By Editor
Nine Benicia Middle School students were accepted to the 2019 North Bay Honor Band. Following a two-day rehearsal, the concert took place at Pioneer High School in Woodland, Calif. On Jan. 20.
“It’ll be nice to let the town know what a great music program we have. There are many talented students in Benicia,” said Benicia Middle School Music Boosters President Carol Ham. “Students were focused and well behaved during the two-day rehearsal. The performance was amazing!”
By Editor
This month the Solano Resource Conservation District (Solano RCD) continues engaging more than two-thousand Solano County youth in its Watershed Explorers, Biomonitoring, and School Water Education Programs. These programs will continue through May and include students from each of Solano County’s seven cities and school districts.
The Watershed Explorers program transforms third grade students into local watershed scientists learning the value of Solano County water and collecting critical ecological data on behalf of researchers across the United States. As part of a new program component initiated last fall, the participants become phenologists, or scientists that observe and record information about changes in nature across the different seasons. Around 800 students that participated in the fall are returning this winter or spring to compare their observations and 700 new students will be collecting data for the first time.
Source: 2,000 Solano County students become scientists through local environmental education programs
By Daily Republic Staff
Mary Farmar Elementary School in Benicia has received a $5,000 grant to buy instruments and equipment for its music program.
The grant comes from the KNBR Step Up to the Plate for Education program, which is funded by Wells Fargo and promoted by Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford.
“As a kid, my parents always emphasized the importance of an education – above and beyond participating in sports,” Crawford said in a statement announcing the grants. “As a Bay Area native, it is an honor to be part of a program that increases education and athletic programs for local kids.”
Source: Benicia school gets $5K from Crawford-promoted program
By Joel Rosenbaum
School districts from Vallejo to Dixon are closed Friday as air quality continues to be poor due to drifting smoke from the Camp Fire in Paradise.
The message from Vacaville Unified School District Superintendent Jane Shamieh, posted on the district website, read: “We have decided to close schools and the district office tomorrow due to another forecast of air quality in the “unhealthy” range. Please know that we do not take closing schools lightly, and we understand that this can have significant financial impact on our families. Under normal circumstances, we would remain open at AQI levels of 151-200, however we have concerns about the prolonged exposure to staff and students occurring this week.”
Similar messages were posted on the district pages of the Travis, Dixon, Fairfield-Suisun, Kairos Public Schools and Vallejo school district websites.
Source: Unhealthy air quality closes schools countywide Friday – The Reporter
By Daily Republic Staff
More than 150 Solano and Napa high school students will tour trade training centers Friday, including two in Fairfield and one in Benicia.
The Carpenters 46 Northern and Sheetmetal Workers Local 104, both in Fairfield, and the Heat and Frost Insulators Local 16 in Benicia are stops on the tour.
“This partnership is based on a commitment to make graduating students aware of excellent career options in our area. The tour is a great experience for them, as they are able to use specialized tools and ask questions directly to labor leaders and trainers,” Solano County Superintendent of Schools Lisette Estrella-Henderson said in a statement released Thursday.
Source: Fairfield, Benicia trade center tour focus on Solano, Napa high schoolers
By Nick Sestanovich
School safety, mental health and district budgeting were among the topics addressed by prospective school board trustees at Wednesday’s candidate’s forum at the Benicia Public Library.
As part of its efforts to ensure a more informed voting populace, Benicia’s League of Women Voters hosted a forum with the five candidates in the Dona Benicia Room. With board President Diane Ferrucci the only incumbent seeking re-election in 2018, this leaves four candidates vying to fill the seats being vacated by trustees Celeste Monnette and Peter Morgan: realtor Adrean Hayashi, Pittsburg middle school teacher Mark Maselli, Arts & Culture Commissioner Gethsemane Moss and retired school librarian Sheri Zada. Moderator and LWV member Jane Keene asked questions of the candidates crafted by the LWV and audience.
By Nick Sestanovich
Liberty High School is in the process of implementing a new internship program for its students. New Principal Kimberly Lewis provided an update on the process at Thursday’s school board meeting.
Lewis’ presentation was introduced by Dr. Leslie Beatson, assistant superintendent of educational services, who said the district has been exploring new opportunities for students at Benicia’s alternative high school.
“A couple of years ago, we started thinking about, ‘How do we continue to provide amazing experiences for our students over at Liberty?’” Beatson said. “‘What is it that our students at Liberty really need from us, beyond getting across the stage at graduation?’”
The Benicia Teachers Association has finalized its endorsements for Benicia City Council 2018, the Association announced.
The association has endorsed Christina Strawbridge and Lionel Largespada. Two of the five seats on the city council are open during the fall election. Kari Birdseye, and William Emes Jr. are also seeking election the council.
The Association finalized its endorsements for the Benicia Unified School District Board of Education. Those candidates are Adrean Hayashi, Mark Maselli, and Sheri Zada. Three of the five board seats are open. Incumbent Diane Ferrucci is seeking re-election, while challenger Gethsemane Moss is also seeking election to the board.
Source: Benicia Teachers Association endorses candidates – Times-Herald
By Nick Sestanovich
The Performing Arts Network (PAN-Arts) announced its nominees for the 34th annual Arty Awards, which honor theatrical productions at all levels in the counties of Solano, Napa and– for the first time this year– Yolo, this morning. Once again, Benicia High School and Benicia Old Town Theatre Group are well-represented among the nominees.
Benicia High School’s fall play, the fantasy/comedy/drama “She Kills Monsters,” racked up a total of 13 nominations, including outstanding high school production. Drama instructor Nathan Day received nods for directing, sound design and set design. Additionally, Brandon Nelson and Meghan Guertin received nods for lighting design, and Linda Wichelman received a nomination for costume design. In the acting categories, Eleanor Bettencourt and Pilar Gonzales are up for best lead actress, Kevin McLarty and Garrett Mingardi are in the running for best lead actor, Tate Reeves received a nod for best supporting actor, and Guertin and Skylear Clouse are competing for best supporting actress.
Source: BHS nabs 13 Arty nominees apiece for 2017-18 productions; BOTTG nets 5
By Nick Sestanovich
Following nearly a yearlong impasse over contract negotiations with the Benicia Teacher Association (BTA), the Governing Board of the Benicia Unified School District voted to ratify a tentative agreement with a 2.5 percent salary increase at Thursday’s meeting.
Throughout the 2017-18 school year, the BTA and BUSD’s bargaining teams met for several negotiation sessions. In January, the district had proposed a one-time bonus of 1 percent off the salary schedule for the 2017-18 and 2018-19 school years. BTA countered with a 5 percent increase for 2017-18 and a 4.25 percent increase for 2018-19 school year. After being unable to reach an agreement, BTA requested to file for impasse. Teachers, students and parents voiced their disapproval at board meetings, with some educators providing lists of free services they would no longer offer to students outside of their contract hours unless an agreement was reached.
Source: School board approves tentative agreement with teachers union
By Nick Sestanovich
Results from the California Healthy Kids Survey (CHKS) and Relationships Effort Aspirations Cognition and Heart (REACH) Survey were presented at Thursday’s school board meeting.
Dr. Carolyn Patton, Benicia Unified School District’s special services director, presented a quick overview of the two surveys’ results. The reports come out publicly in November, so Patton initiated a preliminary discussion with some highlights locally.
The CHKS is administered to seventh, ninth and 11th-graders every two years to capture behavioral data in the areas of substance abuse, school safety, social/emotional wellness and student/teacher relations.
Patton noted that mental and physical health indicators were stable with a small decrease in substance abuse among students surveyed. She said the district defined substance abuse as “binge drinking” and “binge usage of marijuana,” although she was not able to say if chronic use had decreased.
By Nick Sestanovich
Olivia Andrade just started her sophomore year at Benicia High School, but she is already looking forward to the summer where she will be embarking on a volunteer trip to West Africa as part of Global Leadership Adventures (GLA).
GLA is an organization that offers study abroad programs for high schoolers to provide them service skills in such nations as Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Indonesia, South Africa and more. GLA has twice hosted events with Archbishop Demond Tutu in South Africa to discuss the lasting impact of apartheid, and in 2013 then-President Barack Obama recognized GLA founder Fred Swaniker in a speech.
Andrade’s family has resided in Benicia for generations. In fact, she is the great granddaughter of former longtime Benicia High teacher, administrator and coach George Drolette.
Source: Benicia High sophomore raising funds for volunteer trip to Africa
By Nick Sestanovich
At 16, Reid Burford is about the age where one might expect to find him working as a coffee shop barista, but that is not the case. Instead, the Benicia High School junior roasts and distributes his own coffee as part of his business Howling Hounds Coffee Roasters. What’s more: he has been doing it since he was 14.
Burford has been a coffee enthusiast since he had his first cup of joe at the age of 12. This interest was magnified as a result of going to coffee shops over the years.
“I was very interested in the process of roasting coffee and brewing it,” he said. “I saw these big, fancy, shiny espresso machines at the coffee shops, and I always found it interesting to watch the baristas prepare the coffee.”
By Daily Republic Staff
One of the great influencing factors for choosing a place to live, particularly for families with young children, is the quality of education available.
As far as Solano County is concerned, the quality of education at all levels is generally strong. Most of the schools in the Fairfield-Suisun School District, for example, are at or above statewide targets for school with a similar makeup of student bodies.
The same holds true for the school districts in Vacaville and Travis, with each of these having a particularly strong collection of elementary schools.
The Benicia district and Dixon district, each representing smaller communities, have high-performing schools throughout different levels.
Source: Solano Life 2018: Strong schools are hallmark of Solano life
By Nick Sestanovich
The Napa/Solano Central Labor Council (NSLC), a labor collective representing Napa and Solano counties, announced its endorsements in local races via a Facebook post.
According to the post, the NSCLC held 53 interviews with candidates in races throughout Solano and Napa counties over several days with a panel of more than 30 affiliate leaders. The goal was to seek candidates who they felt would serve the needs of labor workers. The recommendations were ratified by the NSCLC and Napa Solano Building and Construction Trades. Members voted at a delegate meeting to ratify the votes which were announced Saturday.
In the Benicia City Council race, the NSCLC endorsed the same two candidates it endorsed in 2016: Economic Development Chair Lionel Largaespada and former Councilmember Christina Strawbridge. Planning Commission Chair Kari Birdseye and retired journeyman carpenter William Emes are also in the race.
Source: Local labor group announces council, school board endorsements
By Nick Sestanovich
Benicia High will see a variety of new educators this year, including math teacher Ken Knight, medical careers teacher Anouk Dorrance, digital media teacher Larry Kurnarsky, visual arts teacher Katelynn Burmark, world language teacher Jose Martinez Mejia, special education teacher Charli O’Malley, and college & career counselor Gina Marwick. New courses include medical science and terminology, advanced welding and fabrication, advanced construction technology, alternative energy: wind, water and solar; and scientific research.
Joining Brianna Kleinschmidt in her third full year as principal and fellow vice principals Kathrine Cole and Sean Thompson is new VP Yadira Zapata. Zapata was a Spanish teacher at Alhambra High School in Martinez where she served on the WASC Leadership Team and received an administrative credential from California State University East Bay.
Source: Benicia Heads Back to Class: What’s new, what to expect at Benicia Unified schools in 2018-19
By Nick Sestanovich
On Monday, students throughout Benicia will be returning to school, but nearly 2,000 outdated books in Benicia High School’s library will not be joining them. Over the summer, Benicia Unified School District officials and student volunteers weeded certain books out of Benicia High’s collection, and the school board will be voting to declare these books as well as library furniture to be obsolete when it reconvenes from its summer break on Thursday.
According to the school board agenda, BHS has 14,314 books in its collection. The district went through a process to remove approximately 1,930 items which were either in poor condition, had information that was no longer relevant or were available online through Benicia High’s current database. The books will be donated to either the Benicia Public Library or Benicia High art classes for future projects. Student volunteers assisted with the process for three days, and a Benicia Public Library representative provided consultation.
Source: School board to vote on resolution removing obsolete books
By Nick Sestanovich
The Benicia Unified School District announced its guidelines for free or reduced meal programs under the National School Lunch/Breakfast Programs for the 2018-19 school year.
According to a news release, BUSD’s Food and Nutrition Department offers lunch services at Matthew Turner Elementary School, breakfast and lunch services at Mary Farmar Elementary, Joe Henderson Elementary, Robert Semple Elementary, Benicia Middle School and Liberty High School, and breakfast, lunch and nutritional snack break services at Benicia High School. The cost of breakfast is $2 and the cost of milk is 50 cents for all grades, and the cost of lunch is $3 for elementary schoolers and $3.50 for middle and high schoolers.
Source: BUSD announces guidelines for free, discount meal eligibility in 18-19
By Nick Sestanovich
Vallejo Shakespeare in the Park is going deep— in more ways than one— for this year’s play, which is directed by a well-known forner Benicia educator.
Christine Mani, who taught theater at Benicia High School for 17 years, is directing “Measure for Measure,” which kicks off a four-week run in multiple cities Friday. William Shakespeare’s dark comedy, written in either 1603 or 1604, is set in Vienna when its duke, Vincentio, decides to go on a break from ruling. He puts the strict Judge Angelo in charge, who enforces harsh immorality laws, sentences a man named Claudio to death for impregnating his fiancee and offers his sister Isabella a deal where he will spare Claudio from death if she has sex with Angelo.
While the play is not as universally known as other Shakespeare titles like “Romeo and Juliet” or “Hamlet,” it is one that has a lot of relevance in today’s political and cultural climate.
Source: Former BHS teacher chosen to direct Vallejo Shakespeare in the Park production
By Nick Sestanovich
Lucca Beer Garden is generally not open Wednesdays, but to help raise money for a good cause, the stage will be filled with the sounds of music for a special concert benefiting the music program at Mary Farmar Elementary School.
The Mary Farmar PTA Music Committee will be hosting its Gimme a Beat! Benefit concert next week to finance music education at Farmar. Committee Chair Shelley Rice said the group was formed as an offshoot of the school’s Parent Teacher Association after the music program lost a private donor.
“We were left with no funds and a program we wanted to continue, so we put this committee together,” she said.
Source: Farmar PTA to raise funds for music program with benefit concert at Lucca