California State University Channel Islands

Camarillo, Calif., Oct. 8, 2010 – Kindergarten to 8th graders and their parents are invited to the 2nd Annual CSU Channel Islands (CI) Science Carnival to be held Friday, Oct. 22 from 5:30 – 8:30 pm at University Charter Middle School (UCMS), 550 Temple Avenue, Camarillo.

Students will have the opportunity to experience hands-on science activities and demonstrations presented by CI faculty and students and by UCMS students. At 7:30 p.m. the event will conclude with a Science Magic show presented by the CI Free Radicals student science club.

For additional information contact Dr. Phil Hampton, Professor of Chemistry at 805-437-8869 or philip.hampton@csuci.edu.

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.

Sierra High School Crest
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“It Takes a World of Difference to Make a Different World”, that is the motto chosen by the students for the school they named Sierra High. On Wednesday, September 22 over 75 community members, students and parents attended the dedication and back to school night of the sparkling new campus for the Fillmore Unified School Districts alternative learner high school. In her public remarks Sierra High School Principal Cynthia Frutos commented that Sierra High’s history dates back to 1980 when FUSD formed it’s own alternative learner high school. Prior to that Fillmore area students had to travel to Santa Paula in order to attend such a school. The school was first located at an empty storefront on Central Avenue in Fillmore. In 1982 it was relocated to the site on “A” Street where it has remained until now. The new campus is located off of Second Street next to the baseball fields in completely renovated buildings that previously housed locker rooms.

According to Frutos the school currently serves 60 students in the regular program and 20 students in the Independent Studies program. Frutos explained Sierra has the same board approved curriculum that Fillmore High School uses and the same graduation requirements. In addition to the standard curriculum Sierra offers ROP (Regional Occupational Program) classes in Camarillo and students may also attend classes at Ventura College. The school also has a software program that students can use at home. These options allow great flexibility for the student’s schedules.

When asked about what brings students to Sierra, Frutos commented that about 95% are “credit deficient” essentially because of attendance issues at Fillmore High School. Very few students at Sierra have “disciplinary” issues. Frutos emphasized that most students simply were not attending school and that Sierra is able to create a flexible program that works with the unique needs of these students. When a student needs work in basic skills the Sierra staff is able to spend one on one time with that student to get them caught up, get them the skills they need, and then they can return to Fillmore High School “[feeling] empowered… [Because] they have the basic foundation.” Some students are too ill to attend school, so they benefit from the independent studies program. Sierra is also able to accommodate the scheduling and flexibility needs of those students that are also parents.

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Paul Capra of John Paul Pet is pictured with student Peacebuilder winners for October.
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Paul Capra of John Paul Pet with upper grade award winners from San Cayetano for the month of October.
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On Monday, October 4, 2009, San Cayetano School recognized good citizenship and character at their Peacebuilder Assembly for the month of October. Mr.Paul Capra, who represented John Paul Pet which sponser the Character Counts Award each month for San Cayetano, came to speak to the students about what a good citizen is and how being good citizens can help students in school and in their outside lives. Each teacher chose a student from his or her class whom showed excellent character and respect in the month of October. ASB President, Cali Wyand,and Vice President, Lizzie Castaneda assisted Mr.Capra in handing out the Peacebuilder Awards. The Peacebuilders for October are Christopher Hernandez, Julisa Lopez, Elisabeth Mercado, Juan Martinez, Elissa Johnson, Jasmine Vega, Emilia Magdaleno, Cesar Magana, Ty Wyand, Kayla Priebe, Andreah McElroy, Noah Stoessel, Adrian Hernandez, Josiah Bernal, Roberto Magana, Rolando Cabrera, Cali Wyand, Victoria Pace, Zachary Tipton, and Diego Garcia. Mr.Capra then announced the San Cayetano Character Counts Award of a $100.00 savings bond sponsored by John Paul Pet. Mr.Capra presented the Character Counts Award to a deserving second-grade student. Justine Pacheco from Mrs.Elliot’s class was chosen by the second grade teachers as a model of kindness and respectfulness to the other students and school community. To conclude the assembly, students were reminded to turn in their Perfect Attendance tickets. Each month all students who come to school, each day, on time, are given a purple raffle ticket. The students place their tickets in a box and one ticket is drawn. The student whose ticket is drawn is given a NASA backpack with the book Max Goes to the Moon in it. Each month, the tickets will be put into a larger box that will be kept until the end of the year. In June, Mrs. Marholin, the principal, will draw from the tickets to give away two new bicycles. Aaron Carranza won the Perfect Attendance Award for October. Kinders had a morning assembly with guest speaker Mrs. Carol Barringer, Director of Student Support at FUSD.

Assistance is now available to migrant children, students and their parents through the migrant after school homework centers and Even Start Program.

The homework centers offer students grades K through 12 the opportunity to do their homework in a place where they can receive help from school staff. Even Start serves the community with English classes for adults and kinder prep classes for preschoolers.

These services are offered at Rancho Sespe, César Chávez Memorial Hall, the Colina Vista Apartments in Piru and Sheriff’s North Fillmore Storefront Station. There are also homework centers at both Sespe School and Piru School.

The centers are staffed with a teacher, an adult instructional assistant and a student worker. Even Start is staffed with a teacher, pre-school teacher and an adult assistant.

These services offered by the Fillmore Unified School District Migrant Program are free to the community.
Persons wishing more information should call María González or John Zermeño at 524-8038 and cell 558-1810.

John Zermeño is the FUSD Migrant Coordinator

Thursday, October 7th, 6:15-7:30 pm at Mountain Vista Elementary School Cafeteria. The subject is "Healthy Habits and School Site Council Training." The english School Site Council training will be led by Ms. Marholin & Ms. Godfrey and the spanish by Ms. Hibler and Ms. Schiefferle. Healthy Habits presented by Ms. Dewey.

CSU Channel Islands
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Camarillo, CA. - The priority application period for students intending to enter CSU Channel Islands (CI) or any California State University campus in fall 2011 opened at midnight on October 1.

Prospective students are strongly encouraged to apply as early as possible but CI and many other CSU’s will not accept applications after Nov. 30, 2010. Challenges brought on by California's budget shortfall, have caused at least 16 campuses to declare impaction and while CI remains open to all eligible applicants, students must meet all qualifications and all deadlines. Impaction means that a campus anticipates more qualified applicants than there are spots available. Students applying to impacted campuses may face additional criteria, such as higher grade point average, with students in that CSU campus’s local area receiving priority in most cases.

Last fall, CI admitted over 1200 new freshman and transfer students and was not able to admit any spring undergraduate applicants. While it is too early to anticipate next year’s budget, students who wish to transfer from the local community colleges should plan ahead to be fully eligible to transfer in the fall semester.

Last year CI received over 6,000 applications from high school seniors and could only accommodate 500 students. The campus expects a similar volume this year. “Our regional students have priority,” said Ginger Reyes, Director of Admissions & Recruitment, “but we work hard to be fair to all applicants. This means that they must get their application in by November 30, meet all requirements, submit in-progress transcripts, required test scores, and the $55 application fee by the published deadlines. Students who fail to meet requirements, or miss deadlines will be disappointed.”

“Our reputation as a small campus, with excellent programs has made us a destination campus for thousands of students,” said Jane Sweetland, Dean of Enrollment. “We could grow faster than the current state budget is allowing us, but that’s our current reality. We owe our students a high quality education and while we hope to grow in the near future, we will not dilute the quality of our academic programs.”

For more information about CSU Channel Islands admissions visit www.csuci.edu or call the Admissions office at 805-437-8520.

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.

California State University Channel Islands

Camarillo, CA. – CSU Channel Islands (CI) will celebrate a groundbreaking for the University’s next big construction project, North Hall, on Wednesday, Oct. 6 at 10:30 a.m. The groundbreaking will take place in the North Quad of CI’s campus and the community is cordially invited to attend the ceremony.

The North Hall facility will house a 120-seat lecture hall, seven lecture classrooms (totaling 315 stations), 3 computer labs, lecture/lab support spaces, faculty offices and support space, and administrative offices.

“This building will allow CI faculty to continue to prepare students for positions that directly contribute to the California workforce and continue our focus on being the leader in high quality, accessible, student-focused education,” said President Richard R. Rush.

The building project, whose total cost is estimated at $32.6 million dollars, has been in the planning stages since fall 2005. It entered the design phase in spring 2007 but was stalled by the funding crisis at the end of 2008/beginning 2009, when the state stopped all capital projects.

John Gormley, Manager of Design Services stated, “North Hall will be ready for fall 2012 and will meet the critical need for space to accommodate lecturers, computer labs and faculty offices.”

Parking on campus will be available in Lot A-4. Once on campus please follow the directional signs to the A-4 parking lot.

For additional information please contact 805-437-8400.

THOUSAND OAKS, CA. - California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks will dedicate its first sustainable building, the Swenson Center for the Social and Behavioral Sciences, at 4:15 p.m. Friday, Oct. 22.

The $8.5 million building was designed to meet the sustainability criteria in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program, with the target of certification at the silver level.

The center incorporates a number of energy-saving features designed to reduce operating costs. The building is situated to minimize the hotter east and west exposures and maximize north-south faces. A system of motorized windows and exhaust fans conditions the air in the lobbies and second floor hallway by pulling cool nighttime air in and drawing hot air out. Sensors turn the air conditioning or heating off in offices and classrooms when windows or doors are left open.

Windows were designed to allow natural light to provide illumination in 90 percent of spaces. Lights automatically turn off when adequate natural light is available or spaces aren’t in use. Restrooms have highly water-efficient fixtures. The landscaping features bioswales for storm water treatment and native, drought-tolerant, low-water-use plants with high-efficiency irrigation. Materials with 18 percent recycled content were used in construction, and 22 percent of the materials came from within 500 miles of campus. Ninety-seven percent of the waste generated during construction was diverted from the landfill to recycling.

The 33,000-square-foot Swenson Center has 43 faculty offices, which are replacing chicken coops that were converted into offices and classrooms when the university opened on a former ranch in 1961. Professors in psychology, sociology, criminal justice, political science, communication, languages and cultures, and public policy and administration have moved out of the chicken coop buildings into the Swenson Center. The building also features nine “smart” classrooms, two computer labs, a psychology lab, a conference room and a faculty/staff lounge. The building provides much-needed academic space at a time when the university is at record enrollment levels.

The building is named in honor of donors Jim and Sue Swenson of Dana Point. Others who contributed toward the building and a $2 million program endowment are Marv and Fran Soiland of Santa Rosa, the Ullman Family Foundation, alumni Karen and Allan Spies of Denver, alumni Kirsten and Karsten Lundring of Thousand Oaks, Jack and Carol Gilbert of Oxnard and the estate of Eleanor and Paul Culver of Lake Sherwood.

CLU plans to demolish the three vacant chicken coop buildings in a couple of months to make way for a new science facility.

The dedication is open to the public. The building is located at 141 Faculty Street near Pioneer Avenue. For more information, call (805) 493-3100.

Fillmore Unified School District

FILLMORE UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
REGULAR MEETING OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2010
5:15 P.M. – CLOSED SESSION
6:00 P.M. - REGULAR MEETING
627 SESPE AVENUE, FILLMORE, CALIFORNIA

AGENDA
The public may review or request a copy of support materials provided to the Board Members where the word materials appears.
5:15 p.m.
I. CALL TO ORDER AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG
II. ROLL CALL
III. PUBLIC COMMENT ON 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.
IV. CLOSED SESSION
The Board of Education will meet from 5:15 to 6:00 p.m. to consider matters appropriate for Closed Session in accordance with Government Code Sections 3549.1, 54956.7 through 54957.7 and Education Code Section 35146. If the Board does not complete Closed Session discussions at this time, the Board may adjourn to Closed Session at the end of the regular meeting. DISCLOSURE OF ITEM(S) TO BE DISCUSSED IN CLOSED SESSION Labor/Negotiations (Government Code 54957.6)
o Update; Direction to District Negotiators (Jeff Sweeney, Mike 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, CONTINUED »

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Thank You Fillmore! The Fillmore Band Boosters would like to send a hearty Thank You to all those who have supported us this year so far. We have had a wonderful turn out for the last car wash and sales of krispy kreme doughnuts sold out at our last home game. Because of your support we have been able to raise $6000.00, enough money to purchase the High School Band uniform coats. We are so excited to receive them and look forward to the day that we can proudly show them off to you all the wonderful citizens of Fillmore. We currently have $718.00 in our uniform account so we will be still looking to raise an additional $3000.00 for the next priority piece of the uniforms which is the hats to go with the coats. There will be ongoing needs for the uniforms however we will be off to a good start with the coats & hats. Students will currently be using some of the 30 year old pants from the previous uniform, some of which need to be replaced due to moth damage or too many holes. Additionally students will be purchasing their own uniform shoes. Band students are now eligible to participate in competitions this year and have been working on a field show to take to county competitions. If you are interested please come on by and see them practice Mondays 5:30-8:00 p.m. on the football field and enjoy them at the remaining home football games this season. We, the band students, families and boosters look forward to your continued support and encouragement. If any one is looking for an investment towards the future of the arts in Fillmore the band is very worthy cause. Donations can be sent to: Attn. Band Boosters, P.O. Box 697, Fillmore, CA 93016.

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Piru Elementary students showing off the up-to-date playground.
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Piru Elementary school as seen from the Principal’s window.
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First grade students are hard at work in their classroom.
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Piru School is a joyful, peaceful place to be! Our families and community members are always welcome to visit at any time. If you would like to join me for a ”silent walk through” and enjoy a peek into the hard work and happy atmosphere in our classrooms, library, computer labs, or any of our facilities, please come by anytime! Have a donation you’d like to make? Our students are always in need of more supplies for our enrichment activities and projects, and Piru School always needs helping hands and eyes in order to keep our students safe, learning, and feeling loved.

This year our entire staff is focused on collaborating with and supporting each other in and outside of the classroom. We have a school wide focus on three things we do on a daily, weekly, monthly, and annual basis: celebrating each other (students and adults!), keeping and reviving our traditions, and serving each other and our community.

Piru School will be hosting a monthly family and community event. Our very first monthly celebration was an ice-cream social following our Back-To-School event. Our second evening on Monday, September 27th was centered around a presentation of no-cost family services provided by Fillmore Options; a free book give- away; School Site Council elections and ELAC elections, and a kick-off for our annual Scholastic Book Fair. Despite the heat, a large number of parents and students came to have a popsicle, speak with the principal, vote, and to bring home new books. Our Parent and Community Night in October will focus on nutrition, fitness and making healthy life choices.

Our students and staff use a motto as we work and play together every day: “Safety, Learning, and Love.” Classrooms are busy, student behavior is very positive and each Piru staff member is working their hardest and best to meet our students needs. Please come by as soon as you can, and feel the magic that is unfolding at our school. Our staff and our parents are going the extra mile to make sure students truly come first. I would like to join our staff in expressing our deepest gratitude to the communities of Piru and Fillmore for your care and support of our whole school, during the launching of our brand new year.

Tricia Godfrey
Principal
Piru Elementary School

Dear School District Members,
Fillmore High School is currently participating in the state wide Governor’s Challenge and we need your help! We would like to invite you to join us in the 2009 Governor’s Challenge Competition – a contest that last year inspired more than 158,000 students from over 1,200 schools to get active, healthy and fit. As a School District Member and community leader, every day that you are physically active while taking the Governor’s Challenge will not only improve your own well-being, it will re-enforce the importance you place on health and fitness for our community. In addition, it will help Fillmore High school move up in the Governor’s Challenge Competition standings and move closer to winning one of the Competition’s great prizes. Currently Fillmore High is in 5th place and we need your help and support to move up to 1st place.

Research shows that regular physical activity during childhood and adolescence helps build healthier bones and muscles, increases self-esteem, and reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes and obesity. In addition, physical activity and fitness have been shown to be highly correlated with academic success.

The more students, parents, and community members who participate and log their exercise the better chance Fillmore High has at winning some hard earned money. Grand Prizes - Three brand new XRKades (retail value $100,000 each), Regional Awards – Eleven $5,000 awards to purchase physical activity equipment, Front Runner Recognitions – $1,000 awards to the elementary, middle and high schools in each region that record the most Active Days by January 31, 2010.

So go to www.CalGovCouncil.org/Challenge to accept the Governor’s Challenge today**, and once you get started… DON’T QUIT!

Thank you,
Kari Appleford
Fillmore High Schools Governor’s Challenge Administrator

Step 1:
Go to www.CalGovCouncil.org/Challenge or goggle Governor’s Challenge if you are having trouble with the link.

Step 2:
Scroll down and click the green box that says “sign up here if you
Are a parent, teacher, or other individual.

Step 3:
Fill in the appropriate boxes and be sure to remember your e-mail and password. Then click “Submit”.

Step 4:
Enter the school zip code – 93015 and pick the school “Fillmore Senior High”. Then click “submit”.

Step 5:
You will be on “Your Governor’s Challenge Homepage”. Under “Are you ready to start the Governor’s Challenge today?” Click “Start Now”.

Step 6:
This is your calendar that you will use to record your physical activity for the challenge. Every time you exercise you will click on the day with the little yellow man and it will record your activity. Be sure to record it within 48 hours or it will not allow you to record your activity for that day.

Step 7:
Sign out (to the left) and return the next day you have exercised. The next time you log on you will only enter your e-mail and password which will take you right to your calendar.

Hannah Wishart - Hannah is a positive, happy kid who always volunteers to help or contribute and answer. She is kind to others and a joy to teach.
Vincent Luhan - All around great student. Respectful, always on task, and does his work.
Tabitha Tucker - Tabitha is well-behaved and hard-working. She tries her best in everything. She is always pleasant, cheerful and respectful.
Estefany Tovar - Estefany is an outstanding student. She always goes beyond what I require in all her assignments. She is thorough, neat and always turns in her work on time. She works well in groups and enjoys helping other students.
Jazminne Romero - Jazminne always tries her best and is willing to help a classmate.
Francisco Cruz - He brightens my mornings by always greeting me with a smile. He is always one of the first students to offer help and pass out materials. In addition, Francisco has an excellent work ethic; this is evident in his current A+ in Language Arts.
Hai Tran - Hai competes, playing hard at all times, shows leadership skills and follows all procedures!
William Guess - A diligent, hard working student! Takes every assignment quite seriously, is extremely diligent in turning in work, scores high on assignments, and participates in class.
Ana Rincon - Ana is diligent, honorable, hardworking, helpful to others, and respectful of self and to others.
Donaldo Trinidad - He volunteers constantly, is very helpful and polite. He has a great attitude.
Phillip Hernandez - Phillip is always on task, is a hard worker, listens well, and helps others as needed.
Griselda Avila - She is a very hard working girl who excels at math and isn’t afraid to speak up for herself.
Cynthia Perez - Cynthia has a pleasant attitude and it is obvious she likes to be at school. She is always on task. She strives to complete assignments to show her learning, not just “get things done”.
Jeanette Rodriguez - Jeanette has been an amazing volunteer since the year began. She took on and completed an extra University project for AVID so that Mr. Schweller would also have one for Back-to-School Night, and organized a group of students to work the AVID nacho booth at BTSN to make money for our organization. She has shown excellent leadership and citizenship skills!
Rafael Regalado - He is a team player. He strives to excel on all his tests and class work. He is always smiling, and willing to answer questions in class.
Paulo Valdez - Paulo is a focused and respectful student. He is considerate to other students, and he is very helpful with questions from his peers.

Calling all “rockhounds”! The California Oil Museum located in Santa Paula, California (1001 E. Main St., Santa Paula, 805-933-0076, $4 Adults, $3 Seniors, $1 Children) will premiere a new exhibit, The Many Facets of Rockhounding, on October 17 which will run through January 10, 2011 (every Wednesday through Sunday 10am-4pm). There will be an opening reception on October 17 from 1 to 3pm with a special presentation by Jim Brace-Thompson, President of the Ventura Gem and Mineral Society and devoted rockhound. Join us in discovering the effortless beauty and design of the natural world with colorful displays of rocks, fossils, meteorites, and much more!

This exhibit is presented in association with the Ventura Gem and Mineral Society, a nonprofit, educational organization founded in 1944 with the mission of promoting popular interest in geology and the earth we live on, including rocks, minerals, fossils, and the lapidary arts (gem cutting and jewelry making). They are an organization entirely of volunteers, with approximately 80 members, including adults and children. Their members have donated countless pieces from their private collections to this display. You will not see them anywhere else!

The Many Facets of Rockhounding invites visitors of all ages to witness Southern California as geologists and paleontologists see it. Come and be dazzled by art from nature in jasper, geodes, trilobites, and polished stone sculptures…just don’t be surprised if you leave us as a rockhound!

What: “The Many Facets of Rockhounding”
Where: California Oil Museum, 1001 East Main Street, Santa Paula
When: October 17, 2010 through January 10, 2011
Museum Hours: Wednesday through Sunday from 10am to 4pm
Admission: $4 Adults, $3 Seniors and $1 Youth (6-17), Free for members
Museum Phone: 805-933-0076
Museum Website: www.oilmuseum.net
Contact: Jeanne Orcutt, jorcutt@ci.santa-paula.ca.us, 805-933-0076 ext. 291

Camarillo, Calif., Sept. 29, 2010 - Sean Anderson, Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies at CSU Channel Islands (CI), has had a long involvement with the Gulf Coast of Louisiana. He started teaching at CI immediately after Katrina and found himself altering his course work so that he and his students could focus on coastal wetland loss and make sense of the increasingly frustrating daily headlines emanating from the Gulf that summer and fall of 2005. His students became so involved that they mobilized with students across CI to raise money for the Red Cross but wanted to do yet more to help.

With that as a catalyst, Anderson began to organize yearly trips to New Orleans with spring 2011 being his fifth trip. Through the years students have helped with all manner of reconstruction and worked deeply with Woodlands Trail and Park, where they are monitoring the long-term impacts from Katrina on the region’s wetlands and undertaking a large-scale swamp restoration. The group’s work was key in securing $40,000 from FEMA to restore public access to the site initially and more recently seed monies from several local funders to begin the initial phases of their long-term restoration. Anderson’s class expanded last year to include students and faculty from both Oregon State University and the Santa Monica Bay Restoration Foundation, who brought their talents in agriculture and stormwater management to bear and expanded students’ work to creating sustainable community food gardens for residents of Orleans and Plaquemines Parish.

After BP’s oil spill, Anderson began getting inquiries from colleagues as to what could be done. There was no money at that point to do anything, but he thought a national group of academics, scientists and researchers could be pulled together with the idea of coming up with, as he puts it, “…a thousand mile high, big picture.” As Anderson explained, “There is a lot of research going on right now, lots of little pieces that do not necessarily come together to form a valuable overall piece. While some research has begun, BP has over half a billion dollars to give out for long-term research. The problem is that what little data has been gathered to date hasn’t generally been made available to the public or to the scientific/research community.”

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