The way that I celebrate Lunar New Year has evolved over my lifetime. When I was young, I was embarrassed to have to explain this different thing that my family did. Most people didn’t know what the lunar calendar was, or why I had a New Year celebration that was different from theirs.

As a child, the main event was getting red envelopes with money from friends and family. I didn’t pay much attention to what food was being served, just that there was a whole bunch of it. As an adult, I’ve been much more of an active participant, asking my mom (and the internet) questions about what I’m supposed to eat, and what superstitions to follow. I started paying more attention to the traditions that my family held and have done my best to carry them on in a way that makes sense for me. I’ve taken time to learn and research but given that I haven’t gone to Taiwan to celebrate there, it’s still a little hard to conceptualize how important this celebration is to my family. As children of immigrants, it’s just one example of the many conflicts and challenges we face.

Currently, Asian American representation has never felt stronger. Representation in the media (Shang Chi, Norah from Queens, Minari, Crazy Rich Asians), in politics (Kamala Harris [yup, claiming her!]), Michelle Wu in Boston, Aftab Pureval in Cincinnati], and in music (BTS, Japanese Breakfast, H.E.R., the Linda Lindas). School districts such as San Francisco Unified took 2 days off to give the students and families in their district the opportunity to celebrate a holiday so important to their culture. For this next generation of youth, they will be able to see people who look like them on screens, have their stories told in “mainstream” media, and are able to celebrate without making excuses or giving explanations.

In a time where there is so much to celebrate, there are still shadows that linger over the progress that has been made. Recently, a Korean American newscaster in St. Louis shared with her audience what she and her family ate for their New Year’s traditions (dumpling soup! Yum!). In response, a caller left a message saying she “can keep her Korean to herself,” and that it was “inappropriate” that she was “being very Asian.” This news story brought about flashbacks to lunchtimes of my youth where kids scrunched up their noses at my food, commented on the funny smells, or asked why my eyes looked the way they did. This caller highlighted that even though there has been progress, the reality is that many children today are still experiencing the othering that happened to me many years ago.

As we embark upon this new year, I encourage everyone to keep conversations alive about race and culture. That we keep People of Color in the forefronts of our minds, that we don’t wait to address issues until we hear about the next Asian elder that has been beaten and robbed, have more mass shootings fueled by racism, or mourn the next Black man that has been shot and killed by the police.  That we take time to learn about each other’s traditions and give space for celebration and joy.

Take care of yourselves, take care of each other, and find spaces where you can heal and thrive.   
#veryasian

Name: Trell Sneed
Position: Unconditional Education Coach
What led you to your current position? I’d been with my last organization for 11 years that was unfortunately impacted by COVID, leading to my transition. After a much-needed reset and time to welcome a beautiful baby girl into the world, I decided it was time to find my way back to my passion and calling: being of service to young people. I submitted my resume through the district portal and ended up speaking with a principal about a vacancy for an elementary school teaching position. Through more conversation and them explicitly asking me, "what is it you’re looking to do?”, I realized this was one of the first times I’d ever been asked that during a phone screen interview. I shared that I was looking to make a difference and positively impact and shift school climate and student experience. And the rest was history…
What inspires you to do this work? What inspires me to do this work is the resilience of the young people I work with, the dire need for caring & consistent adults and a sense of responsibility to positively impact my community, break generational curses, and negative cycles. My grandmother started her own choir back in the late 60s, named The CA Northwest State Youth Choir. She took young people from all walks of life - whether fresh off the street with nowhere to go or raised in the church with both parents in the home. To many, she was a mother-figure and a constant in their lives. She gave young folks an opportunity to not only connect with their ancestry through song and worship, but also a community to belong to and to be seen by. She is survived by many of her choir members who still to this day say, “I don’t know where I’d be today had she not taken a chance on me,” or “if it wasn’t for the choir, I don’t know where I’d be.” Her impact inspires me. That my WHY. It’s in me, not on me!
What is a recent highlight you’ve experienced in the work or an important lesson you’ve learned in this role? An important lesson I’ve been reminded of in this role is that folks don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care!
Share your life motto or something unique about yourself: Something unique about me is that I’m a first generation college graduate of Afro-Polynesian descent, and I’m a Hobby Music Artist! Shoutout to my brothers Rip Pack and Slab (RPS) for being the pioneers of this new genre of music. Our songs are available on iTunes, Spotify and Soundcloud.

I can’t write this without first acknowledging the absolute privilege and gratitude I have in being part of this amazingly thoughtful, genuine, and hardworking team behind the project – because it is dopeness at its core.

The Solidarity Library (which we call “Sol Lib”) is an inter-agency project led by Seneca staff at the baseline level. It was purposefully created to uplift the work of BIPOC folx and underserved communities, and works towards three major objectives:

1. Create a shared space where staffs’ initiatives, community events, resources, and knowledge can live;
2. Highlight the incredible work, actions, and resilience from these communities; and
3. Provide holistic care and resources to the people we serve.

Through this project, our behind-the-scenes team has done its best embody what community means to us. Over the course of two years, we’ve come to understand how the essence of community appears in our team:

• When we take care of each other as people-first, the work will naturally follow: 
  As much of our primary work is driven by caseloads, mental health notes, administrative duties, deadlines, and/or program meetings, our Sol Lib team finds so much rejuvenation and gratitude in being seen first as humans with needs.
  
  We hold it down when someone is going through something personal, share in affirmations and accountability, and continue to make space for genuine connection to thrive. Here, the work is second. As a result, the work we do produce is rooted in honest care, coming from somewhere sustainable within.
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• Removing the standard structure of top-to-bottom leadership has allowed us to create shared values, knowledge, and accountability:
  When I and the stunning Sheralynn (fellow co-lead for Sol Lib) first started, we knew we needed this space to be grassroots-oriented. That meant our roles were merely to guide the project forward, but that our decisions, mission, and actions would be rooted in collaboration. This creates space for all our teams’ strengths to shine - from envisioning to planning to acting to healing. This also creates safety and trust in sharing feedback, accountability, and progress for us in all directions of this team.
  
  
• We grow through what we go through by shifting into a mindset of abundance:
  To keep it real, the last two years have been especially trying. Between this pandemic, social movements, weighty conversations of anti-racism and intersectionality, people being without basic needs and support… we’ve all needed community care.
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  Sol Lib’s spirit operates from a place of abundance. When so much feels lacking, we hold onto knowing we are working towards something better, something more wholesome. We do this by purposely protecting our joy, advocating our worth, and staying connected to this mission.

We hope Seneca's staff continue to find space, community, and empowerment through this collaborative resource. If you'd like to learn more about how you can tap into Sol Lib, feel free to email me (Cecily Duran) directly to get connected!

​When COVID first emerged almost two years ago, no one imagined we’d still be living in a pandemic today.  Although we are back to in-person instruction, our students and families continue to face many challenges.  Our SOAPS program is constantly working to find creative and helpful ways to support our families.  One way we have supported our families is through making theme-centered bags to send home with the students.  For the winter break, we created bags filled with snacks, drinks, board games, and various arts & crafts activities. The families were appreciative of the bags and many students shared stories of bonding with their families through the activities that were provided.

​Another way SOAPS has supported our families is through providing a few basic necessities for students.  Prior to the winter break, students at Community Day School were given hygiene bags.  The bags were filled with deodorant, toothbrush, toothpaste, mouthwash, body wash, lotion, hand sanitizer, disinfecting wipes, and snacks.  Some of our students do not have stable home environments, and the hygiene bags were another way to make sure that they have some of their basic needs provided for during their time away from school.  Although these gestures may not solve all their struggles, they are our way of reminding families that they haven’t been forgotten and we are here to support them.  

​Through all the challenges we’ve faced this year, we were excited to celebrate the re-admission of 2 of our high school students at Community Day School (CDS) in December.  Both students were referred to CDS through the Disciplinary Hearing Process when they were expelled from their home school campus. During their time at CDS, these students have worked hard to get caught up on school credits, modify their behaviors, and achieve their ultimate goal of being re-admitted.  This just shows how resilient our students are when faced with adversity.

​No matter what role you play on the School Partnership Programs’ world, there’s a lot to juggle; tasks to be tackled; feedback to be given; and relationships to be curated and developed. Something that takes special practice and skill is managing our bosses or someone who works above our particular role. I am sure many staff on site can relate, especially when working with Teachers or Principals. We, in the Schools Operations team, experience this as well when supporting Directors, Department Heads, Coaches and more!

A favorite topic from a past PLC session our group held was centered around “Managing Up.” We held constructive conversations focused on how supporting staff in various positions have worked out and how we have tackled challenging dynamics. In the spirit of sharing, we pass on this helpful video that provides some helpful tips managing UP!
 
New Tips for Managing Up – Project Management Training

Let us know what you think about the video above, we hope you find it just as helpful as we did!

​The fall school year is coming to an end, and what a fall it has been. I would like to highlight our school partnership with Learning Without Limits located in Oakland, CA. Learning Without Limits is a K-5 school in the Fruitvale neighborhood that strongly believes in the balance between constructivist learning and knowledge-based learning. The mission of Learning Without Limits is to provide rigorous, culturally relevant, and empowering education grounded in caring, leadership, achievement, and perseverance. The school is founded on the belief that caring relationships allow students to lower their affective filter, facilitating learning.

As a partnership, our goal is to build community. The greatest example from this year took place after a tragic event. Sadly, a long-time staff member at Learning Without Limits lost their life in a tragic car accident. That individual’s family was devastated, staff were devasted, students were devasted, and the healing process is only just beginning. On the day students returned to school, our UE School Partnership Community went into full action mode, and the goal was to meet students and staff where they were to process such a horrific incident.
 
How was that accomplished?
 
By showing up. We reached out to our Light the Change community and gathered clinicians, supervisors, executive directors, and our CPO to support a campus in need. The amount of support we provided on campus reflects how our program partnership is exemplifying unconditional care. This school year we have shown up for our students, our families, and our staff on campus, in the greatest way possible, with love and understanding.
 
This event speaks to a common quote, “You can’t always control what happens, but you can control how you react."

Name: Erika Maravilla
Position: School Psychologist
What led you to your current position? What led me to my current position was my work as an after school program coordinator and summer program leader within Oakland Parks and Recreation. I worked with a variety of children of different ages, socio-economic backgrounds, communities, racial demographics, abilities, etc. I saw the differences in educational privileges, inequities, opportunities, and resources based on zip code. I found myself individualizing the tutoring support I provided at the after school program and, after shadowing my cousin (a school psychologist) at her school placements for a few days, I  knew I wanted to have a career as a school  psychologist to help bridge the education gap for our most vulnerable student populations and bring my work into the community that raised me, East Oakland. I transitioned to school-based work as an MHC with Seneca to gain more in class experience before enrolling in graduate school and embarking on my school psych journey.
What inspires you to do this work? What inspires me is the relief and appreciation I get from families for supporting them in navigating the complicated world of special education; advocating for their child; and explaining things in an understandable way that makes sense while leveraging their students strengths to support their areas of growth. Also, the relationships I build with students, families, and school partners are rewarding.
What is a recent highlight you’ve experienced in the work or an important lesson you’ve learned in this role? An important lesson I’ve learned in this role is that self care and proper work-life boundaries are not only important, but necessary.
Share your life motto or something unique about yourself. “Everything negative -pressure, challenges- is all an opportunity for me to rise.” - Kobe Bryant

​In the heart of Hayward, you will find Brenkwitz Alternative High School, where Seneca has been partnering with Hayward Unified School District for the past 11 years to provide a counseling enriched classroom for students who need an alternative path to realizing their graduation dreams. The program blends individualized academics focused on credit recovery and career readiness with a specially trained Seneca mental health team that works closely with each student to boost attendance, participation, wholistic mental health, positive community connections, and the concrete skills needed to prepare for college and careers. 

On any given day, you’ll find the Brenkwitz team hosting career fairs, leading therapy and art groups, working with clients on college applications or job interview skills, and helping their students find the interests and passions that bring them joy. Over the past seven school years, the team has supported sixty-nine students who first arrived at Brenkwitz – whom were credit deficient and unsure of their ability to graduate from high school – eventually walk across the graduation stage and earn their diploma.
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This year, the Brenkwitz team is piloting a new Student Voices project to capture the inspiring stories of the students who graduate from their program and share their advice and lessons learned with future students. Our first graduate of the 2021/2022 school year, whom we’ll call M, sat down with Brenkwitz classroom therapist, Rachel Williams, to reflect on her journey with us. The transcript of this conversation is shared with permission below.

This week, we take the opportunity to highlight our partnership with Lodestar, A Lighthouse Community Public School, whose core values are Love, Community, Integrity, Agency, and Social Justice.

Lodestar is located in the Sobrante Park neighborhood in deep East Oakland, and serves grades K-10. Lodestar provides rigorous instruction and love along with high-order thinking and problem solving skills to give students the autonomy to center their own learning and set the foundation for being changemakers in the world. When schools evolve and root themselves into the community, it builds public trust and long-lasting relationships are created. Lodestar's genuine commitment to their core values has led to their dynamic partnership with community organization Sobrante Park Resident Action Council (RAC). Lodestar and Sobrante Park RAC partnership strengthens the community, connects families to resources, hosts family friendly events, and collaboratively advocates for what is best for students. Lodestar is committed to sharing community interest while promoting a safe and thriving community. 

– “There is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about.” – Margaret J. Wheatley

Lodestar and the Sobrante Park RAC has focused on a safe passage to and from school for all students and families as well as embedding the school and its staff into the community in which it serves. As a result, Lodestar has worked in partnership to host and/or participate in community events on the weekend. Rich Harrison, Lighthouse Community Public School (LCPS) CEO, shares that “the willingness to work with the community enables a relationship of understanding to develop. Working together for the betterment of the community.”

Trunk or Treat: Lodestar collaborated with the Sobrante Park RAC and other community organizations to hold a Harvest Festival Trunk or Treat on Lodestar's campus. Over 1,000 people participated including City and County staff. 

• Children including non-Lodestar students and families participated in a "trunk or treat" in the Lodestar parking lot! 
• There were a lot of cool Costumes, and a costume parade every hour!
• There were a variety of booths and giveaways set up by local community members and organizations - including the Oakland As, Alameda County Dental Society, Roots Community Health, and more! 
• A live DJ!
• Equipment and vehicles of the Oakland Fire Department and Alameda County Health Emergency Team in which kids got to check out. 

Lodestar will have other opportunities to partner with the community and support neighborhood efforts to help: work in collaboration with their community, listen to their needs, follow their lead, and connect families to resources, and overall, do what’s best for all students and families. 
 
Shoutout to Rich Harrison (LCPS CEO), Erin Wesseldine (LCPS Director of Special Education), Zeyda Garcia (Lodestar Lead Counselor), and my mom, Sylvia Brooks (Secretary of Sobrante Park RAC) for helping me highlight the amazing way in which Lodestar is working in partnership with the community to make sure all students are welcomed, cared for, included, seen, safe, supported, and can thrive!