By Thomas Gase

With the 2023-24 school year in its own first inning of sorts, CC and Amber Sabathia wanted to make the perfect delivery to all Vallejo first-grade students.

Free backpacks and school supplies were given out by the Sabathia PitCCh In Foundation on Thursday morning to every single first grader in Vallejo — a tradition of the Sabathia pair for about two decades. Although the first day of school had come and gone in the Vallejo City Unified School District, many students, teachers and school staff members were happy to have the support from CC and Amber.

Source: CC Sabathia makes perfect ‘first’ pitch – Times Herald Online

By Thomas Gase

Dr. Seuss once wrote, “You’re off to great places. Today is your first day! Your mountain is waiting, so get on your way!”

Monday in Vallejo hundreds of students began a climb up their mountain.

It was the first official day of school Monday in the Vallejo City Unified School District, which meant a time for students to walk excitedly to meet their new classmates, teachers, schedules, books, desks, playground and sometimes even – for kindergartners and high school freshmen – their new schools.

At Elmer Cave Language Academy in Vallejo, it was also a time for parents and guardians to walk their little ones to class for the first time. For Ben and Mary (declined to give last name) that meant walking their daughter Della to her kindergarten class.

Source: Vallejo students learn to fly on first day of instruction – Times Herald Online

ByThomas Gase

There is a flurry of activity on Saturday at City Park in Vallejo and a few hundred people offering a variety of educational services. So for a moment, Watch Me Grow Inc. founder Jameelah Hanif is taking it all in.

“Wow, powerful things happen when you collaborate with others,” she says with a smile wider than the Grand Canyon.

For the third straight year Hanif has helped put together a community resource fair — this year called “Solano Families Thrive”– on the second Saturday of August. The event aims to help kids that will go back to school, which for the Vallejo City Unified School District means this Monday.

Source: Hanif happy to watch students grow – Times Herald Online

By Jordan Baker

Perseverance was the word of the day for Vallejo High School and John Finney High School 2023 graduates on Monday.

“You’ve shown perseverance,” Vallejo City Unified School District Superintendent William Spalding told the group at a special ceremony for students unable to participate in June’s graduation ceremony because of a lack of credits.

“Maybe not the exact way you planned it, but what you’ve done is very important,” Spalding said. “You’ve gone to finish up the work. You’ve shown the type of perseverance you’ll need your whole life.

Source: It’s never too late to graduate – Times-Herald

By Thomas Gase

Three schools in the Vallejo City Unified School District (VCUSD) earned six-year accreditation status this week –Vallejo Adult School at Al Berenguer Educational Center, as well as Jesse Bethel and Vallejo High Schools. The trio received the status from the Accrediting Commission for Schools, Western Association of Schools and Colleges.

The three schools went through a process that included conducting an in-depth self-study, hosting a visit by fellow educators, and engaging all stakeholders in a follow-up process of implementing, monitoring, and refining the resulting schoolwide action plan.

“The six-year accreditation of three of our schools is a testament to our staff and faculty’s continuous work,” Vallejo City Unified School District Superintendent William Spalding said in a news release. “The Vallejo Adult School has remained a stellar resource to Vallejo’s adult community and a pride point of our District. We know there is still work to be done at our high schools to improve, but this is an endorsement of our improvement efforts underway in our schools.”

Source: Three Vallejo City Unified schools receive notable accreditation distinctions – Times-Herald

By Thomas Gase

Griffin Technology Academies proudly commemorated the accomplishments of its newly minted high school graduates this week with a pair of graduation ceremonies.

Thursday evening at Touro University, approximately graduates of Mare Island Technology Academy High School celebrated. A day later, a ceremony marked the achievements of the first two graduates from Griffin Academy High School. They not only graduated as juniors, they also leave for college with AA degrees, in addition to their high school diplomas.

Both ceremonies were celebrated on Mare Island, the second one outside Arden Park, amid large crowds of parents, teachers, administrators, and community members.

Source: Griffin Technology Academies celebrates high school graduation ceremonies – Times-Herald

By Thomas Gase

Vallejo High School’s Class of 2023 graduation ceremony featured seven student speeches — one by the ASB Class President, four by salutatorians and two more by valedictorians.

Although the speeches were passionate, the volume reached its highest pitch on one topic.

Perseverance.

The speakers focused on their fellow graduates’ freshman year, which took place under the COVID-19 pandemic and away from the Vallejo High campus, which turned 154 years old this year.

Source: Vallejo High School graduates ‘persevere’ to earn diplomas – Times-Herald

By Thomas Gase

Many of the Jesse Bethel High School students graduating on Friday morning may call their commencement the realization of a dream. However, it was something else for William Spalding.

Real.

Spalding, the Vallejo City Unified School District Superintendent, told the Class of 2023 they should be thanking “their people” who helped get them to this rewarding moment.

Spalding told the students to “look to their left, and then look their right” before waving. He continued by asking the 2023 class to look at a few rows of counselors and teachers sitting nearby.

Source: Bethel High graduates accomplish a ‘real’ feat – Times-Herald

By Jordan Baker

Confetti cannons and the screams of supportive family and friends were the soundtrack to the John Finney High School graduation Thursday.

Principal Sylvia Whitson said her “heart was full” for the students, who proudly marched their final steps in their teal gowns before turning their tassels to the left and heading into the future.

Source: Teal milestones in Vallejo – Times-Herald

By Daniel Egitto

Community members of all ages strapped on protective gear and stepped into roller skates Saturday morning at a celebration of Vallejo public servants.

Skate to Appreciate — organized by local youth outreach groups First Chance Vallejo and Angels with Heart — honored four Vallejo Police Department officers and five Vallejo educators for their service. Celina Perez, First Chance Vallejo’s executive director, said children involved in the groups voted on who to recognize.

“They just wanted to appreciate the police officers because they said they don’t get appreciated enough,” said Perez. “And they wanted to appreciate their teachers because they only get one day in the year.”

Source: Teachers, police officers honored at Vallejo skating event – Times-Herald

Griffin Technology Academy announced on Tuesday that its campus construction project — aiming to bring modern facilities to Vallejo and a $48 million state-funded project to the area — is waiting on final approval.

Superintendent Nick Driver of Griffin Technology Academies announced in a news release that final measures to secure Proposition 51 funding are making “tremendous” progress.

“GTA has made a tremendous amount of progress over the last 12 months and I wanted to share the positive news with our school families, staff and board members as well as the Vallejo community at large,” Driver said. “We are eager to break ground and bring immediate jobs to Vallejo that will result in a safe and conducive environment to fulfill our educational mission as GTA recommits and reinvests in Vallejo’s future.”

Source: Griffin Technology Academy announce progress on campus construction project – Times-Herald

A trio of Vallejo elementary classrooms led the way in this year’s WERecycle! Challenge.

Jeannette Starring’s class at Dan Mini Elementary earned $133.07 in California Refund Value refunds, and Jennifer Wheelhouse’s and Melissa Nilson’s classes at Solano Widenmann Leadership Academy earned $135.66.

“My students and their families got really involved with this challenge. During school, some of my students went around our campus during their recess and looked for any recyclable materials, even items that didn’t have the CRV on them. You know that’s huge because kids hate giving up their recess,” Starring said in a statement released by the Solano Resource Conservation District.

Source: Solano third-graders recycle for class cash

The Vallejo Project is hosting a STEAM program this summer where one will be able to design and build a boat while exploring green energy.

Students will conceptualize and hand sketch their boats, use Adobe Illustrator to bring their sketch to life, then createan actual boat using CAD tools and a laser cutter.

The program will last between June 12-15, 19-22 and 26-29 and is for high school Vallejo City Unified School District students. The class will take place at Jesse Bethel High.

Source: Vallejo Project hosting class on how to build boats – Times-Herald