San Leandro Unified School District Board of Education - Special Meeting

started good evening everyone i'm going to call this meeting to order as this is an official board meeting this evening um can we commence with the roll call please trustee borja right here trustee martinez trustee ashinsky present trustee pearl present trustee parola trustee rocha trustee sheridan student board member steven tapia

All right, thank you. Trustee Martinez, will you please lead us all in the Pledge of Allegiance this evening?

May I ask you all to stand and face the flag, please? Ready, begin. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

All right, can we get a motion to approve the agenda this evening? Do we have a second on the approval of the agenda? Thank you. All right, that item is moved by Vice President Oshinsky and seconded by Trustee Martinez and our student board member. Do we have any questions or comments? Seeing none, please vote. Okay, that item moves seven zero plus one. I'm gonna go ahead and read our legal statement this evening. Members of the audience who wish to address the board are asked to complete the yellow card available at the entrance and submit it to the board's executive assistant. Speakers who have completed the card will be called when the item is reached on the agenda or for non-agenda items during the public testimony. Cards are to be turned in before the item is reached on the agenda. Please note that the meeting is being recorded. state law prohibits the board of education from taking any action on or discussing items that are not on the posted agenda except to a briefly respond to statements made or questions posed by the public in attendance b ask questions for clarification c provide a reference to a staff member or other resource for factual information in response to the inquiry or d ask a staff member to report back on the matter at the next meeting and or put it on a future agenda government code 54954.2a We do have one speaker this evening. Speakers have one minute. I'm gonna go ahead and call up Emily Chandler, please.

Hello, thank you. I'm a mom of a San Leandro High student, a Bancroft Middle School student. My name is Emily. We are wrestling parents, and the wrestling community was made aware this week that the space that the wrestlers have used at San Leandro High for many years. I'm a new parent as of a year and a half as a wrestling parent, so... It seems standard as my one and a half years of time there that we used the mat space at San Leandro High at FTK, but it was immediately revoked kind of without any information. So I would just like the school district, if they can, to give a brief response today. And if there's any reference you can give me to How Bancroft Middle School students might still have access. So important for these kids to participate in this stellar program. Coaches are amazing. Can't say enough about it. The summer is not the summer without a week of wrestling camp that they provide. Great, great service. They're also like second parents to our kids. So would love, love, love our kids to continue. And it's our favorite thing about the school district.

Thank you. I think that's our only public comment tonight. We're not allowed to respond to an item that's not agendized, but what I will say is that we have received the messages from the wrestling families, and we have been briefed by the superintendent, and our understanding is that he has directed staff to respond to the wrestling community. So you should be receiving information to clarify... the issue soon, I would imagine. It should have gone out by today. If it's not, it should be very soon. And you should feel free to follow up with us if you have additional questions after that, communication goes out. Thank you very much for your comment. All right, I'm gonna move us on to our main item. We have wonderful presentations from many of our schools this evening. Our superintendent is not available to join us this evening. He's typically here as this is an official board meeting. His son is receiving an award tonight at his school district. as a promoting eighth grader. So he sends his regards and is excited for us to all get to partake. We're going to begin with our first school. We're going to invite up Bancroft Middle School. Come on up.

Good evening, my name is Alexa Navarro and I'm a student here at Bancroft Middle School.

I'm Elle. I'm Alice. And I'm Vy.

And we are proud members of the Bancroft Drama Program. We are here today, tonight, to celebrate our schools and to share something we love about it. Drama is just a class.

It's where we make things, we write scripts from scratch, we build paper mache masks, we paint sets, we run the soundboard, and we pick and perform a lot of music. We do everything and we do it together.

When we first joined drama, a lot of us were nervous getting on stage in front of people. That was terrifying.

But we practiced, we built courage, and we built trust with each other.

One of the biggest challenges was time management. Writing a full script and producing a whole play in one school year takes real commitment. Managing rehearsals, memorizing lines, showing up even when it's hard. But you know what? We did it.

What we love about drama is that it's fun. You meet people, you perform.

It's a space with very little judgment. You get to take risks you'd never take anywhere else. When you get on stage, you're putting yourself out there. You're memorizing all your lines when you're vulnerable. And that takes real courage.

We feel stressed right before we go on, but then we get up there and suddenly we feel confident because we know each other. We know everyone's name. Even if we're taking a big risk, it's a safe place.

One thing we've learned is that you can't just leave it up to one person. You have to work together.

Oh, and we want people to know, especially kids, when we're thinking about joining, is this. It's fun. Don't judge it. Some people think drama is a little weird. But if you put yourself out there, you're going to have fun. You're going to find your place. We did. This spring, the Bancroft Drama Club performed A Wrinkle in Time, a full production that we staged and brought to life.

Tonight, two of our cast members are going to share a piece of that performance with you.

Please welcome Ana Araujo Chavez and Sofia Zamora Alvarado.

Hush, hush, little one.

No one has any intention of leaving anyone. That is not our way. But we do know that just because we want something doesn't mean we will always get what we want. We can't let you go back to your present state, or you might do something that might jeopardize us all. But I know you want your father to go rushing back to Camazotz, and he probably would. But then, if he got stuck there too, where would we be? Hi. Quiet, little one. Rest. Yes, small one, of course.

I don't even know what I would call you.

Hmm, I don't know your words. Perhaps let your mind think of someone that would come to me. From your own mind, close your eyes and think. Mother? No. Mother's special. A one-of-a-kind word. And a father you have here. Not your friend or teacher or brother. Ha! Acquaintance. What a funny, hard word. Monster, well that was a horror sort of word. I don't think I am a monster. Beast, oh yes, that's nice, that will do. Aunt Beast, now little one, you must rest, get well.

Thank you, Anna and Sophia, that was incredible. Bancroft isn't just drama. Our school is full of talented students in every corner of the arts. It is now our honor to introduce the Bancroft band.

Thank you. do do Thank you. ? ? ? And now we'd like to welcome our principal. Please welcome Principal Jeff Sloan.

Can we get a round of applause for our very talented emcees? All right, so thank you everyone that came up here. These kids are thrown into it every year and they're really just showing up for Bancroft. We have an amazing arts program and there are so many options. Every year that I've been here so far, I see it growing and building. So each year, we do like to highlight part of Bancroft where students can see themselves grow, find themselves, learn, expand themselves. And for some of them, it is drama. And for some, it's our amazing music program. The student that I would like to talk about for this year's Superintendent's Award has not chosen one particular space. And so I'm just gonna say now Prince Eugene White is this year's winner of the superintendent's award Unfortunately, he cannot be here tonight because he is at our peer advocate culminating Camping trip, which is another amazing thing that Bancroft offers But his parents are very proud and they're here to accept his award in his absence Prince Prince's teachers unanimously describe him as a student who consistently puts in the work. He has an attention to detail and unmistakable care for the finished product. But what truly separates Prince apart from that is his excellence does not stop in academics. As a peer advocate, he welcomes new students, mediates conflicts. He actively works to improve the school experience for everyone around him. All while completing multiple sports, maintaining the kind of positive attitude that makes his classroom, that makes every classroom that he enters better. And his impact on his peers and on Bancroft as a school, you can really see it. Just any space that he's in feels more positive, more welcoming. What makes Prince so remarkable is that his excellence was not handed to him. He definitely did choose it. He would not have been on my short list of students three years ago that would have won this prize. But he made deliberate decisions about the person that he wants to be. And he's lived those decisions out every single day in the way that he treats his peers, how he shows up in the classroom, and how he leads by example without ever seeking the spotlight. So congratulations, Prince. And Mr. White and Ms. Ear, please come on up so we can hand you his trophy. All right, I also have the honor of recognizing someone who really embodies part of our motto, which is take care of Bancroft. And so, I'm not gonna keep it hidden, Amaryllis Hulerio-Lopez, congratulations, you have won Volunteer of the Year. You can come on up right now if you're here. I know you're here. So come on up. Ms. Eulerio Lopez is ever present on our campus. She attends every school site council meeting, every coffee chat. She's outspoken and she's critical, but it's always in the service of our school and of our students. She speaks up and makes sure that our kids get what they need. She shows up at every volunteer opportunity. She staffs the game card at lunch. She brings joy to our students every single day. She brings food to celebrate our staff, which I know they appreciate immensely. And she really believes that they deserve to be seen and appreciated. And she definitely also deserves to be seen and appreciated. She's a constant presence, a fierce advocate, and a true partner in everything that we do at Baycroft. So congratulations. All right. Thank you so much. Go Broncos.

Let's give it up one more time for Bancroft Middle School. All right. We're going to shift down to our elementary school students now, starting with Jefferson Elementary School. Come on up.

Good evening, my name is Darien.

We will be your MCs for the evening.

Welcome to the celebration of our beautiful school, Jefferson Elementary.

Bienvenidos a la noche de celebración de nuestra hermosa escuela, La Primaria Jefferson.

As a community school, we know learning happens best when we stand side by side with our whole community, past, present, and future.

Como escuela comunitaria, sabemos que el aprendizaje se produce de la mejor manera cuando estamos codo con codo con nuestra comunidad entera del pasado, del presente, y del futuro.

Our community school values guide everything we do. Programs to support students, opportunities for new learning activities, a school in partnership with family and community, and collaborative leadership.

Nuestros valores de las escuelas comunitarias guían todo lo que hacemos. Programas de apoyo a los estudiantes, oportunidades para que realicen actividades nuevas, una escuela trabajando en equipo con las familias y la comunidad y un liderazgo colaborativo.

Tonight we're excited to share a day in the life of a Jaguar with all of you. To our school board trustees, superintendent, educators, families, students, and community members here with us today, we invite you to join us for our community meeting.

Esta noche estamos emocionados por compartir con todos ustedes un día en la vida de un jaguar. A los miembros de la junta escolar, al superintendente, a los educadores, a las familias y a los estudiantes y a los miembros de la comunidad los invitamos a nuestra reunión comunitaria.

Let's join our peacemakers Victor and Gabby and make our very own Jaguar to start the meeting right off right.

Please repeat after us, be loud and proud.

Be loud and proud. Everywhere we go.

Everywhere we go. People wanna know. People wanna know.

Who we are.

Who we are.

So we tell them.

We are Jefferson.

We are Jefferson.

Mighty mighty jaguars.

Mighty mighty jaguars.

And if they can't hear us. And if they can't hear us. We'll say it a little louder.

We'll say it a little louder.

We are Jefferson.

We are Jefferson.

Mighty mighty jaguars.

Mighty mighty jaguars. A todos lados que vamos. La gente quiere saber La gente quiere saber Quienes somos Quienes somos Entonces les decimos Entonces les decimos Somos Jefferson Somos Jefferson Jaguares poderosos Jaguares poderosos Y si no escuchan Y si no escuchan Entonces les gritamos Entonces les gritamos Somos Jefferson Somos Jefferson Jaguares poderosos.

Jaguares poderosos.

One, two, three, roar!

Thank you, Gabby and Victor. We love your jaguar spirit.

Gracias, Gabby and Victor. Nos encanta su espíritu de jaguar.

One of the things we love best about our school are the many opportunities to showcase the multicultural beauty of our community. Please help us welcome our Jaguar presenting la madrugada. You got it, you got it, you got it.

You got it, you got it.

I'll see you next time. Let's go. is is

And now the Jefferson Chorus will be playing Lift Every Voice and Sing.

Every voice and sing to earth and heaven ring. Ring with the harmonies of liberty. Let our rejoicing rise high as the listening skies. Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us. Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us. Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us Wow.

We love all the ways our Jaguars shine and what better way to close out the meeting than by highlighting the student leaders working together to help make our school a place of joy and powerful learning opportunities.

¿Y qué mejor manera de cerrar esta reunión de descartando a los líderes estudiantiles que trabajan juntos para ayudar a hacer de nuestra escuela un lugar de alegría y poderosas oportunidades de aprendizaje?

Hello, I am Rona Shana Cabais, the student council president, a fifth grader, and my first year in leadership. Working with others has been an enriching experience. This year has taught me that our generation, although still young, can learn and accomplish as much as adults. With our stewardship and work, we have provided joy, entertainment, and experiences for entire school, TK through fifth grade.

Hi, my name is Bailey and I'm in the fifth grade. I have been a student council for two years now. One of the things I love most about being in my leadership program is that our goal is to make our school a more fun environment. Our New York Winter Wonderland dance was from third to fifth grade students. It was one of the most funnest events of this year. We had glow sticks, music, pizza, friends, and more. I've learned to think critically and relate to others more productively because of the work and reflection we do as student council.

Hi, I'm Angel Yu and treasurer for student council. One of the things I love most about student council is selling candy grams. It will help me plan for a business later and I hope this experience early as a student leader. Candy grams give our school a way to show how much they care for each other across grades. The student council has taught me how to communicate and work with others while planning fun activities for our school.

Hello everyone, my name is Camila and I am a treasurer. One of the things I love most is putting our annual talent show. We work hard painting posters and making presentations to spread the word to get lots of performers. It is fun and amazing experience. It includes collaboration, imagination, and persistence. The student council has taught me life lessons that I will use for the rest of my life. Buenas tardes, me llamo Camila Pacheco y soy una tesorera del Consejo Estudiantil. Una de las cosas que más amo es organizar el concurso de talento. Cada miembro trabaja duro pintando los carteles de nuestros nuevos eventos. Es una experiencia divertida y asombrosa, la cual incluyó colaboración, imaginación y persistencia. Yo aprendí lecciones de vida que siempre usaré.

Hi, my name's Xin Yan. I'm a fifth grade member of Student Council. I love how we help our San Angelo community. For example, we had a Love Camp food drive for the past two years now, and we gave over 450 pounds of food to the pantry across the street from our school this year. Being a part of student council taught us new things, helped us grow and gave us confidence. We learned how to be leaders, work together and speak up. We're proud of what we did this year. Thank you for your time and joining us here to learn all about the unique programs we have at Jefferson.

Thank you for those powerful words. And thank you to all the Jefferson staff who support students in finding their voice as leaders.

And now our principal and assistant principal would like to recognize some very important members of our community.

Can we please get a big round of applause for our MCs, Camila Pacheco and Darian Hill. That was amazing. And keep it going for all of our Jefferson performers. Welcome to our community meeting. My name is Principal Avellina.

And I am Elba Herrera, the vice principal at Jefferson. And ready, ready? Yes, this is the exciting part. It is my honor and pleasure to introduce to you our superintendents award. Rona Cena Verdejo Cabez. We are so proud to have Rona as a Jaguar here at Jefferson Elementary since second grade. Rona is bright, reflective, academically accomplished, and more importantly, she's a leader, a bridge builder, and someone who lights up the room. We are so excited for her journey to middle school, high school, and beyond. We know she will excel wherever she goes. It is an honor to recognize you as our superintendent's award.

Wow. Mi turno. Nos complace anunciar el nombre de nuestra voluntaria del año, Dinora Sibrian Soto. La invito al escenario. Dinora es una mama de jaguares en primer grado y kinder y una líder en nuestra comunidad. Ella es una voluntaria dedicada y comprometida al mejoramiento académico de sus hijos y todos los demás niños en nuestra escuela. La puedes encontrar igual en posiciones de liderazgo con los comités de ELAC, SSC, y PTA, y también en los pasillos de nuestra escuela tomando fotos de niños de kinder en su ropa de promoción y ayudando a los niños a aprender sus letras. La queremos y la apreciamos por todas estas razones y más. Y es nuestro honor presentarla con el reconocimiento del voluntario del año.

All right, let's give it up for our Jefferson Jaguars. Thank you so much. All right, as they make their way down, we will start to welcome up our next school, McKinley Elementary School. Come on up.

Hello, everyone. My name is Desi, and I'm currently in fifth grade. At McKinley, I'm preparing to graduate in the class of 2033. Looking at the graduate profile, McKinley helps us to become critical thinkers. By critically thinking at recess, deciding on how we should react when playing with others, we think hard in the classroom about academics and how to prepare for schoolwork. At last, we think very hard about our behavior, trying to react appropriately to what people have to say and what is necessary. McKinley also pays attention to keep our health, mind, body, and mind clean during the daily Eagle announcements to help our eagles soar all day. McKinley also offers counselors for students four days a week to keep their minds fresh and ready for school. We also have free food with fruits and vegetables to keep our body running healthy, and we have recess and physical exercises so we have enough energy to go through the day. For our communicators and collaborators at McKinley in the classrooms, we have classroom discussions and group projects so everyone's voice is heard. And we also work together and communicate to see different perspectives. For ethical and cultural leaders, our leadership team is diverse and organizes fun activities like field day and spirit week. Now let's kick off to the video showing that we are McKay.

Camera rollin'! Adios! Go. let's go we put a new twist on what we do this ain't nothing you ain't seen before every grade has a story is coming through now Even if you knew us, you ain't seen it like this. Let's go. TK agents make change every day. What else? Big kind hearts making moves every day. What else? Kinder dreams of college for the future. Okay. Each new school helps all their goals grow. First came through with their facts and their writing. Right, right. Details on the page make writing exciting. So exciting. Second puts the past on the line. Facts and photos make all their timelines shine, shine. I'm from a K. I'm from a K. I rap it hard. I rap it hard. We're soaring high. Eagles make the school feel with pride. that eagle crew that eagle crew we live with heart we work real hard that's what we do first grade second hey third grade fourth grade fifth grade I'm from the K. I rap it hard. I rap it hard. We're soaring high. Eagles make the school filled with pride. Filled with pride. I'm from the K. I'm from the K. That Eagle crew. That Eagle crew. We lead with heart. We work real hard as well. We'll be right back. We put a new twist on what we do. This ain't nothing you ain't seen before. Every great other story is coming through now. This ain't nothing you ain't seen before. From TK to 5th, we show our way. This ain't nothing you ain't seen before. It go one, two, three, even if you knew us. Woo! You ain't seen it like this.

Just soar like this.

We're from me.

We go all the way. We are okay. We're here to stay. We're in the house. As in the school board, when you heard me shout you out, tweet the spot with, we're in the house. Okay, everyone? Let's do another run as we are today. Ready, position. Yes! Give me an E! On three! One, two, three! Give me an E! One, two, three. Ha ha ha ha ha. Let's hear it! Let's hear it! Let's hear it! I said it. I meant it. I'm here to represent it. Let me hear it one more time. I said it. Let's hear it! Let's hear it! Let's hear it! I said it. I meant it. I'm here to represent it. Let me hear it one more time. I said it.

With you as our cheerleaders, get ready for the story chat.

McKinley family, please join in.

Thank you. Good evening, board, cabinet, and all the guests. In the district theme, we had a Hawaiian theme, so aloha. My name is Malika Campbell, and it is my honor and pleasure to be the principal at McKinley. Thank you. I wanna give it up to Ms. Yu and Ms. Fisher. I appreciate y'all so much for leading those Eagles so strong. And I am now going to introduce our superintendent award. Surprise, Desi. She's been your host tonight. I've been knowing her, come on up, since she was a year old. And her brother won this same award in 2022, but tonight is her night to shine. Congratulations.

I'll hold it. I'll keep it for you.

OK. All right. You guys, I need a drum roll, please, for our volunteer of the year. It's OK. Wendy Amaya, come on up. She is an SSE member, and she's so faithful to our McKinley family. We appreciate you so much, and you shine bright. Thank you so much. Goodnight, mahalo.

All right, let's give it up one more time for McKinley Eagles. And as they transition off the stage, we are going to welcome up Roosevelt Elementary School.

Good morning. Good evening members of the school board staff families and guests. My name is Cicely. And I'm Lark. And I'm Lark. We are proud fifth graders from Roosevelt Elementary School. It is hard to believe that our time at Roosevelt is almost over and that we will soon be heading to middle school. I don't know, Sisley. Summer break is definitely music to my ears. Speaking of music, one of the programs that has had a major impact on many students is our music program. Here to blow you away, the Roosevelt Recorder Players.

Hello there, my name is Addie and in fourth grade music class we learned about the blues music this year. We learned how to play the pentatonic scale on the recorder and everyone used the scale to improvise their own blues solos.

We are now going to perform Roosevelt Blues for you with students improvising on the recorder. We hope you enjoy Roosevelt Blues.

So two times through, then Nino, and then one time through.

so so you

Now I've got Roosevelt blues. It's okay to be emotional, Lark. Think happy thoughts. We were just telling them all about the great memories at Roosevelt. Oh, like Pigeon Point. That was so cool. Yes, like our fifth grade trip to Pigeon Point. We spend all of elementary school just waiting to see the tide pools and... And spending three days without our parents. I mean, you got to spend time without your parents. My mom is always around. Well, that's because she works here. During our three-day adventure, we made so many memories.

Setting our cabins, meeting our groups, and getting ready for all adventures ahead. The puppet show and then spending cabin time being quiet with friends right before lights out.

Ano Nuevo, hiking out to the beach, seeing the giant elephant seals.

And Mr. G. Surprising Us.

Exploring the Redwood Discovery Trail, walking under huge trees, learning about the forest, and looking for banana slugs along the way.

Everything we did, the learning, exploring, and spending time together made Pigeon Point an unforgettable experience.

We've really had such unforgettable experiences over the years, and that is what being a student at Roosevelt is all about.

Learning to problem solve and be critical thinkers. Collaborating and becoming exceptional communicators. Exploring and appreciating the differences in our community so we can grow up to be ethical and cultural leaders. And having joyful experiences by taking care of our minds and body. Ah, the circle of SLED's life. It moves us all. That reminds me, this year we got to participate in something new at Roosevelt. We brought a full musical production of the Lion King Kids to life on stage. The first year of Roosevelt Theater Department sold out all three of our performances and had a cast of over 60 students. A student-run tech crew. And the performance of a lifetime. And the performance of a lifetime.

Thank you. From the day we arrive on the planet And we step into the sun There is more to see than can ever be seen, more to do than can ever be done. There is far too much to take in here, more to find than can ever be found. But the sun rolling high, the sapphire sky, it's creating smoke on the endless ground. It's the circle of life. And it moves us all. Through despair and hope. Through faith and love. find our place on the path unwinding in the circle the circle of

Okay, now I'm starting to feel a little bit of the Roosevelt Blues. Hakuna Matata, Cicely. You're right. Being part of the Roosevelt family means we have no worries because we will always be a part of the Roosevelt Hornet Hive. You mean Roosevelt pride. We've made lifelong friendships at Roosevelt, and one of those friends is the Super Superintendent's Award winner, Kennedy Mackeregg. Mark, Mark. Mark, speak.

Kennedy is creative, crafty, and kind. Always there to stand up for a friend in need, check in on them, and make sure they feel included.

She thinks deeply, listens to learn, and actively seeks out challenges. She is highly motivated and always pushes herself to grow. Congratulations, Kennedy. We are all so proud of you.

We have made so many memories and Roosevelt has helped us both grow academically and personally. It is a place where students are encouraged to explore their talents, work together and try new things.

So many teachers, administrators, staff members and volunteers have made an impact on our education.

Mr. Reggie started at Roosevelt as our crossing guard on Dutton. He retired and became a playground supervisor. He again retired, but his heart has always been with Roosevelt. He now volunteers weekly at lunch recess. Congratulations, Mr. Reggie.

all right let's give it up for the roosevelt hornets and last but not least to close us out for this evening we are going to invite up washington elementary school come on up

Okay, go.

Good evening, San Leandro Unified School District Board of the Trustees and San Leandro community. My name is Maisie Ortiz.

And my name is Bailey Toffrey, and we are proud Washington Wildcats. It is an honor to be here representing our school. We're excited to share what makes our community so special.

At Washington Elementary, we roar with responsibility, organization, and A plus attitude and respect. We are a community that values diversity, kindness, and supporting one another.

One of the things we would like to share with you all tonight is how our learning goes beyond the classrooms at Washington Elementary. In our partnership with East Bay Regional Parks, students have been able to explore nature, learn outside, and make real world connections.

I was scared of dentists and the dark. I was scared of pretty girls and starting conversations. All my friends are turning green. You're the magician's assistant in their dream. Lady, running down to the river side, taking away to the dark side, I want to be your left hand man. I love you when you sing this song and I got love in my throat cause you're gonna sing the words wrong. Is this movie that I think you like? She's been living on the high shore. We'll be right back.

This year, many students have participated in multiple field trips that bring learning to life in fun and meaningful ways. At Washington, we believe it is important for all students to have opportunities to connect with nature and spend time outdoors. These experiences support not only learning but also students' wellness and mental health by giving students space to explore, reflect, and build positive connections with one another. We are proud to help provide these opportunities and equal access to outdoor learning experience for all students.

The field trips were fun. We were able to hike and exercise. We were able to learn new things about nature. The best part about field trips were that you can have fun, talk with your friends, and work with your group. We hope you enjoyed that peek into our adventures. Thank you, East Bay Regional Parks, for expanding our classrooms into nature. And now, please join me in welcoming Miss Melanie's hip hop dance group from Boys and Girls Club.

Thank you Thank you.

You too slow, you need to catch up. You can dance and dance all night long.

And fly. Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! It's okay.

It's okay.

Baby, right? Yes. Don't go. Don't go.

Keep my smile.

Wow, let's give another round of applause for Miss Melanie's Hip Hop Dance Group. Thank you for that incredible performance and special thank you to Miss Melanie and Boys and Girls Club for supporting our students and bringing such amazing energy to our school community. Throughout this year, leadership students help organize school activities and community building events, including fundraisers for events like fourth and fifth grade dance. They also create a presentation daily for school announcements in both English and Spanish, helping keeping connected and informed. In addition, leadership students help create school safety videos and lead assemblies that guide and encourage students during state testing and other important school events. These opportunities help students with building confidence and responsibility. Teamwork and leadership skills that they carry with them beyond elementary school.

And now we are excited to welcome another talented group of the Wildcats to the stage. Please join me in welcoming the Washington Choir led by Ms. Peer.

The world that's waiting up for me That I call my own Through the dark, through the dark Through where no one's been before But it feels like home They can say, they can say it all sounds crazy They can say, they can say I lost my mind. I don't care, I don't care, so call me crazy. Will you believe in the world that we design? colors fill my head a million dreams is all it's gonna take We can build. Every room inside is new. Learn things from far away. Special things I compile. Each one there will make you smile on a rainy day. We can say, we can say it all sounds great. A vision of the one I see A million dreams for the world we're gonna make However big, however small Let me be part of it all Share your dreams with me I close my eyes to see Every night I lie in bed The brightest colors through my head A million dreams are keeping me awake I think of what the world could be A vision of the one I see

What we're gonna make

Thank you to our Washington choir and Ms. Pierre for that wonderful performance. We are so proud of the talent and hard work our students bring to our school community.

One of the things that makes our school especially unique is our dual language immersion program. Throughout this program, students develop skills both English and Spanish while learning about different cultures and perspectives. The DLI program helps students become bilingual, literate, culture aware, and confident communicators. At Washington, we are proud to celebrate multilingualism and create opportunities for students to learn from one another every day. But don't just hear it from me. Let's hear it directly from our Wildcats.

Hablar en español con mis amigos. It's because when I come home, I get to teach my parents how to speak Spanish.

It's because they already know English, but they don't know that much of Spanish.

I like being in a school with both two languages spoken because I like making friends that speak English and Spanish. Because I can write in both languages and I can show my little sister how to read in English and how to talk a little bit in English.

I like being in the DLI program because

It helps me create new friends and have more connections and I can help other people if they don't speak English. I can help translate and communicate to other people and it will like help me when I'm older to like get more opportunities to like help out and it worked out better for me and it's really cool to be in the ELI program.

Me gusta saber dos diferentes lenguajes y me gusta conocer a estudiantes de diferentes países y también me gusta

And now, we are excited to welcome another talented group of students to the stage. Please join me in welcoming our Ballet Folklorico dance group.

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Thank you for watching.

Thank you for that beautiful performance at Washington. We shine in so many different ways, and we are proud to celebrate our culture and traditions.

At this time, I would now like to invite our principal onto the stage for a special recognition and award presentations.

Thank you guys very much. So let's give a round of applause again for the dance group. Thank you. And also our MCs. Thank you. This award, it goes to Penny Cowan. And I had to think about all of the wonderful things about Penny. There are so many staff members that contributed to selecting our superintendent students award. Every year you know it's a privilege for for us as staff to be in community with families And I've known penny since the first grade and so so many staff members chimed in on just how special penny is we have You know 400 and plus amazing students But penny since the first grade is just always every single teacher that we spoke with Shines always does the right thing since first grade. You know we're not perfect when we're little but I Penny is always, again, objective, a good friend. If someone needs help, she goes to seek it. Always has been a support for me and for staff, and she represents just our Wildcat community in all and every way, at the academic level, at the citizenship level. Please, let's welcome up and give a round of applause for Penny. Family, if you'd like to join us as well for the picture, mom and dad. okay and also to honor our volunteer of the year uh miss luz lupian hustle who um definitely we appreciate so much in terms of the fall festival the pancake breakfast we it's it's really she's taking um this memorabilia home for the whole family including her mom um which is our students' grandmother, but it is a whole family effort, but we could only honor, of course, Luz for this event, and so thank you, Luz, for reaching out and supporting, encouraging our families to come and volunteer, but most importantly, just spending time with us in terms of the cooking for the cookouts and all of these events first to show up and also to help us clean during these events, which we love having our families and community joined together. But there's also sometimes that those quiet volunteers that are just there till that very end. So we put that alarm on and close up shop for the night. So please welcome. Let's give a round of applause for Miss Luz Lupian Caso, por favor. She's not, let's see, well. Ah, okay, well, we will definitely, you know, let's come on up then and, you know, we'll take that. Okay, well then, thank you guys very much.

And I will then close off.

Thank you guys very much, everyone, for coming out. Thank you so much. We will give this, make sure that Ms. Luz gets the award. Thank you so much. Thank you.

All right, let's give it up one last time for those Washington Wildcats. All right, so we typically end our celebrating schools with additional comments from our board members. So I'm going to start back here. I'm going to start, we'll go this way, and then we'll come back around this way with the mic.

Test, is it on? Okay. Thank you, all the schools. Loved it. It just gets better. Every time I come, it just keeps getting better. These productions are just over the top good. Bancroft. Some words, some phrases I picked up that I think are emblematic of your school culture, the drama club, putting yourself out there, just takes courage, right? We build leaders. by putting ourselves out there. The Meg and Aunt Beast, I thought that was very clever, when the Beast said, Beast, that will do. That was a word that was okay. The band played flawlessly. Thank you for that. Love the performances. Music brings us all together, right? We don't tend to debate when we hear music, and especially when our students are playing it. Moving on to Jefferson. All of the schools, I love the student MCs. I think it's really important that our students step up as leaders and begin their journey of leadership. And then, of course, the principals in the end with the superintendent's award and the volunteer awards. But those students coming forward as MCs, it takes courage. And I applaud all of you who did that. Every school did that. So thank you for bringing, reaching down and bringing yourself to proudly represent your school. Some other words that I picked up, you know, as far as the different schools and what their culture is. Lift every voice and sing a beautiful song. Always willing to take on any challenge. This described several of our award recipients, the students. Washington just now gave us some good examples of building confidence and responsibility. So I'm seeing nothing but good things out of our students and courage and poise and a willingness to share how proud you are of the schools and continue to be proud of yourselves. Thank you so much for sharing your schools with us.

I think we will all say what a nice job the kids did, and they always do, but it's nice to see it every year. But I'd like to give you sort of an imaginary applause from my head for all of the parents that went to all the trouble to get here and to bring the kids here all the time and to support everything that goes on here. So thank you very much, and your kids were great.

I would like to second, of course, everything that my colleagues have said and those I'm sure will also be shared by others. I really, really, really appreciate. the highlighting of both music and art, which I think we've seen from all of the schools this evening. So I think music is just one universal way. Art is another universal way in which that we can, as, you know, varying cultures, you know, music and art transcends the cultures that we all have that are different. But it's one way that we can come together. And the examples that we saw tonight, I think, shows how They can be performed by all, and they can also be enjoyed by all. So thank you for Bancroft sharing their drama class, the band. That was just really amazing. The Jaguars, their dance, as well as their choir, and even an example of student leadership down all the way at our elementary school level is really great to see and good examples for what we can expect at maybe middle school and high school later on. McKinley showing the montage with the musical stylings with very unique lyrics. I really, really enjoyed that. That was definitely something fun and unique. I don't think that we've seen before. And their cheer and bucket tears. Right. That was just very interesting. Right. And again, another take on artistic expression that was really, really enjoyable. Lots of strong spirit there. Roosevelt. Hearing the recorders being a musician and artist in performing arts definitely takes me back. Recorders, if you are a musician, is like the very early beginnings of what music might sound like in the future, but thank you for that. And the Lion King, I am so sad to have missed the Roosevelt's actual performances, so I really appreciate them bringing just that little snippet here this evening to share with us who didn't get to see the full production. And then Pigeon Point, a nice glimpse of art in nature, as well as Washington also having shared their beauty in art forms that they've been teaching and learning in their classes. So their dance, their choir, as well as the baile folklorico were all very, very enjoyable. And what a fun, lively way of expressing storytelling. So what a way to close out our evening for us. Thank you all.

I really enjoyed all the performances of every school, but a highlight of each for me was Bancroft when they did the performance by the band and they performed Carnival. I really liked that one. In the beginning, it really brought up, for me, the tone of how the night would go. In Jefferson, the choir, when they sung their song, I really liked that part. In McKinley, the Buccateers and cheer team, that was my highlight. A bit biased, my sister is a Buccateer. Roosevelt Elementary, the Circle of Life performance, when they sang the song, it took me back to when I performed in The Lion King at my school in elementary school. And I really liked that movie. In Washington Elementary School, there was a lot, but my favorite part would be when they performed the Rio song, the bird song, and the hip hop dance group from the after school program. Yeah, it was super great.

I'm going to take the liberty to stand since I'm buried in the corner. These celebrating school nights are one of my favorites. But tonight, you know, I've got to tell you, all of the talent. This was a showcase of student talent from every single school. And I've got to tell you, I'm here for it. Normally, we're watching PowerPoints that are talking about data and metrics and programs and what's going on in the schools. But this is also what else is going on in the schools. We're much more than classrooms and tests and reading and lessons and homework. You know, we're here to educate the whole child. And that includes extracurricular activities like the ones that were showcased today. So thank you all. all of the schools for presenting tonight. It was a joy.

As my colleagues have all stated, this is such an amazing night. And I appreciate all the students, families, performers, and the teachers who are coming out tonight. And I know it takes hours and days of work to go and make this happen. So I appreciate every single one of you. And some of my favorites, specifically, I'll just list one since we've gone through a lot, is when the choir did the Million Dreams song. First off, that's a really good movie and performance. But also, I have not heard that song done in a way that made me feel, until it was on stage, being sung by all those children. It was like, you know what? We're truly building a million dreams tonight, whenever we do the work we're doing today. So I appreciate all of you for coming out tonight and giving your kids the opportunity to show off their best. So I appreciate you.

Wow, what an evening. First, I want to thank the parents, or should I say proud parents. Sitting up here, I get to see your faces and the smiles that the kids brought out to you. And included up here is another proud parent, our president. Her son was in Roosevelt in the Lion King. So she was, it was great to sit in next to her. Also, I want to thank all the students, the student performers, the MCs, they were great. All the teachers, the principals, and our volunteers for this evening. The one word that really stuck out to me was pride. Pride from each school, from the students, that's all they talked about, how proud they were of their school, how proud they are of each other, of their teachers, and the whole district as a whole. and the other thing is confidence what you can't see is we're sitting here and when the students walk by us they'll lock eyes with you and they expect you to smile to them and up here you see them talking to each other and you see the little nuances that are going on and there's a lot of confidence up here and it's just really a joy to see so thank you

All right, there's not much left to be said that hasn't already been said, but yeah, such a wonderful showcase of our kids. Agree fully, love having these student MCs, like just how prepared, how articulate, how funny, charismatic, and charming they are. Thank you all for preparing them so well. And this time of year, I just want to appreciate families and staff. I know that people are starting to call this May-Vember. What are we calling it? It's the time of the year where every single night people have things. So I just want to appreciate our schools who went. in essentially the last month of the school year and all the preparation and support that both parents are providing at home, school staff, administrators, teachers, educators are pouring into our kids to get them this ready, both to put on a show, but also to be as confident and proud of themselves as they are. Appreciate the feather explosions, the pigeon point interpretation, the singing, the student leadership. Yes, the storytelling through Puerto Rico, it was beautiful. So just appreciate you all. And yes, McKinley. I don't know if anyone can top McKinley School Spirit, y'all. Every year you get bigger and badder. So just not to bias, but just like, you know, they show up. So appreciate you all coming out tonight. And that's it for tonight. I think we can send you all home and we have to do an official convening. So can I get an emotion to adjourn this evening? Okay, I think that motion was moved by Clerk Borja in second, and I'm going to give it to Vice President Oshinsky. Questions, comments? Seeing none, can we get a vote to adjourn? All right, that motion passes 7-0 plus 1. Thank you, everyone. Have a beautiful evening. Thank you for coming, and thank you for staying for the last of you.