board highlights april 22, 2016 - musdpublic.sharepoint.musd.net/superintendent office...friday,...

1 | P a g e C o m m u n i t y O u t r e a c h & I n n o v a t i v e P r o g r a m s

Board Highlights

April 22, 2016

Table of Contents

Save the Date! ................................................................................................................................................................... 2

School Events with attachments ................................................................................................................................... 4

Marketing Postcard .......................................................................................................................................................... 8

MUSD New Hire Social Strives to Make the Best Match ......................................................................................... 9

Candice Lao Recognized as the Top Female Valley Oak League Student-Athlete at the A. Dale

Lacky/CSEA Scholarship Awards Breakfast ............................................................................................................ 12

Great Learning Grows in the Labs at Manteca High School ................................................................................. 14

Seventh Annual Planet Party Day Welcomes MUSD 6th Graders ........................................................................ 20

Brock Elliot, Ripona Set Gold Standard (Manteca Bulletin) .................................................................................. 21

East Union High Celebrates The Arts (Manteca Bulletin) ..................................................................................... 23

Vick Scores Spot in Hall of Fame (Manteca Bulletin) ............................................................................................. 26

50 new teachers joining MUSD (Manteca Bulletin) ................................................................................................ 28

William Penn, Colorado State Land EU Standouts (Manteca Bulletin) ............................................................... 30

Fun Run Saturday Marking JROTC’s 100th Anniversary (Manteca Bulletin) ...................................................... 32


Save the Date!

EUHS’s JROTC will be celebrating the 100th birthday of the JROTC program with a 5k run. JROTC was first established on April 23, 1916.

April 23, 2016 EUHS Front Yard 7:00am / 7:30 am cake cutting ceremony

2016 MUSD District Art Show “Best of the Best” Manteca Unified District Office April 26, 2016 4:00pm-7:00pm

FFA Drive Thru BBQ Behind the Sierra High Ag Department May 4, 2016 4:40pm – 7:30pm Click here for flyer

Weston Ranch FFA Drive Through BBQ- ALL MEALS ARE PRE-ORDER Contact: Chris Livengood [email protected]

Weston Ranch FFA Advisor / Agriculture Educator May 18, 2016 3:00pm – 6:00pm Gold Member Supporters: $40 Whole Family Meal- Includes Whole tri tip, 16oz baked beans, Bag of Salad, & 5 rolls. Silver Member Supporter: $22 Couple Meal- Includes 1/2 tri tip, 8oz baked beans, half a bag of salad, & 3 rolls Single Survivor Member: $12 Lonely meal: Includes 1/2lb of tri-tip, serving of baked beans, serving of salad & 2 rolls.

mailto:[email protected]


Weston Ranch High School Performing Arts Presents: Cinderella The Musical

Weston Ranch High Theater

April 28, 2016 - Preview Night / 6:00pm

April 29, 2016 – Opening Night / 7:00pm

Click here for additional dates and times

2016 STEM Summer Camps

2016 STEM Summer Camps are on the horizon! Starting June 6th, Secondary Education has weekly camps offered to current MUSD students entering jr. high or high school.

Lunch is included, and classes are free! If your student wishes to take home their project, a project fee will be required.

Join MUSD this summer in discovering more incredible ways science, technology, engineering and math affect our everyday life.

To Register, or for more information, please visit http://mantecausd.net/schools/melsgarage or email [email protected]

Click here to view flyer

http://mantecausd.net/schools/melsgarage



Community Outreach & Innovative Programs Dept.

School Events with attachments Friday, April 21, 2016

Woodward Says Farewell to Retiring Educators

Congratulations to three amazing educators, who have been an integral part of

the Woodward family, who are retiring at the end of this school year! A warm

thank you to teacher Christina Frederick, who has given 26 years with MUSD,

teacher Sharon Papineau with 15 years, and teacher Rebecca Robinson with 20

years given to MUSD. They will be greatly missed as we wish them many

adventures. Once a mustang, always a mustang! #wwmustangpride

Mustang Teacher Martha Martinez named MUSD Jr. High Educator of the Year

Woodward Elementary is extremely proud of 7th grade teacher Martha Martinez. Named MUSD Jr. High

Educator of the Year, Martha is greatly innovative with her language arts students incorporating technology

at every opportunity. Martha also teaches social studies and a language arts elective class. Woodward will

be celebrating her success with our Board of Trustees, at MUSD’s approaching Board meeting.

Congratulations Mrs. Martinez! You are commended and supported by all fellow Mustangs.




Attention Lathrop Warriors and

Supporters!

The April edition of the Warrior

Express, with a sneak peek into May,

is here!

The warriors have been busy prepping for eighth grade promotion,

raising money for the American Cancer Society, celebrating Mission

Madness, ELAC meetings, welcoming author Michael Elsohn Ross

for Family Night, and honoring the character pillar of the month,

Fairness.

Principal David Silveira is very proud of his Warriors; together they

look forward to a Staff and Volunteer Appreciation Week, Walk-Jog-

A-Thon Fundraiser, Trimester Awards, and Promotion Day.

Take a full view of the Warrior Express, here.

EU Collects Votes and Raises Funds

East Union is celebrating and promoting

cancer awareness by paying one dollar to vote

for their favorite teacher to perform in an

epic rap battle! During the week, Lancers are

wearing a different color each day to

represent a cancer ribbon color. Every dollar

raised will be donated to the American Cancer Society.

Best of luck to the two brave teachers who will be voted in to show

their rhyme and rhythm; may the best Rappin’ Lancer win!




WRHS SDC Class goes for a Rockin’ Jump

Mrs. Aubrey Lewis’ Special Day Class organizes the daily operation of the

Cougar Café selling bagels, muffins, coffee, and hot chocolate to WRHS staff.

Students are able to raise funds for special outings, while learning on-the-job skill

sets. To end this school year with a bang, the class visited Rockin’ Jump in

Modesto where students participated in a rock

climb, foam pit, dodgeball court and more.

“Mrs. Lewis does an excellent job of providing

her students with opportunities to grow and

practice the kills they are developing on our

campus”, Francine Baird, WRHS Principal.

Cougars Celebrate Autism Awareness

Month

“As a staff and family, WRHS is proud to promote

Autism awareness for the month of April. By doing

so, we hope to encourage respect of those affected

by Autism as well as knowledge of Autism on and

off of our campus. We would like to sound the

alarm to everyone that Autism awareness isn’t

enough; we are promoting Autism acceptance! Go

Cougars!”, Francine Baird, WRHS Principal.




Sierra’s very own art teacher, Mrs. Devon York, has a ceramic sculpture on

display as part of the Turlock Regional High School Teachers Art Exhibition,

sponsored by SCU-Stanislaus. In addition to teaching at Sierra High, Mrs.

York also serves as the District Art Coordinator.

Visit the gallery April 21st-May 5th to view Mrs. York’s work. Here for more

information.

Nutrition Education Farm to

School Supervisor Cole Dutter

and his students Captured a bee

swarm at Manteca High School.

The last photograph is called ‘fanning’, bees do this when

the Queen Bee is in the hive.

https://www.csustan.edu/event/art-gallery/turlock-regional-high-school-teachers-exhibition


Marketing Postcard District Office

Operations

Nutrition Education

4/19/16

In an effort to reach more families, the meal tracking software was used to identify households whose students

had not eaten school meals since the beginning of the calendar year. A postcard was designed using photos

of actual meals offered at MUSD and listed some sales points to consider. These included cost savings, the

fact that fresh local produce is served with every meal, and that breakfast is offered every school day.

Preliminary results show 12% of students who reeicved the mailing participated in the school meals the

first week after mailing.

Click here to view attachment


NEWS RELEASE Contact info:

April 18, 2016 Bonnie Bennett

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Director of Certificated Personnel

Photos attached 209.858.0794

[email protected]

MUSD New Hire Social Strives to Make the Best Match

Second only to the stress of landing a job for a new teacher, can be the stress over feeling comfortable at

your newly assigned school site.

As a follow up event to the Manteca Unified School District Job Fair, held February 20th at the MUSD

district office, 50 newly hired teachers for the 2016-2017 school year were invited Tuesday to Sierra High

School for a chance to get to know the principals at each school site with openings.

Bonnie Bennett, the MUSD Director of Certificated Personnel, explained, “We creatively put in place a new

and efficient way that would allow principals to have input on which new teachers would be best fits for

their sites as well as hire quickly so as not to lose out on the top teaching candidates in the field. We had

screening interviews at the job fair, and principals were able to interview some candidates, but not all. Those

candidates who were given tentative offers have a chance tonight to meet more principals, have a few

minutes of conversation and see if it is a good fit or not. The candidates are prioritizing the top ten sites on

their wish list of MUSD schools.”

New hires to the district can only get so much from looking at a website. On February 13th, the teachers had

a chance to talk with several principals and feel more comfortable.

Bennett believes that this is the first time MUSD has tried this approach. “I was excited about it because I

believe a teacher who is placed at his or her school of choice will be inclined to fully participate in the

school. So, when we are looking for long-term commitment during a teacher shortage, giving new hires a

voice in their teaching assignments and building positive relationships from the start is essential,” said

Bennett.

One dedicated new hire, Constance Blackmon, said “I took a driving tour of the district because it is nice to

know the location of the school and get a feel for the community around the school. I’m not from Manteca,

and it took quite some time to look at every school site in all three cities. I’m from Turlock and was

educated in Modesto at Brandman University.”


Explaining how she was recruited, Blackmon said, “I chose Manteca because Bonnie Bennett came and

spoke to my credential class and really pulled me in. I just love her! I then saw her at the job fair, and she

interviewed me and I got the job. I couldn’t be more excited!”

Many of MUSD’s newly hired teachers will work at one of the district’s K-8 schools and talked to many of

the principals present at the event. Some had a more targeted approach.

Bennett explained, “In ten job fairs I have been to, there has only been 1 physics candidate and two math

candidates.”

That newly hired physics teacher, who will be starting at Weston Ranch High School this fall, has a unique

path to Manteca. Csaba Hegyi, (pronounced Chaba Agee) shared, “I am Hungarian and this is my fourth

year in the United States. My wife is from Modesto. I have some friends who are teachers here and I have

heard lots of good things about the district.”

“(Manteca employees) just seem that they are so happy all the time. It seems like they are happy with their

job and in their private life. They are my climbing partners; I do all kinds of climbing,” said Hegyi.

Another new hire who has a unique journey is James Gray, from New Orleans. Gray explained, “I

transferred from Southern University, as a junior, when Hurricane Katrina hit. I was born and raised in New

Orleans. I was one of the people who fled from the storm, the day before, and we lost everything in the

storm. Losing everything makes you work a lot harder.”

He continued, “I came to Manteca Unified because I believe that there is growth here. I am interested in

going into administration and looking for more opportunities to be there when I’m ready to make that

transition. They are very friendly here, which is right up my alley. Being southern, we like talking to people.”

Not one to let his difficult journey get him down, Gray also shared, “I try to bring a little southern culture to

the classroom. One year we made beignets in the classroom and parents came in to help. We even threw our

own little Mardi Gras and told them what that is about.”

The event welcomed some local talent as well. Devanée Quaresma said, “I’m really excited and so thankful

for this opportunity. I have really wanted to work with Manteca Unified School District for a while now. I

just actually moved from Idaho. I graduated from Boise State, but I grew up here in Manteca, so I’m so

happy to be back. I wanted to get out of the area when I graduated from high school because California was

hit pretty hard with the economy.”

Another local is headed to Lathrop High School to teach biology. Megan Smith explained, “Yes, I’m excited

to be a Spartan. It helps because I am an East Union Alumni and my husband is a Sierra Alumni, so we are

going to find some neutral ground here in Lathrop.”

“I grew up here in Manteca and got my bachelors from UC Davis in Genetics. I’ve been teaching with the

One Program with the County and Teacher’s College for two years and working through my intern program

there. I am finishing up my credential there in a month, and decided to make a move over here to Manteca.

I have also started my Masters in STEM Education through Teacher’s College,” said Smith.

Another local, Erika Mallory said, “I love this event because we get to meet and get a good feel for whether

or not we will fit with the schools. I really like Lathrop elementary. I like the small school feel. I grew


up in Tracy but now live in Lathrop. I graduated from Tracy high school. I chose Manteca Unified because

of the technology program and it is close to home.”

To explain this mix of teachers coming to MUSD, Bennett further commented, “Approximately two-thirds

of our applicants are new to the profession and one-third are veterans. Teachers seem to want to work in

Manteca because of the top salaries, the digital opportunities for students and staff, and because Manteca

has an excellent reputation for being both innovative and yet stable.”

The voice and opinion of friends can certainly be compelling as MUSD teachers refer others to our dynamic

district. Crystal Fielder said, “I have subbed at the district for over a year, and I’m glad that I got the

opportunity to see some of the different schools before joining the team. I have two good friends over at

Joseph Widmer.”

Praising the professionalism of MUSD site administrators and the dedication of her team in the MUSD

Personnel Department, Bennett is, without a doubt “Proud to Be MUSD!”

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The Manteca Unified School District (MUSD) serves more than 23,000 students. MUSD School Board envisions students

experiencing the highest level of excitement and engagement while being supported and realizing their pinnacle of academic and emotional

success. This occurs when every school day is relevant, rigorous and leads them to become productive and engaged members of society.

College..Career..Life…

www.mantecausd.net

www.facebook.com/proudtobemusd

http://www.mantecausd.net/

http://www.facebook.com/proudtobemusd


PRESS RELEASE April 20, 2016 From the Office of the Principal Office: 209.858.7413 Office E-mail: [email protected] Pictured: Candice Lao, Mario Lao (Father)

Candice Lao Recognized as the Top Female Valley Oak League Student-Athlete

at the A. Dale Lacky/CSEA Scholarship Awards Breakfast

Candice Lao, Sierra High School Senior, was honored at the annual A. Dale Lacky/CSEA Scholarship breakfast in

Lodi on Tuesday, April 19, 2016. The Lacky scholarship recognizes the top female and male student-athletes

from each of the twenty-six Sac-Joaquin Section leagues. The award is a combination of academic and athletic

achievement at the varsity level. Ms. Lao has been a member of the SHS track and field team for four years and

for the cross country team for the past three years. In cross country, she received the “Mike Thomson Character

Counts” Award, was named All-VOL twice and was the team’s MVP her senior year. In track and field, she was

the Most Improved runner and qualified for the Section Masters meet her junior year.

Sierra High School 1700 Thomas Street, Manteca, CA 95337

(209) 858-7424 FAX (209) 858-7553



Candice doesn’t just display her talents on the athletic field, as she is also a big part of Sierra’s marching band,

concert band, symphonic band, County Honor Band, Interact Club, Relay for Life and Link Crew. She volunteers

her time for community service projects through the Interact Club, Habitat for Humanity and the St. Anthony’s

Harvest Festival. Despite her busy extra-curricular activity schedule, Candice has earned a 4.21 GPA, which has

garnered her Valedictorian honors for the Sierra High School class of 2016! She will be taking her talents to the

University of California at Los Angeles in the fall, where she will major in global health or biology with the future

goal of becoming a medical doctor.

Perhaps Candice’s greatest attribute is not one in which accolades are awarded, or medals adorned, or

something that can be placed on a résumé, but that she is a genuinely compassionate and motivated individual

who cares about those around her. She has donated many hours of community service serving meals to those in

need and providing them with hope during the holidays. Candice is truly one of Sierra High School and the

Valley Oak League’s finest! Congratulations Candice!



April 21, 2016 Peter Gale

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Community Outreach and Innovative Programs

Photo attached and available on site 209-858-0811 @peterngale

[email protected]

Great Learning Grows in the Labs at Manteca High School

Following their initial foray into “green” construction with the Regional Environmental Studies Center

(RESC) building at the district office, Manteca Unified School District established their first eco-friendly

classrooms at Manteca High School in January of 2015. A year later, students learn great things in these

classrooms.

Transitioning from his lecture to the lab portion of the lesson, Troy White—Science department chair and

AP Biology teacher at Manteca High School—reviews some of the concepts his students learned in

preparation for this lab.

“What happens when we place the sample on ice?” asked White, looking around the room. After listening to

his student’s response, he said, “Yes, that’s right. The reaction, or growth, slows down.”

Students worked in pairs or small groups following the lab directions independently. In this kind of

environment, precision is important. “This lab tasks them to grow E.Coli bacteria and try to get a plasmid,

which is a section of DNA that has a gene to make the bacteria glow from a jellyfish,” said White. “So, we

are actually transforming the bacteria to get it to do something that it would never do in nature.”

As students alternated between the back of the room, where the heat and ice baths are kept, and back to

their group tables to see the next step, White commented, “The nice thing about it is that with a lab like this,

the students actually learn more from their failure than their success, because they are able to backtrack and

see what procedure was missed and what happened.”

Turning to the class again, White instructed, “Whenever you use a sterile loop to spread bacteria into your

plasmid, be sure to put that loop into the bleach when you are finished with it. We do not want to carry

bacteria around the room.”

As students moved back to their tables, White commented, “Lab stations are mobile so that we can adjust

the classroom however the teacher wants to adjust it, but we also have the more convenient electrical


and gas outlets. Before, I had to switch classes with the other chemistry teacher to run a lab and I didn’t

really have the ability to run Bunsen burner labs in my classroom.”

White moved around the room and monitored progress. “So, we want to put it in the hot bath to get the

reaction going,” announced White. “But this is one of those things that I want you to use your cell phones

to time precisely. It must be exactly 5 minutes, no more and no less. This type of heat shocking loosens the

cell membrane and allows the glow gene to enter the DNA.”

“These experiments have definitely opened my eyes to the different opportunities there are in the science

field,” said Andrew Brunn, junior and AP Biology student. “Learning how to use different tools and

techniques early gives me an advantage over students who may not have had the same experience I did in

the classroom.”

Aside, White commented, “It is almost better when mistakes happen because then they go back and see and

learn from their mistakes.”

Working with four different samples with different lab conditions, students would then hypothesize what

happens to the bacteria. Will it grow? Will it glow? Or will it die?

Labs like these are possible both because of a partnership with Lawrence Livermore Laboratory, and

because of the building the class is held in.

For some students, this AP Biology class was not their first exposure to a modern energy efficient

classroom. Five years ago, American Modular Systems (AMS) closed down their entire plant to allow the

first class of 6th grade Environmental Stewards, Manteca USD Students, to come experience what these

modern eco-friendly learning environments look like. Andrew Brunn was one of those Environmental

Stewards students five years ago. Today, he learns in one of these eco friendly classrooms.

“The difference between the science classrooms and standard classrooms is that it feels like you are actually

in a laboratory doing these experiments,” said Brunn.

In partnership with Manteca Unified’s L.O.G.I.C. (Leadership on Green Initiatives Committee), these sixth

grade students donned hard hats and took a tour of the factory. The learned about modern modular

construction and how the use of design and materials work together to produce an eco-friendly building.

During their visit, students completed a variety of tasks to help reinforce their understanding of the need for

sustainable energy, recycling, and the long-term cost savings inherent to energy efficient design.

Some students presented their poster projects, showing with their own designs the scope of their learning

from this exciting day.

American Modular Systems (AMS) created a classroom wing with unmatched energy efficiency. This new

science wing features easy maintenance and versatile building design. The Gen7 classrooms are the ideal

platform for integrating technology and science education in a quiet, healthy learning environment.


“We are switching to the NGSS standards which is more project based learning. We are working with the

PASCO equipment. They are using their tablets to collect data, in biology that has been really nice,” said

White. “They can take real time data. Let’s say they are running an experiment to measure the amount of

oxygen a leaf is giving off. They can stick this probe in there, shine a light onto that leaf, and the probe can

measure that oxygen is being produced instantly by that leaf. Or, when they turn off the light, they can see

the oxygen level going down as well.”

AMS worked closely with the design team to future-proof the customized interior and exterior space,

masterfully blending modern clean-lined architecture with the rich history of the past. An elongated wing

houses six science classrooms and three lab prep areas, each with wireless access and efficiently clustered

into three two-classroom lab sections.

“The store rooms are great. It is set up really well and the class seems to be fairly spacious,” said White.

“When I looked at the dimensions, I thought these rooms are not big enough, but they are actually set up

really nicely. The cabinetry is great for storage and we have the chemical shower. Everything is just nice

here.”

Aaron Bowers, who was the Coordinator of Construction Management for MUSD at the time, explained,

“Building a ground-up science facility on an active campus, in a tight construction area, with limited access

and minimal disruption to students and staff, was certainly a significant challenge. AMS delivered, giving us

a beautiful building that uses every foot of educational space to satisfy the needs of school curriculum while

still respecting the environment, student culture and the historic attributes of our existing campus.”

In addition to the natural ventilation system, these Gen 7 science classrooms utilize an innovative smart

lighting system. Its Energy Star skylights help take full advantage of daylight harvesting while preventing

heat gain and loss. Light sensors even measure the amount of natural light in the room and automatically

dim interiors to minimize waste. It is common for these classrooms to need zero artificial light during the

school day.

“The feature that is really neat is the natural lighting. Most of the time we don’t even have to turn on the

lights in here. The students seem to like the natural lighting a whole lot better than the fluorescent lights,”

said White. “Their moods seem to be better. Most of the time I can get away with just the natural lighting.

We can shut the light vents if we need to. The projector is great and sound system is great as well.”

“As a part of Prop 39, we will but putting solar panels on the building later this year,” said Bowers, current

Director of Operations. “The solar panels on this wing will help offset our second largest meter on campus.

It should offset all of the electricity consumption of that wing, making it pretty close to a zero net energy

wing of classrooms.”

Another amazing thing is that all of these features do not add up to a noisier science lab because the AMS

Gen 7 design limits outside noise and absorbs echo. While a typical classroom will have an acoustical range

of 55 – 77 decibels, Gen 7 classrooms with their canted ceiling and indoor acoustical design achieves a


whisper quiet environment of only 35 decibels. This reduces strain on the teacher’s voice and helps maintain

an effective lab atmosphere.

In a space where quiet concentration can make a huge difference, this building provides an ideal space for

learning.

Watching these engaged students work on their lab, it seemed as if they felt more peaceful and focused in

this environment. A few of them quietly gave each other a high five, as they finished the lab and appreciated

the silent smile of Mr. White.

Tomorrow, they would be back to see the fruit of their experiments. As they clean up, Mr. White adds, “Just

wait, next Monday we will do a lab with DNA fingerprinting.”

As the students began to clean up, White explained, “In the DNA fingerprinting lab, they learn real life

techniques that they would use in a forensics lab. They have to learn about not cross contaminating their

samples. They have to learn how to store their samples in the proper way.”

“The hands on learning gives me an idea of what the science field will be like if I take an interest in that

career in the future,” said Brunn.

“They have to really learn what is going on in order to do this lab,” said White. “They have to holistically

think about why they are doing each step.”

Moving from rooms spread out on the campus to the new science wing at Manteca High School has made a

huge difference. These future scientists learn in an eco-friendly place that helps their learning thrive.

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www.mantecausd.net





Troy White, AP Biology teacher and science department chair, coaches students in correct usage of lab

equipment.

Back in 2011, 6th grade students Andrew Brunn and Alexis O’Donnell—who are present day juniors at MHS—proudly

display their finished Environmental Stewards project.


Andrew Brunn and his lab partner carefully prepare their samples for the E. Coli bacteria transformation lab in the new

science wing at Manteca High School.

An exterior view of the new Gen 7 Science Wing at Manteca High School.



April 21, 2016 Victoria Brunn

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Director of Community Outreach & Innovative Programs

Photo available on site 209.858.0845 @logicmusd

[email protected]

Seventh Annual Planet Party Day Welcomes MUSD 6th Graders

In keeping with their tradition of taking Earth Day seriously, Friday, April 22, 2016, Manteca Unified School

District (MUSD) is hosting their 7th annual Planet Party Day Event. Over 2000 excited 6th graders attend a

carnival of presentations on the topics of Water, Clean Air, Conservation/Agriculture, Energy, Recycling

and Green Innovations.

With tents filling the district office parking lot and a fluid convoy of bus arrivals and departures, students

interact with members of the community, county, and district to learn about the many efforts in the crucial

movement to improve the health of our planet.

Sponsors of the event include: Gen7, IEC, IES, PG&E, Cisco, AMS.net, SSJID, Simplot, Office

Depot/Office Max, the City of Manteca and the City of Lathrop. These district partners contribute time,

supplies, presenters, and most of all—new awareness—each year to all sixth grade MUSD students.

In addition to all district 6th grade teachers who promote environmental education in the classroom, this

event is also supported through several district programs with the unified goal of educating our students on

making the best choices for their own health and the health and the health of our planet. The Planet Party

committee deeply thanks the MUSD departments of: Information Technology, Community Outreach &

Innovative Programs, Health Services, and Nutrition Education for their continued dedication to this event.

The committee also thanks contributors from Manteca High School, Joshua Cowell Elementary, and be.tech

Vocational Academy for their crucial support of this event.

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www.mantecausd.net






Brock Elliot, Ripona Set Gold Standard (Manteca Bulletin)

Brock Elliott School students gathered for an assembly in August during the first week of school.

Vince Rembulat [email protected] 209-249-3537 April 15, 2016

These are special times for two local elementary schools.

Brock Elliott of the Manteca Unified School District and Ripona of the Ripon Unified School

District were both honored as California Gold Ribbon Schools.

The announcement was made Wednesday by State Superintendent of Public Instructions

Tom Torlakson.

Brock Elliott and Ripona were among the 772 elementary schools throughout the state to

receive this prestigious honor that replaces the California Distinguished Schools Program.

“We were extremely excited about the news,” said Debbie Ruger, who is the longtime

principal at Brock Elliott.

The state awards at this level are conducted on a four-year cycle. Based on that, Brock

Elliott is now a three-time winner of this award – the Distinguished Schools Program is on


hiatus as the state looks to create a new assessment and accountability system – earning

Distinguished School honors in 2010 and 2006, according to Ruger.

A reception to celebrate the event is planned for Wednesday at Brock Elliott beginning at

3:30 p.m. District officials including Superintendent Jason Messer are scheduled to be in

attendance.

Folks at Ripona were also thrilled upon receiving the honor. This year is already special

given that the school is also celebrating its 50th anniversary.

“This was icing on the cake,” said Principal Dante Alvarez, who, along with teachers,

parents and staff, helped take Ripona from Title I Program Improvement to the

distinguished Gold Ribbon in three years.

The school will have a day-long celebration honoring the past five decades on May 12.

“We’ll also incorporate the Gold Ribbon Award that day.”

Ripona was a Distinguished School in 1987.

The Gold Ribbon Awards recognizes state school that have made gains implementing the

academic content and performance standards as adopted by the State Board of Education.

Included were English Language Arts and Mathematics, California English Language

Development Standards, and Next Generation Science Standards.

Brock Elliott, for example, was recognized for its efforts in working with English Learners.

Torlakson praised the Gold Ribbon schools.

“These schools shine as bright beacons for others, putting forth an exemplary effort to

ensure that every student is ready for 21st century colleges and careers,” he said.

“California teachers are developing an education model for the nation, training the

students of today to be the problem-solvers, inventors and pioneers of tomorrow.”

Nearly 6,000 elementary schools were eligible this year to apply for the Gold Ribbon

Schools Award.

Brock Elliott and Ripona were the only two schools from the San Joaquin County Office of

Education to receive the honor.

The awards will be given out in Sacramento on June 1. Four representatives from each of

the Gold Ribbon sites and four from the school districts are invited to attend to special

event.

The full list of Gold Ribbons schools can be found by logging on to www.cde.ca.gov.

http://www.mantecabulletin.com/section/1/article/133979/



East Union High Celebrates The Arts (Manteca Bulletin)

Senior Mariah Jeffrey talks about her oil painting that won Best of Show.


Mariah Jeffrey is a defender on the East Union High soccer team.

She’s also a talented artist.

Her Advance Art teacher Jeff Moring calls Jeffrey “one of his best students ever” during

the eight years at the school.

At Thursday’s annual Visual and Performing Arts Show in the Black Box Theater, Jeffrey

earned Best in Show for the event with her “Elephant” oil painting.

“I just finished last night,” she said of the piece that will be exhibited at the Manteca

Unified District Art Show on Tuesday, April 26.

The top five places in each category – Digital Art, Intro Art, Advance Art, 3D Art, Advance

Ceramics, Intro Ceramics, and Computer Animation – will also be featured there,

according to Kim Ray, who is the Ceramics teacher not to mention organizer of the East

Union art show.

For Jeffrey, the oil on her painting hadn’t quite dried. “It takes a couple of days (to dry),”

she said.

She credits her brother Brennan Jeffrey, who is also an artist, for inspiring her to do the

elephant painting. He introduced Mariah to works of an artist who does paintings of

elephants.


Mariah Jeffrey mentioned that she usually takes her time when he tackles a project. In the

case of her Best-in-Show painting, she started that project earlier in the school year.

“I’m slow – that’s not normal,” said Jeffrey, who will be attending Dixie State in St.

George, Utah to play soccer in the fall.

She’s leaning towards doing her studies in a health career field, with hopes of continuing

on with art but only as a hobby.

Jeffrey will have four pieces featured in the District Art Show.

Her stamp project and the multiple faces paintings took first place while her strawberry

jar piece placed second.

She took time out from her elephant painting, resuming work not too long ago. The break

paid off as Jeffrey was able to “change it up a bit” on the award-winning piece.

“Her work is phenomenal,” said Moring. “She does her time on every project but, as it

turns out, is well worth the wait.”




Vick Scores Spot in Hall of Fame (Manteca Bulletin)

Dennis Wyatt [email protected] 209-249-3519 April 19, 2016

Walker W. Vick — a coach and athletic director at Manteca High for 38 years — is being inducted into the

Manteca Hall of Fame.

The dinner and induction ceremonies are taking place Saturday, May 21, at the Manteca Senior Center, 295

Cherry Lane. Tickets are $60 apiece and are available through the Manteca Boys & Girls Club, 545 W. Alameda

St., or by calling 239.5437.

Other inductees Phil Waterford, Special Recognition; Richard Moon Yee, Health Care; Randall K. Yee, Health

Care; Michael Bruce Mallory, Business; Peter P. Dalben, Government; Arnita Marie Yepez. Community Service;

George (Joe) Handy, Education; and Henry C. Long, Agriculture.

Vick is being inducted in the field of athletics.

“There are very few people, who in their profession have touched as many lives as Coach Walter Vick did,”

noted Jack Thomson in nominating Vick. “I feel very fortunate that I was able to play for Coach Vick, and also

teach and coach alongside him later at Manteca High. (Vick) was one of the most respected coaches, athletic

directors, and basketball officials in the valley. His awards and recognition at both the local and state level are

second to none.”

Among Vick’s accomplishments:

uHead varsity baseball coach at Manteca High from 1964 to 1972 with four league championships and

recognition as Valley Oak League Coach of the Year four times.

Assistant football coach at Manteca High 1960 to 1968.

Head varsity football coach at Manteca High 1969 to 1981. He has the second highest amount of wins of all time

among Manteca High football coaches at 76 wins, 42 losses and 4 ties. His tenure included five league

championships and five VOL Coach of the year awards.

Lions All Star head football coach in 1976.

Athletic director of Manteca High for 17 years from 1985 to 2002.

Sac-Joaquin Section board service from 2002 to 2014.

Sac-Joaquin varsity basketball official from 1961 to 1988.

Manteca High physical education department chair from 1965 to 2002.

Manteca field house named the Walker Vick Field House in his honor in 2005.


American Legion baseball coach.

Manteca Babe Ruth baseball coach.

Member of Manteca Lions Club.

He is in the Sac-Joaquin Section Hall of Fame. Vick also was the section athletic director of the year in 1987, the

California State Athletic Director of the Year in 1989, and the Western Regional Athletic Director of the Year in

1989.

The 1954 Oroville High graduate earned his degree in physical education and teaching credential from Chico

State University.

Vick was the manager of the Tuolumne Meadows Pack Station in Yosemite National Park from 1990 to 2014. He

started working for the Park Service in 1981. He was hired to teach in Manteca in 1959.

His hobbies include watching high school and college sports. He also likes taking backcountry horse trips as well

as golfing, and fishing.




50 new teachers joining MUSD (Manteca Bulletin) April 20, 2016

Second only to the stress of landing a job for a new teacher, can be the stress over feeling comfortable at your

newly assigned school site.

As a follow up event to the Manteca Unified School District Job Fair conducted Feb. 20, the 50 newly hired

teachers for the 2016-2017 school year were invited last week to Sierra High School for a chance to get to know

the principals at each school sites with openings.

“We creatively put in place a new and efficient way that would allow principals to have input on which new

teachers would be best fits for their sites as well as hire quickly so as not to lose out on the top teaching

candidates in the field,” said Bonnie Bennett, MUSD Director of Certificated Personnel. “We had screening

interviews at the job fair, and principals were able to interview some candidates, but not all. Those candidates

who were given tentative offers have a chance tonight to meet more principals, have a few minutes of

conversation and see if it is a good fit or not. The candidates are prioritizing the top 10 sites on their wish list of

MUSD schools.”

New hires to the district can only get so much from looking at a website.

“I was excited about it because I believe a teacher who is placed at his or her school of choice will be inclined to

fully participate in the school,” Bennett said. “So, when we are looking for long-term commitment during a

teacher shortage, giving new hires a voice in their teaching assignments and building positive relationships from

the start is essential.”

Bennett believes that this is the first time MUSD has tried this approach.

“I took a driving tour of the district because it is nice to know the location of the school and get a feel for the

community around the school, said one dedicated new hire, Constance Blackmon. “I’m not from Manteca, and

it took quite some time to look at every school site in all three cities. I’m from Turlock and was educated in

Modesto at Brandman University.”

Blackmon said she chose Manteca because Bennett “came and spoke to my credential class and really pulled me

in. I just love her! I then saw her at the job fair, and she interviewed me and I got the job. I couldn’t be more

excited!”

Many of MUSD’s newly hired teachers will work at one of the district’s K-8 schools. They talked to many of the

principals present at the event. Some had a more targeted approach.

“In 10 job fairs I have been to, there has only been 1 physics candidate and two math candidates,” Bennett said.

That newly hired physics teacher, who will be starting at Weston Ranch High School this fall, has a unique path

to Manteca.

“I am Hungarian and this is my fourth year in the United States,” shared Csaba Hegyi, (pronounced Chaba Agee).

“My wife is from Modesto. I have some friends who are teachers here and I have heard lots of good things about

the district.”


“(Manteca employees) just seem that they are so happy all the time. It seems like they are happy with their job

and in their private life. They are my climbing partners; I do all kinds of climbing,” said Hegyi.

Another new hire who has a unique journey is James Gray, from New Orleans. “I transferred from Southern

University, as a junior, when Hurricane Katrina hit,” Gray said. “I was born and raised in New Orleans. I was one

of the people who fled from the storm, the day before, and we lost everything in the storm. Losing everything

makes you work a lot harder.”

“I came to Manteca Unified because I believe that there is growth here,” Gray added. “I am interested in going

into administration and looking for more opportunities to be there when I’m ready to make that transition. They

are very friendly here, which is right up my alley. Being southern, we like talking to people.”

Not one to let his difficult journey get him down, Gray also shared, “I try to bring a little southern culture to the

classroom. One year we made beignets in the classroom and parents came in to help. We even threw our own

little Mardi Gras and told them what that is about.”

The event welcomed some home-grown talent as well.

“I’m really excited and so thankful for this opportunity,” Devanée Quaresma said. “I have really wanted to work

with Manteca Unified School District for a while now. I just actually moved from Idaho. I graduated from Boise

State, but I grew up here in Manteca, so I’m so happy to be back. I wanted to get out of the area when I

graduated from high school because California was hit pretty hard with the economy.”

Another local is headed to Lathrop High School to teach biology.

“Yes, I’m excited to be a Spartan,” Megan Smith said. “It helps because I am an East Union Alumni and my

husband is a Sierra Alumni, so we are going to find some neutral ground here in Lathrop.”

“I grew up here in Manteca and got my bachelors from UC Davis in Genetics,” Smith said. “I’ve been teaching

with the One Program with the County and Teacher’s College for two years and working through my intern

program there. I am finishing up my credential there in a month, and decided to make a move over here to

Manteca. I have also started my Masters in STEM Education through Teacher’s College.”

Another local, Erika Mallory said, “I love this event because we get to meet and get a good feel for whether or

not we will fit with the schools. I really like Lathrop Elementary. I like the small school feel. I grew up in Tracy but

now live in Lathrop. I graduated from Tracy High School. I chose Manteca Unified because of the technology

program and it is close to home.”

About two-thirds of the teacher applicants are new to the profession and one-third are veterans.

Teachers seem to want to work in Manteca because of the top salaries, the digital opportunities for students

and staff, and because Manteca has an excellent reputation for being both innovative and yet stable,” Bennett

said.




William Penn, Colorado State Land EU Standouts (Manteca Bulletin)

From left, Michelle Castro and Taylor Ward sign their letter of intent to play college softball next year with William Penn and Colorado

State, respectively, at the East Union High band room.


It was a celebration of sorts for two East Union High teammates.

Michelle Castro and Taylor Ward signed letters of intent Wednesday to play college softball next year.

Castro, who is the daughter of Selena and Hildo Castro, agreed to play for William Penn University, an NAIA

school in Oskaloosa, Iowa.

Ward will play for the NCAA Division I Colorado State University Rams in Ft. Collins, Co. She is the daughter of

Cyndi and Deon Ward, who is also an assistant coach for the Valley Oak League-leading Lancers (7-0, 15-0

overall).

Both had interesting journeys prior to the signing event, according to East Union coach Brian Goulart.

“Taylor and Michelle are like two peas in a pod,” he said.

For Castro, who plays multiple positions including first base and the outfield, she was constantly challenged by

her coach to the point she nearly transferred to Lathrop High. Goulart, in particular, was upset with her poor

grades during Castro’s freshman year.

“Coach G made me a better person – he made me grow up,” she said.


Castro then quit softball altogether following her junior year with the Lancers.

“I was tired, mentally and physically – I had played softball since I was 5,” she said.

It took her travel ball coaches, among others, to help re-invigorate Castro’s love for the game. Her exile from the

game lasted all of one month. Her parents were there to support her decision. She is now in the middle of a

breakout season, leading East Union with a robust .596 batting average to go with four homers and 31 RBIs.

“It was tough for me to pick up the softball and glove (again),” said Castro, who knew that the game would be

her ticket to college.

One of her coaches described her as a “Division I player going to an NAIA school.”

Ward, by contrast, was a smooth ride, Goulart said.

Quiet and unassuming, Ward has been a low-maintenance standout player during her years with the Lancers.

But growing up, she was dogged for her size.

Goulart remembered his centerfielder at age 8 having great technique in swinging a bat despite her small

stature.

In January, Ward, who was being recruited by several schools, was invited to attend the Colorado State softball

camp thanks to the support of a rival coach.

Paulie Gabales of the NorCal Firecrackers based out of Modesto – he’s also an assistant softball coach at St.

Mary’s High – is longtime admirer of Ward’s strong character and skill set.

“She came ready to play,” Gabales said. “You can see that she has a lot of the intangibles in her game.”

Ward is batting .400 with 15 RBIs.

In the end, Goulart applauded his two star players.

“Both have worked hard and are one in the same – Michelle has been my challenged superstar and Taylor is my

quiet superstar,” he said.

Castro and Ward are joining two other Lancers in the college ranks. Shortstop Sam Owen (Pacific) and catcher

Alejandra Rascon (Cal State Northridge) signed in the fall.




Fun Run Saturday Marking JROTC’s 100th Anniversary (Manteca Bulletin)

To parents of Manteca USD Students:

123 Any Street

Where YOU Are, CA 00000

Here’s our postcard—front (above) & back!

Parents get feedback about school meals from a variety of sources,

primarily from their own students, but also from stories in news media of bad

tasting school lunches and too-small portions. To counter these conceptions

and misconceptions in our district, we have taken steps to listen to students’

concerns and make changes where we can. For example, we came up with new

menus for the upcoming month and decided to use direct mail postcards to

encourage a second look at our program by students who have not eaten with

us lately.

We used our meal tracking software to identify households whose students had

not eaten in our cafeterias since the beginning of the calendar year. We

designed a postcard using photos of our actual meals and listed some sales

points to consider. These included Cost Savings—the fact that we serve Fresh

Local Produce with every meal—and that we serve breakfast every school day.

We collected photos of sample meals taken from our serving lines at various

sites. We laid these out in Photoshop® and Microsoft Publisher®. We made sure

to include our District and Department logos.

We used space on the mailing side to highlight upcoming events. And we

presented the information from both front and back text in Spanish.

When we got the design finalized, we laid out the card 4-up on Letter size

paper to economize print costs. We had the cards bulk-mailed to our mailing

list.

Time will tell how effective our latest campaign will be. Results are preliminary,

but, we have seen a significant increase in participation from the mailing (12%

of students in mail list participated in first week after mailing); it looks like our

total mailing production costs have been recouped within a couple of weeks.

————————————————— Consider these points in making a Direct Mail postcard:

Be brief

Be concise

Offer several reasons to visit again

Be POSITIVE—e.g., instead of “here’s what you’re missing,” try “see what we’re

serving now.”

Leave one person in charge and Collaborate for ideas in department

Produce in-house —everyone has hidden talent and likes a challenge

FFA DRIVE-

THRU BBQ

MAY 4TH

, 2016

4:30 PM-7:30 PM

Join us for an FFA Drive-Thru BBQ

fundraiser on May 4th behind the

Sierra High Ag Department.

Contact Amy Bohlken at

[email protected] to purchase

tickets. Sales end April 27.

$10 per ticket!!

Pre-sale only!!

Meal includes:

smoked chicken,

salad, a dinner

roll, and a

chocolate cookie.

All proceeds go

towards the

Manteca-Sierra

FFA Chapter

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=bbq+clip+art&view=detailv2&&id=228128994B3029FCBF593BEE58C9C9D3B45E93BA&selectedIndex=64&ccid=ERhI9Ug2&simid=608014001060711809&thid=OIP.M111848f54836754b84b303a6d4a9d77bH0


http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=ffa+emblem&view=detailv2&&id=88259D37DE25981907E2D22AAD48048AF1353086&selectedIndex=0&ccid=/KfRejFQ&simid=608033594698436448&thid=OIP.Mfca7d17a3150446d472e8a389c749fc9H0

[1JI( ;1 I I I'I I TII I

DATES & TIMES:

THURSDAY, APRIL 28,2016- 6PM - PREVIEW NIGHT- REDUCED COST-

ALL TICKETS $5

FRIDAY, APRIL 29,2016- OPENING NIGHT - 7PM

THURSDAY, MAY 5,2016 -6PM

FRIDAY, MAY 6, 2016- 7 P

SATURDAY, MAY 7,2016- 7PM CLOSING NIGHT

TICKETS PRICE:

ADULTS $7

CHILDREN (AGES 4-13) $5

LOCATION:

WESTON RANCH HIGH SCHOOL THEATER

4606 MCCuEN AVENUE STOCKTON, CA 95206

Game Design Camp $No Fee

2016 STEM Summer Camps

June 6th - June 9th - 9:00am - 1:00pm Lathrop High School

Camps are offered ONLY to current MUSD students . Lunch is included each day.

*All camps are free, however, if you choose to take the project home you will

need to pay the project fee.

June 13th - June 16th - 9:00am - 1:00pm Manteca High Engineering Bootcamp Project Fee: $110.00*

Flight School 3D Project Fee: $60.00* June 20th - June 23th - 9:00am - 1:00pm Manteca High

Summer Astro Camp Project Fee: $2.00* June 27th - June 30th - 9:00am - 1:00pm MUSD RESC Bldg.

For more information visit: http://www.mantecausd.net/schools/melsgarage or [email protected]

Offered to students entering 6th—8th grade in the 2016-17 school year




board highlights april 22, 2016 - musdpublic.sharepoint.musd.net/superintendent office...friday,...

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