Three FMS students passed the audition and will perform with the VC Honor Band. Miranda Toledo (tuba), Perla Chavez-Hernandez (bass clarinet), and Mishell Beylik (oboe) will attend four rehearsals before they take the stage on Sunday March 2, 5:00 PM at Ventura High School for a concert. Each student is required to pass a rigorous audition to make the band. The band is made up of the best middle school musicians from throughout the county and will perform high level music for their concert. The middle and high school honor bands are organized by local school band directors. The middle school honor band will be under the direction of conductor and composer, Brain Amaral.

M-I-S-E-R-Y, just what our spelling bee participants were feeling during the San Cayetano School Spelling Bee on Wednesday, January 29. After sixteen rounds of spelling, Sophia Guevara garnered the win and is our school champion. Her competition included Bryan Sanchez, Eilene Perez, Taiz Razo, Isabela Regalado, Nathan Hurtado, Destiny Carrillo, Arissa Ramos, Alotl Aparicio and Alissa Andrade. The tension was thick in the cafeteria during the spell-off, and the audience was spell-bound the entire time. School Champion, Sophia Guevara, will move on to the next round, which is the Final Local Spelling Bee held at the California State University at Channel Islands.

The Oxnard College Institute for Latino Performing Arts will present "CBS Diversity Comedy Showcase" on Saturday, February 22, 2014, in the Oxnard College Performing Arts Center Auditorium, 4000 South Rose Avenue, Oxnard, CA. The public is welcome to attend a 6 p.m. reception, followed by the main event at 7 p.m. (free event/free parking). This special evening of comedy and discussion on the state of diversity in America will be directed, produced, and hosted by Rick Najera. For nine years, Creative Director Rick Najera has spearheaded the renowned CBS Diversity Showcase, spawning numerous careers and opportunities for graduates of the programs going on to Saturday Night Live, The Daily Show, and other top network shows. For tickets, contact Connie Campos at OCILPA@vcccd.edu or by telephone at 805.986.5804.

Pilar Pacheco, Associate Director of the Center for Community Engagement at CSU Channel Islands (CI)

Camarillo, CA - Pilar Pacheco, Associate Director of the Center for Community Engagement at CSU Channel Islands (CI), has earned a prestigious statewide recognition for her impact on service-learning and campus-community partnerships throughout Ventura County and the CSU system. Pacheco received California Campus Compact’s 2014 Richard E. Cone Award for Excellence & Leadership in Cultivating Community Partnerships in Higher Education in January.

“We are grateful for Pilar’s leadership in furthering our work in California and we are pleased to highlight her exemplary work in the field of service-learning and civic engagement,” said Elaine Ikeda, Executive Director of California Campus Compact. “In addition to being a passionate and skillful community leader, she is a humble individual who has worked quietly and tirelessly behind the scenes to promote service-learning and community engaged scholarship to administrators, faculty, students and community partners, with impressive results.”

California Campus Compact is a coalition of leading colleges and universities working to advance civic and community engagement in higher education. The award, named after renowned USC civic engagement and service-learning expert Dick Cone, is presented annually to one individual who has helped create partnerships between institutions of higher education and communities where student learning and the quality of life in communities are simultaneously improved.

“Pilar’s leadership has CONTINUED »

On February 7, 2014, Ventura College, Oxnard College, and Moorpark College received notification that the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) has reaffirmed accreditation for all three colleges. The decision to continue affirmation of accreditation was based on college midterm reports submitted to the ACCJC in October 2013. The ACCJC action letters and midterm reports are available for public viewing at www.vcccd.edu/accreditation.

“The Presidents and I are pleased that the colleges remain fully accredited and that we have responded to Commission recommendations successfully,” stated Chancellor Jamillah Moore, Ventura County Community College District. “It is the result of a team effort that involved many individuals and groups Districtwide.” Ventura College President Greg Gillespie commented, “This is exciting news for our campus. The reaffirmation of accreditation demonstrates our continued focus on student learning and improvement.”

The next comprehensive evaluation for accreditation is scheduled for October 2016. The District Board of Trustees expressed appreciation for staff’s hard work. Board Chair Art Hernández noted, “Although our next accreditation visit is not until 2016, the District and colleges are continuing to maintain compliance required by Commission Standards. Faculty and staff are committed to excellence in serving our students and the community.”

Elyn Saks

THOUSAND OAKS, CA - A University of Southern California law professor will talk about her battle with schizophrenia and acute psychosis at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 25, in California Lutheran University’s Lundring Event Center.

Elyn Saks, the author of “The Center Cannot Hold: My Journey Through Madness,” will discuss how she learned to control her symptoms, make peace with the voices in her heard and achieve success as a professor, writer and advocate for the mentally ill. She will sign copies of the 2007 memoir from 2 to 2:45 p.m. in the Pearson Library foyer. Light refreshments will be served during the book signing.

Saks was 8 when her first symptoms appeared in the form of obsessions and night terrors. She experienced her first full-blown episode with voices in her head and terrifying suicidal fantasies as a Marshall Scholar at Oxford University. After a breakdown during her first term at Yale Law School that left her singing on the roof of the school library at midnight, she was taken to an emergency room, force-fed antipsychotic medication and tied to a hospital bed. She spent the next five months in a psychiatric ward and began her journey toward controlling her symptoms.

She was an attorney in Connecticut and an instructor at the University of Bridgeport School of Law before joining the USC law faculty in 1989. She is the Orrin B. Evans Professor of Law, Psychology and Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences at USC. She used the money she received as a 2009 recipient of a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship “genius grant” to create the interdisciplinary Saks Institute for Mental Health Law, Policy, and Ethics at the university.

Saks holds doctorates in law and psychoanalytic science and is an expert in mental health law, criminal law, and children and the law. Her recent research has focused on ethical dimensions of psychiatric research and forced treatment of people with mental illness. She has written several books in addition to her memoir including “Jekyll on Trial: Multiple Personality Disorder and Criminal Law,” “Refusing Care: Forced Treatment and the Rights of the Mentally Ill” and her most recent release, “Informed Consent to Psychoanalysis: The Law, the Theory, and the Data.”

CLU’s Pearson Library, Multicultural Programs Office, Campus Diversity Initiative and Center for Equality and Justice are sponsoring the free event.

Lundring Events Center is located in the Gilbert Sports and Fitness Center at
130 Overton Court on the Thousand Oaks campus. Pearson Library is at 135 Chapel Lane. For more information, contact Lala Badal at lbadal@callutheran or 805-493-3942.

Camarillo, CA - Explore the exciting possibilities for unmanned vehicles in a half-day symposium featuring expert speakers and robotic displays on the CSU Channel Islands (CI) campus. On Friday, Feb. 21, from 2 to 6 p.m., in the Grand Salon, CI will host the Channel Islands Chapter of the Association of Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) Micro-Symposium. The event is $25 for the public; free to CI students; and $20 for AUVSI members and CI faculty. Guests may register in advance at: https://commerce.cashnet.com/AUVSI.

AUVSI is a nonprofit organization advocating the advancement, application and utilization of unmanned systems in the tri-counties. The event will include expert panel sessions on unmanned vehicle applications in environmental, agricultural and tri-county business opportunities. Keynote remarks by Assemblyman Jeff Gorell of Camarillo will highlight the success of his Gold Team California economic development initiative. Elementary, high school and college students will present robotic displays. The event will conclude with a social hour.

Complimentary event parking is limited and only available in the designated parking lot. Once on campus, follow the directional signage to event parking; then follow the walking signage to the event location. Free parking is available at the Camarillo Metrolink Station/Lewis Road parking lot with bus service to and from the campus. The cash-only bus fare is $1.25 each way. Buses arrive and depart from the Camarillo Metrolink Station every 30 minutes from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday through Friday. For exact times, check the schedule at www.goventura.org.

If you are interested in being an AUVSI Channel Islands Chapter event sponsor, please email mruavs@hotmail.com or call 805-816-0778. For additional CI information, contact Merissa Stith, CI Events Coordinator, at 805-437-8548 or merissa.stith@csuci.edu.

About California State University Channel Islands
CSU Channel Islands (CI) is the only four-year, public university in Ventura County and is known for its interdisciplinary, multicultural and international perspectives, and its emphasis on experiential and service learning. CI’s strong academic programs focus on business, sciences, liberal studies, teaching credentials, and innovative master’s degrees. Students benefit from individual attention, up-to-date technology, and classroom instruction augmented by outstanding faculty research. CI has been designated by the U.S. Department of Education as a Hispanic-Serving Institution and is committed to serving students of all backgrounds from the region and beyond. Connect with and learn more about CI by visiting CI’s Social Media.

On 1/27 the FMS Intermediate Band was invited to participate in the Disney Music Performing Arts workshop. Seventy five band members went into a Disney recording studio and learned about music composition and design and how it is used throughout the park. After a presentation on melody, harmony, rhythm and tonal color, students were asked to develop their own music to become the accompanying sounds to a Disney ride. Students were divided into six groups. Each group chose a student conductor and collaborated to compose and arrange their parts. Next, each group got to record their short composition before listening and watching their performance on the big screen. It was a very fun and educational day for our developing musicians at Fillmore Middle School.

This summer California Lutheran University will open a Westlake Village center to house a new business incubator and provide expanded facilities for its Community Counseling Center and School of Management.

At the core of the nearly 18,000-square-foot facility will be a business incubator and coworking space for CLU students and the public. The space is the next step in CLU’s effort to expand entrepreneurship opportunities.

CLU’s graduate programs in entrepreneurship and economics and the Center for Economic Research and Forecasting will be relocated from the main campus in Thousand Oaks to the new center. Four classrooms and five offices will wrap around the coworking and incubation area to encourage interaction. As a coworking space, it will be designed to promote openness and collaboration. There will be a variety of areas for individual and collaborative work including a coffee bar and patios with fire pits.

CLU’s Community Counseling Center and Parent-Child Center will also move from the main campus to the new building. A state-of-the-art training facility for students earning graduate degrees in psychology is being designed. Unlike the current center, the new clinic will have one-way mirrors for student supervision and technology enabling classrooms to pick up live audio feeds from mediation sessions. The new space will also provide additional therapy rooms and more parking for staff, students and clients.

The Community Counseling CONTINUED »

CSU Channel Islands (CI) student Han Nguyen’s passion and talent for ceramic art has been rewarded with a scholarship and solo exhibition. The senior in CI’s Art Program won a Jeanne Ward Scholarship from the American Ceramic Society – Design Chapter of Southern California (ACS-DC) on Sunday and will open “Re-Imagining,” a month-long exhibition of her work, this week at CI’s Grad Wall Gallery in Napa Hall. The show kicks off with an opening reception Thursday, Jan. 30, from 6 to 8 p.m.

“To have my work CONTINUED »

Camarillo, CA - CSU Channel Islands (CI) is pleased to announce its Spring Lecture Series in collaboration with the public libraries in Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks and Ventura. This free series offers community members the chance to hear from some of CI’s most dynamic speakers and experts; engage in discussions on a variety of timely, thought-provoking topics; and be a CI student for an evening in the convenient setting of their local library. See below for a detailed listing of speakers, topics, locations, dates, and times.

Simi Valley Public Library
All lectures will be held Saturdays at 2 p.m. at 2969 Tapo Canyon Rd., Simi Valley.

“Some Psychological Benefits of a Secure Relationship with God”
Saturday, Feb. 8, at 2 p.m.
Throughout the centuries, religious advocates have argued that belief in God brings considerable psychological health benefits. However, equally vociferous opponents have argued that religion is dangerous to one’s mental health. They both can’t be right, can they? Recent empirical studies demonstrate that the quality of the relationship with God makes all the psychological difference. Join Dr. Harley Baker for a presentation exploring these studies and offering insight into why and how this is the case.

“Beyond the Latino Sports Hero: The Role of Sports in Creating Communities, Networks and Identities”
Saturday, March 8, at 2 p.m.
To reduce or simplify the history of Latino sports around individual champions obscures the historical communities and social networks that helped produced them. In this presentation, Dr. Jose Alamillo will focus on Latino sporting experiences in the U.S., from the late 19th century up to the present, with emphasis on professional, school-based and amateur sports. Dr. Alamillo will highlight specific sports in which Latinos have participated prominently, along with the national origins of the players, and the communities with a supportive network and fan base that helped them excel.

Latin America’s Most CONTINUED »

California State University Channel Islands

Camarillo, CA - The Martin V. Smith School of Business & Economics at CSU Channel Islands (CI) is pleased to announce its Spring 2014 Speaker Series, “Lessons from Successful Entrepreneurs and Executives.” The presentations are free, open to the public by reservation, and include lunch. All events will be held from noon to 2 p.m. in Malibu Hall 100 on the CI campus. Please register at http://business.csuci.edu/events.

Dave Power, Founder of J.D. Power and Associates
Friday, Feb. 7, noon to 2 p.m. in Malibu Hall 100
Power is the legendary founder of the world’s most successful global marketing research company. As the voice of the customer, J.D. Power provides companies with actionable insights and solutions by leveraging its unique customer satisfaction benchmarks. The firm began in auto-related projects and now covers hundreds of product areas, including cars, trucks, insurance, financial services, and a vast variety of consumer products.

Jason Spievak, CEO of Invoca
Friday, March 7, noon to 2 p.m. in Malibu Hall 100
Spievak is one of the founders of Invoca (formerly RingRevenue), a multimillion-dollar public company that provides enterprise inbound call marketing solutions. Formed in 2008 with support from leading venture capitalists (Upfront Ventures and Rincon Venture Partners), Invoca’s cloud-based platform delivers complete campaign management, clear attribution, practical analytics and mobile optimization tools to create one easy-to-use solution for marketers.

Joe Schroeder, President/CEO of Ventura County Credit Union
Friday, May 2, noon to 2 p.m. in Malibu Hall 100
A graduate of the CSU (B.A. in Communications and MBA from Cal Poly Pomona), Schroeder leads the largest credit union headquartered in Ventura County – with six offices, 60,000 members and more than $600 million in assets. He currently serves as Vice Chair of the Board of FOOD Share, a nonprofit organization fighting hunger in Ventura County. In 2013, the California and Nevada Credit Union League recognized his two decades of leadership with its Unsung Hero Award.

The Spring 2014 Speaker Series is sponsored by the Business Advisory Council of the MVS School of Business & Economics.

Complimentary campus parking will be available for all events. Once on campus, follow signs to the designated lot.

For more information, visit http://business.csuci.edu/events, or contact Merissa Stith, Events Coordinator, at 805-437-8548 or merissa.stith@csuci.edu.

About California State University Channel Islands
CSU Channel Islands (CI) is the only four-year, public university in Ventura County and is known for its interdisciplinary, multicultural and international perspectives, and its emphasis on experiential and service learning. CI’s strong academic programs focus on business, sciences, liberal studies, teaching credentials, and innovative master’s degrees. Students benefit from individual attention, up-to-date technology, and classroom instruction augmented by outstanding faculty research. CI has been designated by the U.S. Department of Education as a Hispanic-Serving Institution and is committed to serving students of all backgrounds from the region and beyond. Connect with and learn more about CI by visiting CI’s Social Media.

Enlarge Photo

Enlarge Photo

Mountain Vista School is proud to give back to the community during the holiday season. A food drive was sponsored by ASB and all classes had the opportunity to participate. All food collected will be donated to a family at Mountain Vista. Pictured are ASB members: President, Mishell Beylik; Vice President, Jasmine Ortiz; Sectetary, Ariana Schieferle; and Treasurer, Natalie Couse.

Mountain Vista ASB sponsored a can food drive this November and December to support the Fillmore Food Share. The school of 570 students collected over 750 cans. The 3rd grade contributed more cans than any other grade. The students fell short of their school-wide goal of 2014 cans, but they are proud that they were able to raise the 750 plus cans. ASB President Emma Myers stated, "It feels great to be able to help families for Christmas." "It was a fun to plan and organize for the can food drive, and It was a big success!" The Mountain Vista ASB is planning other activities for the New Year such as a Pajama Day, Earth Day, and they will help with the Walk-a-thon to raise money for field trips.

Fillmore First 5 Neighborhood for Learning Preschool Program is currently enrolling for 20 afternoon spaces available. Priority to children entering Kindergarten in August 2014 within the Fillmore Unified School District Bounderies. For more information please see Irma Magana at Sespe School Room #2 on Fridays between 11am and 3pm.

The Stuart Foundation recently announced it has approved a $100,000 grant to Ventura County Community College District to support the persistence and college completion of over 700 foster youth enrolled at Moorpark College, Oxnard College, Ventura College, and California State University, Channel Islands. “This grant will have a significant, positive impact on our foster youth students by making it possible for this at-risk population to stay in college and succeed in higher education,” commented Dr. Jamillah Moore, Chancellor, Ventura County Community College District. Board Chair, Art Hernández, added, “We are grateful to the Stuart Foundation for partnering with the District to invest in the future of foster youth in our community. The Board looks forward to accepting the grant funds at its public meeting in January.”

The Stuart Foundation is dedicated to the protection, education, and development of children and youth. The Foundation works toward ensuring that all children grow up in caring families, learn in vibrant and effective schools, and have opportunities to become productive members of their communities.

The Fillmore Flashes are Regional Champions and headed to Nationals. On Saturday, December 7th the Fillmore High School Cheerleading Competition Squad competed at the 2014 JAMZ National Cheerleading Championships at Magic Mountain. The Flashes received First Place in Showcheer and First Place in Sideline Performance Cheer, qualifying them to compete on February 21st for a National Title in Las Vegas, NV. They will compete against other High Schools from across the Nation for the chance of becoming National Champions.

Fillmore Unified School District

FILLMORE UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
REGULAR MEETING OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2013
5:00 P.M. – CLOSED SESSION
6:30 P.M. - REGULAR MEETING
627 SESPE AVENUE, FILLMORE, CALIFORNIA

AGENDA
5:00 p.m.
A. CALL TO ORDER
B. ROLL CALL
C. PUBLIC COMMENT ON CLOSED SESSION AND NONAGENDA ITEMS, PETITIONS
This is the time and place to address the Board. State law prohibits the Board from acting on issues not included on the agenda; however, requests may be made for discussion of specific topics at subsequent meetings. Upon recognition by the President of the Board, please come forward and identify yourself before speaking. The Board of Education reserves the right to limit speaking time to three (3) minutes or less per individual.
D. CLOSED SESSION
The Board of Education will meet from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. to consider matters appropriate for Closed Session in accordance with Government Code §§ 3549.1, 54956.7 through 54957.7 and Education Code § 35146. If the Board does not complete Closed Session discussions at this time, the Board may adjourn to Closed Session at the end of the regular meeting. DISCLOSURE OF ITEM(S) TO BE DISCUSSED IN CLOSED SESSION School District Pupils (Education Code §§ 35146 and 48918)
o Reconsideration and Amendment CONTINUED »

Camarillo, CA - A new grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) will help CSU Channel Islands (CI) students study the effects of wildfire on the area’s ecosystem. The grant funds a collaborative research partnership between CI, UC Santa Barbara and University of Colorado Denver to systematically examine the impacts of wildfire on chaparral and watersheds.

Linda O’Hirok, a lecturer in CI’s Environmental Science & Resource Management program, is leading six students in the project this semester. A main focus of their investigation is Big Sycamore Canyon, which burned during the May 2013 Springs Fire that scorched 24,000 acres and threatened the CI campus. They’re comparing the resilience of the recently-burned landscape with three similar sites in the region: a tributary of Matilija Creek that burned during the July 1985 Wheeler Fire, a tributary of Malibu Creek that burned in 1993, and an unburned tributary in Wildwood Canyon.

“The growing danger of wildfires has increased our need to understand the way watersheds respond,” said O’Hirok. “By studying and measuring the post-fire runoff and erosion at four different sites in four different stages of recovery, we can piece together a compelling story of the short- and long-term effects of wildfire in chaparral environments. This could help us better predict dangers from erosion and flooding after wildfire and guide emergency planning.”

The research is funded CONTINUED »

Fillmore High School is now accepting orders for the 2013-2014 Yearbook. Yearbooks make great holiday gifts. You may purchase a yearbook for only $80 in the Student Store or online at www.jostensyearbook.com. Price will increase to $85 on January 7. Seniors, this is your chance to purchase a lifetime of memories. Don’t miss out -- order now.

Fillmore High School esta aceptado ordenes para libros anuales ‘Copa de Oro” para el ano escolar 2013-2014. Los libros anuales serian un buen regalo. Pueden comprar el libro por $80 en la tienda estudiantil or por el internet el www.jostensyearbook.com. El precio subira a $85 el 7 de enero. Alumno que van a graduar es su oportunidad de comprar recuerdos de toda la vida. No pierdan esta oportunidad.

Fillmore Unified School District

FILLMORE UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
SPECIAL MEETING OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2013
3:45 P.M. – CLOSED SESSION
4:00 P.M. – SPECIAL MEETING – BOARD ROOM
627 SESPE AVENUE, FILLMORE, CALIFORNIA

AGENDA
3:45 p.m.
A. CALL TO ORDER AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG
B. ROLL CALL
C. PUBLIC COMMENT ON CLOSED SESSION AND NONAGENDA ITEMS, PETITIONS
This is the time and place to address the Board. State law prohibits the Board from acting on issues not included on the agenda; however, requests may be made for discussion of specific topics at subsequent meetings. Upon recognition by the President of the Board, please come forward and identify yourself before speaking. The Board of Education reserves the right to limit speaking time to three (3) minutes or less per individual.
D. CLOSED SESSION
The Board of Education will meet from 3:45 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. to consider matters appropriate for closed session in accordance with Government Code §§ 3549.1, 54956.7 through 54957.7 and Education Code § 35146. If the Board does not complete closed session discussions at this time, the Board may adjourn to closed session at the end of this special meeting.
E. DISCLOSURE OF ITEM(S) TO BE DISCUSSED IN CLOSED SESSION Superintendent Transition Labor/Negotiations (Government Code § 54957.6)
o Update; Direction to District Negotiators (Dr. Alan Nishino, Michael Johnson, Todd Schieferle, Margaret Chidester) for negotiations with the Fillmore Unified Teachers Association (FUTA), the California School Employees Association (CSEA), Confidential Employees, and District Administration Personnel Matters (Government Code § 54957)
o Hiring, Evaluating, Discipline, Dismissal, Release, Reassignment, Transfers
4:00 p.m.
F. RECONVENE TO OPEN SESSION Any Action From Closed Session
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need special assistance to participate in this meeting, please contact the Superintendent's Office at (805) 524-6038. Notification 48 hours prior to the meeting will enable the District to make reasonable arrangements to ensure accessibility to this meeting [in accordance with Government Code §54961 and Board Bylaw §9320(a)].
G. PRESENTATION OF PROPOSALS FOR SUPERINTENDENT TRANSITION
Members of the Board will receive presentation proposals for superintendent transition
from the following:
4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. The Cosca Group
5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Dave Long & Associates
6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Leadership Associates
7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Ventura County Office of Education
NOTE: Times are subject to change and may vary based upon length of each presentation.
8:00 p.m.
H. FUTURE MEETINGS
December 17, 2013 5:00 p.m. Closed Session – Board Room
6:30 p.m. Regular Meeting – Board Room
January 7, 2014 5:00 p.m. Closed Session – Board Room
6:30 p.m. Regular Meeting – Board Room
January 21, 2014 5:00 p.m. Closed Session – Board Room
6:30 p.m. Regular Meeting – Board Room
I. BOARD CLOSING COMMENTS AND AGENDA BUILDING
8:15 p.m.
J. ADJOURNMENT