A parade fit for champions: Vanden High football team – The Vacaville Reporter

Lined up in front of the confines of Vanden High School, patrons decked in black, green and gold lined up the sidewalk with posters, confetti poppers and smiles from ear to ear waiting for the Vanden High football team to embark on De Ronde Road.

“I could watch it over and over again, I love seeing them enjoy the moment and they worked so hard,” said Sandra Null, the mom of junior Orion Null. “They deserve this and so much more.”

Source: A parade fit for champions: Vanden High football team – The Vacaville Reporter

Vacaville school board hears overview of governor’s proposed budget – Daily Republic

By Susan Hiland

The school board heard an overview this week of the governor’s proposed budget as it looks at the possibility of a cut to state funding due to a drop in attendance.

Kelly Burks, assistant superintendent of Business and Administrative Services, covered highlights of the state budget plan and how it affects the Vacaville School District.

The Department of Finance two years ago projected the 2022-23 state budget at $130 billion. The newest proposal is a budget of $200 billion. But the windfall in state revenue will not necessarily translate into a windfall at the local level.

Source: Vacaville school board hears overview of governor’s proposed budget

School job fair seeks to match people to positions – Daily Republic

By Susan Hiland

The Vacaville School District has more than 30 job openings that need to be filled – positions that do not require either a teaching or administrative credential.

Don’t want to work full time? That’s fine because the district has positions that are part-time with benefits, according to Manolo Garcia, director of Human Resources.

“If you work four hours or more you get benefits,” he said.

K.C. Alves of Vacaville retired last year from her job and found herself with a lot of spare time.

Source: School job fair seeks to match people to positions

Academic Decathlon seeks volunteers – The Vacaville Reporter

The Bay region’s Academic Decathlon seeks speech and interview judges for the event.

The virtual competition, hosted by the Solano County Office of Education, includes 200 students from 20 high schools from across the Bay Area.

The Academic Decathlon is a competitive event modeled after the Olympics to stimulate academic achievement and honor “athletes of the mind.” The competition provides high school students the opportunity to participate in an educational forum which fosters a deep respect for knowledge, cooperation and self-esteem.

Source: Academic Decathlon seeks volunteers – The Vacaville Reporter

Members sought for Career Technical Education Workforce Advisory Council – The Vacaville Reporter

The Solano County Office of Education is launching a biannual Career Technical Education (CTE) Workforce Advisory Council and invites Solano County businesses to become a member, share expertise and provide guidance as well as knowledge of industry needs locally and regionally.

The first meeting is set for 3:30-5 p.m. Feb. 17 via Zoom. Industry partners interested in attending can register online at www.solanocoe.net/ccreadiness.

“To ensure our students have the best career preparation experience possible, it is vital that we partner with local industry,” said Superintendent of Schools Lisette Estrella-Henderson in a press statement.

Source: Members sought for Career Technical Education Workforce Advisory Council – The Vacaville Reporter

Vacaville school district job fair is Saturday – The Vacaville Reporter

Interested in working for the Vacaville Unified School District is a non-teaching position?

Drop by Markham Elementary School, 101 Markham Ave., from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday to learn more.

Available positions include bus drivers, cafeteria workers, campus supervisors, child nutrition staff, crossing guards, electricians, health clerks, maintenance workers, school nurses, school secretaries, special education paraprofessionals, student monitors, substitute teachers and more.

Connect with hiring managers, apply onsite and learn more.

Source: Vacaville school district job fair is Saturday – The Vacaville Reporter

SPI Announces “A Trusted Space” Initiative – Year 2022 (CA Dept of Education)

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond today announced A Trusted Space: Redirecting Grief to Growth, a film-based program to help address increasing mental health challenges faced by students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Created by the nonprofit All It Takes, the program provides educators and school staff across the state with strategies to build safe and trusted spaces for K–12 students.

Recognizing that COVID-19 has impacted our lives for almost two years and has caused anxiety, grief, stress, and a myriad of losses for our school communities, State Superintendent Thurmond and the California Department of Education (CDE) have worked to expand school-based health services. These include the formation of the new Office of School-Based Health Programs; the addition of a Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Consultant; and sponsoring legislation to recruit 10,000 mental health clinicians. Thurmond, who worked in social work and school-based mental health, has vowed to help California lead the way in providing for mental health needs in our schools.

Source: SPI Announces “A Trusted Space” Initiative – Year 2022 (CA Dept of Education)

Vacaville school board to consider changes to McClellan Street remodel – The Vacaville Reporter

By Nick Sestanovich

Vacaville Unified School District’s improvement project for the longtime campus at 100 McClellan St. is moving along, but unforeseen circumstances during the project’s construction have resulted in a request to amend the funding amount.

The school board will consider a contract amendment to increase unforeseen conditions allowance and supplement the owner-requested changes allowance at Thursday’s meeting.

At its May 13 meeting, the board approved a contract with F&H Construction out of Lodi for improvements to the Buckingham Collegiate Charter Academy campus to the tune of $12.6 million, approximately $1.45 million below the construction cost budget. Additional roofing work was removed before the project went out to bid because it would have taken VUSD over its budget on the day of the bid, per a staff report by Daniel Banowetz, VUSD’s chief facilities, maintenance and operations officer.

Source: Vacaville school board to consider changes to McClellan Street remodel – The Vacaville Reporter

Solano College hires chief for new Dept of Public Safety – The Vacaville Reporter

By Kimberly K. Fu

Nearly three years after retiring from local law enforcement, Brian Travis will again don a badge.

This time, the former Solano County Sheriff’s lieutenant and former Solano Community College director of Campus Safety and Security will return to SCC as the head of its new Department of Public Safety.

Travis is set to be sworn in on Feb. 1.

“I’m very grateful for the opportunity and I’m looking forward to working hard, to building trust and strengthening trust with the community,” he told The Reporter.

Source: Solano College hires chief for new Dept of Public Safety – The Vacaville Reporter

Supervisors honor champion Vanden High football team – Daily Republic

By Todd R. Hansen

Solano County Supervisor Mitch Mashburn on Tuesday painted a gridiron picture of the Vanden High football team’s final drive to the 2021 Division 3-AA state championship.

Those final minutes, however, represented what was later described as the “resilience, perseverance, preparation and grit” of a team that overcame adversaries throughout the season – and even prior to the first practice.

The team lost two coaches and a teammate before the fall season even started.

Source: Supervisors honor champion Vanden High football team

Vacaville school board to hear details of governor’s proposed budget – Daily Republic

By Susan Hiland

The school board will hear an overview Thursday of the governor’s proposed budget as it weighs the possibility of a cut to state funding due to a drop in attendance.

Assistant Superintendent of Business and Administrative Services Kelly Burks will talk about some of the highlights of the state budget plan and how it may affect the Vacaville School District.

The Department of Finance 18 months ago projected the 2022-23 budget at $130 billion. The newest proposal is a budget at $200 billion. But the windfall in state revenue will not necessarily translate into a windfall at the local level.

Source: Vacaville school board to hear details of governor’s proposed budget

Touro Cares Mobile vaccination program hosts 100th vaccine clinic at VCUSD on Wednesday – Times-Herald

Vallejo City Unified School District is opening its school site to the Touro Cares Mobile Vaccination Program for its 100th Vaccine Clinic on Wednesday, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Cooper Elementary School.

“We are proud to share this will be its 100th clinic offered to the community,” William Spalding, superintendent of VCUSD, said in a news release. “We are so grateful to make this partnership possible with Touro University California Cares Mobile Vaccination Program, which is funded by Kaiser Permanente.”

Cooper Elementary School is at 612 Del Mar Ave., Vallejo, CA. 94589.

Source: Touro Cares Mobile vaccination program hosts 100th vaccine clinic at VCUSD on Wednesday – Times-Herald

Solano Office of Education seeks business reps for new CTE panel – Daily Republic

The Solano County Office of Education is seeking business representatives who want to be part of a new Career Technical Education Workforce Advisory Council.

The council members will “share their expertise, and provide guidance as well as knowledge of industry needs locally and regionally,” the county education office stated in a press release.

The first meeting is set for 3:30 to 5 p.m. Feb. 17. Those interested can register and learn more about College and Career Readiness in Solano County at www.solanocoe.net/ccreadiness.

Source: Solano Office of Education seeks business reps for new CTE panel

Vacaville board to consider new Spanish Language Arts material for schools – Daily Republic

The Vacaville school board will hear information Thursday on a proposal for new teaching material for Markham Elementary’s sixth-grade SPICE program.

“Benchmark Adelante 6th Grade” would be the primary material for instruction for the Spanish Language Arts curriculum, the district announced.

Restricted Lottery funds will be used to purchase two classroom sets of the curriculum at $5,000 per set.

Source

Free threat assessment course available for educators – Daily Republic

The Solano County Office of Education is sponsoring a course for educators on threat assessment, scheduled virtually from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Monday and Jan. 31.

The course will be led by Sgt. Jason Johnson of Campus Safety Consultations. There is no cost to participate in the online sessions.

Recognizing Signs of Targeted Violence is a course designed for the school site professional, administrator, academic counselor or mental health clinician who works directly with students.

Source: The Week Ahead: Free threat assessment course available for educators

School district COVID testing center adds Saturday hours, offers testing to public – Daily Republic

The Vacaville School District Testing Center has temporarily expanded its hours to serve students, staff and the community at-large.

The center, located at 621 S. Orchard Ave., across the street from Alamo Elementary, will be open by appointment only from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.

The district testing center received additional temporary funding to address the current surge in Covid-19 cases, the school district reported in a letter to parents and guardians.

 

Source

Free Covid testing offered by Vacaville School District brings out hundreds – Daily Republic

VACAVILLE — The Covid-19 test strips were about the size of a small hand. On one end was the cotton swab that was inserted into the nasal cavity. The entire thing looks something like a large pregnancy test.

Mena Bubakar, Covid test collector for BayPLS, a mobile testing company for the Bay Area, places a solution over the end of the cotton swab to create a reaction to test for Covid. One line means negative and two lines means positive.

The test strips are marked by time and placed on a table. She inputs them after more than a few minutes of waiting. A lot of the tests Saturday have two lines, meaning people who came into the Vacaville School District Covid testing center have Covid-19.

Source

Vacaville coronavirus testing site opens with California funds – KCRA

By Erin Heft

Extra funding through the state allowed a Vacaville COVID-19 testing site to expand its reach this weekend and give priority to first responders.

Site organizers say this is huge for their community, especially with the newest surge of COVID-19 cases across Northern California.

“This community really is looking to get tested and there’s really not a lot of choices,” said Ed Santopadre, associate superintendent with Vacaville Unified School District.

The site at the Vacaville Unified School District opened with funding from the California Department of Public Health late last year. But through more state funding it was able to expand its reach by opening three weekends in 2022 with COVID-19 testing for anyone.

Source: Vacaville coronavirus testing site opens with California funds

Veteran Vacaville police sergeant to retire after nearly three decades – The Reporter

By Kimberly K. Fu

Jason Johnson has always had a heart for community.

Which is why the Arizona native, who grew up around the world in a military family before settling in Vacaville, served 11 years with the California Highway Patrol and the last nearly 17 with the Vacaville Police Department.

And why the sergeant’s pending retirement this April is bittersweet.

“It’s so rewarding,” he said of his job.

He was 16 when he decided on a life of service. The TV show “CHiPS” portrayed fun and excitement and no report writing.

Source

Benicia USD Superintendent Charles Young To Retire | Benicia, CA Patch

By Katy St. Clair, Bay City News Foundation

Benicia Unified School District Superintendent Charles Young has announced he will retire at the end of the school year, according to a message posted on the district’s website.

Young said it was a “difficult” decision to retire after 35 years of public education service, the last seven of which were as superintendent in Benicia.

“My career as an educator has been profoundly gratifying and humbling,” he said. “I am profoundly grateful for each student I have taught, each teacher, principal, administrator, staff member of the many departments with a school district, and parent I have had the opportunity to work with.”

Source: Benicia USD Superintendent Charles Young To Retire | Benicia, CA Patch