Nancy Latham and Steve Turner

VENTURA: After several years in the FL building plus emergency moves to the LRC and back to the FL Building after a massive flood, the Educational Assistance Center (EAC) now has a new permanent home in the Administration Building. Everyone is invited to visit their new offices on October 22, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.; light refreshments will be served.
The EAC relocated their staff and counselors to the former Counseling Office and their test proctoring from Guthrie Hall to the former Admissions and Records Office, providing them with enough space to accommodate them appropriately and making them more centrally located on campus.
The Educational Assistance Center (EAC) promotes the educational and vocational potential of students with disabilities by enhancing their total integration into mainstream college life.
Students with learning, visual, hearing, speech, mobility, and psychological disabilities, as well as acquired brain injury and other health impairments, are eligible to apply for the support services or instruction needed to fully participate in the educational process.
These special services include: one-stop early registration assistance, assessment of learning problems, sign language interpreters, notetaking, readers, transcribers, tutors, mobility assistance, personal, disability-related academic and vocational counseling, handicapped parking, alternative testing, alternate media, assistive computer technology and other assistive devices. Instruction is available in job-seeking skills, adaptive physical education, learning skills, and assistive computer technology. Classroom instructional materials and college publications are available on request in alternate formats.
For additional information, please contact Coordinators Nancy Latham at 654-6400 ext. 3149, or Steve Turner at 654-6415, or Public Information Officer Alisa Moore at 654-6462.

FILLMORE UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
REGULAR MEETING OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2008

5:15 P.M. – CLOSED SESSION
6:00 P.M. - REGULAR MEETING
627 SESPE AVENUE, FILLMORE, CALIFORNIA

AGENDA

The public may review or request a copy of support materials provided to the Board Members where the word materials appears.

5:15 p.m.

I. CALL TO ORDER AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG

II. ROLL CALL CONTINUED »

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Piru School has received a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to enhance the teaching, study, and understanding of American history and culture through some of America’s greatest works of art.
Picturing America provides large laminated artwork, which will be displayed at the Piru Library, and may be used in the classroom to further understanding and motivate students on American history and culture. Currently on display is American Pottery (1100-1960), which explores several American cultures’ creation of utilitarian vessels; now regarded as works of art. Additionally, facts, pictures, and literature are also available to support the artwork. Displays will change periodically throughout the year. So come visit the Piru Library!

Club Success is a program that offers a day long retreat for middle school students prepared and attended by Jim Higgins from the Higgy Foundation and both FMS counselors, Mrs. Wyand and Mrs. Reyes-Deutsch. The students take part in a variety of activities designed to build self-esteem, examine life choices and have a good time.

Club Success enables students to see themselves as capable and vital to the school community. Club Success provides opportunities for students to reconnect with family and teachers in a positive way.

This past Thursday, September 26th, Club Success was another Success motivating students to make positive choices and really know that their families support them was the final outcome of this wonderful day.

Thank you Club Success! We are the change… Together we do Think, Believe, Create and Achieve.

The 2009 Senior Class will be taking orders for Marie Callender's Thanksgiving Pies. Starting next week. They will be delivered to you on Tuesday Nov 25th 2008. This is our "big" fundraiser - last year they sold 1335 pies and we netted $ 6,300. so hopefully we sell more this year. Thank you, Raelene Chaney

ALSO: Grad Nite Live Fundraiser: Donate your old cars, trucks, boats or RV running or not we will haul it away FREE ..call Mrs Chaney 524-4909 for pick up arrangements.

Superintendent Jack-O'Connell
California State Superintendent of Public Instruction

SACRAMENTO – State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell today announced 27 school districts will share $26.6 million in Professional Development in Reading for Special Education Teachers Pilot Program grants. The list of grantees is attached.
“There’s a critical need to provide professional development for special education teachers in California,” said O’Connell. “We must ensure that students receiving special education services are given the maximum access to a good education so they can reach a higher level of achievement and be well prepared for college or the world of work after high school. This grant will provide support to special education teachers so they can improve reading and language-art instruction to special education students and help them reach their full potential.”
Approximately 10 percent of California students are designated as needing special education services. However, according to the California Department of Education’s 2006 document, Developing Highly Qualified Teachers and Administrators Initiative, there is a critical shortage of qualified teachers in a number of fields, including special education. Between 14 percent and 49 percent of special education teachers are also underprepared, meaning they do not possess a full credential.
Carryover funds from the federal Reading First program provided funding for this competitive three-year Pilot Program grant. The grants were separated into two groups: Priority 1 grants provide funding to local educational agencies eligible but currently not participating in Reading First, to give professional development for special education teachers in reading for kindergarten through grade three. Priority 2 grants are for Reading First districts’ special education teacher professional development in kindergarten through grade twelve. The funds must be used to train and support these teachers in the use of reading/language arts instructional programs for students receiving special education services.
Eligible applicants included local educational agencies with a great need for special education teacher professional development. The goal is to provide students needing special education services with adequate reading instruction through core or intensive intervention programs so they will make progress toward grade-level reading proficiency, meet all reading/language arts goals of his or her Individualized Educational Program, and move closer to the proficiency level outlined in the California English Language Content Standards.
The grantees were selected based on the quality of their applications. The grantees will be held accountable for assisting special education teachers in fully implementing the requirements of the grant. The requirements include providing opportunities for special education teachers to learn how to deliver instruction to increase student progress, the grantee’s use of student assessments, monitoring of student academic progress, demonstrated leadership, professional development plan, and collaboration between general and special education staffs.
For more information on the Professional Development in Reading for Special Education Teachers Pilot Program grant, please visit http://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/fo/r12/setpd07result.asp.

Professional Development in Reading for Special Education Teachers Pilot Program

Priority 1 Grants

County Name Local Educational Agency Amount

Fresno Parlier Unified School District $97,500
Orange Capistrano Unified School District $1,462,500
Riverside Corona-Norco Unified School District $1,365,000
Riverside Val Verde Unified School District $390,000
San Bernardino Chino Valley Unified School District $975,000
San Joaquin Lodi Unified School District $916,500

Priority 2 Grants

County Name Local Educational Agency Amount

Alameda Oakland Unified School District $643,500
Contra Costa Mt. Diablo Unified School District $585,000
Fresno Fresno Unified School District $4,018,749
Los Angeles Hacienda-La Puente Unified School $858,000
Los Angeles Lancaster School District $1,248,000
Los Angeles Palmdale School District $1,950,000
Merced Merced City School District $780,000,00
Orange Santa Ana Unified School District $2,535,000
Sacramento Elk Grove Unified School District $2,905.500
Sacramento Robla School District $214,500
San Bernardino Ontario-Montclair School District $1,599,000
San Diego Cajon Valley Union School District $253500
San Diego South Bay Union School District $390,000
San Francisco San Francisco Unified School District $2,248,500
San Mateo Ravenswood City School District $351,000
Santa Clara San Jose Unified School District $897,000
Solano Vallejo City Unified School District $1,677,000
Trinity Lewiston Elementary School District $19,500
Ventura Rio Elementary School District $253,500
Ventura Santa Paula Elementary School District $331,500
Los Angeles Los Angeles Unified school District $1,311,583

Natalie Garnica
Student, Fillmore High School

Homecoming week was a great success, and student participation was at a record high. All of the floats turned out wonderfully, although there was an upset with the Juniors beating the Seniors for the first time in about 20 years. The senior class did come out ahead in class points, but the juniors were close behind.
Santa Paula Week is the week after we return from our October break, and will include noon time activities, a rally, and a Halloween costume contest to “scare away the Cardinals”. The Santa Paula football game will be our first home game in quite some time, so be sure to show your support for our JV and Varsity teams.
On Tuesday the girls golf team had a match away at La Reina and girls volleyball game is scheduled to have a match against Santa Paula on Thursday.
The results are in, and last June 62 seniors qualified for the California Scholastic Federation and will hopefully be wearing the gold sash at graduation. CSF is made by getting As and Bs in core classes for the last five semesters, and in order to wear the sash and become a life member, a student must continue their excellent grades during their senior year.
The Drama Club and ASB are putting together a student Film Festival – high school students may submit a film that could win them a substantial scholarship. Clips from winning films will be shown at a gala event near the end of the school year that the community is encouraged to attend.
For more information, call the student store at 524-8491.

September's Peacebuilders
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On Tuesday, October 7, 2008, San Cayetano School recognized good citizenship and character at their Peacebuilder Assembly for the month of October. Mr. Steve McClary, the Administration Service Manager for the city of Fillmore, came to speak to the students about what a good citizen is and how respecting others is important. He talked about how we can be good citizens to help our school and community. Each teacher chose a student from his or her class whom showed excellent character and respect in the month of October. Roman Torango and Ian Overton, the San Cayetano ASB President and Vice-President assisted Mr.McClary in handing out the Peacebuilder Awards. The Peacebuilders for October are: Aaliyah Arias, Ty Wyland, Angelina Delgadillo, Evan Alamillo, Rosie Zamora, Julia Pace, Daniela Chavez Hernandez, Jason Martinez, Ulany Valencia, Dafnee Martinez, Andrew Hernandez, Gisselle De La Paz, Reymundo Hernandez, Brenda Feliz, Karli Zavala, Yulianna Magana, Taylor Wright, Jose Esparza, Kyle Popp, Ismael Dominguez, Julisa Garza, and Michelle Higuera. Mr.McClary then announced the San Cayetano Character Counts Award of a $100.00 savings bond sponsored by the Rainbow Foundation. Mr. McClary presented the Character Counts Award to a deserving second-grade student. Ashley Alvarez was chosen by the second grade teachers as a model of kindness and respectfulness to the other students and school community. To conclude the assembly, students were reminded to turn in their Perfect Attendance tickets. Each month all students who come to school, each day, on time, are given a purple raffle ticket. The students place their tickets in a box and one ticket is drawn. The student whose ticket is drawn is given a NASA backpack with the book Max Goes to the Moon in it. 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. Ana Rincon, a fifth grade student, from Mr. Maus’s class, in room 28, won the Perfect Attendance Award for October.

FILLMORE UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
REGULAR MEETING OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2008

5:15 P.M. – CLOSED SESSION
6:00 P.M. - REGULAR MEETING

627 SESPE AVENUE, FILLMORE, CALIFORNIA

AGENDA
The public may review or request a copy of support materials provided to the Board Members
where the word materials appears.

5:15 p.m.
I. CALL TO ORDER AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG
II. ROLL CALL
III. PUBLIC COMMENT ON 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.
IV. CLOSED SESSION
The Board of Education will meet from 5:15 to 6:00 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.
1. DISCLOSURE OF ITEM(S) TO BE DISCUSSED IN CLOSED SESSION
• School District Pupils (Education Code 35146) CONTINUED »

On September 28, 2008, at 1:00 p.m., the Fillmore Police Department’s Citizen’s Patrol awarded a $1,000 college scholarship to local teenager Brianna Rojo.
The police volunteers at the Fillmore Police Station selected Brianna as the 2008 recipient. She is an 18 year-old Fillmore citizen who is a 2008 graduate of Fillmore High School.
Brianna has volunteered throughout the Fillmore community during her entire childhood. She was an active member of the High School ASB (Student Body), and was always there to volunteer for a community event.
The Citizen’s Patrol volunteers work hard to raise money to support local youth. Their goal is to help with the student’s college ambitions. They selected Brianna for her eager pursuit of a degree in nursing at the University of San Francisco, where she starts this week as a freshman.
Brianna wants to return to Fillmore and give back as a local nurse.
She is the epitome of a dedicated citizen and it is easy to see why she was selected.
Officer Preparing Release: Captain Tim Hagel

All schools in the Fillmore Unified School District will be joining schools from around the world to celebrate International Walk to School Day on Wednesday, October 8, 2008.

Approximately 3,500 students in the District will be encouraged to walk to school with parents, teachers and community leaders.

In the U.S., International Walk to School Day is expected to include 5,000 schools from all 50 states. Walkers from the U.S. will join children and adults in 40 countries around the world.

Walk to School events work to create safer routes for walking and bicycling and emphasize the importance of issues such as increasing physical activity among children, pedestrian safety, traffic congestion, concern for the environment and building connections between families, schools and the broader community.

The event is being organized by Dave MacDonald and Tricia Godfrey from Fillmore Middle School and is supported by staff from all sites. In addition, the Fillmore’s City Council and the Board of Education created and supported a proclamation in support of Walk to School Day on October 8.

Superintendent Jack-O'Connell
California State Superintendent of Public Instruction

SACRAMENTO – State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell today announced 92 local educational agencies will receive nearly $80.5 million in Title I Program Improvement Corrective Action grants following the enactment of the state budget. The list of grantees is attached.

“Now that the long state budget stalemate has passed, we can focus our efforts on ensuring districts receive this funding for intervention services,” said O’Connell. “Because of the budget delay, more than $20 million is still at risk of reversion to the federal government. I have instructed staff at the California Department of Education to do everything possible to assist local educational agencies to properly account for expenditures made for intervention services, for which this federal money was intended.”

O’Connell recommended corrective actions to the State Board of Education in March for local educational agencies (school districts and county offices of education) that were identified as being in the third year of Program Improvement under the federal No Child Left Behind Act. The corrective action included instituting and fully implementing curriculum based on state academic content standards and achievement standards. In addition, O’Connell recommended differentiated technical assistance. Certain local educational agencies will work with District Assistance and Intervention Teams to analyze data, make recommendations to improve student achievement, and provide the grantee with technical assistance to fully implement the corrective action and any recommendations made by their District Assistance and Intervention Team.

Originally, 97 local educational agencies were recommended for corrective action. However, two school districts merged into one and the funding formula approved by the state Legislature in the education budget trailer bill allocated the funding based on the number of schools a local educational agency had in Program Improvement. Four districts identified for corrective action did not have any schools in Program Improvement and, therefore, were not eligible to receive this funding. CONTINUED »

Superintendent Jack-O'Connell
California State Superintendent of Public Instruction

SACRAMENTO – State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell today announced that the State Allocation Board (SAB) awarded more than $153 million to 62 local educational agencies throughout the state for the construction, modernization, and emergency repair of schools. The list of awardees is attached.
“I want to thank voters who have generously supported bond measures and the state that has designated funds specifically to improve our aging and crumbling school facilities,” said O’Connell. “Maintenance of our schools requires constant attention to assure our students learn in an environment that is modern, safe, and secure.”
O'Connell is a member of the SAB that today voted to approve more than $148 million to 48 school districts and a county office of education for the construction and modernization of schools. Also, more than $5 million was awarded to 14 school districts for emergency repairs. The SAB also approved a final apportionment for one project that received approval from the Proposition 47 Charter School Facilities Program for Animo Leadership Charter High (Centinela Valley Union High).
The SAB is responsible for determining the allocation of state resources, such as proceeds from general obligation bond issues and other designated state funds used for the new construction and modernization of local public school facilities. The SAB is also charged with the responsibility for the administration of the School Facility Program, Charter School Facilities Program, Overcrowded Relief Grant Program, Critically Overcrowded School Facilities Program, School Facility Joint-Use Program, Career Technical Education Facilities Program, Emergency Repair Program, and Deferred Maintenance Program.
The SAB is the policy-level body for the programs administered by the Office of Public School Construction. The SAB meets monthly to apportion funds to school districts, act on appeals, and adopt policies and regulations as they pertain to the programs administered by the SAB.
For more information on the State Allocation Board, please visit http://www.opsc.dgs.ca.gov. For more information about the need for new and modernized school facilities, please visit http://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/fa/sf/facts.asp.

NEW CONSTRUCTION

County School District School Name State Apportionment
Alameda Emery Unified Anna Yates Elementary 3,361,441
Butte Palermo Union Golden Hill Elementary 180,318 CONTINUED »