THOUSAND OAKS, CA - Five California Lutheran University students will travel to Sacramento on Wednesday to protest a proposed cut to Cal Grant awards for students at independent nonprofit colleges.

The students will join others from throughout the state for the first-ever rally organized as part of the annual Association of Independent CaliforniaColleges and Universities Day in the Capitol. They will speak out against Gov. Jerry Brown’s proposal to cut the maximum Cal Grant award by nearly half for students at independent nonprofit colleges.

The participating Cal Grant students from CLU are freshman Emanuel Freede, a criminal justice major from Ventura; sophomore Mauricio Guzman, a computer science major from Camarillo; sophomore Jimena Jimenez, an accounting majorfrom Los Angeles; senior Alisha Monroe, a business administration major from Los Angeles; and freshman Magen Sanders, a liberal studies major from Palm Desert. Elena Jaloma, director of student support services, and academic counselor Liz Ochoa will also attend.

The rally will be held at 11:30 a.m. on the west steps of the state Capitol. Cal Grant alumni, college presidents, faculty, trustees and community leaders will join the students in speaking about the benefits of the program.

Students also will participate in a morning briefing with legislators and share their stories with legislators and aides during private sessions. Several will testify before the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Education Finance.

Brown’s proposal would cut the maximum award from $9,708 to $5,472 for students at nonprofit universities. The staggering reduction would take effect in fall, putting at risk the college educations of more than 30,000 students who arealready attending universities or plan to enroll for the 2012-2013 year.

At CLU, 459 of the 2,700 undergraduate students are currently receiving CalGrants totaling $4.3 million. Fifty-seven percent of these recipients are first-generation college students. The average family income for those receiving Cal Grant A is $42,171. CLU’s Cal Grant students are an ethnically diverse group. Of those who stated their ethnicity, 46 percent are Latino, 37 percent are Caucasian, 6 percent are African American and 5 percent are Asian. Three percent identify as two or more races.

The California Legislative Analyst’s Office concluded that reducing the maximum award for independent nonprofit universities could result in greater costs to the state if the students transfer to public institutions. On average, it costs taxpayers $24,000 to educate a Cal Grant student for one year at a University of California school and $11,750 at a CSU school. It now costs California an average of less than $9,200 a year for a Cal Grant student attending a private nonprofit university.

Fillmore Unified School District

FILLMORE UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
REGULAR MEETING OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION
TUESDAY, MARCH 6, 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 11-12-05 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. COMMUNICATIONS Student Representative’s Report Superintendent’s Report
H. INFORMATION/DISCUSSION
1. New Transfer Committee and New Transfer Procedures Presentation – Cynthia Frutos, John Wilber
I. 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.
7:30 p.m.
J. CONSENT ITEMS
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: Regular Board Meeting Held February 7, 2012
3. Approve Personnel Order 11-12-11
4. Ratify Accounts Payable Month of January 2012 (ReqPay12a)
5. Ratify Purchase Orders Month of January 2012 (ReqPay11a)
6. Ratify January 1, 2012 through January 31, 2012 Certificated and Classified Payroll in
the Amount of $1,655,368.85 (pay01a)
7. Donations
8. Obsolete Items
9. Contracts
10. Ratify Overnight Field Trip for High School Student to Attend Wrestling Masters Meet
on February 24, 2012 in Temecula Valley, CA
11. Approve Request for Overnight Field Trip from Joe Richards for Students to Attend the State FFA Conference on April 19-20, 2012 in Fresno, CA
12. Approve Request for Overnight Field Trip from Greg Spaulding for Students to Attend Fort Tejon Program on April 19-20, 2012
13. Approve Request for Overnight Field Trip from Greg Spaulding for Students to Attend Fort Tejon Program on May 10-11, 2012
K. ACTION
14. Approve 2011 CSBA Delegate Assembly Election
15. Approve Adoption of Resolution #11-12-09 Authorizing the Borrowing of Funds
for Fiscal Year 2012-2013 and the Issuance and Sale of One or More Series of 2012-2013 Tax and Revenue Anticipation Notes Therefore and Participation in the California School Cash Reserve Program and Requesting the Board of Supervisors of the County to Issue and Sell Said Series of Notes
16. Approve Second Interim Budget Report (Materials provided upon request)
17. Approve Board Policy and Administrative Regulation Updates BP 0450 Comprehensive Safety Plan AR 0450 Comprehensive Safety Plan BP 3110 Transfer of Funds AR 3314 Payment for Goods and Services BP 3513.1 Cellular Phone Reimbursement (Delete per CSBA Recommendation) AR 3513.1 Cellular Phone Reimbursement AR 3541.1 Transportation for School-Related Trips BP 3553 Free and Reduced Price Meals
8:00 p.m.
L. STUDENT DISCIPLINE
18. Student Expulsion
M. FUTURE MEETINGS
March 20 5:00 p.m. Closed Session – Board Room
6:30 p.m. Regular Meeting – Board Room
April 3 5:00 p.m. Closed Session – Board Room
6:30 p.m. Regular Meeting – Board Room
April 17 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

FMS DAILY BULLETIN
Monday, 3/05/12

General Info 524-6055; Attendance 524-6065; Health Office 524-6059
Mission Statement: Together We Will… Think, Believe, Create and Achieve

STUDENT INFORMATION

1. CHOCOLATE FUNDRAISER – Students, please remember that you are NOT allowed to sell chocolate at school between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 3:20 p.m. Thank you for supporting your school!
2. SCHOOL RULES – Be on time to school every day – the tardy bell rings at 8:00 a.m.
3. MINIMUM DAY THIS FRIDAY, March 9th – End of 3rd quarter – School will start at 8:00 a.m. and students will be released at 12:15 p.m. NO LATE START on that day!

PARENT INFORMATION

1. PLEASE PLAN AHEAD! The FMS parking lot will be closed on the morning of Friday, March 9th for our Civil War Living History event. There will be no cars allowed to park in the parking lot that morning. There will be one loop in the gate and out of the gate to drop off students. If you can drop your son/daughter off before the stop sign at 1st and A Streets and have them walk into the campus, this will ease congestion into the school.
2. MINIMUM DAY Friday, March 9th – End of 3rd quarter – No late start that day. School begins at 8:00 a.m. and ends at 12:15 p.m.
3. FMS invites parents to use a computer in the front office that is dedicated to parents for using Parent Connect to check your student’s assignments and grades.
4. TDAP IMMUNIZATION – For the 2012-13 school year ALL students entering 7th grade will need proof of a whooping cough booster shot (TDAP) before starting school. By law, students who do not have proof of a TDAP booster shot will not be able to start school until proof is provided to the school. So, make an appointment with your child’s doctor now and avoid the back-to-school rush. Save your proof of TDAP immunization and bring or FAX into the middle school a copy of this documentation. Our FAX number is 524-6063.
5. BE SURE VISIT OUR WEBSITE at fillmore.k12.ca.us.
6. PARENTS – SIGN UP FOR PARENT CONNECTION for Zangle. See your student’s grades, attendance, class assignments. You may access the required form at our website: www.fillmore.k12.ca.us

FMS DAILY BULLETIN
Friday, 3/02/12

General Info 524-6055; Attendance 524-6065; Health Office 524-6059
Mission Statement: Together We Will… Think, Believe, Create and Achieve

STUDENT INFORMATION

1. CHOCOLATE FUNDRAISER – Students, please remember that you are NOT allowed to sell chocolate at school between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 3:20 p.m. Thank you for supporting your school!
2. SCHOOL RULES – Be on time to school every day – the tardy bell rings at 8:00 a.m.
3. MINIMUM DAY NEXT WEEK - Friday, March 9th – End of 3rd quarter – School will start at 8:00 a.m. and students will be released at 12:15 p.m. NO LATE START on that day!
4. AR READING CONTEST is here! Go and check out the prizes in the library! Keep listening to the bulletin for more information.

PARENT INFORMATION

1. PLEASE PLAN AHEAD! The FMS parking lot will be closed on the morning of Friday, March 9th for our Civil War Living History event. There will be no cars allowed to park in the parking lot that morning. There will be one loop in the gate and out of the gate to drop off students. If you can drop your son/daughter off before the stop sign at 1st and A Streets and have them walk into the campus, this will ease congestion into the school.
2. MINIMUM DAY Friday, March 9th – End of 3rd quarter – No late start that day. School begins at 8:00 a.m. and ends at 12:15 p.m.
3. FMS invites parents to use a computer in the front office that is dedicated to parents for using Parent Connect to check your student’s assignments and grades.
4. TDAP IMMUNIZATION – For the 2012-13 school year ALL students entering 7th grade will need proof of a whooping cough booster shot (TDAP) before starting school. By law, students who do not have proof of a TDAP booster shot will not be able to start school until proof is provided to the school. So, make an appointment with your child’s doctor now and avoid the back-to-school rush. Save your proof of TDAP immunization and bring or FAX into the middle school a copy of this documentation. Our FAX number is 524-6063.
5. BE SURE VISIT OUR WEBSITE at fillmore.k12.ca.us.
6. PARENTS – SIGN UP FOR PARENT CONNECTION for Zangle. See your student’s grades, attendance, class assignments. You may access the required form at our website: www.fillmore.k12.ca.us

FMS DAILY BULLETIN
Thursday, 3/01/12

General Info 524-6055; Attendance 524-6065; Health Office 524-6059
Mission Statement: Together We Will… Think, Believe, Create and Achieve

STUDENT INFORMATION

1. FRIDAY IS SHORTS DAY! Show your spirit and wear shorts!
2. SCHOOL RULES – IF you are assigned a lunch detention, you must serve it. If you do not, you will be assigned two lunch detentions.
3. MINIMUM DAY NEXT WEEK - Friday, March 9th – End of 3rd quarter – Students will be released at 12:15 p.m.
4. AR READING CONTEST is here! Go and check out the prizes in the library! Keep listening to the bulletin for more information.

PARENT INFORMATION

1. PLEASE PLAN AHEAD! The FMS parking lot will be closed on the morning of Friday, March 9th for our Civil War Living History event. There will be no cars allowed to park in the parking lot that morning. There will be one loop in the gate and out of the gate to drop off students. If you can drop your son/daughter off before the stop sign at 1st and A Streets and have them walk into the campus, this will ease congestion into the school.
2. MINIMUM DAY Friday, March 9th – End of 3rd quarter – Students will be released at 12:15 p.m.
3. FMS invites parents to use a computer in the front office that is dedicated to parents for using Parent Connect to check your student’s assignments and grades.
4. TDAP IMMUNIZATION – For the 2012-13 school year ALL students entering 7th grade will need proof of a whooping cough booster shot (TDAP) before starting school. By law, students who do not have proof of a TDAP booster shot will not be able to start school until proof is provided to the school. So, make an appointment with your child’s doctor now and avoid the back-to-school rush. Save your proof of TDAP immunization and bring or FAX into the middle school a copy of this documentation. Our FAX number is 524-6063.
5. BE SURE VISIT OUR WEBSITE at fillmore.k12.ca.us.
6. PARENTS – SIGN UP FOR PARENT CONNECTION for Zangle. See your student’s grades, attendance, class assignments. You may access the required form at our website: www.fillmore.k12.ca.us

What: Book Drive to collect books for San Cayetano Elementary School, in Fillmore

Who’s Collecting the Books? Starbucks in Fillmore, in partnership with The Heart of America Foundation®’s Books From The Heart® program

Where Can I Drop Books Off? New and like new children’s books can be dropped off at the Starbucks in Fillmore. The book drive is ending on March 4th. Books should be appropriate for students in grades kindergarten through fifth grade. Please see specific wish list from the school, below.

If You Would Like to Give Specific Books: If you are able, the school has requested the following titles and genres.

· Goosebumps series, by R.L. Stine

· Magic Tree House series, by Mary Pope Osborne

· Junie B. Jones series, by Barbara Park

· Genre and General Requests:

o Picture books, fiction chapter books, and non-fiction for all grade levels

o Solar system books

o Earth science books

o Non-fiction books about animals

o Mystery/Scary books

o Fairytale/Tall tale books

o Action adventures

o USA historical figures, from early explorers to Presidents

About Starbucks
Located at 650 W Ventura St. Fillmore
From the neighborhoods where our stores are located, to the ones where our coffee is grown – we believe in being involved in the communities we’re a part of.
We've always believed that businesses can - and should - have a positive impact on the communities they serve.
So ever since we opened our first store in 1971, we dedicated ourselves to earning the trust and respect of our customers, partners and neighbors. How? By being responsible and doing things that are good for the planet and each other.

About The Heart of America Foundation®
The Heart of America Foundation®, a national nonprofit headquartered in Washington, D.C., uniquely promotes volunteer service and literacy. The organization inspires acts of service and a love of reading by building community and providing children in need with the tools to read, succeed and make a difference.

Committed to education and volunteerism, The Heart of America Foundation® engages volunteers through putting books into the hands of children who need them the most. Through the Books From The Heart® and READesign® programs, The Heart of America Foundation® revitalizes school libraries and reading spaces in under-resourced communities into vital and vibrant centers of learning that become the heart of a school.

Since 1997, The Heart of America Foundation® has provided children living in poverty with over 2.5 million library and take-home books. And, the organization has engaged volunteers in more than one million hours of service to communities nationwide. For more information, please visit www.heartofamerica.org.

FMS DAILY BULLETIN
Wednesday, 2/29/12

General Info 524-6055; Attendance 524-6065; Health Office 524-6059
Mission Statement: Together We Will… Think, Believe, Create and Achieve

STUDENT INFORMATION

1. FRIDAY IS SHORTS DAY! Show your spirit and wear shorts!
2. SCHOOL RULES – Students are not allowed in the staff workroom in the Administration building.
3. AR READING CONTEST is here! Go and check out the prizes in the library! Keep listening to the bulletin for more information.

PARENT INFORMATION

1. FMS invites parents to use a computer in the front office that is dedicated to parents for using Parent Connect to check your student’s assignments and grades.
2. TDAP IMMUNIZATION – For the 2012-13 school year ALL students entering 7th grade will need proof of a whooping cough booster shot (TDAP) before starting school. By law, students who do not have proof of a TDAP booster shot will not be able to start school until proof is provided to the school. So, make an appointment with your child’s doctor now and avoid the back-to-school rush. Save your proof of TDAP immunization and bring or FAX into the middle school a copy of this documentation. Our FAX number is 524-6063.
3. BE SURE VISIT OUR WEBSITE at fillmore.k12.ca.us. Click on any school within the District to find all types of information such as staff email connections, cafeteria menus, available programs, etc.
4. PARENTS – SIGN UP FOR PARENT CONNECTION for Zangle. See your student’s grades, attendance, class assignments. You may access the required form at our website: www.fillmore.k12.ca.us Click on the “For Parents” drop down, Zangle Parent Connection, Registration Form. Print and complete the form and have your student deliver it to the front office. Once processed you will receive a PIN number for accessing your student’s information.

THOUSAND OAKS, CA - This year’s Kingsmen Shakespeare Educational Tour will include three public performances, including the first ones to be presented at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles and California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks.

Professional actor-teachers from the Kingsmen Shakespeare Company will present 50-minute, child-friendly performances of “Twelfth Night” free of charge at 2 p.m. Saturday, March 10, in CLU’s Preus-Brandt Forum and at noon on Saturday, April 14, at the Grant R. Brimhall Library in Thousand Oaks. The ticketed Geffen show will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, April 21, in the Gil Cates Theater.

The abbreviated story features over-the-top theatrics, live footnotes and all-out comedy. The fantastical tale follows castaway Viola as she’s separated from her twin brother by a disastrous shipwreck, leading to mistaken identities, harmless trickery and surprise weddings.

The 14th annual tour will also include stops at 14 elementary schools in Moorpark, Newbury Park, Thousand Oaks and Westlake between March 1 and April 20. For the second year, the actors will work with the children of migrant farmworkers at the Migrant Education Program in Oxnard. At each stop, the troupe will conduct interactive workshops to introduce Shakespeare and his language, stories and characters to students and perform “Twelfth Night.”

The Kingsmen Shakespeare Company, the professional theatre company of CLU, will present “Romeo and Juliet” and “Much Ado About Nothing” during its 16th season this summer. The nonprofit organization also coordinates apprentice programs for professional and aspiring Shakespearean actors and summer theater camps for youth.

Preus-Brandt Forum is located south of Olsen Road near Mountclef Boulevard on the CLU campus. The library is at 1401 E. Janss Road. The Geffen Playhouse is at 10886 Le Conte Ave. Tickets to the Geffen performance are $10 for children and $15 for adults and are available by calling 310-208-2028.

Fillmore Unified School District

FILLMORE UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
SPECIAL MEETING OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION
THURSDAY, MARCH 1, 2012
5:00 P.M. – CLOSED SESSION
6:30 P.M. - SPECIAL 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 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 Superintendent’s Report
7:00 p.m.
I. CONSENT ITEMS ( Corresponding to numbers 1-3)
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.
1. Ratify Field Trip to the CIF Wrestling Individual Championships at Moreno Valley, CA on February 17 and February 18, 2012
2. Approve Implementation Plans for the AGB Recommendations from Fillmore Middle School, San Cayetano Elementary School, and Piru Elementary School
3. Approve Addendum to the District LEA Plan for Title I
J. ACTION
4. Approve Changes to the High School Graduation Board Policy 6146.1
5. Adopt Resolution Number 11-12-08 to Approve Resolution of the Governing Board of the Fillmore Unified School District Regarding a Reduction or Discontinuance of Particular Kinds of Service
7:30 p.m.
K. INFORMATION/DISCUSSION
6. Middle School Presentation – Dr. Ellen Green
8:00 p.m.
L. FUTURE MEETINGS
March 6 5:00 p.m. Closed Session – Board Room
6:30 p.m. Regular Meeting – Board Room
March 20 5:00 p.m. Closed Session – Board Room
6:30 p.m. Regular Meeting – Board Room
Ag 030112 page3
April 3 5:00 p.m. Closed Session – Board Room
6:30 p.m. Regular Meeting – Board Room
April 17 5:00 p.m. Closed Session – Board Room
6:30 p.m. Regular Meeting – Board Room
M. BOARD CLOSING COMMENTS AND AGENDA BUILDING
8:15 p.m.
N. ADJOURNMENT

Fillmore Unified School District

The Special School Board Meeting scheduled for Tuesday, February 28, has been rescheduled for Thursday, March 1, 2012 at 6:30 p.m. at the District Office.

FMS DAILY BULLETIN
Tuesday, 2/28/12

General Info 524-6055; Attendance 524-6065; Health Office 524-6059
Mission Statement: Together We Will… Think, Believe, Create and Achieve

STUDENT INFORMATION

1. TONIGHT is College, Making It Happen night at the Fillmore high school gym. Come and talk to college representatives and students and receive valuable information from many colleges. The evening begins at 6:00 p.m. and will end at 8:30 p.m. If you have any questions, please see Mrs. Wyand.
2. SCHOOL RULES – Students are not allowed in the staff workroom in the Administration building.
3. AR READING CONTEST is here! Go and check out the prizes in the library! Keep listening to the bulletin for more information.

PARENT INFORMATION

1. FMS invites parents to use a computer in the front office that is dedicated to parents for using Parent Connect to check your student’s assignments and grades.
2. TDAP IMMUNIZATION – For the 2012-13 school year ALL students entering 7th grade will need proof of a whooping cough booster shot (TDAP) before starting school. By law, students who do not have proof of a TDAP booster shot will not be able to start school until proof is provided to the school. So, make an appointment with your child’s doctor now and avoid the back-to-school rush. Save your proof of TDAP immunization and bring or FAX into the middle school a copy of this documentation. Our FAX number is 524-6063.
3. BE SURE VISIT OUR WEBSITE at fillmore.k12.ca.us. Click on any school within the District to find all types of information such as staff email connections, cafeteria menus, available programs, etc.
4. PARENTS – SIGN UP FOR PARENT CONNECTION for Zangle. See your student’s grades, attendance, class assignments. You may access the required form at our website: www.fillmore.k12.ca.us Click on the “For Parents” drop down, Zangle Parent Connection, Registration Form. Print and complete the form and have your student deliver it to the front office. Once processed you will receive a PIN number for accessing your student’s information.

Fillmore Unified School District

FILLMORE UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
SPECIAL MEETING OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2012
5:00 P.M. – CLOSED SESSION
6:30 P.M. - SPECIAL 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 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 Superintendent’s Report
7:00 p.m.
I. CONSENT ITEMS ( Corresponding to numbers 1-3)
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.
1. Ratify Field Trip to the CIF Wrestling Individual Championships at Moreno Valley, CA on February 17 and February 18, 2012
2. Approve Implementation Plans for the AGB Recommendations from Fillmore Middle School, San Cayetano Elementary School, and Piru Elementary School
3. Approve Addendum to the District LEA Plan for Title I
J. ACTION
4. Approve Changes to the High School Graduation Board Policy 6146.1
5. Adopt Resolution Number 11-12-08 to Approve Resolution of the Governing Board of the Fillmore Unified School District Regarding a Reduction or Discontinuance of Particular Kinds of Service
7:30 p.m.
K. INFORMATION/DISCUSSION
6. Middle School Presentation – Dr. Ellen Green
8:00 p.m.
L. FUTURE MEETINGS
March 6 5:00 p.m. Closed Session – Board Room
6:30 p.m. Regular Meeting – Board Room
March 20 5:00 p.m. Closed Session – Board Room
6:30 p.m. Regular Meeting – Board Room
Ag 022802 page3
April 3 5:00 p.m. Closed Session – Board Room
6:30 p.m. Regular Meeting – Board Room
April 17 5:00 p.m. Closed Session – Board Room
6:30 p.m. Regular Meeting – Board Room
M. BOARD CLOSING COMMENTS AND AGENDA BUILDING
8:15 p.m.
N. ADJOURNMENT

Fillmore Unified School District

The Fillmore Unified School District special board meeting has been postponed possibly due to concerns expressed by the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office to the FUSD School Board and Superintendent about possible Brown Act violations. The District web site notice reading when the special meeting was and if there was time for interested persons to pick up materials mentioned in the Agenda, given that the district office was closed for the week may have been inadequate. The Board meeting has been postponed to Tuesday 02/28/12 at the District
board room begining at 5:30 with closed session and then at 6:30 for open session.

Several comments were submitted to the Gazette regarding this meeting:

Comment #1: At the Feb. 28 Board Meeting the Board will vote on a Layoff Resolution that proposes to eliminate 21.8 FTE certificated positions in the 2012-2013 school year. About 20 of these are teaching positions. Most of these RIFs represent the Districts' attempt to close what they project is an initial $1.5 million shortfall in funding next year from this year's funding level. Fifteen of these positions would result from the District ending its participation in Class Size Reduction program and the elimination of the elementary band program. At the secondary level, contractual over-staffing would eliminate a counselor and an English teacher. At the District level, the coordinator of special projects position would be gone. In addition to these proposed cost saving cuts, the District wants to eliminate the requirement of a health course for graduation and therefore the health teaching position associated with it. The career tech classes would be eliminated, too, along with those teaching positions. Not affecting teachers' employment are the elimination of 2 principals on special assignment positions.

Comment #2: Major changes in curriculum at district high schools will be voted upon in a school board meeting on Tuesday, February 28, at 6:30 pm in the district office board room. All students, staff, parents and interested community members should plan to attend. Additionally notices of which courses will be reduced or cut for budget purposes will be voted on. Proposed change is the dropping of a health class and careers class as a graduation requirement from the high school curriculums from all district secondary schools.

Comment #3: Re: Emergency FUSD Board Meeting. On the last day of school before a furlough week which included two President Holidays, a few high school faculty members at Fillmore High School were startled to learn that without any input from the faculty, students, parents, or the community, major changes in curriculum at district high schools will be voted upon this Tuesday in a hastily arranged school board meeting on Tuesday, February 22, at 6:30 pm in the district office board room. All students, staff, parents and interested community members should plan to attend.

Additionally notices of which courses will be reduced or cut for budget purposes will be voted on. This is complete news to everyone who works in the district. Both of these announcements point to the lack of information from the district office, their lack of communication with the staff and faculty.

One of the most controversial items in the proposed change is the dopping of a health class and carrers class as a graduation requirement from the high school curriculums from all district secondary schools. Several questions should be addressed to the board before this change is voted upon. These include, but are not limited to the following:

Surprising FUSD Graduation Requirment Change: How do our graduation requirments compare with other districts?

If they change FUSD will be out in the cold with very little company. Even the Catholic Schools require Health Ed (Bishop Diego, St Bonaventure, Villanova) as do all of the Public schools in our county as well as LA.

Why did the State of California develop a health curriculum and legally mandate much of it's curriculum? Health Ed legal mandates follow National Standards as well as those of the Center for Disease Control.

Why must health be taught by a credentialed Health teacher? Legal mandatess require a highly qualified person who is trained with the latest knowledge.

Why do Fillmore Administrators feel cutting the Health and the careers Class requirement from the high school curriculum is justified? They have stated at the last board meeting that they want rigor. Is this rigor?

What will be the cost to the Fillmore Community if students are not educated in the area of Health and already serious problems increase?

Why was this proposal developed without any input from staff, students, or parents?

Why was this curriculum proposal only brought to the attention of other District Administrators on Thursday 2/16, to Curriculum Chairs on Friday 2/17, and brought to the vote of the FUSD School Board on an alternative meeting day, during a school furlough, on WEDNESDAY 2/22 when the district office is closed and materials for the meeting can't be obtained?

Tuesday, February 28, at 6:30 pm in the district office board room. All students, staff, parents and interested community members should plan to attend.

Camarillo, CA - When CSU Channel Islands (CI) students hold their inaugural Relay for Life to benefit the American Cancer Society on March 2 and 3, it will be dedicated to the memory of a beloved founding CI faculty member. Dr. Stephen Lefevre, a political science professor and Associate Vice President of Academic Programs & Planning, died of cancer in September at the age of 67.

Lefevre’s wife and family will participate in and speak at the Relay as part of “Team Steve,” joined and cheered on by dozens of his former students and colleagues.

“Dr. Lefevre was a pioneer on our campus who helped build CI into the close, collegial community it is today,” said Veronica Palafox, a CI senior who co-chairs the event. “He touched so many lives here and that’s been obvious in the overwhelming support we’ve seen for Relay for Life from the campus community.”

Previously, CI participated in the relay at Camarillo High School, but this year a record number of enthusiastic participants enabled CI to hold its first on-campus event.

Students also are staging the fundraiser as a friendly competition with California Lutheran University (CLU) to see who can raise the most money to support cancer patients. CLU will hold its Relay for Life the prior weekend, Feb. 25 and 26. So far, CI students are in the lead, having assembled more than 34 teams, 250 participants and more than $16,000, with an ultimate goal of raising $25,000 by March 2.

CI’s Relay for Life is a 24-hour, overnight walk/run team relay event, with people camping out around a track. The event opens at noon on Friday, March 2, on the South Quad, with cancer survivors taking the first lap around the track. A luminaria ceremony honoring those affected by cancer will be held at 7 p.m. Friday. The event ends with a closing ceremony at noon on Saturday, March 3.

In addition to the relay, a number of family activities, including food, games, entertainment and vendors, are planned. Members of the public are encouraged to participate, donate or simply observe and enjoy this family event for a worthy cause.

For more information, contact Veronica Palafox or Jacklyn Simonson, Relay for Life co-chairs, at 805-437-2730 or via email at veronica.palafox478@csuci.edu or jacklyn.simonson508@csuci.edu.

More information about CI’s Relay for Life and fundraising progress is available on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/RelayforLifeatCI and through the American Cancer Society’s website at http://relayforlife.org/csuchannelislandsca.

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.

Camarillo, CA - The Wall Street Journal has ranked Dr. Sung Won Sohn, CSU Channel Islands (CI) Endowed Professor of Economics and Director of the Institute for Global Economic Research, third in its annual survey of top economists. The rankings, published this week in the Wall Street Journal, rate the forecasting accuracy of 52 leading economic experts in predicting the path the nation’s economy would take in 2011.

To compile the rankings, the Wall Street Journal asked the economists to make predictions in January 2011 about how inflation, unemployment, interest rates and economic output would perform during the year. Sohn, with an overall score of 78.6, was among the most accurate in his forecasts for more than 10 key economic indicators.

“I’m overjoyed and also humbled because I have very limited resources,” Sohn said in acknowledging the rating. “I compete with the likes of Goldman Sachs, Citibank and Bank of America, who have dozens of economists working on the same forecast. Essentially, I’m just a one-man operation.”

This is the third time that Sohn has earned the prestigious ranking. He was named the nation’s most accurate economist by the Wall Street Journal in 2006 and ranked among the top five in 2010. His accuracy has also been noted by Time magazine and Bloomberg News.

“I try to take a global view and not just rely on statistics but also what is going on in the real world. I maintain contacts with all kinds of businesses throughout the world and talk to them frequently,” Sohn said. “Most economic ups and downs and volatility are coming from outside of the U.S., whether they’re influenced by the Japanese tsunami or the price of oil. I think that global economic view is helping our forecast.”

Sohn joined the CI faculty in 2008 as the Martin V. Smith School of Business & Economics, Endowed Professor of Economics and helped launch the Institute for Global Economic Research as its Director in 2011.

He has served as a senior economic advisor to the White House, President and CEO of Hanmi Bank, Chief Economic Officer and Executive Vice President of Wells Fargo Banks, and currently holds positions as Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors for Forever 21 and Commissioner at the Port of Los Angeles. He is author of the 2009 book, “Global Financial Crisis and Exit Strategy.”

Sohn was educated at the University of Pittsburgh and Harvard Business School.

View the Wall Street Journal rankings at:

http://online.wsj.com/public/page/economic-forecasting.html

Contact Dr. Sung Won Sohn at 805-437-2789 or sung.sohn@csuci.edu or view his forecasts at www.drsohn.com. Information on CI’s Institute for Global Economic Research can be found at http://iger.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.

FMS DAILY BULLETIN
Thursday, 2/16/12

General Info 524-6055; Attendance 524-6065; Health Office 524-6059
Mission Statement: Together We Will… Think, Believe, Create and Achieve

STUDENT INFORMATION

1. ATTENTION FMS BULLDOGS – Get your jeans on! Wear your favorite jeans on Friday!
2. SCHOOL RULES – If you receive a detention slip, you must serve the detention. 1st lunch detention takes place in E-3 and 2nd lunch detention takes place in room H-1.
3. AR READING CONTEST is here! Go and check out the prizes in the library! Keep listening to the bulletin for more information.
4. THIS FRIDAY, Feb. 17th is a regular late start schedule. The first bell rings at 8:55 a.m. and school is out at 2:50 p.m. This is NOT a minimum day.
5. MARK YOUR CALENDARS – No school next week, February 20-24, 2012.
6. DONKEY BASKETBALL IS BACK! The high school FFA is sponsoring Donkey Basketball on Sat. Feb. 25th at 6 p.m. Pre-sale tickets are available for $8 for adults and $6 for students. You may purchase pre-sale tickets from our Assistant Principal, Mrs. Roderick. If you purchase tickets at the door, the cost will be $10 for adults and $6 for students.
7. 8th GRADE GIRLS – Applications are available for the Miss Teen Fillmore Pageant. If you are an 8th grader in good standing and turned 13 by January 1st, you are eligible to compete. Applications are available in the office here at the middle school. The Mother/Daughter Tea is scheduled for Wednesday, February 22nd at 6:30 p.m. at the Memorial Bldg. The first practice begins Wednesday, Feb. 29th. Just a reminder that points begin at the tea.
8. CALLING ALL WRITERS AND POETS! All students interested in competing for the Soroptimist Writing Contest prizes must turn in poems or essays by Monday, February 27th which is the first day we come back after our week off. Get them in before the week off so you don’t forget! Essays and poetry submitted can be about any school appropriate topic. Contribute your best piece of writing and compete for $35, $25 and $15 prizes. 6th graders should turn your work in to Mrs. Fitzgerald, 7th graders to Mrs. Wade and 8th graders to Mrs. Livermore.

PARENT INFORMATION

1. FMS invites parents to use a computer in the front office that is dedicated to parents for using Parent Connect to check your student’s assignments and grades.
2. TDAP IMMUNIZATION – For the 2012-13 school year ALL students entering 7th grade will need proof of a whooping cough booster shot (TDAP) before starting school. By law, students who do not have proof of a TDAP booster shot will not be able to start school until proof is provided to the school. So, make an appointment with your child’s doctor now and avoid the back-to-school rush. Save your proof of TDAP immunization and bring or FAX into the middle school a copy of this documentation. Our FAX number is 524-6063.
3. BE SURE VISIT OUR WEBSITE at fillmore.k12.ca.us. Click on any school within the District to find all types of information such as staff email connections, cafeteria menus, available programs, etc.
4. PARENTS – SIGN UP FOR PARENT CONNECTION for Zangle. See your student’s grades, attendance, class assignments. You may access the required form at our website: www.fillmore.k12.ca.us Click on the “For Parents” drop down, Zangle Parent Connection, Registration Form. Print and complete the form and have your student deliver it to the front office. Once processed you will receive a PIN number for accessing your student’s information.

Dr. Rush

Camarillo, CA - CSU Channel Islands (CI) President Richard R. Rush will deliver his annual State of the University at the Camarillo Chamber of Commerce’s CI Connection Luncheon on Thursday, Feb. 23, at 11:30 a.m. at Spanish Hills Country Club.

Rush will discuss CI’s impact on Camarillo, the University’s enrollment status, and new programs and construction.

The event is hosted by the Camarillo Chamber of Commerce. Tickets are $35 for Chamber members and $50 for non-members, with a registration deadline of Monday, Feb. 20. Tickets may be purchased by calling 805-484-4383, ext. 3. Members can also register online at www.camarillochamber.org.

Spanish Hills Country Club is located at 999 Crestview Ave. in Camarillo. For more information, visit www.camarillochamber.org.

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.

FMS DAILY BULLETIN
Wednesday, 2/15/12

General Info 524-6055; Attendance 524-6065; Health Office 524-6059
Mission Statement: Together We Will… Think, Believe, Create and Achieve

STUDENT INFORMATION

1. ATTENTION FMS BULLDOGS – Get your jeans on! Wear your favorite jeans on Friday!
2. SCHOOL RULES – Cell phones are not allowed at FMS. If you are using your phone without permission from a staff member, it will be confiscated and your parent will have to come and pick it up.
3. AR READING CONTEST is here! Go and check out the prizes in the library! Keep listening to the bulletin for more information.
4. THIS FRIDAY, Feb. 17th is a regular late start schedule. The first bell rings at 8:55 a.m. and school is out at 2:50 p.m. This is NOT a minimum day.
5. MARK YOUR CALENDARS – No school next week, February 20-24, 2012.
6. DONKEY BASKETBALL IS BACK! The high school FFA is sponsoring Donkey Basketball on Sat. Feb. 25th at 6 p.m. Pre-sale tickets are available for $8 for adults and $6 for students. You may purchase pre-sale tickets from our Assistant Principal, Mrs. Roderick. If you purchase tickets at the door, the cost will be $10 for adults and $6 for students.
7. 8th GRADE GIRLS – Applications are available for the Miss Teen Fillmore Pageant. If you are an 8th grader in good standing and turned 13 by January 1st, you are eligible to compete. Applications are available in the office here at the middle school. The Mother/Daughter Tea is scheduled for Wednesday, February 22nd at 6:30 p.m. at the Memorial Bldg. The first practice begins Wednesday, Feb. 29th. Just a reminder that points begin at the tea.
8. CALLING ALL WRITERS AND POETS! All students interested in competing for the Soroptimist Writing Contest prizes must turn in poems or essays by Monday, February 27th which is the first day we come back after our week off. Get them in before the week off so you don’t forget! Essays and poetry submitted can be about any school appropriate topic. Contribute your best piece of writing and compete for $35, $25 and $15 prizes. 6th graders should turn your work in to Mrs. Fitzgerald, 7th graders to Mrs. Wade and 8th graders to Mrs. Livermore.

PARENT INFORMATION

1. MEET & GREET – Please join us in the staff lounge TOMORROW, Feb. 16th at 7:30 a.m. for our February Meet & Greet!
2. FMS invites parents to use a computer in the front office that is dedicated to parents for using Parent Connect to check your student’s assignments and grades.
3. TDAP IMMUNIZATION – For the 2012-13 school year ALL students entering 7th grade will need proof of a whooping cough booster shot (TDAP) before starting school. By law, students who do not have proof of a TDAP booster shot will not be able to start school until proof is provided to the school. So, make an appointment with your child’s doctor now and avoid the back-to-school rush. Save your proof of TDAP immunization and bring or FAX into the middle school a copy of this documentation. Our FAX number is 524-6063.
4. BE SURE VISIT OUR WEBSITE at fillmore.k12.ca.us. Click on any school within the District to find all types of information such as staff email connections, cafeteria menus, available programs, etc.
5. PARENTS – SIGN UP FOR PARENT CONNECTION for Zangle. See your student’s grades, attendance, class assignments. You may access the required form at our website: www.fillmore.k12.ca.us Click on the “For Parents” drop down, Zangle Parent Connection, Registration Form. Print and complete the form and have your student deliver it to the front office. Once processed you will receive a PIN number for accessing your student’s information.

Kathy Ireland
Enlarge Photo

Hank Lacayo
Enlarge Photo

Camarillo, CA - Labor and civil rights leader Henry L. “Hank” Lacayo and designer and entrepreneur Kathy Ireland will receive honorary doctorate degrees from CSU Channel Islands (CI) during the University’s Commencement ceremony on May 19, 2012.

Lacayo’s Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) degree salutes his decades of service as an influential figure in the American labor, civil rights and political movements, as well as his longstanding support of CI and the surrounding community.

An Air Force veteran and former national director of the United Auto Workers’ political and legislative department, Lacayo has advised U.S. presidents, members of Congress, Senate, and governors, marched for civil rights alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., championed the rights of farm workers with Cesar Chavez, and helped to found and lead the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement and the U.S. Hispanic Leadership Institute. The 80-year-old Newbury Park resident is currently serving a sixth term as president of the Congress of California Seniors, which represents more than 500,000 seniors statewide. He continues to address the interests of the public, minorities, the disadvantaged through philanthropy, and volunteering his time to more than a dozen boards and committees.

Lacayo was an early and important friend of the University who helped garner community support when the campus opened its doors. He was instrumental in securing more than $560,000 in financial support for the Henry L. "Hank" Lacayo Institute for Workforce & Community Studies (HLI), which provides opportunities for students to engage in entrepreneurial studies and continues his legacy by addressing the importance of workforce and community issues.

“To be recognized in this way by CSU Channel Islands, where I’ve devoted so much of my time, is a significant, overwhelming and a completely unexpected honor,” Lacayo said.

“Hank Lacayo has left a profound and lasting mark on the American labor, political and civil rights movements and on CSU Channel Islands through his ongoing support and involvement,” said CI President Richard R. Rush. “His service to the underserved in our communities and to higher education has made him a strong positive role model for university students and alumni. I can think of no better way to pay tribute to this man’s remarkable life.”

Kathy Ireland’s honorary Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) degree recognizes her many accomplishments as a designer, entrepreneur and philanthropist.

As a super model in the fashion industry, who appeared on countless covers including Vogue, Cosmopolitan and the best-selling Sports Illustrated issue in history, Ireland launched a highly successful design and marketing empire. Ireland’s designs include fashion, home products, fine jewelry, and has written six books. Her business, Kathy Ireland Worldwide, now boasts retail sales of more than $2 billion a year with more than 15,000 products in 50 countries. In a cover story out this month, Forbes magazine proclaims her as the prototype for a savvy, hands-on $350-million “Supermodel/Supermogul,” far surpassing Martha Stewart in sales and revenue.

The 48-year-old Santa Barbara resident is also recognized for using her success to create a better world. Through kathyireland.org, she supports a variety of causes, including maternal and child health, HIV/AIDS, military families, and empowering women. She is lauded for running a sustainable and socially responsible business by the United Nations Global Compact and honored for her philanthropic impact and contributions by the Anti-Defamation League, the Dream Foundation, the Alliance for Christian Education, and the YWCA, among others.

“Being honored by CSU Channel Islands is completely humbling. This great university changes lives in powerful ways. Receiving this honorary degree reminds me that we must expand the opportunity of education whenever possible. CSU Channel Islands is a university of the people, by people and for the people of our great state. I am most grateful, and even more aware of the responsibility that accompanies this honorary degree,” said Ireland.

“Kathy Ireland sets a powerful example of how business success and entrepreneurship can be used to perpetuate good in the world – values we work hard to instill in our graduates,” said Rush. “We are proud to honor her work and impact with an honorary degree and to be able to count her among CI’s many distinguished associates.”

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.

Camarillo, CA - CSU Channel Islands (CI) invites the public to the grand opening of two student centers designed to encourage and support graduate and post baccalaureate students and students of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. A public event will be held Thursday, Feb. 23, at 4 p.m. at the newly renovated El Dorado Hall, located on the CI campus. Join University President Richard Rush and members of the CI campus community in celebrating and touring the new Graduate Studies Center (GSC) and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Center.

Funded with the help of federal grants designed to strengthen Hispanic-Serving Institutions, both centers aim to nurture and inspire all students to pursue advanced degrees and the STEM disciplines.

“The Graduate Studies Center is a centralized place that helps us to foster a sense of community and belonging among CI’s growing graduate and professional student population,” said Dr. Kaia Tollefson, education associate professor and director of the Project Vista grant that created the GSC. “Our intention is to make it a one-stop shop designed to give our graduate and postbac students, who are often working professionals, the campus services and support they need to succeed.”

The GSC offers convenient, extended evening hours and a home where students can seek academic, financial and career advice, tutoring, workshops and mentoring, quiet study or group collaboration and consultation. It features seminar and study rooms, a kitchen, a lounge, a family restroom and lactation area, and offices for academic advising and career development. A study is underway at the center to determine the scope of need for an on-campus family and childcare facility.

Also housed in El Dorado Hall, the STEM Center is a dedicated space for students of science, technology, engineering and math. Most of its walls are covered with whiteboard – allowing aspiring mathematicians and scientists to work out problems and equations on an expansive, erasable surface. The STEM Center includes ample computer workspaces, places for students, faculty and staff to work and meet, and areas to showcase student research. An outdoor laboratory and greenhouse are also in the works.

“The STEM Center will enable CI to better prepare our students to become part of a vital and critically needed workforce in the areas of math, science, engineering and technology,” said Dr. Phil Hampton, chemistry professor and director of Project ACCESO, the grant that funded the STEM Center. “It’s a place to build a community and reinforce student success by providing extra help in courses that can be particularly challenging.”

The El Dorado Hall renovation gives new life to an old building that served as a canteen when it was part of the former hospital and, later, played host to CI’s first Student Union.

The GSC and STEM Centers help CI fulfill its goal of making graduate and STEM education more attractive and attainable – particularly for underrepresented minorities. Graduate and post baccalaureate students compose almost 9 percent of CI’s student population; STEM majors constitute nearly 18 percent. The University offers six master’s degree programs and three post baccalaureate teaching credential programs, with new graduate programs planned in the coming years.

Both centers were funded with the help of Department of Education Title V grants awarded to Hispanic-Serving Institutions, which have student populations that are more than 25 percent Hispanic. Project Vista is a five-year, $2.8 million grant designed to strengthen CI’s graduate culture and enhance the capacity of its post baccalaureate programs to better serve, retain, and graduate Hispanic and low-income students. Project ACCESO is a five-year, $6 million program aimed at increasing the number of Hispanic and low-income students who are pursuing and graduating from science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) majors at CI.

Limited parking is available on campus with the purchase of a $6 daily permit; follow signs to the parking permit dispensers. Free parking is available at the Camarillo Metrolink Station/Lewis Road parking lot in Camarillo with bus service to and from the campus. Riders should board the VISTA Bus to the campus; the fare is $1.25 each way. Buses arrive and depart from the Camarillo Metrolink Station every 30 minutes from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday. For exact times, check the schedule at www.goventura.org.

For more information on the Graduate Studies Center or Project Vista, contact Dr. Kaia Tollefson at 805-437-3125 or kaia.tollefson@csuci.edu or Wendy Olson, GSC Activity Director and Project Vista Coordinator, at 805-437-8553 or wendy.olson@csuci.edu.

For additional information on the STEM Center or Project ACCESO, contact Dr. Phil Hampton at 805-437-8869 or 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.