As we begin the month of November, I wanted to simply provide some thanks to each member of the Antioch Unified School District. October was an extremely busy and productive month, and we ended the month with a flurry of opportunities for students. Some of the events included a College and Career Fair, CPR, First Aid and Automated External Defibrillator Training at Park Middle School presented by the Health Occupations Students of America from Dozier-Libbey Medical High School, The Girls Empowerment Conference, A Bite of Reality Program where students learned about financial literacy, and Cultural and Halloween Events at many schools. I was also thankful to be able to participate in our Professional Development Day for Certificated members of the team. The participants commitment to the day, their engagement in the process, and the overall participation was a shining example of many hands coming together to accomplish a big lift, namely increasing success for all of our scholars. A huge thanks to our Educational Services Team for providing this excellent day.

We will all be heading into the Thanksgiving Break in a few weeks, and I hope everyone is able to keep in mind the things that you are thankful for as you continue your important work for our students each day.

Sincerely,

Dr. Rob Martinez

Acting Superintendent / Chief Human Resources Officer

By actively educating ourselves about men’s health, we’re not only promoting healthier lifestyles but also helping to break the stigma around it. Many men feel they have to "tough it out" when it comes to physical and mental health issues, but we can change that narrative.

Let’s build a culture of understanding and support by encouraging open conversations, sharing resources, and empowering men to prioritize their well-being. Whether it’s mental health, heart health, or preventive screenings, knowledge and early intervention can make all the difference.

Together, we can make sure every man feels comfortable asking for help and accessing the care he needs. 💙

Awareness and Recognition Dates

· Movember Month- men’s physical and mental health

· 16th- International Day for Tolerance

New! 2025 Wellbeing Calendars

We are excited to present our 2025 Wellbeing Calendar.

Our calendar supports your wellbeing planning by offering a look ahead to a full year of themed content. It contains important events to observe and suggests additional workshops and

webinars that can help strengthen your employees’ total wellbeing.

Explore the 2025 Wellbeing Calendar today.

· United States English

· United States Spanish

📅 Attend a Webinar (complimentary) US

November 8, 2PM ET: Procrastination
Do you tend to "get stuck" and put things off? Are you often faced with panic surrounding a deadline? Many of us tend to procrastinate at times, which is why it's vitally important to understand what drives your procrastination. Join us to discover why you procrastinate and learn tactics to get unstuck, just do it, and move productively forward!

November 22, 2PM ET: Overcoming Work Fatigue

Working remotely has become the new normal for many employees around the world. The joys and flexibility remote work has allowed has also brought unexpected challenges that is leading to remote work fatigue. In this session, participants will discuss their own experiences and self-coping skills to address video call fatigue, social isolation, and around the clock availability with modern technology. This session will provide resources and best practices to set boundaries, incorporate socialization, and relive work fatigue while enjoying the freedoms of remote work.

Many employees still need to complete their Mandatory Online Trainings for this school year.

The best way to know what training still needs to complete, and when they are due, is to log in. Your main page will tell you due dates and trainings you need to complete and any that are past due.

To log in: Your username is your first and last name, no spaces. In most cases your legal name.

Click on the link below to get to the website.

https://antioch-keenan.safeschools.com/login

Contribution limit

The IRS employee contribution limit for 403(b)/457 plans for those under 50 will increase from $23,000 in 2024 to $23,500 in 2025.

Catch-up contribution limit

The catch-up contribution limit will remain at $7,500 in 2025 for employees 50 years or older.

To start or change a payroll deduction your request must go through our Plan Administrator, TCG. Please click on the below link to create or change your contributions.

https://calstrs403bcomply.com/enroll/#/search-enroll

It's been a fantastic start of the year in the AUSD AVID world! After 80 educators traveled to the annual AVID Summer Institute this past summer, they have come back energized and it's showing!

The first AVID network meeting of the year was held on Thursday, October 17th and over 30 teachers from both the elementary and secondary sites attended. The team is planning a districtwide AVID event for families for this spring!

AUSD hosted a Path to Schoolwide two-day training on Monday October 21st and Tuesday October 22nd at Antioch Middle School. 32 educators from all sites elected to attend and engaged in high quality professional development focused on Academic Language and Literacy. It was a day filled with rich collaboration and engaging activities that can be utilized with students immediately.

Finally, several elementary teachers traveled to August Elementary in Stockton on Tuesday, October 29th and spent time at a National Demonstration AVID site. It was a great day of observations and key take aways!

A huge shoutout to all of our AVID educators and kudos to our new school sites who onboarded this year! Belshaw Elementary, Turner Elementary, Sutter Elementary and Deer Valley High School is doing great things in their first year of implementation! Our continuing sites, Antioch Middle School, Black Diamond Middle School, Dallas Ranch Middle School, Park Middle School and Antioch High School are crazy busy hosting parent nights, collaborative study groups and are in the midst of planning their field trips! Keep up the great work team!

Every year AUSD awards more than 100 State Seals of Biliteracy to graduating seniors who meet the California Department of Education's criteria. Please encourage graduating seniors who believe they meet the criteria outlined below to apply! Seniors who are awarded the Seal receive an insignia that is affixed to their diploma, are recognized in their schools' printed graduation program and are awarded a medal.

State Seal of Biliteracy Criteria

Class of 2025 State Seal of Biliteracy Criteria Application

AUSD's 2024-2025 new hire cohort spent a full day at Black Diamond Middle School on Monday, October 14th and attended several sessions that were designed to make educators' lives easier....from parent engagement strategies to educator wellness, teachers had the opportunity to learn and grow! A huge shout out to our teacher leaders and administrators who helped facilitate the amazing sessions!

Thank you to:

Kelsey House, AHS

Flo Uno, TGVA

Tammy Ely-Kofford, TOSA

Trisha Gonzales-Waters, TOSA

Cindy Mudge, Program Specialist

Kendra Ebinger, CTE Supervisor

Kathi Coyle-Youker, Coordinator

Renita Angus, Coordinator

Katie Ingalls, Assistant Director

Jason Larson, Director

A HUGE thank you to Dr. Doug Jones, VP at Black Diamond Middle School and Mike Briscoe, Custodian at Black Diamond for their incredible support in making it a great day on their campus!

We invite you to take a look at some of the amazing educator wellness information that was shared! Dr. Tina Boogren is a leading expert in the field and has some amazing podcasts and educator groups available for free to anyone who is interested!

So far, our mentors and candidates have attended their first seminars for the year. Candidates focused on creating their Growth Goals for the year. Candidates were allotted much valued time to collaborate with their cohort teachers to write sample goals and share out their own growth goal ideas. Our candidates are first to work with the new 2024 California Standards for the Teaching Profession (CSTP). With the guidance of our PAR/ATIP Joint Advisory our candidates are transitioning to the new goals ahead of the required year for transitioning which many other induction programs are also doing.

Mentors were equally engaged at their first seminar by focusing on listening skills that will allow them to dig in deeper with their candidate. This seminar was designed around program leadership participation in “The Art of Coaching Teams” conference held this summer in San Francisco by Elena Aguilar. Many of our mentors found value in strategies to expand their listening skills while collaborating with their candidates. Also explored at this seminar was the significance of the phases of a new teacher.

Restorative Intervention in action. At Park Middle School, we are in the second semester of our intensive restorative intervention program. Rather than just suspending students and sending them home for mini vacations, our facilitator Jenna Marchesi-Osborn is working with students to uncover the underlying factors behind the student's behaviors. She's making connections and fostering relationships with students, and she is teaching them about the effects of their actions and creating restorative behavior modification agreements with the students as well as monitoring their behavior once they have finished the program.

While this program isn't turning out perfect students, it is proving to be extremely effective in reducing discipline incidents. Of the 62 students that successfully completed the program last year, only 13% of them repeated the same incident indicating an 87% success rate when it comes to transforming student behaviors.

This work is extremely impactful when it comes to our African American students who are suspended at disproportionate rates. With the implementation of this program, the suspension rate for African American students at Park was reduced by 67% last year.

In 2007, Congress passed its first resolution recognizing November as National Homeless Youth Awareness Month (NHYAM). The goal was to build awareness about youth homelessness-its causes, potential solutions, and the urgent need to prevent homelessness among children and youth. Since then, November has become a dedicated time to spotlight the critical issue and renew efforts to end homelessness among young people in across the county. In alignment with the federal resolution, many states, including California, have passed their own state resolutions in support of NHYAM.

During the 2023-2024 school year, an estimated 3,394 children and youth experienced homelessness in Contra Costa County. Under the McKinney-Vento Act, homelessness includes living in shelters, motels, or temporarily staying with others due to lack of stable housing.

• To raise awareness of homeless youth.
• To educate about rights of students facing homelessness.
• To highlight resources supporting youth in crisis or homelessness.
• To Learn more, visit https://www.hetac.org

Consider a themed writing assignment, art or design project, data analysis and summary, or reading assignment from the HETAC NHYAM book and movie list. Invite students to “go green” on November 14 in observance of the National Runaway Safeline’s #GoGreen4HOPE day.

1-800-RUNAWAY

Northern California Family Center 925-370-1990 or 800-718-4357

Call 211 or Text "HOPE" to 20121

Calli House Youth Shelter (ages 18-21) 1-800-610-9400

Dream Catcher (ages 13-18) Alameda County 510-701-3711

Rainbow Community Center (LGBTQIA2S+ ages 12-24) 925-692-0090 ext. 704

California Youth Crisis Line 24/7 800-843-5200

Mental Health Crisis Support

A3 Behavioral Health Crisis Response 24/7 844-844-5544

Call 988 or Text "HOPE" to 20121

Call 911 in an emergency

Immediate enrollment, even if they do not have all necessary documents

School of Origin

Partial credits/ evaluation for AB 1806

Transportation (if eligible)

Participate in all programs for which they are eligible

WINTER CLOTHING DRIVE

Barbara Aguilar, MSW, PPS

Foster & Unsheltered Youth Liaison

Student Services Counselor

(925) 779-7500 ext. 53402 or 42689

Brenda King

Administrative Assistant

Student Support Services

(925) 779-7500 ext. 43717 or 53600

McKinney Vento

UFLI = We Fly

Soaring through the Steps of a 2 Day Lesson

******************************************************************

Thursday, Nov. 7th on TEAMS. This UFLI training will cover the ins and outs of a 2-day UFLI Lesson. You’ll get a glimpse of students in action to get a clear sense of timing and structure. Some Secret Stories tips and tricks will be embedded as well. Whether you’re a pro or just beginning, this training is for you! Come join fellow teachers to dissect and discuss how we can help students soar with U(FLY) - wink! Presenter: Sydney Doss - 1st grade teacher - Diablo Vista. Join the meeting now

More than 20 of our "New to K–3" teachers recently completed Day 2 of our CRLP Results Training, which included content on Word Recognition, Fluency, Assessment, Instruction, and Intervention. The CRLP Results Training focused on enhancing teachers' content knowledge and expanding their instructional strategies, all guided by state-adopted frameworks, content standards, and the science of reading. We greatly appreciate our teachers' commitment and dedication to their students! Special thanks to our own Kim Tran and Flo Uno for leading this important training.

On October 3rd and 4th, 43 students representing 4 middle schools & 1 K-8 OPS, and 36 students, representing 4 of our high schools participated in their annual Tobacco Use Prevention Training conference hosted by CCCOE at Antioch High School. These outstanding students learned strategies to identify, notice, and educate their peers about making healthy choices to avoid tobacco, vaping, and cannabis. Look for them around campus and in classrooms spreading the word about saying no to drugs ~ just on time for Red Ribbon Month and all year long. We Plan to be DRUG and tobacco Free!

The Deer Valley Wolverines and Antioch Panthers unified sports teams faced off in an exhilarating BVAL soccer jamboree as AUSD proudly reintroduces unified sports to the district!

Unified Sports brings together athletes with and without intellectual disabilities, fostering friendships and understanding through teamwork. This remarkable event marks the beginning of AUSD's unified program, paving the way for inclusivity and camaraderie.

This year, both schools will also feature unified basketball and bowling teams, expanding opportunities for all athletes to shine together.

A huge thank you to the Special Education department for their unwavering support of our incredible athletes. Let's continue to celebrate and uplift each other on and off the field!

Our Middle School Flag Football season is off to an exciting start! In previous years, our teams were co-ed, but with the rising popularity of women's flag football at the high school level, all of our middle school sites now boast both boys' and girls' teams. This expansion reflects our commitment to providing more inclusive and tailored opportunities for all young athletes.

As part of our evolving middle school athletic program, ACA Charter has joined our league, participating in not just flag football, but also soccer and volleyball. This addition enriches our league, offering student-athletes a broader range of sports experiences before they transition to high school athletics.

Our first competition on Wednesday, October 30th, was a resounding success, with approximately 300 athletes participating across flag football and cheer teams. The energy and enthusiasm were palpable as students showcased their skills and teamwork on the field.

On October 25th, we had the opportunity to attend the reclassification ceremony at Black Diamond Middle School. It was a deeply moving event, as each student who received a medal and certificate was not only celebrated by their teachers but also supported by their parents who attended the event. Dr. Jones gave a brief, heartfelt speech, followed by the principal Dr. Baffico's remarks. The six students who reclassified each gave a short speech to thank their supporters, with special recognition for their ELD teacher, Janette Kratina, who supported them every step of the way to achieve their reclassification certification. Dr. Essence Phillips, the Director of Equity and Social Emotional Support and her EL team, were present to encourage the students to continue striving forward and, most importantly, to embrace and honor their native language. by, T. Gonzalez

We are excited to announce the pre-approval of the Multilingual Learner Strategic Plan for 2024-2027

The Antioch Unified School District Multilingual Learner Strategic Plan represents the time, talent, and passion that numerous stakeholders provided in coordination, collaboration, and through academic contributions. With support from district and site leaders, classroom teachers, bilingual assistants, families, community partners, DELAC and ELAC members, and community partners from the CCCOE with school district exemplars from California, this plan serves to renew our collective effort to enact AUSD’s Mission: To ensure ALL scholars learn at grade level or above.

We appreciate the hard work, countless hours, and dedicated efforts of our Multilingual Learner Leadership Team and 2023-24 and 2024-25 DELAC members whose input saw this plan to completion and school board submission for approval very soon. Their work to analyze current research and state and county guidelines, synthesize information, in conjunction with input from our certificated and classified staff through community input sessions from October 2023 through October of 2024. This collaboration has resulted in a revised Multilingual Learner Strategic Plan that will serve as a resource for our shared work toward ensuring increased academic outcomes from our Multilingual Learner (formerly termed EL –English Learner) students.

How can we increase engagement for our multilingual learners across grades and curriculum?

Specially Designed Academic Instruction in English (SDAIE) strategies can be implemented into all classroom practices.

What is SDAIE? An instructional approach used to support multilingual learners in K-12 classrooms. SDAIE strategies focus on making academic content accessible while simultaneously helping students improve their English language fluency skills. This includes using scaffolding techniques, visual aids, and interactive activities to enhance understanding. The goal is to provide students with the necessary tools to succeed in multi-curricular classrooms while developing their language proficiency.

Here are some examples to utilize:

Scan and share this QR code to request support from me:

Dr. Trisha Gonzales-Waters, AUSD MLL Coach

AUSD College & Career Fair

Deer Valley High School hosted the Annual College & Career Fair in October with over 60 colleges, local employers, trades and scholarship organizations in attendance. A thank you to all of our partners, volunteers, families and students!

At Dozier-Libbey Medical High School, Teacher Brittany Carkeek leads the Medical Ethics class and serves as the advisor for the HOSA-Future Health Professionals club. Under her guidance, 26 dedicated students have become American Red Cross BLS instructors, with the ambitious goal of certifying the entire student body in Adult CPR/AED. Since March 2024, they have successfully certified over 400 students, marking a groundbreaking achievement as the first instance nationally where students have taught their peers.

The HOSA students didn’t stop there; they collaborated with Park Middle School to create engaging health science stations featuring activities like clay muscle building, pig lungs, and giant operation games. The feedback from participants was overwhelmingly positive!

On Tuesday, October 22, 2024, the Public Health Class (HOSA) returned to Park Middle School, where they conducted two CPR sessions for over 300 enthusiastic 8th graders. This initiative not only fosters important life-saving skills but also strengthens community ties through education and engagement.

We're excited to share that the Golden State Pathways Program Grant (GSPP) is helping local educational agencies (LEAs) build pathways in high-wage, high-skill fields such as technology, health care, education, and climate-related sectors. These pathways enable students to transition smoothly from high school to college and careers, supporting the workforce needed for economic growth.

Among the successful applicants for GSPP funding, Dozier Libbey High School will receive nearly $500,000 to enhance its Emergency Medical Response, Sports Medicine, and Community and Public Health pathways. This grant will fund a mobile lab, equipment purchases, and HOSA competitions, empowering students to thrive in their chosen fields. Stay tuned for more updates!

In honor of Retired Teachers Week, November 4th -8th, our local division of the California Retired Teachers Association (CalRTA – Division 52) is offering sixteen $150 grants for teachers to use in their classrooms to enrich their curricula. These awards have been presented to teachers on a rotating basis in our 18 local districts for 7 years. This year, your district has been chosen as one of our select groups of teachers who may apply for our grants.

The application with instructions is attached below. Timely distribution to your school sites (Principals or directly to Certificated Staff) would be greatly appreciated. If you have any questions, please contact me or President Karen Yee, bikegal1@yahoo.com. DEADLINE IS DECEMBER 6th!

Thank you so much for your support!

Sincerely,

Lorrie Osborn

Vice-President – CalRTA Division 52

jalosborn@gmail.com

925-937-2898

Kaiser's new performance from our Educational Theatre troupe. This new offering is for student 3rd – 5th grade and called Empathy Quest. It is designed as an interactive program where students will engage and learn awareness of their emotions and recognize when others may need help. I had the privilege to partake in a session today and am very excited to be able to bring this resource to your schools. This has not yet been released to all schools, so you have first dibs to get this booked before it is broadcasted widely with other district.

Attached is a flyer with more information and a link to get more information and schedule a session:

https://thrivingschools.kaiserpermanente.org/educational-theatre/educational-theatre-request-more-information/

This month's spotlight is on a couple of topics.

The first, and a very important one, is that criteria for determining that a student should be made an RFEP based on the impact of their disability has changed. Please see below and discuss this with your site teams.

The second focus is on how to best support students who have AD/HD. These students are in general education and SDC programs. Some have a 504 plan and others have an IEP; some don't have any type of supportive accommodations. Better understanding how you can work with and support these students will help them improve their self-concept, and likely make better progress (and possibly make your job a little easier, too).

Finally, there are some great PD sessions being provided by our local SELPA in the next two months (November and December). Please take a moment to review the options below and see if there are any that would be beneficial for you.

In the next District Digest, we'll provide some similar practice tips on supporting students who have autism, focusing on supporting those students in the general education environment.

The CDE has made changes to requirements for making a student RFEP. Please see below for what is required, and make sure your student's IEPs reflect any supports or accommodations they need that will aid them in reaching a 3 on the Summative Alt. ELPAC!

As of this school year (2024-2025), an IEP team cannot determine that a student who has a disability affecting his/her/their cognitive abilities, or a developmental disability, is the reason they have not reached or cannot reach proficiency on the ELPAC.

The reclassification criteria set forth in California EC Section 313 and Title 5 California Code of Regulations (5 CCR) Section 11303, remain unchanged. Local educational agencies (LEAs) must use the following four criteria to locally establish reclassification policies and procedures

žAssessment of English language proficiency (ELP), using an objective assessment instrument, including, but not limited to, the state test of English Language Proficiency Assessments for California (ELPAC) (ELP Criterion: Summative ELPAC Overall Performance Level [PL] 4 and Alternate ELP Criterion: Summative Alternate ELPAC PL 3)

žTeacher evaluation, including, but not limited to, a review of the student’s curriculum mastery (locally defined)

žParent opinion and consultation (locally defined)

žComparison of student performance in basic skills against an empirically established range of performance in basic skills of English proficient students of the same age (locally defined)

Supporting students who have AD/HD

Supporting students who have AD/HD can be challenging. Often they are out of step with what's happening in class, and typically, feeling left out and frustrated. A teacher card that identifies traits related to AD/HD and suggestions for how to address student needs is attached. Additionally, our local SELPA is offering a one hour PD on supporting students who have Executive Functioning problems later this month (see PD opportunities later in the newsletter).

The CDC and the Children and Adults with AD/HD (CHADD) have many resources to help educators, as well as resources teachers can share with students to help them better understand their own needs and how to be successful in school. The suggestions that appear below are taken from the CDC website. The links to both the CHADD website and the CDC website are attached.

Communication

• Give frequent feedback and attention to positive behavior.
• Be sensitive to the influence of ADHD on emotions, such as self-esteem issues or difficulty regulating feelings.
• Provide extra warnings before transitions and changes in routines.
• Understand that children with ADHD may become deeply absorbed in activities that interest them (hyper-focus) and may need extra assistance shifting their attention.

Assignments and tasks

• Make assignments clear—check with the student to see if they understand what they need to do.
• Provide choices to show mastery (for example, let the student choose among written essay, oral report, online quiz, or hands-on project.
• Make sure assignments are not long and repetitive. Shorter assignments that provide a little challenge without being too hard may work well.
• Allow breaks—for children with ADHD, paying attention takes extra effort and can be very tiring.
• Allow time to move and exercise.
• Minimize distractions in the classroom.
• Use organizational tools, such as a homework folder, to limit the number of things the child has to track.

The SELPA is hosting an online PD opportunity on the topic of the role of the site administrator in an IEP team meeting. The training is a brief 30 minutes, and its online, so please join if this is a subject about which you'd like to know more:

Thursday
November 21
8:30-9:00Site Administrator:
Your Role in an IEP

https://meet.google.com/gqw-qgkc-kiy

The SELPA has some great PD opportunities scheduled during November and December. There's something for everyone! All of these are online and free to participants. Check out the attachment below to discover what might be just the thing you need or want!

Here's a sampling of some of the upcoming sessions:

Understanding Behavior as Communication

Learning how to support students who have Executive Functioning challenges (many students who have this challenge are in Gen Ed with RSP support

Addressing Disruptive Behaviors

Understanding the difference between Accommodations and Modifications (specifically tailored for use in the gen ed classroom). and designed to support Instructional Assistants)

Inclusion Strategies for Students with Autism (particularly for supporting students in the gen ed classroom)

Informal Assessments for students in M/M and M/S programs

Rolly Bernardo's special day class students had a busy week. They engaged in a colorful chemistry experiment as well as participating in Turner's annual Halloween parade. Kudos to Rolly for making both learning experiences fun and educational for students!

On October 14th-18th, our cafeterias celebrated National School Lunch week. Our staff at John Muir Elementary School did a wonderful job transforming the cafeteria into a pirate's cove. The students even contributed to the decorations by coloring parrots for the trees. What a way to celebrate our department's efforts in serving healthy school lunches.

To celebrate National Farm to School month in October, we had a lunch time tasting event at Belshaw Elementary and Fremont Elementary. Spork Food Hub brought Hakurei salad turnips from Riverdog Farm located in Guinda, California. Our students had an opportunity to vote on whether the salad turnip was a "Yum!" or a "Tried it. No, thank you." At the end of the lunch meal periods, our Yum voting jar was overflowing with tokens! We love seeing our students trying new local produce that can be brought into our salad bars.