Aaron Beverly recipient of Charlie Sifford Memorial Exemption – Daily Republic

Aaron Beverly has a friend in Tiger Woods.

The 15-time major winner and tournament host announced that Beverly, an Armijo High graduate, is the recipient of the Charlie Sifford Memorial Exemption into the 2022 Genesis Invitational.

Beverly, the 2014 NCGA Amateur runner-up and two-time Fairfield City Amateur Champion (2013-14) will join the 120-player field at The Riviera Country Club Feb. 17-20.

“I’m looking forward to welcoming Aaron Beverly to The Genesis Invitational as the 2022 Sifford Exemption,” Woods said in a Northern California Golf Association release. “Like me, Aaron learned the game from his dad. I know Charlie Sifford would be proud of Aaron as he makes his PGA Tour debut at Riviera next month.”

Science & Engineering Fair (Grades 3-12) 2022: Solano County | Dixon, CA Patch

By Susan c. Schena

Solano Science and Engineering (STEM) Fair

  • Entry deadline: Friday, Feb. 25, 2022 – 3 p.m.
  • Project submission deadline: Friday, March 4, 2022 – 6 p.m.
  • Virtual Awards Ceremony: Thursday, March 17, 2022 – 6 p.m.

Awards ceremony on Zoom via Solano County Office of Education, Fairfield, CA

From Solano County Office of Education:

“Solano County Office of Education is hosting another Solano County Science and Engineering Fair competition on March 17, 2021.

“The youth event seeks to develop inquiry and problem-solving skills among students, ignite a passion for science and engineering and better prepare youth for STEM and related careers.

Source: Feb 25 | Entry Deadline: Science & Engineering Fair (Grades 3-12) 2022: Solano County | Dixon, CA Patch

Vacaville names vaccine advocate as teacher of year – Daily Republic

By Matt Miller

Teri Shook, the longtime Medical Science teacher at Vacaville High School, was named the Vacaville School District’s teacher of the year for 2021-22.

Shook was honored during a presentation Wednesday in her classroom by Superintendent Jane Shamieh, Associate Superintendent Ed Santopadre and other staff members. Vacaville High principal Adam Wight nominated Shook and she was named the winner in a district that features over 700 teachers.

Source: Vacaville names vaccine advocate as teacher of year

Early college students receive free breakfasts for morning boost – Daily Republic

By Susan Hiland

Jack Flynn, 18, knows that students function better in the early morning having eaten a good breakfast.

The Early College High School students received a free breakfast Tuesday thanks to Flynn’s concern and a push from Fairfield-Suisun school board member Ana Petero.

Flynn, part of the early college program, is working toward his associate degree at Solano Community College along with finishing his high school classes. He hopes to major in history when he goes full-time as a college student.

Source: Early college students receive free breakfasts for morning boost

Scholarships offered through Solano retired teachers chapter – Daily Republic

The California Retired Teachers Association, Division 24, Solano County, is offering scholarships to encourage college graduates who are local residents and planning to enter the teaching profession in Solano County but who need to complete work for a valid California Teaching Credential.

The group is offering scholarships of $1,000 or more to go toward expenses of earning a California Teaching Credential.

In 2021, $2,500 scholarships were awarded to eight recipients.

Source: Scholarships offered through Solano retired teachers chapter

Government launches site for free COVID-19 tests – KCRA 3

The federal government’s test website, COVIDtests.gov, is now live and began accepting orders Tuesday, one day ahead of schedule.

The Biden administration is using the website to distribute half a billion promised tests at no cost.

You can get four tests per household. They are expected to be mailed out seven to 12 days after your order.

There will also be a helpline to call and order tests.

School board selects next facilities project manager – Daily Republic

The Fairfield-Suisun School District’s governing board voted unanimously Thursday to affirm the appointment of Marina Romero as the district’s facilities project manager.

Romero for the past six years held the position of energy manager in the district. She managed the implementation of the California Clean Energy Jobs Act (Proposition 39) projects, leading to multiple energy savings measures for the district that include:

• Installation of energy-efficient interior and exterior lighting projects at 19 sites.
• Lighting control upgrades at 13 sites.
• Replacement of Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning units at three sites.
• Installation of photovoltaic structures (solar panels) at five sites
• Deferred maintenance project bids and contracts to improve energy efficiency

Divided Vaca board debates letter to governor on Covid vaccine mandates – Daily Republic

3 trustees opt to send message under own names, not as formal board missive

VACAVILLE — The School Board this week during a special meeting mulled over the idea of sending a letter to the governor addressing concerns about the vaccine mandate proposed for implementation July 1.

Trustees split on the timing of the letter, with a board minority opting to send it anyway.

The letter being reviewed Thursday includes basic information on the Vacaville School District along with responses from a survey done of all families in the district about how they felt about the possible mandate.

Vacaville schools chief talks new laws for current year – Daily Republic

By Susan Hiland

Superintendent Jane Shamieh presented the School Board this week with some new laws on the books that will be coming into effect over the next year.

Assembly Bill 224 makes it mandatory to provide mental health education for students. The course will include core principles of mental health, defining signs and symptoms, promote mental health wellness, and the ability to identify warning signs.

Fairfield-Suisun district taps top teacher for 2021-22 – Daily Republic

A special education teacher at Fairfield High School is the Fairfield-Suisun School District’s teacher of the year.

The district announced Christopher Romo as its 2021-22 honoree during a School Board meeting Thursday.

“Mr. Romo is very deserving of this recognition,” Superintendent Kris Corey said in a prepared statement. “Mr. Romo’s focus is always on what is best for his students. He builds strong, meaningful relationships with his students and helps them achieve their full potential.”

Vallejo, Benicia School Officials Eye Rising COVID Numbers – News Motion

By Tony Campbell

As the surging Omicron variant raises the number of COVID-19 cases in Solano County, local parents are increasingly concerned about keeping their kids in the classroom.

The rapid growth has been on the mind of Vallejo and Benicia school districts as they wrestle with the question of halting in-person instruction.

“As has been the experience of school districts throughout the region and across the state of California, the Vallejo City Unified School District has seen a steady uptick of positive COVID-19 cases among its staff and students,” district spokesperson Stephen Nichols said in an email to the Times-Herald on Thursday afternoon. “In alliance with the state and county public health agencies, the district continues to provide multiple and robust safeguards within its schools, offices, and classrooms to prevent the spread of the virus. At this time, absentee rates in the district average 20-25 percent overall, but it should be noted this includes all categories — not just COVID case absences, which is a fraction of the total absences.”

Where ‘farm-to-fork’ lessons are on the teaching menu – The Vacaville Reporter

By Richard Bammer

Suisun Valley K-8 School teacher Heather Merodio cut pieces of a broccoli flower, handing the knubby, green segments to her fifth-grade agri-science students, some 20 in all, seated on the edges of a rectangular wooden grow box inside the campus’ garden in rural Fairfield.

“It tastes raw,” student Myah Rodriguez told a visitor to the Lambert Road school on Friday.

“It tastes earthy,” classmate Jade Adams chimed in, with another classmate, Emmalyn Pearson, seated next to her, adding, “I think it’s fresh.”

Source: Where ‘farm-to-fork’ lessons are on the teaching menu – The Vacaville Reporter

Solano College to start new semester with online instruction – Daily Republic

The spring semester at Solano Community College will start Tuesday with all classes online for a period of five weeks due to the surge in Covid-19 cases throughout the county.

Classes will be online through Feb. 21 with the current plan to return to in-person instruction Feb. 22. The intent of the decision, according to a press release from the college, is to help students, faculty and staff avoid exposure during this current surge of the virus.

Many classes for the spring semester had already been scheduled as fully online, according to the release. There is no change for these courses.

Solano County schools see record number of positive Covid tests – Daily Republic

By Todd R. Hansen

The caseload from the current coronavirus surge is so high that the county has cut back on its contact tracing efforts and has told inundated schools they, too, can stop tracing.

A letter sent Monday to Travis School District parents states “. . . Dr. Bala Matyas gave direction to all school districts in Solano County to temporarily cease contact tracing. Dr. Matyas acknowledged that resources and staff required to effectively manage contact tracing with the latest Covid surge has become unmanageable and is no longer sustainable.”

Dixon School District, for example, reported a pandemic-high number of positive tests, 128, among students last week, with 18 members of the staff also testing positive for the virus.

Travis School Board opts against electronic meetings – Daily Republic

The Travis school board has rejected having the next board meeting as an electronic session.

Not one of the board members supported a proposal Tuesday to have the February meeting fully electronic.

Pam Conklin, the district’s superintendent, presented the board with the option to return to an electronic meeting due to the rise in Covid cases.

SCOE Board gets OK on recent audit, starts preparing for new budget – Daily Republic

By Matt Miller

The Solano County Board of Education met virtually Wednesday for the first time in 2022 and among its items was the release of its recent 2020-21 audit and the announcement that work on the new school budget will begin soon.

The 2020-21 audit report was prepared by Eide Bailly, the accounting and consulting firm contracted by the Solano County Office of Education to audit the end-of-year financial statements.

The report showed that no mistakes had been made and no adjustments were necessary in meeting state and local requirements. The audit is available for public view in the agenda packet from the Jan. 12 meeting on the Solano County Board of Education website, solanocoe.net.

Source: Board of Education gets OK on recent audit, starts preparing for new budget

Gov. Newsom signs executive order that makes it easier to hire teachers amid shortages – Times Herald

By Associated Press

California is making it easier for school districts to hire teachers and other employees amid staffing shortages brought on by the latest surge in coronavirus cases, the governor said Tuesday.

Gov. Gavin Newsom said he has signed an executive order to allow schools more flexibility in staffing decisions like giving additional hours to substitute teachers and rehiring recent retirees for short stints. The order expires at the end of March.

“These are short-term challenges that require short-term and targeted solutions,” said Newsom, a Democrat.

Vacaville schools plan late-month support staff job fair – Daily Republic

The Vacaville School District will host a support staff job fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Jan. 29 in the multipurpose room at Markham Elementary School, 101 Markham Ave.

The job fair is an opportunity to connect with hiring managers, apply on-site and discover what retirement and health benefits are available.

There are a wide variety of non-teaching positions that include bus drivers, electricians, cafeteria workers, custodians, special education professionals, substitute teachers, school secretaries, student monitors, crossing guards and school nurses.

White House boosts COVID tests for schools amid case surge – The Vacaville Reporter

By John Woolfolk

With schools across the country straining to stay open amid a crush of COVID-19 cases, the White House announced Wednesday it will provide for an additional 10 million tests a month for the virus to help students, teachers and staff avoid spreading the highly contagious virus on campuses.

The additional testing capacity will more than double the volume of testing that took place in schools across the country in November 2021, the most recent data available, the administration said. The move comes amid frustration and criticism over widespread shortages of at-home and laboratory tests nationally as cases soar.

“Today the Biden-Harris Administration is doubling down on our commitment to keeping all schools safely open for full-time in-person learning by taking new action to increase access to COVID-19 testing in schools,” the White House said in a news statement.

Source: White House boosts COVID tests for schools amid case surge – The Vacaville Reporter

More postponements for Vallejo-area sports this week – Times-Herald

By Matt O’Donnell

High school and college sports continue to be on hold for many programs in the area.

With the omicron variant wave on the rise in January, most teams in the Tri-County Athletic League have postponed events for the week. Vallejo, Jesse Bethel and St. Patrick-St. Vincent high schools are all part of the league.

Many schools in the TCAL are from the West Contra Costa Unified School District, which closed its schools for two days due to a surge in staff absences and student COVID-19 cases. Those campuses re-opened Tuesday with new masking requirements in place, according to Bay Area News Group.

Source: COVID: More postponements for Vallejo-area sports this week – Times-Herald