![page background](https://cdn.smore.com/_fr/BAdxmZWDKUTEV1cgBxXyAw.78d43c95.jpg)
![Logo](https://cdn.smore.com/u/thumbs/1067/thumb-bc37cfbf66a37926a20606b658b26546.png)
TTUSD District Update
March 2024
![TTUSD District Update March 2024](https://cdn.smore.com/u/5636/da438527089b38bf68dd6af60d63bffd.jpg)
In this Month's Newsletter
A Message from the Superintendent
District Strategic Plan Roadmap Check-In
Academic Achievement
- TK and Kindergarten Previews Nights are Happening
- TK and Kindergarten Move to Full Day Schedules at all TTUSD Schools Next Year
- CA Dashboard Information Has Been Released
- Academic Achievement Tip | Unleash the Adventure of Outdoor Education at Home
Support Systems
- Slight Modifications to the 2024/2025 School Calendar
- TTUSD’s Participation in a Naloxone Program
- Congratulations to Our 2024 TTUSD Employees of the Year!
- California Kids Investment & Development Savings Program (CalKIDS)
- Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Information
- Wellness Tip | Allow Music to Move You!
- Tech Tips
Community Connections
- Nominations are Open for Excellence in Education’s Linda Brown Fellows and Star Awards
- Adventure Risk Challenge (ARC) is Accepting Applications for 2024 Summer Courses
- Congratulations to Coach Mills, a 2024 NIAA Hall of Fame Inductee
- Community Partner Spotlight | KidZCommunity
A Message from the Superintendent
Dear TTUSD Community,
Winter packed what may have been its final punch a few weeks ago, and now it feels as if spring has sprung! With just about three months left in the school year, our students remain hard at work and are focused on a strong finish to the year. I’ve been able to witness this commitment firsthand during a recent school spotlight tour conducted by the Board of Education Trustees and myself. Visiting our remarkable school campuses and getting into the classrooms to observe students actively engaged in learning is truly one of the highlights of my job!
Additionally, I’ve had the pleasure of connecting with students and families through various forums recently, which have all been fantastic. We hosted a Student Voice Study Session with our Trustees, where we were able to listen to student representatives from our two comprehensive high schools express educational celebrations, concerns, and what’s important to them. We also convened our first annual PTO & District English Learner Advisory Committee (DELAC) Leadership Summit since the pandemic. The discussions were robust, thoughtful, honest, and productive, demonstrating a collective effort to build relationships between the various student support organizations run by dedicated volunteers. A portion of the summit was dedicated to each organization sharing what’s working and where they need help so they could all learn from each other and be as effective and efficient as possible. A huge shout-out to our many hard-working volunteers. Our students are truly supported!
Thank you for your ongoing support and commitment to our shared mission of engaging and empowering students, educators, and staff to achieve their potential.
Warm regards,
Kerstin Kramer
Superintendent Chief Learning Officer
PTO & DELAC Leadership Summit
PTO & DELAC Leadership Summit
District Strategic Plan Roadmap Check-In
This month, we are excited to share progress on two key initiatives within our Strategic Plan.
Our TTUSD Human Resources department has made significant strides on action 1.2.3, outlined in the Strategic Plan Roadmap under overarching priority 1.2. This action focuses on updating recruitment tools and strategies to attract more job candidates.
We’re excited to share that in January, we implemented Teamtailor, a recruitment software designed to streamline the hiring process and manage candidates effectively. Through this platform, we’ve established a microsite featuring classified job postings, which Teamtailor uses to distribute across various recruitment websites, expanding our candidate pool. Currently, we’re utilizing this platform to promote classified positions (jobs without a teaching credential) since qualified candidates for these roles may not be familiar with the conventional EdJoin platform commonly used by school districts and teachers. Since adopting this tool, we’ve seen a significant increase in qualified candidates applying for positions, particularly for roles such as bus drivers and our sustainability manager.
Secondly, under our Community Connections section, staff, students, and community partners have spent this year evaluating current outdoor education opportunities and experiences in the local area for students to engage with, and learn from, the natural environment, which is stated in action 3.3.2 within the Roadmap.
This dedicated group of shareholders have conducted an internal audit of current TTUSD outdoor education opportunities and are now asking for community input to identify additional needs, thoughts, and suggestions. Targeted surveys have been created for specific audiences and are now open. We’d love to hear from you!
TK and Kindergarten Previews Nights are Happening
It’s that time of year when our Elementary school principals and staff are offering Transitional Kindergarten (TK) and Kindergarten Preview Nights!
These informative in-person events provide families with incoming TK and kindergarten students an opportunity to learn about the five outstanding TTUSD elementary schools and one charter school to choose from. Each school has its own unique personality, and all provide hands-on, engaging instruction.
While we have neighborhood schools, TTUSD is also an open-enrollment district, which means families can apply to the school they think would best serve their child. So, families are invited to attend as many preview nights as they’d like.
Each preview night will take place from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at individual school sites, and dates are scheduled through early May. Below is a chart with all preview night dates, times, locations, and notes on whether childcare and interpretation services will be provided during the event.
For the 2024-2025 school year, children who turn five before September 1, 2024, are eligible for kindergarten, and children who turn five between September 2, 2024, and April 2, 2024, are eligible for TK.
And if you missed any of these evenings or know someone who did, reach out to our incredible principals. They can certainly provide information individually. We’re here to help!
More information on Preview Nights and your student starting TTUSD can be found on our website.
TK and Kindergarten Move to Full Day Schedules at all TTUSD Schools Next Year
Beginning in the 2024/2025 school year, kindergarten schedules at Glenshire Elementary and Tahoe Lake Elementary will transition from a half-day schedule to a full-day schedule.
We're excited to offer our youngest learners more time in the classroom for meaningful learning and play. This change brings these schools into alignment with the rest of the district's elementary schools. It also ensures that our students have the best possible start to their educational journey.
We are excited about the positive impact this change will have on our kindergarten students and look forward to supporting their growth and development in the years to come.
CA Dashboard Information Has Been Released
The 2023-2024 California School Dashboard, an online tool that communicates important information regarding our district’s success and areas of improvement, was recently released. This tool is an essential component of the comprehensive accountability system for California's districts, schools, and county offices of education. We’ve attached a one-page document to help explain how our district is measured with regard to testing and accountability. And for our Spanish-speaking families, please note you can select Spanish in the upper right corner of the dashboard to view the entire dashboard in your preferred language.
This year, six state measures are being reported: Academic Performance in English Language Arts, mathematics, chronic absenteeism, English learner progress, high school graduation rates, and suspension rates. Additionally, five local indicators are measured: implementation of academic standards, parent and family engagement, local climate surveys about safety and student connection to the school, access to a broad course of study, and overall basic conditions, which include teacher assignments, building cleanliness and safety, and appropriate instructional materials.
The TTUSD administrative team carefully analyzed the data and presented it to our Board of Trustees in two parts. The CA Assessment of Progress and Performance was presented at the October 27, 2023, board meeting, and the School Plans for Student Accountability was presented at the meeting on November 15, 2023. We encourage you to watch both presentations and if you have any questions, please reach out to your site principal. They’d be happy to answer any questions and provide further insights.
Slight Modifications to the 2024/2025 School Calendar
At the February 28th TTUSD Board of Education meeting, Trustees approved a minor adjustment to the 2024/2025 school calendar. During this year’s negotiations with our Tahoe Truckee Education Association (TTEA) and the California Schools Employees Association (CSEA) labor partners, agreements were reached to expand professional development opportunities for our staff by including one additional professional development day into their academic year calendar.
Following further discussions between the two entities, it was proposed to designate November 1, 2024, as a professional development day instead of a regular school day. Consequently, the last day of school will be shifted from June 17, 2025, to June 18, 2025. This adjustment allows certificated and classified staff to engage in high-quality professional development while also giving students a day to recuperate from Halloween festivities!
It’s important to note that June 18, 2025, marks the latest possible end date for the 2024/2025 academic year, accounting for seven built-in weather days. If there are no weather-related closures throughout the year, students could potentially finish school as early as June 9, 2025.
TTUSD’s Participation in a Naloxone Program
At the January 24th TTUSD board meeting, Dr. Annamarie Cohen, Executive Director of Student Services, provided an informative update to Trustees on TTUSD’s Naloxone Program. Naloxone, also known by the brand name Narcan©, is a life-saving medication that reverses an opioid overdose, such as fentanyl, while having little to no effect on an individual if opioids are not present in their system. As we all likely know, there is an opioid epidemic, and young people aged 15 - 24 have experienced the greatest percentage increase in deaths.
Throughout the school year, TTUSD has been collaborating with community agency partners and educating our students, families, and staff about the dangers of fentanyl, opioid overdose, and prevention and harm reduction strategies. Staff and high school students have participated in presentations on recognizing the signs of opioid overdose and the use of Naloxone to prevent overdose.
As a district, we participate in the state-sponsored CA Naloxone Distribution Project (NDP) aimed at combating opioid overdose-related deaths by providing free naloxone nasal sprays and fentanyl test strip kits. Since the NDP began in October 2018, distributed naloxone has been used to reverse more than 249,000 overdoes statewide. Because of TTUSD’s participation in this project, each school site has Naloxone onsite for training, administration, and distribution, and staff and students have access to it through the nursing offices.
We encourage you to watch Dr. Cohen's full presentation and feel free to contact your school site administrator with any questions.
Congratulations to Our 2024 TTUSD Employees of the Year!
As part of the California School Recognition Program, TTUSD staff members had the chance to honor and celebrate their coworkers - outstanding teachers, classified staff, and school counselors who consistently exceed expectations in their respective roles.
We're thrilled to announce the 2024 TTUSD winners, who are listed below. These eight individuals will be recognized at an upcoming annual awards reception hosted by the Placer County Office of Education.
Join us in congratulating our winners, and if you get the chance, please thank them for their exceptional contributions.
Katie Old, Truckee Elementary | K-8 Teacher of the Year
Jen Jurosky, North Tahoe High | 9-12 Teacher of the Year
Jessica Darkenwald, Kings Beach Elementary | School Counselor of the Year
Deb McKechnie, Glenshire Elementary | Classified Employee of the Year - Clerical & Administrative Services
Gregorio Virrey, North Tahoe School & High | Classified Employee of the Year - Custodial & Maintenance Services
Tehya Cannon, STEPP | Classified Employee of the Year - Paraprofessional Services
Olga Lopez, Truckee Elementary | Classified Employee of the Year - Food & Nutrition Services
Laura Brochu | Classified Employee of the Year - Transportation Services
California Kids Investment & Development Savings Program (CalKIDS)
As a California public school student, your child may be eligible to receive $500 to $1,500 for future higher education expenses. Funded by the State of California, funds in your California Kids Investment and Development Savings Program (CalKIDS) account can be used for a variety of qualified higher education expenses, such as tuition, books, computer equipment, and certain room and board expenses.
Checking your eligibility and claiming funds in your CalKIDS account is easy! All you need is your child’s 10-digit Statewide Student Identifier (SSID), which can be found within your student’s TTUSD Aeries account. Once logged into Aeries, follow these steps:
Select “Student Info” within the lefthand navigation menu
Select “Profile”
Along the top, you’ll see a grey navigation bar; select “General”
Then you’ll see the 10-digit State Student ID number
If you need assistance, don’t hesitate to email aeries@ttusd.org, and a TTUSD staff member can help you out. For more information on the program and to check your eligibility, visit CalKIDS.org.
Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Information
The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is a special tax credit designed to help working families with low to moderate income struggling to make ends meet. If eligible, you could receive a refund for a much-needed financial boost during tax season. The EITC is available to eligible individuals and families, and the amount of the credit varies based on income, family size, and other factors. More information can be found on our website, so make sure to check it out. We hope this helps you take advantage of all the resources available to you and your family!
Nominations Open for Excellence in Ed’s Linda Brown Fellows and Star Awards
Is there a TTUSD staff member you would like to recognize for consistently going above and beyond in their job and positively impacting students?
Here’s your chance to celebrate them! Nominate teachers for the Linda Brown Fellows Award and staff for the Star Award. The Fellow and Star Award programs are designed to recognize outstanding TTUSD personnel who demonstrate originality, innovation, and dedication to teaching and the educational community.
Submit nominations through Excellence in Education’s website by April 19.
Adventure Risk Challenge is Accepting Applications for 2024 Summer Courses
Our fantastic partners at Adventure Risk Challenge (ARC), a nonprofit dedicated to empowering underserved youth through transformational literacy, leadership, and outdoor experiences, are now accepting applications for its 2024 summer courses: Immersive and Stepping Stone.
Within the Immersive Course, participants will take part in three multi-day backpacking trips and three basecamp components, as well as rock climbing and/or whitewater rafting. The course then flows directly into the academic year with continued cohort meetings, outdoor experiences, college-access support, and leadership opportunities where students are provided structured ways to bring the skills they’ve gained during the summer back to their peers, families, and communities. All students who complete the immersive summer course and follow-up academic-year program are awarded a $1,000 scholarship at the end of their high school career!
The second course, Stepping Stone, includes one multi-day backpacking trip, one basecamp component, and one adventure activity, followed by access to some of ARC’s academic year programs, including lunch clubs, open enrollment weekend trips, and leadership opportunities in addition to priority access to future Immersive Courses.
First-generation students, English-language learners, and all students motivated to experience a transformational outdoor and academic adventure are encouraged to apply. ARC offers sliding scale fees and full scholarships based on need, with registration priority given to students with financial need.
Applications for both courses are due Sunday, May 5th, with rolling admissions thereafter until the program is full. Contact ACR at info@adventureriskchallenge.org or visit their website, adventureriskchallenge.org, to learn more!
Congratulations to Coach Mills, a 2024 NIAA Hall of Fame Inductee
Congratulations to Warren Mills, a past cross-country and track & field coach at North Tahoe High School, on his 2024 NIAA Hall of Fame inductee selection! It is a remarkable honor, and we are immensely grateful to have had such an inspiring coach guiding our students.
Coach Mills holds the esteemed title of the NIAA’s all-time coaching leader for state team championships won in any sport. Over his illustrious 52-year tenure leading the North Tahoe High School cross-country program, he garnered an impressive 24 boys’ and 13 girls’ Class 2A state banners. His athletes achieved remarkable success, clinching 25 gold medals and securing over 150 podium finishes. Mills' coaching prowess extended to the spring track season, where his distance runners claimed countless individual state victories and top medal placings. Notably, he also orchestrated one of the region's largest invitationals, the North Tahoe Open, for the majority of his career.
Mr. Mills and the other 13 inductees will be honored at a ceremony in June, celebrating their outstanding achievements. Please join us in extending our heartfelt congratulations on this extraordinary accomplishment.
Community Partner Spotlight | KidZCommunity
This month, we're thrilled to spotlight our enduring partnership with KidZCommunity: Placer Community Action Council, Inc., an organization funded through the National Head Start/Early Head Start program, which is dedicated to offering early education services to families facing significant challenges within our community.
For over twenty years, we've collaborated on a variety of programs, including our Sierra Teen Education and Parenting Program (STEPP), an infant/toddler program designed to provide developmentally appropriate learning for children from birth to three years old. This program serves our student population as well as our transitional youth and community members who qualify.
Additionally, KidZCommunity generously supports our regional Family Advocate, who plays a crucial role in ensuring families and children with the greatest needs receive the support and resources they require to stay healthy and engaged in learning. Together, we advocate at the federal and state levels for policies prioritizing the well-being of families and children.
Our shared goal is to provide high-quality early learning experiences for our community's littlest learners alongside essential parenting support services. These collaborative efforts are dedicated to empowering families and building a bright future for all children in our community. We're immensely grateful for KidZCommunity and its invaluable contributions to our community.
Upcoming Important Dates
April 1 - 5 | Spring Break, No School
April 9, 16, 23 | Nurtured Heart Approach Free Parent Workshop in English
April 10, 17, 24 | Nurtured Heart Approach Free Parent Workshop in Spanish
April 11 | North Tahoe High School Open House
April 17 | Kings Beach Elementary TK/K Preview Night
April 23 | Donner Trail Elementary TK/K Preview Night
May 1 | Minimum Day, All TTUSD Schools
May 2 | Alder Creek Middle School Open House
May 2 | North Tahoe School Open House
May 3 | National School Lunch Hero Day
May 7 | National Teacher Appreciation Day
May 8 | National School Nurse Day
May 9 | Truckee Elementary School TK/K Preview Night
May 13 - 17 | Classified Staff Appreciation Week
May 21 | GED Graduation
May 22 & 23 | Truckee High School Band Movie Concert Night
May 27 | Memorial Day, No School
May 28 | Truckee High School Evening of Excellence