School Buzz: Recent Episodes
R. Cooksey
The Lancaster School District Podcast, School Buzz, connects educators, staff, parents and students by discussing education topics with guests. The focus is to improve educational experiences and share information with the community about current topics. Hosted by Rebecca Cooksey.
Episode 75- Cell Phones and Middle Schools- Guest Richelle Pulos, principal of Amargosa Creek, discusses the negative impact of cell phones on campus and the district's implementation of Yondr bags for the upcoming school year.
Episode 74- Guests Cindy Queen and Karla Tobar explain the process by which EL Learners are reclassified and the ways the district supports EL learners and their families.
Episode 73- Guest Trish Wilson, Coordinator of Mental Health, discusses school crisis and the role of counselors.
Episode- 72- Guest Todd Coleman, Director of Human Resources, discusses new teacher bonuses and why the school district needs them to recruit highly qualified teachers.
Episode 71- Guest Kym Cochran discusses student behavior on campus and how adults can help. We also talk about the role of social media in influencing students, Capturing Kids Hearts and Positive Behavior Interventions.
Episode 70- Guest Brandon Weber discussed cyber security threats and the tools used to protect the district. He also provides some tips to keep you safe at home online.
Episode 69- Guests DeeDee Anderson and Edith Avilez discuss the benefits of using social media to inform parents of the positive happenings on campus. They talk about the challenges and creating a team to support them in this work.
Episode 68- Community Schools Grant. Guest Sam Yuom, the Executive Director of Family and Student Services, provides information on the Community School Grant and how expanded services will be provided for students
Episode 67- Supporting New Teachers. Guests Renee Rubio and Michelle Lambeth discuss new teacher support and how to get help if you need it. They even tell us about their first year of teaching.
Episode 66- End of the First Year- Guest, Superintendent, Dr. Paul Marietti discusses his first year in Lancaster School District - the accomplishments and surprises in our district.
Episode 64- The Role of ASB- Guest Challen David from New Vista discusses the role of ASB and how the middle school students helped shape the new dress code.
Episode 64- Standards Based Report Cards- Guests Kristi Zenno and April Gridler discuss the district's move to standards based report cards. They review the process for developing them and the pilot year coming up.
Episode 63- Student Leaders. Guests this week are students Mariah and Arturo from Fulton and Aslbury. Both students worked to provide a valuable service to our community. Great to talk to young leaders.
Episode 62- Parent Teacher Conferences. Guests Krista Thomsen and Allison Harmon discuss what parents should expect at the parent teacher conferences and how they are structured.
Episode 61- Assessment and State Testing. Guest Sam Yuom discusses the types of assessment and the role they play in education. He also talks about state testing and what parents can do to help their children.
Episode 60- Serving as a Board Member. Guest Diana Grooms discusses her role on the school board for 17 years and how the election process works in Lancaster.
Episode 59- Early Reading Grant. Guest Tara Goines and Andrea Williams discuss scientific based practices for teaching young students to read. Our district received a grant to improve reading instruction for students with the goal of having every child read by 3rd grade.
Episode 58- School Safety. Guests Jenny Sampson and Kym Cochran discuss school safety and procedure for keeping staff and students safe. The topic includes safety drills, safe practices and updated technology projects.
Dr. Paul Mariette joins the Lancaster School District as our new superintendent. Get to know him and his goals for the district.
Episode 56- Guest Dr. Michele Bowers discusses her time in the Lancaster School District and her plans for retirement this summer.
Episode 55- Guest Alesha Kacee and Krista Thomsen discuss equity in education. We review what Critical Race Theory is and what it is not and how teachers are supported to create supportive environments for students.
Episode 54- Guests Krista Thomsen, Renee Rubio, and Michelle Lambeth discuss the New Teacher Induction Program and how they support our newest teachers.
Episode 53- Guest Mike Davis, Director of Human Resources, discussed the how to get hired in Lancaster School District and huge need for new employees. If you are interested in working for the district, go to Edjoin.com
Guest Brandon Weber discusses the need for strong cyber security system in the district and how users can protect themselves from cyber attacks.
Episode 51- The Longest Year. Guest Dr. Michele Bowers, Lancaster School District Superintendent, discusses the early days of the pandemic, plans for safety, and the shifts made in learning and access during this year.
Episode 50- Creative Principals. Guests Rebekah McConnell and Erie Robertson are both principals in the Lancaster School District. They discuss how the pandemic has made them more creative in supporting teachers and communicating with students and parents.
Episode 49- Create Event. Guests Krista Thomsen, Kristi Zenno, and Gina Wilson discuss the importance of integrating the Visual and Performing Arts Standards and how the Create Event will be different this year due to the pandemic.
Episode 48. Facilities Update. Guest Dr. Larry Freise, the Assistant Superintendent of Business gives us an update on the multitude of projects that his team has been working on during the pandemic. All you ever wanted to know about the complicated freezer project and developer fees.
Episode 47. Suicide Prevention. Guests George Garcia and Melissa Zangerle are both school counselors in the Lancaster School District. They discuss suicide prevention and how the district supports students who need assistance.
Episode 46. Computer Science Schools Update. Guests Kacee Fortee, Jennifer Krumrei and Janelle Stevens discuss the computer science programs at Mariposa and West Wind Elementary Schools and how the pandemic has changed the program.
Episode 45: Supporting Teachers During Distance Learning. Guests Kaitlyn Mang, Sarah Rough, and Marshall Zaun discuss the challenges of supporting teachers during the pandemic and what surprises they have experienced.
Episode 44: Campus Safety During COVID. Guests Dr. Larry Freise, Asst. Superintendent of Business, and Jenny Sampson, Coordinator of Climate, School Safety and Emergency Management, discuss the increased safety requirements due to COVID to keep staff and students safe on campus.
Episode 43: Guest Brandon Weber, ITS Director, discusses the challenges of technology during distance learning and some ideas for future plans in the Lancaster School District.
Episode 42: Guest Sara Rust, school counselor, provides some strategies for parents to help their children stay motivated during distance learning. She discusses parent workshops, Positive Behavior Intervention Strategies and Lunch Bunch opportunities.
Episode 41- Looking Forward. The pandemic has caused all school districts to scramble to provide continued platforms for student learning. Guest Dr. Michele Bowers, superintendent, discusses the new opportunities and challenges for remote learning and how this has impacted teachers, students, parents, and staff.
Episode 40- Social and Emotional Support. Guests Clark McKown, president of XSEL labs, and Trish Wilson discuss how parents can support students' social and emotional health during the CA Safe at Home order.
Episode 39- The Coronavirus and School Planning. Guest Chris Jones from Palmdale joins Rebecca via Google Hangouts to discuss how technology departments prepare for emergency situations. Stay calm and carry on!
Episode 38- The Role of the Instructional Coach. Guests Krista Thomsen, Kristi Zenno and Stacy Acosta discuss how the instructional coaches support teacher learning and student progress as a learning partner.
Episode 37- Dual Immersion. Guests from Linda Verde Elementary include Jennifer Chavez, Karla Tobar, Adriana Landeros, and Heather Durant. The educators explain how a dual immersion schools works and the benefits for students.
Episode 36- Structured Play Guests from Sierra Elementary include Jill Culver, Latanya Colemen, Taneea Coleman. They discuss the implementation of structured play at school and how students are responding.
Episode 35- Engaging Students with Technology. Guest Heather Fritz, an instructional coach discuss new tools to engage students in the classroom and ideas for teachers to try.
Episode 33- District Mid-Year Update. Superintendent, Dr. Michele Bowers gives us an update on the district at the mid-year point and gives Kudos to the many strengths of the district .
Episode 34- Using Technology to Learn about History. Guests DeeDee Anderson and student, LeVell, from Lincoln Elementary School explain Time Magazine's The March project. This VR project brings to life the "I Have a Dream" speech from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Episode 32- Two Generations of Educators. My mother, Joanne Davidson, is our guest this week. We discuss how education has changed over the last 55 years.
Episode 31- Grading and Student Progress. Guests Marshall Zaun, Kaitlyn Mang and Sarah Rough discuss the purpose for grades, traditional vs standards based grading and tips for using the gradebook.
Episode 30- Cameras on Campus. Guests Brandon Weber and Henry Schneider discuss legal issues regarding cameras on campus and improving school safety.
Episode 29- CALPADS. Guests Rebecca Morales, John Troeger, and John Zweckbronner discuss why the database was created and what data is monitored by the state of California.
Episode 28- New at Piute Middle School. Guest Dr. Solomon DeFrancis discusses changes for the school year and the upcoming annual blood drive that students organize.
Episode 27- Social Emotional Learning. Guests Trish Wilson and Marina Scates discuss social emotional skills that students need to be successful and how teachers and counselors support this learning in the district.
Guests Kim Porter and Jane D'Anna discuss alternative learning environments that are offered within the Lancaster School District. Home Hospital, Home School, Virtual Education and Alternative Ed are all highlighted.
Episode 25 Special Education. Rosemary Napoleon discusses the special education program in Lancaster School District and how teachers meet the needs of students.
Episode 24- Leadership Class at New Vista. Students Pauline, Kaylin, Deangela, Rhea, and Jaylene from Mrs. Dominguez's Leadership class discuss how they help other students on campus.
Guest Krista Thomsen discusses how the district designs professional development for teachers and how it affects to student achievement.
Episode 22- VAPA. Guest David Denning, Principal at Nancy Cory Elementary, discusses the visual and performing arts focus at his school and the benefits for students.
Episode 21- Human Resources- Guest Mike Davis discusses his transition into the Human Resources Department and how the departments supports student achievement.
Episode 20- Title 1- Guests Cindy Queen and Erie Robertson inform us about Title 1 funds and how they are used at schools.
Episode 19 School Safety. Guest Jenny Sampson discusses new technology used for school safety and best practices for keeping students safe.
Episode 18- Story Maker. Guest Terry Thoren, the co- creator of StoryMaker, is our guest. He discusses his motivation for developing the WonderGrove animation series and how Lancaster School District will use StoryMaker with students.
Episode 17- The Leadership Academy. Guest Kim Porter details the changes made at our community day school to support students and create leaders.
Episode 16- English Language Learner Support. Guests Jordan Goines and Nayeli Chacon discuss how teachers and parents can support second language learners and the benefits of being bilingual.
Episode 15- Summer School Students. Guests J'Quan, Emily, Brianna, Sakana, and Mia discuss their summer school experience and what they learned.
Episode 14- What Do They Do In ITS? Guests David Bertelsen and Jared Willson discuss the job duties of Information Technology Services staff and how the department supports the classrooms.
Episode 13- Screen Time and Child Development. Guest Kelly Fountain, Director of Early Childhood Education discusses the negative effect too much screen time has on small children and suggestions for parents to maximize educational benefits.
Episode 12- A Career in Special Education. Guest Rick Filloon discusses his career in special education, programs for students, and the future of special education.
Episode 11- New Teacher Support. Our guests are Carol Clauss from Lancaster School District and Mary Rees from Palmdale School District discussing supports for new teachers. Both educators are retiring this year in June 2019.
Episode 10 - The Most Inspirational Teacher 2019. Our guest this week is Victoria, an 8th grade student at Amargosa Creek. She talks about Mrs. Credille, Victoria's most inspirational teacher.
Episode 9- Child Nutrition Program in Lancaster School District. Guests Belinda Ross and Deby Candelaria provide lots of details about the how we feed students.
Episode 8- 21st Century Teaching. Guests Matt Rhyne, Marshall Zuan, and Kaitlyn Mang discuss innovation and technology in the district.
Episode 7- Mariposa Computer Science Magnet School. Guests Mike Choate, Dennis Burden, Anna Hill and Stephanie Hernandez discuss the implementation of Code to the Future at their school.
Episode 6- Testing Time- Guests Leslie Ruvalcaba and Alyson Hazard discuss standardized testing and how the data is used to support students.
Episode 5 Good Attendance- Hosted by Rebecca Cooksey, guests Terrance Zenno and Stephanie Pielech discuss the importance of good school attendance. They also give parents information on when it is okay for your child to stay home. Recorded April 25, 2019.
Episode 4- Why Teach? Guests Marla Zaun from Desert View, Kacee Forte from West Wind, and Amy Johnson from New Vista discuss why they became teachers and give advice to those new to the profession. Recorded April 19, 2019
Episode 3- A Tale of Two Schools. Guests Tyler Heckathorn from Linda Verde and Mechelle Reynolds from Fulton & Alsbury discuss the connection between two groups of 7th Graders. Recorded April 10, 2019
Episode 2 recorded April 1. Hosted by Rebecca Cooksey with guests Tara Goines, Jorge Lopez, and Harmony Bell discuss the Summer of Innovation offered to students in Lancaster School District.
Lancaster School District's first podcast hosted by Rebecca Cooksey and featuring Dr. Michele Bowers, Bart Hoffman and Lorraine Zapata discussing changes in education. Released March 20, 2019