San Cayetano is having its annual Science Fair and Family Science Night on Thursday, April 14th, 2001. All of our fourth and fifth grade students will be doing science fair projects. We are inviting everyone to come and judge this event. There is no prerequisite. You do not need to be a science teacher. Please think about donating your time, even if you can only judge 2 or 3 projects. When our students see other teachers and community members judging and taking an interest in their work, it helps them to have more pride in their projects.

We will begin the judging at 12:35 and end around 3:00. Again, you do not need to commit to the entire time.

Please let us know if you are willing and able to join in our event.
Thanks so much,
Brandi Walker
San Cayetano School

California Department of Education (CDE)

SACRAMENTO, CA. — The California Department of Education (CDE) today issues this week’s Education Roundup featuring education-related announcements of public interest.

California School Bullying Prevention Awareness Month
Assembly Concurrent Resolution 22 introduced by Assembly Member Ben Hueso (D-Chula Vista) is proposing that March be California School Bullying Prevention Awareness Month. Almost 35 percent of youth in the nation are involved in bullying each year, either as a perpetrator or victim. About 8 percent of pupils in kindergarten through grade 12 miss at least one day of school every month due to a fear of being bullied. Bullying may take many forms, including verbal, physical, and psychological abuse, and can happen in many places on and off school grounds, as well as through electronic means. Students with special needs are especially vulnerable and are at greater risk of experiencing bullying on a daily basis.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Torlakson urges everyone to recognize that, “Bullying is not acceptable behavior, and schools must strive every day to make the environment safe and secure for all students.”

The CDE adopted in 2001 a policy on bullying prevention designed to help students, parents, and school staff develop a coordinated, systemic approach to bullying prevention. For more information on bullying prevention, go to http://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/ss/se/bullyingprev.asp.

CollegeWeekLive Event Returns
High school students, parents, and guidance counselors are invited to attend the free online college fair called CollegeWeekLive SPRING that features more than 300 colleges and universities from across the country and world. People can take virtual tours of campuses, see live video presentations from admissions experts, and hear about college life from current students. The event on March 23-24, 2011, also has presentations from the U.S. Department of Education Office of Financial Aid, CollegeBoard, The Common Application, ACT, Inc., and The Princeton Review. Families can learn about financial aid and scholarships, get admissions advice from experts, and how to write a college application essay. For more information, please visit http://www.collegeweeklive.com/.

The California Department of Education (CDE) is a state agency led by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson. For more information, please visit http://www.cde.ca.gov or by mobile device at http://m.cde.ca.gov/. You may also follow Superintendent Torlakson on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/TorlaksonSSPI.

Camarillo, CA. - CSU Channel Islands (CI) has received approval from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) to launch two new degrees in its two Santa Barbara locations – a bachelor of science in business and a master’s in business administration offered through the Martin V. Smith School of Business & Economics. The business and MBA programs will both be offered in fall 2011.

William P. Cordeiro, Director of the MVS School of Business & Economics, said, “Now that we have received WASC approvals, we look forward to offering Santa Barbara students these educational opportunities to advance their careers.”

CI’s business degree completion program will be offered at Santa Barbara City College (SBCC) and the MBA program will be offered at the Goleta facility sponsored by Cottage Health Systems.

Additionally, a bachelor of science degree in Nursing will also be offered at the Goleta site in spring 2012.

The WASC approval comes as a result of years of planning by CI to fulfill their mandate of serving their entire region including the Santa Barbara community, and embodies the kind of partnership between community colleges and the California State University that is intended at the state-wide level. SBCC students will for the first time be able to continue their studies in business right on their own campus.

For further information about the business programs visit http://business.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.

THOUSAND OAKS, CA. - A dedication for the new $2 million Fredrickson Family Early Childhood Center at California Lutheran University will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, March 25.

Children from the center will perform and donors will be honored during the ceremony, which is open to the public. Afterward, people can take self-guided tours.

The 4,738-foot facility provides more than double the space of the renovated house where the center had been located. It has an infant room and laundry, which will enable teachers to care for six babies in addition to the 50 toddlers and preschoolers they can currently serve. The kitchen has a child-sized island that will allow teachers to provide hands-on cooking and baking experiences for the children. Unlike the former location, the new center has a workroom and patio for teachers and classrooms that have bathrooms and open directly onto the playground.

The fenced play yard was designed with assistance from Nature Explore, a research-based program that helps children engage with the natural world as a part of learning. The yard provides opportunities for children to climb tree-like structures, dig in the garden, play with water and climb rocks.

The center is located on Campus Drive north of Olsen Road, a more easily accessible area closer to campus than its current location. The center is across the street from University Village retirement community and staff members plan to develop intergenerational programming so the seniors and children can interact.

The Overton and Fredrickson families, which include CLU alumni, provided the primary donation for the center. Donations and grants from individuals and organizations, including the Ahmanson Foundation of Beverly Hills, covered the rest of the cost. CLU Regent Joan Young and her husband, Richard Young, of Westlake Village donated $25,000 in memory of their daughter, Lisa, who recently died. Lisa loved giving children books and there will be a Lisa’s Corner in each room where children can go to read.

The new center replaces a house that was supposed to be a temporary location when the program started in 1974. It was often referred to as the House on the Hill in the early years because of its location just below Mt. Clef Ridge. A CLU student started the program as a master’s degree project and the School of Educated operated it for many years as a training program for leaders in early childhood education. It offered innovative programs and became a model for other childhood learning centers. While the School of Education no longer oversees the center, CLU students from various disciplines conduct observations at the center to study topics ranging from motor development to language acquisition. The popular program serves CLU employees as well as community members.

"I can teach you how to be a good teacher, but I can't teach you how to care" - Anthony Smith, Principal.

Just check out this article and watch the news segment. What a great example of leadership on site. This strong leader had 9 years to create this change. Consistent quality leadership.
"Failure is not an option"

I like the story of the partnership between local business and the school to motivate and hold student accountable. When they know folks are watching and paying attention they will rise to meet the expectations.

95% graduation rate with nearly 100% of graduates going to college.
If they can do it, so can we.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/PersonOfWeek/principal-turns-school-student-tim...

*** Take the School Matters Survey: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/G3MZ3CL ***

So right now not only are we focused on the events in Japan, which I hope we can all find on a map, but the events in the middle east are pulling the world's attention as well.

Do you know where the country of Georgia is?
What about Israel?
Do you know where Turkmenistan is ?
What about Syria?

Here is a great little "game" to test your knowledge. What about your kids? Do they know where Iraq is? What is your score? (Mine was 65% although I think that they don't take away points for mistakes, because I made a bunch of them)

There is a great PDF for Teachers of the maps with question sheets as well.

http://www.ilike2learn.com/ilike2learn/MidEast.html

**Take the School Matters Survey, Tell me what you want to know about: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/G3MZ3CL***

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Ventura County Public Health is working with VUSD to promote healthier and greener options for groups that fundraise. They are hosting a FREE event for groups who want to find out about fundraising options that include healthy and green options. Perfect for PTO's, Booster Clubs, Athletic teams or any group that does fundraising for youth related activities.

What: Healthy & Green Fundraiser Showcase... A FREE EVENT!

When: April 14, 2011 4:00 - 7:00pm

Where: Ventura County Office of Education-Camarillo

Full Press Release:

HEALTHY AND GREEN FUNDRAISER SHOWCASE
Thursday, April 14, 4:00 – 7:00
Ventura County Office of Education Conference Center
5100 Adolfo Road, Camarillo

A showcase of healthy and environmentally green fundraising ideas, activities and vendors is scheduled for Thursday, April 14, 2011 from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm, at the Ventura County Office of Education Conference Center at 5100 Adolfo Road in Camarillo. This inaugural event is co-sponsored by the Advocates for a Lifestyle of Exercise and Nutrition in Ventura County (A LEAN VC) and the Ventura Unified School District Healthy Schools Project. Parent, teachers, students, administrators, coaches and the community at large are invited and welcome to attend this free event.

This showcase will model and demonstrate a variety of vendor products that are not only healthy and/or environmentally green, but are also popular products that will sell well and bring in much needed funds for parent groups, booster clubs and other youth-serving organizations. Many of our youth serving organizations are not only facing reduced revenues from fundraising, but also an increased focus on providing our youth with healthy and environmentally appropriate activities and products. Also highlighted will be examples of successful fundraiser activities that don’t involve selling a product that have been implemented by teachers, parent groups and coaches throughout Ventura County.

Several guest speakers will also present information at the Healthy & Green Fundraiser Showcase, including local Ventura County pro-surfer, Mary Osborne. There will be a balance of emphasis on both health and wellness and healthy environments – how to make money for your organization while helping the community stay healthy and clean! “The committee has worked hard to bring in local vendors and products to this event as we recognize the importance of local involvement in nutrition, wellness and the environment” said Anne Thille, Project Director of the Ventura Unified School District Healthy Schools Project.

“Visitors are welcome to come by anytime between 4:00 and 7:00 to visit vendor booths, hear our distinguished guest speakers and gather information about many of the available healthy and green fundraisers” said Nancy Maxson, the event coordinator. The first 100 visitors will receive a reusable bag to gather materials and information. In addition, each person will receive a ticket for a series of drawings that will be held throughout the event with prizes donated by participating vendors.

There is no charge to attend and everyone is welcome. For more information or to become a vendor, please contact Nancy Maxson at (805) 641-5000 ext. 1135. For more information on A LEAN VC, please contact www.healthyventuracounty.org .

By Kimberly Rivers

Now is the time of year when parents realize that they are running late if they haven’t registered for kindergarten and if they are wanting to make a change for older kids they need to make some phone calls now. Over the past few months I have chatted with parents throughout Ventura County about schools, education and what they look for in a school for their child. And the common thread through all these discussions is that there is no one school that is perfect for every child, but that parents are seeking the school that works for their son or daughter. But what do they look for?

Some Things to consider (not necessarily in order of importance, each family knows what is most important for them):
-Academics/State rankings
-Experience level of teachers (prospective parents should be able to visit classrooms when in session, contact the principal to set up a day to visit)
-Services for students with special needs
-Programs/services for non native english speakers & assessment
-School environment (visit the campus when school is in session, and out. How does staff respond? What does the campus "feel" like?
-District environment (attend a school board meeting, meet with the superintendent)
-Matriculation (remember to check middle school and high school. Elementary parents sometimes forget to visit these schools as it may be years before their child attends them.)
-Athletics
-Student Assessment (some districts only rely on state tests, while others conduct their own periodic assessments based on district benchmarks)
-Music & Art programs
-Quality of School Counselors
-Credentials of Teachers, Principals
-Focus of curriculum (magnet school, focus, charter)
-Parent Involvement Encouraged
-Technology used in teaching
.... and so on...

Academics surely play an important role. Every parent wants their child to attend a school that will provide a quality foundation for learning, achievement and success throughout their lives. Schools and districts are scrambling to meet state requirements with ever shrinking budgets. Some schools are making it happen. Recently in FUSD we’ve heard board members ask District staff what the district needs to do in order to attract students. Having a quality program was the response. Yes, I agree with that. But for many parents, myself included the environment and culture of the district is equally if not more important.

Parents want to know that they and their child are welcomed at the school and not only when they are happy but especially when they have a complaint or concern. For several years this has been a struggle of FUSD. Some parents and staff report feeling that FUSD is a hostile environment for anyone who has questions or concerns. Over recent months the school board has heard from several parents expressing these feelings and seems either unwilling or unable to make any real changes, give any directives to staff, or even add an item on the agenda to discuss it. One way that the Board could make a change is to bring more of it’s business into the light of day. Recently the Board voted to approve the recommended action of serving notices on many staff members that they may not have a job next year. Yes, this is needed now because no one knows what is going to happen with the state budget. BUT, the Board made this vote in less than two minutes. No discussion. No questions. No mention of how it might actually affect the students. What is this year’s motto? Oh yes, “Students First”. Now I am sure that Board members made phone calls, had meetings and gathered info on their own time, but what they continually fail to do is report these findings to the public when the item is on the agena. The main reason they are sitting at that table is to hold public meetings in order to report on the processes they are involved in while making decisions. The public has the perception, and I think rightly so, that the Board is making it’s decisions before it sits down at Board meetings. This is not the way for a publicly elected body to conduct business. It is legally required and ethically necessary to have these discussions, provide information and explain their positions in an open and transparent manner to the public. If it’s on the agenda for open session the discussion MUST take place in front of the public. Remember that not only is the Board ultimately responsible for the District acting in a legal and forthright manner in ALL things, but also it is also responsible for the publics’ perception of how it does business. It appears that when a parent, staff member or resident perceives a level of deception the Board blames that person, instead of asking “How can we conduct business in a way to improve the publics perception?” the Board has the power to alter the way it conducts business and bring it out into the light of day. Board reports are not intended to inform the public about dinners, basketball games and art shows, but for the Board members to report on issues of concern, what are they doing about the issues that are brought to them. Ms. Rangel, you have tried to get AR on the agenda and you don’t seem to have support from fellow board member or staff, so prepare your own report and present during “Board Reports”. Mr. Garnica, you have asked staff about test scores (state and AP) you can find all this info online and report it promptly during “Board Reports”. (Sidebar: I do want to commend Mr. Garnica on actually having the where-with-all to want to see the actual contract the Board was recently asked to enter into. The actual text was not included in the packet prepared by staff. He and Ms. Rangel objected to entering into the contract "site unseen". I think that may be the only 3-2 vote of the school board in recent memory.) The public wants the Board to show leadership and get those administrators that sit around you to demonstrate why taxpayers should continue to pay their salaries. If you have questions, ask them in those public meetings, and don’t let them off the hook by saying “Don’t answer this now”. I think that the School Board changing the way it conducts business would do wonders for the publics perception.

Tearing down fences. FUSD has spent tens of thousands of dollars to put up fences around the schools. The idea is that this is for safety, and surely it is appropriate at many places on a school campus, around play areas and ball fields for example. But how does it make you feel when you walk onto a campus closed in by iron fences? I don’t know about you, but I feel like I’m walking into a prison. Have you ever walked onto a high school that does not have these fences? They are getting rare, but they do exist. Try it sometime. Imagine you are a student, which campus would you prefer? And I will suggest that this holds true whether the student is an “A” student or one who’s GPA is less than ideal. I have asked our local law enforcement officials to comment on the use of fences around school, and whether or not it has reduced crime on campuses, I expect their response soon. Piru Elementary alone has received over $19,000.00 in new fences this year, and I’ve asked about whether or not there were incidents that warranted those fences. Perhaps our community is a place where prison-like fences are needed around schools. If so, it makes you think. Is that the community you want your kids attending school in?

Parent Involvement Opportunities. My son attends school in a different district. A major reason for that is the environment on campus and throughout the district. When we go on campus, at his school, the middle school, or the high school, we are greeted with “hellos” and smiles. We feel welcomed. My experience on FUSD campuses is quite different. Parents I have spoken with share similar reports. They do not feel welcomed when they come onto campus. A school can offer many so called opportunities for parents to volunteer and help, but if parents don't feel comfortable and welcomed, they won't come. This seems like common sense. The experience of a welcoming environment is an intangible and sometimes hard to articulate experience, but it starts with culture. What kind of culture does this district cultivate when it comes to parental involvement? What kind of feeling do parents get when they call the office? Are they ever thanked for bringing something to the attention of administrators?

Choosing a school involves many things. Quality academics are just one aspect. I continue to hope that the FUSD school board will soon begin to model the type of open and accountable culture that the public has been asking for. Maybe then the district won’t have to worry so much about declining enrollment and will be able to lure students from other districts.

Next week: Transfer Options for Families in Ventura County

Tobacco Bus Day 2: Docents – Dillon Galarza, Maria Lopez Garcia, Leslie Pizzano, Sarai Vargas, Jennifer Vega, Alistina Vasquez (Phu Pham, RN & George Arce, Public Health Educator)
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Tobacco Bus Day 1: Docents – Jenessa Barraza, Dalton Data, Joe Giunta, Anthony Morales, Alexis Roldan, Michael Thompson (Phu Pham, RN & George Arce, Public Health Educator)
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The Tobacco Bus of Horrors is provided through Ventura County Public Health Tobacco Education to our 6th graders in Ventura County. Phu Pam, RN and George Arce, Public Health Educator coordinate with FMS School Counselor, Ronda Reyes-Deutsch to share the horrors of tobacco use! And even though the County funding keeps shriveling up (Last year permitted to drive 6,000 miles and this year down to only 1,000 miles), they still keep coming back to Fillmore Middle School.

The Tobacco Bus of “Horrors” objective is to prevent future tragedies such as mouth and throat cancer, lung cancer, emphysema and even death!

All the 6th graders get to participate in the tours led by their peers. (6th grade docents are trained the morning of the tour.) The converted 1980’s school bus has been hand-painted with pictures that tell stories on the outside and on the inside all students get to walk through the mouth of a smoker! “Pretty gross!”
This program supports our youth making positive/healthy choices in their lives and how to use this information to help their family members who may already be addicted to the nicotine. There are over 4,000 chemicals in a cigarette. Some of those chemicals are poisonous such as arsenic, insecticides, formaldehyde and of course the by-product of smoke, carbon-monoxide.

Here are three important phone numbers that are shared during the Tobacco Bus tour: 800-5-ASK-4-ID. If someone sees a store clerk selling to a minor, they can make an anonymous call to report the illegal sale of tobacco (cigarettes, cigars, chewing tobacco).

800-NO-BUTTS. This is the California Smokers Help Line which is a free service to help people quit smoking.
201-STOP. The Ventura County Public Health offers free classes to anyone in Ventura County to help them stop smoking. They also provide “free” nicotine patches to help those going through withdrawals.

Tour Dates: Tuesday, March 8th and Wednesday, March 9th 2011

Thank you Tobacco Bus of Horrors!

Camarillo, CA. - For the second year CSU Channel Islands (CI) is hosting the STEM EXPO, entitled “Exploration of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Careers”, at the Ventura County Science Fair on Wednesday, April 6, 2011. The Science Expo will run from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the Agricultural Building at the Ventura County Fairgrounds.

The growing list of local science/technology companies and other guests currently includes: Aera Energy; Amgen; Associates Insectary; California Oil Museum; Channel Islands National Park; CREEC Network Ventura County/VCCRD; Department of Conservation Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources; Lockheed Martin; Santa Barbara Botanical Garden and Solar World, who will offer hands-on opportunities for middle and high school students to learn about the science that each one is involved in.

There will also be a portable planetarium from the Discovery Center with 30-minute rotations available to students in grades 6 – 12 who are attending the fair.

Students will participate in a treasure hunt to locate answers for questions supplied by participating companies and incorporated into a treasure hunt list. Sample questions from last year were: “What does Aera inject into the ground in Ventura to help produce oil?”; “Why is your Direct TV dish pointed to the south?” and “Find the deepest spot in the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary.”

For additional information about this event please contact Dr. Philip Hampton, Professor of Chemistry at CSU Channel Islands, 805-437-8869 or at philip.hampton@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.

Wed. March 23
Where’s My Dough?
Presented by: Aguirre Financial & Insurance Services
Book: Bunny Money by Rosemary Wells
Learn basic principles of dealing with money in a fun way

Wed. April 13
Trash to Treasure
Presented by: Jane David
Book: The Art Lesson by Tomie DePaola
Use your imagination to create art from recyclables

Wed. May 4
You’re invited to tea….
Presented by: Bella’s Teas & Treats
Book: Miss Spider’s Tea Party by David Kirk
Spend a lovely time sipping tea and eating tasty treats

Wed. June 15
T-is for Train
Presented by Sandi Ward’s Train Stop
Book: And the Train Goes…by William Bee
A fun time with audience participation

All events will start at 3:30pm and end at 4:00pm
The events will be presented at the Fillmore Library and are free.
Questions please call Soroptimist member Lynne Brooks 524.3671

Ventura County Sheriff's Department

The Ventura County Emergency Planning Council is continuing its commitment to community disaster preparedness education by partnering with Ventura County Office of Education.

All Ventura County public school children have been invited to accept the challenge in preparing for emergencies and participate in two contests being held throughout Ventura County.

“Knowing what to do in an emergency is an important part of being prepared and may make all the difference when seconds count,” said Laura Hernandez, Assistant Director of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Services.

The art and video contests focus on the importance of having an emergency supply kit, developing a family communications plan, and being informed about the local hazards in our community.

Contest flyers were distributed to all of the schools and students should submit their entries to their school office by April 15, 2011. Awards will be given to the best individual, best school, and best district for each division and contest.

Questions regarding the contests may be directed to the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Services at (805) 654-2551.

For more information on disaster preparedness, please visit the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s website at www.ready.gov.

Date of Release: March 14, 2011
Date & Time: March 14, 2011 at 10:00 AM
Unit Responsible: Ventura County Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Services
Administrator Preparing Release: Cynthia Elliott, OES Program Administrator (805) 654-3655
Follow-up Contact: Cynthia Elliott, OES Program Administrator (805) 654-3655
Approved By: Laura Hernandez, OES Assistant Director

Recently on PBS I saw an excerpt about a man who who created You Tube videos to tutor his cousin in math. These are wonderful, and cover a variety of areas, from word problems to complex calculus. It is FREE, students can watch it over and over and over if they need to. Talk about building confidence. Some schools are even using his videos. Check it out.

You can go to the website and see the HUGE list of videos available for FREE !!!! here is the link: http://www.khanacademy.org/#browse
and guess what.. he has videos organized by level, AND for the California Standards Test, in Algebra level I, level II and in Geometry !!! I'm so excited about this, I hope ALL math teachers see this. And all parents of kids starting to get to this level... this is such a wonderful tool and did I mention it is FREE !!!!

Here is an example of "Converting fractions into Decimals"...

these are so wonderful I just wanted to share a few more:

Here is a link to the video for the School Board's special meeting on March 8, 2011.
I was ill and unable to attend and continue to be thankful that the camera was present.

Some items of interest:
Public Comment (2:58-5:06), High School Health Ed Teacher Theresa Marvel speaking on the importance of maintaining rigor in the curriculum.

Services Reduction Actions: (time 12:00 starts) Superintendent Jeff Sweeney comments on the decisions being made now to create flexibility based on "Fiduciary Responsibility". Many staff members, teachers, admin will receive notices as required by the March 15 deadline. Board Members express their apologies regarding presenting notices.

As I listen to this, there is not one question asked by Board members. Not one. Again I wonder if they are having conversation away from the dias, but they should be reporting on their fact/information finding efforts. The public is not seeing any of the process that the Board goes through to decide what programs services and therefore what staff members are being noticed. And again I heard no discussion about how these decisions will affect students and classrooms.

And notice the dynamic between the Board members and staff. Who is in charge of deciding the agenda for meetings?
Who do you think should be in charge? Who is running those Board meetings anyway?

On Monday, March 7, 2011, San Cayetano School recognized good citizenship and character at their Peacebuilder Assembly for the month of March. Todd Schieferle, Director of Human Resources for Fillmore Unified School District, came to speak to the students about what a good citizen is and how being a good citizen can help not only the students, but others around them in their community. ASB President, Cali Wyand,and Vice President, Lizzie Castaneda assisted Mr.Schieferle in handing out the Peacebuilder certificates. The Peacebuilders for March are: Andrea Laureano, Nathan Delgadillo, David Vaca, Amber Cervantez, Aleena Castaneda, David Linares, Jesus Carrillo, Joseline Galindo, Bailey Dietz, Christopher Cisneros, Alexis Rosales, Aiyanna Simental, Jose Gallegos, Adilene Garcia, Jose Salgado, Anissa Rhodes, Jesus Zamora, Bryanna Rivas, Ilene Gil, and Sissy Valencia. At the lower grade assembly, Lizzie then announced to the students that John Paul Pet sponsors the San Cayetano Character Counts Award of a $100.00 savings bond. Emma Ocegueda, a second grade student from Mrs. Capra and Mrs. Mitchell’s class, was chosen by the second grade teachers as a model of outstanding behavior, responsibility, and kindness to the other students. She was recognized with a certificate and the savings bond. To conclude the assembly, Cali reminded the students to turn in their Perfect Attendance tickets. Each month all students who come to school, each day, on time, are given a raffle ticket. The students place their tickets in a box and one ticket is drawn. The student whose ticket is drawn is given a backpack full of supplies. Each month, the tickets will be put into a larger box that will be kept until the end of the year. In June, Mrs. Marholin, the principal, will draw from the tickets to give away two new bicycles. Pedro Aceves from Ms. Dewey’s class won the Perfect Attendance Award for March.

Camarillo, CA. - Two California State University Channel Islands (CI) faculty, Kathryn Leonard, Assistant Professor of Mathematics, and Brad Monsma, Professor of English, have received a $250,000 grant from the Keck Foundation for CI’s Center for Integrative Studies. The grant will be used to develop an innovative program for CI students to begin developing research and presentation skills from their freshman through senior years.

The program offers an increasingly demanding stepladder of interdisciplinary research courses, allowing students to begin original research projects from their first moment on campus. By the time they reach the upper levels, CI students will have the problem solving skills and experience to participate in research opportunities that will lead to presentations at national conferences or to publishing in research journals prior to graduation. A student who has accomplished this type of scholarship will have an advantage when applying to graduate school or interviewing with a future employer.

“This is the most recent example of the innovative and forward-thinking projects that CI faculty are involved in,” stated Provost Dawn Neuman. “CI is a frontrunner with its development of undergraduate research. Such opportunities will give our students a competitive advantage whether they choose to pursue graduate studies or go directly into the workforce.”

The first part of the program will begin in the next academic year with two courses offered at the sophomore level. As an example, “Interfaces: Ocean, Earth, Whale, Human” involves the academic disciplines of chemistry, biology and literary studies to examine whale behavior in relation to representations of whales in literature and history. These interdisciplinary courses are student-centered. Students, in a collaborative learning experience, share academic research and work under the guidance of faculty. Sub-topics within a freshman or sophomore course may provide a student with a more focused research project at the junior or senior levels.

These courses also CONTINUED »

Applications are now available for the FILLMORE WOMEN'S SERVICE CLUB Educational Scholarships. Any graduating High School Senior who RESIDES with the Fillmore Unified School District and is continuing on to a College, University or Trade School can apply. Application are available at Fillmore High School or by telephoning Susan Banks at 524-1470. Deadline is April 6th, 2011.