Page 4 September 29, 2016 Board Looks to School Year with New Initiatives By Haleemon Anderson As the school year settles in, The Wiseburn Unified Board of Directors met last week with a focus on several new initiatives and phase two of the highly anticipated Wiseburn High School project. Deputy Superintendent Chris Jones reported gearing up for two rounds of professional development. He will meet with the newly commissioned technology mentors who were trained this summer. They will be looking at future-ready initiatives and projecting for the needs of Wiseburn students in an everchanging technology-driven future. “What the world is going to be,” Jones said. “That’s what we need to be preparing them for.” The second half-day training will involve cultural sensitivity training. Jones said staff will be looking at ways to bring “the most welcoming, nurturing environment to our schools.” Jones said two Wiseburn teachers have been trained to deliver programming from Project Lead The Way, a non-profit that uses training in the sciences and engineering to encourage critical and creative thinking among students. Jones said the training is a means to build internal capacity within Wiseburn, as the training is shared among staff. Director of Facilities Planning Vince Madsen reported having a long meeting with the Division of the State Architect. He said there are six open items still on the table, but most are small detail items. Madsen said he hopes to have final approval to launch phase two of the high school construction soon. By phone, Superintendent Tom Johnstone agreed the district is anticipating approval shortly. “We are likely to have our stamped plans by the end of this week,” Johnstone said. Phase two of Wiseburn High School includes the swimming pool, gymnasium and soccer field. Additional site work includes a parking area behind the high school and all planting and landscaping. The high school, Wiseburn’s first, will house all three DaVinci charter schools and is set to open in the 2017 academic year. Johnstone also reported on the rollout of a new language development program coming next year to Hawthorne residents. He said every household in the 90250 zip code will have access to Footsteps 2 Brilliance, an entirely online program which promotes language acquisition and enhances vocabulary development. Johnstone said the program’s goal “is to increase literacy and vocal language skills.” Because Wiseburn schools fall into the 90250 zip code, the districts’ parents and students will have access. The program can be used on smartphones, tablets or computers. It encourages parents to engage in learning opportunities with their children and provides pre-K through 3rd grade kids with early literacy enhancements. Johnstone cited a study that suggests there is a large gap in vocabulary acquisition between students of varying socio-economic groups. Referred to as the “30-million-word gap,” Johnstone said by the age of four, children from middle and high economic backgrounds are exposed to 45 million words, whereas, in disadvantaged communities, that exposure is as low as 13 million words. “That gap can linger forever,” Johnstone said. Footsteps 2 Brilliance addresses this gap with interactive games and literacy exercises, delivered in English and Spanish. Various apps cover “phonics, phonemic awareness, vocabulary, comprehension, fluency and writing,” according to the Footsteps@ Brilliance website. A public hearing was opened on textbook and materials compliance for the school year. The board addresses this state mandate at the beginning of each school year, confirming that the district has safe facilities, capable teachers, and enough texts and instructional materials to provide all students an equitable educational environment. There were no public comments and the routine resolution passed unanimously. Board Member Neil Goldman reported on the Wiseburn Education Foundation and the positive response to choice blocks. He said it is inspiring to see the community step up, and it is a pleasure to be in such good company. Board Member Roger Banuelos noted he has two sons at Dana and one just starting at Burnett. He attended open house, and despite having to scramble with three different grades to check on, he deemed the open house a great event. Board President Mora reported on his travel to Washington, D.C. to receive a district award from the XQ Foundation. Mora said he has been visiting the schools with the goal of spending time at each school. At Burnett, he was delighted, “to see how the kids were so engaged.” In other business, the board approved numerous change orders to the ongoing construction at Wiseburn High. Contracts were approved with STAR for GATE services, increased hours for crosswalk attendants and painting at Cabrillo. The next regular meeting of the Wiseburn Unified School District Board will be held on Oct. 13, at 7 p.m. The board meets every second and fourth Thursday, unless otherwise announced; the meeting is preceded by a POFIPVSDMPTFETFTTJPOr at Navy Federal. “For example, you want to work with an institution to find a loan that best fits your situation, so you can focus on searching for that perfect home.” And let’s say things get more complex down the road. The right financial institution should also be able to provide both personal financial counseling as well as investing and retirement services. Both banks and credit unions provide these kinds of support services. 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Top banks and credit unions use these channels as a way to get to know their customers or members, educate them on various financial topics and answer their questions. The truth is there really are financial institutions that care about the people that bank with them. Now you’re equipped to find the ones that do. And if switching is on your mind, a good credit union or bank will gladly help ZPVEPUIBUUPPr Navy Federal is federally insured by NCUA and an Equal Housing Lender. Finance 5 Signs Your Financial Institution Cares About You (BPT) - When choosing a financial institution, it’s important to think beyond credit cards and home loans. You want your bank or credit union to be there for you when you need them, wherever you need them, because that’s what peace of mind is all about. So seek out a trusted organization that really cares about you, and if you’re being taken care of, you can rest easy knowing that your bottom line - not just theirs - is also being taken care of. 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So instead, look for awards from reputable organizations that highlight aspects of banking, such as best in banking or superior customer service or anything else that’s directly relatable to the services that are provided to you. Take for example Navy Federal Credit Union - a credit union serving the men and women in uniform. In addition to being a FORTUNE Magazine top place to work for five consecutive years, the credit union was recently ranked first in the Full-Service Banking category according to the Forrester Research report, The US Customer Experience Index, 2016. As Navy Federal President and CEO Cutler Dawson puts it, “We’re number one because we make our members number one.” And that makes sense - happy employees equals happy customers. Service Comes Before Selling When you’re with a financial institution that puts you first, you can trust that your financial well-being takes precedence over pushing products and services. 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