Winter percussion, percussion ensemble, drumline – all of these phrases fill me up with more excitement than words can describe. However, they didn’t always. When I entered middle school in 6th grade, like many, I didn’t have a single clue of what winter percussion was. I knew that it involved marching, drums, and competing, but other than that, I had no idea what drumline entailed. Despite my slim knowledge, I decided to take part in winter percussion, and I have ever since.
My name is Evelyn and I currently attend Fallon Middle School as an 8th grader. Presently, I play the snare drum and serve as co-drum captain for the Fallon Drumline. Over these three years of participating, I’ve met many people that have never heard of winter percussion. This lack of familiarity with the activity has motivated me to inform everyone I know what drumline is, and what it is like to be a part of. Whether it’s my peers at Fallon, parents, or you, the reader – I aim to inspire more students to give drumline a try.
While the drumline season begins in late fall, my band director, Mr. Carpenter, brews on theme and song ideas long before the season begins. When the first practice comes, everyone has a shot to try out different percussion instruments such as bass drums, snare drums, and tenor drums (quads). Students even have the option to be in the pit where they can play instruments such as a piano, guitar, xylophone, drum set, and countless others. Everyone has a chance to learn how to play different percussion instruments and are informed of the correct technique and approach. Mr. Carpenter arranges and provides the music that corresponds with the theme of our show. Fallon’s theme for 2014 is “surfing”, so we play songs such as Wipeout and Pipeline.
Tri-Valley Special Olympics of Northern California Brings Joy to Participants and Volunteers
A special tradition is quickly growing legs with each passing year. The Special Olympics games that had been traditionally held in Contra Costa County have now gained a solid footing in the Tri-Valley Region. The 2nd annual school-based Special Olympics Basketball Competition for pre-K to 5th graders took place last Friday at Harvest Park Middle School in Pleasanton. Thanks to an invitation from Eric Hamilton, Adaptive P.E. Specialist from the Dublin Unified School District, OneDublin.org was able to witness this event.
The primary schools involved included those from Pleasanton, Dublin and the Livermore Unified School Districts. The games/competition is moderated to accommodate more than 400 student/athletes with differing abilities. The primary purpose is to ensure that all participants have the ability to join into the activities. The Harvest Park site was entirely appropriate as events took place both inside their gym as well as on the adjoining blacktop surface.
Friday was a bright day and weather was not a negative factor. Cars, buses and neighbors on foot made their way into the primary gymnasium. After a rendition of the National Anthem, the pledge of allegiance and a reading of the Special Olympics credo, the games commenced. The courts were differentiated by skill set. Inside, there were competitive games occurring. Outside, skills exercises were executed. One of the stations featured a set up by the Dublin High School Robotics team which allowed participants to lead a basketball into a funnel which was mechanically launched towards the hoop. Many students took great pleasure in this activity.
Superintendent Dr. Stephen Hanke on Managing Growth in the Dublin Unified School District
DUSD Superintendent Dr. Hanke
OneDublin.org sat down with Dublin Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Stephen Hanke late last week for an in depth discussion of the opportunities and challenges facing Dublin’s rapidly growing public school system and what it takes to build new schools, the upcoming parcel tax renewal vote, what inspired him to devote his career to education, the role of parents in education and what’s in store for Dublin with the opening of Dublin High School’s Center for Performing Arts and Education.
OneDublin.org: Before we talk about the opportunities and challenges facing Dublin schools, what inspired you to enter the field of education and ultimately pursue leadership roles?
Dr. Stephen Hanke: “From the very beginning I’ve always really liked kids. That’s what got me into teaching. I taught for seven years, teaching a variety of subjects, history and social science as well as P.E and coaching. As a lifelong learner, it was important for me to go back to school, and it made sense to pursue a master’s degree and then an administrative credential. It was a natural progression moving from teaching to administration – I had served in leadership roles as a teacher. I was an assistant principal, then a principal and held positions in a couple of school districts before ultimately arriving in Dublin.
“Dublin has been an amazing capstone on my career, and my career spans more than four decades now. I’ve loved every position that I’ve had, because I’ve always had the opportunity to work with people who are working directly with kids. My heart’s desire has always been to work with kids, and to work with people who work with kids.”
OneDublin.org: Some districts in California have struggled with declining enrollment and school closures in recent years; in Dublin we’re going through a period of rapid growth. Talk about the opportunities and challenges of managing a district experiencing rapid growth.
The Infamous Ms. Hall Takes the Mystery out of Dublin High School Math
Barbara Hall
On February 14, 2014, I had the chance to interview one of my favorite teachers at Dublin High School: Ms. Barbara Hall. Math is Ms. Hall’s forte, as she teaches the subjects Algebra II with Trigonometry and Trigonometry with Pre-Calculus. I sat down with Ms. Hall in her classroom and asked her a rapid fire series of questions, as she ate her lunch, about how she became a math teacher and why she loves math.
Sophia Bafaiz: So, how are you today, Ms. Hall?
Hall: “Just great. I love interviews. Go ahead.”
Bafaiz: So, where were you born?
Hall: “I was born in Michigan, in a suburb outside Detroit.”
Bafaiz: Which college did you attend?
Hall: “University of Colorado, majoring in math.”
Bafaiz: Are you married?
Hall: “Last time I checked, I was. I kissed my husband goodbye this morning.”
Bafaiz: Aw! Do you have any children?
Hall: “I have two boys.”
Bafaiz: What influenced you to become a teacher?
Hall: “I remember when I was a little kid, I always used to play school when I would come home from school and I was always the teacher. For a long time, I always wanted to be a teacher. Because when you think about it, when I was growing up, that was basically your only role model. It was either your mom or your teacher. And I just loved playing teacher.”
Common Core Standards Primer for Parents Continues Thursday Evening at Dublin High School
A well publicized and effectively designed program was presented at Dublin High on Wednesday evening. The event was an opportunity for DUSD parents to learn about the upcoming impact of the newly implemented Common Core Standards and Smarter Balanced Assessments. As has been mentioned in previous articles on OneDublin.org, the CCS and SBAC is a dramatic shift away from standardized testing in California and is a movement towards standards and testing that are being conducted in other states throughout the country. The primary philosophy is that students in North Carolina, California and Colorado should be mastering the same skills as they progress through school. Further, the hope is to have students in the U.S. eventually gain mastery in subjects similar to their international peers.
In order to do so, a set of common skills must be established. Further, the assessment of their skills must come with a component that provides additional support to attain a deeper level understanding of the material. The Dublin Unified School District understood that at least one impactful element of achieving this transition was to engage with its parent/guardian population. Wednesday’s approach included an opening session where Assistant Superintendent Tim McCarty explained the rationale for the night and then introduced the teachers and district staff that would lead the breakout sessions. The options available resembled a buffet style menu. Among others, topics included Elementary Math, Digital Citizenship, SBA in Primary & Secondary Education, Instructional Strategies and Critical Reading.
DUSD Annual Concert Delivers Music and Needed Support to a Dublin Family
“A bit of fragrance always clings to the hand that gives you roses.” – Proverb
On Tuesday evening, Fallon Middle School hosted the Annual District Music Concert in their gym. The basketball court was packed with musicians ranging from 5th graders, to those from both Fallon and Wells Middle Schools and the Dublin High School band. Equally, the stands on both sides of the court were filled with supporters of all ages.
The evening’s program was robust and was complete with nine arrangements that spanned all grade levels. In many ways, the concert represented the immense growth that the Dublin Unified School District has experienced over the past decade. In the past six years, the DHS band has nearly tripled in size. This would not be possible unless there were successful music programs at the middle schools and at primary education. This growth has also prompted the addition of a new Elementary Music Director, Steve Silva and a new Choral Director, Jonathan Ullrich.
While digital cameras and iPhones were capturing the performances, there was certainly a heartfelt feeling and emotion that superseded this event. The quote at the beginning of this passage makes reference to selfless giving – at times for the benefit of a stranger. While the evening was a celebration of music, it was also an opportunity to support a member of the community. Ms. Nicole Malone is an eighth grader at Wells Middle School. Approximately four years ago, she was diagnosed with a fairly rare form of cancer that attacks young people. While the treatment that she received at the time appeared to combat her condition, it made a recurrence a year ago – and in a much more combative mode.
Improv at Dublin High School – Highwire Theatre Without a Net
By: Jennifer Strasser – Dublin High School (Class of 2014)
Dublin High School Improv Team
You wake up with a jolt as your alarm blares loudly in your ears, alerting you to a new day. You scramble out of bed and drag yourself into the bathroom, fumbling to get the toothpaste onto your brush. You dress yourself mechanically and hastily yank the tangles out of your hair. After rubbing your eyes and letting loose a massive yawn, you glance half-heartedly at your calendar and when you discover it’s Tuesday, suddenly everything changes.
There is bounce in your step as you scoop up your backpack and rush down the stairs. Your smile shines brightly and you sing your goodbyes to your mother as you rush out the door. You just know today is going to be a fantastic day. Why? Because you are a student at Dublin High School, and Tuesdays mean just one thing; improv.
Now improv is relatively unknown to many people that aren’t involved in the club or team we have at our school. To put it simply, improv is acting without a script. Improv is performing entire scenes on the spot using just a spur of the moment suggestion from the audience as a guide. It requires quick thinking and spontaneity from the actors on stage to be successful.
However, improv is perceived differently depending on who you ask. I have compiled a few opinions about improv from some of the dedicated members of our Improv Club here at our school and it seems to be a common theme that improv is more than just entertainment to those that participate in it. Improv is a helpful tool in life because it allows you to make quick decisions or problem solve when something unexpectedly goes wrong.
Common Core and New Assessments to Transform Dublin Education, Workshops for Parents Coming Feb 18-19
Oftentimes, it is difficult to identify a single issue that will impact each and every student in a school district. For the Dublin Unified School District and in neighboring cities, that day has arrived. Following the lead of a majority of the other states, California is adopting the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC). For most of us, that is a mouthful. Let us delve into what this all means.
To lay a foundation, one must have an understanding of the ongoing change to the philosophy of the school district. A few years ago, Superintendent Steve Hanke and the leadership of the district employed installed an organizational shift. The plan was to create a Professional Learning Community or PLC. A PLC will focus on three main ideas: a focus on learning, building a collaborative structure and creating a focus orientation. As an example, the bi-monthly collaboration days are meant for teachers to meet across grade levels or by subject to refine best practices and to share teaching strategies. Building an effective PLC is always an ongoing endeavor. However, it has placed the district in better position to adopt the new Common Core Standards.
The objective of CCS is centered on four questions. What do we want our students to learn? In any subject, there must be essential skills or standards to learn. But it is recognized that most students learn at a different pace. How will we know that they have learned it? This is where the Smarter Balanced Assessments come into play. This helps to monitor each learner’s progress. How will we respond when learning has not occurred? The key will be utilizing the data from the assessments. Equally important will be building time within the school day for interventions. Finally, how will we respond when learning has already occurred? For the students that have gained mastery, they will be provided enrichment activities as a method to gain an even deeper level of learning.
What also comes with the movement to CCS and SBAC is the end of standardized testing as we have known it over the past decade. Students will no longer complete their grade level testing with a number 2 pencil. Testing will be conducted on computers or tablets.
UC Berkeley to Host Expanding Your Horizons STEM Program for Middle School Girls on March 15, 2014
Is your middle school daughter interested in science, technology, engineering or math? If so, there is a terrific local opportunity to further that interest being held on the UC Berkeley campus Saturday March 15. “Expanding Your Horizons” (EYH) is a national non-profit program created to motivate women in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education. Over 26,000 young women participate in Expanding Your Horizons events every year, with UC Berkeley hosting an event for the third time this year. Mark your calendar – enrolment for this popular event opens February 17, 2014.
During the day long event, participants will hear from UC Berkeley professors, graduate students and industry professionals covering biology, chemistry, physics, engineering and other STEM-related fields. The event includes fun, hands-on activities. Students choose three different workshops from a broad selection, attend a keynote presentation and end the day with an undergrad college panel. Last year’s event concluded with an inspiring presentation by GoldieBlox CEO Debbie Sterling.
Parents are recommended to register their child early as this event is expected to be very popular; online registration opens February 17 and is available here. For inspiring interviews with women in science, technology, engineering and math, ready more in OneDublin.org’s popular Women in STEM Series of articles.
Las Positive College in Livermore is separately hosting the Tri-Valley Expanding Your Horizons event on February 22, 2014. Note that registration for the 2014 event as Las Positas College is full. Read more here.
The Dublin Unified School District is holding a series of workshops for parents to learn more about important changes coming to Dublin education in the form of Common Core Standards and Smarter Balanced Assessments. On February 19 and 20, from 6:30-8:30pm at Dublin High School, parents will have the opportunity to learn first hand about these important changes in our schools. Parents are encouraged to take advantage of these important educational workshops.
DUSD Superintendent Dr. Stephen Hanke, “In Dublin, our mission is to ensure that every student is college and career ready. In order to accomplish this important goal, teachers, support staff, leaders, and parents must understand and be able to help our students thrive in the new era of Common Core Standards and Smarter Balanced Assessments. These new standards and the way we assess student achievement are changing teaching and learning in all of our schools. No longer will students be required merely to memorize and recite facts. They will be focused on deeper learning activities, explaining the ‘how’ and ‘why’ of answers, and using right brained skills of critical thinking, creativity, communication, and collaboration. All are essential for success in college and in today’s world of work, and are closely aligned with our stated mission for Dublin students.”
Workshop registration information:
OneDublin.org 