Category: Student Support

Hello! My name is Kathy Tempco. I was born in LA, raised in Palmdale/Lancaster and moved to San Diego to obtain my Bachelors in Psych at SDSU and Masters in Counseling at National University. I’ve worked in education for the last 16 years and this is my 5th school year with iLead. I started as a Student Support Counselor (k-12) and am now supporting counselors on all sites as a Regional Coordinator. When I’m not working I enjoy spending time with my family and being active! My faith is strong and I find my peace outdoors. Especially in the mountains!

In regards to this month’s GOALS theme, I was reminded of the current book our leadership team is reading- Rising Strong by Brene Brown. She states that, “Rising Strong is the same process whether you’re navigating personal or professional struggles.” I related this to the mountains I’ve physically, personally, and professionally climbed. They all started with a plan/vision in my heart and when I took them a step further and wrote the goals down, they came to fruition every single time. Dr. Gail Matthews, a psychology professor at the Dominican University of California conducted a study that found that people are 42% more likely to obtain their goals and dreams simply by writing them down. I encourage everyoneto dream, envision yourself obtaining those dreams, write them down and revisit them often.

                               “Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so that he who reads it may RUN.” Habakkuk 2:2

APE, adapted physical education, is a fun and engaging way to learn to move, to play games, to learn how to take turns, and improve stamina, endurance, balance, strength, and coordination skills. APE can easily be completed at home since the basis of it is movement, fitness, and playing games. Our learners can practice skills by walking, running, playing hopscotch, jumping on a trampoline, playing catch, swimming, riding a bike, hitting a ball off a tee or really any other creative activity that gets them moving and excited! Don’t feel limited to a typical definition of an activity as it’s about moving and having fun – “volleyball” can be played with a balloon and just trying to keep it from hitting the ground; balance practiced through “the floor is lava.” You can even have your learners design their own fun game to get them moving.

So what are you waiting for – Time to get up and moving!

For some additional more traditional inspiration, here are resources that may help build your program at home:
Teacher’s toolbox APE resource
WVU at Home APE resource

We invite you to take a look at our Charter SELPA’s useful parent resources! Click here to check it out!

I grew up in San Bernardino, went to Parochial school from 1st through 8th grade, graduated from Pacific High School Class of 2001 where I excelled in wrestling and Football. I attended Cal State San Bernardino, (kinesiology major) class of 2006. I started teaching in 2006 and went back to Cal State San Bernardino in 2013 to obtain my Special Authorization in Adapted Physical Education. I earned “Junior High Teacher of the Year” at Casa Ramona Academy in 2009. I have taught in San Bernardino, Twenty Nine Palms, Santa Maria, and Anaheim. I have been teaching special education for 5 years. I have also served as a C.I.F official (referee) for 20 years and have coached wrestling for 5 years. I am currently engaged to Yoceline Lucero and have a 5-year-old daughter named Romina. I am so grateful to be working for iLEAD and feel it’s very important to stay in a constant state of gratitude!!! Thank you so much!!!

Fun Facts: My nickname in high school and college was Mighty Mouse
I love the central coast (Pismo, Monterey, Santa Barbara)
I was president of my college Fraternity for a year.

This compilation of videos is a great way to help get your learners moving in a fun way! Check it out here.

Sometimes we forget that our actions and our words impact all of those around us. Offering even simple appreciation can transform relationships, boost our self-worth and shift a negative climate.
Gratitude is the practice of being thankful each day, but trying to decide when or how to show gratitude, especially in person, can be daunting. But gratitude is not just about recognition — it’s also about supporting and inspiring others. So one good way to start practicing gratitude is through social media. This is something quick and easy to put into practice –

The easiest way to get started with practicing gratitude on social media is by writing short gratitude posts tagging the people you feel most comfortable with or own their personal pages. It could be something as simple as – “Hey, you rock! I’m so glad to have you as a friend.” Or it could be more specific – “Remember that time when I didn’t understand that story from English and you worked with me step by step? Just wanted to say thanks!” Try to get in the habit of sending these messages more often. You could even remind yourself to do it by adding your plan to your calendar.

To further boost your social media gratitude, you can post a gratitude list. For example, simply list three simple things you are grateful for each day: I am grateful it’s sunny, grateful that I get to spend the evening with good friends, and grateful I’m having a good hair day. It doesn’t have to be elaborate or trendy. Then, share this post to your page with just your friends, or a selection of close friends, and ask them to share what they are grateful for too. By practicing gratitude together, you can make it more fun and also connect with friends and the joy can spread beyond the digital world.

Finally, you could go deeper with your gratitude practice and employ the use of DM’s (personal messages) with a full letter of gratitude. Your letter could be about anything. Maybe you want to thank a friend for always being there for you or a facilitator for going beyond expectations… In your letter, try to be specific and note why you value the other person, going beyond just the positive ways he or she makes you feel. Send this letter to the other person with an invitation to connect, in person or virtually. This way, the letter becomes a stimulus to help you continue to strengthen your relationship with the person.

Exposure to genuine heartfelt gratitude (which is to say skip the #blessed memes) can lead to a more appreciative, supportive, and equitable digital world. So challenge down, let’s see those gratitude posts weekly and let the joy start catching!

Brianna Sandoval
Hi everyone! I am Brianna, but most people call me Bri. This is my first year as a School Psych and I am glad to be here at iLEAD. In my free time, I love to go on walks on the beach, work out, hang out with my loved ones, journal, and listen to music.
A “fun” fact about me is that I have rewatched The Office and Grey’s Anatomy at least four times each.

Mykisha Smith
Hi, My name is Mykisha Smith, I am currently a School Psychologist at iLead Charter School in the Lancaster School District. I have been a School Psychologist for 3 years and I absolutely love doing what I do. My aspirations for wanting to become a School Psychologist stemmed from my personal experiences that I have encountered throughout my educational career. I have always had a passion for wanting to support students that shared some of the similar challenges that I have had navigating the educational system growing up in a low economic area. Aside from my job position as a School Psychologist, I am a mother of two awesome young boys, I am married to my husband of 12 years and I am a person who enjoys a good workout, family time, and a great laugh.
Fun Fact: I enjoy playing any form of sport. My competitiveness not only takes place on the court or track but also in the workplace.

Jonathan Lozada
I was born and raised in South San Diego, within 10 minutes of the San Ysidro Boarding Crossing. I took a liking to Psychology while taking online classes at Southwestern College (my local junior college), while I was a Junior in High School. I completed my BA at Menlo College in Atherton, CA, took a year off and started my School Psych program at Alliant International University in San Diego. Through my internships and the opportunity to move in with my then-girlfriend, current fiancée’s family, I made my way to Santa Ana, CA. I found full-time employment at South Bay High School, a NPS in Torrance, CA serving students residing in the attached group home and mental health sub-acute facility. Due to COVID-19, the 2+ hours of car time per day and fatigue from being in such a high level or care, I had to move on after almost 5 years. I spent a year as an ERMHS Counselor at Santa Ana Unified and finally found myself at iLEAD Exploration this year. I have over 10+ years of experience working with youth as a sports coach, summer camp facilitator, and floor staff at a residential treatment facility. I would say my strength is in mental health support and coordination within schools, however, all areas of SpEd are just as vast and exciting.
Fun Facts
-I am from a long lineage of Educators, (My Grandma met my Grandpa when she was teaching on Midway Island and my Grandpa was stationed there.)
-Shopping for the cheapest flights has landed me in some pretty unique places.
-When my world is falling apart, I think of 3 things I am grateful for and my life puzzle feels whole again.

Every year, the Student Support team hosts a Student Support Symposium for iLEAD staff and families in order to help vulnerable populations, learners impacted by challenging disabilities, trauma and/or other emotional challenges to succeed. This year’s 6th Annual Student Support Symposium was a great success and covered many topics to help our facilitators, staff, and families guide learners to grow and thrive in the future. We had some amazing speakers, including our keynote speaker, Chris Koch. We will be making some of our recorded breakout sessions available on our Student Support website.

As the holiday season starts to kick off, it is easy to forget what this time of year is all about. Creating a gratitude jar is a great way for families and kids to stay grateful throughout the business of the season. How can you create your own gratitude jar? There aren’t any rules when it comes to creating your jar. You can decorate it to your liking and even give it a fresh coat of paint. Each day of November, you’ll write on a piece of paper something you’re grateful for; whether that is a person, something that made you smile that day, or an everyday convenience you know is taken for granted. Open the jar when it’s full to reflect on a month of gratitude.

According to positive psychology, expressing gratitude and practicing gratitude daily can lead to greater happiness. During challenging times in life, it is important to remember the little things that we are grateful for. This can be practiced across all aspects of life, not only at home and with our loved ones but also with our coworkers and families we support. We all go through different adversities in life, but showing gratitude for one another can go a really long way. This is not only important for us as adults, but also for children and adolescents. Actually, in a recent professional development training offered through our SELPA, some of the most important protective factors children and adolescents can have are positive, social connections, and jotting down three things they are grateful for each day or night. The active practice of gratitude daily for two weeks straight can actually have a similar effect on our overall mood and effect as does medication. See the image below of all the amazing benefits of gratitude! We’ve also included a potential template for you all to print out and implement in your daily routines as well!