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Community Message October 15: Family Income Forms, Recognitions and Celebrations
October 15, 2021
Good evening WCCUSD Community,
Happy Friday. The first nine weeks of the 2021-22 school year have flown by. As today marks the end of Hispanic Heritage Month, I hope that you followed and enjoyed the District’s Twitter, Facebook and Instagram posts highlighting several prominent leaders and pioneers in the Hispanic/Latinx community. I would also like to thank all WCCUSD schools that hosted events and activities in honor of Hispanic History Month, including the Kennedy High School students and staff who closed out their Hispanic heritage month celebrations with live performances and a movie night. Watch the highlights on their Facebook and Instagram page.
There are still a number of exciting things happening in the District this month, and I want to take this opportunity to share them with you.
First though, I want to make sure everyone is aware of an important deadline coming up for families that will have a large impact on our funding. Please read on about the Multipurpose Income Form.
Multipurpose Family Income Forms
We need every family to complete the Multipurpose Family Income Forms by October 31. Before the pandemic, we relied on in-person contact to connect with families, including assistance with the Multipurpose Family Income Forms. Last year, we encouraged all families to complete the forms to maintain our percentage above 70%. We need that same focus again to ensure our percentage does not decrease funding.
A loss of a resource in that amount means that schools will feel the impact. We can control this by completing the form and sharing the news about the forms’ importance with WCCUSD’s community.
Many schools in the district use the funding to purchase books, software programs, fund field trips, materials and supplies, and services that directly impact students.
We need everyone, REGARDLESS of income, to complete the form. Even if you don’t qualify, we still need you to check a box that says, “I do not qualify.”
The State continues to allow us to collect, verify, and submit the MFIF form over the phone. The District’s school community outreach workers, office managers, and attendance clerks began reaching out again this week to families that have not completed the form.
We need families to contact their schools and ensure we have your best contact information (email, text, or phone) and expect a call from us about the forms. If you have completed the forms, please share the news and encourage other families in your network to complete the forms.
OTHER HAPPENINGS IN THE DISTRICT
College Awareness Month
October is college awareness month, which marks a number of key dates, including the Richmond Promise Scholarship application window that opened October 12, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) that opened October 1 and the start of the California State University application period for Fall 2022.
The return to 100 percent in-person learning has not been easy, yet WCCUSD students are resilient and continue to thrive through challenges in our community and nationwide. So let's celebrate and encourage all high school seniors who should be filling out college and financial aid applications this month.
Throughout the month we will highlight and promote college and career in the district starting with these upcoming events that you can share with your students. Contact your school counselor for more information and a full list of college readiness events and resources.
East Bay Consortium hosts 44th Annual College Information Virtual Day
The East Bay and Solano County Consortium (Cal-SOAP) which WCCUSD is part of is sponsoring a virtual College Information Day on Saturday, October 16th, 2021 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. All 6th to 12th graders in WCCUSD and their parents are invited to attend. This event is usually held on the UC Berkeley campus every fall. Visit the website for more information.
CAREER SPEAKER SERIES - Pathways to Success Webinars (Bright Futures)
North Bay professionals discuss their career paths and current professions. After each presentation, there will be a Q&A and an educational/training pathway segment.
Speaker Schedule for careers in Business, Banking & Entrepreneurship, Multimedia,Nursing, Emergency Medical & Fire, Game Design & Virtual Reality and more (note: check this live link for updates on possible speaker changes). Register here one time to attend any of the 6 Zoom webinars.
Fall 2021 Young Healers Virtual Career Speaker Series Session #1 (Junior Achievement & John Muir Health) October 20 at 4 p.m.
Topic: Family Medicine with Dr. Jonathan Shaked
Speaker will share details about his current role, his educational journey, and his unique path to career success, followed by a live Q&A with students.
Registration Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/180247795007
Manufacturing Week - Contra Costa County (Earn & Learn)
This virtual week-long series is for anyone interested in learning about a career in Manufacturing and is designed to empower, educate, and inspire future manufacturing students, career transitioners, parents, teachers, community members, and more.
Please see Flyer with links to register for each session. Need more info? Contact info@earnlearn.us.
National Principals Month
October is also National Principals Month, and today marks the end of national Week of the Administrator. I would like to thank WCCUSD’s amazing school leaders for their tireless work in ensuring that students continue to learn and excel in school.
WCCUSD’s leaders have worked hard to continuously improve the learning experiences and opportunities for students and gone above and beyond in engaging families. I sincerely thank you for the work you do for WCCUSD students, staff and community.
Digital Citizenship Week
October is National Bullying Prevention Month, and October 18 through October 22 is Digital Citizenship Week. The District’s Ed Tech team led by Laurie Roberts and Darcy Long did a great job of putting together resources for students, teachers and families. You can check out those great resources for families here from Common Sense Media.
It is important that we teach students how to become responsible digital citizens and to show them the power and responsibility that comes with technology. Technology allows teachers and staff to bring lessons to life and provide students with engaging, empowering and challenging educational opportunities. Take the opportunity this month to talk to students about bullying and the appropriate use of technology.
Have a wonderful weekend and remember to thank an administrator, share the college readiness resources with WCCUSD students, and complete the family income forms by the end of the month.
In community,
Kenneth Chris Hurst Sr., Ed.D
Superintendent