The Superintendent’s Update February 25, 2014

NEWS FROM KELLY

February Superintendent Award Winners: Congratulations to Beth Burton and Mike Weissenborn for being recognized with the Superintendent’s Award at the February 19, 2014, CUSD Board of Education meeting.

Beth Burton, PVHS teacher extraordinaire, was honored with the Superintendent's Certificated Staff Member Award for her work with both the AVID program and the Academic Decathlon team, which recently won the regional competition for the tenth year in a row. In addition, Ms. Burton is a track coach…and the reigning Scottish Athletics Women's World Champion – famous for her “caber toss”. Her skills are most impressive (Amazing Beth Burton's Perfect Caber Toss - YouTube).

Not to be outdone, Mike Weissenborn, the Director of Facilities and Construction, was awarded the Superintendent’s Classified Staff Member Award. Mr. Weissenborn, who recently announced his , has been with CUSD for 22 years. In that time he has built many new facilities including Emma Wilson, Forest Ranch, Little Chico Creek, Marsh Junior High, the Performing Arts Center and the new multi-story classroom buildings at PVHS, and the new classroom buildings, Lincoln Hall and Fitness Lab at Chico High - to name just a few. In addition, Mr. Weissenborn has brought $98 million dollars to CUSD in matching funds for facilities. The Board President shared that she will accept his retirement letter when he reaches $100 million… Congratulations to both of these OUTSTANDING CUSD staff members!

Arts For All 4th Annual Performing and Fine Arts Gala: The 4th Annual Arts for All Gala was held on February 12 at the Center for the Arts. Upon entering the Center for the Arts, guests were treated to a wide variety of student fine art exhibits in the gallery. Thank you to our fabulous Fine Arts teachers for their encouragement of the students who exhibited their work. The guests were then entertained by musical, dance and dramatic performances from Chico High, Pleasant Valley High, Inspire School of Arts and Sciences, and the Parkview Elementary Band. Thank you and congratulations to the students as well as the teachers who prepared them for this wonderful evening celebration of art! Thank you also to the non-profit, volunteer Arts For All committee that not only sponsors this wonderful event, but also raises money for grants for work in the Arts. Kudos!

Anti-Bullying Day, February 26, 2014: As educators and humans, we work year round to stop bullying. February 26 is a day dedicated to those anti-bullying efforts we make every day. To show your support, please wear pink on February 26, 2014 and share the anti-bully message! Scott The Superintendent’s Update - Page 2 of 13

Lindstrom and his staff have activities planned at all of our elementary schools. Thank you all for your ongoing efforts in this very important area!

NEWS FROM OUR COMMUNITY

CUSD Featured at Democratic Action Club of Chico (DAC): David McKay, principal at Fair View High School, and Pedro Caldera, principal at Chico Junior High School, represented Chico Unified at a recent meeting of the Democratic Action Club of Chico (DAC). Mr. McKay and Mr. Caldera participated at the request of community leader Willie Hyman. They shared CUSD /expulsion data and provided descriptions and explanations of the many programs in CUSD, including both prevention strategies and intervention tactics. The passion both of these educators showed for the physical, mental and emotional well-being of every student in Chico Unified energized the audience (and even included a suggestion that Mr. McKay and Mr. Caldera take their message on the road to show others what has worked so well in Chico). Thank you Mr. McKay and Mr. Caldera.

New Fundraiser for the Chico High School Softball Program. CHS is holding an E-Waste Fundraiser Sunday, April 6, 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Money will be received for every pound brought in of broken or old electronics. It is free for all residents and businesses that want to bring old or no longer wanted electronics to the front of Chico High School during those four hours. Thank you for the proper disposal of e-waste and for your support of CHS Softball!

Academic Decathlon: Pleasant Valley High School completely dominated the Academic Bowl. Their team won by a couple thousand points and Michael Simic won the overall title by edging out two other Pleasant Valley students in a close race. Following is a nice video of the day….. http://video214.com/play/5u4MMvWBnA42sn0GjVlUsg/s/dark ~ Tim Taylor, Superintendent, Butte County Office of Education

Annual Empty Bowls Fundraiser for the Hungry and Homeless on March 13, 2014: Please see the flyer at the end of this update for information.

California State University, Chico hosts many visiting international scholars from around the world. These scholars engage in the activities of the campus community, sharing their international and cultural experiences and perspectives, and providing rich learning opportunities for students, staff, faculty, and community members. Seventeen Teachers from fifteen different countries attended the CUSD Board Meeting on February 19, 2014.

Chico Animal Shelter takes on 2014 ASPCA Rachael Ray $100K Challenge: Community Support Needed for Chance to Win $100,000 Grand Prize and Save More Lives. Please see the Press Release at the end of this update for information.

SPOTLIGHT ON OUR STAFF

Congratulations: The CUSD Board approved the hiring of Julie Kistle as the next Director of Facilities and Construction. Julie will work with Mike Weissenborn, who is retiring effective April 3 as our current Director of Facilities and Construction. Mike will be using some vacation days, which will make his last The Superintendent’s Update - Page 3 of 13 work day in the middle of March. Julie has worked at CUSD as a Construction Manager and has been integral in the construction of the Center For the Arts, the new Pleasant Valley High classroom building, the new Lincoln Center at Chico High, and the Facilities Master Plan development. We are excited to have Julie’s experience, positive personality, and collaborative perspective leading our Facilities department into the future. Please join me in congratulating Julie on her new position.

Golden Apple Leadership Awards: Congratulations to Rhonda Kaufmann and David Koll! Rhonda, Classified Human Resources Assistant, and David, Director of Classified, were voted by their CUMA colleagues to receive the February Golden Apple Award. Congratulations to both outstanding employees and thank you to Jack and Blake Danielson of Golden Apple Insurance for their continued support and recognition of CUSD staff and students.

Teachers Are Heroes: Congratulations to Regina Schmidt, Special Ed. Teacher at Parkview Elementary who was honored on "Teachers are Heroes" by Action News. Principal JoAnn Bettencourt stated this is a well-deserved recognition and she is so grateful that Regina is a member of her teaching staff and thanks her for her dedication to students and the teaching profession.

http://www.actionnewsnow.com/content/wakeup/story/Teachers-Are-Heroes/tDIKm341uk6TijTCWhfpwQ.cspx

NEWS FROM EDUCATIONAL SERVICES

Assessments: Many thanks from David Scott, Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services to Ms. Serrato and Ms. Payne for facilitating my observation of Ms. Serrato’s second grade class during the administration of the District ELA assessment today. My observations are as follows:

 18 of the 19 students were eagerly engaged in the assessment. One student was unable to do so because he could not read English  Most of the students completed the assessment in 18 to 22 minutes  Many of the students were interested in the scores and wanted to know the meaning of the Red, Green and yellow bars  The students who completed the assessment early were directed to a computer based math program.  At the end of the session, most, if not all, of the students left the computer lab in what appeared to be positive moods.

2014 Summer Staff Development Opportunity: We proudly announce the 2014 Summer Satellite Crossing Lines: Tools For Teaching Tough Topics sponsored by The Memorial Library of NYC and The Holocaust Educators Network. Teachers grades 5-12 are invited to join us in exploring the lessons of the Holocaust and the more recent Secret War in Laos. Meet survivors, witnesses and expert presenters during this exciting week-long seminar. Enjoy traditional cuisine and cultural music and dance in the heart of the Mien, Hmong, and Japanese strawberry fields of Elk Grove/Florin/Sacramento. See the attached flyer for details and a link to the online application. Space is limited ...don't miss this opportunity! Call Pam Bodnar @ 895-4115, if you have any questions.

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NEWS FROM BUSINESS SERVICES Facilities Master Plan: Our Facilities Master Plan should be viewed along the lines of the City of Chico or Butte County General Plan. The Facilities Master Plan is a road map. It creates a strategy for tackling a large scale of needs over many sites over many years. The Facility Master Plan is not intended to be a detailed project list for each school site. The Facilities Master Plan is not the end of the process.

CUSD is working with a Facilities Master Plan consultant. We will be working with a number of different design teams and consultants as we dive into the different projects which will make up the different phases of the Facility Master Plan.

One component of the Facilities Master Plan is the Implementation Phasing Plan which details seven future phases. The first of these Phases consists of Quick Start Projects which will be underway this summer. The quick start projects consist of: 1) ADA priority list site work which will occur at six elementary schools and the high schools; 2) technology infrastructure for common core at all elementary schools, the high schools and the District Office; 3) enhanced school safety and security measures; and 4) energy efficiency and alternative energy projects. We will be utilizing the District Incident Response Team (DIRT) to work as a steering committee to define school safety and security needs and projects throughout the District.

There are no junior high projects in the Quick Start Project phase. Phase 2 will be projects targeting the junior high schools preparing those school sites for the shifting of sixth graders to the Junior High sites. This work will not only be adding capacity at the sites but will be making modifications to existing classrooms to better meet the needs of the Common Core curriculum which is currently being adopted. Programing for the needs of the grades 6-8 configured schools is currently underway. This programming will identify specific needs of each program at a campus and will be used to guide the design of modifications at each campus. We have one programing team. We will have three different architectural teams working on the three sites using the common educational program developed by the programming team. I have taken some time to describe the Phase 2 process because it represents the process that will be utilized as we approach each of the future phases.

A copy of the current draft of the facilities Master Plan is posted on the District web site at http://www.chicousd.org/documents/0%20FMP%202013/CUSD_Booklet_12%20-2-.pdf

We will be posting more recent drafts after we have reviewed them with the Board Facilities Committee. We will also be posting the Appendixes which make up background data for the Facilities Master Plan.

On January 15, 2014, the Master Planning Team held a series of meetings with Jr. High principals, teachers and District staff regarding the junior high to middle school transition. Topics included Common Core, Science, PE, Transportation, Nutrition and Special Education. On February 20, Programming discussions continued involving Library and Science.

A Board workshop will be held on March 5, 2014, at Chico High School’s Williams Theater. At this workshop the Board will consider adoption of the Facilities Master Plan. The draft Facilities Master Plan can be viewed at http://www.chicousd.org/documents/0%20FMP%202013/CUSD_Booklet_12%20-2- .pdf.

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Facility Updates Chico High School Lincoln Center and Fitness Lab: On February 20, the Chico High Foundation hosted a Ribbon Cutting for the new Lincoln Center, which will officially open to the students in March. Foundation members thanked the design team, contractors and District staff who contributed to this project.

In early January, the Chico High Fitness Lab was opened to host the Joe Rios Memorial Wrestling Tournament. Over 30 teams from the North State were able to enjoy the new facility at Chico High School.

Pleasant Valley High School New Classroom Building: Classroom furniture and equipment have been set up in the new classrooms. Landscaping is currently in progress and the finishing touches are under way!

Boys restroom

Maintenance and Operations (M/O) Thank You CUSD M&O Staff: Thank you to the CUSD M&O staff for their excellent work over the rainy weekend of February 7-9 to repair water leaks. The weekend got off to a wet start when the expansion joint that runs the entire span of the CHS gym began to leak—in the middle of a basketball game. As the weather continued, leaks were found at other sites as well. Our maintenance and custodial crews did a great Friday night and Saturday morning by working to prepare the leaks and preventing damage. Thank you and huge kudos to all the M&O staff who went above and beyond this weekend, including David Nasser, Scott Beam, Dan Hunt and John Michael.

Fire Inspections: Our annual Fire Inspections along with the re-inspections are complete for the 2013/14 school year. M/O would like to thank Rick Doane, Fire Inspector Chico Fire-Rescue for his diligence and patience during our inspections. For the first time ever, we had seven sites that were granted Fire clearance on our first visit: Fair View, McManus, Emma Wilson, Marsh Jr, Parkview, Little Chico Creek, and Citrus. The site administrator is ultimately responsible for the Flame Retardant Log that we are currently using in electronic format, but it is the office manager and the senior custodian at each school site who really make it happen and on behalf of Mr. Doane and M/O, we thank them for their hard The Superintendent’s Update - Page 6 of 13 work in ensuring our staff and students are as safe as possible. At the end of this update are two State Fire Marshal Information Bulletins on what we look for during the inspections.

On November 26, 2013, M/O held a training session at the Center For the Arts for our Custodians and Maintenance personnel on the new changes for the Material Safety Data Sheets. The Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) of OSHA requires chemical manufacturers, distributors, or importers to provide Safety Data Sheets (SDSs) (formerly known as Material Safety Data Sheets or MSDSs) to communicate the hazards of hazardous chemical products. Employers must ensure that SDSs are readily accessible to employees. Chico Unified School District SDS’s can be viewed at http://www.chicousd.org/Departments/Maintenance--Operations/Material-Safety-Data-Sheets-/index.html As Safety Data Sheets are received by the District, our M/O Coordinator, Darci Bruggman, verifies that its information is available through the CUSD website. The website provides links to the most up-to-date information on the chemicals used within Chico Unified as well as other common products.

Nutrition Services The California Department of Education, Nutrition Services Division, invites schools, teachers, students, and child nutrition professionals to celebrate the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 2014 International School Meals Day (ISMD) on March 6, 2014. The purpose of the ISMD is to raise awareness of the importance of food and nutrition in education and to share school feeding experiences from across the globe. Schools around the world can celebrate ISMD by promoting healthy eating and learning, using the theme, Food Stories. Highlighting foods from diverse cultures and sharing stories from across the world provides children with an educational opportunity to learn about different cultures while promoting healthy eating. Please see the flyer at the end of this Update with information on the ISMD. The flyer also includes Web links to resources. If you have any questions regarding this subject, please contact Louise Casias, Nutrition Education Consultant, by phone at 916-322-9943 or by e-mail at [email protected].

Local Produce Served with Every Meal! Check out our local produce this month, download the Nutrition Services app TODAY; search School Lunch by Nutrislice and see what is for Breakfast & Lunch daily. We also have FACEBOOK and Twitter @ CUSDNutrition1.

Mandarins & Kiwi? We officially started mandarin season in February, the earliest season we can remember. The first trees to get color and sweetness typically have smaller fruit, but we thought we would take a chance to offer it up to you because kids love them so much. Satsuma Mandarins will continue to get sweeter as we move deeper into the season. These wonderful gems come from Corning. Come Join Us!

Events Student Taste Testing: We just finished three weeks of student taste testing at all levels. We would like to thank the students at Pleasant Valley High, Bidwell Jr. High, Chico Jr. High, Little Chico Creek, Sierra View, and Chapman for participating in these taste tests. Student input has helped drive the new spring menu that is starting March 3. There are some great new choices for both breakfast and lunch. Please encourage students to come in and try the new food this spring. You can check out all the new items on our smart phone app Nutrislice or at our website http://www.chicousd.org/Departments/Nutrition- Services/index.html

Family BBQ’s: We are planning all school BBQs, so be on the lookout for information coming soon. This event will be even more fun than last year so encourage families to come join the students for lunch.

Summer Feeding program: This will be the third year that CUSD will be offering the summer feeding program. It is a great way for children to get lunch during the summer. Keep a look out for future information on serving sites and times. If you have any questions about the Summer Feeding program, call the Nutrition office at 891-3021. The Superintendent’s Update - Page 7 of 13

NEWS FROM HUMAN RESOURCES

Negotiations CUTA: CUTA and the District sunshined their initial proposals for the 2014/15 school year at the Board meeting on February 5. Articles 8 () and 9 (Health and Welfare Benefits) are automatically open. The District is reopening Article 6 (Hours of ). CUTA did not open any other articles.

The teams met from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on February 13. There was a great deal of conversation about the process being used to obtain input for the District’s Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP). CUTA expressed their concerns about the process while the District reiterated its intention to include all stakeholders including parents and teachers and to “consult” with the CUTA bargaining team on this issue. There was also discussion about the transition of 6th graders to middle schools. It was noted that any decisions about the program or model to be used will only come about after reviews and visitations to middle schools in other districts. This process, including visitations, will include parents, teachers and administrators.

CUTA provided the District with their proposals to modify Articles 8 and 9. These included increases to the current , increasing the District’s contribution for medical premiums by approximately $200 per month and adding vision, dental and life insurance benefits for retirees.

The next session is scheduled for February 27 from 12:30 to 3:00pm.

CSEA, Chapter 110: The CSEA, Chapter 110 and District negotiating teams met on December 10. The District had previously provided the Chapter’s team with a proposal regarding Article 2 (Wages), Article 17 (Early Retirement) and a counter proposal regarding Article 6 (Transfers). The District’s “Wages” proposal mirrors that given to CUTA.

The teams met on February 20 at 9:00 a.m. The District had previously provided the Chapter’s bargaining team with calculations regarding the feasibility of a possible golden handshake. The Chapter’s team requested that the District run the calculations using several other conditions to see offering a golden handshake will meet legal criteria. The teams are scheduled to meet on March 6 at 9:00am.

Staffing for 2014-15: There were some items on the February 19 CUSD Board Agenda that may be of interest to you and that may be cause for concern.

 Release of Temporary Certificated Staff: For many years CUSD and most other districts have released all temporary certificated staff prior to March 15. That is the deadline by which temporary staff must be notified if their services may not be needed the next school year. It is likely that many of those affected by this action will have an opportunity to return to CUSD for the 2014-15 school year but we will not know what openings we have until we know who is returning from leaves, who is retiring, our enrollment and what courses have been selected by students. It is anticipated that we will be able to begin the process to open up positions in May or June.

 Reduction in Certificated Staff Due To Reduction or Elimination of Particular Kinds of Service: As we look to the 2014-15 school year we have identified particular kinds of services that may not be needed or might need or be able to afford less of next year (i.e. specific secondary subject areas, elementary teachers, after school programs, etc.). In this process we identify positions (not people) that may not be filled next year. There are approximately 59 such positions on the list at this time (see Board agenda @ http://www.chicousd.org/School-Board/Agendas-and-Minutes/Agendas-July- 2013---June-2014-/index.html). These possible reductions are needed for a couple of reasons; the district has experienced a loss of approximately 150 students this year and anticipates a similar loss in students next year and funding for many of our categorical programs may not be available for us to The Superintendent’s Update - Page 8 of 13

use next year in the same manner as this year. It is hoped that with and leaves and/or changes to the budget that we will not need to actually that many certificated staff members. Now that the resolution was approved we will go through the tedious and complicated process of identifying, based on seniority and credentials held, who will receive preliminary layoff notices by March 15. We will work to take positions off of this list as we know more about retirements, leaves, the State and Federal budgets for next year and the Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP). Please feel free to email ([email protected]) or call (891-3000 x 142) Bob Feaster in HR if you have any questions.

Classified Human Resources: Chico Unified School District is a Merit System School District. This means that classified and selection of classified employees follows rules established by the Personnel Commission. The Personnel Commission consists of three commissioners. One representative of the Personnel Commission is selected by CSEA Chapter 110 and appointed by the Board of Education. CSEA’s representative is Jane Dolan. The second representative is selected and appointed by the Board of Education. Gloria Bevers is their representative. The final representative is jointly selected by the representatives of CSEA and the District. The third representative is Scott Jones.

Prior to Mr. Jones’ selection to the Commission, the third Commissioner was Leonard Whitegon. Mr. Whitegon was a Commissioner for the District for 23 years. Mr. Whitegon was recently one of three Personnel Commissioners in the State of California who was awarded the “Distinguished Personnel Commission Award” by the California School Personnel Commissioners Association. We are very proud of Mr. Whitegon’s accomplishments and truly appreciate his dedication to the classified employees of Chico Unified School District. The California School Personnel Commissioners Association also held their Board elections and David Koll was nominated to the State Board.

Internal openings are only open to current CUSD permanent employees. If you are interested in any internal openings you must submit a Letter of Interest. Letter of Interest forms can be found at chicousd.org or you may simply submit a hand-written letter to the Classified Human Resources office that includes the information requested on the Lateral Transfer notice. The following internal openings are now available. 1) Currently, we are recruiting for the following positions which can be linked at the Districts web site http://www.chicousd.org/__dept/human_res/Classified/index.html

TRANSFER OPPORTUNITIES SITE CLOSING DATE

Instructional Paraprofessional-Classroom Chapman Head Start February 27, 2014 Instructional Assistant-Special Education Various February 27, 2014 Instructional Assistant-Special Education Various March 3, 2014 Instructional Paraprofessional-Healthcare MJHS March 3, 2014

We are currently recruiting and accepting on-line applications for the following classifications:

Salary Info Construction Manager $46,914 - $72,779/annual Posted: 2/12/2014 + Master's Degree Stipend Deadline: 2/26/2014 11:45 PM PST

If you have any questions regarding these , please contact Classified Human Resources.

NEWS FROM OUR SCHOOLS

Fair View High Praised in Huffington Post Article: Author E. Charlton-Trujillo visited Fair View early this school year while on her book tour. She was so moved after meeting Fair View students that she could not get the kids or their stories out of her head. She is still thinking about, talking about, and developing huge plans for Fair View. After winning the Oscar of Young Adult Literature, Trujillo was The Superintendent’s Update - Page 9 of 13 asked to write an article for the Huffington Post. In this article she praises Fair View and all of the kids who society has labeled as "clearance kids" and counted out. Kudos to our FVHS Staff and our amazingly resilient students. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ee-charltontrujillo/the-clearance-kids_b_4763105.html Northern California Band and Choir Directors' Association (NCBDA) Honor Band and Choir: Chico High Choral Director Sue Delgardo took ten Chico High music students to the NCBDA gathering at Sonoma State. The band students attending were Omar Carey, Olivia Dion and Anna Conley. They worked with esteemed UOP Conductor Eric Hammer all weekend and gave a fantastic concert with 95 other honor band students. The choir students attending were: Austin Seguine, Dylan Anderson, Gabrielle Banathy, Evanne Welsh, Emma Miller, Steven Sun and Kasey Perkins. They sang with over 150 other students from all over California and guest director Ken Abrams from San Ramon High School. Both groups had 26 hours of rehearsal time during the weekend that culminated in their performance at the brand new $138 million dollar Weill Hall on the Sonoma State campus. Ms. Delgardo was not only proud of their musical achievements and level of difficulty of the music they had to rise up to, but the fact that they were polite, respectful, prompt and eager every day to get down to business and make music. This event will be held in Chico next year and we hope that all Chico schools will participate in this amazing opportunity.

Pleasant Valley High School FHA-HERO Members Dominate at Regional Competition: Proud competitors received medals, were elected to officer positions and networked with business professionals at the Spring Regional Leadership Meeting and Competitive Recognition Events hosted by Pleasant Valley High School on Saturday, February 1. This year’s theme was “Success Beyond the Norm”. Also attending and competing were Oroville, Paradise, Yreka, Los Molinos, and Las Plumas. Over 17 competitions were offered in Home Economics and Technology related subjects. Students had projects or engaged in complex situations that were judged by industry professionals during the day. The results of the competitions are listed below. Students qualifying to 5th place in each category may attend the State Leadership Conference to compete for over $190,000 in scholarships and awards. Our regional president Kyle Sjostrom and Reporter Rhiannon Mueller conducted the business sessions with enthusiasm and professionalism. Three other PVHS students have stepped forward to lead the region for next year and be trained toward advanced leadership. Emily Gebicke was elected to Region President and will be installed at state convention. Conor McClenathan was elected to Reporter and Rhiannon Mueller to Vice President. Congratulations go to the following students as well as to their outstanding advisors!

Commercial Food Preparation

Gold 1st place medal Sara Roggero, Favian Fangel, Cassie Ruckel Silver 2nd place medal Marlena Moreno, Desirae Hunt and Jenna Barajas Bronze 3rd place medal Grant Johnson, Kayleona Hill and Alexandra Comfort 5th place qualifiers Trey Rosenbalm, Houston McGowan and Riley Andrew

Fashion Design and Merchandising

Gold 1st place medal Rhiannon Mueller

Job Interview and Application

Gold Steven Gager Silver Zack Cavender

Child Development

Emily Gebicke

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Culinary Display--Wedding Cake Category

Gold 1st place Celeste Cabrera

Salad and Nutrition Demonstration

Gold 1st place Sami Martin

Prepared Speech

Silver Kyle Sjostrom 4th place Ethan Hester

Chapter Display – on “Health in a Heartbeat”

Silver

Pleasant Valley High School/Butte County ROP Industrial Technologies students showcased their abilities at the SkillsUSA Region 4 Competition held Saturday, February 8 at American River College in Sacramento. Students competed in ARC Welding, MIG Welding, Oxygen Acetylene Welding and TIG Welding contests. Each competitor practiced diligently for months to go up against the best in our region. Four of the eight PVHS students placed in the top three slots in their respective contests! These students have now qualified to compete against the best in California at SkillsUSA State Finals to be held April 24- 27, 2014 in San Diego! All eight students worked very hard, with two others missing the transfer to state cut by only tenths of a percent. Congratulations to all eight students for all they have accomplished! This year’s competitors, medals, and contests are as follows:

Ian Wright Gold Gas Tungsten Arc Welding Brad Garey Gold Oxygen-Acetylene Welding David Jewell Silver Shielded Metal Arc Welding The Superintendent’s Update - Page 11 of 13

Austin Doss Bronze Shielded Metal Arc Welding Jennifer Larson Shielded Metal Arc Welding Zack McLane Shielded Metal Arc Welding Brianna Vinsonhaler Gas Metal Arc Welding Chad Swanson Gas Metal Arc Welding

The Pleasant Valley High School ACE-LIFE Academy (Accelerated /College Education/Learning Is For Everyone) is a California Partnership Academy with an academic and career focus on occupations related to education and human services, two of the largest industry sectors in California.

ACE-LIFE provides personalized, hands-on applied instruction and work-based learning. This small learning community is lead by dedicated teachers and committed community members. At each grade level students participate in a rigorous college prep curriculum and have exciting opportunities to engage in a variety of off-campus opportunities. Through the academy students gain life and career building skills while earning college credit. The Careers with Kids and the Human Development classes are 2 x 2 x 2 classes articulating with Butte College: 3 Units per class.

Our HERO (Human Service and Emergency Related Occupations) students are placed with mentors throughout the community to directly learn about the occupations in these various human service careers. The students participate in 3 four week rotations. During rotation the students spend 2 class periods in their English class on Monday and Tuesday to free up class time on Thursday and Friday to go to their mentor site. The students leave campus after lunch and return at the end of the school day; we provide the transportation. Some of our past mentors are: CARD, Enterprise Record, Chico Fire Department, Chico Police Department, CSU Police Department, Enloe Hospital, the Humane Society, In- Motion Fitness, Innovative Preschool, Marigold Elementary School, McManus Elementary School, Smart Start Preschool, Loma Vista, Fish and Game.

Our Careers with Kids students, after the initial introductory period, spend 4 days a week working with a mentor and the young kids at Smart Start Preschool, Marigold Elementary School, or Loma Vista. The Careers with Kids students also attended a fieldtrip to the Sacramento Zoo and Old Town Sacramento.

Another benefit of being a student in the ACE-LIFE Academy is the many programs, fieldtrips, and learning experiences our students have.

All grades  All our students participate in various community service projects such as the Chico Fire Health and Safety Fair, Innovative Preschool Carnival, and Marigold Carnival.  All our students are involved in promoting an awareness of Veterans Day to honor those who have served in our country’s military.  Many guest speakers are invited into the classrooms to further the students’ knowledge.  After school tutoring is available to all academy kids.

Freshmen and Sophomores The Superintendent’s Update - Page 12 of 13

 The freshmen take the CAPS,COPS, COPES Career Assessments to begin thinking about their future career.  The freshmen attend a fieldtrip to Chico State.  The sophomores work with a kindergarten class at Marigold  The sophomores work with the students and teachers at Smart Start Preschool  The sophomores volunteer with the Special Olympics

Juniors and Seniors  The juniors attend the Odyssey Ropes Course in Paradise.  The juniors attend a fieldtrip to the Police, Fire, and Fish and Wildlife Academies on the Butte College Campus.  The juniors and seniors attended a field trip to Alcatraz and Pier 39 in San Francisco.  The juniors take the Myers Briggs Personality Type Indicator.  The seniors take the COPES, CAPS,COPS Career Assessment again to see changes from their freshman year.  All HERO students are TB tested, HIPAA trained and CPR and First Aid certified.  All juniors and seniors create an academic and career portfolio to present at future job interviews.

Inspire School of Arts and Sciences wowed audience members in attendance at the Boys and Girls Club annual Valentine's Day Gala on February 8. Performers included students from Inspire’s A Cappella Choir, vocal small groups, musical theatre classes, an acoustic jazz group and a violin soloist. Over 45 students were involved in this community fundraiser.

2014 Bidwell Jr. High School Spelling Bee Winners: Bidwell Jr. High School English teachers held spelling bee contests in each of their English classes to determine who would qualify to compete in the school-wide spelling bee. There were 20 contestants and 19 alternates. The school spelling bee was held on Friday, February 7 and it was a tough competition that went several rounds before two winners were determined: Miles Jackson, 7th grader came in first place and Alaina Macarthy, 8th grader placed second. Both will represent Bidwell Jr. High School at the County Spelling Bee on March 14.

Left to right: 8th grader Alaina Macarthy, Spelling Bee Master, School Psychologist Pamela Beaman, and 7th grader Miles Jackson.

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100th Day of School: Two "new" kindergarten teachers at Emma Wilson dressed to celebrate the 100th day of school.

Shasta Elementary Students Perform at February 19 Board Meeting: Jack Hulley who has been directing musicals at Shasta elementary for over a decade, directed four Shasta students: McKenna Barker, Ryan Stanley, Tyler Clink and Justin Clink in a number from their upcoming musical scheduled for March 6, 7 and 8 at the Center For the Arts.

CUSD IN THE NEWS

Enterprise Record Student 'meltdown' led to lockdown at Chico Junior High School Chico Junior briefly locked down Chico school leaders get update on 'common core' program Citrus School future focus of concerns Citrus School supporters seek to save it Letter: CUSD just doing its homework Letter: Skepticism about school plan is earned Book distribution to schools all about the love of reading Chico school panel to hear about Common Core, charter school's facilities tonight Chico school board may kill environmental mitigation deal School district fires firm, demands money back

Other 5 Questions To Ask Before Buying Used Hardware - T.H.E. Journal All California RESIDENTS and BUSINESSES Welcome Where: Chico High School 901 Esplanade Rd. Chico, CA When: Sunday, April 6, 2014 10:00am - 2:00pm

Proceeds will benefit the Softball Program! ELECTRONIC ITEMS ACCEPTED

Televisions Toner Cartridges(in plastic bag) MP3 Players Monitors Tapes VCRs & DVDs Computers Wire Cell Phones Computer Components Video Game Consoles Servers Fax Machines Laptops UPS Printers Cameras & Camcorders Networking Devices Please keep these items away from our roadsides, oceans, and landfills.

NOT ACCEPTED: Lighting,Household Batteries, Appliances and Business Waste Without Appointment. [email protected] (310) 734-6700 Those requring Hard Drive Destruction, LEED documentation, assistance with labor or other inquiries, please contact us directly or visit our website.

www. .com Neuwaste is a State-Approved E-Waste Collector. E-Waste Recycling is a California State-Funded program. License #105532 CHICO POLICE DEPARTMENT PRESS RELEASE 530-897-4900

February 6, 2014 For Immediate Release

Chico Animal Shelter takes on 2014 ASPCA Rachael Ray $100K Challenge Community Support Needed for Chance to Win $100,000 Grand Prize and Save More Lives

The City of Chico Animal Shelter has been selected as a contestant in the 2014 ASPCA Rachael Ray $100K Challenge. Chico Animal Shelter is competing for a chance at more than $600,000 in grant funding, including a grand prize of $100,000.

The 2014 ASPCA Rachael Ray $100K Challenge is a nationwide competition for animal shelters (and their communities) aimed at getting more animals adopted or returned to their owners than ever before. Only 50 shelters across the country were selected for the fifth and final year of this competition.

“This is a great opportunity for the City of Chico Animal Shelter to get the word out about the shelter and get the community more involved,” said Tracy Mohr, Animal Services Manager. “Working together, we can save hundreds of animals, while having a shot at grant money to help us to continue providing medical care and spay/neuters for the animals at the shelter at no cost to taxpayers.”

Shelters are divided into five divisions based on their annual cat and dog intake. Not only is the Chico Animal Shelter competing against other shelters in their division for the most animals saved, they are trying to their own record. Throughout the months of June, July and August 2014, each competing shelter must save more dogs, cats, puppies and kittens than they did during the same three months in 2013. In addition, there is a grant for getting the most people from the community involved.

In 2013, the City of Chico Animal Shelter released 1,280 dogs and 430 cats either back to their owner, through direct adoption, or transfer to other adoption agencies and rescues. The shelter hopes to increase this number with the help of the community. The Shelter will be holding several orientations in upcoming months for people interested in helping with the Challenge.

Supervisor: Watch Commander:

Prepared By: Tracy Mohr Date/Time: February 6, 2014 CHICO POLICE DEPARTMENT PRESS RELEASE 530-897-4900

Most recently the shelter adopted out “Cuddles” an older boxer mix who had been at the shelter since April of last year. She was very frightened when she came to the shelter and would not let anyone near her. After several months of working with her she came around and was ready to be adopted. She went home this month where she will be able to accompany her new owner to work every day.

For more information about The City of Chico Animal Shelter’s 100K Shelter Challenge please visit the shelter website at http://www.chicoanimalshelter.org/ , and “Like” the shelter on Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChicoAnimalShelter . The Chico Animal Shelter can be reached at 530-894-5630, or you can visit them at 2579 Fair Street in Chico.

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Supervisor: Watch Commander:

Prepared By: Tracy Mohr Date/Time: February 6, 2014

The Memorial Library and Holocaust Educators Network, in collaboration with the AfriPeace Foundation, invite you to join us for the HEN Summer Satellite Seminar

June 16 – 20, 2014

This one-week seminar will provide teachers with the content background needed to create safe spaces for exploring sensitive topics within the classroom, such as bullying, exclusion, and state-sanctioned forced removal and genocide. Through the lens of the Holocaust and the more recent “Secret War in Laos,” participants will examine the impact of “bystanders” and the power of “upstanders” to change the history of their communities and the world.

❖ Join like-minded colleagues to explore strategies for promoting resilience and social justice utilizing powerful primary and secondary sources ❖ Work with Holocaust survivors, Secret War witnesses, Japanese-American internees & local activists ❖ Collaborate on developing Common Core aligned lessons and activities ❖ Explore technology tools for taking student writing and voices beyond the walls of the classroom ❖ Receive primary source books and videos by local authors/presenters

Who? Teachers in grades 5 -12 – across grade levels and disciplines When? June 16 - 20, 8:30 AM - 4:00 PM (Note: June 19, 9:30 AM – 5:00 PM + Evening Cultural Event - 5:00 – 8:00 PM) Where? Buddhist Church of Florin, 7235 Pritchard Rd, Sacramento (in Florin’s historic “Japantown”)

Cost? Free!

Credit? Three Continuing Ed Units (CEUs) available for purchase upon completing the seminar

How? To register, click here for our online application. Applications are due by March 5, 2014. Late applications will be considered on a space-available basis.

Questions? Contact Pam Bodnar or Gail Desler

United States Department of Agriculture

SCHO NAL OL IO M T EA A L N S R E D T A Y N INTERNATIONAL I SCHOOL MEALS DAY March 6, 2014

We invite schools, teachers, students, and child nutrition professionals to join in celebrating the 2014 International School Meals Day (ISMD) on March 6, 2014.

The purpose of the International School Meals Day is to raise awareness of the importance of food and nutrition in education and to share school feeding experiences from across the globe.

Schools around the world can celebrate ISMD by promoting healthy eating and learning, using the theme, Food Stories. Stories, like food, communicate the culture of peoples and their dreams for a healthier and better future. Food brings communities together. Schools and classrooms can connect with other schools and classrooms within their own country and around the world and share their food stories.

Good nutrition and a healthy lifestyle are as important to a child’s overall success as the curriculum that our schools teach every day. USDA’s School Breakfast Program is an opportunity to remind everyone how important it is that every child starts the school day with a nutritious breakfast. Schools can promote healthy eating to reflect the new school meal standards and smart snacks while incorporating nutrition education into classroom learning using many of the education materials USDA has developed through Team Nutrition at http://www.fns.usda.gov/team-nutrition and MyPlate at http://www.choosemyplate.gov/. Get Involved!

Get Connected! Follow ISMD:

www.internationalschoolmealsday.com Skype in the Classroom at: www.education.skype.com and https://education.skype.com/ Twitter partners/164-international-school-meals-day http://www.Twitter.com/intSchoolMeals Schools Online at: Tumblr http://www.schoolsonline.britishcouncil.org http://international-school-meals-day.tumblr.com/

CONNECTING CLASSROOMS AND CULTURES FOR HEALTHY LIFESTYLES IN SCHOOLS AROUND THE WORLD USDA is an equal opportunity employer and provider This newsletter is provided as a wellness resource by the Nutrition Services Department. This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer. 2014

Event Sponsored by: Chico Unified School District Thursday Chico Unified Teachers Assoc. 21st Century / BLAST March 13th Noon Rotary 5:00 & 6:15 $10 BUYS A HANDMADE BOWL AND A DINNER OF BREAD & SOUP

at the main office 8 am — 4 pm CHICO JUNIOR HIGH MARSH JUNIOR HIGH BIDWELL JUNIOR HIGH CHICO HIGH SCHOOL PVHS MAIN OFFICE INSPIRE ZUCCHINI & VINE CHRISTIAN & JOHNSON CHICO FLORIST