By Eliza PARTIKA

Superintendent Darneika Watson held a meet-and-greet on Tuesday for partners to get to know her and her goals in the coming year for the Glendale Unified School District (GUSD). Much of the discussion centered on wellness resources and practices for employees, students and parents, and plans for continued engagement and enrichment with GUSD families.

Representatives from UCLA Health, Glendale First Credit Union, the YMCA, Armenian Students and Black in Glendale shared their roles and resources available to staff and students.

Watson discussed her 30-year history in education from her beginnings as a bilingual English and Spanish teacher at LAUSD to her time as a principal and a human resources specialist. She noted how grateful she is to former superintendent Vivian Ekchian who took Watson under her wing. It was in her role as principal, and then operations manager, for LAUSD that Watson found her love for supporting students, parents, educators and staff to create as a team the best learning environment.

As superintendent, Watson plans to integrate her lessons in collaboration into each thing she does, whether she is at coffee days with students and parents, attending events and touring classes, or providing spaces for educators and staff to practice self-care.

“It’s my fourth year here and I’m looking forward to the work as superintendent. I’m looking so forward to the work that we’re going to do as partners, the work that you guys have already done and started … Let’s just see how to grow and support the students,” she said.

Watson and the community partners in attendance emphasized the importance of culturally relevant and enriching activities for the growth of parents and students.

A representative from the Committee for Armenian Students in Public Schools spoke about its recent student art showcase. Watson praised students’ creativity and talent.

“This is the kind of activity that brings out the best in our students,” she said. “The talent makes you want to go and learn from a child, ‘How did you do that?

What’s the medium you used?’ And the kids are so excited to share about their work and their families are equally as excited to be a part and just see their own children grow,” she said.

Black in Glendale founder Tanita Harris-Ligons said there is a vital need for Black students and parents to have a “safe and brave space” to explore their culture and ancestry as only 1% of the student population is Black.

“We have some mixers for the adults when there’s adult time; we have family gatherings for the youth in our families. And we try to come and support our parents and our students when they have issues at the school. A lot of times they don’t feel comfortable coming and saying what’s happening to them,” said Harris-Ligons.

To Watson, fully supporting educators means going into the classroom to see and hear students learning. Some programs she singled out for support and expansion included early intervention programs, English Language Learners, and student voice panels. She wants to engage as much as possible with students, she said, so she can act on what they say needs changing.

“I met with two students [who] told me what kind of support they need coming from another country. It’s important to … go into the classrooms and see them in action and see what they need as well,” Watson said.

She plans to continue coffee days with the superintendent, and in the coming year add even more opportunities for conversations with parents and students.

For staff, she plans to work with the YMCA to introduce free Y memberships for GUSD staff and educators, and to enhance the wellness rooms already provided to staff through a partnership with Sound Body, Sound Mind from UCLA.

Vince Iuculano, CEO of the YMCA of the Foothills, said he has been working with Watson and other GUSD staff to strengthen their services for students and for staff.

“The benefits of preventing learning loss after school, preventing learning loss during the breaks, and preventing learning loss over the summer, are really important. It’s something that the YMCA appreciates partnering with Glendale Unified. And we’re so excited for Dr. Watson and her leadership and the team that she’s put around her,” he said.

During the pandemic, over 80 students would regularly use the YMCA to take classes. YMCA of the Foothills currently serves nine of the schools in Glendale Unified and hosts a combined 700 students in its after-school enrichment programs. With Watson’s help, Iuculano plans to launch a program for free memberships and wellness plans for GUSD staff and educators after piloting a program at La Cañada Unified.

“We tried to give them a wellness plan … to try to [give] teachers and administrative support some sort of community and support around their well being. Because of the feedback from the medical industry and teaching industries, [teachers and administrators] just didn’t have [that kind of support]. It was a real issue for mental well being, social well being, physical well being. So we thought – let’s try it and see if it would work. And it’s been a really great program,” he said of the three-year old program at La Cañada Unified.

“I’ll come to you. You come to me. Let’s talk about wellness. Let’s talk instruction, academics, after-school intervention, growth opportunities for parents, activities that we can share, college fairs, continued membership with the YMCA and gym memberships … there’s so much that we’re going to grow into,” said Watson in closing. “It’s going to take some time but we know with our partnership it’s going to be great.”