A team of Dublin volunteers and avid runners recently donated some sweat to raise money for Project Open Hand, in conjunction with event sponsor San Francisco Giants. The team beat their goal of raising $1,000 for this worthy cause.
According to Dublin High School alum and team captain Ann Kenney, “Since 1985, Project Open Hand has provided vital nutrition and compassion to some of the neediest individuals in our community. Project Open Hand provides meals, groceries, and nutritional counseling to individuals living with HIV and AIDS, individuals who are homebound with other critical illnesses, and seniors in San Francisco and Alameda County. At Project Open Hand, the goal is to feed the body, mind, and soul, through healthy food prepared and delivered with love, by dedicated staff and volunteers.
“This event took place on August 4th, 2013 in San Francisco at AT&T Park and consisted of a half marathon, a 10k and a 5k, as well as a family race and a kid’s race. People who want to get involved should look to Project Open Hand and consider volunteering. There will be another run in March, but it will be put on by a different organization. Project open hand should be putting on another run next year and these races are open to anyone; you don’t have to be a runner to participate, there were plenty of walkers in the race, even people with strollers. People can still get involved this year, we can still take donations and the donation would be greatly appreciated, but anyone who is moved at all by this should consider doing the run next year, it not only allows you to change someone else’s life, but it allows you to change your life as well.”
Explorer Caroline Nolan
OneDublin.org had a chance to speak with Dublin High School incoming senior and Alameda County Sheriff’s Office Explorer Caroline Nolan during this week’s 30th Annual National Night Out event. Ms. Nolan was also elected the Dublin High Senior Class Vice President for the Class of 2014. The Explorers program provides students ages 15-21 the opportunity to get experience in law enforcement including working alongside police officers at public events. Ms. Nolan arrived at a Dublin National Night Out court party riding with a Dublin Police Officer – and at first glance one could easily mistake her for a police officer.
OneDublin.org: How did you find out about the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office Explorer Program and what’s it all about?
Caroline Nolan: “I had a friend on the cross country team who was really involved in the program. She knew I was interested in police work and brought me to an Explorers meeting one day, I fell in love with the program and I’ve been part of it ever since.
“As Explorers, we get opportunities to support events, like National Night Out or the St. Patrick’s Day Festival, and meet regularly as a group. We also get to ride along with police officers once a month and anything we hear during calls is confidential and can’t be discussed with other people. We also have to maintain good grades to remain in the program.
“We’re constantly recruiting kids to join Explorers, from age 15 up to 21. We meet every two weeks for 2 hours and support events throughout the year.”
Murray Elementary School Construction Update
I recently visited the Murray Elementary School campus to check in on the progress of their new construction. Phase I is to complete construction of the new kindergarten classrooms at the rear of the campus. The new EDCC portable has been installed in the northwest corner of the site. According to Site Supervisor, Don Cooper, of Bay Valley Construction, the project remains on schedule and the new classrooms should be available to staff and students upon the return from winter break in early January, 2014.
Phase II of the project will focus on improving the ingress/egress flow, which has been an ongoing challenge at Murray. A much wider and deeper loop will be created of off Davona Street that will greatly improve drop off and pick up. This new traffic flow is slated to be completed for the start of the 2014/15 school year. Principal Carrie Nerheim is elated with the progress.
Interview with Rebecca Bomfim (Dublin High School Class of 2012 and California Lutheran University sophomore)
As the latest entry in the popular OneDublin.org Life in College series, Dublin High School Class of 2012 graduate Rebecca Bomfim shares her experiences at California Lutheran University after successfully completing her first year of studies. Ms. Bomfim is majoring in communications with an emphasis on public relations and advertising.
OneDublin.org: What was your decision process for selecting California Lutheran University?
Rebecca Bomfim: “I heard about Cal Lutheran through a friend who graduated from both Cal Lutheran and Dublin High. I visited the campus and absolutely loved it. I kept Cal Lutheran in my top choices while I looked at other private schools including Point Loma University and Chapman University, and once I was accepted to some schools and I received the financial aid offers, Cal Lutheran seemed like the best option.”
OneDublin.org: What about the Cal Lutheran campus caught your interest?
Bomfim: “Cal Lutheran has a beautiful campus and they are rebuilding everything: a brand new football stadium, gym, classrooms, and cafeteria. The campus is small, which I really like. When I took a tour my guide was saying ‘hi’ to people as we were walking around, she knew a lot of people. It was a very friendly environment, everyone was really nice and welcoming. I got a great vibe from the campus.”
OneDublin.org: What was the first few months of transitioning from Dublin High School to Cal Lutheran like?
Fallon Principal Sheryl Sweeney
While the commencement of the 2013/14 academic school year is still eight weeks away, there was activity on the Fallon Middle School campus on a quiet and very hot day. The newest member of the Dublin Unified School District staff was busy unpacking boxes and turning her workspace into an office. Her name is Sheryl Sweeney and she is the new Principal at Fallon. OneDublin.org recently had the opportunity to sit down with Sheri (this is what she prefers to go by) to discuss her background and to gain insight into her approach to leading a middle school. During Superintendent Dr. Hanke’s tenure, a point of emphasis has been for the District to attract the best and brightest employees – be it Certificated/Classified staff or in Leadership. The discussion with Sheri was an eye-opener, both in terms of her experiences and principles.
Even as a young girl growing up in Oklahoma, Ms. Sweeney had a passion for learning – one that might someday translate into a teaching career. She attained a B.A. in Political Science and Sociology from the University of Tulsa, Oklahoma. While some of her peers pursued larger institutions, she was attracted to the smaller campus size and the opportunity to gain more one-on-one exposure with her professors. Subsequently, she gained admittance to Yale University where she earned her Juris Doctorate at Yale Law School. This was an amazing period of growth for her as she ended up being a Rhodes Scholar finalist. Her love of the law blossomed and it was a period of time where she could explore new ideas, expand her critical thinking skills and to examine social policy concepts.
Your child has graduated high school, been accepted into college and is likely looking forward to a final summer with their friends (and possibly a job or internship) before diving into college. There is one important homework assignment, however, parents should encourage their child to complete early in the summer.
The courses your child takes, the major they pursue and the academic decisions they make will largely happen without the input of a parent. Despite that shift to independence, encourage your child to create a four year college plan. This will not be an intuitive step to take for your child – they will likely respond that the priority is choosing first year classes and that they’ll figure out the rest later.
The value of looking ahead is visualizing the major. Even though declaring a major doesn’t happen for a couple of years at many schools, the decisions made now could impact how easy it is to finish a major in four years. Looking ahead helps a student understand what a major really entails. For the first two years of college, many of the courses are general in nature, getting all students on a level playing field. It is in the third and fourth years where students really get to specialize. If your child looks ahead and isn’t excited about the courses they’ll be taking in a couple of years, that’s a warning sign.
A four year college plan doesn’t, however, mean your student has carved their future in stone. There can be multiple ways to pursue a major, especially in large, comprehensive universities. The four year plan is a guidepost – a way to visualize one possible path to achieving a major. The four year plan is a reference point – a way for your child to know if they are on track.
Support Dublin public schools and local charities while stocking up on Independence Day with safe and sane fireworks. Each year local charities vie for fireworks booths via a lottery system. Dublin’s firework booths are staffed by unpaid volunteers that work in shifts, with proceeds of all sales going to the charities listed below.
Sales of Safe and Sane Fireworks begin at 12:00 p.m. on Friday June 28th. Fifteen (15) fireworks booths will be located throughout the city. Organizations and Booth Locations. The City of Dublin has 3 designated parks where the use of safe and sane fireworks are permitted between the hours of 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. on July 4, 2013 only. Have a safe and sane July 4!
| Organization | Fireworks Booth Location |
| Briarhill Swim Team | 7884 Dublin Blvd. (In front of Ross/Michaels) |
| Children’s Emergency Food Bank | 7212 San Ramon Rd. (Dublin Iceland) |
| Crosswinds Church | 6921 Regional St. – SE Regional & Dublin Blvd. (Burger King) |
| Doctors Giving Back | 6797 Village Parkway (KFC) |
| Dublin Fighting Irish Football & Cheer | 7153 Amador Plaza Rd. (Sprouts) |
| Dublin High PFSO | 7450 Dublin Blvd. (Rigatoni’s) |
| Dublin High School Athletic Boosters | 7499 Dublin Blvd. (Safeway) |
| Dublin Host Lions Club | 6500 Dublin Blvd. (at Dublin Ct.) |
| Dublin Little League | 4520-4580 Dublin Blvd. (Dublin Corners) |
| Dublin Partners in Education | 7944 Dublin Blvd. (Hooters) |
| Dublin Senior Foundation | 7222 Regional St (Amakara Restaurant) |
| Knights of Columbus | 8931 San Ramon Rd. (at Alcosta) |
| St. Raymond School | 6698 Amador Plaza Rd. (Enea Plaza-Jennifer Convertible’s) |
| Tri-Valley YMCA | 4288 Dublin Blvd. (Ulferts Center) |
| Valley Christian Center | 7699-7877 Amador Valley Blvd. (Shamrock Village – Big Lots) |
One of the inherent joys of supporting this blog is the opportunity to both tell compelling stories and to meet extraordinary people. This again was the case as OneDublin.org attended the 2013 graduation ceremony at Valley High School last Wednesday. On a sunlit and slightly breezy evening, 35 graduates were in attendance to receive their diplomas. The majority of them were Valley High School students and the others were students from Quest Independent Study or Adult Education. As previously stated, Valley High is the continuation high school for the Dublin Unified School District. This school site serves as an excellent alternative to the comprehensive setting at Dublin High. As the learning environment is much more intimate, it also provides opportunities for more one to one learning opportunities and guidance.
We approached Principal Rinda Bartley to gain her insights into this year’s graduating class.
OneDublin.org: As you have been the Principal at Valley High School for a number of years, how would you characterize these seniors?
Rinda Bartley: “The class is playful, kind and very close. We have had a large number of them enrolled with us since their sophomore year and it’s going to be very different not to have them here. There is a lot of talent and skill there that they are still in the midst of discovering. We are thrilled to see them graduate and step up to their next challenges and opportunities – but we will miss them.”
OneDublin.org: We were fortunate to report on Challenge Day earlier this spring. Were there other events that stood out this year at Valley?
Bartley: “We sent students to assist with the Special Olympics events at Dublin High earlier in the year. They really enjoyed lending a hand and talking with the special Olympians as they participated in the events. In the last couple of weeks, the seniors have participated in a morning-long panel by several members of Dublin agencies and city government – which included the City Manager, Police and Fire chiefs, engineers, the Recreation Department and many more. This panel was focused on career opportunities in local government.”
Valedictorian Malina Jiang
Thursday June 13, 2013 turned out to be a lucky day for the Dublin High School Class of 2013, the 43rd graduating class. A week after a heat wave forced the cancellation of a the Del Oro High School commencement ceremony in Sacramento when heat sickness sent five people to local hospitals, perfect weather welcomed Dublin High’s graduating class. Dublin High’s Class of 2013 also featured two sets of triplets (Toni – Tori – Troy Ship, and Anastacia – Trinity – Katarina Sims), and six sets of twins (Celine -Mireille Darby, Hayley – Ryan Durflinger, Allison – Brittany Mitchell, Garrett – Ryan Passmore, Matthew – Ryan Victoriano and Hailey -Megan Zummo).
Parents, grandparents, siblings, friends and educators gathered at the Alameda County Fairgrounds Amphitheater for the last time on Thursday June 13, 2013, with the ceremony returning to Dublin High School for the Class of 2014 commencement. According to Principal Carol Shimizu, continued growth at the school and completion of major construction on campus (as the new Center for Performing Arts and Education opens in winter 2014) opens the door for returning the ceremony to Dublin.
The event included speeches and presentations by Dublin High School Gael Scholar Ryan McRee (who is attending the University of Southern California this Fall to study Theatre, and who was awarded a full scholarship), Dublin High Alumni Association Representative and City of Dublin Council Member David Haubert, Principal Carol Shimizu and Assistant Principal Theresa Young, School Board Trustee Sean Kenney, City of Dublin Mayor Tim Sbranti, Senior Class President Randi Nguyen and Senior Class Vice President Hillary Santuya. The Dublin High Color Guard and Band, bagpiper Jeff Campbell and members of the Air Force Color Guard brought fanfare to the ceremony. The full text of Mr. McRee’s speech is included below.
OneDublin.org had the honor and privilege to attend the event, capturing highlights on video including a time-lapse movie of the diploma presentations (compressing over 45 minutes down to just 5 minutes):
This year’s theme was “The Journey” – and the Class of 2013 has a lot to celebrate. Over 97% of Dublin High’s Class of 2013 will be attending college this Fall, including Stanford, Brown, US Air Force Academy, Cornell, Duke, Purdue, every University of California (UC), every CSU campus and and many more.
Dublin High’s students continued to drive academic excellence forward increasing the school’s API to 880. Dublin High’s visual and performing arts, and athletic programs also brought home awards and recognition.
The moment every high school student waits for – the traditional turning of the tassels led by senior class president Randi Nguyen:
For those who couldn’t attend (and for those that want to relive some of the highlights) here is more from the memorable event:
Dublin High School’s Engineering and Design Academy closed out the 2012-13 school year with an evening of engineering creativity, invention and a Shark Tank-style competition. Prior to the evening of competition, teams of students from Ms. Chou and Mr. Uken’s Introduction to Engineering Design and Principles of Engineering classes had two weeks to create and develop their own ideas for products that they could sell in today’s marketplace. Ms. Chou hopes to make this an annual event.
First Place Presentation
Eight teams made it to the final round where a panel of judges from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Chevron, IBM, Support.com and Dublin San Ramon Services District followed a strict rubric to score and judge the presentations. Each team had 5 minutes to present and 2 minutes to answer questions. Prizes included a posted signed by MythBusters Adam Savage and Kari Byron from the Dublin High School Engineering Academy Open House Starring MythBusters and a one-of-a-kind set of coins created for the event by a 3D metal printer.
In addition to the live presentations, student teams also competed for the best display in the showcase competition.
After difficult deliberations, the judges announced the winners:
Read more…
OneDublin.org 