To Staff and the Twin Rivers School Community,
This month, public education pauses to celebrate the many people who make a difference in the lives of our students. We celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week and Classified Employees Week. We take time to recognize the tireless contributions made by our nutrition service
workers, counselors, school nurses, transportation services, and all whose work weaves together to create a solid and stable support system for our students.
I encourage everyone in our school community to take a moment to reflect on the people in their lives who make a difference and offer them a sincere pat on the back. Gratitude is a powerful motivator. People appreciate being recognized for hard work, tenacity, perseverance, and a job well done.
As we take time to recognize the hundreds of dedicated employees across our District, I want to share that we are applying this spirit of recognition to our high school graduates, too.
As we have previously communicated, we are thrilled to hold in-person graduation ceremonies for the class of 2021. Although attendance must be limited due to county health department guidelines, we are happy to have our students experience a more traditional ceremony this school year. We are committed to live streaming every TRUSD graduation so that all family and friends are able to witness the ceremonies this year regardless of their
location.
It is also our sincere pleasure to offer graduates from the class of 2020 an opportunity to participate in their own TR graduation ceremony. Like all students last year, the graduating class of 2020 was abruptly shifted to online learning, and all extracurricular activities and social events were erased from their daily lives. It seems fitting that we offer them the opportunity to join us for a more traditional graduation ceremony, where they can be celebrated for their hard work, tenacity, and perseverance.
Graduation is a rite of passage, and it is a long journey from kindergarten to the acceptance of a high school diploma.
So here’s to our education professionals who keep students at the heart of their work. Here’s to our support staff whose work makes it possible for our students to succeed. And here’s to the graduating classes of 2020 and 2021, students whose senior year experiences were unique, to say the least, which makes their accomplishments all the more remarkable.
Around TR
- Congratulations to the 138 graduating seniors who have earned the California State Seal of Biliteracy for 2021. Five students are English learners and 121 have Reclassified to English Fluent Proficient. The State Seal of Biliteracy is a recognition by the State Superintendent of Public Instruction for graduating high school students who have attained a high level of proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing in one or more languages in addition to English. Our students earned the Seal in the following languages: Dari, French, Hmong, Russian, Tagalog, Turkish, Ukrainian, and Spanish. They were recognized during a special virtual Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE) ceremony on May 5. Our Board of Trustees will recognize them at the May 25 TR virtual school board meeting.
- On May 4, Oakdale received the Elementary School Partner of the Year Award at Sacramento State’s Hats Off to Partners virtual event. In an email to Oakdale, Alexander “Sasha” Sidorkin, Dean of the College of Education, stated: “It’s a much-deserved recognition for the ways in which the school partnered with faculty to serve English language learners this year.” TR has a partnership with Sacramento State that involves their students tutoring and mentoring newcomers to our country/District. Approximately 20 newcomer EL and immigrant students from Oakdale and Rio Linda High have been meeting with Sacramento State students weekly to practice speaking English to increase their English language proficiency. Tutors use a curriculum our EL team developed. We are excited to announce that our partnership with Sacramento State will continue in 2021-2022.
- And congratulations to Jazmen Figueroa, Jose Benitez, and Alexander Martin, Grant Union High School students who won $300 in the Caring for Our Watersheds 2021 proposal writing contest. Organizers say the contest “challenges students to research their local watershed, identify an environmental concern and come up with a realistic solution.” The Grant team’s proposal involves reducing household water use by promoting and distributing a ShowerStart adapter to local households. According to the Caring for Our Watersheds press release, the adapter is designed to reduce “behavioral water waste”—the water lost during the time frame from when you start the shower to when you get in. Students who enter the contest are eligible for funding to complete projects.
We are so proud of all of our students and their outstanding accomplishments during this school year of great challenges, but also great successes!
All the best,
Steve Martinez, Ed.D.
Superintendent, Twin Rivers Unified
