OAKLEY UNION

Congratulations to our outstanding Local 1 Site Employees of the Year! Their consistent dedication to our students and families throughout the school year has been truly remarkable. We are immensely grateful for all they do. A HUGE congratulations to you all! Stay tuned for individual posts about these employees in the days to come! Maria Bautista - Almond Grove Elementary Corlina Wolfe - Gehringer Elementary Cynthia Perez - Delta Vista Middle Lola Jones - Iron House Elementary Jasmina Zilkic - Laurel Elementary Lauren Gilmore - O'Hara Park Middle Alma Magana - Oakley Elementary Naomi George-Harrison - Summer Lake Elementary Jose Rosales - Vintage Parkway Elementary Jose Reyes - Maintenance & Operations William Amis - District Office (also Local 1 District Wide EOY winner!)

Elke Betonte is Vintage Parkway Elementary School's 2023-2024 CSEA Site Employee of the Year! "I love working with the students and staff at Vintage Parkway. The skills I've learned as a Vintage paraeducator and the friends I've made will last a lifetime!" -Elke

Lori Mazzola is Summer Lake Elementary School's 2023-2024 CSEA Site Employee of the Year! "I’ve worked at OUESD for 11 years. First, as campus supervisor then as a paraprofessional, specifically at Summer Lake for 5 years. I have been blessed to have amazing paras that I work with at Summer Lake! I enjoy spending time reading, shopping, going to concerts, vacations in Lake Tahoe, and spending time with family, friends, and my adorable German Shepherd dog. " -Lori

Brooke Fernandez is Oakley Elementary School's 2023-2024 CSEA Site Employee of the Year! "My passion for helping others is what motivates me each day in this job. I am dedicated ensuring my success and confidence within my students. " -Brooke

Contra Costa Office of Education presents a virtual event, Addiction & Teens. Learn more about addiction and its impact on young people, signs of problem substance use, and resources available. Click the link to join: https://bit.ly/3WpVDC9 Flyer: https://5il.co/2lr8u La Oficina de Educación de Contra Costa presenta un evento virtual, Adicción y Adolescentes. Obtenga más información sobre la adicción y su impacto en los jóvenes, las señales del uso problemático de sustancias y los recursos disponibles. Use el enlace para reunirse a la sesión: https://bit.ly/3WpVDC9 Volante: https://5il.co/2lr8u

Rebecca Haro is O'Hara Park Middle School's 2023-2024 CSEA Site Employee of the Year! "I have worked at O'Hara Park since it opened 34 yrs ago. I enjoy the work I do. The memories are abundant. I have seen former students become teachers, office staff & friends I am proud to be able say once a bulldog always a Bulldog. " -Rebecca

BLOOD DRIVE in honor of Aria Strong, a 5-year-old in our community with an extremely rare blood disease that has left her in critical condition, needing several blood and platelet transfusions a week. Please join us in donating blood on Friday, May 17th (8:30-2:30), at St. Anthony Church (971 O’Hara Ave, Oakley). To make an appointment, click the link within the flyer: https://5il.co/2lkq0

Bernadette Oliveira is Laurel Elementary School's 2023-2024 CSEA Site Employee of the Year! "I’m a mom of two wonderful daughters. Victoria (22) and Anamarie (16). My husband, Joe and I have been married for 27 wonderful years. In my free time I like to do crafts and take trips to the beach. Over the years, I have continued to enjoy raising my girls in our Portuguese heritage where we attend festivals throughout California. I have been a paraprofessional for seven years and have enjoyed everyday working as a SPED paraprofessional!! Throughout my years here at OUESD, I have had the pleasure of being taught new skills and ideas by some of the best mentors and peers which has allowed me to get to where I am today. As I always say “Everyday is a new day!” I am proud to represent Laurel Elementary as their CSEA employee of the year!! Thank you!" -Bernadette

Mia Hobson is Iron House Elementary School's 2023-2024 CSEA Site Employee of the Year! "Mia is helpful, kind, passionate and dedicated. She loves her students, and they love her right back! Mia has a lot of school spirit!!" - Principal Dr. Angela Walker

Rosa Romero is Delta Vista Middle School's 2023-2024 CSEA Site Employee of the Year! "I love my job because I am able to work with kids everyday. My favorite part about this job is being able to provide kids with the extra support they need to have a positive learning environment." -Rosa

Carla Rivera is Gehringer Elementary School's 2023-2024 CSEA Site Employee of the Year! "My journey in the educational field began as a Bilingual Paraprofessional when my son, who is now a sophomore, started kindergarten at Gehringer Elementary. Two years later my daughter started school too and I expanded my day at work by becoming part of the Campus Supervisor team. When my husband and I moved to this little town named Oakley from San Francisco I didn’t know this gem of a place existed. I enjoy walking along the creek listening to the sound of the stream and riding our bikes as a family from one end to the other making several stops to enjoy nature; the views, and stopping for a bite to eat. Other activities that bring me joy are music/dancing and concerts, trying out new foods, traveling and taking in new cultures, and reading, yet my favorite time of the day is the drive from Delta Vista to Freedom high school at dismissal times to pick up my kids. Being a mom has given me a second opportunity to cherish the many stages of life again. In working in the classrooms, the teachers have certainly given me a crash course on everything that I forgot when I was in school. Their teaching ways and their passion for teaching keep me motivated to work side by side to see the student’s achievements. On the other hand, the students have restored a fire in me to return to school and now I am on my way to earn my BA in Humanities. I look forward to many more years here at OUESD along with my fabulous and amazing coworkers and the rest of our Oakley community." -Carla

Our Nutrition Services Department is in the spotlight for their outstanding efforts in fueling our students' success! Check out the article in The Press highlighting their dedication to providing nutritious meals and how they're nourishing minds and bodies! 🍎🥕 https://www.thepress.net/features/oakley-school-district-honors-lunch-superheroes/article_5875bf92-0e27-11ef-8975-0bbad878adbe.html

Shelly Wyatt is Almond Grove Elementary School's 2023-2024 CSEA Site AND CSEA District Employee of the Year! "I have been with O.U.E.S.D since 2006. First starting out as a para sub, then hired as a Campus Supervisor at Vintage Parkway, gradually taking on multiple roles such as Literacy Support and other Interventions. I moved over to Almond Grove when it opened 10 years ago. Being a team player, going the extra mile, and being dedicated to our students is the best part of my job. Whether I'm just listening to them, tying their shoe or helping them with learning reading strategies. I'm married to my wonderful husband of 35 years. We have two adult children who both are former students here in the Oakley School Dist. Our son is a Firefighter and daughter is in the Insurance industry. In my spare time I love spending time with my family, camping, traveling, exploring and being the passenger when my husband takes a random backroad. In closing I would just like to say I am so honored to receive this title. There's so many amazing staff members here in our district that are so deserving as well. I don't do it for recognition but this is truly so special. Thank You so much!" -Shelly

Congratulations to our outstanding CSEA Site Employee of the Year! Their consistent dedication to our students and families throughout the school year has been truly remarkable. We are immensely grateful for all they do. A HUGE congratulations to you all! Stay tuned for individual posts about these employees in the days to come! Shelly Wyatt - Almond Grove Elementary Carla Rivera - Gehringer Elementary Rosa Romero - Delta Vista Middle Mia Hobson - Iron House Elementary Bernadette Oliveira - Laurel Elementary Rebecca Haro - O'Hara Park Middle Brooke Fernandez - Oakley Elementary Lori Mazzola - Summer Lake Elementary Elke Betonte - Vintage Parkway Elementary

Check out our School Lunch Hero Day! "Thank you to everyone who participated in decorating the site kitchens to make all of our school lunch HEROS feel loved and recognized for all of the hard amazing work they do to make sure our students are fed each day!" -OUESD Nutrition Services

BLOOD DRIVE in honor of Aria Strong, a 5 year old in our community with an extremely rare blood disease that has left her in critical condition, needing several blood and platelet transfusions a week. Please join us in donating blood on Friday, May 10th (10-3), at City of Oakley City Hall (3231 Main Street, Oakley). To make an appointment, click the link within the flyer: https://5il.co/2jym0

Erin Furnary is Summer Lake Elementary School's 2023-2024 Teacher of the Year! "I absolutely love my job! I always tell my second grade students that I have four main goals to achieve as their teacher: to keep them safe, to enhance and challenge their thinking, to create a positive classroom community, and to prepare them for the next grade level and the world around them. Every day in my second grade classroom is joyous, due to so many reasons why. My scholarly students actively strive to achieve the high academic and behavior expectations we have made and agreed upon since the start of the year. We support every student daily, and choose to experience the highs and lows together, offering empathetic shoulders to lean on. We laugh and giggle during each lesson, always finding the fun within the connections made in phonics, math, and writing. Every student brings their own intelligence, opinions, and questions to the carpet for classroom discussions and circle time, and we're all ready to listen and share. I've been teaching for five years, and each year has become better and better. It's amazing what I have learned, and will continue to learn, from the incredible brains and points of views that come from such tiny humans! I hope with each group of students I get to teach, they will never forget that I will always be cheering them on in their academic careers and lives. I am truly blessed to be a teacher, and work at Summer Lake! Go Sea Turtles! " -Erin Congratulations to you!

Greg Deurloo is O'Hara Park Middle School's 2023-2024 Teacher of the Year! "I have been teaching MS Science for 33 years and still enjoy the classroom. I have been with the Oakley School District for roughly 28 years. I couldn’t have landed in a better place when I got here from Michigan in the Mid 90’s. Over the years I have been fortunate to come in contact with 100’s of awesome people. Terminology and acronyms have changed over the years, but the true driving force educations has not. It is still about the inaction between the teacher and their students that provides the real value. I love teaching science for just that reason. I have shared so many wonderful moment with my students over the years, though experiments, demonstrations, and conversations. My inner 4 year old is alive and well [our sense of wonder] It is always my goal to foster that same sense of wonder for the students in my classes." -Greg Congratulations to you!

Elisabeth (Elli) Hogue is Oakley Elementary School's 2023-2024 Teacher of the Year! "I am so incredibly grateful for all of the amazing teachers and staff that I have been lucky to have worked with throughout the years here at OUESD. It is truly a team effort in everything here, and I love the collaboration that everyone does so we can best support our students." -Elli Elli is a Speech & Language Pathologist. Congratulations to you!

Tim Fox is Laurel Elementary School's 2023-2024 Teacher of the Year! "I’m Tim Fox, a 5th grade teacher and nothing brings me more joy than putting my students first. Beyond the classroom I make sure to interact with the kids during recess and PE because I believe in creating a fun and enjoyable learning environment. Being a teacher isn’t just about textbooks; it’s about making connections. I genuinely enjoy showing my students that learning can be exciting and that their teacher can have fun too. My passion for supporting youth doesn’t stop at academics- I’ve spent years volunteering in sports like baseball, soccer, and basketball. It’s crucial for me to foster not only academic growth but also physical well-being and teamwork. From the classroom to the sports field, I’m here to inspire and support the amazing potential within each of my students. On a personal note I have been married to my amazing wife for almost 25 years and have two children, Hannah 26 and Ethan 19, and a granddaughter- Marianna 4. They have all played key roles in my development as a teacher and I love them all very much!! " -Tim Congratulations to you!