Monthly Archives: August 2016

Element of supplies: Event readies children, teens for school – Daily Republic

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By Bill Hicks

What started out 13 years ago as a simple backpack drive has grown into a major community event. That was evident Saturday at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church during the Fairfield-Suisun School District’s Family Resource Fair.

The district planned to distribute as many as 1,300 backpacks to low-income students from elementary school through high school in anticipation of the start of the school year Wednesday. Dozens of additional community agencies and organizations also took part, allowing parents to access a range of different services in one place.

Source: Element of supplies: Event readies children, teens for school

Life looks brighter for Armijo High grad – Daily Republic

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By Amy Maginnis-Honey

Three months ago, Carina Fuller was just hoping to finish her studies at Armijo High School and get her diploma.

In about a week, the teen will travel to Oregon State University for orientation.

Determination, and a trip to the Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome and Dysautonomia Treatment Center in Dallas, have given her back some of her life after being diagnosed with the syndrome.

Symptoms surfaced in February when she fainted in her bathroom. A rapid heartbeat, brain fog and light-headedness were all present. She also had trouble sleeping at night, finding it easier to sleep during the day.

Source: Life looks brighter for Armijo High grad

Fun on the Run delivers backpacks to children – Daily Republic

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By Ian Thompson

Pam Gales was pleasantly surprised Wednesday afternoon when she walked some of the children from a nearby day care center down to the Fun on the Run site to find out they were giving out backpacks.

“This is a nice treat and a wonderful idea,” Gales said as Fun on the Run Site Director Melanie Pelz handed each of the children backpacks loaded with school supplies.

Gales told her young charges to say thank you and they chorused “thank you” while peering inside and trying on the backpacks.

Source: Fun on the Run delivers backpacks to children

Solano County celebrates Child Support Awareness Month – The Reporter

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August is Child Support Awareness Month, and to celebrate the Solano County Department of Child Support Services (DCSS) reminds parents that their support can fundamentally shape their children’s future.

A child’s life is full of firsts, including a first bike lesson, first pair of shoes and first science fair project. With a parent’s support, these firsts may lead to the next great racing champion, fashion designer or world renowned scientist. For more than 1.3 million children in California, many of these firsts were made possible because one or both parents chose to participate in California’s Child Support Program.

“Child support is more than just providing for the basic needs of our children,” said Alisha Griffin, state director of the California Department of Child Support Services, in a press statement. “Each time a parent teaches them how to ride a bike, lets them be messy and creative, encourages their sports or takes time to play and help them with their homework, they’re helping the child discover a part of themselves.”

 

Source: Solano County celebrates Child Support Awareness Month

Kimme leaves $1.2 million to Vacaville Public Education Foundation – The Reporter

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By Richard Bammer

Exactly one year to the day after his death, Ernest Kimme has provided generously to the Vacaville Public Education Foundation, leaving $1.2 million to the nonprofit group, significantly boosting its endowment.

Nolan Sullivan, an ex-officio member of VPEF and a Vacaville Unified School District trustee, made the announcement Thursday in an email to The Reporter.

The Kimme bequest, left in his will and comprised of cash, stocks and real estate, will be added to the existing VPEF endowment of $200,000, creating an “economic engine” that will produce, for the foreseeable future, annual enrichment grants, estimated to range from $20,000 and $40,000, for teachers and students, he said.

“He may no longer be physically with us but he is still giving to teachers and students,” Sullivan said of Kimme, who was widely known in Vacaville as an educator, civic leader and Reporter columnist. He died of complications from radiation treatment at age 60.

 

Source: Kimme leaves $1.2 million to Vacaville Public Education Foundation

Dixon Unified leaders turn down second, $4 million bond measure – The Reporter

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By Richard Bammer

Dixon Unified leaders on Wednesday decided against adding a separate $4 million bond measure to the city’s November ballot.

The five-member governing board, during a special meeting in the City Council chamber, voted unanimously not to send one of two versions of Measure R to the Solano County Registrar of Voters for approval and its wording placed on the ballot.

The decision came one week after a somewhat contentious regular board meeting, during which trustees amended a proposed $34.5 million bond measure and, instead, approved a $30.4 million bond, Measure Q, to upgrade some aging district schools that voters will consider on Election Day, Nov. 8.

Source: Dixon Unified leaders turn down second, $4 million bond measure

51 California High Schools Rank Among Nation’s Best In Newsweek’s 2016 List – Suisun City Patch

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By Renee Schiavone

Newsweek’s list of the best public high schools in the country is out, and 51 California high schools made the list, which ranked the 500 best high schools nationwide.

The top-ranked school in the state was Whitney (Gretchen) High School in Cerritos, which came in seventh nationwide. The school ranked the highest in California for 2015.

Source: 51 California High Schools Rank Among Nation’s Best In Newsweek’s 2016 List – Suisun City, CA Patch

Water damage soaks SCC annex building – Daily Republic

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By Daily Republic Staff

An annex building at the Solano Community College Vacaville Center experienced some water damage, Wednesday night, the college reported.

The annex building, located across from the Vacaville Center, was being tested for potential renovations when a leak occurred, setting off a fire alarm and causing the Vacaville Fire Department to be dispatched to assist.

Water and gas lines were immediately shut off as a precaution.

Source: Water damage soaks SCC annex building

$12.7 million savings seen with solar projects at Fairfield-Suisun schools – Daily Republic

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By Ryan McCarthy

Solar projects installed at five schools will save the Fairfield-Suisun School District a total of $12.7 million in utility costs over 20 years, trustees were told Thursday.

The school district staff recommends SolarCity Corporation of San Mateo install solar photovoltaic projects at Anna Kyle Elementary, Crystal Middle and Armijo, Fairfield and Rodriguez high schools.

“SolarCity comes very well prepared to do this,” Kim Van Gundy, director of facilities for the school district, told trustees.

Source: $12.7 million savings seen with solar projects at Fairfield-Suisun schools

Second Vallejo school board candidate confirmed – Times Herald

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By John Glidden

The race for three open Vallejo school board seats picked up another participant this week after Solano County certified a second candidate.

Bob Lawson joins resident Melissa Bandong Bowman as the only two candidates for the school board election this November, according to the Solano County Registrar of Voters.

Sandra Vegas, Jeanette McCree-Goudeau, John Fox, Marianne Kearney-Brown, Chidale O’Hara, have all pulled papers for a full term on the Vallejo City Unified School District Board of Education.

Two of the three seats open are full-term, while the third seat is a two-year term.

Elected in November 2014, Vallejo resident Richard Porter declined to be seated for the school board position.

 

Source: Second Vallejo school board candidate confirmed

Students, teachers, families usher in new year in Dixon Unified – The Reporter

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By Richard Bammer

Some squared their shoulders, others slouched, but all 19 second-graders in Carolene Dolan’s classroom cast steady eyes on their new Anderson Elementary teacher early Wednesday, the first day of school in Dixon Unified.

A tall woman with naturally friendly ways behind dark-rimmed glasses, her personal dynamics were a textbook case of how to keep young children’s attention after a two-month break from the three R’s: a cheery attitude, animated facial expressions, stories, jokes, patience, simple, age-appropriate reasoning exercises, often laced with humor to drive home a point or lesson, and repetition.

Source: Students, teachers, families usher in new year in Dixon Unified

Travis leaders OK slight budget revision – The Reporter

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By Richard Bammer

One week after a budget workshop, Travis Unified leaders on Tuesday approved a slight revision to the Fairfield district’s 2016-17 budget, with $54.5 million in expenses and more than $850,000 in deficit spending.

As required by law, 45 days after the governor signs the new fiscal year’s budget, California school districts must provide for public review any changes in revenues and expenses that have been made.

In her slide presentation in the Travis Education Center, Jamie Metcalf, the district’s newly hired chief business officer, noted a loss of about $100,000 in revenues from the budget adopted during a June governing board meeting.

Source: Travis leaders OK slight budget revision

The Wrong and Right Ways to Ensure Equity in IDEA – Education Next

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By Paul L. Morgan and George Farkas

Are U.S. schools widely over-identifying children as disabled based on their race or ethnicity? Congress, the U.S. Department of Education, and many scholars think so. They are well-intentioned but wrong.

The best-available empirical studies repeatedly find that the opposite is occurring. White children are much more likely than otherwise similar racial and ethnic minority children to receive special education services in the U.S. Ensuring equity in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) means making sure all children with disabilities are able to access the services to which they have a civil right.

Source: The Wrong and Right Ways to Ensure Equity in IDEA – Education Next : Education Next

Teacher Support for Children Undergoing Medical Treatment | Edutopia

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By Kristen Beckler

“This is a teacher’s worst nightmare.”

I heard those words from a third-grade teacher over two years ago when my then eight-year-old daughter’s friend Bella was diagnosed with leukemia. I’ve since watched this teacher go above and beyond her job and find beauty in helping every student feel educated and supported through a very difficult time. Through her leadership, I learned a few things about how to educate and academically support a child with a medical illness, as well as supporting the class in their education of childhood illnesses.

Source: Teacher Support for Children Undergoing Medical Treatment | Edutopia

Vaca High expanded parking lot project nearly completed – The Reporter

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By Richard Bammer

When Vacaville High School students who drive to school arrive Aug. 18 to begin the new academic year, they will not have to show up at 6:30 a.m. to snag a coveted parking spot at the West Monte Vista Avenue campus.

The expanded parking lot project, begun in midspring, is nearly completed, Principal Ed Santopadre confirmed Tuesday.

“Things are getting close,” he said, a cheerful air in his voice. “They just striped the parking lot today. The parking lot will be ready for (the first day of) school.”

When they arrive on campus, the school’s 1,900 students will see some 70 more parking spaces in addition to the previous existing number before the $3.6 million project, the first of Measure A, got underway.

 

Source: Vaca High expanded parking lot project nearly completed

Time to check if student vaccinations are up-to-date – The Reporter

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By Richard Bammer

Dixon Unified resumes classes today and several other Vacaville-area public school districts will do so next week.

But, for most incoming kindergarten and seventh-grade students, it means immunization and vaccine records must be up-to-date before they walk onto their respective campuses. According to officials with Solano County Public Health, the following shots are required for those affected students, unless they have a medical exemption on file:

Kindergartners need Dtap (diptheria, tetanus, and pertussis, aka whooping cough), polio, hepatitis B, MMR (mumps, measles, rubella), and varicella, or chicken pox, vaccines.

To enter seventh grade, students need a booster Tdap shot.

 

Source: Time to check if student vaccinations are up-to-date

California bill would change law governing eligibility period for subsidized child care | EdSource

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By Jeremy Hay

California families who qualify for state-subsidized child care would be guaranteed eligibility for 12 months under a bill working its way through the state Legislature that would bring the state into compliance with federal requirements.

Under current state law, families in California’s publicly funded preschool and childcare programs for low-income children must re-establish their eligibility at least once every six months and any time there are changes to their employment situation, income or family size. Parents who work a variable schedule – one in which hours can change weekly – must re-establish their eligibility every four months. Childcare and family advocates have long urged legislators to change those requirements. There are about 270,000 children in the state-funded programs.

Source: California bill would change law governing eligibility period for subsidized child care | EdSource

The Leaven’s new center opens door to future, Dana Drive gathering hears – Daily Republic

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By Ryan McCarthy

The street where Police Chief Joe Allio said three people where shot in 2014 – followed within months by another shooting that left three more wounded – was crowded Monday when Allio helped mark the opening The Leaven’s new tutoring center.

“This is the key,” he said.

Foot patrols, cameras and license plate readers improve a neighborhood, said Allio, president of the board of directors for the nonprofit The Leaven, but helping educate children is crucial to turning a community around.

Source: The Leaven’s new center opens door to future, Dana Drive gathering hears

Budget revision, portable classrooms on TUSD agenda – The Reporter

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By Richard Bammer

One week after a budget workshop, Travis Unified leaders tonight are expected to approve a revision to the Fairfield district’s 2016-17 budget.

Supporting agenda documents with budget details and commentary, if any, were not available at press time Monday, but district officials said they would be posted online today.

As required by law, 45 days after the governor signs the new fiscal year’s budget, California school districts must provide for public review any changes in revenues and expenses that have been made.

At the Aug. 2 workshop, Superintendent Kate Wren Gavlak, the governing board and Jamie Metcalf, the chief business officer, reviewed the recently approved $54.5 million budget. No action was taken during the meeting.

 

Source: Budget revision, portable classrooms on TUSD agenda

Dixon Unified leaders amend proposed $34.5M bond measure, to $30.4M – The Reporter

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By Richard Bammer

After a somewhat contentious governing board meeting, Dixon Unified leaders on Thursday amended a proposed $34.5 million bond measure and, instead, approved a $30.4 million bond to upgrade some aging district schools that voters will consider on Election Day, Nov. 8.

The reduced bond measure, which will be sent for ballot approval to the County Registrar of Voters in the coming days, came after nearly four hours that eventually boiled down to pro-and-con discussion about placing one of two separate $4 million bond measures on the ballot that would allow voters to decide whether they wish to pay for existing lease financing, through certificates of participation (COPs). They are connected to the original construction of Gretchen Higgins Elementary. (A COP is a type of financing in which an investor, such as a school district or city council, buys a share of the lease revenues rather than the bond being secured by those revenues.)

Source: Dixon Unified leaders amend proposed $34.5M bond measure, to $30.4M