WPUSD eNews

April 14-21, Spring Break, No School

Please join me in congratulating this year’s Classified Employees of the Year—true behind-the-scenes rockstars who consistently go above and beyond to support our students, staff, and school community. It’s often said that it takes a village to make a school run—and these team members are a powerful reminder of just how true that is.

Email: kcallahan@wpusd.org

Website: wpusd.org

Phone: 916-645-6350

Board Meeting Highlights

• March 18 Highlights
• The board heard a presentation from Audrey Kilpatrick, CBO on a proposed solar project that would save the district money long-term.
• Audrey Kilpatrick presented on the second interim budget, noting additional future cuts as well as plans to bring back the Budget Advisory Committee.
• The board reviewed and approved varying CSEA position changes and additions.
• April 1 Highlights
• The board was delighted to report their recent involvement in school events such as the Lincoln Science Expo, Athlete Signing Day, and the Addams Family theater production, noting how impressed they were with the many talents of our students.
• Scott Pickett, Assistant Superintendent of Ed. Services and Mike Maul, Director of Personnel presented on the comprehensive work done so far within the Ethnic Studies Committee as part of the course's development and implementation. They also presented on an updated draft of the course outline.
• Scott Pickett presented on Reading Difficulties Risk Screener and compared the two programs previously piloted.

Upcoming Meetings

• April 15, 2025 - District Office, Third Floor Meeting Room, 6:00pm

Miss a meeting? Click HERE to view them on our YouTube Channel

In This Section

🌞Summer School Information NEW!

💜What is PBIS? NEW!

🤔YouthTruth Participation NEW!

💻How We Monitor Online Activity NEW!

🌐AI and Education NEW!

👂Ask the School Psychologist NEW!

🦈Shark Tank Program Video NEW!

👷Facilities Projects Update NEW!

🥬Plateful News NEW!

💙The HUB: WPUSD Family Resource Center Now Online

🎓Portrait of a Learner

📱Social Media Buzz NEW!

👩🏻‍🏫We're Hiring NEW!

We’re excited to offer another summer filled with enriching programs for elementary, middle, and high school students!

Students who are recommended by their teacher or counselor will be given priority enrollment. After that, any remaining spots will be available to all students in the district on a first-come, first-served basis. Stay tuned—more details are coming your way soon!

To learn more about our summer programs, click the link below or visit our website. HERE.

PBIS stands for Positive Behavior Intervention Systems. We utilize this model across almost all of our campuses in different forms. Check out the highlight video below to learn more how it helps students! This video was created by Placer County Office of Education as part of their recognition event where Sheridan Elementary and First Street Elementary received awards for their outstanding work in PBIS.

Another survey? We get it...
But what if this one could actually help drive real-time improvements on our campuses?

Last year, our district partnered with YouthTruth, a nationally recognized organization that’s helped schools across the country collect meaningful feedback on everything from school safety to student engagement—and much more.

Why does your voice matter?
Because the more we hear from students and parents, the better we can represent the full picture of our school community. Your input helps us understand what’s working and where we need to improve—especially when it comes to how we communicate with you and keep you informed and engaged.

What can you expect?

If you haven’t already, you’ll hear from your child’s school with details about next steps and how to access the survey. Some students have already begun participating, while others will take the survey in the coming days.

If your student brings it up at home, it’s a great opportunity to remind them that their voice truly matters. What they share in the survey helps shape real change. Our staff are diving deep into the feedback—spending hours reviewing data and responses—to help create the best possible educational experience for every student. And we think that’s pretty awesome.

We’ve received several questions recently about the content filter used on student devices. For those unfamiliar, this is the software we use on all district-issued Windows, Apple, and Chrome devices to help protect students (and staff) from accessing inappropriate or potentially harmful online content—whether they’re on campus or at home.

In addition to this filter, teachers have access to a real-time monitoring portal during school hours. This tool allows them to quickly check what students are viewing online, ensuring they remain safe, focused, and on-task. Teachers can also temporarily restrict internet access to a limited list of approved websites when needed—for example, during tests.

Because the internet is constantly evolving, our content filter uses machine learning (a type of AI) to keep up with new websites and potential threats. Thanks to major advances in AI over the past few years, our ability to monitor and block inappropriate content has improved significantly.

Historically, proxies and YouTube have been among the most challenging areas to manage. Proxies, which can disguise a user’s location, are often used to bypass filters. Meanwhile, YouTube’s massive and rapidly growing content library presents a different kind of challenge.

The good news is that we now have advanced tools that greatly enhance our ability to detect and block both proxy use and inappropriate YouTube content. These improvements are part of our ongoing commitment to providing a safe, secure, and productive online learning environment—no matter where students are using their devices.

While many school districts are just beginning to explore how artificial intelligence (AI) impacts education, we’ve made it a priority to stay ahead of the curve—especially when it comes to generative AI.

Over the past year, we’ve proactively formed an AI Workgroup made up of educators, administrators, and technology experts. This team has been researching best practices, developing clear guidelines, and reviewing AI tools to ensure they are safe, secure, and appropriate for use in our classrooms.

As a result, we’ve already updated our board policies and technology use agreements to reflect the new realities of AI in education. These updates now allow us to begin approving more AI-powered tools for classroom use—tools that support both teaching and learning.

In the months ahead, we’ll be sharing more information in our newsletters, including practical “Dos and Don’ts” for using AI at home and in school. These tips will be designed to help students and parents understand how to use AI responsibly—without having to dig through formal policy documents.

In the meantime, you can explore the teacher guidelines we’ve adopted attached below—which helps educators decide how and when AI can be used on a per-assignment basis.

As previously emphasized within these monthly newsletters, it is important to support safe and responsible use of technology for children and to reflect on the potential impacts screen use can have on children. Parents and guardians must also consider the fact that there are positive and negative outcomes from online/social media usage. Let’s take a look at what research says about the potential effects of YouTube on a child’s overall wellbeing (see the attachment below).

As part of Placer County Office of Education’s Yours in Education YouTube series, Lincoln High School’s Senior Capstone program, Shark Tank, was recently featured—showcasing the incredible work students are doing in engineering, design, and entrepreneurship.

The contractor, Roebbelen, recently posted a video on their Facebook page touring the new building and providing a project update! You can check it out HERE.

Chef Adrian is cooking up two new scratch-made recipes this month! Students at Scott Leaman Elementary will sample Chicken Pesto Pasta, while those at Phoenix High School will get to try Pork Chile Verde. Feedback from students plays a big role in shaping our menus, and these taste tests are a great way to introduce new flavors and recipes.

No joke this time! 😆

This month, we’re bringing hyper-local kale to our school salad bars, grown just down the road by Farmer Lucas at Oakside Farms in Loomis, CA! Students will have the opportunity to try this nutrient-packed green in a variety of ways throughout April. Encouraging students to explore fresh, local produce is an important part of our commitment to healthy school meals.

...and don't worry, we're keeping our milk just as it should be.. kale free😂 If you missed our April Fool's post, you can check that out HERE. I think we fooled some of you 😉👏

In March, Chef Adrian introduced Egg Bites at Lincoln Crossing Elementary and the Western Burger at Twelve Bridges High School—both of which received positive feedback from students! Successful taste tests like these help determine which recipes may become regular menu items in the future.

The HUB serves as a valuable resource for the students and families in our district.

The HUB offers services like:

• Shelf Stable Food
• Produce & Local Food Distributions
• Backpacks & School Supplies
• Hygiene Kits
• College & Career support
• Referrals to County and Local Services

The HUB is open to all WPUSD students and families. They welcome drop-ins during business hours - stop by and say hello!

You can find The HUB on our website and on social media. For information about upcoming food distributions and events, visit wpusd.org/thehub.

Follow The HUB on Facebook!

Follow us on Facebook

Follow us on Instagram

WPUSD is hiring! Check out our current job openings at https://www.edjoin.org/wpusd. Be sure to share the Edjoin link with those who may be looking for employment!

Some of our current available positions:

• Teaching Positions NOW OPEN for 2025-2026
• Director of Business Services
• Bus Driver
• Theater Assistants - Hair/Makeup, Set/Prop (stipend positions)
• Paraprofessional - Various Sites
• Various Coaching Positions
• Substitutes
• Many More!

Here's where you can find quick links to frequently searched items.

Website: www.wpusd.org
Location: 600 6th Street, Suite 400, Lincoln, CA, USA
Phone: 916-645-6350
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WPUSD/
Twitter: @WPUSD

Wondering where our past newsletters are camped out? 🏕️ Click here.

See ways we can improve our monthly newsletter? Let us know here!

Did you actually get this far through our newsletter? Thank you! We appreciate you!