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September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, a time to focus on youth mental health, foster open conversation, and ensure every student knows they are supported.

Taking care of our mental health is just as important as taking care of our physical health. Seeking support, whether talking to a counselor, mental health provider, or doctor, is a normal, healthy part of growing up and staying well.

As a school district, we are committed to partnering with parents to create a safe, supportive environment for our students. 

Here are a few ways to foster mental well-being in your household:

• Normalize mental health conversations: Talk about emotions as openly as you would a cold or a physical injury. Remind your child that asking for help when feeling overwhelmed is a sign of strength, not weakness.
• Ask directly: Check in regularly by asking open-ended questions like, "How are you feeling about things lately?" Listen without judgment.
• Watch for changes: Pay attention to sudden shifts in mood, withdrawal from friends or hobbies, changes in sleeping/eating habits, or talking about feeling like a burden.
• Listen without fixing: Validate your child's emotions before offering solutions. Sometimes they just need a safe space to express difficult feelings.

Need Help Right Away?

• Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988 (24/7, free and confidential)
• Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741
• Contra Costa Crisis Center: 1-800-833-2900 (24/7 local help, emotional and grief support)
• California Youth Crisis Line: 1-800-843-5200 (24/7, free and confidential)
• School Support: Contact your child’s school counselor and/or Wellness Administrator anytime during school hours.

Thank you for your partnership in keeping our students safe, connected, and supported.

This week's MDUSD Friday Letter spotlights:

• An exciting 6th grade science experiment at El Dorado Middle School,
• No school on Monday, Sept. 7 in observance of the Labor Day holiday,
• Attendance Awareness and Suicide Prevention Awareness tips,
• Northgate High wrestler Symone Jewell enters the fall season ranked No. 3 nationally in the 155 pound weight class,
• Rio Vista Elementary celebrates students who are making a positive difference in their school community,
• Mountain View Elementary hosts a Literature Night with free books donated by Yours Humanly,
• An Elementary Focal Scholar Program update,
• School Social Media highlights
• And more!

Read it on ParentSquare. 

September is Attendance Awareness Month

Be Here. Be Ready. Belong.

Regular attendance helps students learn, build strong relationships, and feel connected to their school community.

Build Strong Habits
Small routines can make mornings easier

• Keep a consistent bedtime and morning routine.
• Prepare clothes, backpacks, and lunches the night before.
• Schedule appointments outside school hours when possible.
• Create a backup plan for transportation or schedule changes.
• Check attendance and address repeated absences or tardiness early.
• Talk with your child about how they feel at school.

When Attendance Becomes Difficult
Challenges can happen. Reaching out early helps us work together.

• Health concerns or anxiety.
• Transportation difficulties.
• Housing or family changes.
• Caregiving responsibilities.
• Academic, social, or safety concerns.

YOUR SCHOOL IS HERE TO HELP
Contact your child's school so we can listen, connect you with resources, and make a plan together.

EVERY DAY IS AN OPPORTUNITY 
to learn, connect, and succeed.

NEED SUPPORT?

Contact your school: MDUSD Schools Webpage

Guidance adapted from Attendance Works: attendanceworks.org

As MDUSD enters the month of September this week, our schools are unifying around a consistent message to students and families: "Attendance matters." At Back to School Nights, in Principals' Newsletters and on digital signs outside schools - this message is being reinforced with this year's attendance campaign slogan: "Be here. Be ready. Belong." 

We are also rolling out a new ParentSquare messaging system called "Attendance Plus," which allows for two-way communication between schools and families regarding absences. The reason behind this attendance emphasis is simple: students need to be in school to learn and stay on track to graduate.

It also coincides with a statewide and nationwide Back-to-School emphasis on Attendance Awareness in the month of September. The MDUSD School Board - along with school boards throughout the state and country - has proclaimed September as Attendance Awareness Month. "This is a very important initiative in our District," said Superintendent Dr. Adam Clark, at the Aug. 26 Board meeting. "If district If students aren’t here at school, then they can’t learn and they can’t take advantage of the social interactions with their peers and being around trusted adults, and also the meals which we serve."

Aurelia Buscemi, Director of Enrollment Services, noted in her presentation to the Board that the District is focused on reducing "chronic absenteeism," which means missing 10% of school. Statistics show that:

• 59% of students who are chronically absent in Kindergarten or 1st grade are not able to read at grade level after 3rd grade
• By 6th grade, chronic absence is one of three signs that a student may drop out of high school
• By 9th grade, attendance is a better predictor of graduation rates than 8th grade test scores.

Buscemi said interviews with MDUSD 12th-graders who were chronically absent showed that absences were driven by unmet social-emotional needs, relationships, and school climate. While each student's circumstance was unique, the theme of lack of belonging was consistent. This is why the District is working to strengthen the feeling of belonging for students by making them feel welcome in inclusive learning environments with trusted adults who help them feel valued, connected and successful.

For those who are struggling, the District will provide personalized outreach to families, meet with parents/guardians to develop an action plan, and identify and address barriers to attendance. Students with severe chronic absenteeism (missing 30% or more of school) will receive additional family supports.

"It takes a village," Buscemi said, noting that teachers, counselors, bus drivers, office staff, food and nutrition workers and custodians all play a role in creating safe, welcoming learning environments to show our students we support them so they can be here, be ready, and belong. 

Board President Debra Mason, who attended Back to School Nights at Delta View, Sun Terrace, Rio Vista, and Wren Avenue elementary schools, as well as at Holbrook Language Academy and Riverview MS, said she heard the same message everywhere she went. "The message is clear from all administrators," she said. "They're telling the parents the kids need to be here. If they’re not here, they’re not learning. It’s just really good to see everybody sharing the same message. It excites me."

MDUSD Superintendent Dr. Adam Clark sent the following message to District staff and families on Aug. 28, 2026:

Mt. Diablo Unified School District and Mt. Diablo School Psychologist Association Reach Tentative Agreement For New Contract, Including Continued 100% Employer-Paid Benefits And Pay Increases.

We are excited to announce that on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, the Mt. Diablo Unified School District (MDUSD) and Mt. Diablo School Psychologist Association (MDSPA) have reached a tentative agreement following negotiations for the 2026-2029 collective bargaining agreement. This agreement includes salary increases, contract updates, and fully maintained employee benefits, reflecting MDUSD’s ongoing commitment to fair compensation and strong support for our staff. By prioritizing competitive wages and stability, the District aims to strengthen staff retention, attract top talent, and ultimately drive better outcomes for our students.

The work of these employees plays an important role in expanding access to critical mental health supports for students and strengthening the District’s ability to sustain these services. 

Once ratified by MDSPA members and formally approved by the MDUSD Board of Education, this agreement will successfully wrap up negotiations for the three-year contract.

I want to personally thank MDSPA Leadership and their members for all they do to support our students!!

Dr. Adam Clark

MDUSD Superintendent Dr. Adam Clark sent the following message to District families and staff on Aug. 27, 2026:

Dear MDUSD Families and Staff,
 
Last night, at our Governing Board meeting, I shared preliminary Districtwide California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) results from spring 2026. This work reflects our continued commitment to serving every student. Students in grades 3rd - 8th and 11th participate in CAASPP. 
 
Student academic progress is a high priority, and there are myriad resources in place to support learning. Every school has an Instructional Leadership Team made up of representatives from each grade level or department, working alongside the site administrator. We also have a team of Teachers on Special Assignment, Teacher Induction Support Program Mentors, and Multilingual Teachers on Special Assignment to support our teachers.
 
All of our textbooks and curriculum have been updated. Chromebooks and online platforms are available for students. We also invested in eduClimber, an online data management and collaboration platform that gives every administrator and teacher immediate, ongoing access to student progress.
 
You will be receiving your individual scores in the near future. As a parent or caregiver, you are a critical partner in your child's success. We are incredibly proud of our students, families, and dedicated educators who continue working together in support of student growth and success.
 
Thank you,

Dr. Adam Clark

Preliminary CAASPP Data Presentation

This week's MDUSD Friday Letter spotlights:

• Our September Attendance Awareness campaign, "Be here. Be ready. Belong;"
• Preliminary CAASPP results,
• Northgate High School junior Jennifer Alas selected as a Contra Costa Youth Journalism program reporter;
• College Park HS quarterback Ethan Havens earns recognition in the San Francisco Chronicle's Top 50 Bay Area High School football players to watch in 2026; 
• Ygnacio Valley HS connects families with resources at the Family Justice Center,
• Back to school highlights from across Mt. D including the Superintendent's visit to Olympic High School and a brand new athletic field at Northgate broken in by the Bronco flag football team;
• And more!

Read it on ParentSquare.

Since the pandemic, students in MDUSD and across the country have shown a higher level of needs for mental health supports than before COVID shutdowns, the District's mental health administrators say. To help meet these needs, MDUSD is expanding mental health support services throughout the District and at some schools, including Concord HS.

"Every high school has an outpatient therapist on their site working in conjunction with a Wellness Center," said Jessica Pozos, Assistant Director of MDUSD's Mental Health Programs. At Concord HS, increased support includes Wellness Center Administrator Miriam Rubel along with a therapist trainee and two social work interns. This allows for more "holistic" case management including student check-ins and Wellness Center support, Rubel said.

Rubel splits her time between Concord HS and El Dorado MS, which is across the street and feeds into Concord HS. She opened the Wellness Center at El Dorado last year and has taken on leadership of the Concord Wellness Center this year. She works at El Dorado Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and at Concord on Tuesdays and Thursdays. After the trainees and interns are in place, the Concord HS Wellness Center will be open five days a week, offering general support to all students, and more intensive supports to those who need it.

Pozos is excited that the District has been able to hire more Mental Health Clinical Specialists and therapist trainees than ever before this year, in part with funding made available through the California Youth Behavioral Health Initiative (CYBHI). Because the number of students who are struggling to attend school due to mental health needs has increased, Pozos and the Mental Health team are working with the Attendance Department to reach out to families whose students are chronically absent to help students "self-regulate" their social and emotional needs to be able to focus on their schoolwork in the classroom.

Nationwide, roughly 70% to 80% of children and teens who receive mental health services access them exclusively in a school setting - through counselors, social workers and school psychologists, Rubel said, noting that low-income students and those without insurance rely almost entirely on school staff to for these services. The CYBHI program allows the district to be reimbursed for services through students' insurance at no cost to families, if parents/guardians agree to this.

Wellness Centers at MDUSD's five comprehensive high schools, Olympic Continuation HS, and El Dorado, Oak Grove and Riverview middle schools provide a variety of services from lunchtime activities and drop-in checkins and organized support groups, to consultations with students and referrals to outside agencies, if necessary. "We had about 30 referrals last year that we could not serve," Pozos said, "so we increased the number of therapists this year to be able to service all students." Issues they are addressing include anxiety, depression, concerns related to social media, self harm and suicide risk assessments, ADHD, trauma - including intergenerational trauma related to immigration, and psychosis, which means losing touch with reality. 

"Ultimately, we are building a culture of support across Mt. Diablo, breaking down barriers, whatever that may be for each student, to access their education," Rubel said.

Sometimes, students with mental health needs stay home and avoid coming to school. But at school, they can get the support they need in a safe place where they can connect with trusted adults and learn to navigate school routines, which will ultimately help prepare them for college and careers, Pozos and her team members said.

Every school has a CARE team that meets regularly to discuss students who need mental health support and strategize about how to meet their needs. CARE team members include school administrators, counselors and/or psychologists and special education teachers, if needed, as well as outside service providers and Child Welfare and Attendance (CWA) workers. Anyone can refer a student to the CARE team, including staff, parents/caregivers or students themselves. Last year, more than 1,000 students received social-emotional, behavioral, academic and mental health supports through Wellness Centers, and about 1,080 received more intensive support including counseling, and support for anxiety, grief, building healthy relationships, anger, newcomer support and peer connections. Nearly 70 students received crisis support for urgent needs.

The District provides a "continuum of care" that ranges from prevention and early intervention for mental health needs to intensive mental health and crisis response. It offers a mobile clinic based at Pleasant Hill MS that visits all schools and more intensive support provided by mental health clinical specialists through Social Emotional Educational Collaborative (SEEC) programs for some students who have Special Education Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). The District is also partnering with the Sandy Hook Promise to offer a variety of programs and services including "Start with Hello" (see the Organizational Update).

Students and families are encouraged to use the District's Say Something program to report concerns and to read Mental Health highlights in future Friday Letters related to monthly themes such as Suicide Prevention Awareness in September. In addition, the District plans to offer Parent information nights related to mental health starting next month. Also, the Contra Costa County Office of Education is offering a free three-part Parent webinar series: "Supporting Your Children’s Mental Health," starting Sept. 3.