Children to dig into Benicia’s past at museum event – Benicia Herald

By Nick Sestanovich

The Benicia Historical Museum, with the help of the Benicia Historical Society and UC Berkeley’s Archeological Research Facility, will be inviting kids of all ages to get their Indiana Jones on as they uncover Benicia’s past for the new event “I Dig Benicia.”

In honor of October being California Archaeology Month, the three organizations are putting together an event that allows kids to learn about Benicia and California’s past through hands-on archeological activities. This is the first year that Benicia Historical Museum has hosted this event, and it received a lot of support from David Hyde, a graduate student in UC Berkeley’s archaeology department and member of the Benicia Historical Society.

“Berkeley, being a public university institution, really provides itself on having public outreach to local communities,” he said. “There’s sort of an interdepartmental organization called the Archaeological Research Facility which connects archaeologists in all sorts of departments across Berkeley. Through that we do educational outreach opportunities. It typically involves going to local schools, usually in Alameda County because of the convenience and the locale.”As a member of the Historical Society and a Benicia High School graduate, Hyde thought it would be a good idea to bring that kind of outreach to Benicia. BHM Executive Director Elizabeth D’Huart was thrilled about the opportunity, and “I Dig Benicia!” was born.

Source: Children to dig into Benicia’s past at museum event

Fall celebrated at annual Harvest Festival in Vallejo – Times Herald

By Matthew Adkins

Between picking pumpkins and petting roosters, smiles of delight were easily found on children’s faces over the weekend at Loma Vista Farm.

The 5-acre outdoor classroom full of plants and animals was opened Saturday to the public for their annual Harvest Festival.

Barbara Valesco is on the board the manages the farm’s development and explained the Harvest Festival is just one way that they raise funds throughout the year.

Source: Fall celebrated at annual Harvest Festival in Vallejo

Waterfront Print-A-Thon event documents children in Vallejo – Times Herald

By Matthew Adkins

Thanks to the efforts of missing child advocate and kidnapping survivor Midsi Sanchez, the children of Vallejo are now a bit safer.

Sanchez hosted a free Stay Alive Safety Awareness event Saturday at the Vallejo waterfront.

During the event, children were able to be fingerprinted and photographed. Educational information on safety, including a 12-point plan for kidnapping emergencies, were provided at no cost to families.

For vets and internees, a chance to receive a high school diploma – The Reporter

By Richard Bammer

For many veterans of American wars and many Japanese interned during World War II, time and circumstance interrupted their high school education.

During the 1940s, 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, thousands of young men and women left high school and the comforts of home to serve in the U.S. armed forces. Additionally, during World War II many Japanese-American citizens were forced into relocation camps across the nation, often to remote areas. After these wars — World War II, the Korean or Vietnam wars — many of these people were not able to finish high school and receive a high school diploma.

For anyone affected by the three wars or internment, that will change in the coming weeks, and, if qualified, they will be granted a diploma, Lisette Estrella-Henderson, the superintendent-designate of the Solano County Office of Education, said in a press release.

 

Source: For vets and internees, a chance to receive a high school diploma

Vacaville teachers union taps interim president – The Reporter

By Richard Bammer

Vacaville teachers recently voted to elect a Jepson Middle School teacher to lead their union temporarily.

Tracy Begley has been named interim president of the 680-member Vacaville Teachers Association, effective in mid-January, to fulfill the remaining months of current president Moira McSweeney’s term, which ends June 14.

McSweeney made the announcement during a Vacaville Unified governing board meeting Thursday in the Educational Services Center.

A longtime educator, Begley will serve in the role until union members vote again in April. If she is re-elected, she will be president for the 2017-19 term.

Source: Vacaville teachers union taps interim president

Paradise Valley veteran teams up with Junior ROTC to create Ready Room – Daily Republic

By Amy Maginnis-Honey

There were smiles and plenty of thank you’s Friday when the Fairfield High School Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps dedicated the Getz Ready Room.

Veterans from Paradise Valley Estates, Fairfield-Suisun School District officials and the students admired the room, painted in blue with a patterned blue rug and blue-and-white furnishings.

On opposite walls were two framed World War II battle maps, prompting one guest to point to the one representing the beach at Normandy and say, “My uncle Paul went in right there.”

On a shelf, off to the side of the door, sits a shell from the beach at Normandy.

Source: Paradise Valley veteran teams up with Junior ROTC to create Ready Room

District recognizes top students – Daily Republic

By Daily Republic Staff

Trustees of the Fairfield-Suisun School District recognized a number of children during a recent school board meeting as Students of the Month for October.

They are Ginger Grube, K.I. Jones Elementary School; Arianna Villicana Cervantes, Crescent Elementary School; Raye Porter, Suisun Elementary School; and Shyanne Stever, Sheldon Academy of Innovative Learning.

Frank Johnson was recognized for his support of the students and staff at K.I. Jones Elementary School.

Source: Good News: District recognizes top students

Next Solano County schools chief up for national award – Daily Republic

By Daily Republic Staff

Lisette Estrella-Henderson, the next superintendent of the Solano County Office of Education, is one of the finalists for the The School Superintendents Association’s 2017 Woman in School Leadership Awards.

The finalists represent California, Alabama, Georgia, Michigan and Virginia.

Source: Good News: Next Solano County schools chief up for national award

Fairfield-Suisun School District OKs $10,302 worth of hotel stays – Daily Republic

By Ryan McCarthy

Stays by teachers and administrators at hotels including the Hilton San Diego Bayfront, Hyatt Regency Newport Beach and the Courtyard Anaheim Resort won approval Thursday by Fairfield-Suisun School District trustees.

Sheila McCabe, spokeswoman for the school district, said lodging covers conferences and workshops.

“Professional development is the most effective strategy schools and districts have to bring about sustained improvement,” McCabe said. “The Fairfield-Suisun School District is committed to providing high quality professional development.”

Source: Fairfield-Suisun School District OKs $10,302 worth of hotel stays

Joint meeting between Vallejo City Council and school board planned – Times Herald

By John Glidden

After 18 months of trying, Vallejo school board Trustee Burky Worel will get his wish, as the two most important agencies in the city of Vallejo are scheduled to host a joint meeting.

The Vallejo City Council and Vallejo City Unified School District Governing Board will meet at 6 p.m., Wednesday Oct. 26, at the Vallejo High Annex, Professional Development Center, 1347 Amador St.

The meeting will feature discussions about school resource officers, traffic issues around schools, mobile food vendors and enforcement issues, and first time homebuyer program for teachers.

Each topic has a 15-minute time limit, according to the agenda.

The Vallejo City Clerk’s Office confirmed there are no prepared staff reports for the four items.

 

Source: Joint meeting between Vallejo City Council and school board planned

High School seniors can apply for Elks scholarships – The Reporter

The Vacaville Elks Lodge, as part of the nationwide Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, is the local sponsor of the Elks Most Valuable Student Scholarship (MVS) program for high school seniors.

The local Elks is sponsoring applications from students in the Fairfield, Vacaville, Dixon, Winters and Rio Vista area high schools for judging and consideration for advancement to the national finals. Information concerning the Elks scholarship program has been provided to all local high schools.

Applications and full instructions are available online at enf.elks.org/mvs. The deadline for submission of applications is Nov. 30. All applications must be submitted online.

Source: High School seniors can apply for Elks scholarships

Two Travis Unified candidates unopposed, will be re-elected – The Reporter

By Richard Bammer

Like their counterparts in Vacaville and Dixon, two Travis Unified trustees are unopposed for their four-year seats and, thus, will be re-elected on Nov. 8, Election Day.

Ivery Hood, a Naval Junior ROTC instructor at Bethel High in Vallejo, and Angela Weinzinger, a dental hygienist, in Vacaville, will be re-sworn in during the annual governing board reorganization meeting in early December.

Board President John Dickerson was unsure why exactly no one else declared their candidacy for a seat on the five-member board.

“It’s an election year, and many people are tired,” particularly about the rancor and divisiveness roiling the presidential race between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, he said, adding, “We have an excellent board.”

 

Source: Two Travis Unified candidates unopposed, will be re-elected

High school Junior ROTC students get taste of Travis – Daily Republic

By Ian Thompson

Fairfield High School junior Shaham Dadhwal took a break from listening to a presentation on aeromedical evacuation Thursday to say he would be interested in that field.

Junior Thomas Pino was even more specific, voicing his interest in following his father into the Air Force and becoming a radiologist.

Both are members of the Fairfield High School Air Force Junior ROTC and were among more than 230 high school students from Air Force Junior ROTC and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics programs visiting the base Thursday.

Source: High school Junior ROTC students get taste of Travis

Fairfield-Suisun School District honors Trustees Marianno, Shamansky – Daily Republic

By Ryan McCarthy

Kathy Marianno and Pat Shamansky, trustees for the Fairfield-Suisun School District who decided not to seek re-election, were honored Thursday for their years of service on the school board.

Board president Judi Honeychurch said Marianno, first elected in 2003, has a wealth of knowledge about the school district.

“You probably will be getting phone calls to fill us in on information we may be missing,” Honeychurch told Marianno at the start of the school board meeting.

Source: Fairfield-Suisun School District honors Trustees Marianno, Shamansky

Armijo grad joins ‘Emerging Artists’ show – Daily Republic

By Amy Maginnis-Honey

Armijo High School graduate SeanPatrick Shadduck is one of 10 artists selected for the third annual “Emerging Artists” show in Healdsburg.

He was nominated by his sculpture professor at Sonoma State University. Being selected is acknowledgement of his hard work, Shadduck said.

He spent Monday installing “Annakin’s Daughter,” which features an image of actress Carrie Fisher, as Princess Leia, smoking an electronic cigarette.

Source: Armijo grad joins ‘Emerging Artists’ show

More than 400 youth carry on Butt Run tradition – Daily Republic

By Todd R. Hansen

Taylor Eisen and Jillian Baron are teammates on the soccer pitch for the Revolution – sharing a singular goal of defeating their foes.

But out on the cross country-style course at the 40th annual Doug Butt Run at Laurel Creek Park on Wednesday, Eisen, 8, had no equal in the girls third-grade division, easily outdistancing the other runners for the win.

“I love to run,” she said.

In fact, Eisen had her sights set on the rabbit, one of several high school runners who helped set the pace in each of the 16 races and helped keep all the runners on the twisting, undulating courses.

Source: More than 400 youth carry on Butt Run tradition

Review of maintenance department, weighted SCC grades on Vacaville USD agenda – The Reporter

By Richard Bammer

A review of the district’s maintenance and operations department and a report about weighted grading for Solano Community College courses are on the agenda when Vacaville Unified leaders meet tonight in Vacaville.

The director of maintenance and operations, Leland Noll, will offer the annual review, in part, a district snapshot based on his department’s responsibilities and the scope and nature of its work.

Using a computer-aided slide show, he will update the seven-member governing board about his department’s mission and goals, and how it is organized, including providing workforce numbers.

M and O, as the department is called for short, employs 81 full-time equivalent employees, scattered among the main office, operations, maintenance, grounds and equipment maintenance shops. He oversees an annual budget of about $4 million.

 

Source: Review of maintenance department, weighted SCC grades on Vacaville Unified School District agenda

Dixon school leaders to hear updates on Measure Q, mental health services – The Reporter

By Richard Bammer

Dixon Unified leaders, when they meet tonight, will hear an update on Measure Q, resolutions in support of two school-related propositions, and a presentation on mental health services.

Superintendent Brian Dolan will update the five-member governing board about Measure Q, the $30.4 million bond trustees approved for placement on the Nov. 8 general election ballot. If passed by voters, it will provide money to upgrade the district’s aging schools, including Old Dixon High, built in 1940, and Anderson Elementary, built in 1949.

Trustees are expected to approve a resolution to support Proposition 51, the K-12 School and Community College Facilities initiative, a $9 billion state bond for new construction and modernization of K-12 schools, including charter schools, and California community colleges. Like the schools in Dixon, Vacaville and Fairfield-Suisun unified districts, many schools in the state’s more than 1,000 districts are 50 years old and older.

 

Source: Dixon school leaders to hear updates on Measure Q, mental health services

Cleek using Fairfield teen volunteers to phone-bank, canvass – The Reporter

By Richard Bammer

The Cleek for Congress campaign for the 3rd Congressional District seat has added 14 field representatives, students from Fairfield High, to lead the phone-banking, canvassing and messaging efforts until Election Day, Nov. 8, it has been announced.

The students, of “various backgrounds,” support an outsider candidate to unseat Rep. John Garamendi, D-Solano, Cleek campaign staffers wrote in a press release.

“The thing about politics and government today is that it’s been turned into a business,” said Rico Daga, a field representative for the campaign. “People climb the political ladder and aspire to the next highest office, but that doesn’t guarantee proper or just governance. Personally, I want someone who isn’t motivated by their own ambition in an ‘industry’ they’ve worked in for decades. I want a fresh face that comes from people like me and my family — Dr. Cleek is certainly the ideal choice for me.”

Source: Cleek using Fairfield teen volunteers to phone-bank, canvass

Rodriguez seniors trade classroom for movie theater to watch debate – Daily Republic

By Glen Faison

About 20 Rodriguez High School seniors were among the 50-plus people who watched the presidential candidates debate Wednesday from the comfort of the stadium seating in Auditorium 5 at Edwards Fairfield Stadium 16 & IMAX theater at the Solano Town Center mall.

The theater offered the screening free of charge for all comers. That was too good a proposition for Sarah McLaughlin, who teaches the AP Government and Politics class at Rodriguez High, to pass up.

McLaughlin said she had planned a viewing party at the school. The prospect of moving from the relatively sterile classroom environment to the outside world – where her students could watch, listen to and interact with supporters of both Republican Party nominee Donald Trump and Democratic Party nominee Hillary Clinton – served a greater educational purpose.

Source: Rodriguez seniors trade classroom for movie theater to watch debate