Jan Cohen - Wells Middle School
“Celebrating Real Life Heroes” was the theme of the recent Alameda County Teacher of the Year awards ceremony held at San Leandro High School. According to the Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary a hero is “a man admired for his achievements and qualities”. We all know that this definition is shared equally with both genders. This is one of several anecdotes shared at the ceremony, held on Thursday, October 6.
Annually, the Alameda County Office of Education (ACOE) provides a forum to recognize educators throughout the County that have demonstrated excellence in their daily work. There were candidates from 16 school districts and 3 Regional Occupational Programs. This year, the nominee from the Dublin Unified School District (DUSD) was Jan Cohen, Mathematics Instructor at Wells Middle School. Jan is following the footsteps of recent Wells nominees John Cardinalli (retired Physical Education Instructor) and Erik Bertelson (current Instrumental Music Teacher).
Jan followed a non-traditional path into the teaching profession. After gaining her B.S. degree in Computer Science from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, she initiated her career as an Application Programmer at IBM in San Jose. As her career progressed, her family also began to grow. Faced with this dilemma, she primed her focus on raising her family and making a material impact at her children’s schools. She served in multiple capacities on the Parent Faculty Club (PFC) and the School Site Council (SSC). With her three children quickly progressing through school, Ms. Cohen decided to cement her commitment to education by pursuing and completing her Multiple-Subject Teaching Credential at California State University, Hayward in 1998. She has served this district since that time at both Frederiksen Elementary and Wells Middle School – employed as a Mathematics teacher since 2002.
To appreciate the scope of this award, we must take a moment to digest the number of possible candidates. There are hundreds of educators that are eligible for this recognition. To attain a nomination on behalf of your own district is a tremendous accomplishment on its own. OneDublin.org met recently with DUSD nominee, Jan Cohen, Wells Middle School.
Dublin High School Homecoming 2011 Video Diary
OneDublin.org’s Dublin High School Homecoming Video Diary is perfect for Dublin High Alumni, extended family members and anyone that wants to relive homecoming highlights. Included in this video diary are a 5-minute time-lapse movie of the Skit Rally, videos of each class skit, the Dublin High School Cheerleading and Pom Team performances, and a video of the Dublin High School Homecoming Parade. Sit back, pull up an iPad, smartphone or computer and enjoy the sights and sounds of Dublin High School’s 2011 Homecoming celebration. More OneDublin.org videos are available on the OneDublin.org YouTube Video Channel.
Dublin High School Homecoming Skit Rally Time Lapse Movie
Read more…
When preparing for a college admissions interview common sense dictates you arrive on time and well dressed to make the best first impression possible. Pre-Internet how you dressed and behaved in your spare time would be private. Not anymore – with the rapid rise of social networking, and most notably the success of Facebook, it is possible for a college admissions officer to see what you are up to after hours and on weekends. That critical first impression may happen before you arrive in person.
According to 2010 Kaplan survey, 10% of college recruiters already use social networking sites like Facebook to evaluate applicants (read more…), and at a recent Dublin High School Junior / Senior Night one Dublin High counselor noted that some college recruiters hold “Facebook Fridays” to further screen applicants using Facebook.
The extreme solution is to go offline – to remove yourself completely from the online world. That is neither realistic nor necessary. Less extreme is to never post anything on Facebook that you wouldn’t want a college admissions officer or potential employer to see or read – while advisable, that’s also difficult since your Facebook friends may be the source of embarrassing photos or statements.
The best approach is to lock down your Facebook privacy settings. The steps below are a good start:
Disable public search: by default your Facebook profile is visible to search engines (meaning Google, Bing, Yahoo, etc.). That means if someone searches on your name, your Facebook profile could show up in a search result. To change this setting go to Facebook’s Privacy Settings page, edit the settings for Apps and Websites and then make sure the Public Search check box is not checked. See the screen shots below for what to do step by step:
Dublin High School Homecoming Parade 2011 Street Closures
Dublin High 2010 Homecoming Queen Rachel Cooperstein
Due to the Dublin High School Homecoming Parade, there will be some street closures and re-routing of traffic on the afternoon of Friday, October 7th. Village Parkway will be closed in both directions from Amador Valley Boulevard to Davona Drive beginning at 2:45 p.m.
The Homecoming Parade starts at 3:45 p.m. at the Parkway Fellowship Church (formerly Parkway Baptist, located at 7485 Village Parkway next to Los Pericos). The Parade will continue down Village Parkway to the Dublin High parking lot next to the Dublin Swim Center. Class floats, royalty, car show winners, marching bands, cheerleaders, the football team, and representatives from every public school in Dublin will be participating.
Although it is expected that the parade will be over by 4:15 and roads may be re-opened as early as 4:30 p.m., motorists are being asked to plan as if the roads will be closed until at least 4:45 p.m. Members of Fitness 2000 and patrons of businesses in the Village Square Shopping Center will still have full access off of Amador Valley Boulevard during the duration of the street closures.
People planning on attending the parade are being encouraged to access the campus by heading west on Brighton Drive from Amador Valley Boulevard. Attendees are also being encouraged to arrive early. Alternative options for accessing the parade are Tamarack Drive east of Village Parkway (near Frederiksen Elementary) or west of Village Parkway on Brighton Drive (near Kolb Park and the DUSD District Office). Spectators can also park in the Village Square Shopping Center.
Following the parade, Dublin High School will be hosting its annual Homecoming Carnival, which is sponsored by the DHS Student Leadership class and nearly 30 campus clubs and organizations. There will be over 17 inflatables, 40 carnival games and attractions, live entertainment, and 16 food and beverage booths. The Homecoming Football game against Alhambra will be kicking off at 7:00 p.m.
More information on the Dublin High School Homecoming is available here or contact Tim Sbranti at (925) 858-5303.
Dublin High School’s Janet Kaehms Launches Biology With Research Class
Janet Kaehms with Dublin High students
OneDublin.org recently met with Dublin High School science teacher Janet Kaehms about the innovative new course “Biology With Research”, launched this year at Dublin High. The course makes real-world scientific research the cornerstone of the course, with students contributing to the Barcode of Life project as well as participating in the annual Alameda County Science and Engineering Fair. Dublin High students have responded with enthusiasm during the first few weeks of the new school year.
OneDublin.org: What sets your Biology With Research class apart from regular college prep Biology courses?
Janet Kaehms: My Biology With Research class is designed to cover the California state Biology standards while letting students participate in original research in a supervised manner. I use lab activities as a vehicle for my teaching rather than as a capstone activity. As a class we spend time learning about what makes good scientific research, how to troubleshoot our research activities and how to communicate our results clearly. Students then apply this knowledge repeatedly to a variety of topics and projects as they learn Biology content standards.
OneDublin.org: Describe the original research students complete in your Biology With Research class.
Barton Reading and Spelling System volunteers work with Wells Middle School students
Last year, the San Francisco Giants enjoyed a rollicking ride that led them to a World Series Championship. The team’s motto was “It’s magic inside!” – referring to AT&T Park. Much closer to home, we’ve come to realize that there’s a bit of magic happening inside of Room B-13 at Wells Middle School on a regular basis. OneDublin.org recently had the opportunity to observe the Barton Reading Program and to sit down with its Facilitator, Diana Orton Johansson.
The Barton Reading & Spelling System was developed by internationally recognized expert on the subject of dyslexia Susan Barton. Research demonstrated that a lack of phonemic awareness was preventing many students from mastering reading. Phonemic awareness is the ability to hear and to manipulate each sound in a word – in your head, without letters. The program was approved by the California Board of Education in 2003 and has gained acceptance across the nation. Through a generous grant engineered by Dublin Partners in Education (DPIE) and through ongoing support of the Wells Middle School PFC, the program was launched at Wells in 2005.
Students that benefit from Barton are not necessarily dyslexic. Rather, there are often other leading indicators that suggest an individual student could be a candidate for the program. Some of the signs include: comprehension difficulties, spelling the same word differently on the same page, poor recall of facts and difficulty planning/managing time. Students for the program are generally referred by site staff or by their families. The Barton learning system is highly technical and follows very specific rules. The work setting is strictly one-on-one (tutor/student) and takes place during first or second period two to three times per week. All Barton tutor volunteers must complete a minimum of 32 hours of formalized training.
OneDublin.org: How did you become involved in the Barton program?
Dublin High School Homecoming 2011 Schedule of Events
- Dublin High School Homecoming Rally 2009
Dublin High School’s Homecoming is an annual opportunity for students to collaborate in teams, problem solve and unleash their creativity. It’s also one of the fun highlights of the year for current students, Dublin High alumni and the community. The Dublin High School Homecoming 2011 theme is “Decades”, with each class competing for Homecoming points:
- Seniors: “2050’s” (futuristic)
- Juniors: “1870’s” (western)
- Sophomores: “1920’s”
- Freshmen: “330’s B.C.” (ancient Greece)
Dublin High School Homecoming Schedule 2011
Dublin High Homecoming kicks off Monday October 3 and concludes on Saturday October 8 with the Homecoming dance. There are events every day giving all students a chance to participate. Several events including the Homecoming parade, carnival and football game are open to the community. The Dublin High School PFSO has prepared a “Homecoming for Dummies” guide available here. Below is a full breakdown of planned events [UPDATE 10-4-2011 – several changes to the schedule have been announced by Dublin High due to rain in the first half of Homecoming week]:
Eric Swalwell Announces Run for Congress – Dublin High Grad Aims for New 15th District
Eric Swalwell, City of Dublin Councilmember and Alameda County District Attorney’s Office prosecutor, today announced his campaign for the newly drawn 15th District in the U.S. Congress for the 2012 election. Swalwell is a Dublin High School Class of ’99 grad (as well as the current president of the Dublin High Alumni Association) and earned his degree in law at the University of Maryland. Swalwell was profiled last year by OneDublin.org (read more…).
The California Citizens Redistricting Commission was tasked with re-drawing district lines for U.S. Congress, State Senate and State Assembly seats. The new district maps, released on August 15, represent a major shift in the California political landscape and an opportunity for newcomers like Swalwell to challenge incumbents. The California 15th District includes Dublin, Livermore, Pleasanton, Castro Valley, Hayward, Union City and portions of unincorporated Alameda County (interactive maps available here). The 2012 election will also feature an open primary (approved by California voters in 2010 via Prop. 14), meaning the top two vote-getters in primary races will face-off in the general election, regardless of political party.
OneDublin.org met with Eric Swalwell about his run for the new U.S. Congress 15th District:
Harvey Mudd College President Maria Klawe on Women in Science, Math and Engineering
OneDublin.org recently spoke with Harvey Mudd College president Dr. Maria Klawe. Klawe earned her Ph.D. in mathematics from the University of Alberta in 1977 and joined Harvey Mudd in 2006 after serving as Princeton University’s dean of engineering and computer science. Klawe serves on the boards of Microsoft and Broadcom, and for her academic service has received numerous awards and honorary doctorates.
Harvey Mudd College is a private institution located in Claremont, California and is one of the top math, science and engineering colleges in the US, accepting only one-third of applicants. Harvey Mudd is part of the Claremont Colleges consortium that includes Claremont McKenna College, Pitzer College, Pomona College and Scripps College.
OneDublin.org: What sparked your interest in technology?
Maria Klawe: When I was a child I pretty much liked everything, but especially math, music and poetry. I turned 60 this year so when I was a child, girls didn’t do math and didn’t do engineering. I was determined to do everything that boys did. So initially I decided I would study engineering because it was a way to combine math and art, science and design, as well as doing something that girls didn’t do.
OD: What advice do you have for middle and high school students who have an interest in STEM fields (science, technology, engineering and math)?
Klawe: My first message is hard work is much more important than being super smart. The reason I say this is that in our country we tend to think of math and science as something you’re born good at rather than something you work hard to be good at, whereas with basketball or baseball or music we know practice makes a huge difference.
It doesn’t matter who learns math faster. What matters is whether you put in the time and perseverance in actually learning the material thoroughly. Everybody can be good at math. It’s a question of hard work and persistence more than anything else, and if it takes you a long time to learn something, that doesn’t mean you aren’t going to be good at it. It just means it took you a long time to learn it.
My second message – and this is particularly important for students once they’re in high school or college – is to be aware of the “imposter syndrome”. It often happens that even though a student seems to be doing very well, he or she doubts that they really deserve the success that they have. Because of that doubt, if something goes wrong and the student gets a poor grade unexpectedly, or has a teacher who doesn’t express confidence in their ability to succeed in the course, the student may not work as hard and then not do as well.
It’s important to know that the imposter syndrome is something that many people suffer from, and that it’s persistence and hard work that will make the difference, and that if you just keep pushing on it and get encouragement and help from others, you’re going to do just fine.
Meet Wells Middle School Principal Kevin Grier
Wells Middle School’s new principal, Dr. Kevin Grier, has a passion for middle school education. Kevin earned his undergraduate degree in political science from the University of California – Irvine, and went on to earn a masters and Ed.D. in education leadership from Azusa Pacific University. Kevin was most recently a principal at El Roble Intermediate School in the Claremont Unified School District. Wells Middle School’s former principal, Kathy Rosselle, retired earlier this year.
OneDublin.org recently met with Kevin to learn more about his approach to leading a middle school, the differences between elementary and middle schools, and how parents can best help their middle school students succeed.
OneDublin.org 