Shanna Gagnon, a teacher at California High School, was selected as a finalist for the Contra Costa County Teacher of the Year!

Although Shanna Gagnon always wanted to be a teacher, circumstances led her to first pursue a business career. Her second career as a teacher began with the realization that she most enjoyed her role mentoring new employees, leading her to earn a teaching credential.

Shanna taught history first in the Acalanes and Martinez Unified School Districts until landing at California High School in 2013, where she happily remains. She has found her passion teaching students in the iQuest program, a course where student learning meets the real world through internships. Under Shanna’s leadership, the program has grown to serve more than 100 students each year and more than 60 community partnerships.

"Shanna is one of the remarkable educators who is able to bring learning to life for her students. She believes strongly in connecting students with their passion to prepare them in high school for everything that comes next," said California High School principal, Sarah Cranford.

"Our iQuest students leave Cal High with a vision and direction for their future goals and better prepared than anyone who they will come up against.  Shanna's students enter her classes as high school students and leave as critical thinkers, effective communicators, passionate leaders and self-aware adults," she added.

Shanna is a frequent presenter at school, district, and community events where she shares her love of learning and her belief in the power of community. In addition to her teaching credential from St. Mary’s College, she has a B.A. in History and Business Economics from U.C. Santa Barbara and a Career Technical Education Credential from UC Berkeley.

Shanna and three other educators were chosen by a committee that reviewed and rated applications for the 21 Teachers of the Year representing public school districts across the county. 

The two winners are set to be announced during a banquet in Concord on Sept. 27 that will also honor all 21 district-level Teachers of the Year from throughout the county.

We’ve added more Start Smart classes!

Wednesday, May 9, 2018

Village Theatre, Danville

Register HERE

Wednesday, August 15, 2018

California High School Theater

Register HERE

This Start Smart class is part of the San Ramon Valley’s Street Smarts program and is a partnership between CHP, Street Smarts, and the San Ramon Valley Unified School District (SRVUSD). SRVUSD students AND their parent/guardian MUST attend a CHP Start Smart class in order to be eligible for a parking permit.

Start Smart is a FREE two hour highly impactful interactive traffic safety class designed for drivers or soon to be drivers 15-19 years of age and their parents to discuss the serious laws, obligations, responsibilities, and family expectations that are part of driving a vehicle. Despite safer vehicles, better roads, and countless driving programs, the numbers of young drivers who have lost their lives due to traffic collisions have remained fairly constant. However, these deaths and injuries can be substantially reduced by eliminating high-risk behaviors.

Upon attending the class, students will receive a certificate of completion and it’s recommended that students hold on to this certificate.

**PLEASE ARRIVE AT 6:30PM TO TRY AT&T'S "IT CAN WAIT" TEXTING & DRIVING SIMULATOR**

For more information, please visit http://www.srvusd.net/startsmart.

I would like to invite you to join me at two Spring Forums for an end-of-the-year parent check-in and listening opportunity. During these forums I will briefly comment on 4 "big idea" topics and then spend approximately an hour plus of questions and comments. The topics I will be discussing include:

1. Safety and customer service
2. Budget and staffing
3. Personalized Learning Ideas update
4. Elementary feedback, suggested ideas

I look forward to seeing you there!

More information may be found at www.srvusd.net/springforums.

Rick Schmitt

Superintendent

The San Ramon Valley Unified School District is seeking members for its Parcel Tax Oversight Committee.

The committee provides oversight for the Board of Education to ensure that the funds are spent as intended by the voters of the parcel tax.  The committee meets at least twice per year and reports on an annual basis to the Board and community on how these funds have been spent.  All meetings are open to the public.

Four positions will be appointed by the school board. Parcel Tax committee members serve two-year terms.  They will not be compensated and will serve no more than two consecutive terms.  Members shall reside within the boundaries of the SRVUSD and shall be registered voters.

Applications are due no later than 4pm on May 16, 2018. Recommendations/appointments will be made at the June 12, 2018 Board Meeting.

For additional information and to download the application visit:  http://srvusd.ca.schoolloop.com/PTOC_members, or contact Sandra Corsetti in the Business Office, at scorsetti@srvusd.net, or (925) 552-2905.

Afterschool enrichment classes for April have been posted, https://www.srvef.org/Imagineering/Imagineering-Classes. These are our final afterschool classes for the 2017-18 academic school year.  Don’t miss out on engaging classes taught by incredible SRVUSD certified teachers. Culinary Science, Cosmetic Chemistry, Intermediate Lego Robotics, Engineering with Sphero Robots, Python Coding, Physical Computing with Raspberry Pi, and more…

This summer SRVEF will also continue to offer enrichment classes for SRVUSD students. Our longer summer classes allow us to offer more in-depth science, technology, engineering, art, and math curriculum to students entering 3rd-9th grade. Students are given daily challenges, connected to industry experts, introduced to engaging project based learning activities, and encouraged to explore new STEAM topics. For our complete schedule, visit www.bit.ly/summer_imagineering. 

Follow us on Instagram for exciting program announcements as we prepare for a summer of unforgettable STEAM learning! https://www.instagram.com/srvef_imagineering/ . To learn more about the San Ramon Valley Education Foundation, visit our website www.srvef.org.

Bollinger Canyon Elementary School, Coyote Creek Elementary School, and Rancho Romero Elementary School have earned statewide distinction as 2018 California Distinguished Schools, the California Department of Education (CDE) announced on Monday, April 2. San Ramon Valley Unified School District’s (SRVUSD) three school honorees were among just seven schools recognized in Contra Costa County. 

“This distinction is a testament to the excellent education provided by our teachers, the leadership of our site administrators, the dedication of our students and the support of our parent community,” SRVUSD Superintendent Rick Schmitt said. “I congratulate our schools on their well-deserved achievement.”

These three schools were previously honored in 2014 as Distinguished Schools and in 2016, Bollinger Canyon and Rancho Romero were recognized as California Gold Ribbon Schools. In order to apply for the Distinguished Schools distinction, schools must first meet the eligibility requirements. California uses the multiple measures accountability system to identify eligible schools based on their performance and progress on the state indicators as specified on the California School Dashboard (Dashboard). Information regarding the Dashboard is provided on the California Department of Education (CDE) California Accountability Model and School Dashboard web page.

The 2018 California Distinguished Schools Program recognizes California elementary schools that have made exceptional gains in implementing academic content and performance standards adopted by the State Board of Education. Schools were eligible based on their performance and progress on the state indicators as described on the California School Dashboard. Indicators include test scores, suspension rates, and English learner progress.

All three SRVUSD elementary schools will be honored during a ceremony in May in Anaheim, California.

On Tuesday, March 27, 2018, the San Ramon Valley Unified School District’s Board of Education recognized the District’s 2018 Classified Employee of the Year, Cindy Hill, as well as 43 other nominees representing SRVUSD schools and departments.

Cindy volunteered at Vista Grande for nine years prior to becoming a Classroom Paraeducator for 19 years. Therefore, Cindy has supported the Vista Grande community for the last 28 years. She is passionate about serving children and helping them to succeed.

She has been a leader among the paraeducators.  She articulates with the administration very clearly regarding any concerns the paraeducators may have and she is comfortable sharing new goals or ways to improve student learning.

To view a list of all the 2018 Classified Employees of the Year, click here.

The purpose of the Employee of the Year Program is to recognize the efforts of our outstanding classified employees and their positive contributions to students. Each year each SRVUSD school and division nominates an employee of the year. The final selection for Employee of the Year is based on the following criteria:

• An individual who has made significant contributions to his/her school/community or department;

• Adopts the attributes of Rigor, Relevance and Relationships in their work; and

• Strives for excellence in his/her daily work, and promotes a healthy work/learning environment.

All nominees are recognized by the Board of Education. Cindy will also be recognized, along with other district’s Classified School Employees of the Year, at a reception sponsored by the Contra Costa County Office of Education.

On Tuesday, March 13, 2018, the San Ramon Valley Unified School District’s Board of Education recognized Lynn Alamillo and Shanna Gagnon as the 2018-2019 Teachers of the Year.

Lynn Alamillo joined the staff at Quail Run Elementary in 2008 and moved to Bella Vista Elementary when it opened last year. She has extensive experience teaching 1st and 2nd grade students; this year she has been happily teaching a 2nd/3rd grade combination class. Teaching is Lynn’s passion – she considers herself a lifelong learner, always seeking ways to improve her practice and engage students in active learning. Outside of her classroom, she’s mentored new teachers, worked with several student teachers, and collaborated with colleagues to present professional development for district colleagues. Lynn attends as many professional development experiences as time allows and shares her knowledge at school and family outreach events. She has a business degree from University of California at Berkeley, a teaching credential from Chapman University, and a Master's degree in Educational Technology from Touro University.

Although Shanna Gagnon always wanted to be a teacher, circumstances led her to first pursue a business career. Her second career as a teacher began with the realization that she most enjoyed her role mentoring new employees, leading her to earn a teaching credential. Shanna taught history first in the Acalanes and Martinez Unified School Districts until landing at California High School in 2013, where she happily remains. She has found her passion teaching students in the iQuest program, a course where student learning meets the real world through internships. Under Shanna’s leadership, the program has grown to serve more than 100 students each year and more than 60 community partnerships. Shanna is a frequent presenter at school, district, and community events where she shares her love of learning and her belief in the power of community. In addition to her teaching credential from St. Mary’s College, she has a B.A. in History and Business Economics from U.C. Santa Barbara and a Career Technical Education Credential from UC Berkeley.

“Both Lynn and Shanna represent the best of the best and we are so fortunate to have such excellent teachers who always emphasize balancing each student's personal and academic growth,” said SRVUSD Superintendent Rick Schmitt. “Congratulations to Lynn and Shanna on this achievement!”

Each year all Contra Costa County School Districts select Teachers of the Year. An expert committee, with representatives from education and the community, then chooses one of these candidates to represent Contra Costa County in the State Teacher of the Year Program.

State law gives families the option to transfer to a different school when there is space available. When schools have space, families can choose to transfer to another school within a district (intradistrict transfers) or to transfer to a school in another district (interdistrict transfers).

SRVUSD has moved up its intradistrict open enrollment window for elementary families. The open enrollment window for elementary schools is now open and closes on April 6, 2018. Families can find the link to the online intradistrict transfer request form and information about SRVUSD’s open enrollment/intradistrict transfer process at www.srvusd.net/transfers.

SRVUSD students will continue to have placement priority in our schools. However, after we place our resident students at their school of choice, because we now have space available, California law requires that we allow students from outside the district to apply to attend our schools (interdistrict transfers). Interdistrict transfers will only be accepted if there is space available. Students from outside the district must maintain acceptable academic performance, attendance and behavior. SRVUSD anticipates openings for interdistrict transfers students at nearly all SRVUSD schools.

The results of the 2017-2018 San Ramon Valley Unified School District (SRVUSD) Student Recognition Project are in! Around 1,000 students competed in 23 different categories this year.  A team of judges – all professionals in their field – spent hours judging each category, making the difficult decision to select the top entries, identifying 71 winning and 70 honorable mention students. 

Click here to see the complete list of winners and honorable mentions by category.

The winners and honorable mentions were unveiled Monday night, March 12, 2018, at the annual Open House event at Bishop Ranch 15 (photos attached below). At this event, hundreds of physical entries are displayed, in categories ranging from photography to engineering. Community members, parents, students, staff and others attended the event, which was catered this year by Dougherty Valley High School’s Culinary Arts program.

The winners will invited to attend and be recognized at an Awards Reception on Monday, April 16, 2018, at the Village Theater in Danville.  Each student winner will receive a special prize and certificates from local elected officials.

The Student Recognition Project is coordinated by the San Ramon Valley Unified School District and sponsored by Chevron. The program is a collaboration between students, educators and the business community in the San Ramon Valley; promotes educational excellence; and prepares students for future career possibilities.

On Tuesday, March 13, 2018, the San Ramon Valley Unified School District’s (SRVUSD) Board of Education recognized Lynn Alamillo and Shanna Gagnon as the 2018-2019 Teachers of the Year.

Lynn Alamillo joined the staff at Quail Run Elementary in 2008 and moved to Bella Vista Elementary when it opened last year. She has extensive experience teaching 1st and 2nd grade students; this year she has been happily teaching a 2nd/3rd grade combination class.  Teaching is Lynn’s passion – she considers herself a lifelong learner, always seeking ways to improve her practice and engage students in active learning. Outside of her classroom, she’s mentored new teachers, worked with several student teachers, and collaborated with colleagues to present professional development for district colleagues. Lynn attends as many professional development experiences as time allows and shares her knowledge at school and family outreach events. She has a business degree from University of California at Berkeley, a teaching credential from Chapman University, and a Masters degree in Educational Technology from Touro University.

Although Shanna Gagnon always wanted to be a teacher, circumstances led her to first pursue a business career. Her second career as a teacher began with the realization that she most enjoyed her role mentoring new employees, leading her to earn a teaching credential. Shanna taught history first in the Acalanes and Martinez Unified School Districts until landing at California High School in 2013, where she happily remains. She has found her passion teaching students in the iQuest program, a course where student learning meets the real world through internships. Under Shanna’s leadership, the program has grown to serve more than 100 students each year and more than 60 community partnerships. Shanna is a frequent presenter at school, district, and community events where she shares her love of learning and her belief in the power of community. In addition to her teaching credential from St. Mary’s College, she has a B.A. in History and Business Economics from U.C. Santa Barbara and a Career Technical Education Credential from UC Berkeley.

“Both Lynn and Shanna represent the best of the best and we are so fortunate to have such excellent teachers who always emphasize balancing each students personal and academic growth,” said SRVUSD Superintendent Rick Schmitt. “Congratulations to Lynn and Shanna on this achievement!”

Each year all Contra Costa County School Districts select Teachers of the Year. An expert committee, with representatives from education and the community, then chooses one of these candidates to represent Contra Costa County in the State Teacher of the Year Program.

(L to R) Bella Vista Elementary Principal Jenny Torres, Lynn Alamillo, SRVUSD Superintendent Rick Schmitt, SRVUSD Board President Ken Mintz

L to R) California High School student, Shanna Gagnon, SRVUSD Superintendent Rick Schmitt, SRVUSD Board President Ken Mintz, California High School student

Shanna Gagnon and California High School Principal Sarah Cranford

Parent and Community Education Night

Open to all SRVUSD Parents/Guardians

Helping Your Student Manage Stress

Thursday, March 15, 2018 at 7 p.m.

At Monte Vista High School Theatre

Teen stress is an important health issue. The early teen years are often marked by physical, cognitive, and emotional changes. Teens are also dealing with changing relationships, demands at school, pressure to succeed in life, college concerns, family tensions, and crammed schedules. Many are not prepared to handle high levels of stress and over time this can lead to depression and anxiety.

• Presentations by Discovery Counseling Center and Contra Costa Crisis Center.
• They talk to many of our students on a regular basis and are in touch with the many demands our students are facing.
• Learn practical tips for parents in helping to support our students and build resiliency.

We hope to see you there!

Dear SRVUSD Staff and Parents,

Like you, we have been feeling the weight of last week’s tragic school shooting in Florida. Understandably, it has impacted our community and raised concern and worry about our students’ safety. In order to make sure that you have the best, most accurate information, the SRVUSD wants to remind you of our protocols and procedures that may help bring clarity during this difficult time.

It is important to know that after tragic events like the one that just occurred in Florida, it is common to see a surge in comments, rumors and misinformation. Every time SRVUSD receives a report of suspicious behavior or a threatening remark, we act on it immediately. We involve law enforcement and conduct our own thorough school administrative investigation. Though some information has been received since the Florida event, all threats and rumors have been investigated and none have been deemed credible, meaning police have determined that the rumor is either false or the individual who made the remark lacks the means or desire to act on it. We are thankful to have the full support of the Danville Police, San Ramon Police and the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Department in our investigations. We live in a special community where our local governments support the safety needs of schools and students as central to the overall wellness of our community. We also want you to know that if there is ever a threat or remark that is deemed credible, we will be as straightforward as possible with the affected community so that everyone involved can make the decision that they feel is best for their student and family.

Our parents and staff are asking about our emergency protocols, communication procedures and safety drills. In the coming days and weeks, our schools will talk to staff and students to remind them about our active shooter protocols and will hold emergency drills. The district is in close communication with PTA Council leadership and will partner with PTA to make sure that the parent community is kept informed about these important topics. We are sensitive to how information is shared with our students. Directions and drills will be delivered at an age appropriate level. While we want to prepare our students for procedures and expectations, we will take measures to ensure our students feel safe and secure.

Each of our schools has a School Site Council which annually reviews the school’s emergency plans. If you wish to be involved in this process, we highly encourage you to contact your principal. Furthermore, we will be asking our community-based Safety Committee to come together to review our emergency protocols, drills and plans, as well as our plan to install additional fencing and cameras.

Please take a few minutes this evening to talk to your children and remind them to report any rumor or suspicious activity immediately to school administration, a teacher or their parents. A good phrase to use is, “If you see something, or know something, say something.” The National Association of School Psychologists offers a great resource for talking to children about violence.

We live in a special community, made more so when we all come together to support our children.

Thank  you,

Rick Schmitt

Superintendent

The Measure J Traffic Congestion Relief Agency (TRAFFIX) is issuing a Request for Qualifications & Proposal (RFQ/RFP) from qualified firms to provide Contract Program Manager Services for a student transportation program.

The primary responsibility of the Program Manager under this contract is to provide day-to-day oversight of the TRAFFIX Program (“Program”) operations to ensure the delivery of a safe, efficient, and effective student transportation bus service that accomplishes the overarching goal of traffic congestion reduction within the San Ramon Valley

Click here for the application.

If you or your student would like to learn more information about the CollegeConnect program, we will be offering an informational session:

As part of our ongoing efforts to support diversity and equity in SRVUSD, the District organized the Culturally Responsive Speaker Series. Education and communication are essential to help foster dialogue around the challenges that divide. The goal is to create a community that values diversity, embraces our differences and builds partnerships based on trust, respect and mutual understanding. 

You won't want to miss the last speaker in our series!

“Supporting the Diverse Needs of All Learners” by Deborah Ettinger

Thursday, February 1, 4:00 – 5:30

Monte Vista Workday Center (Upstairs)

On Tuesday, January 9, 2018, the San Ramon Valley Board of Education approved the 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 Instructional Calendars.

2018-2019 Instructional Calendar

2019-2020 Instructional Calendar

Important dates to note for 2018-2019:

First Day of School: August 13, 2018

Winter Break: December 21, 2018 to January 4, 2019

Spring Break: April 1-5, 2019

Last Day of School: May 31, 2019

Important dates to note for 2019-2020:

First Day of School: August 13, 2019

Winter Break: December 23, 2019 to January 3, 2020

Spring Break: April 6-10, 2020

Last Day of School: May 29, 2020

SAVE THE DATE! The San Ramon Valley Education Foundation is proud to offer it's first ever Imagineering Hackathon. The event will be hosted at California High School on January 27th. Registration for the event is free and will open on Wednesday, January 10 at 6 p.m. Only 60 spots will be available, so register quick. This event is open to all middle and high school SRVUSD students. All coding levels welcome. Prizes for winning Hacks!!

Registration page – www.bit.ly/srvef_imagineering

#SRVEFHACK

The San Ramon Valley Student Recognition Project is back for another year! It’s time to start thinking about that winning project idea.  Students can apply, indicating their intention to participate, between January 8 and February 16, 2018.

Students who participate in the Project compete in categories that showcase their skills both within and outside the curriculum. Project judging is done by professional business people with extensive expertise in the various categories. Student winners are announced at the Open House on March 12, and honored at an Awards Reception.

The project offers SRVUSD students an opportunity to connect with professionals, gain experience, have their work noticed by a wider audience, add to their resume and college application and receive accolades.

The program is coordinated by the San Ramon Valley Unified School District and sponsored by Chevron. The purpose of the program is to create collaboration among students, educators and the business community in the San Ramon Valley, to promote educational excellence and to prepare students for the business world of the 21st century.

Categories include:

Community Service

Entrepreneur

Leadership

Childhood Education

Science

Engineering

Video Production

Creative Writing

Journalism

Poetry

3D Art/Applied Design

Digital Art

Digital Photography

Film Photography

Visual Arts—Black & White

Visual Arts—Color

Graphic Design

Culinary Arts & Hospitality

Dance

Drama

Instrumental Music

Piano

Vocal Music

The application period ends on Friday, February 16, 2018. Auditions for the performing arts and presentation categories will be held during the week of February 26-March 1. All physical submissions must be turned in at the school no later than 2 p.m. on Thursday, March 2, 2018.

San Ramon Unified School District is the only school district in California and one of two in the U.S. and Canada to be honored by the College Board with placement on the Annual AP® District Honor Roll for all eight years of the program. To be included on the 8th Annual Honor Roll, SRVUSD had to, since 2015, increase the number of students participating in AP while also increasing or maintaining the percentage of students earning AP Exam scores of 3 or higher. Reaching these goals shows that SRVUSD is successfully identifying motivated, academically prepared students who are ready for AP.

“We are pleased to have achieved this honor for the eighth consecutive year. It is a true testament to the work and commitment of San Ramon Valley Unified School District, our employees and parent community in providing all students the opportunity to reach their highest potential,” said SRVUSD Superintendent Rick Schmitt.

National data from 2017 show that among American Indian/Alaska Native, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, and Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander students with a high degree of readiness for AP, only about half are participating. The first step to getting more of these students to participate is to give them access. Courses must be made available, gatekeeping must stop, and doors must be equitably opened. SRVUSD is committed to expanding the availability of AP courses among prepared and motivated students of all backgrounds.

“Congratulations to all the educators and administrators in this district who have worked to clear a path for more students of all backgrounds to participate and succeed in AP,” said Trevor Packer, head of AP and Instruction. “These educators and administrators are fostering a culture in their schools and classrooms that allows students to face new challenges and build the confidence to succeed.”

Helping more students learn at a higher level and earn higher AP scores is an objective of all members of the AP community, from AP teachers to district and school administrators to college professors. Many districts are experimenting with initiatives and strategies to see how they can expand access and improve student performance at the same time.

In 2017, more than 4,000 colleges and universities around the world received AP scores for college credit, advanced placement, or both, and/or consideration in the admissions process. Inclusion in the 8th Annual AP District Honor Roll is based on a review of three years of AP data, from 2015 to 2017, looking across 38 AP Exams, including world language and culture. The following criteria were used.

Districts must:

• Increase participation/access to AP by at least 4% in large districts, at least 6% in medium districts, and at least 11% in small districts;
• 
  Increased or maintained the percentage of American Indian/Alaska Native, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, and Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander students taking exams and increased or maintained the percentage of American Indian/Alaska Native, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, and Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander students scoring 3+ on at least one AP Exam; and
• 
  Improve or maintain performance levels when comparing the 2017 percentage of students scoring a 3 or higher to the 2015 percentage, unless the district has already attained a performance level at which more than 70% of its AP students earn a 3 or higher.

When these outcomes have been achieved among an AP student population in which 30% or more are underrepresented minority students (American Indian/Alaska Native, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino and Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander) and/or 30% or more are low-income students (students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch), a symbol has been affixed to the district name to highlight this work.
 

SRVUSD is one of 447 school districts in the U.S. and Canada that is a leader making access to—and success in—AP courses a priority. The complete 8th Annual AP District Honor Roll can be found here: https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/score-reports-data/awards/honor-roll

For the past several months, the District has been exploring 10 ideas centered on providing flexibility and options for middle and high school students and families, increasing overall student wellness, and ultimately improving working conditions for staff by lowering class sizes at our middle and high schools. These ideas have evolved and been refined to reflect the input and feedback we received from students, parents, staff and Board Members through multiple meetings, communications, and through the over 6,100 responses to the recent Personalized Learning survey from students, staff and parents.

At the December 12 Board Meeting, staff provided an update on the ideas, and the Board of Education provided direction to staff on the following:

• The District will maintain the 7th period option for grades 9 - 12 and use the 2018-2019 school year to examine the implementation of the other ideas and their impact on class sizes.

• No changes will be made to the middle school world language program for 2018-2019. The District will engage world language teachers in further conversation on this idea over the coming school year.

The Board also provided direction for staff to move forward with implementing the following ideas for the 2018-2019 school year:

• Allow middle and high schools to choose, on a site-by-site basis, whether or not they want to implement flexible start and end times. Site administrators have already been surveying their communities and will be communicating directly with their communities in the coming months about the decision-making process.

• Maintain the School Loop daily emails. However, beginning next school year, parents will have to opt-in to choose to receive these daily emails. The current default is that parents have to opt-out. Parents will maintain full access to School Loop via the Internet and the School Loop app.

• Give middle school students the option of taking 6 or 7 classes. No student would have to reduce the number of classes from 7 unless they choose to do so.

• Provide flexible PE credits for Independent Study Physical Education, Marching Band PE and Athletic PE.

• Provide credit towards graduation for completion of accredited online courses, off-campus courses and summer courses. These credits will be included on official SRVUSD transcripts.

• Offer free SRVUSD high school summer school courses for advancement and remediation for credit.

• Expand the Heritage School Program to include credit towards graduation for languages that are not currently taught at SRVUSD schools.

• Provide credit towards graduation for internships on official SRVUSD transcripts.

Based on the Board’s direction, SRVUSD staff will continue to refine the ideas regarding graduation requirements and bring a recommendation back to the Board at a later date.

We would like to thank all students, parents and staff for your participation in these discussions and for your thoughtful feedback. A snapshot of the survey results and the full survey results are posted on the Personalized Learning webpage. As we finalize these ideas, we will be sharing more information with our staff and parent community.

The San Ramon Valley Education Foundation (SRVEF) is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2017 grants. Together with the SRVEF Endowment and DonorsChoose.org, SRVEF has awarded 199 grants totalling $213,668 in awards to teachers in SRVUSD.

Over the past several weeks, the SRVEF grants committee has read and reviewed a total 261 grants submitted from SRVUSD schools. Grants were scored based on merit alone. By partnering with DonorsChoose.org for the application process, external supporters and external matching funds helped to extend the SRVEF grant funding this year. SRVEF awarded 161 SRVEF-DonorsChoose.org grants; 12 SRVEF endowment music grants, and 10 SRVEF endowment science grants.

In addition, a minimum of $1,000 is being awarded to each school from this year’s Run for Education and San Ramon Rotary Online Auction for Education proceeds. If a school did not submit sufficient funding requests or if teachers did not qualify for funding, a school will be awarded a DonorsChoose.org gift card. This card may be applied to an existing grant for their school on DonorsChoose.org or on a new grant that a teacher at the site submits. Administrators are not eligible to apply for a DonorsChoose.org grant. Therefore, a teacher must submit the DonorsChoose.org request for item(s) that the principal will authorize.

Unfunded teacher grants will remain active on the DonorsChoose.org website for approximately two more months during which time the grants may continue to receive external funding. If a grant is not fully funded by the expiration date, any external money pledged is returned to the donor.

Items to be purchased for the teacher grants through DonorsChoose.org will be fulfilled by DonorsChoose.org and sent to the warehouse for distribution. Music and science grants will be ordered and shipped through the District’s purchase order system. SRVEF will be working closely with the District’s business department to ensure the Science and Music grant funds are appropriately transferred; grant recipients will receive specific information about how to submit purchase orders and the timeline to follow for compliance with the grant guidelines.

Based on the SRVEF funding criteria, only one grant per teacher was eligible to be considered. Grants requesting technology such as iPads and Chromebooks were not eligible for SRVEF funding since the Technology Initiative provided funding to all schools in 2017 for student devices.

Please see the table below for results. Any questions may be directed to grants@srvef.org.

From time to time, we get questions related to how we determine class sizes. SRVUSD uses a staffing ratio formula based on contractual agreements and statutes in California law. These ratios are based on a very simple formula determined by the number of students enrolled in a school.

The following explains how these class size ratios work in SRVUSD.

Please note the Q&A at the bottom of this webpage for additional information.

Elementary Schools

The District staffs Transitional Kindergarten through Third Grade at an average class size by school at 24:1. 

Class sizes in Grades 4 and 5 are staffed at an average 30:1 students to teacher ratio.

Middle Schools

The District's middle schools have been and continue to be staffed at an enrollment ratio of 28:1 students to teacher. That means one full time teacher is allocated per 28 students at the school site.

High Schools

The District's high schools have been and continue to be staffed at an enrollment ratio of 27:1 students to teacher. That means one full time teacher is allocated per 27 students at the school site.

As part of the District’s exploration of ideas to create flexibility and options for students, staff and parents, the District is reviewing a number of ideas that would decrease class sizes in middle and high schools. None of these ideas involve additional taxpayer dollars. More information about this idea and several others will be shared through the Superintendent’s September column and at the Superintendent’s Fall Parent meetings.

 

Q & A

Q. Do Special Education staffing ratios count in the overall average or are they separate?

The staffing ratios are calculated based on the total general education student population enrolled at the sites, including students who receive Resource Specialist support. It does not include Special Day classes.

Q. What are the repercussions if the District does not hit the staffing goals?  

The District is contractually obligated to comply with staffing ratios. Staffing is increased when the District underestimates through its projections the actual number of students enrolled at an individual school site. Staffing is decreased when the District overestimates the actual student enrollment at an individual school site.

Q. How are other certified staff members counted in this formula?

Non-classroom certificated employees, including nurses,speech-language pathologists, counselors and site administrators are not counted or included in the classroom staffing ratios.

Q. Do the number of courses a school offers affect class size?

No. The only thing that affects class size is student enrollment and staffing ratios determined by contractual agreements.

The San Ramon Valley Unified School District has been fortunate to receive generous support from the community since 2004 through voter approved parcel tax measures. Parcel tax funding provides a secure, stable source of revenue that the District can count on every year. This money stays in our local schools and cannot be taken away by the State.

In May 2015, voters approved Measure A --  the continuation of an $144 parcel tax that expired in 2016.  Measure A will expire in 2025. Measure A is authorized to fund:

• Core academic programs in reading, writing, math and science;

• Advanced Placement courses and other programs to prepare all students for success in college and careers;

• Ongoing teacher training and development to attract and retain teachers;

• Career and technical training programs.

Measure A also includes the following accountability provisions:

• All money raised by the measure stay local

• An independent citizens oversight committee would ensure all funds are spent as promised

• None of the funds can be used for administrators’ salaries

• Homeowners age 65 and older are eligible to receive an exemption

• The measure expire in 2024 and cannot be renewed without voter approval

All SRVUSD Parcel Tax funds are overseen by a community based Parcel Tax Oversight Committee (also known as the PTOC) which was established by the Board of Education of the San Ramon Valley Unified School District when the Measure "C" parcel tax was passed in 2009. This citizen committee remains in place to continue its oversight of Measure “A”.  Each year since its inception, the PTOC has presented a report to the Board of Education affirming the appropriate use of the parcel tax funds.

For more information about the PTOC including their annual reports, visit http://bit.ly/2f8xSJF.

As part of our ongoing efforts to support diversity and equity in our District, we are proud to present our Culturally Responsive Speaker Series featuring several renowned experts. Education and communication are essential to help foster dialogue around the challenges that divide. Our goal is to create a community that values diversity, embraces our differences and builds partnerships based on trust, respect and mutual understanding. Please join us!

All presentations are from 4-5:30 p.m. and are free to attend.

Marissa Ware, a second-grade teacher at John Baldwin Elementary School, was selected as a finalist for Contra Costa County Teacher of the Year!

“It is such an honor to be representing the teachers of San Ramon Valley Unified School District at this next level,” Ware said in an email interview. “I feel fortunate to be teaching in such a diverse district that provides rich professional development enriching so many dedicated, passionate and knowledgeable teachers.”

Marissa started teaching at her childhood campus John Baldwin from 2000-02. She moved to Coyote Creek Elementary from 2002-10 and then returned to John Baldwin in 2010.

“I have learned something from every colleague, student and parent that I have encountered over my 18 years of teaching, and I truly feel I am the teacher I am today because of the people I've had the opportunity to work with,” she added. “I hope to represent our district well.”

John Baldwin principal Joe Romagna said he was “incredibly proud” of her selection as a county finalist and praised her commitment to enhancing the educational experience of her students and her peers.

“Marissa is an exemplary teacher that inspires her second-grade students to do their best while also instilling a love and joy for learning,” he said.

“In addition to her role in the classroom, Marissa's colleagues note that she is a tremendous resource at John Baldwin Elementary and other sites as a literacy coach, where she helps teachers grow in their instructional practices in reading and writing,” he added.

Marissa and three other educators were chosen by a 13-person committee that reviewed and rated applications for the 22 Teachers of the Year representing public school districts across the county. 

The two winners are set to be announced during a banquet in Concord on Sept. 28 that will also honor all 22 district-level Teachers of the Year from throughout the county.