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EXPANDED LEARNING PROGRAM

POSITIVE BEHAVIOR INTERVENTION AND SUPPORT

PBIS improves social, emotional and academic outcomes for all students.

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SPECIAL EDUCATION

ADULT EDUCATION

High school diploma equivalency, English as a Second Language, career training, parent education, lifelong learning, and courses for adults with disabilities.

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Snow-capped Mt. Diablo behind Diablo View MS
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Snow-capped Mt. Diablo behind Diablo View MS
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News & Announcements

NWS Heat Risk Index

In light of the current Bay Area heat wave, we are posting a link to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) Health Guidance for Schools on Sports and Strenuous Activities During Extreme Heat.

The guidance originally released June 30, 2023 was updated July 1, 2024, and is subject to change. 

For California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) member schools: As per California State Law Assembly Bill (AB) 1653 and CIF Bylaw 503.K. Heat Illness and 503.L. Air Quality Index Protocols, all CIF member schools must adhere to the CIF Heat Illness Prevention and Heat Acclimatization Policies as outlined in the CIF Extreme Heat and Air Quality Policy (PDF).

Key updates as of July 1, 2​024:

Key Sections:

Read More about CDPH Health Guidance for Schools on Sports and Strenuous Activities During Extreme Heat
EDMS pickleball

Since last school year, volunteers from the Rossmoor Pickleball Club have come to El Dorado Middle School in Concord to teach students the popular and fun game of pickleball. Every Thursday, approximately 10-14 members of the Club teach students during the school's 1st and 2nd period PE classes. Club President Carol Cerioni said the Club became involved simply because "we want to give back to underserved schools in the community."

Cerioni noted that she is a friend of El Dorado MS Vice Principal Denise Carneiro, who told her that the Title I school would appreciate the Club’s support. The Club received a $350 grant from the USA Pickleball Association (USAPA) that it used to purchase equipment, including nets and paddles. The Club also put out a call for volunteers, and more than 20 Club members responded.

"We all love working with the kids," said Cerioni, who is a retired school psychologist. "Many of the volunteers are retired educators, so they know kids and they were really excited about this program." She credited lead volunteer Danny Wong, who is a retired principal, with spearheading the project. He writes lesson plans each week that the volunteers follow with the students. It's a nine-week program, so they work with 8th graders for 3 weeks, then 7th-graders for 3 weeks, and finally 6th-graders for 3 weeks. "We have a blast out there with the kids," Cerioni said. "We started the program last year and it was so much fun that we wanted to do it again this year. It’s been a really pleasant and rewarding experience for everyone involved." In fact, they are hoping to expand to another middle school within the district in the spring.

“Part of what makes the experience so rewarding is the relationships we developed with the students,” Cerioni said. Wong chants with them before they start playing, shouting, "I say 'pickle,' you say, 'ball.' Let’s play Pickleball!" Although Cerioni initially thought the 8th-graders would think the chants were corny or silly, they do not, she said. "They're all taking part and enjoying themselves," she said. The volunteers first give verbal instructions, then demonstrate how to play, sharing their joy and camaraderie.

"It’s a great way to reach kids and the beauty of pickleball is it doesn’t require a lot of money, so kids at any economic level can play," Cerioni said. "It’s pretty easy to learn. You find some pretty talented kids who have great hand-eye coordination, but the kids who don’t have great hand-eye coordination can play too and enjoy it just as much. We want to get the kids enjoying themselves and having fun, which in turn, makes school fun." Apparently, their plan is working. She said Vice Principal Carneiro has told her that students bring out the pickleball nets at recess to play.

Another benefit, Cerioni said, is connections being made between older people and young people. "There are things we have in common," she said. "We still like to play and have fun and laugh and so do they, and that’s always a good thing! The students get to see that older people are still kids at heart, especially the pickle-ballers! It enriches our lives because we have something we love to do, it’s physical, it gets us out of the house and it's social. And that's true at any age!"

EDMS pickleball

 

Read More about Rossmoor Pickleball Club shares love of the game with students at El Dorado Middle School
ASL at Concord HS

As MDUSD continues our Deaf Awareness Month recognition in September, we are also highlighting the International Week of Deaf People (Sept. 23-29) and the International Day of Sign Languages, which was Monday, Sept. 23.

Concord HS is the only high school in the District that offers American Sign Language (ASL) as a World Language, with three years so students can move from beginner to advanced levels, meeting graduation and A-G requirements. Teacher Matt Moyers, who is deaf, communicates with students using sign language, with interpreters who vocalize his words. He teaches about 185 students, including roughly 75 who are in the first level course. This is his sixth year of teaching and his third year teaching ASL at Concord HS. "I'm really enjoying it," Moyers said, adding: "I feel like they are my kids."

In his 5th period Level 1 course on Tuesday, the 37 students in his class were learning to sign questions such as: "Who, where, what, why, how many, and which?" Moyers stressed that facial expressions are very important to help communicate meaning, similar to voice inflections when speaking.

"The only way to learn ASL is by watching carefully and really copying and emulating the teacher," he said, adding that muscle memory will eventually kick in. "The more you use sign language, the better you become, just like with other languages." Students said they chose ASL instead of Spanish because it is less well-known and offers a unique way for them to express themselves, as well as to communicate with Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) students at the school. "I wanted to take this class because I don't think many people know how to do sign language and I wanted to learn it," said freshman Alexis Von Raesfelt, whose older brother is in his third year of ASL as a junior. Alexis said she also appreciates having a deaf teacher, which gives her a new perspective. "He's really sweet," she said, adding that she can have conversations with him even when the interpreter isn't there, using the sign language she has already learned.

Freshman Rachel Fischer said she took American Sign Language because "it just kind of spoke to me more than other languages" and she likes using facial expressions to communicate. "It's really a lot about using your eyes and your eyebrows," she said, noting that her classmate Alexis scrunched her eyebrows when she signed, "what?" Rachel said learning from Moyers is "really cool because you get more insights into what it's like to be deaf and he's a really good teacher. You can tell he loves to teach."

Freshman Xavier Niemeier said he took ASL because he was inspired by a friend of his who learned it on her own. "It's a lot of fun," he said. "At first, it was kind of challenging to move my fingers around, but after a while, I got used to it." Junior Cody Hickok said he likes communicating in sign language. "It allows me to vividly express my feelings," he said. "When I'm confused or happy, I can easily communicate with my facial expressions, when normally you wouldn't pay attention to that." For example, he smiled when he signed "happy" and frowned to express confusion as he signed "what?"

Interpreter Marina Renfrow began taking ASL classes when she attended Berean Christian School, then she transferred to Concord HS to continue taking Level 3, graduated from CHS in 2002, went onto become an interpreter and has worked at CHS since 2008. "I fell in love with the language," she said. "I had taken Spanish, but it wasn't a good fit. I knew I wanted to become an interpreter." She works with Moyers in his 1st and 5th period Level 1 classes, and works with the school's Deaf and Hard of Hearing students the rest of the day. Freshman Alicia Paredes, who is Hard of Hearing, is a student in Moyers' 6th period Level 2 class, since she already knew sign language from attending Westwood Elementary and El Dorado MS, which are part of the District's DHH continuum. 

Visual Arts teacher David Hevel, who previously taught at Northgate and Mt. Diablo high schools, said having DHH classmates and seeing interpreters in their classes is "normalized" for all students at Concord HS. Deaf students are just like everyone else, and their interpreters "are actually a voice for the teacher or the student," he said.

Moyers said he appreciates Deaf Awareness Month and the DHH and ASL programs at Concord HS. "It’s really nice to see more and more people signing," he said. "It makes the world a little better place for the deaf community in general. These students are our future and they’ll become company managers, and when a deaf person comes in, they will have already been exposed to a deaf person, and they’ll have some basic fundamentals." The only thing deaf people can't do, he said, is hear.

Click on this reel to see Moyers and some of his students signing.

ASL at Concord HS

 

Read More about American Sign Language courses taught by deaf teacher at Concord HS attract students interested in world language alternatives
Friday Letter

This week's MDUSD Friday Letter highlights:

  • The American Sign Language (ASL) program at Concord High School taught by Matt Moyers, who is deaf;
  • Volunteers from the Rossmoor Pickleball Club are sharing their love of the game with students at El Dorado Middle School, using equipment funded through a grant;
  • Monte Gardens Elementary recently hosted an International Food Festival celebrating the school's diversity; and
  • The Wren Avenue Elementary PTA's Car Show fundraiser was a huge success; plus
  • School, student and staff news in our Social Media Highlights!

You can read it here

Friday Letter

 

Read More about Friday Letter - September 27, 2024
Constitution Day

To help MDUSD Adult Education students understand the importance of the U.S. Constitution, administrators at the school invited Assemblyman Timothy Grayson (D-Concord) to speak on "Constitution Day," which is observed on Sept. 17th to recognize the day in 1787 that delegates to the Constitutional Convention signed the document in Philadelphia.

Grayson, who previously served as a Concord City Councilman, thanked the Adult Education students for taking advantage of the various programs at the school to further their education in career technical education, English as a Second Language, programs for adults with disabilities, and other courses. "When you come here, you go away better and more in tune with the community and you make the whole community better," he said. "Thank you all for helping yourselves and the entire community rise."

The U.S. Constitution is one of the most studied, debated, and talked about "living documents" in the country today, with people who devote their lives to interpreting it and enforcing it in the court system, Grayson said. He compared it to the foundation of a house, calling it the "framework" for our country that holds it together and includes the Bill of Rights, which "we all hold very dear." The most important words, he said, are at the very beginning, in the Preamble: "We the people...." 

"We all have the same rights and we all should be treated in an equitable fashion," Grayson said, noting that each state also has a constitution, but the U.S. Constitution "preempts all."  A few students asked questions after Grayson's remarks, including: "How long did it take to create the Constitution?" "What motivates you?" and "Why has the U.S. Constitution survived the test of time when those in other nations have failed?" Grayson said he believed the ideas for the Constitution began to be formed when people moved here from other countries where they didn't have the freedoms and liberties they deserved. He said he entered politics to improve the quality of life for those in our community. And Grayson said our Constitution has stood the test of time because we are all united and protected by it, no matter what language we speak, how much money we make, or how much education we have.

This message resonated with the students, including many who are immigrants. MDUSD's Adult Education program offers a Citizenship Preparation Distance Learning Class to help immigrants study to become U.S. Citizens. Husband and wife Maher Ghobrial and and Maria Nakhla immigrated from Egypt, took the citizenship course, passed the test and have been sworn in as U.S. Citizens. Although they spoke Arabic and very little English when they arrived, they have been learning English and are on the waiting list to take English as a Second Language courses through Mt. Diablo Adult Education. They came to the U.S. seeking more opportunities for their two children, they said.

Details about the Mt. Diablo Adult Education Citizenship Preparation and English as a Second Language courses are at: https://mdae.mdusd.org/programs/esl.

Constitution Day

 

Read More about Mt. Diablo Adult Education students celebrate Constitution Day with Assemblyman Tim Grayson
Friday Letter

This week's MDUSD Friday Letter highlights:

  • Constitution Day at the Loma Vista Adult Education Center;
  • 2024-25 MDUSD Teachers of the Year Mia Carella and Ingrid Wright, who were honored at the Contra Costa County Office of Education ceremony, along with CA Teacher of the Year Joseph Alvarico;
  • Northgate High School’s Mark Burenko, Sophia Mitchell, and Anthony Shen have been named National Merit Scholar Semifinalists;
  • Olympic High School's successful resource fair;
  • Our dedicated MDUSD counselors and college and career advisors, who recently attended the CSU Counselor Conference; and
  • School and Staff social media highlights!

You can read it here

Friday Letter

 

Read More about Friday Letter - September 20, 2024
OHS mascot

Although Olympic Continuation High School opened in 1975, the school has never had a mascot to represent its spirit, culture and values. Last year, students and staff and the school began meeting to discuss a potential mascot and students voted on three recommendations submitted by students and staff: Pegasus, Unicorn and Phoenix. Several other ideas were also proposed by students, staff and community members during the feedback period, resulting in a final survey asking students to choose between the Pegasus, Phoenix, Lions, Torch and Owls. The Phoenix was the winner, attracting 40.5% of students' votes.

Principal Courtney Lyons and Leadership teacher Scott Ananos presented a proposal to adopt the Phoenix as the school's official mascot to the School Board last Wednesday, where it was unanimously approved by the entire Board, including Student Board Member Crystal Ochoa, who attends Olympic HS. "We know that a school mascot represents more than a symbol," Lyons said. "It embodies the spirit, pride and unity of our school community."

Previously, the Torch has unofficially been used as a school symbol, but the current campus community has not identified strongly with that, Lyons said. The Phoenix has been incorporated into a more recent mural on campus as a symbol of rebirth, along with butterflies and flowers. But the school wanted to get input from students and work with a professional logo designer to come up with an official mascot image, which will be used on future murals and signage, as well as a mascot costume for school events, Lyons said.

The Board enthusiastically embraced the idea. Board Member Cherise Khaund said she appreciates the way the school works with students, staff and community members to get buy-in for its initiatives. "It's really beautiful and it really represents the kinds of things that you and your community have been talking about at your school," she said. Board President Erin McFerrin agreed, saying, "The symbolism is so beautiful and I'm really excited." Board Member Keisha Nzewi echoed their sentiments, adding that the symbolism of the Phoenix rising reminded her of Trustee Ochoa's journey to Olympic and she looked forward to seeing the mascot costume. Student Board Member Ochoa said she voted for the Phoenix herself during the student survey and she appreciated that the staff included all the students in the decision instead of implementing it themselves. She also had the honor of making the motion before the Board vote.
 
"Olympic High School is dedicated to nurturing students who are empowered to reach their full potential, who demonstrate resilience and tenacity, and who possess the competence and confidence to make decisions that positively impact their communities," the Board-adopted resolution says. "The students and staff at Olympic High School have thoughtfully engaged in a mascot selection process, choosing the Phoenix as their symbol - a representation of hope, renewal and perseverance, perfectly reflecting our commitment to second chances and the transformative power of education."

You can find out more about Olympic HS at the school's Open House and Resource Fair from 6-7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 19th on the campus at 2730 Salvio Street in Concord.

OHS mascot
Back to School Night

 

Read More about Olympic Continuation HS gets a mascot - the Phoenix
Friday Letter

This week's MDUSD Friday Letter highlights:

  • Olympic High School unveils brand-new Phoenix mascot;
  • Rio Vista Elementary Granjita Pacifica Garden Farm gets $10,000 grant from the Sprouts Foundation;
  • El Dorado Middle School students enjoy a high-energy rally;
  • Ygnacio Valley High School football team wins first game since 2019;
  • Social media highlights of school and staff showing campus life from across MDUSD,
  • A new tech feature on our amazing Technology Integration Leaders; 
  • And more!

You can read it here

Friday Letter

 

Read More about Friday Letter - September 13, 2024
Ed Tech Magazine video

MDUSD's use of technology throughout the District - including Promethean boards in all classrooms and Chromebooks for all students - has attracted the attention of EdTech magazine, which recently featured a video highlighting the way we are focusing on equity to ensure there is not a disparity between the "haves and the have-nots."

The District's "digital equity initiative focused on making sure that every student and teacher had exactly what they needed to teach and learn effectively," said Robert Sidford, MDUSD's Director of Technology and Innovation, during an interview in the first of three planned videos looking at MDUSD's technology improvements districtwide and at Silverwood Elementary. The upgrades have been funded largely through Measure J, approved by voters in 2018.

"We are teaching in a 21st Century classroom," said Silverwood Elementary teacher Roxayn King, who asks her 4th grade students to use their Chromebooks to work on a research project, while she guides them using a Promethean board in the video. "One of the best things that our District did was when they rolled out the Promethean boards."

Student Subhan said the Promethean board is much easier to see than the white board and projector his previous teachers used. And Silverwood Principal Bruce Burns said the interactive Promethean boards have "had a significant impact in engagement," captivating students and providing visual stimulation, while also allowing them to manipulate shapes, write, draw and color on them in front of the class, then get immediate feedback.

The video also shows MDUSD Superintendent Dr. Adam Clark speaking with Concord HS students about their plans after graduation. "Our goal here in Mt. Diablo is to prepare each and every student for college and career," Dr. Clark said in an interview. "In our world, technology is everywhere." The District provides students with the technological tools they need to access the curriculum, and strives to expose them to what technology could become, as well as what's available to them, he said.

Sidford said that standardizing technology districtwide saves money because it is managed centrally and no longer requires the District to replace individual equipment that varies from one classroom to another. He noted that the District partnered with CDW an information technology corporation, to implement its technology plan.

The Board expects to approve the final phase of the Promethean Board project on Wednesday, Sept. 11. More information about MDUSD'S work with CDW is here.  

Ed Tech Magazine video

 

Read More about MDUSD's technology upgrades featured in EdTech Magazine video focused on equity
Friday Letter

This week's MDUSD Friday letter spotlights:

  • A video featured in EdTech Magazine showcasing MDUSD’s tech upgrades;
  • Mt. Diablo HS volleyball and basketball star Loraine Aicel Sotto,
  • Mt. Diablo HS football standouts Jakorey Robinson and Jeremiah Owens and their team in the news, along with
  • Northgate HS Flag Football player Symone Jewell;
  • the Ygnacio Valley HS Project 212 Robotics Team's upcoming activities;
  • School and Staff social media highlights
  • And more!

You can read it here.

Friday Letter

 

Read More about Friday Letter - September 6, 2024

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