Support Dublin School Projects via DonorsChoose.org
Have you ever thought about where your money goes when you make a charitable donation for public education? An innovative web-based charity, Donors Choose, lets you direct your donations to specific projects. Donors Choose describes themselves this way: “Our mission is to improve public education by empowering every teacher to be a change-maker and enabling any citizen to be a philanthropist.”
Donors Choose enables individual teachers to describe a classroom project – and share that project with the world via the Internet. The power of small donations is then harnessed to fund those projects – and donors get to choose exactly where a donation is directed (hence “Donors Choose”). Oprah Winfrey recently included Donors Choose on Oprah’s Ultimate Favorite Things 2010.
There have already been several projects in Dublin public schools funded via Donors Choose (two of those success stories have been written up in Dublin Patch – see below for links to those articles as well as a special Borders promotion with Donors Choose taking place this weekend Dec 4-5).
If you are looking to share some holiday donations with Dublin public schools, below are shortcuts to Dublin public school projects. Each project was submitted by a teacher and describes exactly how the funding will be used. Donors Choose purchases and ships the item(s) requested by the teacher, notifying the school principal, and requires feedback from the teacher on the project. The goal is complete transparency. More information on how Donors Choose works is available here. Here are links to Dublin public school projects listed on Donors Choose (projects can be added at any time – you can search by County, School, type of project, and many other attributes):
- Dublin High School Donors Choose projects: click here
- Fallon School Donors Choose projects: click here
- Wells Middle School Donors Choose projects: click here
- Dublin Elementary School Donors Choose projects: click here
- Frederiksen Elementary School Donors Choose projects: click here
- John Green Elementary School Donors Choose projects: click here
- Murray Elementary School Donors Choose projects: click here
- Valley High School Donors Choose projects: click here
Life as a Vaquero at Santa Barbara City College
Cynthia Moore (left) and friend
by Cynthia Moore (Dublin High School Class of 2010 grad and Santa Barbara City College Freshman)
I am a freshman at Santa Barbara City College pursuing degrees in both English and Theatre Arts. As finals week quickly approaches, I can’t help but think about all that I have accomplished in the last 12 months. I have legally become an adult, moved out of my parents’ house, and started college. With all those milestones accumulating, my responsibilities accumulated as well. Needless to say, I was terrified. But hopefully my experiences will help you when you reach your first year of college.
The first thing I wish I would have known is that it is absolutely normal to be homesick. You will not be the only one going through it and you do not have to be ashamed or embarrassed to admit if you are. And odds are, your family misses you as much as you miss them. To ease the homesickness, call home a few times a week or put up some pictures of friends from back home. Just make sure you don’t spend your entire time staring that those pictures.
OneDublin.org – Year 1 Summary
OneDublin.org was founded one year ago – Thanksgiving 2009 – with a simple goal: spotlight the achievements of Dublin students to inspire education excellence. Below are some highlights from our first year:
OneDublin.org Year 1 Statistics:
- Our website has been viewed over 53,000 times (growing from one page to over 400 pages of content)
- Our Facebook page has over 900 fans
- Our YouTube channel has a diverse library of 66 videos that have been viewed over 18,000 times
OneDublin.org’s most popular articles:
Ravali Reddy (right) and friends at the USC game
by Ravali Reddy (Dublin High School Class of 2010 grad and Stanford University Freshman)
I have wanted to attend Stanford University ever since I was a little kid. I remember telling people in 5th grade that Stanford was the perfect place for me, and I spent many years thinking about what it would be like to drive down Palm Drive as an actual student, as opposed to just another dazed high school student, eager to take photos and trick the admissions staff into letting me in. This September, my dreams came true as my parents and I piled into the car and made the 45-minute trip to campus, where I was greeted, by signs and excited dorm staff, as a member of the Stanford University class of 2014.
What most people don’t know is that I actually wasn’t sure whether I was going to attend Stanford. When I was accepted back in March, I spent many days going back and forth between Stanford and some of the other universities I was accepted to. I kept wondering how I was supposed to know I was making the right decision. After all, up until this year, I only spent time thinking about what electives to take and where I wanted to go for lunch, but this was a decision that was going to decide the course of my entire future. I made numerous pro and con lists, solicited advice from many people, and changed my mind about four times between finally settling on Stanford. I figured that my 12-year-old self had fallen in love with it for a reason, and that if all else failed, at least I was avoiding the snow (I don’t fare well in the cold).
Coming to Stanford ended up being the best decision I’ve ever made. I don’t know what exactly it is, but being here just feels right. I love the people, I love my classes, and I love being at Stanford when I wake up every morning. Now, don’t get me wrong, I was terrified at the thought of leaving Dublin. Stanford’s known for being a highly selective school, and I was scared that when it came down to it, I wouldn’t measure up. I was afraid that all people would care about was grades and that the competition would leave me no time to have fun, but I was completely wrong. Sure my classes are hard, but I go to a school that is all about working together. I don’t feel like anyone is out to get me. I work with my peers and we help each other out, and my grades are looking just as good as ever. I’m currently pre-med, which means I hope to attend medical school after graduating, and I’m still trying to figure out what I am going to major in. Right now, I’m looking at everything from biology to economics to communications, but since I don’t have to declare until the end of my sophomore year, right now I’m just trying out several different fields and seeing what I enjoy most.
Dublin High School Phase 2A Photo Tour and Preview
Dublin High School is unrecognizable for many DHS Alumni. It has been one ribbon cutting after another over the past few years since Dublin voters approved Bond Measure ‘C’ to renew our schools.
First it was Gael Stadium, then came the Math and Science Buildings and most recently the Dublin High Sports Complex. Up next is perhaps the most dramatic of the ribbon cuttings. After the December break Dublin High students, educators, and administrators will move into brand new buildings that complete the renewal of all academic classrooms, the library, counseling and student services and the administrative offices. This is Phase 2A of the overall renewal project (the most recent Bond Measure ‘C’ update from the District is available here).
Below is a photo tour of the new facilities. Dublin High students are in for a very exciting New Year when they enter these modern, state-of-the-art facilities at the start of classes in January 2011. Since a picture is worth a thousand words, here are photos in lieu of words. Enjoy.
Dublin High Class of ’80 Alumni Bill Fulton in Running for a Grammy
Dublin High School Class of 1980 alumni Bill Fulton was recently notified of a prestigious honor. His name was included on the ballot for a Grammy in Category 9 – Best Pop Instrumental Performance. Previous winners in this category include The Eagles, Joni Mitchell, George Harrison, Eric Clapton and B. B. King. You can listen to Bill’s nominated composition and performance, “Shizzle Dizzle“, here. The performance also includes renowned musician Eric Marienthal on alto sax (Eric has performed with Chick Corea and many other great artists). Thirty years ago Bill won another prestigious award – the “John Philip Sousa Band Award” – at Dublin High School for his musical accomplishments as a student.
OneDublin.org recently spoke with Mr. Fulton about his career in music and time in Dublin. Bill entered Dublin High School in his sophomore year after his family moved to Dublin from Alameda. The move to Dublin proved a pivotal point for Bill’s future in music because it was after arriving in Dublin that Bill’s family purchased their first piano (made possible by having a house for the first time).
Bill Fulton - DHS Yearbook (1980)
Bill Fulton: When [my parents] got a piano all of a sudden it seemed like this ability opened up. It was very natural to me – it was all I wanted to do. I started writing for the concert band at school and I suddenly had this interest in pursuing music. It was kind of late, I was already 15 – 16 years old, whereas a lot of people start to learn the piano when they are 5 or 6 years old. My folks were incredibly supportive – whatever I was passionate about they were behind it.
My Dublin High band teachers Harry Sweet and Jim Zuniga were inspirational in their own ways. Jim Zuniga not only conducted the band but also wrote and arranged the music, and he was very supportive of my efforts. We even collaborated on some arrangements for the band. They were both positive influences.
Much Ado About Nothing, Shakespeare’s beloved romantic comedy, opened at Las Positas College Friday evening showcasing Dublin High School (and Wells Middle School) Drama Director Bryant Hoex in the lead role of Benedick and Dublin High graduate Mac Meyer as Boracchio. The Las Positas production featured an ensemble cast of students, local community members and seasoned actors. The performance was held in the recently opened Las Positas College Center for the Arts (funded by Livermore Measure B). Much Ado About Nothing is the first production of many to be staged in the intimate 150-seat BlackBox Theater. The Center for the Arts also includes a 500-seat theater and 1,500-seat outdoor amphitheater.
Director Ken Ross chose to set the play in America circa 1890 – and the setting proved a refreshing take on the well-known play (originally set in Renaissance Italy). From the music, to costumes, props and the stage, the scene was convincingly set. The play depends on strong performances from Leonato, Don Pedro, Claudio, Hero, and in particular Benedick and Beatrice – and the cast didn’t disappoint. Particularly strong was Kara Penrose in the role of Beatrice – she owned the stage and stole the show, creating a convincing (and combative) romance with Benedick (played with terrific comic timing by Dublin High School Drama Director Bryant Hoex).
Bryant Hoex as Benedick
Hoex made clever use of the theater layout – surrounded on three sides by the audience – by crawling through the seats during the always entertaining eavesdropping scene. Timothy Ackerman, in the role of Leonato, perfectly captured a father’s anguish when learning of Hero’s accusal (and anger when the accusal was proved false). Dublin High graduate Mac Meyer, in the role of Boracchio, provided solid support (Mr. Meyer previously appeared in Dublin High productions including Lend me a Tenor and Once Upon a Mattress). Of note also was Terra Taz Balbuena in the role of Verges – one of the officers (appropriately styled as “Keystone Kops”) that unravel Don Pedro’s plot to disgrace Hero. Ms. Balbuena was hilarious – making the most of few words through effective pantomime. Costume Designer Wesley Morgan’s attention to detail proved important with the audience surrounding, and just inches from, the stage.
Much Ado About Nothing continues for an extended run at the Las Positas College Center for the Arts: November 13-14, 19-21 and 26-28. Tickets are available here.
Bryant Hoex also recently directed Much Ado About Nothing – the Dublin High School production – last year (reviewed here…) and was recently profiled in Dublin Patch.
Happy Birds Take Flight at Green Elementary School
OneDublin.org and the Green Elementary School PFC partnered to bring Happy Birds to Green Elementary School. Students and teachers alike cheered on Ed and Julie Cardoza’s amazing menagerie of trained parrots. Happy Birds have performed across California and have been featured on The Ellen Show. From singing “Rock-a-Bye Birdy” to flying just inches above the heads of Green students the Cardoza’s feathered performers kept the audience enthralled. The performance was more than just time out of the classroom – the students learned about the value of practice, hard work and how to have fun while learning.
Parrots are intelligent birds that love the attention of a live audience. They are also an extraordinary responsibility. The Cardoza’s reminded everyone in attendance that owning a parrot is (potentially) a 100-year decision as parrots can live longer than most humans. As a result, parrots are best owned by trained professionals – not casual pet owners. The Cardoza menagerie of parrots are all domestically bred or rescue animals – not captured in the wild.
For those who missed the event (and that means most parents of Green Elementary School students), OneDublin.org filmed both shows (excerpts below including an interview with Ed and Julie Cardoza):
My homecoming football game!
by Sarah Wolfish (Dublin High Class of 2010 graduate and Columbia University / JTS Freshman)
I am not your typical college student. I am a proud freshman of List College, a joint program with Columbia University and the Jewish Theological Seminary of America (JTS). What’s a joint program? A joint program means that in four years, I will be graduating with two separate bachelor degrees—one from Columbia University and one from the JTS. This means that sometimes I will be taking as many as seven classes a semester in order to graduate on time (most college students take four classes a semester).
Although my workload is hard, I absolutely love it here. I consider myself the luckiest girl in the world. Not only do I go to both a small school (my JTS freshman class is only 51 people) and a larger school (my Columbia freshman class is 1,419 people), but I am eighteen years old and I live in New York City!
I live in a city that literally never sleeps. If I’m bored I can go explore Central Park, go see a show in Times Square (Columbia students get extremely discounted tickets to most shows and free admittance to all museums in Manhattan), or go grab a sandwich at Katz’s in the lower east side. There’s always something going on and I’m trying really hard to take advantage of every opportunity.
There are endless activities to do here, which means there are endless distractions too. What’s different between college and high school is that in college, the only homework is reading, essays, and tests. There are no homework assignments and quizzes to make sure you’re keeping up. It’s up to the individual student to make sure he or she is caught up or to make sure he or she understands. That means that it’s really up to you whether or not you should go see a show or write a paper; no one is here to tell you what you should do. College means managing time. I could easily find something to do on campus or in Manhattan to take up all of my time, but I can’t. As a college student, you have to have priorities and find a balance.
Could Fallon School have a new Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Program starting in the Fall of 2011? A Fallon STEM Program has been presented as one option regarding next steps to address forecasted elementary student growth at Green, Fallon and Kolb (opening Fall 2011). The proposal has many questions yet to be answered and wouldn’t completely address the issues facing the Dublin Unified School District, but is the only option that has potential upside for students, parents and the community. OneDublin.org supports the Fallon STEM Proposal in concept, conditional on Green and Kolb remaining K-5 elementary schools for students that do not participate in the Fallon STEM Program. Important questions still need to be answered (as detailed below).
Unforecasted growth at the elementary school level has triggered a passionate debate over how to best serve students and families in Green, Fallon and Kolb (opening Fall 2011) schools. The San Ramon Unified School District is facing similar challenges where enrollment is 500 students over forecast (read more…).
The Dublin Unified School District’s proposal to turn Green and Kolb into K-4 schools, and Fallon into a middle school with a standalone 5th grade program, has met with stiff opposition led by Dublin parent Lisa Doherty’s open letter opposed to the District’s initial proposal (read more…) with permission by OneDublin.org) and a subsequent petition fielded by concerned parents (that garnered over 400 signatures, read more…).
As a result, several alternative proposals are being investigated by the District via a recently fielded District survey (results available here…) and additional community meetings. One of the proposals is to create an optional Fallon STEM Program open to all 5/6 grade students in the District. If enough parents and students are interested in this program it would help balance the enrollment at Fallon, Green and Kolb.
In March 2008 the Congressional Research Service released a comprehensive report (read more…) on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education for Congress. The report states, “In a recent international assessment of 15-year-old students, the U.S. ranked 28th in math literacy and 24th in science literacy. Moreover, the U.S. ranks 20th among all nations in the proportion of 24-year-olds who earn degrees in natural science or engineering.”
While STEM fields and courses are not relevant or of interest to all students, we have a responsibility to better support and encourage those students with a proficiency and interest in STEM fields before they enter high school. Informal polling by OneDublin.org of parents in the community, and the results of a recent District survey (read more…), has demonstrated strong interest in the proposal. OneDublin.org recommends that the Dublin Unified School District pursue a Fallon STEM Program as part of the solution to the current Green / Fallon / Kolb challenges.
OneDublin.org 