Superintendent's Message - March 2018

MUSD Community, 

Could it really be March already?  Seems hard to fathom, but that means we have just over three months of school left for this year.  As we open this month, the recent rain is a welcome sight across the Bay Area.  I have no scientific proof to support this notion, but I do believe that all you need to do to break a long stretch of no rain is place the Little League Opening Day Parade on the calendar.  It seems that we can almost always get some rain the days right before those opening ceremonies.

School Safety remains at the forefront of our thoughts as educators, and I am sure as parents it remains a key focal point for you as well.  As noted in my community letter shortly after the tragic events in Florida, our staff in MUSD has many things in place to provide for the best response possible in an unimaginable situation.  However, we certainly recognize there are many things that we can improve on and have already started engaging staff about how we can improve our preparation and responses for emergency/crisis situations.  In recent weeks employees at their school sites have engaged in an additional review of safety protocols and further dialogue about safety practices, questions and concerns.  We will continue to engage our local first responders in the discussion for their guidance and support.  I am incredibly grateful for the access and support we are provided by the Martinez Police Department, Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office and Contra Costa County Fire Department.

You may have seen recent news stories about schools in the Bay Area that have identified excessive amounts of lead in their water systems.  As you may or may not be aware, The Division of Drinking Water, in collaboration with the California Department of Education, has taken the initiative to begin testing for lead in drinking water at all public K-12 schools.  Additionally, to further safeguard water quality in California’s K-12 public schools, California Assembly Bill 746, effective January 1, 2018, requires community water systems to test lead levels, by July 1, 2019, in drinking water at all California public, K-12 school sites that were constructed before January 1, 2010.

We are fortunate that the water provided for our schools through the City of Martinez and the Contra Costa Water District has been tested in recent years, and the results have all been excellent.  This being said, those samples are pulled from points within our community which do not specifically include our school sites. Therefore, we took advantage of the provisions established in these new programs and laws to ensure the water we are providing in our schools meets all necessary requirements and standards.

I am very pleased to share that we recently received the results for all sites tested (LJE, JME, MPE, JSE, MJHS, AHS, MEIPP), and every site passed inspection. The Contra Costa Water District (LJE and MPE) and the City of Martinez (JSE, JME, MJHS, AHS, MEIPP) informed us that no corrective action is needed at any site, and all water tested fell below Detection Limits for Purposes of Reporting, as established by the State Water Resource Control Board - Division of Drinking Water.

Just last night we completed the last phase of our process of changing from “at-large” elections for our Board of Education to “trustee area” elections. The Contra Costa County Committee on School District Reorganization approved the new trustee areas established by our Board of Education. These areas will be in effect for the November 2018 school board election. As we approach the next election cycle I will be sure reminders are shared with our community on how the newly established areas impact our voters. As noted in prior newsletters, I am very proud of how our Board of Education responded to this legal challenge by holding to their established core values of Education, Communication, Integrity, Equity, and Safety. Here is a link to the newly established trustee areas which you can see on Google Maps for a very accurate perspective.

As part of our annual Local Control and Accountability Plan development we would love to have your feedback on aspects of MUSD.  Your time to provide input on this survey (approximately 15 minutes) is greatly appreciated in helping to shape our future.  Paper copies are available in all school offices and at the District Office and can be turned in to those locations as well.  This survey will close on March 19, 2018.

Here is the link to the English Survey

Here is the link to the Spanish Survey

Please review the remaining contents below as we have even more exciting news to share with our community! 

Sincerely, 

CJ Cammack, Superintendent
Martinez Unified School District

Please join me in offering special congratulations to Ms. Salas from Alhambra High School, and Mr. Ruddell from Morello Park Elementary, who were selected to represent Martinez Unified in the Contra Costa County competitions for both Teacher of the Year and Classified Employee of the year from across the entire county. We are so proud to have them represent our schools, our community, our staff, and our students!

Congratulations to our AHS Cheerleaders who took first place at Nationals recently. These student athletes work extremely hard in the classroom and in their cheer competitions. Not everyone can say they were the very best, but there is only one Number 1 and it this team! Congratulations ladies on your success! Go Dogs!

Follow on Twitter to see the exciting teaching, learning, and events in Martinez Unified School District @CJMUSD

Please check with your school site for more specific information on events and activities

Now you can access the Aeries Parent portal with an app on your phone!  With the Aeries Mobile Portal app you can see grades as soon as they’re entered, view class summaries, dive down to assignment grade details, or check on tardies and absences from anywhere in real time!  Just download Aeries Mobile Portal from the App Store or Play Store, select your school, and login with the same email and password that you used for online registration.  The app currently only supports parental use; student use is still in development.  Stay tuned for updates!