KELSEYVILLE, Calif. — As adults, we sometimes get jaded and cynical. We become impatient and we don’t take the time to focus on the things that really matter. If you ever need a dose of optimism and a reminder about what life is all about, spend some time with young children.

At our schools, while we are in the process of teaching academics and social skills, it’s amazing how often we see our students demonstrate kindness and compassion. As humans, we all need to feel a sense of belonging to a group of people we care about and that cares about us.

Many years ago, I worked in Oregon where the second grade class included an autistic child; I’ll call him Brendon. If you’ve ever spent time with an autistic child, you know it can be challenging. Like so many conditions, there’s a wide range of intensity, but autism is a neurodevelopmental condition that causes people to process social communication and sensory inputs differently than neurotypical folks. Because of this, Brendon occasionally got overwhelmed and struggled to manage his behavior.

One day, the class had a substitute teacher. She was unfamiliar with Brendon’s needs and didn’t realize how upsetting a change in his routine would be. When she moved quickly from one activity to another, it was too much for him and he started to melt down.

Immediately, four classmates went to him and tried to help him calm down. They let the substitute know Brendon had a hard time with transitions and that he just needed a little time. One student asked for permission to come and get me, since I was the school counselor. By the time I arrived a few minutes later, the kids had already supported Brendon through his episode. They were his protectors and his friends.

Later, the substitute asked me, “How did you train those kids to do that?” I let her know the adults at school had never needed to teach any of Brendon’s classmates to do anything. The kids knew what to do. Our job was simply to create an environment–a class culture – where compassion, patience, and helping others were the norms.

In preparation for this column, I asked Kelseyville educators for examples of kindness and empathy from their students. I immediately received emails that made my heart full. A teacher from Kelseyville Elementary, Heather Villalobos, shared these gems:

A student spent most of their recess time helping another student tie their shoes. When a new student joined our class, another student stuck with them all day to show them around, help them find things, and feel welcome at our school. A student comes into class and starts every morning asking me if there’s anything they could do to help me.

Students often jump into action when they notice a fellow student being left out. I loved this story from Ana Cortez, one of our teachers from Riviera Elementary.

I have a very sweet story. This year we did a white elephant exchange in my class before the break, and I was going over my list of students who didn’t bring a gift yet. One student mumbled to himself that he couldn’t bring a gift, but I was close enough to hear him and another student heard him, too.

That other student came to me at the end of the day and said he wouldn’t mind splitting his gift since he had three clumped together, allowing the other student to participate. I told him that was very kind of him, and to talk to the other student just to make sure he was okay with that. Of course, it all worked out. The student said thank you and we had a great time doing our white elephant exchange.

When I was principal at Mountain Vista Middle School, we did candygram sales. A student helping out in the office noticed that only two students in a specific classroom hadn’t received a candygram and asked if she could include a candygram for each because she didn’t want them to feel left out.

Left to their own devices, usually kids are kind and respectful of one another. As they grow up, they see how adults treat each other and they begin to adjust their behavior accordingly. Our kids are always watching. They’ll copy what they see done. If we want kids to be compassionate and thoughtful, we need to model that behavior.

So, the next time you find yourself tempted to unleash your anger on someone else, whether it’s a driver who cuts you off or someone who shares an opinion you don’t like, imagine how you’d want your child to respond. Do you want them to scream at someone, flip them off, and storm away, or would it be better if they took a deep breath, let it go, and stayed safe? Do you want your children to give people a chance, to ask questions so they understand what’s really going on, or would you rather they simply reject anything that bugs them?

In today’s world, if we want to live in harmony with others, it starts with our children. Let’s help them learn how to handle problems in a way that keeps them safe and emotionally healthy. When we are kind and help each other out, our kids will follow suit.

Dr. Nicki Thomas is superintendent of the Kelseyville Unified School District.

Besides sending donations to organizations that are providing relief services to victims of the ongoing Los Angeles wildfires there is not much that I can do to provide immediate in-person assistance to those suffering tragic losses.

Most of my personal life and professional career have been spent recreating and working on public lands in Northern California impacted by the 450,000 acre 2018 Mendocino Complex Fire and the 1 million acre-plus 2020 August Complex Fire and 2021 Dixie Fire.

I hope the following grief-related information that I have gathered since then might help affected parties in some small way cope with, and process, the devastating long-term effects these fires have on displaced families, first responders, business owners, relief workers, and many others.

The American Psychological Association, or APA, states that trauma is an emotional response to a terrible event like an accident, rape or natural disaster. Immediately after the event, shock and denial are typical. Longer term reactions include unpredictable emotions, flashbacks, strained relationships and even physical symptoms like headaches or nausea.

APA goes on to say that accidents or wildfires are typically unexpected, sudden and overwhelming. For many people, there are no outwardly visible signs of physical injury, but there can be nonetheless an emotional toll. As we are seeing, it is common for people who have experienced disaster to have strong emotional reactions.

Health professionals at the Mayo Clinic state that Post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, is a mental health condition that's triggered by a terrifying event — either experiencing it or witnessing it. Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares and severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the event.

The Mayo Clinic also states that most people who go through traumatic events may have temporary difficulty adjusting and coping, but with time and good self-care, they usually get better. If the symptoms get worse, last for months or even years, and interfere with your day-to-day functioning, you may have PTSD.

I have found the posting of stories and pictures of my experiences in the affected areas to be therapeutic. Talking with friends, colleagues, and partners are other important ways that survivors cope with PTSD.

As the LA Firestorm continues, it is important for us to exercise patience until firefighters and other 1st responders complete their assignments and understand they may be in some stage of a post wildfire traumatic stress disorder, or PWTSD.

Also, it is important for family members and friends that are outside of the burn area to understand that they too might be suffering from PWTSD.

Don Amador has been in the trail advocacy and recreation management profession for over 33 years. Amador is president of Quiet Warrior Racing LLC, co-founder and past president/CEO of the Post Wildfire OHV Recovery Alliance and co-founder and past core-team lead on FireScape Mendocino. He writes from his home in Cottonwood, California. Amador may be reached via email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

LOWER LAKE, Calif. — Every December, the state of California publishes the California School Dashboard, an evaluation of public schools that helps us monitor whether we are making progress toward our goals. The information is available online for everyone to see.

Our assistant superintendent of instruction, Tim Gill, uses a business analogy to explain the dashboard. He says businesses produce products. School districts produce high school graduates. Our “product” requires a complex system that takes 13 years to complete. Ultimately, we measure the quality of efforts by our students’ ability to graduate and create the life they want for themselves, whether that be going to college or a trade school, going to work, joining the military, or something else.

The California School Dashboard is similar to a company’s quality control program. We measure indicators that let us know whether we are on track. By reviewing academic performance and the other dashboard indicators that influence a student’s ability to learn and grow, we can determine whether we need to change course.

In addition to monitoring students’ proficiency in reading, math and science, the dashboard monitors things like attendance and suspension rates. Specifically, it measures improvement. So, rather than simply looking at a point in time, we are graded on how we’re trending. That’s what determines whether we’re in the red, orange, yellow, green or blue on a scale that moves from poor performance to excellent performance. Although we can see how we compare against state averages, the dashboard is really intended as a tool to help every district focus on how it is doing compared to its own previous achievement.

While we have plenty left to do, this year’s dashboard shows that the work we’re doing is having the desired effect. We are getting better at getting better. When I arrived at Konocti Unified five years ago, I saw a district full of potential but faced with some significant challenges. Working with the team, we created a five-year plan to improve our academic standing. We became laser-focused on implementing new curriculum, investing in our teachers, and holding ourselves to a higher standard. By the time the pandemic hit, our mindset was already geared toward overcoming adversity, which helped us manage the disruption of COVID better than some.

Five years ago, Konocti Unified had the lowest scores of any Lake County public school district for English language arts (reading), math, and science. Now, we are competitive in all three, and more importantly, we’re trending upward.

Some of the measures we’re most proud of are the reduction in chronic absenteeism and the increase in our graduation rates. For the last two years, we’ve decreased chronic absenteeism by 7% per year, and we’ve increased our graduation rates by 7% last year and 8% this year. (Clearly, when kids are not at school, they do not learn as well.) While 7% might not seem like a big number, getting any movement in some of these scores can be really hard. I’m super proud of our team.

Given our trend lines, I’m more dedicated than ever to staying the course, following the goals laid out in our five-year plan. At the elementary level, we’ve adopted the Science of Reading, and the results are impressive. Even teachers who were initially skeptical are saying things like, “In all my years of teaching, I’ve never seen students make progress this fast.”

Literacy affects learning in every subject. Many states are so impressed with the Science of Reading, they are requiring public schools to use it. (It’s not required in California but it has been adopted by many districts with great success.) The approach is based on brain science and years of proven results. Not only does it teach reading based on phonics (the sounds letters make), but we’re no longer teaching to the middle and hoping students at the top and bottom can figure it out.

The Science of Reading curriculum includes grade-level classroom instruction for all students, plus at least 45 minutes per day of individual instruction based on the specific skill gaps of the student. For example, if a second-grader is struggling with how to sound out a certain letter or group of letters, she can get intensive practice on those specific letters and groupings until she masters them.

We’ve had this new curriculum in place for a few years now, so it makes sense that our academic scores are improving. I think they will continue to climb, and quickly, because some of our most intensive work is in the earliest grades (K-3); yet, we don’t start state testing students until third grade. Next year’s third graders will have had three years of preparation with the Science of Reading curriculum.

So, while our overall numbers remain below state averages in many areas, our trend lines fill me with confidence. Change takes time; no one can double or triple their reading proficiency overnight. As long as we keep making significant progress toward our goals, I’ll call that a win.

In spite of challenges like teacher shortages, inadequate budgets, and a growing student population, we remain convinced we can continually improve our “product”--that we can prepare students to be productive and engaged citizens as they mature into adulthood.

As long as we maintain a system that works for students of all skill levels, we can’t go wrong. As a rule, high-performing districts preserve their focus over time, while low-performing districts bounce from program to program looking for quick fixes. (It’s like weight loss: those who reduce their calories and increase their activity over time tend to be able to achieve and maintain a healthy weight. Those who follow fad diets tend to yo-yo up and down and never achieve sustained success.)

During this winter break, I wish everyone a joyful holiday and the team at Konocti Unified looks forward to continuing to support our students when they return to the classroom in January.

Becky Salato is superintendent of Konocti Unified School District.

We cannot always choose our circumstances, but we can choose how we respond. If you’re looking for a happiness hack, try focusing on gratitude and appreciation.

A stoic philosopher named Epictetus who lived in first-century Rome believed happiness and freedom begin with a clear understanding of one principle: some things are within our control, and some things are not.

Probably the most important thing in our power is our mindset — that is, how we choose to approach life. When we go through life practicing gratitude and showing appreciation, we feel happier (and we often make others happier, too).

Gratitude is a feeling of thankfulness within yourself. Appreciation is something you extend to others. When we consistently focus on the positive aspects in any situation, we train our brains to look for what’s possible instead of what’s not. And when we let others know how they’ve made our lives better, we reinforce those actions and build strong connections with each other.

Turns out that practicing gratitude not only lifts our mood, it can make us physically healthier. According to Harvard University Health, recent research shows that more gratitude leads to greater emotional and social well-being, better sleep quality, lower depression risks, and favorable markers of cardiovascular health.

The holidays are a wonderful time to start a gratitude practice for both kids and adults. Here are some ideas to get you started.

Gratitude jar

Create a regular ritual of having everyone in the family jot down something they are grateful for on a slip of paper and putting it in a mason jar. Every so often, pull the slips and read them together.

Daily dinner-time routine

Before starting dinner, have each person share something from the day that they’re grateful for or share something they appreciate about someone at the table.

Gratitude journal

This could be a bedtime routine, ending the day by writing something good that happened that day or something to be thankful for in general. If children are not old enough to write, parents can write for them. If children have a hard time coming up with things to be grateful for, parents can make a few suggestions (e.g., how good it feels to be in a cozy bed or the wonderful smell of the earth after it rains).

At Kelseyville Unified School District, we encourage students to share their appreciation for each other–and we do the same as adults. In the classroom, some teachers do “shout outs” encouraging students to share their appreciation for each other out loud. And school staff use tokens to acknowledge students. This shows appreciation for students who make good choices and are a positive influence on campus.

For our staff, each month we present a Knight in Shining Armor award to teachers and other employees based on nominations from their coworkers. I feel really lucky to work in this district, where it often feels more like a big family than a workplace.

There are plenty of books and games that teach children (and the rest of us) about gratitude. Visit healthyhappyimpactful.com/gratitude-activities-for-kids for more ideas. If you’re a teacher, check out weareteachers.com/meaningful-gratitude-activities for gratitude activities you can do in the classroom.

Dr. Nikki Thomas is superintendent for Kelseyville Unified School District.

On the eve of another consequential election, Lake County News is choosing to offer endorsements in a few key races.

Endorsing isn’t something we do often. However, when it comes to races that have particular importance for Lake County, we believe we have some perspective that can be helpful.

We are not making specific endorsements in all races this year, focusing instead on those for which we have particular concerns.

As such, we offer the following recommendations for your consideration.

FOURTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT: MIKE THOMPSON

We recommend Congressman Mike Thompson for reelection as the representative for the Fourth Congressional District.

We like Mike. We always have. He has remained a powerful, and approachable, advocate for Lake County, bringing millions of dollars in assistance to local projects, from Safe Routes to Schools to the Burns Valley recreation complex in Clearlake, to name just a very few.

As the first Vietnam veteran to serve in the California Legislature, Thompson carried concerns for veterans with him to Congress. His work for veterans was instrumental in getting a VA Clinic in Clearlake.

We’ve seen him in action for decades, connecting with residents and leaders, and doing his best to help connect people with help and resources.

He’s also remained a powerful voice for the rule of law, a believer in the American Dream and making it available to everyone.

On the local level, Thompson has never given Lake County short shrift. In fact, his staff has been notable for members who have also been advocates for our community.

Leading the charge for Lake County in Thompson’s service, for decades, was Brad Onorato, his deputy chief of staff in the Napa office.

We lost Brad last month to cancer, and while it’s a hard loss, we trust that Thompson, along with Onorato’s many beloved colleagues are going to keep up the good work for Lake County and for the Fourth Congressional District.

In the days ahead, Lake County will need to have all the friends it can get. We know Mike Thompson will be in that group.

We encourage you to give him your vote.

KELSEYVILLE UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD OF TRUSTEES: MIKE BROWN

Another Mike to like, and to vote for this November, is Mike Brown, who is running for the Kelseyville Unified School Board.

Brown, a longtime Kelseyville resident, retired in July 2022 after 32 years in education. The last 17 of those years he was principal/superintendent at Lucerne Elementary School.

During his tenure, he oversaw millions of dollars of bond-funded improvements to the Lucerne campus, kept student performance up and engaged meaningfully with the community.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, Brown and his staff got students back on campus ahead of other schools around the county. Doing that required foresight, hard work and dedication.

The ability to navigate such a challenge is a tribute to his natural resourcefulness, knowledge of education, budgeting acumen, skill as a leader and genuine care for families and their children.

In addition to all of those skills, he’s a country guy, who is handy with a tractor.

Brown’s qualifications as an educator are vast, and they make him likely the most qualified candidate to ever run for Kelseyville Unified’s board.

We believe he will put his many powerful skills to work in ways that will benefit Kelseyville Unified's students and families for years to come.

Vote for Mike Brown for the Kelseyville Unified School District Board of Trustees.

LAKEPORT CITY COUNCIL: KIM COSTA AND MICHAEL FROIO

On the ballot for the Lakeport City Council this year are Kim Costa and Michael Froio, and we believe city residents should give them their votes because of their work so far.

Both came to city government because they were concerned about issues close to home — right in their own neighborhoods.

In the case of Froio, who was dealing with crime in his neighborhood, he began attending council meetings, was appointed to the Lakeport Planning Commission and then successfully ran for council four years ago. This year he served his first term as mayor.

Costa was appointed to an open seat two years ago after having begun attending meetings to raise her concerns about a proposed housing project’s safety issues next to her neighborhood by Westside Community Park. This year, she has served as mayor pro tem, or vice mayor.

Costa and Froio have both been dedicated council members. They ask thoughtful questions. They do their homework. They are engaged and respond to constituents to help solve problems. They are genuinely concerned for what’s best for Lakeport.

Change takes time. It requires hard work and patience, investments both Costa and Froio have made.

We encourage the community to vote for Kim Costa and Michael Froio on Nov. 5.

YUBA COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT TRUSTEE: DOUGLAS HARRIS

The race for the Yuba Community College District, Area 7 trustee this year comes at a particularly crucial time.

The district includes Woodland Community College, whose Lake County Campus in Clearlake has, over the past decade, seen a marked decline in resources and support from the district, according to staff and students alike.

Added to that is the district's failure to reach a new contract with the Faculty Association of the Yuba Community College District, which has been operating without a contract for three years.

The district’s treatment of its faculty resulted in a July decision by the Public Employment Relations Board finding that the district violated the Educational Employment Relations Act.

Into the midst of this increasingly volatile situation comes this year’s election, in which Douglas Harris — who was appointed to fill a vacancy in 2022 — is running for a full term. During his time on the board, Harris has advocated to protect the Lake County Campus, where he taught for 23 years. His wife also has taught at the campus.

Harris’ challenger in the race is Jeffrey Dryden.

Here’s where things get weird.

Dryden is facing trial next month in a case involving misdemeanor charges of sexual battery, battery and annoying or molesting a child under age 18, and two felony charges of attempting to dissuade witnesses.

The charges arise from a 2022 case in which the District Attorney’s Office said Dryden, while he was participating in the Lake County Campus’ culinary program, inappropriately touched a 17-year-old high school student who also was a culinary program participant.

Dryden’s trial is tentatively scheduled for Dec. 4, right around the time the final election results will be certified. It’s unclear if he would be prohibited from serving if convicted of the felony counts.

All things considered, Dryden has no business running for this office. Yet, the local Republican Party still endorsed him. That’s a good example of how partisan politics don’t belong in local races: Just because you’re a registered whatever doesn’t mean you deserve an endorsement.

We urge voters to give Harris his first full term, and to send a message with him to the Yuba College Board of Trustees: It’s time to give your faculty a new contract that ensures they are no longer among the lowest-paid community college educators in the state.

A WORD ABOUT ALL RACES

If you’ve stuck with us this far, we’d like to offer a few more items for readers’ consideration.

If we want the government to work at every level, in every race and in every office, constituents have to stay involved.

We all need to talk to local leaders and engage with them in constructive and meaningful ways, to offer support when necessary and also to make sure they understand community priorities. Not being engaged sends as loud a message as being heavily involved.

Everyone has a right to be heard; any public official who picks and chooses the voices they listen to in order to find those who reinforce their personal points of view need to be sent on to other activities.

As all of us look at local races, we need to ask if the person running for an office plans to truly represent Lake County or their own personal interests?

Will they do the work faithfully and well?

Do they take the long view when deciding on issues and projects, or is it all about the grab-the-cash-and-run view that has gotten Lake County in trouble before?

If we want Lake County to be the best it can be, it will take all of us, from the ballot box to the dais. In the end, it’s a collaborative effort.

However you decide, please make sure to vote in the Nov. 5 election.

I’ve been thinking (again) about the power of community and how fortunate we are to have people in positions of authority who care about kids and about keeping everyone safe — specifically, our fire chief, police chief, and mayor.

Fire Chief Sapeta

Recently, we had to evacuate schools because of a fire, and it went as smoothly as if we had orchestrated every move — because we had.

Thanks to the partnership between our schools and the fire department, we had buses ready to go, our students had practiced and knew what to do, and parents arrived at the evacuation pick-up point without chaos or complaint. (In case you’re unfamiliar with how these things usually go, coordinating this many people during a crisis often involves miscommunication, frustration, and finger-pointing.)

Thanks to the expertise of Fire Chief William Sapeta and his staff, our evacuation plans are detailed and effective.

Also, Chief Sapeta and I communicate regularly. He calls me when weather conditions put our area at high risk for wildfires (called red flag days), so we can prepare in advance.

Chief Sapeta is more than our chief, he is a trusted advisor who cares deeply about the welfare of our community and most specifically, the well-being of our students. He and his team support us with more than the immediate fire-related incidents. They follow up to help our students and staff feel safe, for example, by welcoming our elementary students back to campus after we’ve had to close schools because of wildfires.

Police Chief Hobbs

Konocti Unified School District also benefits from a great partnership with the Clearlake Police Department, highlighted by Chief Tim Hobbs’ decision to allocate a full-time school resource officer, or SRO, Officer Perry, to our schools.

Officer Perry spends most of his time on our school campuses, building relationships with students and helping to maintain a safe and orderly environment.

For some students, this is the only person with a badge they’ve ever known, and having positive interactions with someone in law enforcement can counteract negative stereotypes portrayed in video games or other sources.

The SRO’s car has all the school mascots represented on it, letting everyone know that police officers and educators are on the same team–the team that looks out for kids. To that end, whenever I have a question about keeping students and staff safe, I can call Chief Hobbs.

Years ago, when I worked in Southern California, educators would create school safety plans and then submit them to local first responders (police and fire) for review. The plans would come back covered with red ink, showing us all the things we did wrong. We wasted tons of time and the whole process felt like a “gotcha.”

It is completely different here. Chief Hobbs and Chief Sapeta are generous with their time. They collaborate with us to create our safety plans because they genuinely care about the safety of kids, our staff members, and all community members. When they help us, the process feels like an “I’ve got you.”

Mayor Claffey

Another safety advocate is Mayor David Claffey. When he and other city council members learned how dangerous it was in front of Burns Valley School, or BVS, during student drop-off in the morning and pick-up in the afternoon, they were horrified.

Kids used to dart in front of oncoming traffic and the number of near-misses terrified us. We knew someday soon, a car wouldn’t be able to stop in time.

Mayor Claffey got to work immediately. Now, the street in front of BVS is a one-way street, and it has made all the difference. Structural changes like this affect how people drive, from how fast they go to where they’re looking. Given the enormous impact of this change, we are now working with the City and Blue Zones Project Lake County to see if we can make similar changes in front of Pomo Elementary School.

And our partnership with the City doesn’t stop here. We also opened a daycare together for the children of city employees and school district employees. We know people need to balance making a living with caring for their young children. This helps them accomplish that.

I appreciate the way our mayor works hard to solve problems. I’ve seen him in community forums where things can get heated, and he doesn’t get flustered. He stays calm and listens. He may not be able to please everyone all the time (no one can), but he clearly wants to hear from all involved so he can make the best decisions for the most people.

Taking care of each other

I think what I love most about our community is that we take care of each other. We each contribute what we can. I can walk into a classroom and get students through a lesson, regardless of how squirrely they are that day.

Chief Sapeta can help us understand the best route to escape an oncoming wildfire. Chief Hobbs can assess risk and help us create safety plans that work. Mayor Claffey can support short-term and long-term changes that make our community safer, more beautiful, and easier to navigate. We all have the same end in mind: a community that is safe where we can thrive and enjoy life.

We all have our role to play and we all need each other. I’m grateful to live in a place where people understand that.

Becky Salato is superintendent of the Konocti Unified School District.