Monthly Archives: April 2019

Committee votes for Armijo mascot change – Daily Republic

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By Bill Hicks

A special committee organized by the Fairfield-Suisun School District’s governing board for the purposes of examining a potential change for the Armijo High mascot voted 11-4 Thursday in favor of recommending to the board that the mascot for Armijo be changed from the current term Indians.

The committee was comprised of current and former Armijo students, representatives from the district, parents and others from the community. The meeting was the group’s fourth and final meeting prior to bringing its recommendation to the board, which will take place at the board’s meeting April 25.

Source: Committee votes for Armijo mascot change

Fairfield High students talk to experts about post-graduation jobs – Daily Republic

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By Susan Hiland

Students at Fairfield High School got an opportunity Thursday to talk about their futures with local business representatives.

Members of the Fairfield-Suisun Rotary Club organized the event with the help of the high school. It’s the fifth such career fair. A total of 37 businesses participated this year with 200 students coming to the school gym every 50 minutes in staggered groups.

Rotarian Kelly Rhoads-Poston said she hopes students were excited about their future options.

“The goal is to help students broaden their horizons and understand the wide variety of opportunities,” she said. “I hope this sparks an interest in where they want to go.”

Source: Fairfield High students talk to experts about post-graduation jobs

Uneaten Cafeteria Meals Feed Hungry Indiana Students On Weekends | South Bend, IN Patch

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By Beth Dalbey

A disturbing fact in America is that nearly 13 million children are hungry and don’t know what they’re going to eat in their next meal — or if they’ll get a next meal. That’s one in six children. An elementary school in Elkhart, Indiana, saw how much cafeteria food was being wasted because cooks prepared too much and decided to do something about it.

The Woodland Elementary School partnered with Cultivate, a South Bend-based nonprofit, to rescue the wasted food and provide weekend meals for students who don’t have enough food to eat. Through the end of the school year, 20 Woodland students will receive backpacks, each filled with eight individual frozen meals to get them through the weekend.

Source: Uneaten Cafeteria Meals Feed Hungry Indiana Students On Weekends | South Bend, IN Patch

Attorneys General Sue Trump Administration Over School Nutrition Rollbacks : NPR

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By Allison Aubrey

A coalition of state attorneys general is suing the Trump administration for weakening the federal nutrition standards for school meals that are fed to about 30 million children across the country.

“Over a million children in New York – especially those in low-income communities and communities of color – depend on the meals served daily by their schools to be healthy, nutritious, and prepare them for learning,” New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement announcing the lawsuit. Joining James in the lawsuit are the attorneys general of California, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Minnesota, New Mexico and Vermont.

As we’ve reported, last year the Trump administration gave school lunch administrators more flexibility in serving up refined grains, including white breads, biscuits and white pastas. The move weakened standards set during the Obama administration aimed at serving more nutritious and fiber-dense whole grains, which are a key part of a healthy diet.

Source: Attorneys General Sue Trump Administration Over School Nutrition Rollbacks : The Salt : NPR

Here’s Where the Every Student Succeeds Act Stands – Education Week

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By Alyson Klein

The Every Student Succeeds Act turned three years old in December, but only recently have many districts and schools begun to experience the law’s impact.

That’s because states and districts have only just started identifying low-performing schools. Those schools are starting to create plans to fix their issues. And relatively soon, more schools are going to be identified for problems with particular groups of students. Plus, states are going to have to put all sorts of new information on their report cards, including financial transparency requirements. And states that are building brand-new tests are starting to putting that work to the test.

Want to dive deeper? We’ve got just the special report for you, with stories by the Politics K-12 team and our great colleague Daarel Burnette II of State EdWatch fame.

Source: Here’s Where the Every Student Succeeds Act Stands – Politics K-12 – Education Week

Loma Vista Farm’s GoFundMe reaches $20,000 – Times-Herald

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By Richard Freedman

It was one extremely bad February night at Loma Vista Farm that fueled one extraordinary period of financial support.

Following the Feb. 8 attack by two dogs that killed three alpacas and injured other animals at the north Vallejo animal sanctuary, a public awash in nostalgia either visiting the farm as a child or bringing their own children to the facility has come through admirably.

Suddenly, Loma Vista Farm is a cash cow — for now. A March 25 sold-out pasta feed raised 50 percent more than the previous year’s event. This past Monday’s variety show at the Empress Theatre brought in $6,000 more. And a GoFundMe online campaign reached the $20,000 goal on the nose with $775 coming from four donors on Tuesday.

Source: Loma Vista Farm’s GoFundMe reaches $20,000 – Times-Herald

Rodriguez High alumnus Leveau gives back to community – Daily Republic

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By Daily Republic Staff

Jordan Leveau, CEO of Artpop Cosmetics, contacted one of his former teachers from Rodriguez High School with an idea for his new lip kit release.

Artpop is an organic, vegan, animal-cruelty free, California-based, vibrant cosmetic makeup line, according to the company’s website. It launched a new lip kit Wednesday at the San Francisco RAW Impact Showcase.

To highlight the company’s vision, Leveau asked Lynn Larsen to have her students design and paint a backdrop for the event.

Source: Rodriguez High alumnus Leveau gives back to community

Children’s Author Visits Fairview Elementary School – Daily Republic

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By Hillary Homzie

Local children’s book author Hillary Homzie prefers that students don’t sit still or quiet during one of her author’s visit.

“For younger grades, I have students read and act out the books along with me,” she said. “I model the stages of writing and revising by demonstrating them. One of the most fun parts of my assembly is engaging with kids and having them actively participate in the creative process.”

At a recent visit to Fairview Elementary School on a rainy Friday morning this was fully evident. Students participated along with Homzie as she acted out a chapter from one of her new books, Ellie May on April Fools’ Day.

Source: School Event: Children’s Author Visits Fairview Elementary School

Child Abuse Prevention Month mantra: ‘If you see something, say something’ – Daily Republic

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By Amy Maginnis-Honey

More than 700 blue pinwheels blew in the gentle breeze Monday morning as Child Haven kicked off Child Abuse Prevention Month. Some even sparkled through the overcast sky.

The 720 pinwheels represented a child served by the agency in 2018.

The event was also a rally cry for more community involvement with the goal of lowering the number of pinwheels and eventually doing away with them completely.

Source: Child Abuse Prevention Month mantra: ‘If you see something, say something’

On Cesar Chavez Day, history, writing, recitation, and song at Markham Elementary – The Reporter

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By Richard Bammer

It is something of an annual rite for Norma Guerrero at this time of year: teaching third-graders in Spanish and English about the life and times of Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta, American labor leaders and civil rights activists who co-founded the United Farm Workers Association in 1962.

One day after Cesar Chavez Day, March 31, a state holiday observed Monday, she stood near the white board of her Markham Elementary classroom, reviewing the Chavez biography while teaching a lesson on cause and effect related to the events and wherefores of his life. In later years, he devoted time to raising nationwide awareness of farm worker struggles for better pay and safer working conditions through nonviolent tactics, among them boycotts, pickets, strikes and fasts.

Using a slide projector to make her points as 22 students at their desks wrote on worksheets, Guerrero noted the labor leader’s early days in Yuma, Ariz., and his family’s decision to move to California during the Great Depression.

Source: On Cesar Chavez Day, history, writing, recitation, and song at Markham Elementary – The Reporter

Vanden, Caliber students top Solano Science Fair competitions – Daily Republic

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By Daily Republic Staff

Vanden High sophomore Mayah Gantt was the overall Senior Division winner and Ryan Menefee, a student at Caliber: ChangeMakers Academy in Vallejo, was the Junior Division winner at the recent Solano County Science and Engineering Fair.

Gantt was also first in the Earth Science category, while Menefee was first in the Physical Science category. There was a Life Science category as well.

First-place winners are eligible to enter the California State Science and Engineering Fair that takes place April 29-30 at the California Science Center in Los Angeles.

Source: Vanden, Caliber students top Solano Science Fair competitions

Winners Of Solano County Science, Engineering Fair Announced | Benicia, CA Patch

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By Maggie Avants

The 2019 Solano County Science and Engineering Fair was held Friday, March 29 in Fairfield. In hosting the annual event, the Solano County Office of Education aims to do its part in addressing a worker shortage in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

“It was an excellent opportunity for our middle and high school students to apply science and engineering skills to investigate problems, gather and evaluate evidence, and develop conclusions,” said Solano County Superintendent of Schools Lisette Estrella-Henderson. “We are confident this event inspired students to consider a career in science, engineering or a related field.”

Source: Winners Of Solano County Science, Engineering Fair Announced | Benicia, CA Patch

Vallejo’s Loma Vista Farm sees lots of love – Daily Republic

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By Amy Maginnis-Honey

When three alpacas were killed in early February at Loma Vista Farm, it was difficult for the volunteer board members, Loma Vista Elementary School students and the animals.

An April Fool’s Day Event, “Mirth & Music,” will bring laughter and song to the audience at Vallejo’s Empress Theatre while raising money for the nonprofit educational farm that was launched in 1974.

Two loose dogs got under the fence at the 5-acre facility and killed three 6-year-old alpacas – Racer, Skyfall and Pacheco. Each had their own personality, said Judi Wing, who oversees the animals at Loma Vista.

Source: Vallejo’s Loma Vista Farm sees lots of love

Vanden robotics team advances to World Championships – The Reporter

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By Nick Sestanovich

To past generations the idea of constructing robots seemed like science fiction, but it is now a common part of secondary school curricula.

It has paid off well for Vanden High School’s robotics team, the RoboVikes, which recently received the highest honor at the FIRST Robotics regional competition in Sacramento when they were bestowed with the Chairman’s Award.

The award “honors the team that best represents a model for other teams to emulate and best embodies the mission of FIRST,” according to a news release.

Source: Vanden robotics team advances to World Championships – The Reporter

Cooper Elementary School second graders raise Dollars for Dogs – The Reporter

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By Matt Sieger

The second graders at Cooper Elementary School and the Vacaville Police Department K-9 Unit have a good thing going.

It all started with a story in the second-grade reader entitled “Officer Buckle and Gloria” about a safety officer and his K-9 partner and how they do the job better together. That prompted the school to invite the Vacaville PD to come out, and it’s now become an annual community service project called Dollars for Dogs.

The second graders raised money in February and March to support the K-9 unit. At Friday afternoon’s ceremony in the school’s multipurpose room, second-grade teacher Sharon Riehl, who emceed the event, was thrilled to hand the officers a check for $1,850.

Source: Cooper Elementary School second graders raise Dollars for Dogs – The Reporter

Vanden students enjoy visit from Golden Knights – Daily Republic

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By Susan Hiland

Vanden High School students got a thrill Friday with a special show put on by the U.S. Army Parachute Team, the Golden Knights.

It came together with the guidance of Athletics Director Matthew Bidou. He noted that 1,600 students came out for the event on the football field.

“I wanted to get everybody together to do something different,” he said. “I want all the kids to have a good time and have a smile on their faces.”

It took about three weeks to get everything organized by the retired Army veteran. The students chose if they wanted to attend the event; it was not mandatory.

Source: Vanden students enjoy visit from Golden Knights

Vacaville police holding two internet safety workshops in April – The Reporter

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By Nick Sestanovich

By the time kids are in middle school, they likely will have become heavy users of the internet. However, even with all the informative sites, they have to be cautious.

The Vacaville Police Department’s Vice Unit, in conjunction with the Vacaville Unified School District and Foster Kinship Care Education Program, will be hosting a pair of workshops bringing awareness of human trafficking.

Detectives Jeff Datzman, Nichole King and Mike Miller will be going over the warning signs of human trafficking, how to prevent it and how online predators use the internet target the youth, namely through social media and phone applications.

Source: Vacaville police holding two internet safety workshops in April – The Reporter

Number of Hispanic, charter school students on the rise – The Reporter

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By Richard Bammer

The most recent state data for California’s K–12 public schools indicates that overall enrollment is down slightly, while the number of Hispanic/Latino and charter school students has risen slightly and the number of white and black students has dropped slightly.

The 2018-19 data, announced Thursday by state schools chief Tony Thurmond, breaks down enrollment by ethnicity and grade, along with English language acquisition status, and can be sorted by county, district, or school. The data can be found at https://dq.cde.ca.gov/dataquest.

“This data provides a critical snapshot of all students in California, highlighting trends that show areas where students are improving, where they’re struggling and where additional resources are needed,” Thurmond said in a press release.

Source: State: Number of Hispanic, charter school students on the rise – The Reporter

CalRTA Holds Pre-Retirement Workshop for Area Teachers – Daily Republic

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By Suzanne Carlson

The local division 24 of the California Retired Teachers Association (CalRTA) held a pre-retirement workshop for area teachers at the Solano County Office of Education on March 21. The event was aimed at teachers who are interested in learning more about retirement and the state teachers retirement system, STRS. STRA Specialist Tamara Carr provided general information about retirement and then answered teachers’ questions. Recently retired teachers also shared their experiences and insights. CalRTA Division 24 plans to hold this event annually.

Source: Press Release: CalRTA Holds Pre-Retirement Workshop for Area Teachers