Travis school year set to start with in-person learning – Daily Republic

By Matt Miller

Travis School District resumes in-person learning Wednesday with the start of the 2021-22 school year.

Travis is the first district in the area to begin classes.

The Vacaville School District kicks off Thursday. Schools in the Fairfield-Suisun School District will begin Aug. 18.

Travis Assistant Superintendent Sue Brothers said planning has been going on through the summer to prepare for the change from the hybrid learning model that was utilized at the end of the last school year to full in-person learning.

Source: Travis school year set to start with in-person learning

District names new Vacaville preschool named for Shelley Dally – Daily Republic

The Vacaville School District governing board unanimously approved naming a new early learning center for governing board member and longtime community educator Shelley Dally.

The new addition to the district’s 18 school sites will be located at 621 South Orchard Ave. and will be referred to as the Shelley Dally Early Learning Village. The campus will open to preschoolers in January.

Dally was praised in a press release for her vision as a teacher, administrator and community leader.

Source: District names new Vacaville preschool named for Shelley Dally

Back to School Resource Fair returns to St. Mark’s church – Daily Republic

The Fairfield-Suisun School District will host its Back to School Resource Fair from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, 1600 Union Ave.

Entertainment and family activities will be available. Participants will also have the opportunity to get Covid-19 and Tdap vaccinations.

Students can also receive a backpack with school supplies and a free lunch, while supplies last. Pre-kindergarten to 12th graders qualify but must attend the event in person because of the limited supplies.

Source: Back to School Resource Fair returns to St. Mark’s church

California lawmakers and teachers unions stop short of a vaccine mandate – Times-Herald

By Calmatters

Maribel Ahumada says she lost her sister and nephew to COVID-19 last December.

So when the vaccine became available this spring she took her 16-year-old triplet sons to the grand opening of a vaccination center at San Pedro High School in Los Angeles so they could all get their shots.

Today, as California confronts another wave of the pandemic, she’s frustrated that school districts aren’t acting with the same urgency. She said vaccinations should “100 percent” be required for teachers.

Source: California lawmakers and teachers unions stop short of a vaccine mandate – Times-Herald

Travis Unified School District to stop charging for student meals – The Vacaville Reporter

Effective for the 2021-22 school year, Travis Unified School District will serve meals at no charge to enrolled students.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has approved use of the Seamless Summer Option (SSO), which allows local school districts to provide no-cost meals to all enrolled students for the duration of the 2021-22 school year.

The income survey, found on Titan, allows the district to receive funding that provides access to programs and services to help children better succeed. These programs include, but are not limited to, pandemic EBT, reduced/free bus passes, reduced/free AP testing at Vanden and letters available for reduced internet eligibility.

Source: Travis Unified School District to stop charging for student meals – The Vacaville Reporter

Back To School: Benicia 2021-22 School Calendar | Benicia, CA Patch

By Maggie Fusek

Back-to-school planning has already begun in Benicia, with calendars available to help parents prepare for the first day in the Benicia Unified School District.

The first day of school for students in Benicia is Tuesday, Aug. 17.

Heading into the upcoming school year, some dates are subject to change as the coronavirus pandemic nears its year-and-a-half point. A mix of in-person, virtual and hybrid learning is still possible in Benicia, though Gov. Gavin Newsom recently reaffirmed his desire to see students back in the classroom so they can receive the social and emotional benefits that come with full-time, in-person learning.

Source: Back To School: Benicia 2021-22 School Calendar | Benicia, CA Patch

Registration begins for after-school programs in Fairfield, Suisun Valley – Daily Republic

Registration has opened for the Fairfield Parks and Recreation Department’s after-school programs for the new school year.

Priority registration for returning students will begin Thursday and run though Aug. 13. Priority registration is for students who were enrolled in the 2019-20 school year. Each school site has assigned a specific registration date to avoid long wait times.

Contact Lorraine Kennedy, recreation coordinator, at 428-7574 or lkennedy@fairfield.ca.gov to inquire about your school’s registration date, program schedule and fees, or for any other questions.

Source: Registration begins for after-school programs in Fairfield, Suisun Valley

Inclusion Films camp returns to Solano County – The Vacaville Reporter

By Nick Sestanovich

For the past two weeks, Golden Hills Community School in Fairfield has been the backdrop for a horror movie anthology set to premiere in Solano County this October.

The actors and crew are all young adults with developmental disabilities who are being given an opportunity to build their skills under the guidance of veteran filmmaker and producer Joey Travolta through his Inclusion Films camps.

Travolta founded the camp in 2007 and first brought it to Solano County in 2019, where participants ages 18 to 23, many enrolled in North Bay Regional Center, went through the process of creating a short film from start to finish. The film, a takeoff on “The Twilight Zone” called “The Bizarre Zone,” had a red carpet premiere at Vacaville Performing Arts Theatre that fall, and participants got to learn not only filmmaking skills but job skills as well.

Source: Inclusion Films camp returns to Solano County – The Vacaville Reporter

Local high schools to begin practicing Monday with some COVID guidelines in place – Times-Herald

BY Matt O’Donnell

When coaches and athletes left fields and gyms in June, many figured that August would be different when it came to COVID-19 protocols.

However, for many school districts, it’s still a wait-and-see scenario. Schedules are not exactly written in pencil. But they’re not scrolled in permanent marker either.

With the Delta variant spreading across California, school districts are planning on in-person instruction and athletic events but moving forward with caution. That includes the Vallejo City Unified School District.

Source: Local high schools to begin practicing Monday with some COVID guidelines in place – Times-Herald

Solano College still not requiring vaccinations for students, staff – Times-Herald

By Thomas Gase

Students, faculty and staff across the University of California this fall will be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to access campuses.

Not so at Solano Community College.

When the school begins fall instruction on Aug. 17, students and staff will not be required to be vaccinated in order to attend classes or set foot on the campus.

About 80 percent of the classes will still be online during the semester, according to the school’s president, Celia Esposito-Noy. The president also said that services will continue to be offered remotely, with some services offered in-person by appointment only. She also said that the school’s in-person classes have been and will continue to follow strict CalOSHA safety protocols including daily symptom checks, requiring masks indoors, and faculty are prepared to move to remote instruction, if needed.

Source: Solano College still not requiring vaccinations for students, staff – Times-Herald

Vaca chamber foundation announces scholarships – Daily Republic

The Vacaville Chamber Educational Foundation will award scholarships up to $2,500 to Vacaville students who are pursuing post-high school education.

The foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Its goal is to develop the local workforce through a variety of programs. The awards will range from $500 to $2,500 and be given to those students pursuing accredited education at state-approved vocational trade schools, community colleges and traditional colleges.

The scholarships may be used for various expenses, including tuition, books, training fees, industry-specific equipment and other career-related expenditures.

Source: Vaca chamber foundation announces scholarships

Fairfield High graduate brings Neil Diamond tribute to Downtown Theatre – Daily Republic

By Amy Maginnis-Honey

Marshall Matthews spent a few years living in Green Valley and graduating from Fairfield High School.

He returns this month, after spending much of his adult life in the Midwest, as Neil Diamond.

The Vietnam War veteran went on to serve as a police chief.

A psychologist friend, who was an Elvis tribute artist, liked what he heard when Matthews sang along to Elvis tunes on a jukebox.

Source: Fairfield High graduate brings Neil Diamond tribute to Downtown Theatre

After-school programs return to Suisun campuses as Covid restrictions ease – Daily Republic

After-school programs will return this fall to Dan O. Root, Crescent Elementary and Suisun Elementary schools.

Priority registration opens at 9 a.m. Wednesday. This is for students who were enrolled in their respective programs at the time of the initial Covid-19 school closures in March 2020.

Those who were not in the program can utilize the open registration period, which begins at 9 a.m. Aug. 9.

Source: After-school programs return to Suisun campuses as Covid restrictions ease

Solano College transfer center CSU Week starts Monday – Daily Republic

The Transfer Center at Solano Community College will host a virtual California State University Week, Monday through Friday.

These virtual presentations will give students the chance to hear from university representatives from a number of different CSU campuses. Students can attend workshops to learn about the general transfer process or related topics, such as choosing a major.

Source: Solano College transfer center CSU Week starts Monday