SUSD Updates Regarding COVID-19 |
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The District is committed to keeping our students, families and staff updated regarding our service changes during the pandemic. Please visit our District website at www.stocktonusd.net/COVID to view the latest updates. Please ensure your child's school also has your most up-to-date phone number and email address, and that you have downloaded the SUSD Mobile App to receive immediate updates via push notifications.
For direct information, please click on the following links:
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Stockton Unified's Black Lives Matter Statement |
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Black Lives Matter:
Stockton Unified School District began providing services to students in 1852 and is located in the heart of California’s Central Valley, near the banks of the San Joaquin River, on land originally inhabited by the Yokut and Miwok people. SUSD is the 17th largest school district in California, whereby 40,000 PK-12th grade students come to us seeking to experience an academic journey that leads to high school graduation and success in college, in careers, and as actively-engaged community members. We currently have approximately 2, 297 African American/Black students in the SUSD. That is approximately 9.5% of our total student population.
As a district, we understand that silence is complicity and with this statement, we reaffirm that Black Lives Matter!
We are against, and appalled by, the social injustices that continue in today's society. We also recognize the role the education system plays in continuing those injustices with practices that disproportionately affect our Black students. We support the Black Lives Matter movement and in doing so, acknowledge the need to make the changes necessary in our schools for every Black individual to have equitable access to the education they deserve.
Race refers to physical differences that groups and cultures consider socially significant. Ethnicity refers to shared cultural characteristics such as language, ancestry, practices, and beliefs. When we reference the term Black, it is important to note that some American people of African ancestry prefer “Black,” and others prefer “African American”; both terms are acceptable. People of African descent have widely varied cultural backgrounds, family histories, and family experiences. “African American” should not be used as an umbrella term for people of African ancestry worldwide because it is too limiting for the current population and obscures other ethnicities or national origins, such as Nigerian, Kenyan, Jamaican, or Bahamian. Those who are descendants of slaves were referred to as African American. However, this percentage of people is going down. We have more black people here from other parts of the diaspora and other parts of the continent. Whenever possible, use the racial and/or ethnic terms that someone chooses to identify as.
While education plays a substantial role in the success of our students, so too does the Stockton community. As a community, we make a difference by having conversations with our students about the injustices, inequalities, and racism that still exists. Becoming aware of our differences and teaching all of our students how to respect & value these differences through their thoughts, beliefs, and actions is the first step to combat racism.
We recognize that, as a public education organization, we have a special obligation to uplift, support, and raise awareness aligned with the needs of students we serve. Our Black students have the right to be healthy, loved, educated, and safe. Because of this, it is part of our mission to continuously strive toward equitable access to education for Black students so that they are able to thrive in our schools and in our community. We believe all individuals should be treated with respect & dignity, no matter their race, ethnicity, native language, ability, religion, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, gender, indigenous heritage, or national origin. Thus, our Black students should be treated no differently.
As educators, we will continue to advocate for, and work toward, systemic changes for our students and our community. We recognize our power as an institution and the role that the District, through its policies and practices, have played in perpetuating systems of racial injustice, oppression, and white privilege in our classrooms and in our fields.
Silence is not an acceptable option - we must commit to being actively anti-racist. We are ethically and morally obligated to advocate for the dismantling of policies, practices, and procedures that sustain institutional racism and work to realize equity and justice in our schools. Where you don’t see our system living up to these ideals, we ask for your support in naming these injustices and invite you, as collaborators, to undo these systems of oppression to better serve our youth and families.
We have been and will continue to be, advocates for equity and social justice for the families we serve. We understand that all lives can't matter until Black Lives Matter. School Counselors create annual student outcome goals, to focus on closing the gaps, many of which target our suspension rate that disproportionately affects Black students.
The Department of Educational Equity was established in July of 2017 and a Director of Educational Equity was hired. Since then the Educational Equity Department has worked with SUSD stakeholders and has been engaged in ongoing analysis of both qualitative and quantitative data in order to assess the current needs of the district, identify any equity, opportunity and access gaps that impede student achievement and student success and to work with stakeholders to address them. The SUSD and Educational Equity Department is committed to taking affirmative steps to support its school-site leadership, teachers, staff, and parents, and to support ALL students with the goal of eliminating the disproportionate number of Black students, students of color and students with disabilities who are suspended and expelled in the SUSD and to eliminate any inequitable discipline policies and practices.
Additionally, since 2017, the Educational Equity Department has provided Equity Focused Professional Development to SUSD staff including central office directors, administrators, site administrators, teachers and support staff in the areas of Unconscious Bias, Equity Leadership, Racial and Cultural Discrimination and Culturally Responsive Pedagogy and Practices.
To the Black community: We see you. We support you. We stand in solidarity with you. We fight for you.
If you have a student that is negatively impacted by racism in relation to the current social and political climate and would like support in discussing these matters, please don’t hesitate to contact your school counselors.
Respectfully,
Stockton Unified School District
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Primary:
After the Fall by Dan Santat
Available on SORA in eBook format.
From the New York Times–bestselling creator of The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend comes the inspiring epilogue to the beloved classic nursery rhyme Humpty Dumpty.
Everyone knows that when Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall, Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. But what happened after?
Caldecott Medalist Dan Santat's poignant tale follows Humpty Dumpty, an avid bird watcher whose favorite place to be is high up on the city wall—that is, until after his famous fall. Now terrified of heights, Humpty can longer do many of the things he loves most.
Will he summon the courage to face his fear?
After the Fall (How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again) is a masterful picture book that will remind readers of all ages that Life begins when you get back up.
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Intermediate:
The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell by Chris Colfer
Full series available on SORA in eBook and AudioBook format
The first book in Chris Colfer's #1 New York Times bestselling series The Land of Stories about two siblings who fall into a fairy-tale world!
Alex and Conner Bailey's world is about to change, in this fast-paced adventure that uniquely combines our modern day world with the enchanting realm of classic fairy tales.
The Land of Stories tells the tale of twins Alex and Conner. Through the mysterious powers of a cherished book of stories, they leave their world behind and find themselves in a foreign land full of wonder and magic where they come face-to-face with the fairy tale characters they grew up reading about.
But after a series of encounters with witches, wolves, goblins, and trolls alike, getting back home is going to be harder than they thought.
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Young Adult:
Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Full series of The Lunar Chronicles available on SORA in eBook and AudioBook format
The #1 New York Times Bestselling Series!
A wicked mash-up of fairy tale and Terminator—set in a Star Wars kind of world—Marissa Meyer's Cinder is a fresh and fiercely ingenious futuristic retelling of Cinderella.
Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth's fate hinges on one girl. . . .
Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She's a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister's illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai's, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world's future.
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Family Activities For November |
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Fall is such a wonderful time of year to build lasting memories with your families. Here are a handful of activities you may want to try.
Fall Scavenger Hunt
Have an fall themed scavenger hunt. Create a list of things you can find outside in the fall like acorns, pinecones, yellow and brown leaves, and crabapples, and race to see who can find them all first. If this is too easy, make riddles for each item so participants have to figure out what the item is before they can begin to search for it.
Go on a Nature Hike
Make a game out of your family hike with a nature bingo sheet. Include things like acorns, orange leaves and squirrels. You can find one online or whip up your own. Whoever gets bingo first wins!
Have a Picnic
The weather is perfect. It’s the most wonderful time of year for everyone who likes not-too-hot and not-too-cold. Why not enjoy it with a nice picnic lunch at a local park? You can make it even better if you pack a couple of autumn treats, like pumpkin lattes, bread and pies. Super budget-friendly. Super fun.
Paint Pinecones
This is two activities in one! Send the kids out to find the best pinecones and then decorate them anyway you’d like—with paint, sequins, glitter or beads (fluorescent pink, anyone?) This is also a great opportunity to make the perfect Thanksgiving centerpiece.
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2021-2022 LCAP Survey Available |
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Stockton Unified School District (SUSD) is in the process of developing the Local Control & Accountability Plan (LCAP) for 2021-2022. This survey provides opportunities for our 3rd-12th grade students, SUSD staff, parents, guardians, families, and community members to share feedback and ideas that are used in the LCAP development process. We value your feedback and voice and appreciate your time in completing this survey. The window to complete the LCAP survey is from October 26th, 2020 to February 5th, 2021. Thank you for completing the LCAP survey.
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Have You Signed Up For Our GreatSchools.org
Grade-by-Grade Newsletter
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GreatSchools.org and Stockton Unified School District have partner to equitably serve more than 40,000 students amid pandemic. The new partnership will deliver grade-based newsletters to parents, helping build community and support student success in kindergarten through high school graduation.
As schools across the country start off the year with remote instruction, in-person learning, or both, school districts have an even greater need to safely build stronger communities and equitable outcomes for all students. In their most recent annual survey of 3,264 parents receiving GreatSchools.org’s grade-based newsletters, 94% reported that the newsletters helped them understand and support their child’s learning, 87% reported that the newsletters supported them during school closures, 84% of parents reported that the newsletters helped them to feel more confident communicating with the teacher, and 64% reported that their child is doing better in school academically, socially and/or emotionally, or both, since they began reading the newsletters.
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Resources for Talking about Race
& Social Injustice with Your Family
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The Educational Equity Department and the Family Engagement and Education Office would like to share some resources for parents, guardians and educators that provide information on the topics of race and social justice. Please visit the Educational Equity and the Family Engagement and Education Office webpages for additional resources!
The website Embrace Race is a website that educates and informs adults about the pervasive impact of race in kid’s lives, and helps parents, guardians, families and educators to become effective racial equity advocates for kids.
The website race conscious.org is a resource to support adults who are trying to talk with young children about race. The website offers resources for adults to engage in these conversations and prepare young people to work towards racial justice.
The Children’s Peace and Anti-bias Library contains an expansive list of books that are designed to develop students’ self-awareness, confidence, and positive social identities and will empower them with the skills to stand against prejudice and/or discriminatory actions.
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Click event for more information |
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Unity Day 2020
The PLUS Program works to improve school climates across Stockton Unified School District. One of the issues we tackle is BULLYING. Unity Day was created by Pacer's National Bullying Prevention Center, and we join efforts with millions of people across the world in Unity Day each year in wearing orange to send one large ORANGE message of support, hope, and unity to show that we are united against bullying and united for kindness, acceptance, and inclusion. In Stockton Unified, Unity Day is our kickoff event for our Bullying Prevention Month in November “SUSD is Bully Free”. Look for more information on how you can unite against bullying in the coming weeks.
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Week of the School Administrator
The week of October 12, 2020 was the week of the school administrator! The District celebrated administrators with breakfast and the gift of new face masks. Administrators, we are grateful for all the hard work you do!
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Article: District Administration Magazine
Did you know our District uses solar power at two schools? In early 2021, we will take the next step to reduce our emissions by purchasing electric buses! SUSD Energy Education Specialist Gilbert Rosas spoke about our green efforts during the National Solar Tour Webinar and in District Administration Magazine.
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SUSD Police Department Annual Trunk or Treat (Drive Thru Edition)
The SUSD Police Department safely gathered to host their annual Trunk or Treat. Though the event could not be held in normal fashion at the Police Department, our SUSD officers organized a fun drive-thru Trunk or Treat event at Pittman Charter. Families across the District drove through the parking lot to safely get treats and interact with police officers. Thank you to everyone who made this event possible, and to all who attended!
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Submit your stories for the next SUSD Connects!
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SUSD Community Relations Department
701 N. Madison Street
Stockton, CA 95202
(209) 933-7025
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