IUSD is dedicated to fostering inclusive and supportive educational environments where students and families feel a sense of belonging and connection to their schools, peers, teachers, and the wider district community. To achieve this, IUSD’s Student Support Services and Education Services departments offer a wide range of resources, including parent workshops, community meetings, language support, and more!
We value the strong partnership we have with our parents and families. Through IUSD’s Parent and Family Engagement programs, families are provided multiple opportunities to actively participate in the school community and contribute to their children's educational journey.
This article highlights the important role of our community support staff and the various Parent and Family Engagement resources available to all IUSD families.
Supporting IUSD Students and Families
In addition to the dedicated teams at each IUSD school—including administrators, teachers, counselors, and mental health professionals—we recognize that families may benefit from specific resources and assistance.
Kim Bates | Student Support Services
As part of my role in supporting IUSD families, I coordinate parent workshops, and classes, and oversee our Community Liaisons. I am here to assist with inquiries about the IUSD Parent Center and manage district translation services, ensuring interpreters are available for district and school meetings. I also work with families on attendance and truancy matters and collaborate with the Irvine Unified Council PTA to align parent engagement efforts across the community. Visit our Student Support Services page for more information, or contact me at kimbates@iusd.org.
Translation and Language Support
IUSD’s Community Liaisons support the following language communities: Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, Japanese, Korean, and Spanish. They provide translation services, facilitate parent workshops, and help families and staff connect across language barriers. Our liaisons also promote cultural understanding and empower parents to take an active role in their children’s education.
Duha Al-Hakeem | Arabic
مرحباً بكم، إسمي ضحى الحكيم ، أخصائية التواصل بين المجتمع العربي ومدارس إرفاين. يشرفني دعم مجتمعي بتوفير الترجمة الشفوية والخطية، واستضافة ندوات توعية للأهالي ( IPEP) عدة مرات بالسنة. كذلك حضور دورات متعددة طوال السنة لتطوير مهنتي. إنني أسعى إلى تحقيق الوعي الثقافي في المنطقة التعليمية وتمكين الأهالي من المشاركة في تعليم أطفالهم.
الرجاء اضغط على الصفحة العربية لمزيد من المعلومات.
Visit our Arabic Community Page.
Shahrzad Farjadi | Farsi
Visit our Farsi/Persian Community Page.
Tamami Ota | Japanese
皆様こんにちは。日本語コミュニティリエゾンを務めております太田珠美と申します。ワークショップ等で皆様に学区からの情報を日本語でお届けしたり、学校とIUSDのご家族の皆様とのコミュニケーションを円滑にするサポートをさせていただいています。皆様の橋渡し役として、お子さんの教育がよりよいものになるようなお手伝いができましたら幸いです。サポートをご希望の場合は、949-936-5275もしくはtamamiota@iusd.orgまでご連絡下さい。IUSD日本語のウェブサイトもご覧いただけます。
Visit our Japanese Community page.
Insun Kim | Korean
안녕하세요! 저는 지난 13년간 IUSD에서 한국어권 커뮤니티를 담당하고 있는 언어발달부서의 김인순입니다. 저는 여러분의 자녀가 IUSD에 있는 동안 학부모님이 자녀의 교육 여정을 지원할 수 있는 준비와 역량을 키우도록 가정과 교육구를 연결하는 다리 역할을 하고 있습니다. www.iusd.org/Korean을 방문하셔서 유용한 정보와, 진행 중인 워크숍 및 자료를 살펴보시기 바랍니다. 저는 여러분의 자녀들이 모두 성공하기를 바랍니다!
Contact me at insunkim@iusd.org or 949-936-5276, or visit our Korean Community page.
Rosa Larra Nieto | Spanish
Bienvenidos al Distrito Escolar Unificado de Irvine. Mi nombre es Rosa Larra (rosalarranieto@iusd.org) y soy su enlace con el distrito. Pueden contar con mi ayuda para interpretación y traducción e información sobre recursos que ofrezca el distrito escolar.
También les animo a que visiten nuestra página La comunidad de hispanohablantes de IUSD para mantenerse informado de nuestras reuniones y otros eventos relevantes del distrito escolar de Irvine.
蔣兆青 Lichuan Chiang | Traditional & Simplified Chinese
您好！我是尔湾联合学区华语社区联络人蒋兆青，拥有美国教育硕士及图书资讯科学硕士学位。我的工作项目包括：学区层级各项翻译及口译服务、规划并举办教育专题中文讲座、创建并更新华语社区资源网页、协助家长了解英语语言考试结果、协助家长了解学区及学校各种学科项目、以及担任亲师之间的桥梁。如果您需要中文协助，请您访问华语社区资源网页 (iusd.org/mandarinsimplified) 以获得华语社区联络人的联系方式。
您好！我是爾灣聯合學區華語社區聯絡人蔣兆青，擁有美國教育碩士及圖書資訊科學碩士學位。我的工作項目包括：學區層級各項翻譯及口譯服務、規劃並舉辦教育專題中文講座、創建並更新華語社區資源網頁、協助家長了解英語語言考試結果、協助家長了解學區及學校各種學科項目、以及擔任親師之間的橋樑。如果您需要中文協助，請您造訪華語社區資源網頁 (iusd.org/mandarintraditional) 以獲得華語社區聯絡人的聯絡方式
Russian Language Support
IUSD also offers support for Russian speaking families. For more information on Russian language support, our Community Liaisons and Mental Health Specialists and Student Support Services, visit iusd.org/FamilyEngagement
Community Support
In addition to translations and language support, IUSD offers community supports that include resources for students, parents, families, and staff to help address various topics students and parents may face.
Shalonda Ibrahim-Abubakar | Mental Health Specialist
My name is Shalonda Ibrahim-Abubakar, the Community Support Mental Health Specialist serving primarily the African American/Black population within IUSD. In my role, I serve as a resource to parents, students and staff to help reduce barriers to learning for students by:
- Maximizing access to resources
- Providing counseling services
- Offering staff professional development and coaching
- Facilitating multicultural engagement
- Supporting the implementation of culturally responsive practices
Please reach out if you have questions or need support! My contact information is email: shalondaabubakar@iusd.org, phone: 949-936-5185. Visit our African American/Black community page.
Maureen Muir | LGBTQ+ Community Support
My name is Maureen Muir and I am the LGBTQ+ Community Support Liaison. You can contact me for any LGBTQ+ needs or resources for students and families. Please follow my Instagram: @iusd_lgbtq for more information. You can also contact me through my email, maureenmuir@iusd.org, or my office number 949-936-5189. Visit our LGBTQ+ community page.
Elana Lesse | McKinney-Vento and Foster Youth Liaison | Mental Health Specialist
My name is Elana Lesse and I am the McKinney-Vento and Foster Youth Liaison. You can contact me with any questions pertaining to McKinney-Vento (Homelessness) or Foster Youth supports and resources. I serve as a resource for parents, families, and students in need of resources, referrals, and/or supports as it pertains to their current living situation. I work collaboratively with school sites, OCDE, SSA, and social workers to minimize barriers to students' education. You can contact me through email at elanalesse@iusd.org or by phone at 949-936-5219.
IUSD’s dedicated staff are here to support our students and families. Please continue to visit iusd.org regularly for the latest District news and information.