Nomination Process For Countywide Education Honors Is Underway
The San Bernardino County Education Medal of Honor and Distinguished Service Award are looking for nominations for this year’s awards that honor outstanding contributions to public education. The deadline to submit entries is Feb. 19.
Nominations for the 28th annual Education Medal of Honor can be made in six categories: Volunteer in Action/Community Volunteer; Volunteer in Action/Service Group; Partners in Education/Small Business or Franchise; Partners in Education/Corporation or Government Agency; Excellence in Education/Education Professional; and Excellence in Education/Student Alumni.
Criteria for nominations should focus on ways in which an individual or organization make an impact or lasting contribution, serve as positive role models and create an awareness and support for education in communities across San Bernardino County.
Forms are available on the County Schools’ website here for Education Medal of Honor and here for Distinguished Service.
In April, award recipients for the awards will be recognized at a ceremony during the spring meeting of the San Bernardino County School Boards Association.
Grand Opening For Dorothy Inghram Learning Center Scheduled For Feb. 4
Online registration is available for County Schools’ staff for the grand opening of the San Bernardino County Board of Education's Dorothy Inghram Learning Center, which will be held on Feb. 4.
The public and SBCSS staff are invited to attend the free event, which begins at 11 a.m. on Feb. 4. The center is located at 670 E. Carnegie Drive in San Bernardino.
The Dorothy Inghram Learning Center is home to the County Board's monthly meetings, as well as San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools' Regional Occupational Program and the East Valley Special Education Local Plan Area. The facility also has meeting and conference rooms.
To register online for the event, go to https://sbcss.k12oms.org/49-162091
County Superintendent Takes Oath Of Office On Jan. 7
San Bernardino County Superintendent Ted Alejandre will take his oath of office on Jan. 7 to begin his second term as county superintendent.
The ceremony, which is open to the public, will be held on Jan. 7 at 11:30 a.m. at the Dorothy Inghram Learning Center in San Bernardino. The facility is located at 670 E. Carnegie Drive in San Berarndino.
San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools’ staff is invited to attend. To RSVP for the oath of office ceremony, call 909.386.2403.
Harvest Luncheon Set For Oct. 9 In San Bernardino
At this year's Harvest Luncheon organized by Employee Connection, a limited supply of Spirit Shirts will be available for purchase, and SBCSS staff also will have the opportunity to order Spirit Shirts, if they want.
In partnership with County Superintendent Ted Alejandre, the Harvest Luncheon will honor County Schools’ staff for their years of service and the annual Thanksgiving Food Drive will be launched. There's bound to be plenty of delicious food, fellowship, fun and fabulous prizes! The Harvest Luncheon will be held on Oct. 9 beginning at 11:30 a.m. at the Professional Development Center of the SB City Unified School District (see attached flier for details).
Registration for the event begins at 11 a.m. Staff is encouraged to arrive early, pick up their food and be seated since the program will begin promptly at 11:30.
This year's lunch will be catered by McGrath's Catering. We will have a variety of sides, drinks and dessert with your choice of stuffed turkey with gravy or a vegetarian option. Also, back by popular demand for this year's Harvest Luncheon is the Who's Who Game.
Don't forget, for those who bring a 64-ounce bottle of juice, they will receive an additional opportunity ticket for chances to win fabulous prizes! Don't miss out on this year's event -- register today at https://sbcss.k12oms.org/eventdetail.php?gid=422&id=157280. Access code is Harvest18. The deadline to register is Oct. 5.
Annual Reading Rally Set For Sept. 7
In partnership with California State University San Bernardino, San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools and the San Bernardino Countywide Vision2Read initiative, there will be a Reading Rally on Sept. 7 from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The annual Reading Rally is an inspiring way for students to come together to discover and enjoy great works of literature. It is also a time of reading immersion which results in great strides in reading proficiency and introduces them to the adventure that a great book never fades. Mastering the skill of reading can be the foundational stone to building a child’s education success. Students will enjoy a fun-filled day of storytelling, crafts, special performances including theatre arts and puppetry, a book walk, storyboard showcase and free books to take home.
We are glad to serve those 1,000 students, their schools and districts which have confirmed their registration to this wonderful literacy event!
SBCSS Regional Teachers Of Year Announced
Five San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools’ teachers have been recognized as regional Teachers of the Year.
The teachers, who represent special education, alternative education and state preschool programs, were recognized during a ceremony hosted by the County Board of Education in June.
“I am so proud to be able to recognize the outstanding contributions these teachers make on a daily basis in their work with students in our County Schools’ classrooms,” County Superintendent Ted Alejandre said. “Their commitment to their students and dedication to learning in our classrooms is inspiring and uplifting.”
This year’s County Schools’ teachers of the year, the programs/regions they represent and their school sites are:
- Sherril D’Espyne, Desert/Mountain special education, Sitting Bull Academy in Apple Valley;
- Rosie Gonzalez, state preschool, Marshall State Preschool in Chino;
- Cheryl Hines, alternative education, Bob Murphy County Community School in Rialto;
- Annie Rausch, West End special education, Eagle Canyon Elementary in Chino Hills;
- Amy Schodt, East Valley special education, Colton High School.
Among the five teachers, D’Espyne was chosen as County Schools’ Teacher of the Year for Student Services. She will represent County Schools in the countywide Teacher of the Year competition later this year.
Following are biographies of each of this year’s honorees:
D’Espyne has been teaching with County Schools for 14 years and works with moderate/severe students at Sitting Bull Academy. She aims to create an environment for students that is happy, fun and natural. She said that communication between school and home is a key to the development of her students. She has started a web-based program, the Online Behavior Tracking Program, which tracks behavioral data with the flexibility to quickly input data from cell phones, iPads or desktops computers. D’Espyne and her teaching team can analyze the data and use the information to identify and address student behavior issues.
This is the second award for Gonzalez as State Preschool Teacher of the Year, previously earning the recognition in 2014. As a teacher at Marshall State Preschool, Gonzalez has shown collaboration with her co-teachers by sharing her knowledge of computer skills and expertise with the Footsteps2Brilliance early literacy program. She also provides one-on-one training for parents on how to help their children develop using Footsteps2Brilliance. She says she would like to see state preschool services available to all children that are age eligible since it provides so many benefits from resources that can be made available to families.
With 11 years of teaching experience with County Schools, Hines works with at-risk middle and high school students at Bob Murphy County Community School. As a lead teacher, she provides leadership and curriculum support to teachers at her school site. Principal George Bowser says that Hines is student-centered, compassionate and has true empathy for students. Hines has learned that to be successful with a challenging student population, she has to address their immediate needs first, which can mean providing a meal, meeting with a counselor or being able to listen to students’ concerns.
Rausch teaches children with moderate/severe disabilities at Eagle Canyon Elementary. She says it is an “honor and privilege” to work with her students every day at school. She adds that seeing a child grow independent and helping to instill life-long tools is a daily challenge that brings her pride and confidence as her students build skills that will allow them to be productive adults in their communities. Rausch says she is passionate about the preparation that is needed to provide instruction and learning opportunities for her students to succeed.
Schodt is a special education teacher with 17 years of teaching experience. She began her career with County Schools as an educational assistant and now works in a special needs class at Colton High. She says she treats her students as young adults to “make them independent” by taking them on outings to learn functional skills, such as going to the post office, knowing where the police department is, teaching them how to ride on public transportation, going to buy groceries and learning the value of money. Schodt says she enjoys going into the community with her students to show the public what her students can do and accomplish.
Teachers, Classified School Employees Celebrations In May
California’s Legislature recognizes the important contributions of classified school employees and named the third full week of May 20-26 “Classified School Employee Week” to honor these contributions.
Classified employees are the heartbeat of our schools and community colleges. From transporting and feeding students to teaching them vital skills and ensuring that schools are operating smoothly, classified employees are integral to public education.
Also in May, National Teacher Appreciation Week is scheduled May 7-11 by the PTA.
Celebration Of Performing Arts Event On April 11
The third annual San Bernardino County Celebration of the Performing Arts features 10 student groups who will take the stage at the California Theatre of Performing Arts on April 11.
The students represent eight county school districts and cover performances by bands, orchestras, choirs, dance and theatre groups. The event is scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m. at the California Theatre, located at 562 W. Fourth St. in San Bernardino.
The public is invited to attend the free performance.
The Celebration of the Performing Arts is a collaborative effort with the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools’ Arts Education Initiative. Among the participating school groups are:
- Cope Middle, Redlands Unified;
- Granite Hills High, Apple Valley Unified;
- Ontario High and Rancho Cucamonga High, Chaffey Joint Union High School District;
- Riverside Prep, Oro Grande;
- San Bernardino High, San Bernardino City Unified;
- Summit High, Fontana Unified;
- University Prep, Victor Valley Union High School District.