The Grapevine

Dear Livermore Community,

As we get ready to officially welcome Fall with all of its beautiful changes of color, crisper weather and some much needed rain, I want to take the time to reflect and recognize the great strides in the experiences and connections we have all made over the last year, and especially over the last month, and to share some important gratitudes.

Just think about it - a year ago we were in shelter in place mode, socially distancing, isolated, working and learning in silos, and connecting and learning only via wifi. COVID-19 vaccinations were not yet on the horizon and health officials seemed to have more questions than answers.

And now, with COVID-19 community transmission continuing to decline and the diligence and dedication of our staff and students to exercise safety precautions around activities, our students and staff have enjoyed experiences they have long missed. Homecoming games and festivities, dances, indoor sports, outdoor assemblies, and music and drama performances are all cherished events that we are getting the opportunity to experience once again. Halloween Parades and festivities are being held and our campuses are overflowing with activity and bustle.

So as I look back on these first two months of our 2021-22 school year, all the preparation, planning, health and safety protocol design and implementation, and even the fretting, has been worth it, as we enjoy and savor these interactive and joyful moments.

We did it! We successfully re-opened our schools to all students, all day, everyday, and we are keeping them open. Our students are re-acclimating, learning and adapting, and with each passing day, their school and extracurricular experiences are expanding. I am so proud and pleased! And I appreciate the diligence of our families in following and adjusting to our health and safety protocols so we can minimize school disruption. We rely on your partnership and support in so many ways.

I would like to express special gratitude to our staff, who without their perseverance and dedication, these successes would not have been possible. Our fiercely committed and energetic educational professionals who work every day in service of our students and their success have described this year thus far as both hopeful and optimistic, and hectic and exhausting. Their never ending desire to make sure all students are on a positive educational and social-emotional path has left them in need of a boost!

So please do not wait until Thanksgiving or a designated Staff Appreciation Day to express your gratitude to the dedicated members of our LVJUSD team. There are so many people working on behalf of our children during this year of important transitions. From my unique vantage point, I see them all, and more importantly, I see the impact they are making on a daily basis. Each individual is an integral piece of the puzzle that makes up our unified school district - each critically important to the whole and giving it their all.

So often we get an email, call or a note with a concern -- and we take those in and work to remedy. Yet, it warms the heart to have someone acknowledge the toll that working and teaching in the ongoing pandemic is still taking. A simple thank you goes a long way to restoring the spirit. There are 1,400+ LVJUSD employees who certainly deserve one!

With gratitude,

Kelly Bowers, Ed.D.

Superintendent of Schools

Pictured above: Superintendent Bowers and Livermore High student working on a four-year course plan.

Students and families of the Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District (LVJUSD) came out in droves as they walked, biked, scootered, and skated their way to school in celebration of International Walk and Roll to School Day on Wednesday, October 6, 2021. Every October, this day serves as an opportunity for students, families, and our community to come together in the name of reducing traffic, improving air quality, and most importantly, having fun through exercise. Click HERE to read the full article.

Photos courtesy of LVJUSD

Earlier this month, LVJUSD launched the Choose Love Admirable Actions Challenge in an effort to encourage our students to make positive behavioral choices, act with integrity, and show kindness to others. Students, staff, and our LVJUSD families are encouraged to complete an act of kindness using the Choose Love Formula = Courage + Gratitude + Forgiveness + Compassion in Action.

To participate in the challenge, send a photo, video clip, or a brief written description (if no photo is available) of the admirable action to communityengagement@lvjusd.org or text it to 925-453-9924. All submissions will be entered into a drawing for prizes donated by our community partners including gift cards, bluetooth speakers, prom or dance tickets, school spirit gear and more! For more information, please email communityengagement@lvjusd.org.

Thank you to our community partners who have generously donated or pledged to donate prizes for the Admirable Actions Challenge: Fagen Friedman & Fulfrost LLP, LARPD, Towne Center Books, Boomers, Target, Livermore Valley Performing Arts Center, Vine Cinemas, Livermore Cinemas and more!

Photo courtesy of LVJUSD

Pictured Left to Right: Zareena and Zakarya with Marylin Avenue Teacher, Lara Lesuer

Numeracy defined is the ability to understand and work with numbers. Developing number sense for young children is critical in solidifying their understanding of math concepts in order to apply them to more advanced mathematics. This video explains the 5 Counting Principles of the sequence of counting: stable order, correspondence, cardinality, abstraction, and order irrelevance. Here is a video of Sesame Street Characters for young children and explanations for the adults. We use Counting Collections to support this solid foundation in school with our TK-3 grade students.

In counting collections, students can learn and apply a wide range of mathematical skills such as:

• one-to-one correspondence

• cardinality (knowing the last number stated when counting represents the total)

• stable order

• conservation (knowing the total number does not change if the collection is counted in a different way)

• subitizing

• estimating

• place value (e.g., teens as ten and some more, 2-digit numbers as groups of tens and ones, etc.)

• connecting a count to a numeral

• skip counting

• multiplicative thinking (e.g. I have five groups of seven and three more)

• division (and how this is related to multiplication)

• flexible counting strategies

• fractions and decimals

• factors and multiples (which can lead to discussions about prime and composite numbers)

Provide your child with a range of items (socks, pennies, rocks, etc.), tools such as cups or muffin tins, and ask questions such as:

• How did you count? How many do you have in all?

• Can you count your collection another way? If you counted another way, how many do you think you will have? Can you record an equation to describe how you counted?

• Similar to the “Tell Me Everything” routine, what can you tell me about your number? (e.g., it is odd, it is a multiple of…)

• How many more would you need to make 100? 200? 500? Or 1000?

(Adapted from Meaningfulmathmoments.com)

Math Mindset is contributed by members of our Curriculum Department.

Students and staff alike wore orange on Wednesday, October 20 to show support for the annual Unity Day event supporting kindness, acceptance, and inclusion in our school community. Unity Day, developed by Pacer’s National Bullying Prevention Center, is a day where people from all over our nation are encouraged to stand together against bullying, spreading the message, “When we stand together, no one stands alone.” Take a moment to watch this short video of staff and students as they supported Unity Day 2021. #LVJUSDUnityDay

On Sunday, October 17, 2021, the "Conversation Pieces" art exhibit unveiled hand-painted banners created by young artists and community members, including many LVJUSD students.

The exhibit, conceived by Livermore artist Thomasin Dewhurst, brought together young artists from throughout the Tri-Valley to collaborate on a series of hand-painted banners. Some of the participating groups included the Pedrozzi Young Scholars, Quest Science Center, JazzLabb/ Element 116, Del Arroyo 4-H Club and Dewhurst's own art students. The Tri-Valley Writers (TVW) Group, a regional branch of the California Writers Club (CWC), was also among the local organizations selected to be involved in the project.

The event opened with a performance by Element 116, a teen jazz ensemble directed by Matt Finders. Thomasin Dewhurst welcomed those in attendance and invited representatives from community groups to address those in attendance, including Mayor Bob Woerner, LVJUSD Board Trustee Kristie Wang, and astronaut Jose M. Hernandez, whose likeness was illustrated on one of the banners.

Photos courtesy of LVJUSD

The Real Estate Alliance of Livermore (REAL) organized the Brighter Days Fundraiser in support of our District’s mental health programs and supports. Contributors could make direct donations to specific programs such as Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) training, Teen Mental Health First Aid (TMHFA) training, the Livermore High Wellness Center, and elementary-age calming kits. General funds were also collected through their online silent auction, with generous prizes donated by realtors and community organizations.

We are so thankful to Nicole Sweeney, Brighter Days Fundraising Coordinator, and her team for their efforts in supporting such an important cause for our students!

Superintendent Bowers, Bond Director Kim McNeely, and students share the status of our District’s facilities improvements made possible by our generous community’s contribution to our Measure J Facilities Bond! We think you will be excited to see the tremendous progress of our signature projects at Granada High School, Joe Michell K-8, East Avenue Middle School, and Livermore High School.

Livermore Learns is our District's parent education program designed to educate, inform and engage parents and guardians as they support their children throughout their education. The following are our upcoming online webinars and virtual training. We hope you will join us!

Upcoming Livermore Learns Events:

Wednesday, November 3, 2021: Work/ Life Balance

Facilitated by: Mallory Rachel, LVJUSD School Psychologist

Spend time talking about what work/life balance is, why it's important, and most importantly how we can begin to incorporate practices in our daily lives to move in that direction.

Wednesday, November 17, 2021: The Choose Love Series, Part 2 of 4 - Courage & Gratitude

Facilitated by: Choose Love Livermore members: Kevin Drake, Barbara Soules, Lori Kriens, Sue Vincent and Jin Hart

Join Choose Love Livermore to learn about Courage and Gratitude, two of the concepts in the Choose Love Formula. In this webinar, parents will learn how they can model and practice social and emotional learning skills to promote the values of Courage and Gratitude at home.

Additional details, flyers, and virtual meeting links can be found on the upcoming events calendar on our District website and all school websites.

Missed a previous Livermore Learns webinar? Visit our Livermore Learns web page to find links to past video presentations, presentation slides and parent tips to featured topics including:

• anxiety and depression

• establishing a routine

• grief and loss

• motivating your child

• social media and screen use

• supporting students with special needs

• supporting students as they transition to in-person learning

• supporting your child’s mental health over summer

• work/life balance

• vaping/ tobacco and substance use

If you have an idea for a Livermore Learns webinar topic, please email communityengagement@lvjusd.org.

Although the CDC reports low flu activity at this time, it is not too early to get your flu vaccine. The flu is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses that infect the nose, throat, and lungs. Flu viruses spread mainly by droplets made when people with flu cough, sneeze or talk. Less often, a person might also become infected by touching a surface or object that is contaminated and then touching their own mouth, eyes or possibly their nose.

The best way to prevent the flu is by getting a flu vaccine each year. The Center for Disease Control’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends everyone six months and older should get a flu vaccine each year. The seasonal flu vaccine protects against the three influenza viruses that research suggests will be most common. About two weeks after vaccination, antibodies develop that protect against influenza virus infection. You can get a COVID-19 vaccine and other vaccines, including a flu vaccine, at the same visit.

Talk to your healthcare provider about getting the vaccine available through their office. Please contact your school nurse if you need help finding a flu vaccination location. Other preventive measures to follow are:

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick. When you are sick, keep your distance from others to protect them from getting sick too.

• Stay home from work, school, and errands when you are sick. You will help prevent others from catching your illness.

• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue, or your elbow, when coughing or sneezing. It may prevent those around you from getting sick.

• Washing your hands often will help protect you from germs. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs are often spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth.

• Practice other good health habits. Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat nutritious food.

• Please see the Centers for Disease Control website for additional information about seasonal influenza at http://www.cdc.gov/flu/index.htm

Nurse’s Station is contributed by Catherine Arthur, Shelley Casey, Jennifer Daily, Julie Howard, and Carolyn Reggiardo, our LVJUSD School Nurses.

The main office is the hub of the school keeping everyone, and everything, moving forward. The Christensen Middle School front office staff has always provided a warm and welcoming environment, and are a team that can handle any situation that arises. Brian Scharmann, Christensen Principal, recognized his front office staff by saying that this group helps to provide a positive and safe learning environment and embrace a “student first mentality.” They are always willing to go above and beyond in this ever changing environment of a middle school, ensuring the needs of the entire school community are met every day. Thank you to Christina Villarimo, Mary Stolz, Francine Laronde, Marette Lee and Michelle Gomes. This is a group worth celebrating!

Since 2018, Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District (LVJUSD) has partnered with the Livermore Lab Foundation (LLF) and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) to provide our high school students an opportunity to explore STEM careers through hands-on science and engineering projects. With generous contributions and support by the LLF and LLNL, this year they were able to provide a Summer STEM Workshop which allowed 22 students from all four of our high schools to collaborate with one another on a scientific research team, tour lab facilities and present work at a virtual showcase event. We also received a generous donation of nine (9) 3-D printers to our four (4) high schools which will allow students to continue their inquiry and study in STEM and science.We are grateful for the scientists and professionals in the community who dedicated their time, talent, and skill to our students. It is with gratitude and appreciation that we recognize you and thank you for our partnership supporting the dreams and aspirations of students in our area of science.

Photos courtesy of LVJUSD

"Don't worry about it, I've got it" is the can-do attitude that Sandy Bachelder expresses when it comes to helping out others at East Avenue Middle School (EAMS), said Principal Jesse Hansen. Sandy has been at EAMS for a long time and she takes incredible initiative, knows everyone, and students and faculty love her! EAMS was a hub for food distribution during remote learning and she made sure that every last family was fed, never losing the smile on her face. We are so happy to have Sandy as part of our team!

Congratulations to our 46 certificated and 40 classified staff who have obtained permanent status in our District! Their commitment to educating students and families has made such a positive difference for our students. We commend this group for their ongoing dedication and are happy they have chosen to establish their careers as part of our LVJUSD family. Congratulations on reaching this career milestone!

• November 3: Livermore Learns - Work/Life Balance
  

• November 11: No School
  

• November 17: Livermore Learns - The Choose Love Series- Courage and Gratitude
  

• November 19: End of Trimester 1
  

• November 22-26: Thanksgiving Break

Our 2021-22 District calendar is available on our website: 2021-22 LVJUSD District Calendar

To be notified of upcoming events, be sure to download the Livermore Schools app from the App Store or from Google Play. Follow your schools, and see all of the calendar dates through the app.

For site-specific information on events and celebrations, please visit school websites.

Each student will graduate with the skills needed to contribute and thrive in a changing world.

Website: www.livermoreschools.org

Facebook: facebook.com/livermoreschools

Instagram: @LivermoreSchools

Twitter: @LivermoreSchool

Email: communityengagement@lvjusd.org
Website: www.livermoreschools.org
Location: 685 East Jack London Boulevard, Livermore, CA, USA
Phone: 925-606-3200

The Grapevine has been recognized by the California School Public Relations Association as an award-winning newsletter.