Marlene Garcia, Jasmine Vasquez, Xochitl Ruiz, Yulizza Aguilar and Jovanny Figueroa lead the Kindergarteners in jumping jacks.
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Fourth grade students take turns jumping rope.
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Sheri Smith from the American Heart Association encourages students to eat healthy foods.
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Fifth grade students wait in line to see how low they can go.
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Piru School got a ‘jump start’ on March’s National Nutrition Month last week. Sheri Smith, a representative from the American Heart Association, arrived at Piru School bringing rump rope activities and enthusiasm to promote Jump Rope for Heart. Jump Rope for Heart is a national educational fund-raising program that is sponsored by the American Heart Association and the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD). Funds raised will support lifesaving heart and stroke research while teaching students the value of community service.

First, Piru students participated in a discussion on how their heart works and the value of healthy eating habits. Then the entire school participated in center rotations that included jumping rope, jumping jacks, jumping relays and the Limbo. Sheri not only got hearts pumping but challenged Piru students to eat right and skip soda and chips for the month of March.

Students who accept the challenge and succeed will have their names placed in a drawing. A Barnes and Noble gift certificate awaits the healthy winner.

As part of their NASA Program San Cayetano has the ability to video conference live around the world. San Cayetano will host its Second Annual Family Science Night and Science Fair on March 24th from 6-7:30PM. Come talk to Steve who will be video conferencing live from the Jet Propulsion Lab in Pasadena! Come experience the Mobile Marine Lab and learn about our local sea creatures. Some of the agencies that will have hands-on exhibits and activities for all students will be: UCSB Physics Circus, Ventura County Astronomical Society, Dept. of Water Resources, California Oil Museum, SBVC Dental Care Foundation, Robotics, United Water Conservation District,California Condor Recovery program, Channel Islands National Park and also returning this year are those famous balloon rockets and big, big bubbles! This is an evening open to all elementary students in the community to have fun with their families and learn about science! The Space Shuttle Café will be serving dinner from 5PM. You may come to San Cayetano’s office and pre-order a dinner! We look forward to seeing you March 24th!! There is no cost to participate in the science activities.

Applications are now available for the FILLMORE WOMEN'S SERVICE CLUB Educational Scholarships. Any graduating High School Senior who resides within the Fillmore Unified School District and is continuing on to a College, University or Trade School can apply. Applications are available at Fillmore High School or by telephoning Susan Banks at 524-1470.

The Grizzly Challenge Academy is now taking applications from students for next semester. This popular military-style, self esteem boosting program located at California National Guard base in San Luis Obispo admits students who are deficient in credits, have low G.P.A.’s or want to get away from negative influences. The program is 5 1/2 months long and students can earn home passes. Mentors and parents can visit, too.
Grizzly is an accredited through Paso Robles School District. A student can earn between up to 45 credits in 5 ½ months time. The majority of students come back with a 3.5 to 4.0 GPA!
There are counselors on site, students are taken on field trips and exposed to a variety of community service-oriented opportunities, including helping senior citizens and beach clean-ups.
Several students, both males and females, have successfully graduated from the Grizzly Youth Challenge program and have come back to graduate at their Ventura County Schools. This excellent program worth over $17,000 is FREE to males and female students ages 16 through 18½ who turn in a completed student and mentor application. CONTINUED »

Ventura College is pleased to announce its annual “Art, etc. Yard Sale,” to be held on the Patio between Buildings CRC and SAB (formerly CR and H) on the Ventura College Campus, Monday, March 9th, from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

“Your Junk is Another’s Picasso” is the motto of the Annual Sale, which is sponsored by the Ventura College Friends of the Arts, a non-profit subsidiary organization of the Ventura College Foundation. Membership in the organization includes professional artists from the community, present and past faculty and alumni of the College and any person interested in raising funds for art students.

The public is invited to participate and support the scholarship fund in two ways:

Donate art stuff – anything remotely related to art is welcome. Bring items to donate to Room SAB-1 on the campus on March 8th from 10:00 a.m. to noon. Tax deductible receipts are issued upon request.

Come and buy your treasures, cheap! The public is invited and there is no charge for admission. All moneys raised from this sale will go to support awards for the art students at Ventura College.

For additional information, call Alisa Moore, Public Information Officer, Ventura College at (805) 654-6462.

Nine hundred twenty two students have been named to the Ventura College Dean’s List for the Fall 2008 semester, according to Dr. Robin Calote, college president. Thirty four are from the Fillmore and Piru communities.
To earn this honor, a student must have achieved a 3.5 or higher grade point average (GPA) while carrying 12 or more units.

Those students so honored are:

Fillmore: Sarah Adams, Jonathon Avila, Bree Castro, Jennifer Chavez, Julio Chavez, Alexander Cisneros, Kelly Cone, Diana Cruz, Benjamin Doktor, Eddie Enriquez, Marisol Garcia, Jessica Gonzalez, Nicholas Hernandez, Jah-Leesa Huerta, Monica Hurtado Sandoval, Alyssa Lopez, Cecilia Magana, Denise Magana, Vereniz Magana, Jonathon Martinez, Justin Murray, Jumpei Nakayama, Kimberly Nance, Elaina Olague, Destiny Ortiz, Gisela Ramirez, Erika Reyes, Amanda Silva, Jamie Taylor, Ma Valdivia, Brandi Webb, Farrah Zavala,

Piru: Sara Lara, and Ileana Tamayo.

We are looking for adults, and high school students to come and help with the judging of our Science Fair projects. For those of you who participated last year, thank you. We will be holding the event on Tuesday, March 24, 2009. The Science Fair will be after school, the Space Shuttle Café will be here about 5:00pm. The activities will be from 6:00pm-7:30pm. Judges would need to come between 2:45 and 3:00. If you needed to be a little later, that would also be okay. It usually takes 45 minutes to an hour to judge all of the projects, but if you can only give us 30 minutes, we would appreciate it. Rory Maus will provide you with a quick overview of the judging form, a clipboard, and pen when you show up to judge that afternoon.

In conjunction with our science fair, San Cayetano School is planning its Second Annual Family Science Night- This year open to all students in the community!!! We are so excited to be planning this event, for not only our students, but the entire community. There will be more than 10 hands-on activities, and the Space Shuttle Café will be here to provide dinner, San Cayetano’s Science Fair will be on display, and much more to come. This is sure to be the biggest hands-on community event for students and families ever in Fillmore!!! Look at what agencies will be here with hands-on activities starting at 6PM: Mobile Marine lab , NASA Videoconferencing with JPL, Robotics, Channel Islands National Park, Dept. of Water resources, California Oil Museum , UCSB Physics Circus, SBVC Dental care Foundation, United Water Conservation District, California Condor Recovery Program And the Ventura County Astronomical Society!!!

Fillmore Unified School District

FILLMORE UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
REGULAR MEETING OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION
TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2009

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

AGENDA
The public may review or request a copy of support materials provided to the Board Members
where the word materials appears.
5:15 p.m.
I. CALL TO ORDER AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG
II. ROLL CALL
III. PUBLIC COMMENT ON NONAGENDA ITEMS, PETITIONS
This is the time and place to address the Board. State law prohibits the Board from acting
on issues not included on the agenda; however, requests may be made for discussion of
specific topics at subsequent meetings.
IV. CLOSED SESSION
The Board of Education will meet from 5:15 to 6:00 p.m. to consider matters appropriate
for Closed Session in accordance with Government Code Sections 3549.1, 54956.7
through 54957.7 and Education Code Section 35146. If the Board does not complete
Closed Session discussions at this time, the Board may adjourn to Closed Session at the
end of the regular meeting.
• DISCLOSURE OF ITEM(S) TO BE DISCUSSED IN CLOSED SESSION
• School District Pupils (Education Code 35146) CONTINUED »

Luke Myers
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The Area 5 spelling bee included schools from Santa Paula, Fillmore, Briggs, Mupu, and Santa Clara districts. Luke Myers along with Sabrina Vasquez, a 13 year-old student from Mupu, were both declared the winners after spelling all of their words correctly. Dillon Galarza, a fourth grade student from Sespe Elementary, is the alternate for the county bee. The county bee is on March 9 at 6:00 p.m. at California State University Channel Islands. There will be representatives from 10 area bees competing. The winner of that competition will be heading to Washington, D.C. for the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

Fillmore is proud of both Luke Myers and Dillon Galarza for all their hard work and for representing Fillmore so well! Please come out and show your community support at the county bee!

Special Notice For girls interested in doing the Miss Fillmore/Miss Teen Fillmore Pageant:

Due to the Fillmore High School Girls Varsity Basketball Program making to the CIF Quarter-Finals, the Mother-Daughter Tea scheduled for Wednesday, February 25th has been rescheduled and will be combined with the first practice. First Practice (& points will begin) WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4TH - 5:30PM - Memorial Building.

Should you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact Lori McLain at 524-4432

Norbert Tan, Executive Director of the Ventura College Foundation announced that twenty students have been awarded Phoenix Scholarships of $1,000 each. Dave Bianco, Ventura College Foundation Board Chair, said, “These scholarships are a program of the Ventura College Foundation and named for the Phoenix Rising – symbolizing new beginnings. It is a special program for re-entry students at Ventura College created in 1999 by several of the Foundation’s board members.” The Phoenix Scholarship Awards Ceremony was held February 18 in Guthrie Hall on the Ventura College campus. The scholarships were presented to the recipients by Foundation Executive Director Norbert Tan and Development Director Diana Dunbar after The Honorable Colleen Toy White, Ventura County Superior Court Judge, member of the Ventura College Foundation board of directors and a Ventura College re-entry student herself, welcomed the attendees and provided a history of the program.

According to Tan, “By definition, a re-entry student is one whose educational progression was either terminated or interrupted prior to completion. Although the program is not limited to ‘single mothers,’ many re-entry students are single parents who must work, secure childcare and go to school, all at the same time. Simply buying clothes for a growing child can mean the difference between continuing their education and sitting out a semester. Sadly, re-entry students are often caught in a vicious circle; they cannot go to school because they cannot afford childcare and they cannot earn the money needed to pay for child care because they do not have the education needed. In addition, they are often part time students and, therefore, do not qualify for most traditional scholarship or financial aid. The Phoenix Scholarship, by taking care of some of the student’s direct educational expenses, makes it possible for these students to continue their education, rather than abandoning their goals. The Foundation generously increased the amount of the scholarship as these costs have continued to rise for our students.” CONTINUED »

The two Ventura College art galleries, Gallery 2 and the New Media Gallery, will present the Ventura College art and photography faculty in an exhibit running from February 26 through March 26. The reception for the artists is February 26, from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on the patio by Gallery Two, and the press and the public are welcome to attend. Refreshments will be served.

Students staff both galleries. This semester the galleries are scheduled as follows: Monday through Friday, Noon – 4 p.m. For additional information and changes on hours, call Kate Martin, gallery director, at Ventura College, (805) 648-8974 or contact her by email at kate@katemartin.com.

The following faculty are among those scheduled to participate in the Faculty Art Exhibit:

Ann Bittl
Carlisle Cooper (painting)
Sharon Coughran (two dimensional)
Julie Dahl-Nicolle (painting)
Catherine Day Barroca (printmaking)
Beverly Decker (painting)
Bruce Freeman (silkscreening)
Monica Furmanski (mixed media)
Sharla Glass (mixed media)
Barbara Harvey (mixed media)
William Hendricks (photography) CONTINUED »

Following an announcement by the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office of the arrest of a former Ventura College coach, officials at Ventura County Community College District (VCCCD) believe the investigation of the men’s basketball program at Ventura College will soon come to a close. “This has been a long and arduous process for everyone, but we are confident the District Attorney’s Office has conducted a complete and thorough investigation of this matter,” said Dr. James Meznek, Chancellor.

VCCCD has been investigating allegations of misconduct by athletes and coaches in its intercollegiate sports programs at Ventura College, Oxnard College, and Moorpark College. VCCCD hired an independent, third-party investigator immediately upon learning of the allegations in late 2007 and has been working closely with the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office to resolve the matter.

Chancellor Meznek commended the Board of Trustees for taking action that enabled staff to strengthen administrative processes and fiscal controls. The Board of Trustees wants to assure the public they are taking these issues seriously, and they appreciate the hard work and cooperation of those involved in the investigation. The ethical standards and values of VCCCD are non-negotiable, and the Board and Administration will take additional, appropriate actions pending the outcome of the investigation. CONTINUED »

Fillmore Unified School District

FILLMORE UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
SPECIAL MEETING OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2009

5:30 P.M. – CLOSED SESSION

6:00 p.m. – SPECIAL MEETING
BUDGET STUDY SESSION

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.

5:30 p.m.

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

II. ROLL CALL

III. PUBLIC COMMENT ON NONAGENDA ITEMS, PETITIONS CONTINUED »

Ventura County Office of Education

Camarillo, California – On Wednesday, Feb. 18, the Ventura County Office of Education (VCOE) releases its annual report, Focus on Education: Focus on Results, a comprehensive report detailing the most recent achievements of Ventura County students.

A copy of the 16-page color report will be published and distributed in the Ventura County Star newspaper on Wednesday. Also, Ventura County residents and educators are encouraged to view the report on the VCOE Web site, www.vcoe.org.

Among the highlights in this winter’s report are the following stories:

• API Scores Rise for Most Districts
• Students make Big Gains in Fitness Levels
• Cyber Bullying is a New Problem for Students
• School Budgets to Get Tight This Year
• Exit Exam Scores are on the Rise CONTINUED »

Fillmore Unified School District

FILLMORE UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
REGULAR MEETING OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2009
5:15 P.M. – CLOSED SESSION
6:00 P.M. - REGULAR MEETING
627 SESPE AVENUE, FILLMORE, CALIFORNIA

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

5:15 p.m.
I. CALL TO ORDER AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG
II. ROLL CALL
III. PUBLIC COMMENT ON NONAGENDA ITEMS, PETITIONS
This is the time and place to address the Board. State law prohibits the Board from acting
on issues not included on the agenda; however, requests may be made for discussion of
specific topics at subsequent meetings.
IV. CLOSED SESSION
The Board of Education will meet from 5:15 to 6:00 p.m. to consider matters appropriate
for Closed Session in accordance with Government Code Sections 3549.1, 54956.7
through 54957.7 and Education Code Section 35146. If the Board does not complete
Closed Session discussions at this time, the Board may adjourn to Closed Session at the
end of the regular meeting.
• DISCLOSURE OF ITEM(S) TO BE DISCUSSED IN CLOSED SESSION
• Labor/Negotiations (Government Code 54957.6) CONTINUED »

The Fillmore High School graduating class of 2009 is on track to set several academic records at graduation including the number of valedictorians, recipients of the California Golden State Merit Seal Diploma, students earning California Scholastic Federation honors, scholarship, etc.

The seniors have started receiving their acceptance letters from various colleges and universities. Mrs. Ashim, the senior counselor, wants to let you know that if you are interested in finding out who is accepted to 4-year universities, the students’ names are published in our daily bulletin. FHS will start listing their names this week. If you are interested in seeing which students are accepted to which colleges, please go to the FUSD website http://www.fillmore.k12.ca.us/ then select FHS and the Daily Bulletin. (To be completely up-to-date, you will need to check the website daily.)

The counselors and administrators would also like to thank the FUSD teachers and staff who educated our students over the past 13 years as well as the community of Fillmore who helped to nurture them. The education these students were provided from kindergarten forward has enabled them to be achieve their goal of attending a university. CONTINUED »

Natalie Garnica
Student, Fillmore High School

The last league game of the girl’s basketball season is Thursday at 7:00 – it is Senior night, so be sure to come and see the senior girls play their last home game!

Boys’ basketball has a game on Friday at Villanova, and they are busy getting ready for play-offs.
Boys’ soccer won both their JV and Varsity games against Malibu on Monday, and they have games against Oak Park and Santa Paula later in the week.

Girls’ soccer lost Monday to Nordhoff, but they will be playing Oak Park on Wednesday.

The Drama Club is putting on a play, “Trouble in Dustville”, directed by Mr. Overton. It is a Melodrama, set in the Old West, and would be suitable for adults and children alike, provided children are in kindergarten or older. “Trouble in Dustville” will be showing at the high school drama room at seven pm the last two weekends of February. Senior citizens, children, and students with an ASB sticker may purchase tickets for $5, adult tickets are $7. Pre-sale tickets may be purchased from any cast member, and tickets will be sold at the door as well. Attending the play is a great way to show support for the Arts in our community.
For more information, please contact the student store at 524-8491.

As part of National Engineering Week, Fillmore Middle School will be the site for Fillmore’s first annual Science Night (Noche de Ciencias) on Thursday, February 19 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Fillmore Middle School gym.

At this fun and informative event, Ventura College engineering, math and science students together with engineering professionals and FHS MESA Club students will guide Fillmore Middle School and High School students on hands-on projects to help them learn more about the value of science, engineering, math and the power of a college education. There will prizes awarded for various projects and door prizes as well.

A special guest, Dr. Martha González, M.D., M.P.H., Director of the Women’s Comprehensive Osteoporosis Center, will speak to students and parents about her distinguished career in medicine and what it takes to overcome obstacles and reach your goals. CONTINUED »