OneDublin.org

It may be many years before the final analysis is written on how the global pandemic caused by the emergence of COVID-19 has impacted our society, psyche, and history. What we do know is that it had an effect in virtually every community. For this profile, we will follow the journey of Dublin High School Class of 2019 graduate Andy Rabago. Prior to his graduation, he matriculated through Dougherty Elementary and Fallon Middle School. As the oldest of three boys, Mr. Rabago accepted and embraced the mantle of role model to his younger siblings.

Prior to even stepping foot onto the campus of DHS, his post high school plans were far from solidified. In fact, pursuing higher education was clearly not on his radar. There were numerous reasons for his ambivalence: Why not simply move forward and work in the trades sector? Would the cost of college tuition be prohibitive? Could he compete and thrive in a university environment? As is often the case, a member of the school community listened to his concerns and opened his mind to the possibilities. In Andy’s case, it was AVID Coordinator, Streisand Hall.

A symbolic, yet meaningful event occurred on November 4^th at an active construction zone in Dublin situated between Central Parkway and Dublin Blvd. The weather cooperated and welcomed various members of the Dublin Unified School District office staff, leadership from throughout the district, and many members of the community. At 1:00 pm, the site was opened to the public to safely walk-through elements of the Phase 1 construction of Emerald High School (“EHS”).  This was a “feet on the ground” experience to view up close what many had wondered would ever come to fruition.

This oftentimes circuitous journey of realizing EHS officially began in 2015. To gain some perspective this was the same year that the musical “Hamilton” debuted in Lower Manhattan, NY, the Golden State Warriors won their first NBA championship in 40 years, and Microsoft launched Windows 10.

DUBLIN, CA–When I tell people I’m studying a subject within the humanities, they usually jump to an eyebrow raise coupled with some iteration of the following: 

What are you going to use that degree for? How are you going to make any money? Wow, I wish I had an easy major too…

By now, I’ve grown accustomed to the rude comments, the derisive laughter. But the question that never fails to amuse me is this:

What will your parents think?

DUBLIN, CA–The City of Dublin’s annual Splatter Festival returns Saturday September 10 in Emerald Glen Park. The event, which runs from 12:00pm to 8:30pm, features Poets Take the Mic on the Side Yard Stage at 2:30pm. The 45-minute performance features eight local poets reciting original poetry.

2022 is a very significant milestone for Dublin – for many reasons. The city recently celebrated its 40^th year of incorporation. On the surface, that may seem to be a very “youthful” number, however, it’s helpful to consider some history. It is equally important to recognize one of the city’s pioneers and his steadfast support of the town’s students. That individual is Don Biddle. The establishment of the transcontinental railroad fueled the rapid growth of both Pleasanton and Livermore in the late 1800’s. For decades though, Dublin remained a comparable dusty patch that was known more as a hub for freight and the town had relatively few residents relative to its neighbors. However, with the onset of World War II, three separate military bases were rapidly constructed where troops lived and trained. By the end of the war, over 300,000 personnel had spent significant time in the area.

Earlier this month, the Alameda County Office of Education (ACOE) announced the 2022 Teachers of the Year, as selected by Alameda County school districts and Regional Occupation Programs. In sum, there were 18 educators recognized. Dublin High School’s Ramany Kaplan was selected as the recipient for the Dublin Unified School District.

Ms. Kaplan been in the education field for 14 years and she is completing her fifth year at DHS. Throughout this time, she has pushed beyond the boundaries of her classroom to positively impact the lives of students in all four grades. In our conversation, she disclosed discovering a unique balance of employing her professional skills with the confidence of feeling empowered to try innovative strategies. On top of it all, Ramany also serves as an advisor to both the Freshman Mentor Program and the Dublin Shield Newspaper. Given her very full schedule, we were delighted to find a mutual time to sit down together.

“Which of my photographs is my favorite? The one that I’m going to take tomorrow.” Imogen Cunningham – American Photographer

Middle school is often looked upon as the bridge between primary and secondary education. Mechanically, elementary students depart from the “cocoon” of largely remaining in one classroom with their teacher. As they matriculate, 6^th – 8^th graders learn to manage a daily structure that exposes them to multiple educators and to befriend fellow students that didn’t attend their previous schools. A true benefit during these years is to supplement one’s curriculum with self-chosen elective courses.

The three middle school sites within the Dublin Unified School District offer many elective options including courses in World Languages, Performing Arts and Visual Arts, to name just a few of the groupings. At Wells Middle School, Karey Ronnow has offered beginning and advanced photography courses for several years. Photography 1 teaches students the basic elements of composition and image design. This includes a focus on color, light, theory, and practical applications. Photography 2 adds skills to imagery, design, manipulation, and presentation. This is aided by advanced techniques in Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom.

While we will not initiate the debate on what “normal” can look like during a period where the Pandemic still exist across the globe, it is a fair bet to say that daily operations at all 11 DUSD school sites have gained solid functional footing with most students returning to classrooms in 2022. What may not have been clear at the start of the academic calendar was what masking/health requirements would look like, how students and staff would navigate their school lives in the second year of COVID and the global style of leadership provided by a newly installed Superintendent. Last summer, OneDublin.org sat down with Chris Funk to discuss some of his professional experiences gained in San Jose and to have him provide a peek into his vision for continued growth and success of the Dublin Unified School District.

Just prior to Mr. Funk’s arrival, a number of key decisions were made. In May, William Kuo was selected to a provisional appointment to fill the vacant Area 3 position on the board. This position was created by the sudden and unfortunate loss of incumbent Catherine Kuo. Additionally, the District elected to relocate the Valley High School program to the Dublin High School campus. The program is now functioning as a “Continuing Education Academy”. In late June, DUSD and the Dublin Teachers Association reached a tentative agreement that addressed improved health and wellness benefits for DTA’s membership.

DUBLIN, CA–Viewless Wings, in collaboration with the City of Dublin, today launched Dublin’s first ever Poetry Walk as part of the City of Dublin’s 40th Anniversary and National Poetry Month 2022. For the month of April, 26 locations across Dublin are displaying poems curated from over 150 submissions by Tri-Valley residents and beyond. Submissions were curated by City of Dublin Poet Laureate James Morehead. Residents and visitors are encouraged to share selfies with poems on social media using the hash tag #DublinPoetryWalk. Viewless Wings will select up to five Poetry Walkers to receive free signed copies of Morehead’s books “canvas” and “portraits of red and gray“. Explore the City of Dublin and read them all!