The Merced City School District received the state's leading educational honor, the Golden Bell Award, during the California School Boards Association Annual Education Conference and Trade Show at the San Francisco Marriott Marquee on Saturday, December 3. MCSD also received a $1000 award from Cisco during the ceremony.
The CSBA sponsors the Golden Bell Award, which is now in its 37th year. The award recognizes public school programs that are innovative and sustainable, make a demonstrated difference for students, and focus on meeting the needs of all public school students.
The Merced City School District earned this award for its STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) program, which provides experiential learning in those subjects to help prepare students for bright futures in high demand fields. The program includes 21st century learning opportunities during regular school hours, through extended day offerings, and during the Summer Academy for Academic Achievement. Students have the opportunity to perform plays, compose music, build and program robots, work with 3D printers, design vertical gardens, grow and study plants, build electric circuits, and much more. The district’s STEAM program also includes collaboration with other agencies for opportunities such as “Every Kid in a Park,” which allows all of the district’s 4th grade students to take an educational field trip to Yosemite National Park with correlating classroom lessons before and after the excursion. Efforts are currently underway to continue developing and expanding the program including the recent groundbreaking for a cutting edge STEAM Center next to Ada Givens Elementary, which will serve all students in the district. The MCSD Board of Education has provided critical support for this program by approving plans for the STEAM Center and the addition of specialized staff members, while maintaining a clear vision for the district’s future.
Experts from school districts and county offices of education made up the 16-member judging panel that reviewed the written entries and made the initial recommendations for the awards. On-site validators assessed the programs in action.
“California’s K-12 public schools continue to produce some of the nation’s best and brightest students, and our Golden Bell recipients are a reflection of that excellence as well as the spirit of innovation which is so characteristic of this state,” said CSBA CEO and Executive Director Vernon M. Billy. “The Golden Bell Awards recognize the quality and the determination of school leaders from across California in meeting the needs of California's students through award-winning programs and services.
CSBA is the non-profit education association representing the elected officials who govern public school districts and county offices of education. With a membership of nearly 1,000 educational agencies statewide, CSBA brings together school governing boards and district and county office administrators to advocate for effective policies that advance the education and well-being of the state’s more than 6 million school-age children. Learn more at www.csba.org.
To learn more about the MCSD STEAM program, click here: http://www.mcsd.k12.ca.us/District/Portal/steam-center
The Merced City School District is proud to serve a diverse community, including many families with a primary language other than English. We also know how important it is to help all of our students become proficient in English and the powerful role relatives can play in supporting their education. That’s why we’re working to raise awareness about a program our district offers called Community Based English Tutoring, or CBET.
Our Director of Curriculum and Categorical Compliance, Elena Castro, explains, “The purpose of the program is to promote the acquisition of the English language with the adults who are the parents or other relatives of our students. What the adults do is they make a promise. They promise they will tutor their child or their nephew or their grandchild in exchange for the instruction they receive in the program.”
CBET began back in 1998 and has served hundreds of individuals since that time. It’s currently held in a classroom and computer lab at the MCSD Family Service Center located at 1180 E Street and is funded through Title 3 and the Local Control Funding Formula. Our district collaborates with the Merced Union High School District, which provides an instructor for the program through the Merced Adult School. Meanwhile, our district provides the facilities as well the curriculum, instructional aides, and the support of three community outreach specialists who are fluent in Spanish, Hmong, and Mien. They assist in recruiting, conducting orientation, and helping families during and after the program.
One of those outreach specialists, Lucas Lopez says, “Our goal is to empower our parents with the technical support they need, with strategies and techniques to use at home and provide parents also the skills they need to help their children with homework and other school work. I’ve seen for many years parents who attend our CBET program, their children tend to do better in school.”
Community outreach specialist Fong Her adds, “It’s very rewarding when I see parents and their children benefit from the support we are able to give.”
CBET students also have the opportunity to further develop their English language proficiency using computer based programs in addition to lessons on keyboarding, email, web searching, and Google apps. Community Outreach Specialist Tzeng Saechao provides support for many of those programs. He says, “As we prepare students to be college and career ready, I believe it’s also important that we provide parents with the opportunity to expand their knowledge, including technology. Once parents are proficient with these programs, they feel connected. When students talk about Google, Google drive, email, parents can relate not just with the label, but they know exactly what that means behind the label.”
Special parent education workshops are offered through CBET as well, and guest speakers provide helpful information about topics such as nutrition. Staff members say good attendance is critical, which is why bus passes and child care are available for students who need them. Vanesa Garcia-Murillo is a bilingual instructional aide who works with the children. She helps them with homework and reads with them while their parents are learning next door. She says, “I came here when I was 14 so I know how hard it is to learn a second language. Knowing that I’m helping people to make their life easier so they can have a better future makes me really happy.”
CBET student Maria Govea says participating in the program has allowed her to make a greater impact on her daughter’s education. She says, “I have a 10 year old, and we can understand each other. I help her with homework, and I understand what she’s doing wrong or right, and she is so proud of me because I am learning more and more.”
CBET classes are held Monday through Friday from 12:30 to 2:45 p.m. from August through May. The program culminates each year with a Recognition of Achievement Day to celebrate the students. During last year's ceremony, several participants spoke about their journeys from other countries, the challenges they faced along the way, and their determination to provide better lives for their children. Many also stressed how important it is to them to become proficient in English. It's a special event that we hope many other families of English learners will have the opportunity to experience.
To learn more about CBET, you can contact our community outreach specialists.
Tzeng Saechao: 209-385-6753, tsaechao@mcsd.k12.ca.us
Lucas Lopez: 209-385-6752, llopez@mcsd.k12.ca.us
Fong Her: 209-385-6754, fher@mcsd.k12.ca.us
The Merced Adult School runs a similar program at Tenaya Middle School, which is taught by a Merced City School District teacher. Those classes are held on Monday and Wednesday nights from 6 to 8 p.m. To learn more about that program, please call 209-325-2800.
Students throughout the Merced City School District are helping to make this a happy Thanksgiving for families in need. Several schools have been collecting non-perishable food items for the annual meal provided by the Merced County Rescue Mission. The organization plans to feed thousands of low income families and those who are homeless this holiday season.
At Reyes Elementary, the donation efforts were led by students in the Leadership Club. This is the club's first year of existence, and the members are already making an impact. They helped advertise the food drive among their classmates and will be organizing future activities as well. The club is made up of 22 students in 4th, 5th, and 6th grades and encourages those students to become positive leaders on their campus.
Reyes also collected cans during a "Trunk of Treat" event hosted by the Parent Teacher Club for Halloween. The admission was $0.50 for children, $1.00 for adults, or a canned food item per person.
Thank you to all of our students and staff members who have contributed to the food drive. The final day to donate is November 18th.
Reyes Leadership Club President (Kayla Alvarado) and Vice President (Alexa Delapaz) with teacher and Leadership Club Coordinator, Ms. Chambers
The Merced City School District still has space available for more children between the ages of three and five to join our preschool program. We have a total of 18 preschool classes at 13 of our elementary school campuses, and we accept applications all year long because we often have openings that come up during the year as students move with their families.
We are a State Preschool Program, so families must meet eligibility requirements. Eligibility is based on a family’s size and the gross monthly income. Our program provides three hour sessions, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Class sizes range from 16-24 students, but we always maintain a 1 to 8 ratio of adults to children.
Preschool is important for many reasons. For many children, it is their first experience in a structured setting with teachers and groups of children. It’s a chance to learn to share, follow instructions, and begin the foundation for learning that will occur in elementary school. Preschool also promotes social and emotional development. It allows children to spend time away from parents and build trusting relationships with adults outside the family. Children learn to take care of themselves and others in preschool, which boosts their sense of competence and self-worth. It also helps prepare them to be successful in group settings once they enter kindergarten. Preschool promotes language and cognitive skills. Teachers help stretch their language by asking questions and introducing new vocabulary during science, art, snack time, and other activities. Preschool nurtures a child’s curiosity. Teachers use children’s interests and ideas to create activities. They also have access to play areas designed to support their imagination with costumes, props, household items, and more. Preschool activities boost pre-math and literacy skills. This is done through games and activities. For example, singing the alphabet song while following along in a picture book helps build the connection between letters and word sounds.
It is important to realize that there are differences in the types of preschool programs. We are a state preschool so we are different than Head Start, which is a federal program. There are also private preschools that are different as well. One thing that makes our district unique is that we two family specialists who help support families by providing workshops and making referrals to other agencies that can provide support that the district cannot. The family specialists will also help with individual assistance to children and families when needed. We have a Positive Behavior Support Teacher who also works with children and parents. She provides support for children who may have challenging behaviors. We also have a Preschool Special Education Team that includes a psychologist, a speech therapist, a resource teacher, and a nurse. We have a special day class for children who have IEP’s (Individualized Education Programs).
In a state-wide quality rating system, all of our sites scored “High Quality,” and some of our sites scored a “High Quality Plus.” It is very similar to a rating system that restaurants and hotels have. Some are 3 stars, and some are 5 stars. Our program is rated like a 5 star because we have highly qualified staff, we score high on environment or classroom ratings, we provide high ratios for supervision and engagement, and we monitor children’s development and provide support as needed.
Parents who are interested in enrolling their children or learning more can come by the office at Galen Clark Preschool, which is located at 211 E. 11th Street in Merced. Or they can call 209-385-6619.
Students at John C. Fremont Elementary took a step back in time Wednesday during the school's 18th annual Pioneer Day. The living history lesson gave third graders a chance to experience what life was like during the California Gold Rush of the mid 1800’s. They participated in a variety of activities, including panning for gold, quilting, making butter, and doing laundry with a tub and washboard. They also enjoyed a Pony Express relay race, made yarn dolls, and played horseshoes as well as clothes pin game.
The students dressed in outfits appropriate for that time period using items from home along with bonnets, cowboy hats, and bandanas provided by the school. Even their lunches were wrapped in dish cloths instead of plastic bags or other 21st century materials.
These hands-on activities correlate with third grade social studies, which helps children learn more about the county in which they live and what it was like in the early days compared to modern times.
Teacher Lora Wheeler coordinates this memorable event each year with support from other teachers, administrators, parent volunteers, and community groups such as the Gateway Quilters Guild and Merced County Historical Society. She says, “What I really love about it is that children get to experience what it was like to be a person who lived 150 years ago, a pioneer…and through all these different experiences they get to find out that pioneers weren’t that different than us. It’s just the technology that was different. They begin to appreciate all of the conveniences they have like a microwave or TV. So it’s fun for kids to learn and compare.”
Many of the supplies for this annual event were initially funded through a history grant from the state, and items have been replaced and added with the help of fundraisers.
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