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Jefferson Elementary Receives Prestigious 2010 National Blue Ribbon School Honor

Academic gains continue across Clovis Unified

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Editor's Note: The following listings of activities around Clovis Unified School District and photos were previously published in CUSD Today in May 2011.

Clovis High Holds Mosaic Assembly

Clovis High School recently held its annual mosaic assembly. The theme, selected by a student leadership class, was “Many Hearts, One Beat.” ASB President Jenna Prandini and ASB Vice President Nicole May headed the organization of the assembly. This year, the assembly showcased individuals’ talents and passions as well as celebrating the many cultures of the world.

There were three assemblies held this year – two for Clovis High students and staff, and a third assembly for fifth-graders from the Clovis Area elementary schools. The mosaic assembly featured a variety of performances, students giving speeches about their culture and two different videos that starred a diverse selection of students highlighting their contributions to the world.

Some of Clovis High’s clubs such as Remix Club, folklorico and African American Student Union performed. The assembly also featured Native American dancers and a karate demonstration by senior Amanda Brown Young. Through the assembly, Clovis High brought a stronger sense of unity among the student body, and reminded people that the world is made up of many hearts, but we come together to form one beat. – Written by Grace Zantua, sophomore CHS Leadership student

Elementary, High School Students Work with Seniors to Make, Donate Blankets

Buchanan High’s Service Based Leadership class, in conjunction with Susan Arkelian’s fourth grade Garfield Elementary class and Orchard Park Assisted Living residents, completed a “Hands of Kindness” project in which fleece blankets were made for infants that were donated to a number of charities such as the Marjaree Mason Center, Children’s Hospital Central California and the Fresno County Sheriff’s Department.

Buchanan seniors Taylor Gasman, Brett Wheless and Nikki Le volunteer at Orchard Park every Wednesday and Friday through the Service Based Leadership class and wanted to bring the multi-generations together for a common cause. Orchard Park Activities Director Cheryl Ranzau suggested the “Hands of Kindness” project.

In just an hour, 50 blankets were made and Buchanan’s Service Based Leadership class was also able to donate an additional 30 yards of fabric to Orchard Park so residents could continue making blankets, a favorite activity for some residents. “The multi-generational project was a big success and is hopefully going to be a tradition for many years to come,” said Marci Beddall, Service Based Leadership teacher.

Clovis East Sophomore is Guest speaker at Annual Scholastic's Intervention Convention

Recently, Clovis East High sophomore Marie Sevilla was a guest speaker at this year’s annual Scholastic’s Intervention Convention held at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco. The focus of the conference was on strategic intervention to provide a path to college and career readiness, and was attended by top district administrators from around the United States.

Marie was a 2007 Scholastic READ 180 All-Star Scholarship winner while a sixth grade READ 180 student at Temperance-Kutner Elementary, and has continued to excel academically while charting her course toward college.  She spoke about her school experiences prior to and after READ 180, and shared with the attendees the changes she experienced in her attitudes toward school, reading and her future goals. Marie was accompanied by her mother, Erica, her sister, Deisy, T-K Principal Randy Hein and Marie’s READ 180 teacher at T-K, Donna Pappas, who also spoke. 

“The day was amazing,” said Pappas. “Scholastic sent a driver to pick us up and drive us to San Francisco where Marie and I spoke. It was a first trip to the city for Marie, her mom and her sister, with all the sights and sounds of the City by the Bay making a huge impact on them.  What a fabulous experience!”

BHS, ASI Jazz Participate in Next Generation Jazz Festival

The Buchanan High School Jazz “A” and the Alta Sierra Jazz “A” were invited to compete April 1-3 in the Next Generation Jazz Festival presented by the Monterey Jazz Festival marking the second time that the ASI band has been included, and the sixth time for the BHS band. The Next Generation Jazz Festival, which just celebrated its 40th Anniversary, has grown from a one-day regional jazz festival introduced in 1971 as the California High School Jazz Band Competition into a venue where this year America’s top young jazz musicians from 10 states competed for spots on the prestigious 54^th Monterey Jazz Festival stages, Sept. 16-18.

While the two CUSD bands were not selected to participate in the jazz festival, ASI did walk away with several special awards. Alta Sierra’s rhythm section won an Outstanding Section award and drummer Ben Christensen won an Outstanding Soloist award.

CNHS Student to Get Unique Look at U.S. Naval Academy at Summer Seminar

Clovis North High junior Robert Souza was selected to participate in the 2011 U.S. Naval Academy (USNA) Summer Seminar program June 11-16 in Annapolis, Md. Robert will join a group of approximately 2,250 high achieving students from around the nation and internationally who have completed their junior year in high school and are considering applying for admission to USNA after graduation. Participants will attend a six-day session and experience a part of USNA life. Summer Seminar has an academic focus, with each student attending eight 90-minute workshops, covering subjects from information technology, naval architecture and mechanical engineering, to oceanography, mathematics, history and meteorology. Students will also participate in seamanship and navigation classes and will take an actual cruise aboard a Navy Yard Patrol Craft to apply what they will learn in class.

Brothers Earn Eagle Scout Honor Through School Improvement Projects

Two brothers, both CUSD students, recently completed community-based projects to earn the Boy Scouts’ highest honor of Eagle Scout. Both the boys’ projects benefitted district schools.

James Walker, a freshman at Clovis High School, built a trophy case for Clark Intermediate School to display its awards. He collected the wood and glass which was donated by local businesses to complete the trophy case. Along with a team of volunteers and the support of Principal Scott Steele, it took 140 hours to plan and carry out the project.

Mason Walker, an eighth-grader at Clark Intermediate School, collected 100 plants, mulch and fertilizer, all of which were all donated by local businesses. He and nearly 60 volunteers, along with the help of Principal Jeff Tiftick, planted the shrubs behind the classrooms at Jefferson Elementary School. Mason’s project took 169 hours to plan and carry out.

“My sons chose these projects because they wanted to give something back to the schools that they had attended,” said Tracy Walker. “Their father is also a graduate of both Jefferson Elementary and Clark Intermediate which made this experience extra special.”

Clark-Clovis High Leadership Conference Emphasizes Good Decisions

On March 8, Clovis High leadership students went to Clark Intermediate to hold their annual Leadership Conference. The seventh and eighth grade leadership, WEB (Where Everyone Belongs) and peer counseling classes all came together to spend two hours focusing on the qualities of being effective leaders.

The goal was to emphasize the importance of making good decisions especially when one is held to a higher standard on campus. “Here at Clovis High, the expectations for leadership students are much greater because we are expected to set the tone and create a positive path for other students to follow. This is what we wanted our incoming leaders to know,” says Jyoti Gill, main facilitator and future ASB Human Relations commissioner.

 Most students positively reacted and left knowing how important it is to make the right decisions. Clovis High hopes to continue this program to successfully shape future leaders.
~ Written by Kelli Mosher, Clovis High leadership student

Lincoln Community Raises $2,165 for Pennies
 for Patients

Lincoln Elementary’s Exceptionally Capable Learners, lead by Patti Mortensen, worked to raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Pennies for Patients, a service and philanthropy program that gives students a unique experience making a difference through teamwork in the fight against blood cancers like leukemia. Through the donations of all Lincoln classrooms, the ECL students and Mortensen collected $2,165 over several weeks, with the money then donated to Pennies for Patients for Central California Leukemia/Lymphoma Society. “Caring is alive and well in Lincoln’s community,” said Lincoln Principal Roann Carpenter. “In tough economic times, it’s our ‘can do’ attitude and ‘being the one who makes a difference’ that keeps us focused and true to our vision.”

Dry Creek Sixth-graders Take Trip to
Ancient Egypt

Students in Cece Dansby’s Dry Creek Elementary sixth grade class traveled back in time to learn about the ancient Egyptian civilization.

Students were divided  into five nomes, or provinces, Thebes, Memphis, Abydos, Bubastis and Hermopolis, and performed duties according to their rank in society. Each nome consisted of a noble, administrator, scribe, artisan, laborers and farmers. Students even created and wore a menat necklace to indicate their rank in society.

Throughout the simulation, the ancient Egyptians worked in collaborative groups as they completed project-based activities. The nomes earned Nile travel points throughout the activity in an attempt to be the first to travel 4,145 miles to the Nile Delta and be crowned Pharaoh of Upper and Lower Egypt. 

Simulation projects included the construction of a nome standard, Egyptian clothing (khats, menats and headbands), 3-D map of the Nile River, Egyptian gods poster, Egyptian-style art and hieroglyphs, mummy-making and pyramid dioramas. The students learned about Egyptian history, architecture, art, geography and language.

Mountain View Students Prepare for School's "Plan-it Earth" Event

 Mountain View Elementary’s multicultural club, Kid Nation, is currently working toward its “Plant-it Earth” community project designed to beautify the campus. Students are collecting donations to purchase  47 plants needed for the project and are recruiting volunteers to help with the planting, which will take place Saturday, May 14 at 9 a.m.

Salad, Anyone? A Mission to Bring a Salad Bar
to Copper Hills

Last year, the Copper Hills Elementary Journalism Team set forth on a journey to help create healthy living on the campus. They began with a poll asking students how they could improve their school lunches. Enthusiasm for opening a salad bar set the Journalism Team on a mission; students Jordan Kozuki, Sarah Claypool, Haley Caram and Brook Tjerrild approached the Parent Teacher Club (PTC) and asked for and received their support.

Next, during a conversation between one of the Journalism Team advisors, Marilyn Geis, and Journalism Team member Jordan Kozuki’s dad, Blake Kozuki, Geis learned that Kozuki was willing to help supply the fruits and vegetables. He then offered to help solve other barriers in the way of gaining a salad bar. But one barrier still in need of solving is having a second helper in the cafeteria in order to effectively support the salad bar.

With the salad bar mission still a work in progress, the team is currently working with Principal Christine Archer, Campus Catering and the PTC to secure a second helper and the additional funding needed to bring the dream to fruition.

The Journalism Team is getting a valuable lesson in marketing through writing letters of appeal to the community with a plea of support as they keep their eye on the goal. Anyone interested in helping Copper Hills maintain a salad bar is asked to e-mail Geis at marilyngeis@cusd.com.
– Written by fourth grade student Jordan Kozuki and his teacher Marilyn Geis

Parents Learn in Classroom with Students One Day a Month at Jefferson Elementary

The first Wednesday of the month is now “Come to School with Your Student Day” in Karen Majchen’s Jefferson Elementary first grade classroom.

The first part of the session was spent on spelling, reading and writing skills. The students and their families worked in small groups doing spelling assignments, reading together with their teacher during a guided reading lesson and playing Sight Word Bingo. The families were also given an opportunity to go into the computer lab.

The second part of the session was spent doing math lab activities. Families worked in small groups playing games that help reinforce math concepts that their students were learning in class. “By sharing games with the families during the math lab portion of the day I hoped to help the families gain a fun way to help to their students learn at home, and allow them to spend some quality time together in the process,” said Majchen.

With the success of “Come with Your Student to School Day,” Majchen has decided to continue the unique first Wednesday of every month event. “The activities and themes will be different but the purpose will always be the same,” said Majchen. “I hope to help students and their families share a love of lifelong learning together through quality time in the classroom that they are able to carry home at the end of the day.”

Generosity Is a Tradition at Freedom

Freedom Elementary families participated in two recent charity drives: the Kids Day newspaper drive for Children’s Hospital Central California, and Pennies for Patients to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Community support was evident in the Freedom area for March 8’s Kids Day newspaper drive as students, parents and teachers manned busy corners as early as 5 a.m. When the day was done, Freedom had collected $1,805. In April, the school was presented a certificate for earning third place in the Kids Day 2011 Elementary School Challenge. David Mejia, Freedom teacher and coordinator for the annual school event, attributes the record total to “great parent support and community leadership.”

In March, families were asked to bring in their spare change for the Pennies for Patients drive. Students eagerly answered the call, some even reaching into their own piggy banks to help kids who suffer from leukemia and lymphoma. Last year, students raised over $5,200, while this year’s drive garnered $200 more than last year.

When asked about the meaning of generosity, first-grader Ellie Nelson said, “I think being generous is about caring and giving.” Classmate Makena Willison added, “It is good to be generous because people don’t have all the things we have.” – Written by Melanie Fitzgerald, first grade teacher

Garfield third-graders Learn that Character Counts When Caring for Animals

Students in Susan Hoffman’s Garfield Elementary third grade class took a fieldtrip to the Valley Animal Center in March. They learned that this local no-kill shelter serves the community by paying veterinary bills, spaying and neutering abandoned animals, and providing food and shelter for the more than 400 cats and dogs that reside at the shelter waiting for their forever homes. Hoffman’s third-graders made posters that were displayed at Union Banks around town to help raise money for the shelter’s Pennies for Pets fundraiser. The students gave speeches at school and delivered donation buckets to every room at Garfield to help collect money for the shelter. Garfield Elementary raised $1,638.56 which was delivered to the Valley Animal Center on April 15, 2011.

Freedom Celebrates Diversity with MAC and Kids

MAC and Kids is a special program found on multiple CUSD campuses that combines the adult-based Multicultural Advisory Committee (MAC) and their children in activities that honor and celebrate different cultures. Freedom Elementary’s MAC and Kids club started three years ago with just a few upper grade students, their parents, and Paula Howland and David Lock as program advisors. Today, the program has grown to more than 100 parents and students in attendance at the quarterly meetings. The format of each meeting is to focus on one country and learn about its history and customs.

Over the past two years, Freedom students and their parents have studied the culture of many countries such as Laos and Croatia. This year, the Freedom students and parents studied the country of Mexico and enjoyed the school’s Freedom Folkloric group providing the entertainment. India was the next country that was researched this year, with Freedom students participating in costumes and folk dances from India. For the third meeting, the Freedom students and their parents learned about Brazil. Students had the opportunity to meet a student from Brazil and made their own carnival masks.

“The success of MAC and Kids is due to the whole community coming together to honor and celebrate the diversity found at Freedom Elementary School,” said Howland, who also serves as a second grade teacher. “The students at Freedom heartily accept the motto of the MAC and Kids program which states, ‘We are the colors of the world.’”

Cox Community Sends Cranes and Donations
 to Japan

When the disastrous earthquake and tsunami hit Japan March 11, the Mickey Cox Elementary community wanted to help and came up with a plan to create origami cranes. Senba Tsuru is a Japanese tradition in which 1,000 paper cranes are made whenever a loved one is sick or injured, or when a natural disaster occurs, then the cranes are sent to the disaster area victims. Mickey Cox parents Fukiko Kramer, Rumi Dvorak and Masumi Rezak folded the origami cranes. All Mickey Cox students and teachers were then invited to sign their own individual crane. The signed cranes were sent to the disaster areas in an effort to cheer up the affected children.

In addition to making the cranes, the three Cox parents collected monetary donations for the tsunami victims. A total of $473.35 was collected from the Mickey Cox community and sent to the Japanese Red Cross Society.

This article was originally published in CUSD Today, May 2011, and is published on ExperienceClovis.com Online Independent Community Magazine with permission. Photos courtesy of CUSD
All rights reserved.
 

Statewide High School Track and Field Championship
        to Remain in Clovis

Clovis Unified School District Celebrates 50th Anniversary

A Champion in the Woods

11th Annual CART Showcase in 2011

Our Schools, Our Kids, Our Future -- Feb. 2011

Congratulations Diane Durando, State School Nurse of
        the Year 2010

Clovis School District Office Promote Breast Cancer
        Awareness

Tarpey teacher,Tacy Kroell, receives "A Day Made Better"
        surprise from OfficeMax

Jefferson Elementary Receives Prestigious 2010 National
         Blue Ribbon School Honor

Academic gains continue across Clovis Unified  ̶ 
        17 district schools now scoring over 900 on
         state’s Academic Index

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