Fillmore High School needs your help! – If you are interested in serving on the FHS School Site Council, please call or email Barbara Lemons at blemons@fillmore.k12.ca.us or 524-6103. Three parent/community members are selected by the parents. Ballots will be sent to parents in the 2013-2014 Registration Packet. Please contact Mrs. Lemons by Monday, June 3, 2013.

Dr. Greg Gillespie has been named the new President of Ventura College effective summer 2013 pending final contract negotiations. With over 19 years’ experience in the community college system, Dr. Gillespie has served as a faculty member, Director, Dean, and Vice President at four different community colleges ranging from rural to urban with direct experience in instruction, administrative services, and student services. Dr. Gillespie is presently Vice President for Instruction and Student Services at Yavapai College in Prescott, Arizona. He will replace the current President of Ventura College, Dr. Robin Calote, who is retiring June 30, 2013.

“I am pleased Dr. Gillespie will be joining us at the District and leading Ventura College,” commented Dr. Jamillah Moore, Chancellor, Ventura County Community College District. “He is a visionary leader with broad experience and has a unique understanding of the challenges facing students and faculty in the community college system of California. I am confident he will serve Ventura College employees and students well with his collaborative and communicative style.”

Dr. Gillespie grew up near Yakima, Washington, and received a Bachelor of Science degree in Agronomy (Crop Science) from Washington State University and Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in the same discipline from North Dakota State University.

Los Olivos, California – May 16, 2013 – California High School Rodeo Association (CHSRA) District 7 today announced qualifiers for the 2013 Junior High School State Finals and 2013 High School State Finals. These annual events provide an opportunity for top performers from each of the nine CHSRA districts to compete at the state level. Top-performing participants at the California state finals qualify to participate in the National High School Finals Rodeo and the National Junior High Finals Rodeo this summer.

“The district’s top five rodeo athletes in each event qualify for state finals, so it’s quite an accomplishment to make the state finals team,” said Ed Hamer, District 7 adult board president. “We’re proud of the hard work and the time these young people have put into their sport, and we know they will do an outstanding job of representing our district in the state competitions.”

CHSRA Junior High State CONTINUED »

AZUSA, CA - Fillmore resident Jacob Zellmer graduated from Azusa Pacific University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biblical Studies on Sat., May 4, 2013, and joined approximately 1,450 graduates at the spring commencement ceremonies.

Azusa Pacific University is an evangelical, Christian university committed to God First and excellence in higher education. With 57 bachelor's degrees, 40 master's degrees, 10 credentials, 9 doctoral programs, and 14 certificates, the university offers its more than 10,000 students a quality education on campus, online, and at seven regional centers throughout Southern California.

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As the Santa Clara River flows 100 miles towards the ocean, it passes through the Fillmore Unified School District’s School Farm property. This year the School District began a program for students to visit the river and learn about this important habitat and resource in the community. The goals of the program are to provide students opportunities to visit and learn about the Santa Clara River, to restore portions of the habitat along the river, and to ultimately increase awareness about the Santa Clara River in the community.

The Santa Clara River Program is funded by a grant from the Santa Clara River Trustee Council in partnership with US Fish and Wildlife Service and California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

This year a total of six teachers and their classes participated in the program: Raymond Barrera, from Piru elementary; Kelly Myers, Tonya Gonzalez and Janet Bergamo from Mountain Vista; Kirk Richter Fillmore High School; and Laura Todis from Sierra High School. Each participating teacher received training at a teacher workshop prior to their trip, and brought their class out to the river for an all-day trip.

On each trip students rotated through about 8 stations set up through out the river bottom. The stations were adjusted to the grade-level standards of the students, and all gave students “hands-on” learning opportunities. For example, at one station students looked through magnifying glasses to identify organisms living in the water. At another station student were taught how to use binoculars and field guides to identify birds. Another station gave students the opportunity to be “citizen scientists” and collect data about plants that was actually submitted to a national database.

Ms. Myers was impressed by how much her 3rd grade students gained from the trip. “It honestly was an amazing trip! I cannot believe all that I learned, let alone what the kids learned.”

Students were enthusiastic about what they learned. A second grade student in Mr. Barrera’s class was impressed with how many native species he learned about. “I learned about native birds, bugs, fish, red-tailed hawks, black phoebes, ravens, and salamanders. I also learned about Arroyo toads, Western pond turtles and Western toads.”

A student in Ms. Gonzalez’s third grade class remarked, “I loved learning about plants that Native Americans use. It was cool because some are medicine if you get sick.” Another student in Ms. Gonzalez’s class summed up his experience: “I learned a lot. The insects were magnificent, the plants were extravagant, and the birds were absolutely extraordinary.”

Ms. Myers was specifically excited about how the trips have changed the way her students are able to talk about science. “Their academic language developed going on this trip. For example, they aren't just saying “the river,” they know it is the “Santa Clara River bottom.” The students are using specific vocabulary instead of general. That is exciting, especially for our English language learners.”

Ms. Todis also noticed that the trips have changed the way her students are engaging with science. “These trips have made science relevant to students. For example, instead of just reading about water quality in the classroom, students have been able to collect water samples from the river and actually conduct lab tests in the field to find out about the pH, nutrient content and organisms that live in the water. Students can see that their results contribute to an important picture about the health of the river in their community.”

Also, Ms. Todis is excited about how the trips introduce students to professional biologists. “Working with Fish and Wildlife has exposed students to career opportunities related to science. Some students have been inspired to pursue related careers.” Next year some high school students will work more closely with the biologists as they help run stations at the field trips for younger groups.

Ultimately, one of the goals for this program is for the students who participate to spread their knowledge about how special the Santa Clara River is. Ms. Myers explains, “The best part is that it is our local river. Because it is right here in the community, many of my students have said that they have gone back there and showed their parents/siblings what they learned.” Ms. Myers experienced this within her own family. “My daughter is in my class, and she thoroughly loved the trip and has educated both my husband and 8th grade son. So funny!”

Next year, the program will be expanding to include at least 9 teachers. Each teacher will participate in one workshop in the fall and will bring their class to the river twice (once in the fall and once in the spring). Next year the program will include a few exciting new elements. For example, students will have an opportunity to participate in restoration of native habitat along the river.

Ms. Todis, who helps coordinate the Santa Clara River Program, is excited about the future of this program. “This program continues to take shape and expand. Fillmore students are lucky to have this opportunity and I look forward to helping more teachers bring their students out to the river next year!”

The front of Fillmore High School has a new look thanks to the talents and efforts of some of its students. Under the guidance of woodshop teacher Mr. Henry Beltran, a team of FHS students embarked on crafting a large version of the Flashes logo. A task that required several months.

Hugo Alberta, one of the students who helped design the newly installed FHS logo, said that he could not wait for his three-month-old nephew to be in high school. "I wanted him to tell his friends that his uncle had something to do with it."

When the logo was complete, it required the District's facilities department to install the logo in front of the main entrance to the campus. Watching his students gingerly remove the panel from a forklift for final placement, Mr. Beltran said that he could see the pride in the his students' eyes.

Fillmore Unified School District

Cancelled and Rescheduled Board Meeting Dates

Cancelled: May 7, 2013 - 6:30 p.m.
Rescheduled: May 14, 2013 – 6:30 p.m.

Cancelled: May 21, 2013 – 6:30 p.m.
Rescheduled: May 28, 2013 – 6:30 p.m.

Cancelled: June 4, 2013 - 6:30 p.m.
Rescheduled: June 11, 2013 - 6:30 p.m.

Cancelled: June 18, 2013 – 6:30 p.m.
Rescheduled: June 25, 2013 – 6:30 p.m.

Fillmore Fire
The District would like to thank the City of Fillmore and Ventura County Fire and Sheriff’s Departments for not only their courageous efforts in fighting the April 8/9 fire but also for keeping us up-to-date throughout the night. The health and safety of our students and staff is of paramount importance to us - the ongoing communication with our Fire and Sheriffs professionals provided us the information we needed to know we could safely hold school on April 9th.

Fillmore Middle School Roofing Update
We are pleased that the FMS Gym Roofing Project is progressing on schedule. The tear-off of the old roof took place during spring break and the installation of the new roof began the week of April 8th with a projected completion date of May 31st. We are also moving forward with the design for the roof replacement that will take place this summer of all the remaining buildings at FMS.

Rio Vista Elementary School Opening
The Superintendent and Governing Board are pleased to announce the opening of Rio Vista Elementary School for the 2013-14 school year. The timing of the opening of Rio Vista ES is opportune in that the District will begin the process of modernizing Sespe ES beginning in the 2013-14 school year as well. District administration presented information about the timeline and proposed elementary boundary modifications to the Governing Board at their April 16th meeting. We will continue to update the community as plans move forward.

Fillmore high school has been very busy preparing for state testing and anticipating the annual prom this semester.

Among the numerous other events that have taken place this month, we had the honor of hosting special guest speaker and comedian Ernie G. He has been featured on Comedy Central and is a renowned Hispanic performer. Ernie G gave a very uplifting and humorous presentation focusing on the importance of valuing the sacrifices parents make to give us the opportunity to be educated. He used personal anecdotes to relate to the kids, reaching out to "the little ghetto in all of us". Students left feeling positive about the upcoming state test, and with a sense of appreciation for our families.

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Now a days cowboys are harder to find, you just need to know where to look. Luckily, on Tuesday April 9th, the kids from Sonshine Preschool in Fillmore were able to spend the day, "A Cowboy Day", out on a farm and meet some cowboys and get up close with some farms animals such as Cows, Pigs and some Turkeys. They all gathered at the Fillmore School Farm to watch demonstrations from real life, award winning cowboys Dustin Noblitt and Val Ericson. Dustin and Val rode their horses, Cam and Moonshine and showed the kids how to rope a steer, how to tack up a horse and even did some rope tricks. Stormy, the miniature horse was also in attendance and was grateful for all the petting he received from the kids. Thanks to Joanna VanWhy, the site director for Sonshine Preschool for setting up an amazing day!

The report is available on the grand jury website: http://portal.countyofventura.org/portal/page/portal/Grand_Jury/Reports/...

California State University Channel Islands

Camarillo, CA - CSU Channel Islands (CI) has been named a “Tree Campus USA” for the first time by the Arbor Day Foundation. The award honors CI for its commitment to forest management and conservation and makes it one of approximately 150 institutions nationwide and the first in the 23-campus CSU system to earn the designation.

Tree Campus USA is a national program created in 2008 to honor colleges and universities for effective campus forest management and for engaging staff and students in conservation goals. CI achieved the title by meeting Tree Campus USA’s five standards, which include maintaining a tree advisory committee, a campus tree-care plan, dedicated annual expenditures toward trees, an Arbor Day observance, and student service-learning projects.

“We are so honored to receive recognition from the Tree Campus USA program,” said Dave Chakraborty, Associate Vice President for Operations, Planning & Construction. “This is an accomplishment that represents just how far our young campus has come. Our Urban Forest Management Plan places sustainability as a top priority. This is vital to our campus' ongoing success, as it provides an ideal environment for research, education, and recreation among the CI community.”

CI’s 1,200-acre campus CONTINUED »

California State University Channel Islands

Camarillo, CA - For the fourth consecutive year, CSU Channel Islands (CI) has earned a place on the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll. The recognition is the highest national honor a university can receive for its commitment to volunteering, service-learning and civic engagement.

The Honor Roll is compiled annually by the Corporation for National and Community Service, a federal government agency that encourages volunteerism and public service, in collaboration with the U.S. Departments of Education and Housing and Urban Development, Campus Compact, and the American Council on Education. CI was one of 690 institutions earning the Honor Roll distinction in 2013.

“We’re pleased to have the community service efforts of our students, staff, faculty and administrators recognized in such a meaningful way,” said President Richard R. Rush. “One of the most important things we can do as a university is educate students to understand that the best leaders are those who serve others.”

Honorees are chosen CONTINUED »

Fillmore Unified School District

We are pleased to announce that the Fillmore USD Governing Board approved the roofing contract for the FMS Gymnasium to Craig’s Roofing Inc. at its March 19, 2013 Board Meeting. The project is scheduled to begin next Monday, April 1, 2013, and be completed by May 31, 2013.

As with any construction project, there will be a certain amount of noise with the project and we ask for the community’s patience and understanding that it is a short-term project scheduled to be completed by the end of May. We selected April 1st as the starting date since it is Spring Break week and therefore all schools are closed – we want to accomplish as much of the tear-off of the old roof as possible during the first week to minimize the impact of the dust and noise. Although the Fillmore USD building projects are under the jurisdiction of the State of California and not the City of Fillmore, we work in close partnership with the City of Fillmore and will observe all guidelines of the local building ordinances regarding construction activity such as daily start and end times, noise level and dust mitigation, etc.

Although we were able to consolidate various Capital Funds to cover the costs of the Gymnasium roofing project, these are one time funds. The State of California has drastically reduced capital funding to school districts and by consolidating the majority of our capital funds for a single large project this leaves us at risk of having to use the District’s General Fund should we experience other capital needs in the future. In fact, as stated previously, the District is pursuing borrowing Capital Funds to re-roof all the other buildings at FMS, which we are planning to do this summer. Although we will repay that loan through Capital Funds if they are available, the General Fund may need to be used in the repayment of the capital borrowing as well as any emergency projects if there are not sufficient Capital Funds available.

We sincerely appreciate the FMS faculty, staff, administration, students and parents as they have worked cooperatively to make the best of a difficult situation. We are pleased that we are able to move forward with the Gymnasium roof replacement and plan for the roof replacement of the other buildings at FMS this summer. If there are any questions or concerns regarding this project please contact C. Earl Davis, Assistant Superintendent, Business Services at 805-524-6018 or at edavis@fillmore.k12.ca.us.

Camarillo, CA - CSU Channel Islands (CI) will host the Fifth Annual Conference for Social Justice in Education, Saturday, April 20, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the Grand Salon. The annual event brings together Ventura County teachers and learners for a day of discussion, sharing, planning and action to promote equal opportunities for learning in our schools.

The conference is free and open to the public. Teachers, students, parents, administrators, counselors, youth advocates, activists, paraprofessionals, and anyone in Ventura County who is concerned about issues of equity, access and accountability in public education are encouraged to attend. Free lunch is included. Participants should register in advance at http://education.csuci.edu/justice-conference/registration.htm.

This year’s theme, “Organizing for Sustainable Change,” highlights the essential process of building a common agenda and creating opportunities for collaborative impact that are sustainable over time. The conference features keynote speaker Dr. Marcos Vargas, founding Executive Director of the Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy (CAUSE) and nationally recognized expert on social justice, community activism and social learning. Afternoon sessions will focus on critical issues such as anti-bullying, special education, childcare, and creating sustainable change in classrooms, schools, and the community. During lunch, participants will hear from a panel of community leaders who have facilitated change in the county, in areas from housing to advocacy for indigenous people.

“Organizing for Sustainable Change” is sponsored by CI’s School of Education, Martin V. Smith School of Business & Economics, the Provost’s Office, Extended University, Arts & Sciences, Center for Integrative Studies, and Instructionally Related Activities fund, along with the Ventura Unified School District and the Ventura County Social Justice Fund.

Free on-campus parking is available. Once on campus, follow the directional signs to the designated parking lot. Free parking is also available at the Camarillo Metrolink Station/Lewis Road parking lot in Camarillo with bus service to and from the campus. Riders should board the CI Vista Bus to the campus; the cash-only fare is $1.25 each way. Buses arrive and depart from the Camarillo Metrolink Station every 30 minutes from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday. For exact times, check the schedule at www.goventura.org.

For more information, visit http://education.csuci.edu/justice-conference or contact Tina Torres at 805-437-8573 or tina.torres@csuci.edu.

About California State University Channel Islands
CSU Channel Islands (CI) is celebrating 10 years of education, innovation, growth and community enrichment during the 2012/2013 academic year. We salute our faculty, staff, students, alumni, supporters, and partners who continue the CI mission of a student-centered education emphasizing international and multicultural perspectives with interdisciplinary and experiential service-oriented learning. 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.

Together, we are solving the problems of today, preparing the leaders and innovators of tomorrow, and contributing to the vitality of higher education.

CSU Channel Islands – A Decade of Distinction

THOUSAND OAKS, CA - California Lutheran University faculty members have received $16,000 in grants for projects that include establishing a bee habitat, launching an international film festival and researching suicide treatment.

The CLU Community Leaders Association awarded a total of eight grants to support faculty projects.

Bryan Rasmussen, an assistant professor of English, received $2,000 to build a small-creatures sanctuary in the CLU SEEd (Sustainable Edible Education) Project Garden. Faculty and students will construct habitats and bring in bees to pollinate, worms to compost and ladybugs to control pests in the garden.

Sheridan Wigginton, chair of department of languages and cultures, received $2,500 to hold the first CLU International Film Festival in 2013-2014. Inspired by the six-year success of the university’s French Film Festival, Wigginton will replace the annual event with one that also features Spanish, Chinese and German films.

Jamie Bedics, director CONTINUED »

THOUSAND OAKS, CA - The following local residents have graduated from California Lutheran University:

Cristal Carrillo of Fillmore graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology in August.

Diana Flores of Fillmore graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology in August.

CLU is a selective university located in Thousand Oaks, Calif., with centers in Oxnard, Woodland Hills and Santa Maria for graduate courses and its Adult Degree Evening Program. With an enrollment of 4,200 students, CLU offers undergraduate and graduate programs within the College of Arts and Sciences, School of Management and Graduate School of Education. Doctoral degrees in educational leadership, higher education leadership and clinical psychology are also offered. Members of the CLU student body come from across the nation and around the world and represent a diversity of faiths and cultures. For more information, visit callutheran.edu.

Camarillo, CA - CSU Channel Islands (CI) invites the public to Dolphinpalooza, a multicultural, family-friendly festival organized by CI students to unite the campus and community in a celebration of diversity.

The event will take place Saturday, April 27, from 3 to 10 p.m. on the South Quad of the CI campus. Admission is free for CI students, staff, faculty and children under 5 and $10 for members of the public. Tickets can be purchased at the event or in advance online at http://spb.csuci.edu/dolphinpalooza.

Dolphinpalooza is an annual festival organized by students for students and the community. This year, in honor of CI’s 10th anniversary, the Student Programming Board teamed up with the Instructionally Related Activities fund and the Provost’s office to create the biggest Dolphinpalooza yet, with a strong multicultural flair. The event will feature bands, DJs, dancing, games, rides, food trucks, face painting, balloon artists, character portraits, sumo wrestling, bungee jumping, chalk murals, an art gallery show, and much more.

The lineup of live performers includes the Celtic rock band the Young Dubliners; the popular 1980s pop music tribute band the Spazmatics; Indie rockers the Bad Suns; DJ Relyt from Q104.7FM; CI’s new 11-piece ensemble, the University Orchestra; the Channel Islands All-Stars, an electric jazz group; the Rio Brasil Samba dancers and drummers; and the Ballet Folklorico de CI.

Complimentary event parking is limited and only available in the designated “A” parking lots. Upon arriving at the campus, follow the directional signage to the event parking. Free parking is also available at the Camarillo Metrolink Station/Lewis Road parking lot with bus service to and from the campus. In order to waive bus fares, riders should present their event registration confirmation when boarding the CI Vista bus; otherwise the cash-only bus fare is $1.25 each way. Buses arrive and depart from the Camarillo Metrolink Station every 30 minutes from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday. For exact times, check the schedule at www.goventura.org.

Individuals needing disability accommodations for the event, should contact the Disability Resource Program at accommodations@csuci.edu or 805-437-3331, at least 14 days in advance.

For more information, visit http://spb.csuci.edu/dolphinpalooza 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 celebrating 10 years of education, innovation, growth and community enrichment during the 2012/2013 academic year. We salute our faculty, staff, students, alumni, supporters, and partners who continue the CI mission of a student-centered education emphasizing international and multicultural perspectives with interdisciplinary and experiential service-oriented learning.

Together, we are solving the problems of today, preparing the leaders and innovators of tomorrow, and contributing to the vitality of higher education.

CSU Channel Islands – A Decade of Distinction