Registration is now open for TCOE's Foster & Homeless Youth Education Services annual Education Summit. The free event is designed for educators and others who support foster youth. The summit will be held on December 4 from 8:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. in the Redwood Conference Center at 6200 S. Mooney Blvd. in Visalia.

The keynote speaker will be LIz Murray, who will share her powerful story of survival and success. Murray is the subject of a three-time, Emmy-nominated Lifetime TV movie, “Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story,” and author of the New York Times Bestselling/Sunday Times Bestselling memoir, “Breaking Night: A Memoir of Forgiveness, Survival, and My Journey from Homeless to Harvard.”

Breakout sessions will focus on restorative justice and conflict resolution practices. The sessions will be conducted by Anthony Ceja, M.A. and Jenny Winkler, Ph.D. who are affiliated with the University of San Diego Center for Restorative Justice.

Ceja served as the senior manager for the Whole Child and Community Design Department for the San Diego County Office of Education prior to founding the Building Restorative Communities, LLC in 2024.

Through her work with the National Conflict Resolution Center, Winkler helped support a large school district in integrating restorative practices throughout their systems and programs. In addition to her work with schools, she has helped to implement restorative practices in prisons and on college campuses.

The conference will include breakfast and lunch, free resources, and a youth panel. To register, visit http://tcoe.org//fhys/educationsummit.

After weeks of exciting regular-season competition, TCOE is proud to announce the teams that have earned invitations to the TCOE Esports League Fall Tournament that will take place on December 3 at the TCOE Planetarium and Science Center in Visalia. Throughout the season, students demonstrated not only their gaming abilities but also communication, teamwork, strategic thinking, and perseverance.

With 44 teams competing in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and 55 teams competing in Rocket League, qualifying for the county tournament is a significant accomplishment. For many students, esports serve as a pathway to greater school engagement and meaningful opportunities for personal growth.

"As esports continues to grow, students are gaining experience in communication, leadership, media production, event management, and tech-related skills that support future academic and professional opportunities," said student event coordinator, Paula Terrill. “Congratulations and good luck, competitors, and thank you for representing your schools with excellence both in and out of the game.”

Super Smash Bros Qualifiers

PV Smash Bros B, Palo Verde Union School, Tulare

Richgrove Warriors Black, Richgrove School, Richgrove

MS Bulldogs, Strathmore Middle School, Strathmore

Alpaugh ES1, Alpaugh Elementary School, Alpaugh

Falcons Smash 2, Pleasant View Elementary School, Porterville

Ducor Rampage, Ducor Union School, Ducor

Alpaugh ES2, Alpaugh Elementary School, Alpaugh

PV Smash Bros A, Palo Verde Union School, Tulare

Sundale Brown, Sundale Union School, Tulare

Wilson Goofy Gang, Wilson Middle School, Exeter

Rocket League Qualifiers

PV Rocket League A, Palo Verde Union School, Tulare

Ducor Rampage, Ducor Union School, Ducor

PV Rocket League B, Palo Verde Union School, Tulare

Sunnyside Esports 1, Sunnyside Union School, Strathmore

Roosevelt Respawn, Roosevelt Elementary School, Lindsay

Alpaugh ES2, Alpaugh Elementary School, Alpaugh

ESD Gamers, Earlimart Middle School, Earlimart

Richgrove Warriors Black, Richgrove School, Richgrove

Jagwires-Alpha, Pixley Middle School, Pixley

Sunnyside Esports 3, Sunnyside Union School, Strathmore

Editor: Robert Herman, Communications Director
Contributors: Nayirah Dosu, Jennifer Akin, Jaime Burnitzki, Jacqueline Montanez-Barajas, Misael Gomez, Paula Terrill