EdCal EdCal v49.2 7/30/18 | Page 4

4 EDCAL July 30 , 2018

Transitions

Tom Anderson has been named assistant superintendent of Student Services and Support in Natomas USD . Anderson was previously the director of Special Education in Fairfield-Suisun USD .
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2018 ACSA Region 7 awards Superintendent of the Year : Tom
Changnon , Stanislaus COE . Superintendent / Principal of the Year :
Sharon Johnson , Curtis Creek SD .
Secondary Principal of the Year : Gabriel “ Gabe ” Ontiveros , Turlock High School , Turlock USD .
Middle Grades Principal of the Year : Ryan Gonzales , Wickland Elementary School , Lammersville USD .
Secondary Co-administrator of the Year : Troy Fast , assistant principal , Manteca High School , Manteca USD .
Elementary Principal of the Year : Laura Fong , Dennis Earl Elementary School , Turlock USD .
Elementary Co-administrator of the Year : Shane Hulin , assistant principal , Sinclear Elementary , Ceres USD .
Central Office Administrator of the Year : Sue Rich , assistant superintendent ,
Stanislaus COE .
Curriculum and Instruction Administrator of the Year : Andrew Kersten , assistant superintendent , Instructional Services , Empire Union SD .
Human Resources Administrator of the Year : Shawn Posey , assistant superintendent , Patterson JUSD .
Special Education Administrator of the Year : Jan Kendall , director of Special Education , Calaveras USD .
Pupil Personnel Administrator of the Year : Karen Young , director of Student Services , Riverbank USD .
Adult Education Administrator of the Year : Roy Morlan , principal , Sonora Adult School .
Career Technical Education Administrator of the Year : Jeff Rowe , CTE director , Patterson JUSD .
Continuation / Educational Options Administrator of the Year : Daniel Vannest , principal , Stanislaus COE .
Business Services Administrator of the Year : Andreya Viscovich , assistant superintendent , Business Services , Empire Union SD .
Classified Leader of the Year : Adriana Cortes Solorio , project liaison , San Joaquin COE .
Confidential Employee of the Year : Kelly Gilberston , administrative secretary to the Superintendent , Twain Harte SD .
Technology Administrator of the Year : Jason “ Jay ” Brem , director of Technology and Innovation , Turlock USD .
Professor of Education : Mary C . Jones ,
CSU Stanislaus .
Valuing Diversity Award : Toney Henry , principal , Apricot Valley Elementary , Patterson JUSD .
Retired Administrator of the Year : Debbi Hopman .
Distinguished Service Award : Heidi Lawler , Turlock USD .
Bill Ullom Award : Bob Lee , retired administrator .
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Standard School District in Kern County has hired several new administrators . Vicki Albitre has been named director of Educational Services . Over at Highland Elementary School , Mary Highfield has been named principal and Richard Conolly , assistant principal . Standard Elementary School has new leadership in Jennifer Long , principal and Stacey Catlin , assistant principal . Richard Morosa has been named principal of Wingland Elementary School . And , Standard Middle School ’ s new leadership team includes Susan Denton , principal and Amy Palmer , assistant principal .
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Jeremy Dirks has been named principal of Christopher High School in Gilroy USD . He moves up from his prior position as an assistant principal with South Valley Middle School in the same district .
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Oroville Union High School District has announced that Cristi Tellechea was appointed principal of Oroville High School . Tellechea was assistant principal at the school for the past three years and also taught there for 15 years . In addition , Durell Siplin was hired as the assistant principal of Oroville High School and Matt Kerman was hired as the assistant principal of Las Plumas High School . Kerman has been a teacher at Las Plumas High for the past 17 years .
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Saugus Union School District has selected Colleen Hawkins as its new superintendent . Hawkins succeeds Joan Lucid , who retired after 37 years with the district , the last seven years as superintendent . Hawkins has been the assistant superintendent for Educational Services at Compton Unified School District for three years . In addition , the district announced that Misty Covington will be the new principal at James Foster Elementary School after the retirement of Debbie Bohn .
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ACSA-member news for Transitions can be sent to EdCal Editor Cary Rodda at crodda @ acsa . org .

BROSKIE

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myself , [ to see ] if my blood sugars were wrong , to see if something was gluten free , because I ’ d have severe consequences if I didn ’ t . Celiac and gluten sensitivity ranges on the spectrum . Mine is severe .”
Then , when Michelle entered middle school , she was bullied by former friends .
“ You wake up in the morning [ and ] they ’ ve created another social media account to harass you with ,” she said . “ It was beyond stressful . It went on relentlessly from seventh through eighth grade . And then at a certain point in eighth grade – I just couldn ’ t do it . I couldn ’ t focus in any of my classes . I would sweat profusely . Even in the dead of winter . I was shaky . I was paranoid . I never felt safe .”
On top of this stress , Michelle was
shocked when doctors discovered a massive cyst on one of her ovaries . Then , they found a cyst on the other ovary . The process of getting diagnosed was itself difficult .
With emergency surgery , doctors removed both cysts , and it was time to rest . “ It felt good to have it fixed . But at the same time , I knew I wouldn ’ t be getting back to traditional school anytime soon . I had to figure something else out . The stress and trauma of the surgery , that was not easy to get over . It was really hard in the middle of it . I fell into a really bad depression .”
Michelle transferred schools to Walnutwood High , an independent study school for students with unique circumstances . “ We ’ re just like a comprehensive high school ,” said teacher Jessica Cisneros- Elliot . “ We just deliver it in a different way .”
It would have been easy for Michelle to shut herself out from the rest of the world ,
but instead , she dedicated herself to academics .
“ I always loved school . So I always had big dreams ,” she said . “ Having time off while I was sick with the diabetes and celiac and then having time off with the ovarian surgery and bed rest , I had a lot of time on my hands . So I applied myself to school . I pushed through it . I worked and worked and worked and worked .”
But no one could prepare Michelle for the next threat . While in her junior year , working at a local internship , a supervisor preyed on her .
“ Sophomore year was her banner year ,” said Cisneros-Elliott . “ We were doing great . Wonderful things were happening . And then she got the gut punch of all gut punches with that internship .”
Despite all this , Michelle first enrolled in college classes at age 15 and is now only
six credits away from receiving an associate ’ s degree . Something once so far away is now a reality for the young woman who took everything life threw at her , and fought back . Now , Michelle finds time to be excited for the future .
“ I ’ ve learned I ’ m really strong . I can overcome things ,” she said . “ I can achieve goals I never would even think of having . Or think of setting . Or think would even be possible . It gives me a confidence that I don ’ t think a lot of people have . I love myself . I trust myself . That might have been the hardest part of all this was just coming to terms with myself .
“ It ’ s OK to be different . It ’ s OK to struggle . It ’ s OK to think you can ’ t do it . It ' s OK to have a day where you just can ’ t do anything . It ’ s OK to let yourself feel things . It ’ s OK to not follow the norm . Just really think of what you want for yourself .”