Vaca school board backs plan to bring in extra help – Daily Republic

By Katy St. Clair

The Vacaville School Board met in a special session Wednesday to unanimously approve a contract with Cross Country Education to hire teachers and paraprofessionals to assist at every school.

Chris Hulett, assistant superintendent of human resources, told the board that the need for substitute teachers is actually down, but so is the job pool of subs, leaving schools scrambling to cover classes.

The district’s need for paraprofessionals is also at an “emergency” status, with only 53% of those positions filled, he said.

Source: Vaca school board backs plan to bring in extra help

SKreamZ transforms former junior high campus into haunted prep school – The Vacaville Reporter

By Nick Sestanovich

As if mountains of homework wasn’t terrifying enough, Fairfield will have its very own haunted school, complete with a murderous head mistress, spooky cafeteria and a detention room that will have people begging for light.

But it’s all in good fun and the proceeds will go toward the Fairfield Police Department’s Police Activities League (PAL). Such creepy sights are common in October and they are all part of sKreamZ Haunted Attractions’ annual tradition of temporarily converting vacant properties into supernatural settings.

This year, the old Sullivan Middle School campus will be transformed into “Fearfilled Prep School,” which opens for tours Oct. 8 and will give a frightening new meaning to the term “school spirit.”

Source: SKreamZ transforms former junior high campus into haunted prep school – The Vacaville Reporter

Solano County education office plans job fair Friday, Oct. 8 – Daily Republic

The Solano County Office of Education is hosting a job fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 8 at Irene Larsen Center, 1707 California Drive.

The county schools office is looking for qualified paraeducators, teachers, custodians, student wellness specialists, bus drivers, clerical administrators, accounting analysts, substitutes and more.

For more information, send an email to humanresources@solanocoe.net or call 399-4440.

Source: Solano County education office plans job fair Friday, Oct. 8

Vaca board balks at $500,000 plan to address staffing shortage at school sites – Daily Republic

By Katy St. Clair

School board members balked Thursday at a plan to spend up to $500,000 with a national firm to provide teachers and related professionals during the current school year to blunt a shortage of staff.

The matter was the only item on the agenda for a special meeting that began after the regular board meeting Thursday had ended.

Source: Vaca board balks at $500,000 plan to address staffing shortage at school sites

PAL joins ‘sKreamZ’ to transform Fairfield school gym into Fearfilled Prep – Daily Republic

By Amy Maginnis-Honey

Eric Land’s inner child takes over as Halloween draws near.

He’s created Fearfilled Prep this year inside the Sullivan Interagency Youth Services gym.

“There’s a lot of space here,” said Land, who heads up sKreamZ Haunted Attractions. “This is probably one of the biggest.”

Land and the Fairfield Police Activities League began working together on haunted offerings in 2010, setting up frights in a variety of locations including the PAL’s former center next to Grocery Outlet, a one-time quilt shop in downtown Fairfield and a long-abandoned restaurant at the Solano Town Center mall.

Source: PAL joins ‘sKreamZ’ to transform Fairfield school gym into Fearfilled Prep

Fairfield school board hears some good news with Covid-19 update – Daily Republic

By Susan Hiland

Superintendent Kris Corey reported some good news on the Covid front this week at the regular school board meeting Thursday.

She said out of 237 Covid tests that were administered, the results came back with no new Covid cases as of Thursday morning.

Staff continues to provide contact tracing and testing as required by law but was overwhelmed, so the district hired a new coordinator to help keep things running smoothly.

Source: Fairfield school board hears some good news with Covid-19 update

Vaca school board delays final discussion on plan to spend nearly $10M in Covid relief funds – Daily Republic

By Katy S. Clair

School board members put off a decision this week on how best to spend nearly $9.235 million in pandemic relief money.

Superintendent Jane Shamieh outlined how the district would use the money to:

  • Comply with Covid-19 guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
  • Address the impact of lost instructional time.
  • Respond to the needs of all students, particularly those disproportionately affected by the pandemic, such as low-income, unhoused and children and teens with special needs.

Source: Vaca school board delays final discussion on plan to spend nearly $10M in Covid relief funds

CA staffing shortage delays ambitious program to extend school day and year – The Vacaville Reporter

By John Fensterwald, EdSource

One of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s and the Legislature’s most ambitious and expensive education programs — the extension of the school day and of the school year for elementary school students — won’t happen this year, at least in most districts.

And that’s now OK with the Legislature and the Newsom administration, which had funded it to start right away.

School districts and charter schools say they are struggling to find enough teachers, substitute teachers, bus drivers and Covid contact tracers to fill existing and new pandemic-related jobs, so adding before- and after-school positions is unfeasible, they say.

Source: California staffing shortage delays ambitious program to extend school day and year – The Vacaville Reporter

SPI Applauds the 2021 National Blue Ribbon Schools – Year 2021 (CA Dept of Education)

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond today congratulated 26 California public schools that have been chosen as 2021 National Blue Ribbon Schools. This prestigious award honors public and private elementary, middle, and high schools that close achievement and opportunity gaps and where students achieve high learning standards.

“Congratulations to these schools for creating safe and supportive school climates that set the tone for student achievement during what might be one of the most difficult times in education—and in our lifetimes,” Thurmond said. “I commend all of these schools for meeting the academic, social, and emotional needs of all their students as well as finding creative ways to continue closing opportunity gaps during extraordinary circumstances.”

Schools are recognized based on a school’s overall academic performance or progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups. They are among their state’s highest performing schools based on all student scores, subgroup student scores, and graduation rates.

Source: SPI Applauds the 2021 National Blue Ribbon Schools – Year 2021 (CA Dept of Education)

Solano College Covid-19 mandates to take effect Oct. 15 – Daily Republic

All Solano Community College employees, students and volunteers are required to wear a face covering or show proof of vaccination or a negative Covid-19 test while on campus, starting Oct. 15.

The Solano Community College governing board approved the mandates via a the resolution adopted Sept. 15.

Participants in all indoor activities and classes will be required to face coverings, regardless of vaccination status.

The decision was based on health and safety guidance from the state, Cal/OHSA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Food and Drug Administration, according to a press release from the college.

Source: Solano College Covid-19 mandates to take effect Oct. 15 for students, teachers, volunteers on all campuses

SPI to Ensure CA Students to Read by Third Grade – Year 2021 (CA Dept of Education)

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond announced a bold vision for ensuring that every California student will learn to read by third grade by the year 2026 during a virtual press conference on Tuesday. The effort will also include a biliteracy milestone for dual-language learners.

In order to advance this goal, Superintendent Thurmond said a task force will be created to bring together practitioners, advocates, researchers, foundation partners, thought leaders, students, parents, and other experts to identify key strategies for advancing this goal. Efforts are underway in the California Department of Education (CDE) to build out a task force structure and membership, as well as establish when the task force will meet and details on the types of questions they will be tackling. In addition to announcing the task force formation, Superintendent Thurmond affirmed that Assemblymember Mia Bonta (D-Oakland) has agreed to sponsor legislation to help advance this goal.

Source: SPI to Ensure CA Students to Read by Third Grade – Year 2021 (CA Dept of Education)

Vaca schools seek public input on spending through ThoughtExchange – Daily Republic

The Vacaville School District is seeking public input on how to utilize Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funding from the state.

To get feedback, the district is using a tool called ThoughtExchange. Go to tejoin.com/scroll/279357871 to participate.

Participants will be asked to respond to one open-ended question. Stars can be assigned to ideas shared by others. It’s an opportunity to see what is important to the group.

Source: Vaca schools seek public input on spending through ThoughtExchange

School district to host Fun Run at B. Gale Wilson – Daily Republic

The Fairfield-Suisun School District Community Fun Run returns at 9 a.m. Oct. 9 at B. Gale Wilson TK-8 School, 3301 Cherry Hills Court.

There will be a 1-mile run and a 5K. Both events can be done as a fun run or walk.

The first race at 9 a.m. will be an untimed 1-mile run. The 5K (3.1 miles) will begin at 9:30 a.m. It is a timed race using chip technology. Race bibs must be worn in front in a visible location in order to be properly timed.

Source: School district to host Fun Run at B. Gale Wilson

Fairfield-Suisun school trustees to consider board policy changes – Daily Republic

Trustees of the Fairfield-Suisun School District will consider adopting changes to various board policies at theirs meeting Thursday.

The presentation will be given by Trustee Judi Honeywell.

The policies to be updated include Civility; Integrated Waste Management; Drug and Alcohol Testing for School Bus Drivers; Collective Bargaining Agreement; Employee Security; Child Abuse Prevention and Reporting; Suicide Prevention; Safe Routes to School Program; Search and Seizure; Sexual Harassment; Child Care and Development; Environmental Education; and Developer Fees.

Source: Fairfield-Suisun school trustees to consider board policy changes

Fairfield-Suisun trustees set to update Covid Safety Plan – Daily Republic

By Susan Hiland

The Fairfield-Suisun school board is expected to adopt updates to the district’s Covid-19 plan when trustees gather Thursday.

The updates are required by law.

Every local education agency, such as a school district, during the 2020-2021 school year was required to develop a Covid-19 Safety Plan.

That plans for the past eight months has consisted of two components: a Covid-19 Prevention Program, based on Cal/OSHA regulations, and a Covid-19 School Guidance Checklist.

Source: Fairfield-Suisun trustees set to update Covid Safety Plan

Vaca artist seeks student assistants on Rocky Hill project – Daily Republic

Rocky Hill Trail project artist Leslie Molera is looking for up to seven local youth artists to participate on her project.

The artwork consists of a mural on four steel panels and staggered cement piers with a portion of the panel artwork to be student-designed.

Molera is a Vacaville artist who has taught in after-school mural painting programs with students at Markham Elementary School and the Mariposa Boys and Girls Club, and at Buckingham Charter Magnet High School.

Source: Vaca artist seeks student assistants on Rocky Hill project

Alamo custodian brings joy during pandemic, gets national recognition – The Vacaville Reporter

By Nick Sestanovich

Mick Simpson is more than just Alamo Elementary School’s custodian.

In many ways, he has been a source of joy for the students during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, whether playing characters for the school’s morning announcements, painting murals of different cartoon characters, or taking the otherwise mundane task of disinfecting classrooms to a new level by imagining himself as a Ghostbuster, only working to keep the virus at bay rather than paranormal creatures.

It is this approach to Simpson’s job that has earned him a reputation not only across campus but beyond. He was featured on a local news broadcast back in April and more recently in the pages of Time magazine for a feature honoring school staff throughout the country.

Source: Alamo custodian brings joy during pandemic, gets national recognition – The Vacaville Reporter

Meet the Educators Who Saved A Pandemic School Year (VUSD Custodian) | Time

By Jasmine Aguilera, Madeleine Carlisle and Katie Reilly

Mick Simpson noticed that kinder­gartners seemed a little scared when they returned to the school building in the spring and saw him walking around with a backpack of disinfectant, spraying everything down. So he got playful, decorating his gear with a Ghostbusters sticker and dubbing himself the “COVID Buster.”

“I try to keep it fun and exciting to come to school,” says Simpson, 50, a custodian at Alamo Elementary School in Vacaville, Calif.—a city of about 97,000 residents, roughly 55 miles northeast of San Francisco.

Source: Meet the Educators Who Saved A Pandemic School Year | Time

Officials unveil plans for new Kairos learning center, campus – The Vacaville Reporter

By Kimberly K. Fu

Dozens gathered at Nashe Mesta Park in Vacaville’s Brighton Landing neighborhood Friday to enjoy food, fun and celebrate progress of Kairos Public Schools’ school expansion.

As students scampered around the playground during the Kairos Innovative Scholars Program annual picnic, parents and education officials perused renderings of two phases of the planned Kairos campus. It will be located just beyond the park, on 11 acres owned by the school.

Jared Austin, Kairos co-founder and executive director, detailed the soon-to-be 11,000 square foot learning center complete with ample bells and whistles.

Source: Officials unveil plans for new Kairos learning center, campus – The Vacaville Reporter