What a difference a day makes! A space at Rivera Elementary School that was vacant on Wednesday is now home to a 1440 square foot preschool. The facility arrived in three large sections on trucks from Stockton Thursday morning. Site work to prepare for the delivery began early last week, and crews spent the day carefully positioning the preschool on the property.
The building was designed with student safety as the top priority, including the strategic placement of windows and doors. It will serve approximately 20 children in the morning and 20 more in the afternoon. The preschool also has two restrooms and its own kitchenette.
This facility is the latest addition to Rivera Elementary School, which opened to 600 kindergarten through sixth grade students last fall. It was built adjacent to Rivera Middle School using voter approved Measure M and Measure S funds. The goal was to fill a need in Northwest Merced while creating enough space to allow all sixth graders to attend elementary schools.
The new preschool was funded through Measure M and developer fees. It will open this fall with a mission to provide students the academic, social, emotional, and physical benefits of early education in a nurturing environment.
Enrollment is now underway for all of the district’s preschools. 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:
More than 15-hundred students are getting an educational boost through the Merced City School District’s Summer Academy for Academic Achievement. The voluntary program started Monday, June 13th and will continue through July 8th.
The Summer Academy provides an opportunity for students to extend their learning in science, technology, engineering, the arts, mathematics, and language arts. It includes fun hands-on projects and technology-based learning as well.
One unique element of the Summer Academy is the thematic engineering lessons that are specific to each grade level. The students are learning about topics such as pollination, magnetics, and solar energy in a progressive format that encourages critical thinking.
Reyes and Peterson Elementary Schools are serving students who were in second through fifth grades during this past school year, while Rivera Middle School is hosting those who just completed sixth and seventh grades. Breakfast and lunch are offered to the students, as well as transportation to and from the Summer Academy sites.
Reyes Elementary is also hosting the “Fast Track” program concurrently with the Summer Academy. English learner students who were in transitional kindergarten, kindergarten, or first grade in the 2015-2016 school year were invited to attend. The program is designed to increase English language proficiency in the areas of speaking, listening, reading and writing while also including time for other important subjects. The learning opportunities include time with e-books, which address literacy and the use of technology simultaneously.
Total enrollment for both programs at Reyes is nearly 900, while Peterson is at nearly 400, and Rivera is approximately 300. Peterson and Rivera are both accepting more students while space remains available, and Reyes expects to accept more applications on Thursday, June 16th.
Reading, writing, speaking, and understanding English are critical components of any child’s education in the United States, but many students come into the Merced City School District with a primary language other than English. That is why the district has specific programs in place to help those students become proficient.
Data for the 2015-2016 school year indicates those programs are making an impact. District statistics show 494 students who began as English learner students were reclassified as proficient in English by the end of the year.
The steps for reclassification include:
- Student must achieve a Level 4 or 5 on the California English Language Development Test
- Student must meet academic proficiency as determined by District Progress Assessments
- Teacher provides an evaluation of student’s academic performance
- Parents/guardians are invited to participate in one on one meeting
Schools often celebrate the success of the students who meet those requirements, including Alicia Reyes Elementary, which had 58 students reclassified this year. Principal Aaron Alexander and his staff made those students the stars of a parade through the campus on May 24th. They walked through the hallways wearing medals around their necks as other students cheered and waved streamers in their honor.
However, the process does not end there. Reclassified students receive two years of follow-up monitoring by the district and site administration. Their progress is routinely checked and recorded, and interventions and support services are available if needed. Those services may include additional tutoring and counseling. The goal is to give every student the best opportunity to succeed.
Several construction and modernization projects are ramping up at campuses throughout the Merced City School District now that the school year has come to an end. These improvement projects are largely funded through Measure M, which voters approved in 2014.
At Chenoweth Elementary, crews are building a new parking lot off Teak Avenue to improve access and safety during drop off and pick up times. The work will also include two new basketball courts for school and community use, new playground equipment, new water efficient landscape and irrigation, plus security gates and fencing. In addition, modern upgrades will be made to aging classrooms, restrooms, HVAC systems, and the fire alarm system.
At Burbank Elementary, work is underway to create a new safer parking lot off Alexander Avenue, an improved bus loading zone, and an upgraded blacktop play area with basketball, volleyball, and tether ball courts.
Infrastructure improvements are also taking place at Hoover Middle School, which was built in 1950. Decades old heating, ventilating, and cooling equipment is being removed and replaced with efficient new HVAC units. Several restrooms are also being remodeled.
Site work is also getting underway for the new pre-school at Rivera Elementary School. This project is scheduled to be complete by the fall. It will put the final touches on the district’s newest elementary school, which opened to kindergarten through sixth grade students in 2015.
A districtwide safety and security camera system project is also moving closer to completion. It will provide surveillance cameras for every school and support facility to help ensure the safety of students, staff, and visitors.
Other notable work includes:
- A new metal roofing system for the Tenaya Middle School gymnasium and locker rooms
- A new metal roofing system for 17 classrooms, the multi-use/kitchen facility and the administration and student services center at Cruickshank Middle School
- A new roof for the original John Muir Elementary classroom wing, which was built in 1938
Nearly 12 hundred Merced City School District students graduated from 8th grade on June 1, 2016, and many had to overcome challenges to reach that milestone. That includes two students who faced an especially fierce foe – cancer.
One of those remarkable students is 13 year old Mina Lopez, who attended Hoover Middle School. Mina started feeling ill in February of 2015 and sought medical care, but her condition went undiagnosed until she visited Valley Children’s Hospital in July. By that time, she was extremely sick with what turned out to be leukemia.
Mina was unable to attend school as she underwent treatment for the disease, which affects the blood and bone marrow. However, she still managed to complete her work through the district’s home health program. Principal Julie Rivard was thrilled to receive a call from Mina’s mom a few weeks ago letting her know that Mina is in remission and had permission from her doctor to attend graduation.
Principal Rivard recognized Mina during Wednesday’s commencement ceremony, saying “We are all so very proud of you for your courage and determination this year.” Mina says she is grateful to be feeling better and encouraged her fellow students to appreciate their health and make the most of every day.
Brody Ferguson has also overcome a difficult battle with cancer. The Cruickshank Middle School graduate was first diagnosed with epithelial sarcoma three years ago, on his birthday. He endured multiple surgeries and radiation, but doctors later discovered that the cancer had returned when Brody’s foot was fractured during a physical therapy session. On March 9th of this year, his leg was amputated below the knee to save his life.
Brody has inspired his family, classmates, teachers, and principal with his positive attitude and determination to achieve all of his goals despite the pain and physical challenges he has experienced. The 15 year old was recently honored during an end of the year awards ceremony at Cruickshank. Principal Jil Settera says he received the school's first ever "Heart of the Champion Award," and also received a standing ovation.
Brody says life is a gift, and he feels lucky and excited for the future. He now has his sights set on playing water polo at El Capitan High School in the next school year.
Congratulations to both of these incredible students!
http://www.mercedsunstar.com/news/local/education/article81480572.html