THOUSAND OAKS, CA - California Lutheran University is launching a new center and academicprogram in collaboration with former Rep. Elton Gallegly.

The Elton and Janice Gallegly Center for Public Service and Civic Engagement at CLU will be dedicated to preparing a new generation of leaders. As part of the university’s Master’s in Public Policy and Administration program, the nonpartisan center will provide students with extensive experiential learning opportunities at the local, state and national levels. The focus will be on developing public servants of character and integrity.

MPPA Director David Powell and faculty members Haco Hoang and Herb Gooch are developing a combined undergraduate and graduate degree program to put students on a fast track to careers in public service. The students who are selected for the program will be Gallegly Center Fellows. They will be able to pursue internships in Washington, D.C., Sacramento and locally. As graduate students, the fellows will complete a research project and field practicum that will prepare them for public service careers. The first two fellows are seniors Nina Kuzniak, a political science and global studies major from Las Vegas, and Zachary Zabo, a political science and criminal justice major from Louisville, Ky.

Gallegly, who just left Congress after completing his 13th term, is loaning his legislative and personal papers to CLU so that students and faculty can use them for research. He is also donating his desk and other office furniture for display at the university. The Simi Valley resident is the longest serving congressional representative in Ventura County history. He began his public service when he was elected to the Simi Valley City Council in 1979.

Future plans for the center include providing student scholarships and public affairs research grants, bringing in visiting scholars and speakers, and hosting forums on public service highlighting leadership and civic engagement.

CLU and Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Library officials are discussing a partnership that could provide additional opportunities. Possibilities include students interning at the library, scholars conducting research at the library while teaching at CLU under joint appointments, and the library’s distinguished speakers working with students during their visits. Eventually, CLU may help the library develop graduate seminars in crisis decision-making.

With Gallegly’s help, CLU will begin a $3 million fundraising campaign for the center.

Fillmore Unified School District

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

AGENDA
5:00 p.m.
A. CALL TO ORDER
B. ROLL CALL
C. PUBLIC COMMENT ON CLOSED SESSION AND NONAGENDA ITEMS, PETITIONS
This is the time and place to address the Board. State law prohibits the Board from acting on issues not included on the agenda; however, requests may be made for discussion of specific topics at subsequent meetings. Upon recognition by the President of the Board, please come forward and identify yourself before speaking. The Board of Education reserves the right to limit speaking time to three (3) minutes or less per individual.
D. CLOSED SESSION
The Board of Education will meet from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. to consider matters appropriate for Closed Session in accordance with Government Code 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 Anticipated Litigation
Significant Exposure to Litigation Pursuant to Subdivision (b)(1) and (b)(3)(E) of Government Code Section 54956.9: One Potential Case Labor/Negotiations (Government Code 54957.6)
o Update; Direction to District Negotiators (Dr. Alan Nishino, Michael Johnson, C. Earl Davis, 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. COMMUNICATIONS
Student Representative’s Report Superintendent’s Report
H. 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.
I. INFORMATION/DISCUSSION
1. Staff Development Update
7:15 p.m.
J. CONSENT ITEMS CONTINUED »

California State University Channel Islands

Camarillo, CA - CSU Channel Islands (CI) Professor of Chemistry Phil Hampton has earned a prestigious regional award from the National Engineers Week Foundation. The Edwin Allen Kindberg Distinguished Engineering Service Award is presented annually to “an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to advance or recognize the engineering profession in Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties.” Recipients are selected by a committee of scientists and engineering professionals from the two counties. Hampton was honored for his efforts to spread enthusiasm for science to students of all ages through a variety of outreach programs and partnerships.

“We have a significant shortage of young people entering the science and engineering fields, but Dr. Hampton appears to have found the solution to this problem by his program of bringing science to the community at the elementary and middle schools,” said Allen Grizzard-Paul, National Engineers Week Committee Ed Kindberg Award Chair. “The committee felt that this was the most effective way of helping to get children interested in becoming the next generation of scientists and engineers. Also, I have been fortunate to see first-hand the impact his program has on the kids.”

Hampton received the CONTINUED »

Camarillo, CA - CSU Channel Islands (CI) and the National Park Service (NPS) today announced a partnership to create a field research station on Santa Rosa Island within Channel Islands National Park (CINP). The agreement paves the way for a facility that hosts wide-ranging educational and research opportunities in one of the nation’s most ecologically and archaeologically prized island settings.

Santa Rosa Island’s varied landforms, diverse array of plant and animal species, and significant archaeological assets make it a wealth of opportunity for research and student education.

The facility, known as the Santa Rosa Island Research Station – A California State University Channel Islands Undergraduate Research Campus, will serve CI students and faculty as well as a much broader community, including other universities, governmental agencies, cultural institutions, and national and international researchers.

A variety of CI CONTINUED »

Fillmore Unified School District

The Fillmore Unified School District and Governing Board appreciate the opportunity provided by the Fillmore Gazette to address questions and share some exciting news with the community.

We have received inquiries regarding the condition of the Fillmore Middle School roofs, particularly the gymnasium. For the past several years our Maintenance and Facilities departments have worked diligently to maintain and repair roofs at the middle school and throughout the district. However the middle school gymnasium roof is now at the point where it needs to be completely replaced, which we plan to do no later than this summer. We are also evaluating the other roofs at the middle school as those roofs have been problematic as well. In the interim, the district has and will continue to take all necessary steps to ensure a safe and healthy environment for our students and staff. Those steps include minimizing the roof leaks by patching and repairing where possible, ongoing testing of water damaged areas, removal of loose wall or ceiling tiles and treating any areas where we suspect any type of mold or fungus may be present. The district sincerely appreciates the dedication of our maintenance and facility professionals and our middle school faculty and staff working together to ensure a safe school environment.

There is nothing more important to all of us then providing a safe and secure environment for our students and staff. We want the community to know that our schools are very proactive in planning and practicing for emergencies of various types including natural disaster, fire, lock down, etc. The district also works closely with law enforcement officials on an ongoing basis. The district is very fortunate in having a full-time school resource officer (SRO). In addition to our SRO, Fillmore Police Department patrol officers stop by our elementary schools on a daily basis to interact with our faculty, staff and students.

In order to help CONTINUED »

Fillmore Middle School student Perla Chavez-Hernandez (8th grade) and High School student Brandy Nisbet (12th grade) have been chosen to perform in VC Honor Bands concert on March 1, at Buena High School. Both students passed a music audition in front of a panel of judges to be selected. Over 500 students from throughout Ventura County audition and only 85 are selected for each band. The students will participate in four rehearsals with the groups before the concert. The VC Honor Band takes place once a year and is organized by local music directors. Well known educators in the field of music serve as guest conductors for the concert. This year the middle school concert will be lead by Angela Woo and the high school by Dr. Peter Boonshaft. Both students started band in 4th grade in the Fillmore Unified elementary schools music program.

Camarillo, CA - CSU Channel Islands (CI) and the Thousand Oaks Library are pleased to announce the 2013 CSU Channel Islands Lecture Series, a free, monthly event featuring speakers from the CI faculty. The series is a new initiative inviting the public to learn more about the research and work of CI professors and to engage in discussions on a variety of timely, thought-provoking and regionally relevant topics.

“These lectures provide the public with a unique opportunity to be a CI student for an evening,” said Dr. Karen Carey, Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, Arts & Sciences at CI. “We are excited to partner with the Thousand Oaks Library to share some of our most dynamic speakers and the compelling work they do.”

"We are delighted to host this speaker series at the Thousand Oaks Library,” said Steve Brogden, Library Director. “The CSU Channel Islands faculty offer a unique perspective on a wide range of topics. We expect these lectures to be very popular."

All lectures will be CONTINUED »

Applications for the Miss Fillmore/Miss Teen Fillmore Pageant are available. The Mother/Daughter Tea will take place at the Memorial Building on Wednesday, February 27th beginning at 6:30PM. Points will begin that evening. Refreshments will be provided. Questions and answers will also be addressed at that time. The first practice begins Wednesday, March 6th. Miss Contestants must be a Junior or Senior girl in good standing. Teen Contestants must be a girl between the ages of 13 (by January 1st) and 17 in good standing, but not a Junior or Senior. All contestants must reside within the Fillmore Unified School District boundaries. Applications will be avaiblable beginning Monday, February 11th at Fillmore High School, Fillmore Middle School and at the Fillmore Chamber of Commerce or by contacting Pageant Director Lori McLain at #524-4432

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

AGENDA
5:00 p.m.
A. CALL TO ORDER
B. ROLL CALL
C. PUBLIC COMMENT ON CLOSED SESSION AND NONAGENDA ITEMS, PETITIONS
This is the time and place to address the Board. State law prohibits the Board from acting on issues not included on the agenda; however, requests may be made for discussion of specific topics at subsequent meetings. Upon recognition by the President of the Board, please come forward and identify yourself before speaking. The Board of Education reserves the right to limit speaking time to three (3) minutes or less per individual.
D. CLOSED SESSION
The Board of CONTINUED »

Yong Zhao

THOUSAND OAKS, CA - An internationally known advocate for educational reform who has designed schools and founded institutions will speak at California Lutheran University at 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 21.

Yong Zhao will present “From Job Seekers to Job Creators: Educating Creative and Entrepreneurial Talents for the New Economy” in the Lundring Events Center. A reception for the Michael A. Moffitt MemorialEducational Leadership Lecture will begin at 5 p.m. CLU’s Graduate School of Education and Corwin, a Thousand Oaks-based publisher of professional development resources for pre-K through 12th-grade educators, are sponsoring the free event.

Educational institutions continue to reward compliant test-takers, even when it is clear that we need creative and entrepreneurial talents who can take full advantage of technology and globalization and tackle the tough challenges facing us, according to Zhao. With more than half of recent college graduates unemployed or underemployed, he thinks it is time for a new approach.

Zhao bases his CONTINUED »

Ventura County Sheriff's Department

The Camarillo Police Department will be hosting a program to educate newly licensed and future drivers.

The “Start Smart” Program is a cooperative effort between the California Highway Patrol, Camarillo Police Department, teenage drivers, and their parents.

In an attempt to remain proactive and not reactive, Start Smart is designed to help young drivers and their parents/guardians understand the responsibilities associated with driving a motor vehicle. Start Smart will show how a poor choice behind the wheel can change the lives of everyone involved. Our goal is to raise awareness and reduce the number of teen-related injuries and deaths due to collisions.

Interested parents are asked to call Sergeant Renee Ferguson at 805-388-5132 for more information and for reservations call the Camarillo Police Department Community Resource Unit at 805-388-5155 to make a reservation. Space is limited to 20 students and their parents. There is no charge to attend the program.

Sophia Pina

On January 15th Sespe held their annual spelling bee competition. Participating 4th and 5th grade students were given an extensive list of words to study in preparation for the competition. The competition was tough as all participants made it successfully through the first 10 rounds unscathed. After 14 rounds Sophia Pina emerged as the champion by spelling the word “Rustic.” The runner-up was Leslie Ceja who will serve as an alternate at the County Spelling Bee. Congratulations to all of our participants and good luck to Sophia at the Ventura County Spelling Bee!

Spelling Bee Champ Fred Ponce

Excitement and tension filled the room as Mountain Vista Elementary competitors completed a 2-day Spelling Bee. The competition was inconclusive on Wednesday, so the event was paused and resumed for a finale later that week. Fred Ponce was declared the Spelling Bee Champ after five rounds when he correctly spelled the word “lousy” on Friday, January 18, 2013. Quan Nguyen, runner-up, will accompany Ponce to the Ventura County Star Spelling Bee to be held Saturday, March 2, 2013, at CSUCI campus.

Chrissy Schieferle (right), principal of San Cayetano Elementary, and Maryellen Garcia (left) give a report on San Cayetano School. Schieferle also announced that Friday will be her last day. She has taken a job with Ventura County Education Department.
Enlarge Photo

The first Fillmore Unified School District (FUSD) Board Meeting of 2013 presented a snapshot of what teachers and administrators expect to achieve this year along with the State level changes to the student assessment system. Also, three District schools presented each of their restructuring plans to address what the California Board of Education calls Program Improvement (PI) which applies to all of FUSD and a suggestion of new names for Fillmore High School (FHS) Sports Arenas.

Assistant Superintendent Michael Johnson reiterated the need to move forward with implementing the Common Core Standards Curriculum into the classroom as soon as possible stating that FUSD is about six months behind. Superintendent Dr. Alan Nishino commented, “If we wait too long we’ll be at the back of the pack, not in front.” Johnson also informed the Board that the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Tom Torlakson, has recommended shifting the focus of standardized testing to requiring student to think critically, solve problems and show a greater depth of knowledge. Torlakson is recommending changing testing with computerized assessments instead of the multiple-choice scantron fill in the bubble tests. The conclusion the State Educators came up with was that there was too much testing in California schools. Starting in the 2013-2014 school year many of the tests/assessments that students have regularly taken, including the California Standards Test, will be suspended.

Chrissy Schieferle, principal of San Cayetano Elementary, and Maryellen Garcia were the first school to address the Board with their report. San Cayetano teaches kindergarten through fifth grade with 430 students and demographics of 85% Hispanic, 13% White, 50% English learners and is in its sixth year as a PI school and, as a result, at the end of the last school year half of the staff was replaced. The restructuring seems to have helped and based on test results from the 2011-2012 Standard Testing And Reporting (STAR) assessment San Cayetano met all state and federal targets to meet what is called Safe Harbor and has improved its Academic Performance Index (API) Score by 34 points. At the end of the presentation it was announced that Friday will be Schieferle’s last day at San Cayetano as she has taken a job with the Ventura County Education Department.

The next school to present their report was the principal of Mountain Vista Elementary, John Wilber. Mountain Vista is the newest of the four elementary schools in the district with construction having been completed in spring of 2008 and employs 20 full-time teachers, serving approximately 600 students. Mountain Vista did not meet its grown target for English Language Learners for 2011-2012 decreasing from 31.3% proficient to 30.6 and English Language Arts also dropped from 43.3% to 41.2%. This resulted in the school not meeting its Annual Yearly Performance (AYP) goal. School wide the decrease was from 50.8 to 48.8 proficient.

The final presentation by Piru Elementary Principal Diana Vides had mixed results. Piru Elementary is the small campus with nine teachers. Students come from predominantly working class families in which 90% are socio-economically disadvantaged with 52% designated Limited English Proficient and 10% eligible for migrant services. Piru Elementary did not meet all its growth targets for 2011-2012 and remains in PI for 5 plus years. The Safe Harbor target for English Learner students was met, but Math fell behind dropping from 53.5% in 2010-2011 to 50.8% in 2011-2012.

Sespe School Principal Scott Carroll was ill and will be presenting his report at the next board meeting on February 5, 2013.

Joe Woods, Chairman of the Fillmore High Schools Hall of Fame spoke to the Board about the possibility of honoring past students and coaches by giving their names to FHS’s Football Stadium and other areas along with retirement of certain numbers and names. Arena names suggested are; Football Stadium-Eugene “Red” Kennedy Stadium ( Ventura County Hall of Fame and FHS Sports Hall of Fame as a Coach); Football Field-Don “The Blade” Burroughs Field (Class of 1949 is in Ventura County Hall of Fame and FHS Sports Hall of Fame. He played Pro Football for the L.A. Rams and the Philadelphia Eagles and a member of the 1960 N.F.L. Champion Eagles Team); Gymnasium-Richard “Toolie” Palmer Gymnasium (Fillmore Class of 1933 is in the Ventura County Hall of Fame, FHS Sports Hall of Fame as a player and a coach). Suggested numbers and names to retire are; Football- Coach’s Eugene “Red” Kennedy, Bruce Dempsey and players William “Bill” Pearson class of 1942, Don “The Blade” Burroughs class of 1949; Basketball- Coach’s Richard “Toolie” Palmer, Jim Fauver and players Mike LaRoche class of 1964, Rosa Aparicio class of 1977, Jamie Arundell-Latshaw class of 1993; Baseball-Coach Tom Ecklund and players Rick Stewar class of 1977, Kevin Gross class of 1979; Track and Field and Cross Country- Coach Epigmenio L. Epi Torres and players Leroy J. Goodenough class of 1920, Sammy Johnson class of 1939, Loni Larson class of 1988, and Maribella Aparicio-Hernandez class of 1993.

Sammy Martinez, substituting as Speaker of the House, informed the Board that last Saturday was Winter Formal and it went very well. He also said the Associated Student Body continues to collaborate with the Middle School to help them with many of their functions and that Pennies for Patients is starting January 28th through February 15th.

There was an action to approve a change of venue for the FHS Prom. Last year’s Junior Class did not raise enough money to fund a prom location in Ventura County as required by the FUSD rules. The cheapest location in Ventura County was $20,000 with highs of $40,000 in areas like Ojai. So the prom committee looked into other locations outside of the county and found that Valencia Country Club could be allocated for around $7,000 and the Valencia Hyatt around $8,750. Nishino suggested there be a change from requiring the prom the held in Ventura County to a mileage radius of 25 miles which would allow the students to take advantage of areas with lower rates.

In a continuing effort to help women advance their education, the local Fillmore chapter of P.E.O. (Philanthropic Education Organization) will be offering financial awards this spring. To be eligible, you must be a woman who attends or has been accepted to an accredited undergraduate degree program or a vocational/skills training program, live within the 93015 Zip code area, and have at least a 3.5 grade point average. Anyone interested should contact the College and Career Center if you are a student at Fillmore or Sierra High School or contact Patricia Morris at morrisp905@gmail.com. The deadline for application is March 25, 2013.

Camarillo, CA - CSU Channel Islands (CI) recently earned an award from the Ventura County Emergency Planning Council for its Gas Pipeline Emergency Plan. Voted the “Best Emergency Plan for the County,” the CI plan is the first of its kind in Ventura County and the California State University system to comprehensively address institutional readiness and response to a gas pipeline disaster. It was created in the wake of the 2010 San Bruno gas pipeline explosion, which killed eight people and destroyed 38 homes, and at the request of the CSU Chancellor, who has called for all CSU campuses to prepare gas pipeline emergency plans.

CI Police Chief John Reid accepted the award last month at the 2012 Emergency Planning Council Awards Ceremony, held at the Derby Club in Ventura.

“It is very satisfying to be recognized by Ventura County's Emergency Planning Council, as it signals CI's commitment to Emergency Preparedness,” said Chief Reid. “Public safety is my highest priority, and after having seen the results of the catastrophic explosion in San Bruno, I knew it was important to examine whether such an incident was possible here.”

CI’s 38-page report CONTINUED »

THOUSAND OAKS, CA - California Lutheran University has received a challenge grant of $500,000 from the John Stauffer Charitable Trust to establish the John Stauffer summer research program in chemistry.

CLU is calling on alumni and friends to make the additional donations needed to match the trust’s contributions, bringing the endowment for the John Stauffer Research Fellows Program in Chemical Sciences to $1 million. An anonymous donor already has committed the first $200,000.

At full funding, the endowment would provide fellowships to about 10 students a year to conduct original research full time for eight weeks with mentoring from faculty. It would also cover travel costs for the students to present their research at professional conferences. Grady Hanrahan, the John Stauffer Endowed Professor of Analytical Chemistry, will direct the program.

The new endowment will provide opportunities for many more chemistry majors to conduct summer research. Currently, two or three chemistry students have been conducting summer projects through the Swenson Science Summer Research Fellowship program. CLU’s long-term goal is to allow all interested and qualified undergraduate chemistry students to participate in summer research.

The John Stauffer Charitable Trust is a private foundation in Pasadena created by the will of one of the principal officers and shareholders of the former Stauffer Chemical Co. The foundation supports universities and hospitals in California.

For information about donating to the endowment, contact Kristine Calara at 805-493-3837 or kcalara@callutheran.edu.

Moorpark College will be celebrating Multicultural Day on Tuesday, April 9, 2013, from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Moorpark College campus and is seeking presenters and vendors interested in selling their wares. This year’s theme is “The ‘I’ in Diversity.” Multicultural Day is an officially sanctioned alternative day of instruction designed by the faculty, staff, and students. It is used to foster knowledge, sensitivity, understanding, and appreciation for cultures around the world via learning activities from many diverse areas. The festival features performances, storytelling, music, dance, theatre, presentations, lectures and exhibits, demonstrations, panel discussions, hands-on activities, and a variety of food, merchant, informational and educational booths ranging from local to international organizations. To sell your wares (at college student friendly prices), interested non-food vendors can contact Linda Loiselle at (805) 822-8238 or LLoiselle@vcccd.edu. Food vendors can contact Bob Darwin at (805) 378-1433 (x1652) or rdarwin@vcccd.edu. Interested presenters can contact David Birchman at (805) 378-1400 (x1689) or dbirchman@vcccd.edu or Steven Pfeffer at (805) 378-1400 (x1655) or spfeffer@vcccd.edu. Visit www.moorparkcollege.edu/mcd for a presenter submission form and information updates.

Fillmore Unified School District

FILLMORE UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
REGULAR MEETING OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 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 12-13-11
o Expulsion Case Number 12-13-12
o Consideration of Recommendation CONTINUED »