Belongs Here , ” and we are working with the Anti-Defamation League to train staff and teachers during the school year so our schools are places where ALL students feel a strong and enduring connection.

Adults Learning: Summer and Fall Training
We are proud that our teachers work diligently on their own development and growth as professionals, even during the summer. Orinda Union School District continues to support our teachers as lifelong learners and reflective practitioners. Highlights from the summer and upcoming fall trainings include:

  • Week-long institutes focused on literacy and math
  • New teacher “Boot Camp” led by our Teachers on Special Assignment: Ashley Appel (Math), Kim Burris (Literacy), Kevin Cutler (Technology), and Katie Gardner (STEAM and Science) 
  • Phonics training for Kindergarten,1st, and 2nd grade teachers
SITE NEWS
DEL REY
Upcoming Events :
  • Aug 13: Annual Popsicle Social
  • Aug 14: First Day of School; Welcome Coffee (8 a.m.)
  • Aug 14: Kindergarten Parent Welcome Coffee (8:45 a.m.)
  • Aug 29: Back to School Night & Minimum Day (12:20 p.m. dismissal)
GLORIETTA
Upcoming Events :
  • Aug 11: TK and Kinder Picnic (5:30-7:30 p.m.)
  • Aug 13: Kickoff Day
  • Aug 14: First Day of School
  • Aug 29: Back to School Night & Minimum Day (12:20 p.m. dismissal)
SLEEPY HOLLOW
Upcoming Events:
  • Aug 11: Kinder and New Family Welcome Picnic, Dalewood Park (4-6 p.m.)
  • Aug 12: Annual Welcome Day (3-6 p.m.)
  • Aug 14: First Day of School; TK/K Parent Welcome Coffee in MPR (9:30 a.m.)
  • Aug 22: Returning Parent Coffee with Principal in MPR (8:15 a.m.)
  • Aug 29: Back to School Night & Minimum Day (12:20 p.m. dismissal)
WAGNER RANCH
Upcoming Events
  • Aug 10: Garden Work Day (8:00 -11:30 a.m.)
  • Aug 11: TK and K Social (3:00 - 4:30 p.m.)
  • Aug 13: New Family Orientation (2:00 - 3:00 p.m.)
  • Aug 14: First Day of School; Welcome Back Coffee (8:00 - 9:30 a.m.)
  • Aug 29: Back to School Night & Minimum Day (12:20 p.m. dismissal)
OIS
Upcoming Events :
  • Aug 14: First Day of School
  • Aug 14: Welcome Back Coffee (9:25 a.m.)
  • Aug 19 & 23: Picture Day
  • Aug 21: Back to School Night (6:30 p.m.) & Minimum Day (1:05 p.m. dismissal)
EFO UPDATE
Your EFO donation supports a quality education and enrichment programs for students at ALL Orinda schools. Please give to www.orindaefo.org/donate-to-efo . Thank you!
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