SFUSD Insider - March 2023
SUPERINTENDENT'S MESSAGE
Dear SFUSD Colleagues:

Happy Women's History Month! Around the world, millions of people celebrate Women’s History Month in March. SFUSD continues to celebrate and uplift women and gender diversity by ensuring that our students learn about and celebrate women, and by striving to have inclusive school communities. For instance, Bal EmpowHER is a group of young women at Balboa High School who stand up for themselves and others. They promote conversations about women’s health and rights in their community. Keep reading this month’s newsletter for more information.

 

National School Social Work Week 2023 is also celebrated in March. San Francisco public schools are fortunate to have many different types of staff who support students and create a welcoming school environment. Here are a few examples:

  • Sarah Aldama, the School Social Worker at Malcolm X Academy, is leading MXA’s first-ever Student Council. Their goal is to support students by creating opportunities of leadership, community, and representation. 
  • At Paul Revere, one of the great features of a K-8 school is the opportunity for mentorship and connection between older and younger students. Hannah Epstein supports their Peer Mediation program, which empowers a group of 8th-grade students to mediate conflicts between younger students, typically in grades 3-5. 
  • At John O'Connell High School, Lizbett Calleros brings fun and positivity to students while promoting messages of wellness, self-care and healthy love. 
  • Juliana Baptista, the School Social Worker at El Camino Alternativo, supports newcomer students who recently entered the country. Through the strong personal relationship she develops with each student, she is able to support their high school education while helping them secure basic needs for themselves and their families.
  • In SFUSD, we have 40 site-based school social workers and four central school social workers who supervise and support social work and clinical mental health interns that are under the Student Internship Team program (SIT).
  • At the central office, the new Middle School Clinical Team provides confidential, brief individual and group counseling services to middle school students in six schools. 

Please join me in sharing appreciations for the work of School Social Workers not just in March, but all year long.

 

And to all SFUSD staff, thank you for your continued work in support of students and families.

Dr. Matt Wayne headshot

 

In Community,

Dr. Wayne

FIND WHAT YOU NEED
Featured in this month's SFUSD Insider:
BRIGHT SPOTS
Facilities Master Plan
Facilities Master Plan
 

After months of hard work, the Facilities Department has released the Facilities Master Plan, an ambitious roadmap that highlights the initiatives on deck for the next 10 years that will have an impact on SFUSD's real estate portfolio, and the proposed recommendations to address them. The Facilities Department is sharing the information with school communities through in-person presentations and an asynchronous training to gather feedback about the student experience and priorities at school sites. Share your feedback.

Science fairs
Middle School Science Fairs
 
Thank you to all middle school and K-8 staff who are supporting students participating in science fairs this year! Schools including Francisco MS and Roosevelt MS had projects displayed at the San Francisco Middle School Science Fair such as "Testing Grow Lights for Baby Gem Romaine Lettuce," "Science of a Nail Rusting," and "Will Using Various Salts Create Different Crystal Formations?"
Spark Report
Powering Public Education
 
Spark SF Public Schools is excited to share its 2021-2022 annual report, Powering Public Education! Whether providing support for meals and technology access, student literacy, middle school redesign, college and career readiness, or expanded mental health services, improved outcomes for each and every SFUSD student is our north star. Read the report.
Spark Report
Washington HS Club in the News
 
Students at Washington HS who started an investment club and now advocate for financial literacy among their peers, and their staff sponsor Lawrence Tak, math teacher at Washington HS, were featured on KTVU Channel 2! The group now manages a fund valued at more than $14,000. Watch the story.
Terry Abad
Lowell HS Alum Elected to CHSSA Hall of Fame
 
Congratulations to Terry Abad, who serves as the coach at his alma mater Lowell HS, for being elected to the California High Schools Speech Association (CHSSA) Hall of Fame! According to the website, "Since 2006, Mr. Abad has worked hard to develop a team that is competitive, and welcoming for students. In 2012 Mr. Abad hosted the CHSSA State Tournament at Lowell High School. In 2019 Terry was awarded the Donovan Cummings’ Service Above Self Award. We are honored to have Terry join the ranks of the Hall of Fame." Learn more.
HUMAN RESOURCES
Professional Learning & Leadership Opportunities

SFUSD is committed to continuous learning and helping educators grow in their careers. Check out the following programs for SFUSD staff, offered by the Professional Learning and Leadership team:

Save the Dates & Tell a Friend: Certificated Hiring Fairs
Do you know anyone interested in pursuing a career in SFUSD? HR has two Certificated Hiring Fairs coming up on April 6 and May 11. Please help us share the registration form with your networks. Access all current openings in SFUSD.
#WeAreSFUSD
 
My favorite part of my work is seeing how incredibly excited students get about the library, reading, finding out new things, and thinking critically.
 
- Abby Taheri Woodworth, Teacher Librarian, McKinley ES

 

Read more #WeAreSFUSD stories or submit your own #WeAreSFUSD story for a chance to be featured on SFUSD’s website and social media pages.

Abby Taheri Woodworth
UPDATES, EVENTS & OPPORTUNITIES
First day of school

Academic Calendar for 2023-24

 

The academic calendar for 2023-24 has been approved. The first day of school is Aug 16, 2023. In addition, read the new administrative regulation to honor the rich cultural diversity of our students and our community and view the approved annual major holiday calendar for 2023-24.

New student assignment policy

New Student Assignment Policy

 

SFUSD continues provide updates about the process of developing and implementing the new elementary student assignment policy, which is scheduled to begin in the 2026-27 school year.

Beyond Bollywood

Workshop for SFUSD Educators: Beyond Bollywood

 

Beyond Bollywood: 2000 Years of Dance in Art invites audiences to experience the critical interplay between visual arts and dance in the Indian cultural sphere, from ancient rituals to the glamor of Bollywood. During this workshop, special guest and international Bharatanatyam performer Nivedita Gopinath Sarathy will guide teachers through the stories and underlying messages conveyed by classical Indian dance, as well as ways students can use movement as a form of expression. Register for the workshop.

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