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The ���ϻ���’s Universal Transitional Kindergarten (UTK) program is offering a pair of trainings and its annual Re-imagining Early Learning conference this month.

On September 24 and again on October 29, the program will hold a training on Preschool/Transitional Kindergarten Learning Foundations (PTKLF). The PTKLF is commonly referred to as the California early learning “standards” for children in early education classrooms. Through the PTKLF training, attendees will discover the foundations for long-range learning and academic achievement in K-12. Attendees will also learn the guiding PTKLF principles and interrelated learning domains, including social emotional development and mathematics.

To register for the September 24 training, visit .

To register for the October 29 training, visit .

On September 27, nationally-known author and parent coach, Joan Morgenstern, will conduct a lunchtime session for administrators and district leaders on toileting independence for TK students. The session will include a discussion of legal requirements and effective school policies. To register, visit: .

Scheduled for Saturday, September 28, the Re-Imagining Early Learning conference will feature informative breakout sessions, free resources, and a special keynote presentation by Joan Morgenstern. Register by September 19 at .

To keep up with the latest trainings and resources from ���ϻ��� UTK, visit tcoe.org/UTK.

Tulare County middle and high school advisors are encouraged to register their students by October 3 to attend the annual CHOICES Anti-Bullying Symposium. The event will be held Thursday, November 7, at the Galaxy Theatres in Tulare from 8:30 a.m. until 3:15 p.m. Each school may bring one advisor and up to eight students.

The purpose of the Anti-Bullying Symposium is to develop youth leaders to be agents of change on their campuses this year. Tom Thelen, a noted author and motivational speaker on the topics of mental health and bullying, will be the symposium’s keynote speaker. Thelen’s book, Mental Health 101 For Teens, was an Amazon No. 1 New Release.

Thelen has spoken at over 900 schools and conferences and has been interviewed on NBC, CBS, FOX, and PBS. He is a certified instructor in Youth Mental Health First Aid, a training program by the National Council for Mental Wellbeing.

As the founder of the nonprofit ResetSchools.org, Thelen and his team created the award-winning Mental Health 101 book and curriculum, a program that teaches students positive skills such as respect, responsibility, and resiliency, as well as coping skills for stress and anxiety. He is also the founder of NoBullyingSchools.com, an evidence-based bullying prevention program with a smartphone app, and video lessons on the topics of bullying, mental health, social skills, and resiliency.

Following the keynote session, students will engage in a variety of activities and presentations that will help them understand cyberbullying, mindfulness, resiliency, making healthy choices, and more.

Last week, the California Department of Education’s Comprehensive State Literacy Development grant, Readership, hosted nationally-recognized educator Sarah Brown Wessling at the ���ϻ���. Nearly 50 middle and high school educators engaged in a full day of learning focused on improving writing instruction.

Wessling’s approachable style and relatable experiences resonated with the teachers. Speaking from her own experience, she acknowledged the challenges of teaching writing. "Teaching writing means teaching thinking," she emphasized, using texts such as songs and advertisements to demonstrate how to build meaningful writing experiences. Teachers appreciated her practical strategies on developing background knowledge and elevating student voice, even in non-narrative writing.

“If students don’t know what to write, it means they don’t know what to think,” she shared, striking a chord with educators. One teacher noted, “I loved the day of learning and collaborating in concrete, approachable ways.”

Each participant received a $200 classroom collection of books, with one saying, "Readership has transformed my teaching."

Editor: Robert Herman, Communications Director
Contributors: Nayirah Dosu, Marlene Moreno, Jennifer Fisher, Amy Sullivan, Brittaney Quinonez, Jenean Bray 

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