Monthly Archives: August 2023

Second trustee faces recall – The Vacaville Reporter

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By Cecil Conley

Michael Kitzes looks forward to the day when he can preside at a Vacaville Unified School District Governing Board meeting with seven trustees seated at the dais. If he is holding his breath for that, it is time to exhale.

Kitzes had hoped all seven seats would be filled after the special election Sept. 12 that decides who will be the Area 4 trustee. That would have guaranteed Kitzes of playing with a full deck at a Sept. 21 board meeting.

Source: Second trustee faces recall – The Vacaville Reporter

Vacaville High School decks the hall with history – The Vacaville Reporter

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By Nick McConnell

Vacaville High School students will not have to walk to their classrooms to get their first history lesson next week. It will be waiting for them in the main hallway of the school.

Principal Adam Wight teamed up with former Vacaville High history teacher and wrestling coach Richard Penaluna to create a set of six informative displays in the school’s main hallway that outline the school’s storied history in the community.

“It’s an essential part of our identity,” Wight said of the school’s history.

Source: Vacaville High School decks the hall with history – The Vacaville Reporter

Wood band gets in marching shape – The Vacaville Reporter

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By Nick McConnell

One surefire sign of fall has returned to the Will C. Wood High School campus this week: drum cadences ring out across the bright green synthetic of Wildcat Stadium.

And whatever that sound might conjure to mind— coming back to school, the Friday night lights of high school football or even a pumpkin spice latte— the soundtrack to fall starts with hard work and preparation in the burning late summer sun from director Eric Roberts and his 55 students in the Will C. Wood Marching Band.

Source: Wood band gets in marching shape – The Vacaville Reporter

Secretary of State to speak at SCC – The Vacaville Reporter

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By Richard Bammer

Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber headlines a League of Women Voters of Solano County event Tuesday at Solano Community College in Fairfield.

Weber will speak at the 3 p.m. gathering in the college’s theater, Building 1200, at 4000 Suisun Valley Road. Parking will be in lot No. 4. Weber is the first Black secretary of state in California history and a former State Assembly member.

Her speech titled “Democracy Matters: Be Visible, Be Vocal and Vote” will be the keynote address. The 90-minute event also will include a panel discussion led by local youth leaders.

Source: Secretary of State to speak at SCC – The Vacaville Reporter

Former principal now a pinch hitter – The Vacaville Reporter

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By Cecil Conley

Guilt struck Randy Henry on Thursday evening as he plowed his fork through spaghetti and sipped a glass of wine. His wife Toni was prepared when he came home to Lake of the Pines after working in Vacaville.

She knew when he would arrive, Henry said, because the couple track each other on their phones. Toni had followed him from Jepson Middle School and Interstate 80 to Highway 49 and the Combie Road exit.

Source: Former principal now a pinch hitter – The Vacaville Reporter

McCallum looks to return to Vacaville Unified board | dailyrepublic.com

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Dave McCallum wants to serve, again.

The former Vacaville Unified School District trustee is hoping to win back a seat during a special election scheduled for Sept. 12 for Trustee Area 4.

McCallum, 63, was actually appointed by the board to fill the seat left vacant with the resignation of Cecil Conley, but a protest petition filed with the Solano County Office of Education forced the special election.

Source: McCallum looks to return to Vacaville Unified board | Vacaville-Dixon-Winters | dailyrepublic.com

Back to School Resource Fair helps students get ready for new school year | dailyrepublic.com

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Thomas Garcia, 9, of Fairfield will be in the fourth grade this year, and he was all smiles Saturday for the annual Back to School Resource Fair at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church.

The Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District has been hosting the event for parents and students for 24 years at St. Mark’s. It began as a small event and has grown to provide assistance for thousands of families from the school district.

The fair helps students get ready for the school year.

“I’m excited about learning,” Thomas said.

Source: Back to School Resource Fair helps students get ready for new school year | News | dailyrepublic.com

Hanif happy to watch students grow – Times Herald Online

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ByThomas Gase

There is a flurry of activity on Saturday at City Park in Vallejo and a few hundred people offering a variety of educational services. So for a moment, Watch Me Grow Inc. founder Jameelah Hanif is taking it all in.

“Wow, powerful things happen when you collaborate with others,” she says with a smile wider than the Grand Canyon.

For the third straight year Hanif has helped put together a community resource fair — this year called “Solano Families Thrive”– on the second Saturday of August. The event aims to help kids that will go back to school, which for the Vallejo City Unified School District means this Monday.

Source: Hanif happy to watch students grow – Times Herald Online

Benicia’s Swartz looks to turn football team around – Times Herald Online

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By Thomas Gase

Last year was the first season Scott Swartz wasn’t involved in football in some capacity since 1985.

He missed it.

After taking a year off from the sport while teaching at Benicia Middle School, Swartz is back on the gridiron again — this time as Benicia High’s head football coach. He is the Panthers’ first new head coach in about 20 years.

Swartz previously coached for the San Francisco 49ers, Oregon State University, San Jose State University, Northern Arizona University, and other high school programs, including the defense with Benicia. He graduated high school from Oak Grove in San Jose and attended De Anza and Cal State Northridge for college. Swartz played as a backup quarterback at Northridge before the school cut its football program.

Source: Benicia’s Swartz looks to turn football team around – Times Herald Online

Travis school board takes a look at future use of lands | dailyrepublic.com

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Money was one of the main topics at the Travis Unified School District’s Tuesday night meeting.

Gabe Moulaison, chief business officer for Travis Unified, covered several issues which will fiscally impact the school district.

First, the school board approved a California Schools Healthy Air, Plumbing and Efficiency Program resolution which will give the district staff authority to sign the CalSHAPE Grant agreement. This grant provides $348,000 to replace plumbing fixtures throughout the district, according to Moulaison.

Source: Travis school board takes a look at future use of lands | Education | dailyrepublic.com

Fairfield residents collect school supplies to send overseas | dailyrepublic.com

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Local residents are collecting school supplies to send to children in need around the globe.

The group, through Samaritan’s Purse, is packing shoeboxes with school supplies, along with personal care items and toys. The program is an expansion of the Operation Christmas Child project.

Donations of $10 buys a box filled with the goods.

Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has collected and delivered more than 209 million gift-filled shoeboxes to children in more than 170 countries and territories. This year, Operation Christmas Child will celebrate its 30th year of ministry.

Source: Fairfield residents collect school supplies to send overseas | Fairfield | dailyrepublic.com

Travis board looks at changes for graduation requirements in American Government course work | dailyrepublic.com

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By Susan Hiland

Tiffany Benson, assistant superintendent of Educational Services, brought a proposal to change the graduation requirement for social studies to the Travis School Board.

Her proposal was to change the social studies course from its current schedule to give students the option of either taking one semester of American Government or one full-year course of it.

“The idea is to align with the California graduation requirements,” Benson said. “This way it gives students the option of doing one semester or one year of American Government.”

Source: Travis board looks at changes for graduation requirements in American Government course work | Education | dailyrepublic.com

SCC Vallejo computer labs get a reboot – Times Herald Online

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By Daniel Egitto

Solano Community College’s Vallejo campus unveiled dozens of new computers this week in its recently renovated computer labs, promising fall semester classes in animation and graphic design.

Rachel Smith, an instructor of digital media arts, looked proudly at the rows of new desks and monitors Wednesday — the culmination of two years of effort and at least $200,000 in funding.

“These are some of the best facilities around,” Smith said. “We’ve had students come in and say our labs are pretty comparable to the state schools and certainly some of the art schools around here. So, we’re really thankful and lucky for these new upgrades.”

Source: SCC Vallejo computer labs get a reboot – Times Herald Online

Teachers get hands-on training in county’s open spaces | dailyrepublic.com

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Twenty-nine teachers joined Solano Resource Conservation District and area experts for a three-day professional development training in Solano County’s open spaces.

The Solano Water Institute gave teachers a local perspective on water and conservation issues that they can bring back to their classrooms. Teachers also had time to share ideas and enjoy the outdoors before kicking off a new school year.

Each day of the training featured hands-on lessons from Project WET, an award-winning environmental education curriculum created by the Water Education Foundation.

Source: Teachers get hands-on training in county’s open spaces | News | dailyrepublic.com

School supplies will cost more for 2023-24 year | dailyrepublic.com

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By Susan Hiland

The typical parent will spend about $600 on school supplies this year, according to savings.com.

The majority will be spent on clothing, an average of $142 per child.

Spending on school supplies is expected to hit a record $41.5 billion this year, according to a recent survey from the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics. That would mark an increase of 12 percent or $4.6 billion, from the $36.9 billion consumers spent last year.

It would also smash the previous high of $37.1 billion, set in 2021.

Source: School supplies will cost more for 2023-24 year | News | dailyrepublic.com

SPI Doubles Down on Inclusive Education Efforts – Year 2023 (CA Dept of Education)

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Against a backdrop of culture wars being waged by states and some California school districts, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond and the California Department of Education (CDE) are doubling down on efforts to promote inclusive education as a strategy to help improve student performance. Thurmond and the CDE announced a series of ethnic studies webinars that includes a “Train the Trainer” webinar on August 2 on how to use the Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum guide that will be attended by more than 600 participants and a webinar on August 16 to help local educational agencies (LEAs) provide an ethnic studies graduation requirement by the 2026 state deadline to which all 1,000 LEAs in the state have been invited. Special guests and ethnic studies champions attending the August 16 webinar include labor movement icon Dolores Huerta; California Secretary of State Dr. Shirley Weber; and former Assemblymember Jose Medina, who authored Assembly Bill (AB) 101, a bill that will make California the first state to require all students to complete a semester-long course in ethnic studies to earn a high school diploma. Thurmond sponsored AB 101.

Source: SPI Doubles Down on Inclusive Education Efforts – Year 2023 (CA Dept of Education)

SSPI Convenes Teacher Recruitment Summit – Year 2023 (CA Dept of Education)

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State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond will host a Teacher Recruitment Summit at the California Department of Education (1430 N Street, Sacramento, CA 95814) on August 14, 2023, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in State Board Room 1101. Thurmond and guests will address the media at 10:30 a.m.

The Teacher Recruitment Summit is open to individuals from all organizations focused on work in this area, which includes teacher credentialing programs, school districts and county offices of education, pipeline programs, and AmeriCorps programs. This event will formally launch a coalition to engage in direct recruitment of teacher candidates on a statewide basis.

Source: SSPI Convenes Teacher Recruitment Summit – Year 2023 (CA Dept of Education)

SPI Doubles Down on Inclusive Education Efforts – Year 2023 (CA Dept of Education)

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Against a backdrop of culture wars being waged by states and some California school districts, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond and the California Department of Education (CDE) are doubling down on efforts to promote inclusive education as a strategy to help improve student performance. Thurmond and the CDE announced a series of ethnic studies webinars that includes a “Train the Trainer” webinar on August 2 on how to use the Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum guide that will be attended by more than 600 participants and a webinar on August 16 to help local educational agencies (LEAs) provide an ethnic studies graduation requirement by the 2026 state deadline to which all 1,000 LEAs in the state have been invited. Special guests and ethnic studies champions attending the August 16 webinar include labor movement icon Dolores Huerta; California Secretary of State Dr. Shirley Weber; and former Assemblymember Jose Medina, who authored Assembly Bill (AB) 101, a bill thatwill make California the first state to require all students to complete a semester-long course in ethnic studies to earn a high school diploma. Thurmond sponsored AB 101.

Source: SPI Doubles Down on Inclusive Education Efforts – Year 2023 (CA Dept of Education)