Dixon schools to relocate students amidst electricity crisis – The Vacaville Reporter

By Nick McConnell

The Dixon Unified School District Board voted last night to temporarily relocate all students from Anderson Elementary School to unoccupied classrooms at Gretchen Higgins and Tremont Elementary Schools amid an energy crisis at its home campus.

District officials said school has been out of power since the beginning of the month, and generators placed within feet of the classrooms have been used to power the school in recent weeks. Parents and teachers attended the Wednesday night meeting to implore Superintendent Brian Dolan and the board to consider their safety concerns about exhaust fumes and their wishes to solve the crisis as a whole.

Transitional kindergarten through first grade will move to Tremont, Dolan said, while second through fifth grade will move to Gretchen Higgins.

Source: Dixon schools to relocate students amidst electricty crisis – The Vacaville Reporter

National Search for Dixon Superintendent | Independent Voice

By Debra Dingman

At the end of this month, the application for the Dixon Unified School District superintendent position will close, and the final stages of replacing retiring Superintendent Brian Dolan will start with hopes of selecting a new executive by the end of March. Dolan announced in September that he would retire after 26 years in the district at the end of the 2023-2024 school year.

“The district already works with Education Support Services Group, and we contracted out an extension of our legal services, and it was a nice clean shift. They outlined the whole process,” explained David Bowen, DUSD Board Trustee Board president. The cost was not to exceed $18,500. “I think it will be closer to $15,000, but we won’t know until the process closes,” he added.

In late October, there was a special public meeting for the board to give their input, then ESS collected it all together and will be presenting in January the candidate profile list of preferred or required [assets.]

Source: National Search for Dixon Superintendent | Independent Voice

Why five superintendents decided to walk away from their jobs | EdSource

By Diana Lambert

Dixon Unified Superintendent Brian Dolan, 62, has reached the “sweet spot” — the age where superintendents begin to reap the best retirement benefits. He’ll retire after this school year.

Although Covid-19 took the fun out of the job for a while, Dolan is glad he stayed long enough to see things almost return to normal.

“If I were at retirement age, just coming out of Covid, I would’ve needed to work another year just to put a little shine back on the apple,” he said.

Source: Why five superintendents decided to walk away from their jobs | EdSource

Dixon Unified superintendent announces retirement to school board – The Vacaville Reporter

By Nick McConnell

Dixon Unified School District Superintendent Brian Dolan submitted his request to retire at the end of the 2023-24 school year, which the board accepted unanimously at its regular meeting on Thursday.

Dolan has been superintendent for 13 years and has served in the district for 26.

“I just want to say how grateful I am having had the opportunity to work in this school district for these 26 years.”

Dolan said he submitted his letter in accordance with board policy, which asks superintendents to make this request.

Source: Dixon Unified superintendent announces retirement to school board – The Vacaville Reporter

Supporting Travis Air Force Base’s Five & Thrive | dailyrepublic.com

By Sheila McCabe

The mission of Five & Thrive is to tackle the top five quality-of-life issues military families face because their quality of life is directly tied to the readiness, resilience, recruitment and retention of our armed forces.

The five areas that fall within Five & Thrive are (1) Childcare; (2) Education; (3) Healthcare; (4) Housing; and (5) Spouse Employment.

This summer, Dixon Unified School District, Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District, Travis Unified School District, and Vacaville Unified School District joined forces to address one of the barriers related to education – summer registration.

Source: Civic Leaders: Supporting Travis Air Force Base’s Five & Thrive | Lifestyle | dailyrepublic.com

City Lauds Malone (DUSD), Approves Liens – Dixon Independent Voice

By Debra Dingman

The last City Council meeting was a packed agenda with the 4th of July annual report, information on the lights and landscape expenses, and the approval of new limited parking signs at the Pardi Plaza.

In between those topics were reviews of citizens who have not paid their sewer and/or their garbage bills and the collection process to collect or place liens.

The meeting kicked off with an official commendation of Police Officer Jason Malone by Chief Robert Thompson. Malone has served the past four years as the School Resource Officer at Dixon High School. He has just completed the “inaugural first 4-year assignment,” as Thompson put it, for a pilot program initiated by the Dixon Unified School District and the City for an officer on campus. “He has excelled in that role,” Thompson added recalling the first summer when Malone returned to regular duty, the phone would ring incessantly because of the relationships he had established with the students.

Source: City Lauds Malone, Approves Liens

Program helping future Chicano, Latino leaders in Sacramento | abc10.com

By Katie Kim

More than 100 students gathered at the State Capitol Wednesday as part of a program designed to empower Chicano and Latino youth in their academic and professional endeavors.

The Capitol Day event was part of the Chicano Latino Youth Leadership Project’s (CLYLP) annual week-long Statewide Leadership Conference in Sacramento. Since its inception in 1982, the conference has provided workshops and seminars to enhance leadership skills, academic preparedness and an understanding of state and local government, among other goals.

Source: Program helping future Chicano, Latino leaders in Sacramento | abc10.com

Dixon High celebrates commencement – The Vacaville Reporter

By Rebecca Wasik

Parents waited in lines to purchase last-minute graduation leis and fanned themselves with commencement programs on Saturday morning as they awaited the arrival of the Dixon High School Class of 2023 at Finney Field.

The faces of friends and family in the bleachers were wet with both tears and sweat from the already searing sun. They were happy tears though, for the morning marked the beginning of adulthood for their graduating loved ones.

The DHS band began its rendition of “Pomp and Circumstance” as graduates filed into the stadium. Half of the graduating students walked past the home bleachers, while the other half walked past the visiting bleachers — each side depending on the first letter of the last name.

Source: Dixon High celebrates commencement – The Vacaville Reporter

Dixon’s Maine Prairie High celebrates 16 graduates – The Vacaville Reporter

By Rebecca Wasik

Graduation season in Solano County kicked off on Wednesday night with 16 students from Maine Prairie High School in Dixon crossing their tassels to the left, thus crossing into a new stage of life.

The ceremony was held at the Dixon High Performing Arts Center. The graduates of the Dixon Unified School District’s continuation high school walked down the theater’s steps to “Pomp and Circumstance,” played by the Dixon High Band, and each took a seat in the front row.

MPHS Principal Yvette Ramos teared up as she addressed the Class of 2023.

Source: Dixon’s Maine Prairie High celebrates 16 graduates – The Vacaville Reporter

Graduation season is upon us – The Vacaville Reporter

By Kimberly K. Fu

Warming temperatures signal the onslaught of summer and, just before that, the milestone of high school graduations.

Congratulations to outgoing seniors. We at The Reporter wish you the very brightest of futures.

Following is a partial list of northern Solano graduations. They include:

  • Wednesday, 6 p.m.: Maine Prairie, at Dixon High Theater
  • Thursday, 7 p.m.: Vacaville Christian Schools, at Falcon Field
  • Friday, 3 p.m.: Travis Education Center, at Gammon Stadium
  • Saturday, 9 a.m.: Dixon High, at Rams Stadium
  • Saturday, 10 a.m.: Vanden High, at Gammon Stadium
  • June 7, 6:30 p.m.: Muzetta Thrower AEC, at Wildcat Stadium
  • June 8, 6:30 p.m.: Ernest Kimme, at Wildcat Stadium
  • June 9 at 10 a.m.: Buckingham Collegiate Charter Academy, at Zunino Stadium
  • June 9 at 6:30 p.m.: Will C. Wood High, at Wildcat Stadium
  • June 10, 9 a.m.: Vaca High, at Zunino Stadium

Vacaville Unified School District will be livestreaming the graduations of Will C. Wood High, Buckingham Collegiate Charter Academy, Vaca High, Muzetta Thrower Adult Education Center and Ernest Kimme Charter Academy on both YouTube and Facebook.

Source: Graduation season is upon us – The Vacaville Reporter

SPI Names California PAEMST Finalists – Year 2023 (CA Dept of Education)

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond today honored six outstanding math and science teachers from California who are finalists for the 2023 Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST).

“Let me offer my sincere congratulations to these educators who we honor for their leadership and instructional practices and how they are inspiring a new generation with passion and talent for science, technology, engineering, and math,” Thurmond said. “They model excellence in how we are preparing California students for the challenges and advancements of the future.”The PAEMST program is administered by the National Science Foundation on behalf of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.

The PAEMST is the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government specifically for kindergarten through grade twelve science, mathematics, engineering, and computer science teaching. For 2022–23, those who teach grades seven through twelve were eligible for the award. Presidential Award recipients are honored at a ceremony in Washington, D.C., and receive a $10,000 special award from the National Science Foundation.

Source: SPI Names California PAEMST Finalists – Year 2023 (CA Dept of Education)

Teacher, students use grant for a ‘Healthier Dixon’ – The Vacaville Reporter

In February, Dixon High School English teacher Lisa Krebs applied for — and received — a Tobacco Use Prevention Education grant through the Solano County Office of Education for an anti-vaping and anti-smoking project to create and carry-out with her 10th grade Honors English students at Dixon High School.

Nearly 80 students participated in the project, called “Healthier Dixon.

”Krebs says they started out with an idea to help make Dixon High School and the Dixon Community a healthier place by educating Dixon High students about the dangers of smoking and vaping.

Source: April 27 Vallejo/Vacaville Arts and Entertainment Source: Faces and Places – The Vacaville Reporter

Dixon High’s “The Lending Closet” offers donated formal wear to students – The Vacaville Reporter

By Rebecca Wasik

Do you have an old prom dress or tuxedo stored away in a box in the garage gathering dust?

If so, you’re not alone. Some people however choose to donate these items to their local high school in order to allow a current student to create new memories with it.

Dixon High School has been accepting donated prom dresses and tuxedos since 2016. Once Principal Stephanie Marquez realized just how many dresses her daughter had acquired by the end of high school, she began lending some of them out to students that didn’t have one or decided to attend prom at the last minute.

Source: Dixon High’s “The Lending Closet” offers donated formal wear to students – The Vacaville Reporter

Nominations open to recognize those who help students with disabilities – Daily Republic

Nominations are being accepted for the 17th annual Community Advisory Committee Recognition Awards for those who go above and beyond in the service of students with disabilities.

The CAC Awards are presented to educators, youth and community members for outstanding service who go above and beyond in service of students with disabilities.

Award recipients are from each school district within the Solano County Special Education Local Plan Area: Benicia, Dixon, Fairfield-Suisun, Travis and Vacaville, as well as the Solano County Office of Education.

Source: Nominations open to recognize those who help students with disabilities

Unofficial Solano election results are in; more to come – The Vacaville Reporter

By Kimberly K. Fu

Election Day has come and gone, but results for races in Solano County are not yet set.

Why? Because there’s still thousands of ballots left to count.

According to the Solano County Registrar of Voters office, outstanding Vote-by-Mail ballots total 35,821 while outstanding provisional ballots number 1,671.

On Wednesday, staff focused full bore on processing ballots. An estimated 15,000 were ready to be counted while 13,000 more were ready to be verified.

Source: Unofficial Solano election results are in; more to come – The Vacaville Reporter

Schools election picture coming into focus after Day 2 of count – Daily Republic

By Todd R. Hansen

Jack Flynn held a majority lead over incumbent Jonathan Richardson for the Trustee Area 5 seat on the Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District board.

As of Wednesday, Flynn had tallied 963 votes, representing 51.5% of the ballots cast, while Richardson had 907 votes (48.5%), the Solano County Registrar of Voters Office reported.

The unofficial result is with all 10 precincts counted, but with mail-in and provisional ballots left to count.

Source: Schools election picture coming into focus after Day 2 of count

CA must act to address mental health and suicide crises | The Sacramento Bee

These are difficult days for my students of the past, the present and the future. They need more from us.

September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. The need for better help and better health and my deepening concern for the well-being of our kids had led me to share my own story of struggling with mental health.

April 16, 2018, was one of those days I thought I wouldn’t be able to get out of bed. My body was fine, but my mental health was not. The depression that has been an unwelcome companion of mine throughout my life had me under its control again. I had my plan, including a bottle of pills, and was ready to follow it.

Source: CA must act to address mental health and suicide crises | The Sacramento Bee

Dixon heads back to class for 2022-23 school year – The Vacaville Reporter

By Nick Sestanovich

All throughout Dixon Unified School District’s six sites Monday, students returned to class after two months of summer vacation.

For most students, it meant returning to the same campus but going to different classrooms. For others, it was a campus they were attending for the first time. For all, it was a new start.

And nowhere was it a newer start than for kindergarteners, who took the first steps of their 13-year educational odyssey that will culminate in them graduating high school in June 2035.

Source: Dixon heads back to class for 2022-23 school year – The Vacaville Reporter

Dixon Unified hosting equipment surplus sale – The Vacaville Reporter

By Nick Sestanovich

As the 2022-23 academic year for Dixon Unified School District inches closer — it’s next Wednesday, kids — the district will be selling off its surplus fixtures.

A chance to help the district get rid of its excess items and walk away with a new piece of furniture for home? That is exactly what will happen when DUSD hosts its Community Sale Aug. 11 to 13.

Held in the multipurpose room of the former CA Jacobs Middle School campus, the district will be selling surplus furniture, equipment and other items, most of which are available for $1, $2 and $5. Only cash will be accepted. DUSD’s goal is for all items to be sold, and items must be completely removed from the premises no later than 5 p.m. Aug. 13. Storage on-site for later pickup is not permitted.

Source: Dixon Unified hosting equipment surplus sale – The Vacaville Reporter

Dixon’s Maine Prairie High mints 30 new grads – The Vacaville Reporter

By Richard Bammer

The power went south throughout Dixon Wednesday night but there was no outage of energy at the Maine Prairie High School Class of 2022.

Held outdoors on the quad at Dixon High as the sun had set, the Dixon Unified continuation high graduated 30 students, who, later tonight will embark on a new life journey, whether it be in college, in the military, at a trade school, or on the job, said Principal Yvette Ramos.

District Superintendent Brian Dolan, lamenting the outage as he spoke to the gradually swelling crowd of graduate families and friends, said, “‘We’re here to celebrate our kids,” a statement that was translated into Spanish just before the delayed 6:30 p.m. ceremony began.

Source: Dixon’s Maine Prairie High mints 30 new grads – The Vacaville Reporter