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. Valuing the strong partnership with parents and families, IUSD also emphasizes the important role of community support staff and the wide range of resources available to help every family thrive.
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.
Mandy Ferrell | Language Development Programs
As part of my role in supporting IUSD English learners and their families, I oversee our Community Liaisons. Please visit our Language Development Programs page for more information, or contact me at mandyferrell@iusd.org.
Translation and Language Support
IUSD’s Community Liaisons support the following language communities: Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, Japanese, and Korean. They provide interpretation/translation services and promote cultural understanding, empowering parents to take an active role in their child’s education.
Duha Al-Hakeem | Arabic
مرحباً بكم، إسمي ضحى الحكيم- أخصائية التواصل بين المجتمع العربي ومدارس إرفاين. يشرفني أن أعتبر نفسي حلقة وصل لدعم مجتمعي ومساعدة الأهالي على الوعي الشامل لفهم الأنظمة والبرامج المقدمة والتواصل مع الجهات المعنية في المنطقة التعليمية. إضافة إلى ذلك، أقدّم الدعم اللغوي شفوياً وخطياً حسب الحاجة. هدفي تمكين الأهالي من دعم أطفالهم والسعي إلى تحقيق عام دراسي ناجح. إذا كنتم في حاجة إلى المساعدة يرجى الاتصال على الرقم 5281-936-949. أو إرسال إيميل إلى duhaalhakeem@iusd.org. لمزيد من المعلومات يمكنكم زيارة الموقع الإلكتروني الخاص بالمجتمع العربي في IUSD على الرابط التالي: iusd.org/Arabic
Shahrzad Farjadi | Farsi
درود! من شهرزاد فرجادی متخصص ارتباطات خانه و مدرسه از بخش توسعه زبان هستم. من برای بهبود آموزش فرزندتان به عنوان پلی بین شما و مدارس ارواین خدمت کرده و در راستای آگاهی رسانی، توانمند سازی و آشنایی والدین با سیستم آموزش و پرورش ارواین از جامعه خود حمایت می کنم. در صورت نیاز به پشتیبانی می توانید با من در شماره تلفن
5277-936-949 یا ایمیل shahrzadfarjadi@iusd.org تماس بگیرید. برای دریافت اطلاعات مفید و بروز از وبسایت iusd.org/Farsi بازدید نمایید.
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。ウェブサイトやEメールを通じて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間に立ち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の日本語ウェブサイトもご覧いただけます。
Insun Kim | Korean
안녕하세요! IUSD 언어발달부서에서 한국어권 커뮤니티를 담당하고 있는 김인순입니다. 저는 여러분의 자녀가 얼바인교육구에 있는 동안 학생의 학교 생활을 돕고 학부모님이 자녀의 교육 여정을 효과적으로 지원할 수 있도록 가정과 교육구를 연결하는 다리 역할을 하고 있습니다. 교육구 프로그램 설명, 교육 자료와 자주 묻는 질문 등 학부모님께 도움이 될 다양한 정보는 www.iusd.org/Korean에서 확인하실 수 있습니다. 자녀 교육에 적극 활용하시기 바랍니다. 도움이 필요하실 때 이메일 insunkim@iusd.org 또는 전화번호 949-936-5276으로 연락주시기 바랍니다. 여러분의 자녀가 IUSD에서 잘 성장하고 성공할 수 있도록 함께하겠습니다!
蔣兆青 Lichuan Chiang | Traditional & Simplified Chinese
您好！我是蔣兆青，擔任爾灣聯合學區的華語社區聯絡人已經超過十年。我的工作除了負責翻譯學區的重要文件外，也致力於成為家庭與學校（或學區）之間的溝通橋樑。我非常樂意協助家長了解學區與學校的各項資源與計畫，協助家長做好準備，進而支持孩子的教育發展。如果您需要中文協助，歡迎來電（949-936-5279）或寄送電子郵件（lichuanchiang@iusd.org）與我聯絡。
您也可以造訪我們的華語社區資源網站（ iusd.org/mandarintraditional ），獲得更多訊息。
您好！我是蒋兆青，担任尔湾联合学区的华语社区联络人已经超过十年。我的工作除了负责翻译学区的重要文件外，也致力于在家庭与学校（或学区）之间搭建沟通的桥梁。我很乐意协助家长了解学区和学校的各类项目，帮助大家更好地做好准备，以支持孩子的教育发展。如果您需要中文协助，欢迎拨打电话（949-936-5279）或发送邮件（lichuanchiang@iusd.org）与我联系。
您也可以访问我们的华语社区资源网站（ iusd.org/mandarinsimplified ）获取更多信息。
Community Support
In addition to translations and language support, IUSD offers community support that includes 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, Community Support Mental Health Specialist serving the African American/Black community in IUSD. I support parents, students, and staff by:
- Connecting families to resources
- Providing counseling services
- Offering staff training and coaching
- Promoting multicultural engagement
- Supporting culturally responsive practices
For questions or support, please contact me at shalondaabubakar@iusd.org or 949-936-5185. You can also visit our African American/Black Community page for additional resources.
LGBTQ+ Community Support
Please email LGBTQ@iusd.org for any LGBTQ+ needs or resources for students and families. You can follow our Instagram: @iusd_lgbtq and visit iusd.org/lgbtq for more information.
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. For more information, visit the Parent and Family Engagement website.