CSD High School Newsletter

California School for the Deaf, Fremont High School team welcomes you to the 2022-2023 academic year!

Left to right: (back) Frank Germinario, Mark Carney, Andrew Phillips, Eric Kunze, Bill Mouroux, Michael Sidansky, Stacy Eilbert, William Roberts, Ty Kovacs, Alan Davary.

(front) Anna Woodbury, Susana Acosta, Scott Swanson, Sutha Ramanathan, Heather Ainsley, Amy Novotny, Emily Sidansky, Molly Christensen, Lorraine Flores, Janele Alarcon, Jair Portillo, Marissa Cohen

Welcome to the 2022-2023 school year!

Greetings from the High School team including High School, Career Technology Education, Career Center, Physical Education, Athletics, Pupil Personnel Service, and Student Life are working together as a school to provide top-quality education services and experiences that students deserve in high school. We are thrilled to welcome our students and staff back to school.

California School for the Deaf is such a special place to learn and grow. We are proud of our school and have high expectations for each and every student. Together with our dedicated staff, we strive to make connections with students to help them feel valued, accepted, and safe. We will continue to provide a rigorous and joyful inclusive school involvement. It is our main goal to encourage active student engagement to foster a lifetime love for learning.

School and Family partnership is crucial to promote a healthy transition to school both socially and emotionally. We recognize that students may be feeling anxious with the start of a new school year and we will continue to place a strong emphasis on social-emotional learning while focusing on building a strong classroom community.

Each year brings positive change. This includes a few additions to our staff. We are delighted to welcome new staff members:

Amy Novotny, HS Administrative Principal
Stuart Ikeda, CTE Principal
Ruth Lummer, PE & Athletics Supervisor
Ruan Poindexter, Student Support Liaison

Let’s make it an awesome year!

Left to right: Jeana Williams (Program Assistant), Bonnie Biser (Real World Teacher), JR Goff (Real World Teacher), Yatika Engineer (Office Technician), Rosalyn Ramos-Barry (Real World Teacher), Vanessa Cristobal (Career Counselor), Frank Lester (Supervisor), Nelly Hencker (Transition Specialist), Marnee Wafer-Hoecker (Department of Rehabilitation Counselor), Shelby Cook, (Job Placement Specialist), Jian Huang (Program Assistant), Amy Eshelman (Real World Coordinator), and Rona Lev (Career Counselor)

Career Center

The Career Center and Transition Services Department at California School for the Deaf (CSD) provides various services to families and students to assist with the transition from high school to adulthood. The department is continuously updating the services and program offerings based on the students’ needs, the labor market, and the results of the annual Graduate Follow-up Study and data shared from the Work Readiness Program.

From the Dean of Students

Families & Caregivers,

It is our pleasure to welcome you to the start of the 2022-2023 school year. It is our privilege to provide your child with a positive experience and environment to thrive in the Student Life division.

We aim to create an enriching and learning experience for students at all levels. Our goal is for all students to have abundant opportunities to explore their interests and identify their passions in order to succeed out in the world. This goal aligns with this year's school-wide theme: “Let’s SOAR.” Our staff is ready and has every intention to ensure the continued success and growth of our students at CSD while maintaining a safe and positive atmosphere.

In the next few weeks, the students will participate in a wide range of activities, events, athletics, field trips, and sessions to ensure an amazing start to this school year.

Please rest assured that the Student Life Management Team (SMLT) and I are committed to maintaining an open-door communication policy. You can find our contact information at the bottom. I encourage and welcome any questions, comments, or concerns you have about our Student Life division.

We are looking forward to a productive and constructive year ahead.

Sincerely,

Len Gonzales, Ed.S.

Dean of Students

LGonzales@csdf-cde.ca.gov

510.344.6200 - VP

Oskar Schugg

Supervisor of Residence Programs: High School & Real World

OSchugg@csdf-cde.ca.gov

VP - 510.344.6087

Holly Bullard

Supervisor of Residence Programs: Elementary School and Middle School

HBullard@csdf-cde.ca.gov

VP - 510.344.6094

Noah Kessler

Supervisor of Residence Programs: Day Counselors, Nigh Attendants, and Transportation

NKessler@csdf-cde.ca.gov

VP - 510.344.6221

Student Life Staff (from left to right): Len Gonzales, Oskar Schuggs, Noah Kessler, Holly Bullard

New Family Orientation

by Daniel Girard

During the weekend before school started, our CSD high school student leaders participated in the New Family Orientation (NFO) event to welcome and support new students and their families. They were identified by wearing their EAGLEAD t-shirts and provided support with NFO event logistics, planned fun activities including arts & crafts for children, shared their experiences on the stage as panelists, socialized with students and families during lunch time, assisted with registration event in the big gym, and guided new students and families to their assigned cottage. Student leaders being involved with NFO is a great way to connect with new students/families and showcase different kinds of opportunities and experiences CSD provides to all students.

The Big Game Rally

by Michael Sidansky

The booming drum reverberated throughout the gym, spreading our intractable, indomitable Eagle spirit with each beat as the students fired up for a day of Big Game when we would square off with our rival, California School for the Deaf, Riverside. The students cheered with excitement as each Fall Sports team was introduced. Football, Volleyball, Cross Country, and Cheerleader teams’ presence on the gym floor unleashed a series of earthquakes that would continue until the school’s rival made their way here from Riverside for some friendly competition.

Eagle Walk

by Daniel Girard

During the first three weeks of school, high school students were engaged in the Eagle Walk special schedule. The purpose of the Eagle Walk special schedule on the first day of school was to welcome students to high school by hosting a “Welcome Back” presentation in the gym led by the Student Body Government officers, smiling to the camera for school photo day, connecting with their peers through class introductions event; participating in class meetings, technology, and handbook workshops, and enjoying the scavenger hunt activity to meet with their teachers by following their class schedule.

After the first day of school, we provided different workshops and activities such as Community Engagement, Social Emotional Learning, Counseling Department workshop, Career Center and Transition Service Department workshop, Student Body Government Meeting, Class Meetings, Foothills Athletic Association Meeting, Unity for Diversity meeting, and Honor Roll Recognition Assembly and luncheon; for all of our students to benefit from and help them prepare for the 2022-2023 school year. Our school theme for this year is "SOAR - Strive for Opportunities, Aim for Results". We will encourage and support our students to soar in academics, sports, our work-study program, and community engagement opportunities.

International Studies

In the spring of 2023, the International Studies class will travel to Thailand and Cambodia for a two-week educational trip! A total of 23 students are in this group. We are thrilled to make this trip an experience that our students will cherish for years to come.

Since the start of the 2022-2023 academic year, the International Studies class has been undergoing a fundraising campaign to raise the funds necessary to send our students to Thailand and Cambodia. Those who participated by ordering yummy Mexican food from Chipotle on September 6th, massive thanks to you because we received a check for $346.67 which represents 33% of their sales! During the Big Game on Saturday, September 10th, we raised $581.00 from the sale of your donated baked goods!

We are selling raffle tickets, and the drawing will take place during Homecoming on October 21st. Buy the raffle tickets and chocolate bars from one of us to support the venture! James O'Brien, a representative of his Culinary Arts class, and the International Studies group have collaborated to recruit volunteers to work at Levi's Stadium this semester in seven different events. Funds raised will go towards two programs at CSD established for students: the Culinary Arts Program and the International Studies Program.Contact James at james.obrien@csdeagles.net or Susie at susana.acosta@csdeagles.net if you are interested in volunteering at Levi’s stadium.

Be on the lookout for the Dingo event which will take place next month!

Namaste,

Susana M. Acosta, co-leader

Stacy Eilbert, co-leader

Daniel Girard, student liaison support

Alan Davary, administrative support

'21-'22 Academic Bowl team:

(from left to right, back row): Zoe Bell, Sevan Ikeda, Christopher Navarrete Pleitez, Chang-May Tan.

(front row): Andrew Phillips and Emily Sidansky

Academic Bowl

Our Academic Bowl team is gearing up for another year of competitions and fun. Our Humanities class supports the team as we study different academic areas in order to build our knowledge. The teachers give lessons in areas like world geography, chemistry, Shakespeare plays, US presidents, geometry, and more. We will travel to Riverside to play CSD Riverside in the Battle of California in December. Then in February, we will head to Salem, Oregon for the West Regional Academic Bowl competition at the Oregon School for the Deaf. If we do well in the West, we’ll earn a trip to the Nationals in April at Gallaudet University.

Our team has won the last three West Regional Championships and has placed at the Nationals for 3 straight years – finishing 2^nd in 2020, 1^st in 2021, and 3^rd in 2022.

Andrew Phillips, coach

Emily Sidansky, coach