When students are away, teachers and staff members don't play
By Stephanie Bertholdo bertholdo@theacorn.com

Students may have had a day off, but teachers and administrators in the Las Virgenes Unified School District participated in a full day of staff development Oct. 1.

Agoura High School was transformed into a virtual convention center, with dozens of workshops and seminars conducted in classrooms throughout the school.

There was something for everybody; teachers and classified employees had scores of workshops to choose from.

"The staff development day was exceptional," said Dan Stepenosky, assistant superintendent of personnel. "Staff members, both classified and certificated, greatly appreciated being able to choose how to spend their time."

The first session offered teachers the opportunity to learn about new software, the educational benefits of data collection, and how to help students with behavior problems.

"By most measures the district is one of the state's shining examples of outstanding public education, but excellence is realized by regularly assessing strengths and weaknesses," said Board of Education President Terilyn Finders. "The staff development is designed to keep us growing even stronger."

Sandra Pope, a teacher at Willow Elementary School in Agoura Hills and co-president of the Las Virgenes Educators Association, put on a presentation on the importance of assessing student progress.

Many teachers conducted workshops for their colleagues. District technology trainers and teachers Greg Bostrom and Ruth Kritz showed their peers how to create PowerPoint presentations, and Lynda Asher, a teacher at A.C. Stelle Middle School, compared the way a traditional course is taught using technology.

Some workshops were nutsand-bolts classes. Teachers learned how to create a spreadsheet in the Introduction to Excel course conducted by Michael LaFrenze, a teacher at Sumac Elementary School.

Neil Ticktin, publisher and editor-in-chief of MacTech Magazine, showed teachers how to effectively use e-mail.

In all, 66 workshops were conducted, some specifically for classified employees, including office managers, health clerks and food service personnel.

Tammy Van Fleet and Vicki Willig, special education staffers, described how the support staff can assist students. The workshop "How to Make Yourself Progressively Unnecessary" showed aides how to help students become more independent.

Brandie Rosen, also a district special education staffer, offered a hands-on training session for teaching social skills to children with disabilities.

Health clerks had the opportunity to discuss a range of issues with the district nurse, Gloria Doran.

Up-and-coming computer lab instructors were trained by Jeanne Sbardellati at Bay Laurel Elementary School in Calabasas, where Sbardellati is a computer lab specialist.

"The beauty of this event is that sessions are led by our own talented staff," Finders said. "All in all, it was a remarkable investment in our schools and the students' education."