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Welcome back to the Innovate and Elevate the
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FSD podcast. This is episode one, season two.
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We've made it to season two. My name is Pablo
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Diaz, the Innovation and Structural Support Director.
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And also with me, the co -host to this is...
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Hello, everyone. It's good to be back. I'm Amber
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Munoz, Public Information Officer here at the
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Fullerton School District. And Pablo... I can't
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believe we're in episode one of season two. I
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think when we started this podcast last school
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year, we started with, you know, just kind of.
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low threshold of, you know, expectations. We
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really just wanted to use it as another platform
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and medium to share our stories here in the Fullerton
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School District and really highlight our people.
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So it's exciting that we, you know, we've gotten
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several episodes in that first season and now
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here we are in season two to just really continue
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to... Showcase to folks what happens here in
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public ed and what makes Fullerton School District
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such a special place and such a leader in public
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education locally, statewide, and nationally.
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Yeah, I had a really good time with all of the
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guests that we kind of curated a list and had
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a fun time learning about them. In fact, some
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of the people that we visited with last year,
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we started, we kicked it off with our superintendent,
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Dr. Rob. Robert Pleka, also known as Dr. Bob
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affectionately here in the district. Do we have
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some news on him, Amber? You know... Pablo, it's
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the news that you just don't really want to share
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again. You don't want to think about it after
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it's been told. But it's out there. Yes, it's
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out there. It's live. So Dr. Bob recently announced
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that he's going to be going off into the sunset
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in the land of retirement. We are so excited
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for him. What a hard -earned place to be for
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him. He's had such an illustrious career. We're
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going to miss him immensely. He's left Fullerton
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School District in a really good spot. That guy
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is just the definition of innovation. No, absolutely.
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He's left a legacy here, and we just hope to
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carry on that and support his legacy. And then
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we'll obviously bring on new leadership here,
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and that's just as exciting as well. But congratulations
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to Dr. Pletka. I think you actually have a nonprofit.
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called kids fish on so just go fish on dr bob
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fish on uh we also had uh mike mcadam uh who
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has a the the longest title and i think actually
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just recently added to his title i think he's
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something to do with transportation if i'm not
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Yes, Pablo. The list goes on for Mike. But what
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also goes on is just his ability to connect people
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and resources and to just be a great resource
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for us here with all things purchasing, transportation.
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And I know that that whole area of his is also
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evolving with new support opportunities and things
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like that. So I just know that he remains such
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a charismatic force in our district and just
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somebody who can really. champion the people
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and rally the folks towards our awesome cause,
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which is supporting our students and staff district
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-wide. Absolutely. And then there's one of our
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STEM leaders, Esther Kim, who's currently working
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on a doctorate. And so I think she's got another
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year left, and that'll be Dr. Kim to you and
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I. Yes. Esther, gosh, she was one of a guest
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that was really stayed in my mind from last season
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just because of her absolute enthusiasm and passion
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for the work that she does and for bringing the
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best to kids when it comes to all things STEM.
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She doesn't ever stop because she knows that
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it's what kids deserve is just access and tools
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to really be able to realize their dreams in
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those STEM fields and also just see themselves
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in STEM roles that maybe. they otherwise wouldn't
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have seen themselves in. Yeah, and definitely
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one of my favorite colleagues to bounce ideas
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off of. Definitely, she used to work in our department,
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so got to know her then. But we've got to work
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together collaboratively through departments.
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She's in ed services. So always a great thought
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partner and somebody to bounce ideas and generate
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ideas from. Then there's Jeremy Davis was our
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second to last guest in season one. Our fearless
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leader, our assistant superintendent. innovation
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and structural support. Absolutely. Jeremy is
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a leader that truly cares from a 360 perspective
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about people about digital wellness about digital
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literacy he is somebody who i think is so perfect
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in his role as our assistant supe of innovation
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and instructional support because he has just
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a great eye and heart for being able to see the
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tech tools that are needed that are coming up
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and how to make sure that we have the safety
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rails necessary to ensure our students are using
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technology to create and not to overly consume.
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No, absolutely. Great leader. Glad to have him
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as our leader in our department and just cares
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a lot. an awful lot about the things that we
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do here in the district, especially in our department.
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And last but definitely not least, our fearless
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art director, Mr. Phil Ling, who I also had the
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pleasure of working with here in our department.
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I don't know if that's how we curated the list,
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just people we were comfortable with, but also
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kind of just knew a little bit of their story
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and knew that they would be a definite interest
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to folks and learn a little bit more about the
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person behind the job that they do. I think that
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makes so much sense, and I agree. I think with
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this maiden voyage for season one, just pulling
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from our core group of folks that we know have
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really interesting stories and are doing a lot
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behind the scenes to bring the incredible programs
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and opportunities that we give to our students
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here. So, Phil. Captain of kindness. That's what
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I think of when I think of Phil. He is so endlessly
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kind, so creative, and just so caring about bringing
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really robust arts programs and leading his team
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to just be those really warm. openly creative.
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I mean, you want to be creative when you're around
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them because they just make you so comfortable
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and feel so safe to, you know, draw or maybe
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try your hand at acting, performing arts, all
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of those things. It was really neat to hear more
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about his story and then the work that he and
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our arts team are doing. Well, Phil's going to
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want to replay that part over and over and over
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again. Love you, Phil. Yeah. No, and he has a
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great team with all the people. You know, you
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said kind words about Phil, but everybody on
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his team, they're just as kind. And maybe that
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just rubs off on them, and I'm pretty sure they
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were kind before this, but very, very genuine
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people over there in the art department. Yes.
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And they had a name. Now, he wants to be called
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FSD. arts team, I believe. Yes, yes. And not
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to be confused, and in a good way, because we
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do have some, we do have had support in the Fullerton
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School District for years and years and years
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with the... The All the Arts for All the Kids
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Foundation. That's right. So you can see where
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you can get a little confused, especially Pablo
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Diaz getting confused with that. But yes, I think
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they just wanted a little bit of definition,
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right, to who they are and what they do within
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the district. Definitely. And I think that's
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just such a testament that we have an in -house.
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dedicated team that's focusing on the fine arts,
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the digital media arts, the performing arts in
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our district. And that's, you know, just naming
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a few. And then we've got partners like the All
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the Arts for All the Kids Foundation who are
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offering those supplemental courses outside of
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the classroom and then who we're pulling from
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artists to serve our kids. So I think it's a
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great collaboration. Just I'd be hard pressed
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to find another district that's offering as many
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arts opportunities for creative expression as
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we are. So I'm grateful that we do that here.
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No doubt. No doubt. And so this is basically
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been a overview of last year or last season.
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And let's do a little prelude into some of the
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just a few of the topics that we might be talking
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about in the coming year. Yeah, definitely. So
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sort of where we were, where we're at, and where
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we're going. I'm excited to welcome guests from
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our district that are working on really cool
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projects. Every school year, it feels like we're
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just building upon amazing ideas to make even
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more amazing ideas. So Pablo, I know we've got
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the FSD Tiny Home Project that was started. It
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was one of your brainchilds. brain children,
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which was awesome. And it's now in its third
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school year of existence. And tell us a little
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bit more about what we can expect that's being
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built on. No pun intended there. Yeah, I like
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it. Pun intended. The Construction Academy is
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an offshoot of the tiny home where we've now
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offered with the great leadership and tutelage
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of our teacher over there, Musio Vidalis, who
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has been part of the tiny home project from the
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start. And we started Construction Trade Academy,
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which essentially is going to support two periods
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of construction or woodshop, woodshop two in
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this case, for all of our students who have signed
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up. And believe it or not. Students have to choose,
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and we just had a kickoff. I'm going to kind
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of be rambling a little bit, kind of back and
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forth. I'm just looking back at what we talked
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about there. Students had to choose whether they
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wanted to do two periods of wood chop. or not
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do it at all and necessarily have, let's say,
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a Spanish class or an art class or a graphic
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design class. So essentially they're choosing
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to be working with their hands out there because
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they enjoy it. And I've met this group. I've
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interviewed a few of them, and maybe we can push
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some of those into our podcast here at some point
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in time. But these are just wonderful kids, just
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wonderful kids, eloquent, articulate. articulate
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I was just I was just super glad to talk to them
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and I've been around the students over the past
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three years and I don't know they're just they
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were just a great group they say hi and bye how
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you doing I was like I was just not used to that
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in middle school I taught middle school for 13
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years yes so maybe they're just getting smarter
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no I'm not sure but or just more polite Maybe
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Phil's out there. Yeah, I think Phil's got to
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be somewhere involved in that. Yeah. But I am
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rambling a little bit, but the Construction Academy
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is a great thing. We kicked it off this year.
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We provided a new space for them, an outdoor
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classroom space where we have two C bins. Or
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if you don't know what a C bin is, it's just
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basically one of those big like 30, 40 foot trailers
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or containers, excuse me. And so one is housing
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all of the materials and the other one houses
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really all of their classroom. tools and some
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of the materials such as saws, tape measures,
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all the whole nine. And he does have like an
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outdoor rolling blackboard out there. It's pretty
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awesome how Mr. Vidalas has kind of adapted his
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indoor and outdoor classes. So it's still a work
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in progress. We're looking to get some shade
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out there for them, but we expanded the space
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by about a third or maybe even more than that,
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but somewhere in there. It's a really nice space.
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Kids enjoy being out there, and they're just
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all super engaged and working with their hands.
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I have to agree with you on this cohort that's
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kicking off this Construction Trade Academy.
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We recently hosted the, air quotes, groundbreaking,
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and that was just sort of a ceremonial way of
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starting this new build, starting this new Construction
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Academy where attendees got a chance to hear
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more about. the FSD Tiny Home Project journey
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and how it's evolved into this incredible career
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technical pathway for students in junior high.
00:13:07.779 --> 00:13:12.019
It's pretty remarkable. I know that through this
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construction academy as well, we're partnering
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with some folks in the trades to be able to bring
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guest speakers in to help co -create curriculum
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that is really going to give our students the
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information and the knowledge and the practice
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that they could go and get jobs in the construction
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field. while they're in high school, like legit
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that they know these skills and everything. So,
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and to your point, these students are not only
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passionate about this work, but they're also
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charismatic too, which is just such a winning
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combo. And I'm excited to see where this is going
00:13:44.639 --> 00:13:47.409
to head. Yeah. I may be getting a little ahead
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of myself, but I think in terms of the folks
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that will be joining us maybe once a week, maybe
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even twice a week, will be North Orange County
00:13:56.470 --> 00:14:00.250
ROP, which is going to be supporting our construction
00:14:00.250 --> 00:14:02.870
academy. So we'll have some tradespeople out
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there really working with the kids. They'll be
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learning how to drywall, do electrical, do plumbing.
00:14:09.970 --> 00:14:12.889
So it's going to be really exciting. Absolutely.
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I'm almost sensing with as much time as we spent
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on this topic, we're going to have Mr. Vidalas
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in for sure. And we can deep dive into this because
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there are other things that I can think of right
00:14:23.090 --> 00:14:24.850
now that are a part of this project that are
00:14:24.850 --> 00:14:27.909
so exciting. So look forward to that, listeners.
00:14:28.470 --> 00:14:30.649
And just a couple of other things that we're
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excited to bring folks in to talk about. We've
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got, if you follow us on our social media, we're
00:14:36.470 --> 00:14:39.169
Fullerton underscore SD on Instagram and Fullerton
00:14:39.169 --> 00:14:41.490
School District on Facebook. You may have been
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seeing. a lot of ribbon cutting ceremonies for...
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recess structures playgrounds we had a big ribbon
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cutting ceremony recently for our new arts and
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recreation center at nicholas junior high and
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one soon to follow at parks junior high so we've
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just we're so grateful to our fullerton taxpayers
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for passing measure n which has made all of this
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possible so we look forward to bringing in the
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folks that are working on those bond projects
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to help walk us through how how these projects
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were chosen the impact that they're making and
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so much more No, absolutely. It's great to see
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FSD kind of just evolve and change a little bit,
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especially with every school deserves, and when
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I say every school, I say every school in the
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world, I guess, deserves to have a top -notch
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area and to both learn from, but also to... build
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community within a school so the arc is a perfect
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example of that starting out at nicholas now
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not every school is going to get a gym i know
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we're working on one at parks junior high as
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well so it's currently up and being built and
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we're getting close on the the actual finish
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of the arc at nicholas junior high but nonetheless
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these are going to be wonderful spaces and i
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think change kids' lives in a good way, just
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providing them opportunities. They had an outdoor
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kind of amphitheater, I guess you would call
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it, but this definitely levels up. playing field
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for them. And it's going to support everything
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that they're doing there at Nicholas and their
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initiatives. I couldn't agree more. And then,
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you know, so we've got all these great projects
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happening and some other returning opportunities.
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We were talking about the arts being alive and
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well in our school district. And so for the second
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year in a row, we are going to be hosting our
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FSD K -pop Battle of the Bands. That's right.
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K -pop is really having a moment right now and
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it's just really taken off. And what we saw in
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the competition last year was, one, a lot of
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interest out of the gate for something that we
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had never hosted before. So we, you know, had
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a lot of our junior high students, because this
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is for our junior high students across our district,
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audition. And that was melted down into 50. And
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then that was turned into the top 25. So five
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members from each junior high formed, you know,
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a K -pop band and got to just have this performing
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arts and culturally immersive experience. And
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I can't wait to see what new elements will be
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built on. And just seeing students connect with
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something that's so relevant to them and builds
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their confidence, their teamwork, and just makes
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these lifelong memories is just really, really
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neat. Yeah, again, providing opportunities for
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our students in FSD. We're never shorthanded
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in ideas, and I feel like we try to do the best
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we can with what we have, and we do a lot, and
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we do a lot. And, yeah, watching the finals of
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the K -pop Battle of the Bands, that was amazing
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and awesome and just fun to watch, just fun to
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watch. Absolutely. And then, you know, one last
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thing that I know is really big that has our
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mind and attention right now is just... artificial
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intelligence and how to implement it efficiently,
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safely, and to educate our teachers on best practices
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that then they can share with their students.
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So Pablo, I know that's something in your wheelhouse.
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Do you want to just give our listeners a little
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preview? Yeah, we're definitely in an AI journey,
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just like every other district is. And monthly,
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we go down to the Orange County Department of
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Ed to just meet with other districts and talk
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about AI and where they are in their journey.
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But we started about a year ago where we intentionally
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worked with all of our staff, the teachers in
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our district, and provided a professional development
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day for them, really to kick the tires, make
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sure we understand where we're headed with AI.
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AI is not here to replace the teacher, just to
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enhance education and make sure that we provide
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the opportunities for students to learn, I wouldn't
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say in a faster pace, but maybe at a deeper or
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get a deeper understanding of whatever curriculum,
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activities, lessons that are being provided by
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our experts, the teachers in the classroom. So
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that happened a year ago. We were mainly focused
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on Canva and Adobe products, and we'll continue
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to do that. But we're looking at onboarding a
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couple AI solutions this year that... we'll pay
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for and start to at least pilot. And we'll see
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where that goes and get some data behind that
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to see what our roadmap is for the future of
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AI in our district. Definitely. And I'm grateful
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that we're kind of tackling this topic head on.
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And at the end of the day, we still need humans.
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And that's thankfully still the case. And I think
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the beauty of AI and when it's used effectively
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is that it allows for people to have time to
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build connections and relationships and just
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offers more streamlined approach to things like
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that. So I think that... We're going to thankfully
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try to lead the way in that, and I'm just excited
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to see what we have coming ahead. Yeah, no, and
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one thing I did want to mention is that I think
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along the way that it's important to make sure
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that kids are safe using AI and that teachers
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understand the do's and don'ts in terms of data
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privacy and making sure that we... We're not
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using AI in a way that it could affect our children
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in a negative way. So we're definitely there
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and people are understanding, but we're definitely
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always very supportive of keeping our students
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safe first and foremost at every level. Absolutely.
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It's a brave new world out there. It is. And
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then it just came to mind, though, because I'm
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talking to you. We just became the first school
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district west of Texas to have all of our schools.
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Exactly. All 20 of our schools can currently
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receive Apple Distinguished School recognition.
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Can you just speak a little bit about that? So
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it is amazing. It's actually Jeremy's. our assistant
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superintendent of our department, idea like,
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hey, our schools have been doing great things
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for years. We probably could have done this many,
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many moons ago, but only two of our schools in
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our district, Valencia Park Elementary and Robert
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C. Fissler, which is a K -8, have been Apple
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Distinguished Schools for years. And we're just,
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why not the rest of them? So yeah, I'm like.
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You're right. Why not the rest of them? Right.
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So let's go ahead and see what that process looked
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like and looks like. And so we talked to our
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Apple representative and we. we worked through
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and said yes we we can do this so we went through
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the process uh i spoke and organized with every
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school and their leadership their principals
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and we got it done and they all applied they
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all got accepted and just recently i think september
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16th we were able to brag that we are now an
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apple distinguished school district we don't
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know if there's an official apple distinguished
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school district like um tag sure but We are doing
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it. Meaning you can't deny us. We are Apple.
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We're a district. Every school in our district
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is Apple distinguished. So by virtue of that,
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we are an Apple distinguished school district.
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Yes. Our Fullerton school district term for it,
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for sure. But I just think it's remarkable. I
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think it's also a testament again to. our thoughtful
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and responsible use of technology to use it to
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bring more educational opportunities and to support
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our teachers and students just in a really intentional
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way. And now being a part of this cohort of Apple
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Distinguished Schools, we just join a global
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network of people who are doing things right
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with technology. And I think it's just that because
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some people have asked, well, why do you? You
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need, you know, the distinction. But it builds
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a sense of community that you've done something.
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It's almost like the Olympics, or I'm recently
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watching some of the world track and field events.
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What if they just ran and didn't get a medal
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or anything? Like, that would be like, wah, wah.
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You want to strive for something, and it was
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just a bar, and we've reached that bar now. So
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what's next? What's next in our district and
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the Apple products that we do use for student
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learning? What's next? And it allows us to, and
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you already mentioned it, it allows us opportunities
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that maybe we didn't have before and networks
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that we didn't have before that will make us
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better. Couldn't have said it better, Pablo.
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All right. So that is a wrap for season two,
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episode one. Yep. And we had a good time. And
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I think that's going to do it because I have
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no outro right this moment. But season two is
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I think Amber is going to. Get us out of here.
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You know, season two, we're here. We're here
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to stay. And we look forward to building on all
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of these stories that we've already mentioned
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and more. See ya. Bye.