SAN LEANDRO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT "Making Excellence Our Tradition"
February 2023
In this newsletter, scroll down to find:
A message from the Superintendent
Links to complete the California School Parent Survey and school LCAP sessions
Our latest Superintendent’s Award Students of the Month
Celebrating our Schools: Bancroft Middle, Jefferson, McKinley, Roosevelt, and Washington Elementary
February family learning opportunities
Upcoming SLUSD Academic Recognition Events
Voices of our families regarding ELPAC testing
Lunar New Year celebrations across SLUSD
Food 4 Thought Farmers Market at our elementary schools
COVID tests for February break
Message from the Superintendent
Dear SLUSD Community,
February brings a wonderful tradition of elevating the contributions and accomplishments of African Americans in our shared history. Our schools enjoy launching Black History Month because it's an opportunity for us to focus more deeply on the contributions of African Americans to our country and the world. Our schools showcase these achievements through various activities, events, and lessons in the classrooms, which also extend throughout the year. I encourage you to look for ways to participate in these special events at our schools.
I also urge you to participate in one of your school's LCAP planning sessions, if you haven't already. These annual gatherings are key data sources in our districtwide planning. Your input is also used at our school sites to continually improve our programs and services.
Sincerely,
Dr. Mike McLaughlin Superintendent
Opportunities for Feedback
Here are opportunities to give us input for our planning and improvement:
CLOSING TODAY! California School Parent Survey: Every year, we ask all families in SLUSD to take the California School Parent Survey, which closes today! This survey is an anonymous, confidential survey of school climate and safety, student wellness, and youth resiliency. We use your feedback to help allocate funding and resources to improve how you and your children experience our schools.
LCAP Engagement Sessions: LCAP stands for Local Control and Accountability Plan, which is a document that outlines how a school district plans to use its resources to improve student outcomes. School-based LCAP meetings gather input and feedback from parents and community members on the district's plans and priorities. The meetings provide an opportunity to have a say in the direction of the district and to ensure that the needs and interests of the school community are addressed.
Watch your school’s ParentSquare messages for specific details about events at your school, or you can leave your thoughts on this feedback form, located on our district website. Your voices are essential in our decision-making processes.
Superintendent’s Award Winners
Gregorio Arteaga, Garfield Elementary
Joyce Blessing Tshimanga, Madison Elementary
Garfield Elementary School’s Gregorio Arteaga and Madison Elementary School’s Joyce Blessing Tshimanga were recognized with the Superintendent’s Award at the January school board meeting for their leadership and achievements.
Gregorio is in 5th grade and was recently reclassified as English proficient, a huge accomplishment he worked hard to achieve. He is also a phenomenal leader at Gatorville who infuses the school with light and positivity!
Blessing is a 5th-grade multilingual student who is fluent in both French and English. She also recently received her Reclassification Recognition! Blessing excels in scholastics, achieving a top score on the SBAC Test in 2022!
Both students were chosen for this award by the staff and administration at their respective schools to represent exemplars of excellence. Join us in congratulating both students on this prestigious honor!
Celebrating Schools 2023 & Volunteers of the Year
At a special board meeting on January 31, SLUSD kicked off the annual Celebrating Schools recognitions for the 2022-2023 school year. Bancroft Middle School, Jefferson Elementary, McKinley Elementary, Roosevelt Elementary, and Washington Elementary came to the Arts Education Center at San Leandro High School to showcase the exceptional programs and services happening on their campuses. Each school also had the opportunity to celebrate its outstanding volunteers, who received special recognition from the school board. See photos from the event below, or watch the entire event on our YouTube channel here.
Next up, SLUSD will celebrate John Muir Middle School, Garfield Elementary, Halkin Elementary, Madison Elementary, and Monroe Elementary at the same location on March 28. Our high schools and adult school will be featured on May 23.
Volunteers of the year for Bancroft Middle School, Adriana Fuentes and Lesley Feikert.
Volunteers of the year for Jefferson Elementary, Sara Perez and Paula Ford.
Volunteer of the year for McKinley Elementary, Alicia Dennice Pozos.
Volunteer of the year for Roosevelt Elementary, Laura Barbosa.
Volunteers of the year for Washington Elementary, Ana Garcia and Cathie Clarke.
Roosevelt Elementary’s Latin Dancers got the crowd on their feet!
Staff and students came to share their stories of excellence at their schools.
We love our volunteers! They are stars in our district!
Family Learning Series for February
SLUSD’s online parent sessions provide strategies for parents/caregivers to support their child’s growth and development. Join us at an upcoming session:
Tuesday, February 7⋅6:00 – 7:00 pm • Topic: African American Family Landing Pad
SLUSD and Blaze Consulting host a supportive space for Black Families and Families Raising Black Children. Join San Leandro families as we explore how to help our children thrive in San Leandro schools. What are the supports we need as caregivers? Where do we get "stuck" as parents, and what are some tools that will help us move forward? Let’s acknowledge and celebrate the resilience of Black peoples and the people of the African Diaspora. There will be a raffle for gift cards at the end of the session.
Wednesday, February 8⋅5:00 – 6:00 pm • Topic: Celebrating Diversity
San Leandro schools are very diverse and we acknowledge the backgrounds of all students. During this interactive session, Blaze Consulting will use the Family Landing Pad, a virtual space for SLUSD parents and caregivers to talk about their own experiences of caring for children and teens. We will talk about how parents/caregivers talk to their students about cultures, diversities, and other ways that we differ and are the same. How do we teach our children to be curious and empathetic to students who do not come from the same background as they do? Come ready to share your strategies and hear others.
The session is open to all San Leandro parents/caregivers with TK-12th grade students. Raffle Prizes! Spanish and Chinese translation will be provided.
SAVE THE DATE: SLUSD Latinx & African American Achievement Nights are back IN PERSON!
SLUSD’s recognition of academic excellence for our 5th, 8th, and 12th grade African American and Latinx scholars will be held at the San Leandro High School gymnasium on the following dates:
SLUSD Latinx Achievement Awards (#1) - Thursday, March 30⋅6:30 to 7:30 pm: Join us to celebrate the academic achievement of our 5th, 8th, and 12th grade Latinx scholars from Garfield, Halkin, Madison, and Monroe Elementary Schools, John Muir Middle School, and San Leandro High School.
SLUSD Latinx Achievement Awards (#2) - Thursday, April 13⋅6:30 – 7:30 pm: Join us to celebrate the academic achievement of our 5th, 8th, and 12th grade Latinx scholars from Jefferson, McKinley, Roosevelt, and Washington Elementary Schools, Bancroft Middle School, and Lincoln High School
SLUSD African American Achievement Awards - Thursday, May 4⋅6:30 – 7:30 pm: Join us to celebrate the academic achievement of our 5th, 8th, and 12th grade African American scholars from all SLUSD schools.
Award winners who meet any one of the following criteria will be announced after February 17:
Grades based on SY 2022-2023 1st semester GPA (3.0) (8th & 12th grade)
2022 CAASPP Math and ELA scores in Performance Level 3 or 4
STAR test scores (70th percentile rank or higher at August and January testing window) in both categories: Math (English/Spanish) and Reading (English/Spanish)
Principal Recommendation (Up to 3 students)
NEW THIS YEAR! These same qualifiers will be used to recognize all 5/8/12th grade SLUSD students, who will receive recognition at their end-of-year school events.
Voices of our families regarding ELPAC
Students with English learner status must be assessed yearly using the ELPAC until they are reclassified as Fluent English Proficient (RFEP). This assessment is a major milestone on the pathway to English proficiency.
To support our English learner students' families, we worked with the parents of students who are Spanish-speaking English Learners. We heard their stories at an EL Parent Input Night and we asked if they would make a video with us.
In the video, the four parents talk about the importance of being bilingual and how to support students to reach reclassification by learning to read the ELPAC score report, partnering with school staff, strategically practicing at home with ELPAC practice tests, and getting involved in ELAC at their school site. English subtitles are provided, and we will be working with other multilingual families to provide this same information in multiple home languages.
Lunar New Year Celebrations in SLUSD
Our schools have been enjoying festive celebrations of the Lunar New Year! Wishing everyone a happy, healthy, and joyous year ahead!
Food 4 Thought Farmers Markets
We are excited to partner with Food 4 Thought, which brings produce from small family farms to our elementary schools for special learning opportunities. Students receive nutrition and wellness information, with a sampling of the enormous variety of produce grown in the San Joaquin valley! If you haven’t already received a visit, look for an upcoming event at an elementary school near you soon!
COVID tests for February break
SLUSD will be providing COVID tests for our upcoming February break, from 2/20 to 2/24. Watch your school's messaging for details!
San Leandro Unified School District | 835 E. 14th Street, Suite 200, San Leandro, CA 94577 (510) 667-3500 communications@slusd.us
