DUSD Board President Greg Tomlinson
OneDublin.org recently sat down with Dublin Unified School District Board of Trustees President, Greg Tomlinson, to hear his perspective on the current state of our school district and to discuss the future goals of DUSD. Mr. Tomlinson grew up on the peninsula and later graduated from the University of Southern California with a B.S. in Business Administration, with an emphasis on Finance and Real Estate Development. Greg and his wife of 16 years Michele are proud parents of Rachel (8th grade) and Michael (6th grade). This year, both children attend Fallon Middle School. Professionally, Greg has always worked in the real estate industry. Since 1993, he has served as a principal with a private equity firm that specializes in commercial, industrial and land development. Mr. Tomlinson has served as a member of the DUSD Board of Trustees since 2008 and was nominated and elected to serve as its President at the December 2011 board meeting.
The Dublin Unified School District is facing many potential challenges as we move into the next budget cycle and beyond. At the same time, the District is also embracing many opportunities to enhance the K-12 experience for all of our children and their future achievement as students.
OneDublin.org: We are now entering the fourth year of your term on the Board of Trustees. You were recently elected to the role of President. How did all of this come about?
Greg Tomlinson: “Prior to any direct involvement with the school district, I had been serving as a member on the City of Dublin Planning Commission on a two-year term. I felt that it was a good fit as I understood residential/commercial real estate development. There was an application process and I was successful in attaining that role. When a vacancy arrived on the School Board, I also felt that I could positively leverage my knowledge of development and facilities to assist the school district to achieve their goals. Logically, the School Board has a direct emphasis on learning. At the same time, we were in a high growth mode and I felt that my background in development and facilities would be a positive benefit to the District.”
OneDublin.org: In consideration that your Planning Commission post was an appointment versus an elective office, how did you feel about the process of running for an elective office?
Tomlinson: “It was a bit daunting. I literally walked the entire city of Dublin to speak with our citizens. I knocked on doors and participated in televised debates. It was something very new for me.”
OneDublin.org: Now that you have successfully served on the Board, how can you encapsulate your experience and your responsibilities thus far?
Tomlinson: “The role that I’m privileged to serve in is truly public service. As a parent of school-age children, I’m honored to be in this role. In my view, the Board asks the ‘what’ about our vision for the District and the Administration provides us with the ‘how’ we’ll accomplish it. I believe that our job as a Board reflects the desires of the community. How we arrive there is executed through the District, Administration and Staff.”
Frederiksen Elementary Community Rallies in Support of Parent Battling Breast Cancer
Dan and Linda Fitzpatrick
For Frederiksen Elementary School parent Linda Fitzpatrick, life has largely been what she had hoped for. A lifelong Bay Area resident, she has been married for 11 years and has resided in Dublin for the past seven years. She and her husband, Dan, are blessed with three children – son Frankie (10), daughter Ginger (8) and son Owen (6). This year, all three children attend Frederiksen.
Shortly after school resumed in August, 2011, Linda went in for a routine check-up with her OB. Her physician felt a lump during her examination and three weeks later she required further examination and a biopsy. Her doctors determined that she had breast cancer. Not long afterwards, Linda underwent surgery – a lumpectomy was performed with the recommendation that a cycle of chemotherapy be performed over the next several weeks.
The diagnosis for Linda was “invasive ductal carcinoma”. IDC is the most common type of breast cancer – affecting about 80% of all breast cancers patients. IDC refers to cancer that has broken through the wall of the milk duct and has begun to invade the tissues of the breast. Statistically, about two-thirds of women diagnosed are 55 years or older. This condition also affects men.
OneDublin.org recently had the opportunity to sit down with Linda and her family to learn more about their journey. With three children at one school, Linda has been an extremely active volunteer over the years and has served as a Vice President of the Frederiksen PFC. The local school community that has received so much of Linda’s support over the years has been generous in its support of the Fitzpatrick family during this difficult time.
Dublin High School College Early Acceptance Results – Class of 2012
Stanford University campus
Colleges and universities across California and the US, including Stanford, Purdue and Georgetown University, have already said “yes” to applying Dublin High School Class of 2012 students. While the Dublin High School Class of 2012 still has several months to go before finishing high school, universities and colleges across California and the United States have sent offers of early acceptance to Dublin High students. Dublin High athletes are also signing letters of intent with colleges across the country for both academic and athletic success. This isn’t surprising given that 98.7% of 2011 Dublin High graduates reported attending college. Dublin High School academic rankings are available here.
In addition to Stanford University and Georgetown University, here is a subset of other colleges offering early acceptance to Dublin High Class of 2012 students:
Ryan McRee and Sharanya Stanley with teacher Holly Cunningham
I was recently asked by Dublin High School English teacher Holly Cunningham to serve as a judge for Dublin High School‘s inaugural Poetry Out Loud recitation contest. I jumped at the chance, as writing poetry has been a personal passion since high school (read more if you are curious…). Poetry is written to be spoken – and poetry read well is an engaging experience.
The Poetry Out Loud National Recitation Contest is supported by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation, and involves high school students from across the country. The contest starts just as Dublin High’s event did today – with high school students competing in their schools and up through county and state competitions until a national champion is ultimately selected. Over 365,000 students participated in Poetry Out Loud contests last year, with the national finalists competing for $50,000 in scholarships.
This was my first time judging what I hope will become an annual event at Dublin High School and it was intimidating at first. Poetry Out Loud publishes a strict set of rules for judges including a detailed 6-category rubric which is used to judge each performance. I was joined by Principal Carol Shimizu, parent Chris Bennett and English teacher Noel Sollom at the judging table. English teacher Holly Cunningham organized the event and her husband (and school board trustee) Dan Cunningham served as M.C. Each judge was provided a packet of poems in advance that had been selected by the competing students from the Poetry Out Loud website (the competition requires poems to be chosen from a set list).
Eight students took part in Dublin’s first contest, with the top two (Ryan McRee and Sharanya Stanley) moving on to the Alameda County contest in two weeks. Each student had to memorize two poems – but memorizing the words is pure mechanics and is just the start. Ultimately what the contestants had to do is become the poem – not act the poem – but become the words. And at several points during the competition the carefully chosen and meticulously structured words of the poet truly came alive in Dublin High School’s Little Theatre for the audience of parents, peers and educators.
by Philip David Morehead (Head of Music Staff – Lyric Opera of Chicago)
Philip David Morehead
Dublin High School’s award-winning drama and music programs will soon enjoy a brand new, state of the art, 500-seat Performing Arts Centre. Many of the new theatre’s features will greatly enhance the tools available for the unsung heroes that work backstage. To learn more about life backstage, OneDublin.org turned to a veteran of live theatre, the Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Head of Music Staff Philip David Morehead.
I have been fortunate to spend the past thirty years working for one of the best opera houses in the world, Lyric Opera of Chicago. Most people have some familiarity with the lives of the opera stars, who get the media attention, but know little about the people who work behind the scenes to make the performances possible. There are hundreds of them on some productions, including, of course, the orchestra and the chorus, but in addition to those groups there are the music staff (especially backstage conductors and prompter—more about this remarkable person later), stagehands, costume people, dressers, tech people, lighting folks, sound experts, and the stage management. It’s this latter category I’d like to touch on here.
Stage management includes the stage manager (SM), one or more assistant stage managers (ASM), and usually an assistant stage director (AD). The AD assists the Stage Director in the process of mounting the show (telling the singers where to move, how to interact, how to interpret their roles, etc.). In most opera houses, once the show has passed opening night, the Stage Director leaves and the AD is responsible for maintaining the quality of the performances and for dealing with understudies (their training and their preparation in case they need to go on for an ailing artist).
Backstage - Lyric Opera of Chicago
The ASMs are responsible for the nitty-gritty of running the show, handling such matters as entrances of artists, making sure they have the right props (say, a handkerchief or a sword), and handling any of the myriad problems that may arise. The ASMs also deal directly with the stagehands, often cueing their movement of scenery and other activities. There is usually one ASM on each side of the stage, and if the show is complicated there may be additional ASMs on one or both sides of the stage as needed. They are in command (under the Stage Manager), and an experienced artist will not do anything without the proper cue from an ASM. In smaller theaters they may also handle some backstage musical cues, whereas in large theaters a music staff member will ordinarily handle such matters.
Caroline Moores - Stage Manager
The most important person in the theater, without exception, is the Stage Manager, who is ultimately responsible for every aspect of a performance. The SM knows everything there is to know about a production, including theatrical, technical, and musical aspects. In preparation of a show, the SM handles the smooth running of the rehearsals, dealing with problems as they arise, keeping track of changes, managing the stagehands, etc. In performance, the SM maintains the proper timing of the show, gives all the necessary cues for lighting, sound, and set changes: the SM is the final arbiter for anything that goes on during the performance. A good stage manager is like gold and makes the difference between a smoothly running machine and (horrors) the unthinkable opposite. The SMs I have had the privilege of working with at Lyric Opera are remarkable, and I have the highest respect for their work. As I write this I am in my office listening to a performance of Aida, a very complex opera involving hundreds of cast and crew members, and each performance runs like clockwork and without a hitch because of the expertise of our superb stage manager.
Dublin High School Winter Percussion
The music departments at Dublin High School, Fallon Middle School and Wells Middle School teamed up Friday night to put on a “Family Night” show featuring Drumline and Color Guard teams from all three schools. The first ever Family Night event featuring all three schools provided an opportunity for students to practice their routines in front their friends and families before taking the routines to competitions around the Bay Area. Drumline and Color Guard is a major extracurricular commitment for students and their teachers involving up to 15 hours per week in practices and competitions. Dublin High School students play a significant role in the middle school programs, volunteering weekly at both Fallon and Wells. Sean Kenney attended on behalf of the Dublin Unified School District Board of Trustees and observed, “The Arts provides kids with the opportunity to grow outside standard academics. The Arts really drives students, the other side of their brain, and helps educate the whole person.”
Paul Everts, Director of Music at Dublin High School, said, “Tonight we saw the two color guards from Fallon and from Dublin High. A color guard is a team of girls and boys performing a routine with equipment such as flags, sabres or rifles, usually to recorded music. We also saw the three drumlines from Dublin High, Fallon and Wells – all three schools now have drumlines. Drumlines march and perform maneuvers while playing their instruments. We saw excellent performances from all three schools tonight.”
OneDublin.org was on hand to capture sights and sounds from the event. Enjoy!
The Dublin Unified School District announced today that Dublin High School will be welcoming “MythBusters” stars Adam Savage and Kari Byron to the first ever Dublin High School Engineering Academy Open House. The Mythbusters stars will share their passion for engineering and science at Dublin High School on Wednesday February 22, 2012 at 7:00pm sharp (arriving early is recommended – doors open at 6:30pm). The event is being held as part of National Engineers Weeks 2012. “MythBusters” is Discovery Channel’s Emmy-nominated science entertainment program that tests the validity of popular myths. More than 50 episodes of the program have been filmed in and around Dublin, California. Kari Byron spoke with OneDublin.org last year (read more…) as part of OneDublin.org’s Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Series.
[UPDATE: The event is completely sold out. Only ticket holders and volunteers with badges will be able to enter the event. Ticket holders are recommended to arrive early – doors open at 6:30pm.]
The Dublin High School Engineering Academy Open House will feature a moderated panel session with MythBusters hosts Adam Savage and Kari Byron, who will field questions submitted by Dublin students. Following the panel session there will be demonstrations and interactive displays from local school robotics clubs and Engineering Academy students. Engineering Academy sponsor organizations and local colleges are also participating in the event. The event is appropriate for all ages and will be held in Dublin High School’s Sports Complex.
“If you teach people to foster and harness their curiosity about how the world works, they will find that learning about science and technology is fun – and kids find it most exciting of all”, said Savage, host of “MythBusters”.
In October 2010, “MythBusters” and President Obama teamed up to engage U.S. students in science education, featuring President Obama’s participation in the “Archimedes Solar Ray” episode.
“Dublin High School’s Engineering Academy and the Gateway to Technology program rolling out in our middle schools are just two of the ways our district is engaging Dublin students in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education. We are thrilled to have ‘MythBusters’ participate in our Engineering Academy Open House and help generate awareness of our STEM initiatives”, said Dr. Stephen Hanke, Superintendent – Dublin Unified School District.
The event is free and open to the public. Free advance tickets that guarantee entrance and seating at the event are available to Dublin public school students and their families and friends. Tickets are available for pick-up at the Dublin High School, Fallon Middle School and Wells Middle School front offices during school hours. Each family is permitted up to 6 tickets to the event. Picking up advance tickets is recommended as the event is expected to be very popular.
As an added benefit, advance ticket holders will receive 20% off their order at Vito’s Pizza Express in Dublin. Just show your ticket to receive the discount.
Fallon Middle School’s Joy Sherratt Stars in “The Last 5 Years” – Firehouse Arts Center
Joy Sherratt
For many Fallon Middle School parents and students, Joy Sherratt is best known as a popular physical education teacher. What you may not know is that Joy is an accomplished singer and actress. Fortunately, Tri-Valley residents have an opportunity to see Joy’s talent on stage this month in the Pacific Coast Repertory Theatre‘s production of “The Last 5 Years” at Pleasanton’s Firehouse Arts Center. Joy earned a degree in Drama from the University of California – Irvine and later added a Masters Degree in Education.
Joy Sherratt: “‘The Last Five Years’ is a story of a relationship between a young couple as they fall in love, get married, and settle into a life together. It is a journey that we can all relate to and is told through spell-bounding music. It is one of my favorite pieces of musical theatre and we hope you too will come experience what we are so excited about. We have an amazing 2012-2013 season lined up-to be announced soon! In the meantime, see you at the show! ”
The critically acclaimed professional actors from the recent Pacific Coast Repertory Theatre production of ‘Chicago’ Joy Sherratt (Roxie) and David Judson (Billy Flynn) are supported by an experienced orchestra led by Pat Parr (Bay Area Critics Award) for a thought-provoking night of musical theatre in Jason Robert Brown’s sizzling ‘The Last Five Years’. The production opened Friday January 20 and continues Jan. 21, 27 and 28 at 8pm and Jan 22 and 29 at 2pm. Pleasanton’s Firehouse Arts Center is located in downtown Pleasanton at 4444 Railroad Ave.
Life at UC Berkeley – from Dublin Gaels to Cal Bears
Aslan Brown - UC Berkeley Freshman
Dublin High School Class of 2011 graduate, City of Dublin 2011 Young Citizen of the Year and University of California – Berkeley freshman Aslan Brown took a few minutes to share the experience of his first year at UC Berkeley with OneDublin.org.
OneDublin.org: Why did you choose UC Berkeley?
Aslan Brown: “I selected UC Berkeley because it’s one of the top public universities in the whole world. Its science program is amazing. I’m doing a biology major – molecular environmental biology – so I looked at schools based on where they rank in the sciences and Cal was in the top five.
“In addition, Cal is close to home – it’s only a 35-minute drive away so I can just pop home whenever I want to. If I crave some home cooking, or have some laundry [laughs] … mainly it’s just an amazing, prestigious school.”
OneDublin.org: What were the other schools you considered before selecting UC Berkeley?
Brown: “Others schools I considered were USC, a great private institution that is also good in the sciences, UC-San Diego and University of Chicago where I was wait-listed. I ultimately decided to stay closer to home and attend Cal.”
OneDublin.org: What has been the biggest transition from Dublin High School to UC Berkeley?
Brown: “There’s nobody telling you to do your homework, there’s nobody telling you to study, nobody telling you to do anything or making sure you are doing your stuff. It’s all on you, it’s all your own responsibility – if you slack off you are going to pay the consequences. You are not going to do well on the test or get that extra grade bump. A lot of the grade point differential between a B and an A is determined by the professor: they look at your test scores and see if there is an improvement. An individual’s drive is very important – the main difference is you have to be able to do it on your own.”
by Veronica Rubio (Dublin High School Class of 2011 and Carroll College freshman)
My name is Veronica Rubio and I am currently a freshman at a small, private, liberal arts college called Carroll College. It is located in Helena, Montana and is a very small school, with about 1,500 students. Carroll College has about the same number of students as the high school I graduated from, Dublin High School. I had a great experience at Dublin High. My teachers were terrific and the curriculum prepared me very well for Carroll. I made some great friends and was involved in the school through leadership, sports, and clubs. I had grown very comfortable at Dublin High and while I was excited to start college, I was also nervous about going to a school so far from home with a bunch of people I did not know. All of the Carroll’s brochures told me how nice the campus was, the challenge of the classes, and the community feeling of the school. I went and visited the school and really liked it, but I was still nervous. There was really no way of knowing what it would be like until I experienced it.
In August, my parents and I made the trip to Helena. I got my room all sorted out and before I knew it, I was by myself in Helena, Montana at a very small school with people I knew nothing about. However, after a short while I made friends and started classes. The brochures were right-the campus is very beautiful, the classes are challenging, and there is a true sense of community on campus. Anywhere I walk on campus I see someone I know or someone says hi. The scenery is beautiful, with snow-covered mountains and grass-covered hills everywhere. I am an elementary education major, and the classes for that major do challenge me and have already had me in a classroom observing a teacher and interacting with children.
Dublin High School Graduation
Carroll makes a significant effort to make you feel connected to the school and to meet people. All freshman (with the exception of a few students in certain situations) live in Guadalupe Hall at the bottom of a hill, about a five-minute walk from the football stadium and school gym. Guadalupe has an open door policy, meaning if you are in your room, your door needs to be open (unless, of course, you need some quiet time, are doing homework, or have another good reason). It creates a very close feeling throughout the hall and it helps people feel more comfortable to go into someone’s room and get to know them and visit with them.
Carroll also has many resources to get you involved on campus and they truly want their students to have a great experience at Carroll. All of my teachers knew my name and wanted me to do the best that I could. They went out of their way to help me in my classes. My counselor, whom I have met a few times, knew my name before I met her and has sent all of her students emails and letters to meet with her just to see how their semester is going. It is at a small school like Carroll where this could occur. At larger schools I have visited, there seems to be more distance between professors and counselors and their students. While that works perfectly fine for some students, I prefer to have a relationship with my teachers and counselors, and know I have people to turn to if I need help in classes or with anything else. At a small school like Carroll, teachers do know who you are and they want to help you do your best in school.
OneDublin.org 