California Preschool Instructional Network

Attendees participate in painting activity during breakout session of the
Annual Bay Region 4 CPIN Network meeting in Berkeley.

California Preschool Instructional Network    

The California Department of Education's California Preschool Instructional Network (CPIN) is an initiative designed to close the "school-readiness gap" for three- to five-year-old children, including English learners and children with special needs, by providing all children with opportunities to begin kindergarten ready to succeed.  The Contra Costa COE (CCCOE) is the lead educational agency that houses Bay Region 4 CPIN, serving Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, and Solano Counties.

CPIN provides evidence-based resources in social-emotional development, language and literacy, English language development, mathematics, visual and performing arts, physical development, and health.  In 2012-2013, CPIN will be adding history/social science, and science components.  The Network provides onsite support and technical assistance to preschools feeding into the highest need elementary schools, along with professional development and networking opportunities based on CDE publications: 

• California Preschool Learning Foundations
• California Preschool Curriculum Frameworks
• Preschool English Learner Resource Guide
• Inclusion Works! Creating Child Care Programs That Promote Belonging for Children with Special Needs

Debbie Supple, CPIN Region 4 director, and her team conduct regional network meetings for preschool and early elementary teachers, as well as other caregivers, administrators, program directors, principals, and other early childhood agency representatives that provide current evidence-based resources to support high-quality professional development.

In April this year, CPIN held their annual Bay Region 4 Network meeting.  The title of this year's network meeting was Celebration of Imagination: Foundations in Visual and Performing Arts.  Presenters included Debbie Supple, Eloisa Mendoza-Hinds (English Learner Lead), and Lisa Shaanan (Special Education Lead).  This meeting is held in a mini-conference format with hands-on resources, research-based information, and strategies for teachers and administrators to use to close the school-readiness gap.  "The goal of the network meeting is to provide attendees with the opportunity to communicate, share ideas, and build relationships, along with providing training materials to take back to their school sites to share with their colleagues," said Debbie Supple.

During the artwork breakout session, approximately 120 attendees created works of art using a variety of medium, such as paint, decoupage, and string art (see photos).

     

The day focused on attendees learning and experiencing through hands-on activities based on the Visual and Performing Arts CA Preschool Learning Foundations and Curriculum Framework.  The entire room was filled with colorful displays of visuals and tools they could use at their sites when incorporating visual and performing arts into their curriculum.  Attendees sang songs, danced, drummed and made music, participated in dramatic play, and created art projects.  These activities were presented in a way that was meant to show participants the fun side of teaching young children, based on the Foundations and Curriculum Framework. 

Additionally, participants learned perspectives on teaching English learners as well as children with special needs, focusing on the importance of inclusion.

On July 23-24, the COE Educational Services Division and CPIN hosted their Summer Institute: Bridging the CA Preschool Learning Foundations and Curriculum Frameworks with Transitional Kindergarten (TK).  Four separate modules were offered, including:  

• Social-emotional development with a focus on self regulation
• Social-emotional development with a focus on making smooth transitions between activities
• English language development (for English learners)
• Dialogic reading (an interactive read-aloud approach that promotes oral language and vocabulary development)

This institute evolved out of the CCCOE TK Workgroup comprised of Contra Costa County school district TK representatives, and was facilitated by Pamela Comfort, Ed.D., Associate Superintendent, Educational Services.

Preschool, TK, and kindergarten teachers, administrators, and directors were invited to attend.  "These modules were designed using the Foundations and Frameworks to help the attendees understand what children typically know and are able to do at or around 48 months, and at or around 60 months of age," said Debbie Supple.  "This makes sense since children in TK programs are not yet 60 months old and may be operating along a continuum of learning.  It was great to see TK and preschool teachers and administrators interacting across systems around what's best for our youngest children.  We have had positive feedback about the value of this institute."

The Summer Institute provided opportunities for approximately 40 plus attendees to become familiar with the CA Preschool Learning Foundations and Curriculum Frameworks as resources for intentional planning of environments, activities, and materials in the classroom to enrich learning and the development of our youngest learners. Plenty of opportunities to share ideas with colleagues were built into each session.  One participant stated, "It was very helpful to have a training that bridged Preschool-TK-Kindergarten!  I have much more clarity about how TK will fit into this continuum."

For more information about TK, visit the CCCOE TK web page  or contact Pamela Comfort.  For information about how to get involved with CPIN, contact Debbie Supple.

2012-2013 Teacher of the Year finalists give their speeches

On August 20^th, the three 2012-2013 Teacher of the Year (TOY) finalists completed their third and final leg of their competition with TOY Speech Presentation.  This year’s finalists are Mona Keeler, San Ramon Valley Unified School District, Iron Horse Middle; Terryl Miller, Moraga School District, Los Perales Elementary; and Rona Zollinger, Martinez Unified School District, Vicente Martinez High.  Each candidate gave a three- to five-minute speech, titled, “What have I learned from my students.”

(l-r) Miller, Zollinger, Keeler

The Speech Presentation panel was made up of an impressive group of Contra Costa County representatives that included education, government, and business:

(standing, l-r) Contra Costa County Sheriff David Livingston; Contra Costa Times Account Executive Maxine Nelson; Contra Costa County District Attorney Mark Peterson; Contra Costa County Public Defender Robin Lipetzky; and Contra Costa County Fire Protection District Fire Chief Daryl Louder.                 

(seated, l-r) California State University, East Bay Teacher Education Department Chair Dr. Jeanette Bicais; Contra Costa County Superior Court Judge Diana Becton; Contra Costa County Superior Court Judge Jill Fannin; and Contra Costa Community College District Chancellor Dr. Helen Benjamin.

William Hyres Named CCCOE’s Teacher of the Year

It is quite obvious, that when you walk into William “Will” Hyres’ Golden Gate Community School classroom in Rodeo, our Contra Costa County Office of Education’s (CCCOE) newest Teacher of the Year (TOY) has found his professional calling—and his students are the benefactors of his passion.  It’s a treat to watch Will tend to the needs of his entire classroom, which can certainly be a challenge, with ease and confidence.  Whether he needs to settle down a few students who are talking; presenting his lesson to the class; or walking over to a student’s desk, after being respectfully asked, “Hey Hyres, is this correct?” 

Most of Will’s 25 students, grades 7-12, have been referred by school district expulsion (John Swett USD), as well as truancy and behavioral issues.  His classroom is located in an old storefront on the main street of the small town of Rodeo, most of his students live within walking distance.  “As the only CCCOE class in town, Will must meet many challenges, but he has made them into many daily opportunities for the students and their families,” reports the school’s Principal Rebecca Corrigan. 

Right after earning his bachelor’s degree in history, followed by obtaining his teaching credential at Chico State University, Will began teaching for the Butte County Office of Education’s School of Applied Resources, which is their version of our community schools.  A few years later, Will taught a year of middle-school social science in a traditional-school setting, in Elk Grove, but he did not enjoy the experience as he did with the Butte COE.  While surveying his classroom’s students, during their lunch break, Will said, “I really like the personal attention I can give to my students and their parents with a class like this one.  For me, it’s a more positive teaching experience.”

After his traditional-school-teaching stint, Will joined the CCCOE in 2005.  “My mother graduated from [nearby] John Swett High School, so I feel good about assisting the students that come from the same region,” says Will.  “I either help them get back into John Swett, help them graduate, or help them repair their credits as much as humanly possible so that they can quickly graduate from adult school.”

“I watch them enter into college, work, and sometimes parenthood,” Will adds.  “They check back in with me, and I am pleased to see so many living productive and successful lives.  I sometimes hear the tragic stories about those who don’t finish high school, but I cannot dwell on the negative.  I see the harm that comes from not finishing high school, and though I will keep those tales private, I truly understand why it is so important that all kids be inspired to learn and keep learning past high school.”

Continuing to reflect about her newly honored teacher, Rebecca adds, “Will has created a ‘family feel’ to his classroom.  He has more than 80% attendance monthly, which is very impressive for a community school, and his class has a waiting list to enter.  One of the many reasons Will’s class is so successful is the way he develops relationships with the students and with their families.  Most days, after school, students stay to practice CAHSEE prep on the classroom computers and parents drop by to review their student’s progress, or just to talk.”

When reminiscing about his formative years, Will has fond school memories while growing up in Redding, California, “I was fortunate to attend public schools with dedicated teachers that inspired me to want to do the same.”  He quickly named-off a half dozen English, music, and history teachers who taught him at Enterprise High School, which he also proudly noted is a California Distinguished School.  “How lucky was I, to be raised in a small town in Northern California, with good teachers, and plenty of opportunity for hard-working individuals?”

And, how lucky are we at the COE to have Will??!!

Will, along with his 21 fellow distinguished TOY district representatives, will be honored at the upcoming Teacher of the Year Dinner Celebration on September 20, at the Concord Hilton.

Professional Development Program Provides Support to Early Care and Education Professionals Throughout Contra Costa County

Staff from the Martinez Children's Center, Community Services Bureau Team participating in an end-of-year-group-reflection session, facilitated by Dr. Debi Silverman, Early Childhood Education program officer. 

by Ruth Fernandez, LPC Coordinator
 

The AB212 Professional Development Program, administered and implemented through the Contra Costa County Office of Education, provides professional development opportunities, coaching, mentoring, professional growth and educational advising to early care and education professionals throughout Contra Costa County.  The program serves approximately 450 early childhood educators working at state preschool and child development programs. 

The goal of the Center-Based Team Professional Development grant program is to support and empower teams of early care and education professionals to identify and engage in professional development with a team spirit and commitment to program goals.

The AB212 Center-Based Team Professional Development Program is designed to foster:

• PEER-LEARNING - through the creation of small-peer-learning groups or discussion groups.
• COMMUNICATION - to identify areas of staff expertise and areas for staff growth.
• MUTUAL COOPERATION - to promote sharing of professional knowledge, to utilize knowledge gained from professional development opportunities into practice in the classroom, and to support team-based approaches to program improvement.
• PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT - in areas that have been identified by the staff team at the site.
• PERSONAL GROWTH AND EMOTIONAL SUPPORT FOR STAFF - to support the retention of a stable and skilled workforce.

Three years ago, AB212 began offering Center-Based Team Professional Development (CBTM) mini grants of up to $5,000 for early childhood programs that were interested and committed to developing and sustaining Professional Learning Communities (PLC) in their program.

Since the beginning of the AB212 CBTM program, a total of 15 teams of early childhood programs have engaged in intentional and purposeful activities to reach identified professional development goals which will support the early learning for children before kindergarten entry. Through collaboration and team-building, the early childhood educators have begun to review policies, develop new strategies, and implement new practices in their programs.  

As we conclude the fiscal year 2011-2012, the AB212 CBTM wants to celebrate and acknowledge the success of the teams who have completed the program.  Each team is committed to sustaining the PLC model by engaging in common and purposeful professional development to help them address a specific program need.

Martinez Early Childhood Center Director Cassandra Campbell, along with teachers Patricia Hamilton and Alma Bennett work together through a training on using the CA Preschool Learning Foundations and Creative Curriculum.

We especially celebrate Martinez Early Childhood Center.  They have participated in the CBTM program for three consecutive years.  As a result, the program has developed a brand new program website to increase communication with families about their curriculum, program philosophy, and year-round activities.  Part of their PLC work also includes alignment of Creative Curriculum with the CA Preschool Learning Foundations and classroom observation assessments. As CBTM program graduates, they will also play a leadership role by providing mentoring and coaching to incoming centers new to the professional learning communities model.  Congratulations Martinez Early Childhood Center!

CCCOE School Nurse, Meg Murray, Named California's School Nurse of the Year

Meg Murray has practiced as a school nurse in California for over 14 years, and has been at the Contra Costa County Office of Education's (CCCOE) Marchus School since August 2003.  Meg received her Master of Science from San Jose State University and School Nurse Services Credential in 2002. She holds the advanced practice certificate of clinical nurse specialist.  Meg entered school nursing in 1997 after over 20 years as a critical care nurse in intensive, coronary, trauma, and neonatal units.    

In her position at Marchus, Meg provides health services to emotionally disturbed students, grades K-12.  She is responsible for the health, safety, and medication case management of special education students with complex mental and physical needs.  Marchus Counseling and Education Program (CEP) is a unique county program that provides academic classes and intensive psycho-educational services to students referred to the program by their home school districts in the IEP (Individual Education Plan) process. An important CEP program goal is to stabilize the students, instill successful behavioral and academic skills, and return students to their home school district.  In her position, Meg works with school psychologists; social workers; the principal; and speech/language, occupational, and adaptive physical-education therapists as part of the IEP process.  She acts as a vital liaison between our special education services team and the professional medical community.

Meg's accomplishments are varied and many, including presenting to the CA School Nurses Organization annual conferences; educating teachers, substitutes, and staff on relevant health topics; and providing trainings on medical interventions. She is a trained facilitator of the Tobacco Awareness Program, and speaks in health and sports medicine classes.

"Meg provides a wealth of resource information for the Marchus School program and is a resource to the entire CCCOE," said Peter Simack, Marchus School principal. "Her presence and position with our program and within our agency is invaluable." 

Meg will be honored at the California School Nurses Organization
Annual 2012 Conference Business Meeting
Friday, June 22, 3:00 - 5:00 p.m.

Marriott Marquis Hotel at 55 Fourth Street, San Francisco

Additionally, the National Association of School Nurses will recognize Meg at their National Annual Convention, that begins June 23 at the same location. She will receive the Excellence in School Nursing Award, given to school nurses throughout the country for their work in the field of school nursing.  

ROP Instructors Visit Local Renewable Products Company

ROP teachers, Ernie Liu (Concord High), James Hybarger (Antioch High), and Tom Huffaker (Piedmont High), share insights before the staff development presentation at Amyris in Emeryville.

On March 29, five Contra Costa County ROP biotechnology instructors and three other local high school teachers met after school over at Amyris, an innovative renewable products company, located in Emeryville, to take in a very insightful Teacher Development Day.  The program gave our teachers an overview of Amyris’ scientific process and a tour of their research & development and pilot-plant facilities. 

Thanks to a personal contact with the company, CCCOE’s West County Region Principal Student Programs Dave Fendel was able to set up this program.  "Amyris is a company that is developing cutting edge technologies and this is a way for our teachers to stay involved in what is happening in industry,” said Dave.  “Not only do teachers walk away from the day with an understanding of the science, but they leave with materials and activities to use with their students in the classroom.  The goal is to motivate teachers and equip them with information that will engage and excite their students about the possibilities of a career in biotechnology."

The afternoon began with a very thorough presentation made by four Amyris scientists about their pathway to developing renewable fuel made from such ingredients as yeast and sugar.  The presentation was followed by a tour of the modern state-of-the-art facility.

Our teachers certainly found it to be an outstanding and educational visit.  Concord High School ROP biotechnology teacher Ernie Liu, Ph.D., reported that he thoroughly enjoyed the trip—and he certainly knows something about the day’s topic.  The 12-year CHS instructor has a background of five years experience on yeast research, three of them were on Saccharomyces cerevisiae (a species of yeast that has been instrumental in the baking and brewing since ancient times) for his Ph.D. dissertation.  In addition, his postdoctoral experience was on enzymes that degrade aromatic hydrocarbon.

Dr. Liu said, “It was great to find out the latest information on genomic manipulation of yeast.  It was very impressive to know how far that the field of research has advanced.  It’s also good to see how this concept can be related with our current school projects, such as screening microbes on our campus.”

 Serving as our group’s host was Lexi Brayton, who serves as Amyris’ manager of internal communications and cultural initiatives.  Brayton noted that Amyris frequently hosts on-site educational tours and that their scientists have visited many ROP classrooms.  Brayton said, “Today, we wanted to provide the visiting teachers with information, resources, and enthusiasm they could use to prepare their students for these interactions, or simply to enhance their curriculum.”  

This day proved, once again, how our ROP department continues to develop strong partnerships with such local businesses as Amyris, and our instructors and students certainly enjoy the benefits of the very latest material to teach and learn.

Former 49er great inspires the boys at Orin Allen Youth Rehabilitation Facility

Mr. Cacciaroni (left) with Keena Turner.

As he stood alone, in front of an audience of 100 boys at the Orin Allen Youth Rehabilitation Facility, quietly nodding and smiling back to the audience who were settling into their chairs, former San Francisco 49er football star Keena Turner patiently waited for his introduction.  These moments of anticipation were followed by an impressive hour and a half of speaker and audience engagement.  This past Tuesday’s presentation was so successful, everyone was shocked by how fast the time flew by.

Now at age 53, Turner still looked like he could make the key tackles on Sundays like he did back in the 1980s.  Though speaking in a gentle and positive manner, it was obvious his words meant quite a bit to the young men, as well as the facility’s attending guards, teachers, and administrators.  The former All-Pro linebacker told the boys, “Life is about chasing goals, and I know many of you have goals right now, here in this facility.  Just remember, there will be challenges that act as roadblocks to you achieving your positive goals, but you need to break through them.  You are all at the beginning of your life journey, and that journey starts with you—right now.”

Contra Costa County Office of Education (CCCOE) teacher Allan “Mr. C” Cacciaroni, who teaches at Delta Vista High School, a CCCOE school that provides state-accredited education to the resident youth inside the rehabilitation facility, brought Turner out to give the boys the inspirational presentation.  “The boys really love hearing from these speakers.”  It was obvious, the way Turner had the entire audience’s attention.  “They showed Mr. Turner lots of respect by listening so intently.”  Through the years, “Mr. C” has brought in additional inspirational presenters to speak to the boys, including other grid-iron greats, such as Ronnie Lott, Eason Ramson, and Bennie Blades. 

Turner, who earned four Super Bowl rings during his eleven seasons with the 49ers, was kind enough to hand out two of them for all the boys to hold, try on, and marvel at.  “I am very happy to have those rings and other accolades that my team and I accomplished, but I’m more proud of the college degree I earned,” said Turner.  Before his pro career, Turner attended Perdue University, where he majored in physical education – though he did not finish his degree.  “After my playing days, I went straight back to college, and earned my BS degree in organizational behavior, at the University of San Francisco.  “Let me tell you guys, I keep my Super Bowl rings in my sock drawer, but I have my college diploma hanging up on a wall in my house.”

Turner talked about his current life: father of three, an active volunteer for the Boys & Girls Club, and his job as vice president of football affairs with the San Francisco 49ers.  He also talked about his younger days, before the 49ers, his childhood, high school football, growing up in Chicago, and attending Perdue University.

Throughout the majority of the morning, Turner answered numerous diverse questions: How much money did he make while playing?  Who was the hardest hitter on the team? Did he get in trouble as a young man?  Who was the most difficult player to tackle?  Did he do drugs?  Was he related to Tina Turner?  It was interesting how many questions were asked about players that Turner played with or against whose careers were well over before these young men were even born.

Before leaving, Turner reminded the boys to set and achieve their goals for a better life, and to start their positive journeys immediately.  It was certainly heartening to the popular speaker as many of the boys nodded back in agreement.