It is a treat to visit with a pioneer. What makes it even more special is when you realize that she has been a ground-breaker on two different fronts. Both her in-classroom and volunteer activities are making a positive impact upon the lives of numerous special needs students and families throughout the Dublin Unified School District. OneDublin.org recently had the opportunity to sit down with Dublin High School Transition Teacher, Bree LeMoine.
Perhaps, long before she knew where her career would take her, Bree passionately pursued academics. Ms. LeMoine attained her B.A in Studio Arts with an emphasis in Photography from Arizona State University. She then taught at a Visual and Performing Arts school in Scottsdale, AZ. Subsequently, she returned to California and enrolled at Chapman University. She then received a Cross-Cultural Language and Academic Certificate (CLAD) and then completed a M.A. in Special Education.
Beginning in 2002, Bree worked throughout the San Ramon Valley Unified School District. She worked as a Para-educator at the elementary school level and then ultimately worked as a Special Day Class instructor with high school students at both Monte Vista and San Ramon Valley High School, respectively. In 2009, Ms. LeMoine gained experience as a Transition Teacher. This role is specifically cited to support students in Special Education with the goal of completing their high school diplomas and to further develop life skills for their lives after high school. This point is notable in that until very recently, a Transition program did not exist in DUSD. However, as district enrollment continued to rapidly grow, a justification was supported to commence a full-fledged program. As fate would have it, Bree would pioneer this initiative at Dublin High School starting in 2011. She is supported by two Instructional Assistants, Melissa Santamaria and Julie Dow.
OneDublin.org: Independence as adults is a clear goal. However, it appears that the students also rely upon each other. Is this encouraged and why?
Quarry Lane School (Dublin, California) 5th grader Rhea Mitr competed with geography enthusiasts from across the state of California on April 5th in Sacramento at the 2013 California National Geographic Bee. Out of the 109 state semi-finalists, after the preliminary rounds, 29 contestants had a perfect score (including Rhea). All of them were on the stage and faced 20 rounds of tie-breaker questions to narrow down to the top-10. The top-10 finalists had a long face-off before coming down to the top-3. Rhea missed 2 questions and that put her along with another contestant to battle for the 3rd place. Between the two of them, they had another 7 rounds of tie-breakers before Rhea finally emerged to secure the 3rd place.
Rhea was awarded a certificate, a check for $50 and a complete National Geographic set of videos and magazines for the last two decades. Rhea received special recognition for being a 5th grader and for being the top scorer among girls in the last 25 years.
Dublin High School Alum’s Love for Africa Changes Lives
“I wonder if anyone in this country was not affected by the genocide and its collective madness. The case of Rwanda is particularly odd in that ordinary citizens became ‘genocidaires‘, with neighbors literally killing neighbors. I asked my Rwandan friend if after witnessing such a thing he believed that people were inherently good or inherently bad. He said neither. ‘All people in the world are capable of being good or bad. It’s not something you’re born with, it’s something you become.'” – Kelsey Finnegan’s blog.
The last time I spoke with Dublin High School Class of 2007 and UC Santa Barbara Class of 2012 graduate Kelsey Finnegan was in 2010, when Kelsey was visiting family in Dublin before heading back to college. We spoke about her experiences in Hohoe, Ghana volunteering for, and helping develop, the Happy Kids orphanage. A lot has changed since we last spoke, but one thing has remained the same – Kelsey’s passion for making a difference in the lives of others and her love of the African continent.
This time we spoke over an international Skype connection, with Kelsey in Kigali, sitting in a cafe, surrounded by the clatter and chatter of Rwanda’s bustling capital, while I sat thousands of miles away in the comfort and quiet of a suburban home.
James Morehead: Before we talk about your charitable work in Rwanda and Ghana, tell me about your path to completing your degree at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Some sights and sounds from a recent school site visit: a full classroom of students studies the white board and states in unison, “My neck hurts.” The teacher responds, “I’m very sorry to hear that.” The students then recite, “I feel fine.” The teacher then replies, “I’m very happy to hear that.” In the classroom next door, students dutifully take their turn in front of the classroom. The class exclaims, “Put the cat in front of the bear.” The selected student then holds the two stuffed animals in their proper place. The command for the next person is to “Put the bear in the box.” She then successfully executes the request. Were we wandering through first grade classroom at one of our elementary sites? No. These were the impressions from a recent visit to the Dublin Adult Education School that is housed on the Valley High School campus. We recently sat in on the English as a Second Language (ESL) program.
There were two striking observations from our experience. One, was the composition of the classrooms. There were young adults seated next to senior citizens. Further, the world map that adorned the wall was very appropriate. Latin, Middle Eastern, European and Asian cultures were fully represented. It truly looked like the United Nations. The second note is that all three classrooms were packed with students. At a time when Adult Education is constantly threatened by the lagging state budget, all ESL classes are full and a waiting list to enroll exists. To compare, the Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District has reduced their offerings and the Pleasanton USD announced last July that they were closing their Adult Education program. Dublin Adult Education also provides offerings in Health & Safety, Microsoft Applications, Citizenship, Art Exploration and a Concurrent High School Diploma class, among others. Thanks to an invitation from Adult Education Principal Rinda Bartley, OneDublin.org explored this subject more deeply.
OneDublin.org: Is it part of a traditional model that the Principal of a Continuation High School also serve in the same capacity for Adult Education? Please explain.
It’s decision time for high school seniors across the country, and the reality of leaving home for college is beginning to take hold. For many students, and their parents, it’s a scary and exciting time. Since OneDublin.org was founded, twenty-four Dublin High School alumni have shared their freshman college experiences, covering 2 and 4-year colleges from across the country. Below are excerpts from their stories.
Dublin High Class of 2012 graduate and University of California – Berkeley student Tatum Wheeler:
Tatum Wheeler
“You will be fine. Thinking of college is scary and thrilling, you feel like you’re so ready to leave one moment and then another you just want to stay home and never grow up. Enjoy the fun that college offers. Go to the football games, make new friends everywhere you go and attend the club fairs at the beginning of the year. Remember you will stay friends with people from high school too, so long as you make an effort, which does not take much with Facebook, Skype, Twitter, e-mail, cell phones, and mail (everyone likes to receive mail in college).”Take advantage of the college experience, but remember how blessed you are to have this opportunity. Make your family proud and strive your hardest in your classes. Check out your on campus learning center for tutoring and academic resources. There are so many resources available in college; it’s usually just a matter of navigating the system. Make an effort to go to class and ask for help, it will pay off in the end. But overall remember that you will be fine.”
Dublin High Class of 2010 graduate and University of California – Davis student Kevin Cappa:
Kevin Cappa (right)
“You have to manage everything. You need to be aware of what you are doing, how you are spending your time and money, You need to seek out any help you need because it won’t be spoon-fed to you. If you are failing all of your quizzes in chemistry, no one will have a meeting with you and your parents talking about what can be done to help you. YOU need to attend an extra set of lectures, YOU need to study and do all of your homework, YOU need to go to office hours of your professor and TA. No one is helping you any more.
“My professor told me that the difference between K-12 and university is that K-12 is all about fitting in. In university, you learn how to stand out. You learn how to take control of your life, you learn how be academically individualistic, you take chances, you stand out. In the real world, you don’t get a job by fitting in, you get a job by standing out.”
Last year we spoke with Dublin High School Class of 2012 graduate Sarah Finn on her love of theatre and how she followed that passion to select St. Mary’s College of California where she was awarded $37,000 in academic and theatre scholarships. With her first year of college well underway, we recently met with Ms. Finn to learn more about her college experience.
OneDublin.org: What attracted you to St. Mary’s College of California?
Sarah Finn: “I saw a show at St. Mary’s, Sweeney Todd, and I was blown away by the production. That drew me into the campus, how beautiful it was, so I did a bit more research and liked the seminar-style small class sizes. I really liked the idea of professors getting to know you. I looked at the bigger schools and felt I would be lost in all the crowds and craziness.”
OneDublin.org: “What is it like living on campus at St. Mary’s College, arguably one of the most beautiful college campuses in California?
Finn: “I will walk out of my dorm sometimes and I’ll pause, look around and remind myself that I’m so lucky to be here. Even when it’s raining it’s gorgeous. You have the trees and hills surrounding you, beautiful Spanish-style roofs, and there are courtyards everywhere, just tucked in; no matter where you go there is a fountain and a courtyard where you can sit and do your work.
“There are also hiking paths, an area called The Grove that is lined with pine trees and an open grassy area where graduation ceremonies are held. One of the things that you have to do as a St. Mary’s student is hike up to the cross. There is a hill at the back of campus where the cross is located and you can see the sun rise or set, or you can go up in the middle of the night and stargaze. The St. Mary’s observatory is up there as well. Every direction you turn on campus is absolutely gorgeous. It makes you feel good about being in college.”
Prestigious Bay Area University Announces Dublin Campus
The City of Dublin, Dublin Unified School District and Alameda County Board of Education today announced that a prestigious Bay Area university has selected Dublin to expand its campus. The new campus will enable an increase in enrollment after a record number of applicants in recent years.
The new campus, scheduled to break ground on June 21, 2013 with convenient access to Highway 580, will leverage cutting edge, immersive, virtual reality technology and traditional classrooms to provide students a state-of-the-art learning experience.
The campus will initially provide expanded access for students pursuing degrees in Science, Liberal Arts and Engineering.
According to a statement issued by the university, “We selected Dublin after a rigorous analysis of Bay Area School Districts. Dublin Unified School District not only provides an outstanding college prep education for all students, but also delivers a diverse visual and performing arts, athletic and extracurricular experience so critical to inspiring the critical thinkers of tomorrow. ”
John Green Elementary School’s annual science fair inspired hundreds of student science fair projects, and brought the community together for an evening of math, science, technology and engineering (STEM) exploration. The event also provided an opportunity for the Dublin High School Gaels Robotics Club, UC Berkeley’s Astronomy Department and parent volunteers to show off their love of science while entertaining at the same time. Schools from across Dublin recently performed extremely well at the Alameda County Science and Engineering Fair, and Green Elementary’s event will likely help continue that trend.
- UC Berkeley’s Astronomy Department demonstrations included a solar telescope, an infrared camera and other cosmic fun activities.
- Dublin High School’s award-winning Gaels Robotics Club included members of the Space Cookies all-girls robotics team demonstrating a VEX Robot, along with the newly elected officers of the club. Dublin High Gaels Robotics recently won in statewide competition and is heading to world championship this spring.
- Brian Fogel and Garrett Fogel hosted a fun math, science and physics activity station .
- Green parent Mark Berschens entertained with R2B5, the “brother” of R2D2 from Star Wars. Mr. Berschens shared with students how he built the robot.
- Dublin Schools Win Awards at the Alameda County Science and Engineering Fair
- GoldieBlox Founder Debbie Sterling’s Social Mission to Inspire More Female Engineers
- Harvey Mudd College President Maria Klawe on Women in Science, Math and Engineering
- Heather Knight and Social Robotics: The Intersection of Storytelling and Technology
For the third year in a row, Fallon Middle School and Dublin High School took center stage in the Oracle Arena during the Golden State Warriors half time show. They were cheered on by a sold out crowd of Warriors basketball fans and hundreds of Dublin residents who took a Wednesday night road trip to cheer on the teams. The Cheer programs in Dublin schools have expanded dramatically in recent years, due in part to the inclusive policy put in place by Dublin High School Cheer Coach Kristine Cousins (who started her Dublin Cheer career at Fallon Middle School). The Cheer program is split into multiple Spirit Teams and the selective Competitive Cheer Teams. All Cheer participants have to maintain academic standing and follow a code of conduct to participate and compete.
Earlier this year in Las Vegas, both the Dublin High School Junior Varsity and Varsity Cheer Teams won JAMZ Nationals in competition.
For those that couldn’t get a ticket to the sold out event, here is HD video and photos from court side:
“Almost every profession has an outstanding training ground. The military has West Point, music has Julliard and the culinary arts has The Institute.” – Craig Claiborne, Food Critic, The New York Times
In February, OneDublin.org profiled Marcos Castro, the recently accepted Dublin High School senior to the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY. We recently had the additional honor of sitting down with current West Point Cadet, and Dublin High School Class of 2011 alumnus, Ben Young. We caught up with Ben as he was enjoying a portion of his spring break at Dublin High School. Mr. Young had previously contributed a story in our Life in College Series during his freshman year. Ben donated a portion of visit home to share his experiences in his second year. Ben followed in the footsteps of siblings and Dublin High alumni Chris (’02), Katie (’04) and Joe (’05). As a student, Ben also excelled in basketball, swimming and participated in band for three years. During his two week spring break, Ben elected to spend some of his time speaking to current Dublin students about his experiences and aspirations. He is no longer a “Plebe” (freshman). He is well into his sophomore year (“yearlings”) and will advance to junior (“cows”) and then to senior (“Firsties”). The following is a portion of our discussion.
OneDublin.org: You mentioned the added freedoms with each succeeding year. Can you explain the difference in those freedoms in year two versus your first year?
Ben Young: “The second year at the academy is completely different environment. As a plebe, you are very restricted in terms of when you can leave campus and your relationship when talking to and interacting with upperclassmen is extremely professional. This year is way more relaxed. I can now hang out with other upperclassmen whenever I want.”
OneDublin.org: In your classroom presentation, you stated that your day typically begins at 5:00 AM and ends at about midnight. Describe the adjustment that was needed to help your body acclimate to this schedule.
Young: “The adjustment was very rough. My body took a while to get conditioned to this kind of schedule and to be honest, it never really has completely gotten used to being on the go so much. One thing that I never did in high school, but is a necessity now, is drinking coffee. Without my coffee in the morning, it is almost impossible for me to make it through the day! However, I am pretty strict with myself in getting to bed by midnight. Taking care of my health is important and getting at least 5-6 hours of sleep is a priority for me.”
OneDublin.org 