On Monday, December 6, 2010, San Cayetano School recognized good citizenship and character at their Peacebuilder Assembly for the month of December. Cory Cole and Chris De La Paz, senior football players from Fillmore High School, spoke to the students about the importance of positive character traits. Each teacher chose a student from his or her class whom showed excellent character and peace-building skills. ASB President, Cali Wyand,and Vice President, Lizzie Castaneda assisted Cory and Chris in handing out the Peacebuilder Awards. The Peacebuilders for December are: Briant Chancon, Pryscilla Priebe, Mariah Johnson, Chris Mendez, Kayleen Jacinto, Xitlali RoblesJazmin Patino, Tatiana Esquival, David Anchondo, Joseph Flores, Anateresa Jimenez, Jason Martinez, Hannah Ransom-Fairall, Victor Jimenez, Ariana Martinez, Cesar Lopez, Shania Leon, Jared Dewey, Evelyn Cabrera, and Marlen Garcia-Cano. Cali and Lizzie then announced to the students that John Paul Pet is sponsoring the San Cayetano Character Counts Award of a $100.00 savings bond. Cory and Chris presented the Character Counts Award to a deserving fifth-grade student. Alina Cardenas, from Mr. Maus’s class, was chosen by the fifth grade teachers as a model of outstanding behavior and responsibility to the other students. 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 an orange 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 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. Alyssa Andrade, a first grader from Mrs. Swensen’s class, won the Perfect Attendance Award for December.

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The third grade classes of Mrs. Bergamo and Mr. Barrera planted a Phenology garden this fall. The new garden is an addition to the existing ornamental butterfly garden installed, 2007-08, by Mr. Schaper’s and Mr. Barrera’s second grade classes. A Phenology garden is used to study the relationship of weather to plant blooms and insect activity. In Piru’s case, the plants installed are a combination of native and ornamental plants which will focus on attracting native wildlife such as hummingbirds, butterflies, and native bees (which are not as aggressive as honey-bees).

The Phenology garden will part of larger area to be completed later this school year. Piru students will record the first flower blooms and measure the plant growth from year to year. The goal of the garden is to have students record weather trends and predict insect activity. We are excited to have our students interact with their natural environment and use the scientific process to make predictions.

The garden was a part of a grant issued by the U.S. Fish and Game Wildlife Services. Kristin Lairson, Special Projects Coordinator, and Michael Glenn, a biologist with the F.W.S, worked together to bring this exciting garden and concept to not only Piru but also other schools in Fillmore. The Piru Farm Committee, parents volunteers (Beatriz Ruiz, Josefina Velgara and Vikki Galen provided healthy snacks), and the third graders worked together to help complete the first phase of the garden. It was fun to see our students excited to plant and work with nature to understand they can influence their natural environment in a positive way.

THOUSAND OAKS, CA. - The first California Lutheran University Peace Prize will be presented in January to the executive director of a faith-based movement for social justice.

The Rev. Alexia G. Salvatierra of Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice of California (CLUE-CA) will speak during the Martin Luther King Jr. service at 10:10 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 19, in Samuelson Chapel. The service will celebrate the life and legacy of the late civil rights leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner.

Following the service, Salvatierra will accept her award at a ceremony at the CLU Peace Pole, which was dedicated last year in the rose garden outside the chapel. The Peace Prize recognizes the contributions of an individual or organization in the region whose service to humanity builds the foundation for peace and justice in the world.

Salvatierra’s organization, CLUE-CA, is a statewide alliance of interfaith groups and religious leaders helping low-wage workers in their struggle for a living wage, health insurance, fair working conditions and a voice in the decisions that affect them. It is one of the coordinating agencies of the national New Sanctuary Movement, in which congregations support immigrant workers and their families facing deportation.

Salvatierra is a pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America with more than 30 years experience in ministry, community organizing and legislative advocacy. The Los Angeles resident has focused on helping the homeless, migrant farm workers and inner-city youth. Before coming to CLUE, she started a gang-prevention program for at-risk immigrant youth as a pastor in Fresno. In Oakland, she integrated her congregation with block parties, a community computer center and a garden where the elderly taught at-risk youth to grow produce. In 1998, she became the founding director of the Berkeley Ecumenical Chaplaincy to the Homeless, a program that was replicated in six other cities. She has also worked on projects in the Philippines, Central and South America, and Northeast Africa.

She has received the Changemaker Award from the Liberty Hill Foundation, the Stanton Fellowship from the Durfee Foundation, and the Prime Mover Award from the Hunt Alternatives Fund.

The chapel is located south of Olsen Road near Campus Drive in Thousand Oaks. Additional parking is at the corner of Olsen and Mountclef Boulevard.

CLU’s Office of Campus Ministry, Black Student Union and Multicultural Programs are sponsoring the free event. For more information, contact Ashley Patterson at (805) 493-3489 or aapatter@callutheran.edu.

New memorial scholarship funds at the Ventura County Community Foundation will help aspiring language teachers and volleyball players achieve their goal of receiving a college diploma.

One honors the late Stephen Devron Resnik, owner of the iconic Somis Nut House; the second was established in the memory of Ronald Mack Adams, an esteemed teacher at Fremont Intermediate School in Oxnard.

Rebecca Pecsok and her mother, Joyce Resnik, established the Stephen Devron Resnik Memorial Scholarship to honor Stephen Resnik, the Somis businessman who died in December 2009.

"My dad was a really good mentor. He was kind and gentle and willing to teach someone to learn," Pecsok said.

She believes her father would be pleased the scholarship that bears his name aids volleyball players since he was an avid beach volleyball player well into his 60s. Although others can apply for the Resnik scholarship, volleyball players are given a preference.

"We wanted to establish something for local kids, and volleyball is an under-represented sport for scholarships," Pecsok said.

"Many local people, children and adults, first learned volleyball on Carpinteria Beach because my husband cared enough to introduce them to the game," said Joyce Resnik. "He had infinite patience and enjoyed watching the players mature."

Resnik helped found the Somis Nut House with his parents in 1959. When not on the sand in Carpinteria playing volleyball, Resnik frequented the fairways of the Las Posas Country Club.

The Ronald Mack Adams CONTINUED »

CSU Channel Islands alum Antonia DiLiello (second from left) presents a check to (l to r) Frank Barajas, Associate Professor of History; Jose Alamillo, Associate Professor of Chicana/o Studies; Marie Francois, Chair of History and Chicana/o Studies, Associate Professor of History.
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Camarillo, CA. – In 2006, Antonia DiLiello graduated from CSU Channel Islands (CI) with a bachelor’s degree in History. This would not have been so extraordinary if she had not been 80 years old, the oldest graduating student in the University’s brief history.

On Monday, Dec. 13, DiLiello returned to CI to present a check to Dr. Jose Alamillo, Associate Professor of Chicano/o Studies, in the amount of $1,100 to benefit the Chicana/o Studies program. DiLiello had asked her friends, on the occasion of her 85th birthday, to donate to this program instead of buying her gifts.

DiLiello mentioned that her father had come to El Paso, Texas in 1918 with his brother and brothers-in-law. They worked for the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe Railroad. He moved his family to Oxnard in 1932, when DiLiello was four.

When DiLiello married she moved to Los Angeles but six months later her husband was killed in a car accident, so she returned to Oxnard where her first baby was born. DiLiello remarried and the family moved to Camarillo where they lived for 20 years and her second husband worked at Camarillo State Hospital, now CSU Channel Islands.

In 1991, DiLiello went to Arizona for a year to teach bilingual orphans in a residential facility. “I really loved working with the kids and I think they loved me,” she said. “I would have stayed but I got homesick and, at the end of a year I moved back to Oxnard. I always move back to Oxnard.”

DiLiello was motivated by a love of learning and began taking classes at CI not because she wanted a degree but simply because learning gave her great pleasure, particularly history classes. She recounted that in one class someone asked the professor a history question to which the professor responded, “Ask Antonia. She is history.” To this day she can’t understand how she did it. “I worked eight hours a day, ran a house and cared for a family, and went to school.”

When asked why she chose to give her gift to the Chicana/o Studies program DiLiello said, “I’ve seen so many kids who wanted to go to school and couldn’t afford it. My brother wanted so badly to stay in school but he was ashamed that he didn’t have the right clothes to fit in. Isn’t it a shame not to go to school because of clothes? I hope my gift will help others in some way.”

CSU Channel Islands is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.

CI Mission Statement
Placing students at the center of the educational experience, California State University Channel Islands provides undergraduate and graduate education that facilitates learning within and across disciplines through integrative approaches, emphasizes experiential and service learning, and graduates students with multicultural and international perspectives.

SACRAMENTO – State Assemblyman Jeff Gorell (R-Camarillo) announced that, as a temporary appointed member of the State Allocation Board, he participated yesterday in a vote to fund $1.4 billion in approved public school construction projects throughout California. Moreover, Assemblyman Gorell joined in voting to make $96 million available immediately specifically for charter school construction projects, and a timeline will be made available shortly for schools to apply and compete for these project funds.

Assemblyman Gorell strongly encourages local charter schools to apply and compete for these vital capital improvement and construction funds. To find out more about this special allocation, including criteria, timeline and guidelines is State Allocation Board c/o Department of General Services, Office of Public School Construction at (916) 375-4751.

The school construction funds are made available from bonds approved by voters over the past six years, including Proposition 1A and Proposition 55. The funds became available to the Allocation Board after the California Treasurer recently completed a successful bold sale.

Summarizing his votes on the allocation, Assemblyman Gorell offered “This is a great opportunity for local charter schools to fund new construction at a time when California benefits from the type of innovation that these schools offer. Both of these allocations – the $1.4 billion for approved public school projects and the $96 million for future charter schools projects – will help create thousands of jobs immediately and over the next three years.”

Additional information about Jeff Gorell, his legislative priorities, and the 37th Assembly District can be found on Gorell’s Assembly web page: http://arc.asm.ca.gov/member/37/

Mariah Perez

This week was our last week of the semester, 2011 is just around the corner. When we come back January 4th, 2011 many events will be accruing.

January 22, 2011 we have our campus beautification day, which will be at Fillmore High School. We will need help assembling and painting tables, scraping gum, picking up trash, and just a general clean up of the school. This event will also count as community service. Please mark your calendars, we need all the help we can get.

Another event we have coming up is Pennies For Patients. Each class will be trying to raise as much money as possible. ASB has also made this fundraiser into a contest. The 3rd period class that raises the most money for our Pennies For Patients fundraiser wins a BBQ for there class. Last year we raised about $350 and we hope to double or even triple that this year. So Students and Parents start saving your change now. When we get back from break the dates we

Last but not least we have our Winter Formal January 15, 2011. This years theme is "DO YOU BELIEVE IN MAGIC?", which will be held at the Fillmore Memorial building. Prices on Tickets will be announced the week we get back from break.

May you all have a wonderful holiday and a Happy New Year!

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It’s that time of year when we want to make the holidays special for shut-in senior citizens in our community. The “S” Club of Fillmore High School is adopting local shut-in to present each one of them wit a special gift basket for Christmas. The “S” Club members will personally purchase, wrap and deliver the baskets to each shut-in senior citizen. More importantly, the “S” Club will sing Christmas Carols and visit with each senior citizen. This may be the only gift and guest they have for the holidays.

This is a community effort and we need everyone to help. We are asking the local business, organizations and individuals to help us with this project by adopting a grandparent for Christmas. Your $20. donation will sponsor a special gift basket for one senior citizen. To show you care about them, your business card will be attached to the gift basket. For more information please contact Oralia Herrera 805-794-1900.

Fillmore Unified School District

FILLMORE UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
SPECIAL MEETING OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2010
SPECIAL BOARD MEETING
BOARD STUDY SESSION
8:30 A.M.
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.

8:30 a.m.
I. CALL TO ORDER AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG
II. ROLL CALL
III. PUBLIC COMMENT ON NONAGENDA AND AGENDA ITEMS
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. CLARIFICATION OF AGENDA AND TIME ALLOCATIONS FOR DISCUSSION ITEMS
V. BOARD STUDY SESSION ON BROWN ACT (Government Code Section 45950 et.seq.)
VI. FUTURE MEETINGS
January 4 5:30 p.m. Closed Session – Board Room
6:30 p.m. Regular Meeting – Board Room
January 18 5:30 p.m. Closed Session – Board Room
6:30 p.m. Regular Meeting – Board Room
February 1 5:30 p.m. Closed Session – Board Room
6:30 p.m. Regular Meeting – Board Room
February 15 5:30 p.m. Closed Session – Board Room
6:30 p.m. Regular Meeting – Board Room
VII . BOARD CLOSING COMMENTS AND AGENDA BUILDING
12:00 p.m.
VIII. ADJOURNMENT
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).]

THOUSAND OAKS, CA. - The community is invited to the unveiling of a solar-powered fountain designed and built by California Lutheran University students.

The university’s first water fountain powered solely by solar energy will be dedicated from 3 to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 15, south of Memorial Parkway between the Ahmanson Science Center and E Building the Thousand Oaks campus.

Students in Robert Rumer’s Introduction to Engineering class designed and constructed the fountain, which features a handcrafted waterwheel that uses hydropower. Camarillo-based SolarWorld USA in Camarillo donated a top-of-the-line 245-watt module for the project.

The landscape fountain is the latest green project undertaken by the CLU community. Faculty, staff and students planted a community garden in November. In October, the university dedicated the Swenson Center for the Social and Behavioral Sciences, which was designed to meet the sustainability criteria in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program. In 2009, CLU was named a Climate Action Leader for participating in the country’s most rigorous voluntary greenhouse gas reporting program. Other environmentally friendly projects include student campaigns to encourage classmates to reduce their carbon footprint, student research into sustainable solutions to environmental challenges, and the elimination of food trays and introduction of biodegradable packaging and organically grown food on campus.

For more information, contact Rumer at rrumer@callutheran.edu.

Camarillo, CA. - Once again this year, Student Government at CSU Channel Islands (CI) has organized a holiday gift drive to benefit 430 children who are residents at Casa Pacifica. Casa Pacifica provides a home, school and treatment facility for abused, neglected and severely emotionally disturbed children and adolescents from the tri-county area of Southern California.

Several years ago CI’s Student Government approached Casa Pacifica, CI’s Camarillo neighbor, asking to participate in the Kids’ Holiday Wish List program. Casa Pacifica commits to fulfilling this personalized wish list for all 430 residents so they are very dependent on the University’s and community’s generosity.

Katrina Newcomb, a Student Government Senator, explained that Student Government received small, paper dove ornaments personalized by each child at Casa Pacifica. Each ornament had the name of the child, his or her age and the gift desired. Student Government representatives then hung the dove ornaments on trees throughout the campus. Students and the entire campus community were invited to select an ornament, purchase the requested gift and return it with the ornament taped to the gift so it could later be given to the correct child. Monetary gifts to purchase gifts were also accepted. The gifts are scheduled to be delivered to Casa Pacifica on December 14.

Carrie Hughes, Assistant Director of Development & Public Relations at Casa Pacifica, explained that the facility and CI have had a very warm relationship over the years. “CI’s President Rush is on our Board of Directors. We have partnered with CI students on projects over the years, such as tutoring some of our students. We value the partnership with the University and its generous support of our 430 students and their families.”

CSU Channel Islands is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.

CI Mission Statement
Placing students at the center of the educational experience, California State University Channel Islands provides undergraduate and graduate education that facilitates learning within and across disciplines through integrative approaches, emphasizes experiential and service learning, and graduates students with multicultural and international perspectives.