Twelve Merced City School District campuses have been recognized for their success with implementing a system known as “Positive Behavior Intervention and Support.” PBIS is a research-based, nationally recognized framework that promotes a positive culture of making good choices on school campuses. It includes clear expectations for the students as well as incentives and intervention plans. This system is part of the district’s effort to reduce suspension and expulsion rates in a safe and sustainable way.
The Merced City School District has been implementing PBIS in phases. It will be in place at all 18 campuses starting in the 2017-2018 school year. The dozen schools that currently use this system applied for either a Gold, Silver, or Bronze award through the Fresno County Office of Education depending on how far along they are with the implementation process, and they were all selected for the award they hoped to receive.
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Givens Elementary School: Gold Award
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Burbank Elementary School: Silver Award
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Hoover Middle School: Silver Award
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Reyes Elementary: Silver Award
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Rivera Elementary: Silver Award
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Stowell Elementary: Silver Award
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Fremont Elementary School: Silver Award
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Chenoweth Elementary School: Bronze Award
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Franklin Elementary School: Bronze Award
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Rivera Middle School: Bronze Award
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Stefani Elementary School: Bronze Award
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Muir Elementary School: Bronze Award
Representatives from the winning schools were honored during an awards ceremony hosted by the Fresno County Office of Education on May 18.
Pupil Services Director Brian Meisenheimer says, “This is such important work, to shape the positive culture on each school site and to develop lasting relationships with students. I am proud of the hard work our administrators, teachers, support staff, students, and parents have put toward creating a productive learning environment for all.”
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The Merced City School District is currently enrolling students for the 2017-2018 preschool program. This is a chance for children to reap the academic, social, emotional, and physical benefits of early education, which research shows continue even beyond the school years. Qualified families who live in the district and have children ages three or four can stop by Galen Clark Preschool at 211 E. 11th Street to fill out a pre-application. The office is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. If you have any questions, please call Galen Clark Preschool at 209-385-6619. You can also find additional information at: http://www.mcsd.k12.ca.us/MCSDPreschool/
Hundreds of people gathered at Tenaya Middle School on May 18 for the third annual STEAM Fair. The event featured student work done throughout the year at all of our schools in the areas of science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics.
The campus was covered with vibrant displays, engaging activities, and simultaneous performances on three different stages. As visitors made their way through each area, they had a chance to see everything from solar energy experiments to virtual architecture technology to mini art galleries. It was the perfect way to showcase the creativity and critical thinking happening in our classrooms every day.
We were grateful to have participation from community partners such as BEAT, ASSETS, El Capitan High School’s robotics team, and PG&E. Harris Construction helped with a booth featuring visual displays of our new STEAM Center. Students and their families could even sign a beam that will be incorporated into the facility next to Ada Givens Elementary.
Thank you to all of the organizers and participants who made this event possible!
Hundreds of students and their families had a chance to learn about several different careers, colleges, and universities across California during “College/Career Making it Happen Night” at Tenaya Middle School in Merced on Wednesday.
The parking lot was filled with firefighters, law enforcement officers, and paramedics who brought their emergency vehicles, robots, and other equipment to give students a glimpse of their careers. In the gym, several other professionals were on hand to share information and answer questions, including attorneys, teachers, nurses, dentists, counselors, chiropractors, and military service members. Tenaya Teacher Derek Peterson commented, “Our community’s support for this event was truly inspiring and allows for our students to envision their own unlimited possibilities.” The event also featured representatives from a number of colleges and universities, including Merced College, CSU Fresno, CSU Stanislaus, CSU Sacramento, CSU Chico, San Diego State University, UCLA, UC Berkeley, and Cal Poly.
The evening began with an inspiring keynote speech by El Capitan High School AVID teacher, Kim Conley. The event also included raffle prizes, and one lucky winner went home with the grand prize – a PlayStation 4. Meanwhile, members of the Associated Student Body sold refreshments to support future school events. When asked about the purpose behind planning this event, Tenaya Learning Director and AVID Coordinator Mystee Schindler stated, “It is never too early for students to start planning for their future. Our AVID Site Team works hard to host this event every year because we want to encourage our students and their families to start making those plans now. We are thankful to the community members and college representatives who took part in making this event a huge success.”
“College/Career Making it Happen Night” was organized by members of Tenaya’s AVID program, which is a college readiness system that teaches students the skills and behaviors for academic success. The site team includes the following individuals: Anthony Arista- Principal, David Bastian - Site Team/Science , Claudia Becerra - Site Team/Special Day Class, Diana DeWall - Site Team/Art/Yearbook, Linda Oldham - Site Team/Science/Leadership, Derek Peterson - 8th Grade Elective/English language arts/Social Studies, Mystee Schindler - Learning Director/ AVID Coordinator, DeeDee West - Site Team/Resource Specialist Program/California Junior Scholarship Federation, Elizabeth Whitmyre - 7th Elective/Math, and Ginger Wren - Site Team/English language arts.
“College/Career Making It Happen Night is a great way for students and parents to get information on colleges and careers. Even though the students are in middle school, it gives them a chance to start thinking about where they would like to go to college or the type of career in which they might be interested,” according to Ginger Wren. When asked why students should participate in programs such as AVID, Dave Bastian said, “I have run into several former students who are now in college, and each of them proudly declared that they were AVID students.”
Merced Sun-Star article
BY BRIANNA CALIX
First, a fire ripped through the home of young Joe Tapetillo III. With their home half-destroyed and uninhabitable, the boy and his family were forced to move to a hotel as they began the long months of repairs and construction on their Olive Avenue house. But, just five days after the fire last summer, the family suffered another setback. Thieves broke into the half-burned home and ransacked it, taking everything of value – mechanical tools, a baseball collection, and a guitar that was a special Christmas gift to young Joe.
His father, Joe Tapetillo, Jr., gave him the instrument to help him fulfill his dream of becoming a musician. “In band, he played the trumpet, but it wasn’t his cup of tea,” Tapetillo said. “He always turned back to the guitar.” Joe, now 12 years old, retold the story of the double tragedy in an essay for his sixth grade class. For the assignment, teacher Frank Delgado asked students to write about their aspirations. Joe wrote about his hopes of becoming a musician and the uphill battle he faced after losing his guitar. Reading the essay aloud to his class, he became emotional. “I felt like I was about to cry, and then I just couldn’t stop,” he said. “I knew I was going to get a lot of talks about this.”
But his emotion touched the heart of his classmate, Julianna Baez. “When you lose something that means a lot, it hurts,” she said. She told her father about Joe’s emotional story, and Alejandro Baez also was touched. Then, a few days later, Julianna showed up with a gift for Joe – a guitar. “A lot of kids said they’d give me one, but I didn’t believe them,” Joe said. When Julianna gave Joe the instrument, she said: “Don’t thank me. Thank my dad.”
On Monday, Joe did, when he finally had a chance to meet Baez in person. Baez said he hopes the Chenoweth students will learn a lesson about generosity. “It’s something good you can do for a kid to make him follow his dreams,” Baez said. “Sometimes, it’s not just about receiving. It’s also about giving and not being selfish ... and making somebody else’s day.”
Tapetillo said the gesture proved to him there’s still good people in the world. “Not everybody is out there only for themselves,” he said. “It sends a positive message that the community will step up in a time of need. It shows my kid that there’s people out there who still care.”
Delgado said it’s important for young people to learn lessons of generosity and kindness. “It’s very heartwarming,” he said.
Chenoweth Principal Vance d’Escoto said the gift represented the spirit of the school. Chenoweth teachers and students strive to be a “community of caring,” and have taken to heart the message from country star Tim McGraw’s song “Humble and Kind.” “It’s like a ripple effect,” d’Escoto said.
Joe believes the gift is indicative of something deeper: “This shows that God has a way of planning things.”
Read more here: http://www.mercedsunstar.com/news/article143849589.html