California State University Channel Islands

Camarillo, CA - CSU Channel Islands (CI) will graduate over 1,300 students at the University’s tenth-annual Commencement ceremony scheduled for Saturday, May 19 at 9 a.m. Students eligible to receive degrees or credentials include candidates from fall 2011, spring and summer 2012. A live Web streaming of the ceremony will be available by visiting: http://go.csuci.edu/live.

The University expects more than 10,000 guests to attend the event. Students, family and guests who obtained Commencement parking permits should arrive at the campus via the new entrance road, University Drive, and are strongly encouraged to arrive early to allow sufficient time for parking, student check-in and guest seating.

For additional information visit: http://www.csuci.edu/commencement/index.htm.

MASTERS

Rudy Alvarado, Norma Arquilevich, CONTINUED »

Fillmore High School and Mountain Vista Elementary unite again on Friday, April 30, 2012 for a fun filled rally to motivate the students to “keep their heads” in the game for the Star Testing this week. The two ASB’s worked together developing a rally that combined both awards and games. They came up with a Hollywood theme that included a red carpet, escorts wearing ties and sunglasses and games. The high school ASB has worked with the Mountain Vista ASB this year mentoring them and presenting themselves as good role models for the younger kids to follow. Everyone, including the teachers at Mountain Vista were really into the rally pumping the kids up to reach their goal of 800 this year. Mountain Vista ASB (l-r): Jared Schieferle, Nicolas Herrera, Andrea Marrufo, and Ariana Schieferle, and FHS ASB (l-r): Mario Hernandez, Adrian Rangel, Kaytee Magana, Wildcat Mascot (Kayla Grove), Ashley Coert, Ana Morino, Anissa Magdaleno and Collin Farrar.

Camarillo, CA - An $8,000 grant will enable CSU Channel Islands (CI) junior Laura Milbrandt to spend her summer researching a protein that has been linked to a variety of cancers.

The biology major from Ventura recently learned that she was one of 25 students in the 23-campus CSU system to win a CSUPERB Presidents’ Commission Scholar Award. The new grant aims to encourage students’ interest in biotechnology careers by financially supporting their biotechnology-related laboratory-, field-, clinic- or community-based summer research.

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California State University Channel Islands

Camarillo, CA - CSU Channel Islands (CI) will host a symposium examining how businesses can help solve environmental and community problems on Thursday, May 31, from 7:30 a.m. to noon in Malibu Hall.

The event, “Emerging Business Models for Social and Environmental Sustainability,” is a joint presentation of the California Institute for Social Business (CISB) at CI and CAUSE (Coastal Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy) Triple Bottom Line Business Network. The two organizations are working together to educate the business community about the benefits of social business – often described as “enlightened capitalism” – which emphasizes the importance of social and environmental sustainability in achieving profit and financial goals.

The symposium will highlight groundbreaking examples of social business and offer new and existing businesses insight into how they can use the power of business to alleviate problems in our community and environment. Participants will have the opportunity to learn about cutting-edge social business models and engage with panelists and other participants. Speakers from Patagonia, B Corporation, Grameen Caldas, Montecito Bank and Trust, Women’s Economic Ventures, CAUSE TBL Network, and the CISB will be featured.

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Fillmore Unified School District

SPECIAL MEETING OF THE ALTERNATIVE GOVERNANCE BOARD
WEDNESDAY, MAY 9, 2012
8:30 A.M. CLOSED SESSION
11:00 A.M. SPECIAL MEETING
627 SESPE AVENUE, FILLMORE, CALIFORNIA
BOARD ROOM

AGENDA
8:30 A.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 Alternative Governance Board reserves the right to limit speaking time to three (3) minutes or less per individual.
D. CLOSED SESSION
The Alternative Governance CONTINUED »

ALL PARENTS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS ARE WELCOME TO ENJOY AN EVENING WITH STAFF, STUDENTS, AND COMMUNITY AT FILLMORE HIGH SCHOOL

DATE: Wednesday, May 9, 2012
TIME: 6:30 – 8:00
BBQ: 4:30 – 6:00 - Cafeteria

Come Join Us For Our 3rd Annual
Cinco de Mayo Festival
Where: At Sespe School
When: May 4th
Time: From 4 to 7pm
We will have traditional Mexican food for sale, traditional aguas frescas, Ballet Folklorico and the special appearance of Banda La Mas Picosa, Banda Chile Verde- and much more!
ELAC-Wear your Mexican Attire to participate in our dress up contest!

Fillmore Unified School District

FILLMORE UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
REGULAR MEETING OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION
TUESDAY, MAY 1, 2012
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 Sections 3549.1, 54956.7 through 54957.7 and Education Code Section 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)
o Expulsion Case Number 11-12-4
o Expulsion Case Number 11-12-13
o Expulsion Case Number 11-12-17 Labor/Negotiations (Government Code 54957.6)
o Update; Direction to District Negotiators (Dr. Alan Nishino, Dr. Michael Bush, 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 Public Employee Performance Evaluation: Superintendent (The Board and
Superintendent meet periodically to provide feedback to one another concerning
the achievement of goals.)
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)].

6:30 p.m.
E. RECONVENE TO OPEN SESSION Any Action From Closed Session
F. CALL TO ORDER AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG
G. PUBLIC COMMENT ON AGENDA ITEMS AND NONAGENDA ITEMS, PETITIONS
This is the time and place to address the school 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.
6:45 p.m.
H. COMMUNICATIONS Student Representative’s Report Superintendent’s Report
I. INFORMATION/DISCUSSION
1. High School Graduation Exercises
7:00 p.m.
J. CONSENT ITEMS (Corresponding to numbers 2-8)
Items on the Consent Agenda are considered routine and will be enacted by a single motion. None of the items will be discussed unless a Board Member or member of the audience requests discussion.
2. Approve Minutes:
a. Regular Board Meeting Held April 3, 2012
b. Regular Board Meeting Held April 17, 2012
3. Approve Personnel Order 11-12-14
4. Donations
5. Obsolete Items
6. Contracts
7. Approve Request for Overnight Field Trip from Fillmore Middle School for
Bi-Annual Trip to Washington DC on February 16, 2013 to February 23, 2013
8. Approve Request for Overnight Field Trip from Jennifer Weir for Students to
Attend the Sacramento Speech and Debate State Tournament on May 4, 2012 to
May 6, 2012
K. ACTION
9. Approve Consideration and Adoption of the Proposed Decision Regarding Reduction or Discontinuance of Particular Kinds of Service Pursuant to Education Code Sections 44949 and 44955 (Materials will be provided)
7:30 p.m.
L. STUDENT DISCIPLINE
10. Student Expulsions
8:00 p.m.
M. FUTURE MEETINGS
May 15 5:00 p.m. Closed Session – Board Room
6:30 p.m. Regular Meeting – Board Room
June 5 5:00 p.m. Closed Session – Board Room
6:30 p.m. Regular Meeting – Board Room
June 19 5:00 p.m. Closed Session – Board Room
6:30 p.m. Regular Meeting – Board Room
N. BOARD CLOSING COMMENTS AND AGENDA BUILDING
8:15 p.m.
O. ADJOURNMENT

Tammy Rivera-Tubbs

THOUSAND OAKS, CA - California Lutheran University will hold its Graduate Commencement Ceremony in the new William Rolland Stadium at 4 p.m. Friday, May 11.

As of April 26, 495 students are eligible to receive master’s or doctoral degrees at the ceremony.

Tammy Rivera-Tubbs, a Moorpark resident receiving a doctorate in educational leadership, will speak on behalf of her fellow doctoral students. Rivera-Tubbs, whose parents both dropped out of high school when her mother got pregnant, became pregnant herself at 16. With her parents’ help and support, she graduated from high school. After serving in the United States Air Force for 10 years, she became a special education teacher and currently teaches in the Oxnard School District. She earned master’s degrees in special education and educational administration and has worked as a middle school teacher, dean of at-risk students and summer school assistantprincipal. The happily married mother of six children aged 15 to 29 will watch one daughter graduate from CLU on May 12 and another graduate from StanfordUniversity in June.

Antonia Caro, a single mother of a 6-year-old son, will speak on behalf of the students receiving master’s degrees. The Oxnard resident graduated from Hueneme High School and earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from California State University, Northridge. Six years later, she was working as a bartender when she decided to go back to school to earn a Master of Science in counseling psychology.

James O’Toole, the first Daniels Distinguished Professor of Business Ethics at the University of Denver, will address the graduates and receive an honorary doctor of laws degree. In 2007, the editors of Ethisphere named O’Toole one of the most influential people in business ethics and Leadership Excellence magazine rated him among the top 100 thought leaders on leadership. He has written 18 books including “Transparency: How Leaders Create a Culture of Candor,” “The New American Workplace” and his latest, “Good Business.” A Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University, O'Toole has served as a special assistant to the Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare, editor of The American Oxonian magazine, and executive vice president of the Aspen Institute.

Camarillo, CA - The Nursing Program at CSU Channel Islands (CI) will welcome 26 graduates into the profession and reaffirm the commitment of 24 others with a pinning ceremony on Saturday, May 5, at 10 a.m. at the Broome Library on the CI campus.

The pinning ceremony is a time-honored tradition that originated more than 1,000 years ago when Hospitaller knights wore pins in the shape of a cross under their armor. The pins represented service in the care of knights fallen in battle. Today, the pinning tradition continues as a rite of passage for nursing program graduates.

“Pinning is a special moment that marks the beginning of every nurse’s career,” said Dr. Karen Jensen, Director of the Nursing Program at CI. “The nursing pin represents the culmination of years of hard work and sacrifice on the part of the graduating nursing students and also welcomes the students to the profession.”

CI has made the tradition even more personal by allowing the graduates to select family members, mentors or other special individuals to present them with their pins. As the student walks to the stage to be pinned, a nursing faculty member will read a personal message written by the student to their family, instructors and fellow graduates.

RN–BSN graduate Debbie Gorman, who began her nursing career at Moorpark College, chose a lifelong friend and nurse who inspired her own path in nursing to pin her.

“I think pinning is a great honor,” Gorman said. “It is a ceremony specific to nursing and celebrates the completion of a long journey. It also allows a mentor to get the opportunity to symbolically pass their blessing and knowledge onto you by pinning you.”

CI opened its Nursing Program in Camarillo in 2007 and recently expanded to offer a nursing bachelor’s degree in Goleta in partnership with Cottage Health System. In a few short years, CI’s program has become highly competitive and renowned for its research and evidence-based curriculum. The Nursing Program offers a traditional four-year bachelor’s degree in nursing as well as a fast-track program, plus the traditional ADN–BSN programs that allow students who have completed their prerequisite courses to receive their BSN and RN certification in as little as 14 to 22 months.

The pinning ceremony will include remarks from CI President Richard Rush and Glenda Cox, Chief Nursing Officer at Los Robles Hospital and Medical Center. Awards will be presented to students for outstanding volunteer service, academic performance and clinical work.

“The pinning ceremony is much more significant to me compared to graduation,” said graduate Kathleen Chase. “The intimacy of the ceremony, combined with the meaning of being pinned, allows for my family and friends to understand why nursing is so important to me. While I am excited to celebrate with all of the other degree candidates at graduation, there is nothing better than celebrating my achievements with the people I cherish the most – my classmates.”

For more information, contact Cheryl Sund, Administrative Support Coordinator, at 805-437-2691 or cheryl.sund@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.

Continuing with its commitment to offer quality higher education opportunities in Ventura County, the University of La Verne is unveiling its relocated Ventura Regional Campus with a grand opening celebration on Thursday, May 3.

La Verne President Devorah Lieberman, City of Oxnard Mayor Thomas Holden and Ventura College President Robin Calote will host the 5 p.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony, followed by light refreshments and an open house, located on the 10th floor of the City National Bank Tower, at 500 East Esplanade Drive, Suite 1000, Oxnard, CA 93036.

In December, the campus relocated from an 8,000-square-foot facility to a 10,000-square-foot space, which allowed for larger classrooms that feature new instructional technology, including integrated computer equipment. Additionally, the new space features a student lounge, campus-wide wireless Internet and new furnishings to offer an enhanced professional study environment.

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I’m pleased to announce that this past Saturday, April 21, from 8am – 8pm at Rio Vista school in Oxnard, Fillmore had 19 students in grades 6th - 12th participate in the 9th annual regional Migrant Speech & Debate tournament! There were a total of 150 migrant students competing from around the county of Ventura. Fillmore did exceptionally well as we had 15 of the 19 students place in either 1st, 2nd or 3rd place for speech or debate! Ten of those students were first place winners and several students were double winners (both in prepared and extemporaneous speech). This year, Fillmore’s HS debate team was among the first place winners! Therefore, alltogether Fillmore left the tournamnet with 24 trophies and representing Piru School, Fillmore Middle School, and Fillmore High School.

The 10 first place winners (5 speech and the HS debate team) will be competing in the 2nd annual state tournament held in Sacramento over the weekend of May 4, 5, and 6.

I’d like to give a big thank you to their coaches: Jennifer Fitzpatrick (FHS), Nancy Kirkpatrick (FHS), Jenny Bortins (FMS), Jennifer Beal (FMS), and Mary Schroepfer (PIRU). In addition, Maria Gonzalez (Migrant office) spent the day helping support our students and John Wilber (FHS) came by to visit and watch the debate team compete in their final debate for the day.

In my 7th year of being involved with Fillmore’s Migrant Speech and Debate tournament, it was a great pleasure watching so many of our migrant students excel and finish well!

Jennifer Weir is Special Populations Student Support Coordinator for Fillmore Unified School District

Camarillo, CA - CSU Channel Islands (CI) has launched a new program that offers aspiring teachers a chance to develop their skills while making large-enrollment math and science courses more intimate and interactive.

The Learning Assistant (LA) Program, modeled on a nationally acclaimed program at the University of Colorado at Boulder, launched at CI this spring. The program pairs math and biology instructors with talented math and biology students in a collaborative teaching effort.

“The LA Program gives our most promising math and science students a flavor for what it’s like to be a teacher and, hopefully, encourages them to continue on that path,” said Dr. Jeanne Grier, Professor of Secondary Education and Director of the CI Math and Science Teacher Initiative, who introduced the LA program on campus. “It also provides instructors with an added resource for engaging students – a fellow student who has a strong grasp of math or science and who can share their knowledge with peers in a very approachable way.”

The LA gains CONTINUED »

Dr. Sean Anderson and fellow scientists offer new insights on BP oil spill and recovery efforts in publication on disaster’s second anniversary

Camarillo, CA - As the nation observes the second anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on April 20, a national panel of researchers is offering a new understanding of what happened, how to manage such events in the future, and why existing tools were inadequate.

Dr. Sean Anderson, Associate Professor of Environmental Science & Resource Management at CSU Channel Islands (CI), created and co-led the team of 22 renowned scientists in constructing the first complete conceptual model for understanding the Deepwater Horizon and how such spills should be handled in the future. Their findings are published in the May issue of the journal Bioscience in an article entitled, “A Tale of Two Spills: Novel Science and Policy Implications of an Emerging New Oil Spill Model.” The group’s work was funded by the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS), a research center of the of the University of California, Santa Barbara, supported by the National Science Foundation. The Center uses data-driven, cross-disciplinary research to address important issues in ecology and delivers that information to researchers, resource managers and policy makers.

The Deepwater Horizon CONTINUED »

Camarillo, CA - Instead of spending her spring break lounging on the beach, CI senior Jessica Cortez joined 14 of her fellow students to help rebuild aquaculture oyster farms in a Japanese village devastated by last year’s earthquake and tsunami.

Senior Ivett Plascencia headed to New Orleans to restore wetlands and create community food gardens for areas affected by Hurricane Katrina and the BP oil spill.

And junior Suki Fukumoto went to Detroit to meet with auto industry executives and learn how U.S. car manufacturers are rebuilding and innovating.

Their spring break trips were actually service and travel learning experiences that form the basis for three innovative CSU Channel Islands courses. The courses are aimed at helping students gain a first-hand understanding of complex world problems and the skills and dedication to help solve them.

“It was eye-opening,” said Cortez, a biochemistry major. “I did not know much about Japanese culture before taking this class and I now have a profound appreciation for the people and the culture. It was extremely gratifying to be able to contribute to something greater by helping the local oyster fisherman revive their business and encouraging them to have the strength to carry on in their recovery efforts.”

On Tuesday, April 24, from 4 to 7 p.m. in CI’s Broome Library, more than 40 students who participated in the trips will share their experiences, insights and discoveries with the campus community. The students’ poster presentations will address topics ranging from how to promote eco-tourism in tsunami-stricken areas of Japan to levee failures, automotive production and jazz.

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