SJCOE News

RAFFLE RAISES FUNDS TO SEND KIDS TO OUTDOOR EDUCATION

     By purchasing a mere $5 raffle ticket, communities in San Joaquin County helped raise money to send over 220 kids to Outdoor Education (Science Camp), totaling over $55,000 raised.

Three lucky tickets were drawn and the results were as follows:

1st Prize:   $3,500    Juan Cervantes (ticket sold by Aspire-Langston Hughes)
2nd Prize: $1,000    Jason Amerman (ticket sold by August Knodt)
3rd Prize:   $500        Sheri Mendoza (ticket sold by Banta)

     All San Joaquin County schools were invited to participate in this year-long raffle to raise funds for Outdoor Education, coordinated by Jill Fritchen, San Joaquin County Board of Education member, and sponsored by the San Joaquin County Office of Education Educational Foundation. Tickets were sold for $5, and 100% of the proceeds went directly to the school that sold the ticket for their trip to Science Camp. This raffle was made possible through generous donations from Valley Oak Dental in Manteca, Steve Fisher–Horrace Mann Insurance, and Victory Grill in Stockton.

     “It is rare to find a fundraiser that gives 100% of the proceeds directly back to school, and this raffle gave students, parents, and teachers that opportunity,” said Fritchen. “It is rewarding to see the community come together to ensure kids have the Science Camp experience that the youth of San Joaquin County have had for over 55 years. ”

     Since 1957, more than 500,000 elementary students have participated in SJCOE’s Outdoor Education program, formerly known as Science Camp. More than 4,000 5th and 6th graders, and nearly 600 high school cabin leaders attend Outdoor School each year, spending five days and four nights exploring and learning in nature. For more information, visit http://www.sjcoe.org/outdoored/.

Participating Schools:
Art Freiler; Aspire – Langston Hughes; August Knodt; Banta; El Dorado; Elmwood Elementary; Golden West; John Marshall; Joseph Widmer; Lammersville; Rio Calaveras; SJ Elementary; Van Allen; Veritas; Walter Woodward; Wicklund; and Wilson

Education Protection Account Funding

The San Joaquin County Board of Education recently passed a resolution approving the spending determination for Education Protection Account (EPA) Funding. In accordance to the provisions of Proposition 30, Article XIII, Section 36, the funds were transferred to community schools as listed in the attached spreadsheet and shall not be used for salaries, benefits for administrators, or any other administrative cost.

This information is attached and can be found on the San Joaquin County Board of Education page at: http://sjcoe.org/board/

May Outlook: Outlook is going GREEN

The May edition of Outlook, and final issue of this school year, is now available in print and online. View the interactive issue here: http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/3ad992e8#/3ad992e8/1.

SJCOE is taking another step in the "Green" direction! Starting in September, Outlook will be exclusively available online. To be sure that you do not miss an issue of Outlook, subscribe to receive the publication: Subscribe to SJCOE news and publications

San Joaquin Delta College Celebrates 50th Anniversary

San Joaquin Delta Colleges 50th Anniversary Magazine

In celebration of Delta College's 50th Anniversary, please take a look at our 50th Anniversary Magazine. Included are historical articles and photos commemorating Stockton College's separation from the Stockton Unified School District in 1963...San Joaquin Delta College was born...Remember when...

San Joaquin Delta College...A Blast from the Past!

Check out the 50th Anniversary Magazine here: http://www.deltacollege.edu/dept/publicinfo/prel/2013/documents/50thAnniversaryMagazine.pdf

Math prodigy gets perfect Olympiad score, second year in row

The Record by Kevin Parrish

Are you smarter than a fifth-grader?

You're probably not smarter than Wentinn Liao, a student at Tracy's South/West Park Elementary School and two-time individual champion of the San Joaquin County Math Olympiad.

Wentinn has registered a perfect math score two years in a row, and he'll be back in 2014 to defend his title. Wentinn, a fifth-grader, is part of the Monte Vista Middle School team, but he doesn't attend school there. He was recruited.

Monte Vista, a sixth- through eighth-grade campus, fills out its elementary-level math team with fourth- and fifth-graders from nearby South/West Park Elementary School. Enter Wentinn, part of the Gifted and Talented Education program. "He's a really good student who is above average at math," said Dawn Arbogast, the Monte Vista coach. She also said Wentinn is a strong team member. "He's using algebra to solve problems. The others can see he's really good," Arbogast said. "And he's really good at explaining things." Wentinn's also ready to move ahead.

In February, the 10-year-old participated in the MathCounts competition at University of the Pacific, beating sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders. He was frustrated, however, that he couldn't advance to the state level. Wentinn is one grade level too young.

The Math Olympiad, in its third year, is sponsored by the county Office of Education. Wentinn led Monte Vista to the team championship last weekend against 30 other teams. Lincoln Unified School District teams from Brookside Elementary finished second and third.

Claire Chen of Jefferson School finished second in the individual competition. Kemiah Williamson of Brookside was third. Nearly 200 students were part of the event. For now, Wentinn sits in the back of his fifth-grade math class reading one of the "Art of Problem Solving" textbooks. "Next year, when he's with us at Monte Vista, he'll take geometry - a course typically taken by freshmen or sophomores," said Arbogast. "And he will be a sixth-grader."

To view the full article, visit http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130503/A_NEWS/305030309 Contact reporter Kevin Parrish at (209) 546-8264 or kparrish@recordnet.com.

Sutter Health Live Well for Life tip for May

Reduce Health Risks:
5 Dietary Changes

Research suggests that adults can significantly cut their risk for heart disease, cancer and other major chronic illnesses by meeting the following five dietary goals:

1. Eat four times as much white meat—such as poultry or fish—as red meat.
2. Each day, consume 2.5 to 3 cups of vegetables—not counting potatoes; 2 cups of fruit; one serving of nuts or soy protein, such as tofu; and at least 15 grams of fiber from whole grains.
3. Eat more unsaturated than saturated fats, and avoid trans fats.
4. Limit alcohol.
5. Take a daily multivitamin.

California Department of Ed May Ed Ahead

The monthly Ed Ahead is compiled by the California Department of Education’s (CDE) Communications Division and contains a current schedule of upcoming events. Please note that these calendar items are subject to change. This information also may be viewed on the CDE Events <http://www.cde.ca.gov/nr/re/et/> Web page.

Important Dates in May

May 8–9         State Board of Education meeting, Sacramento <http://www.cde.ca.gov/be/ag/ag/yr13/agenda201305.asp>
Mid-May          Release of Base Academic Performance Index data
Mid-May          Release of California English Language Development Test data

Designated Month

Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month (36 United States Code 102)
National Mental Health Month
National Physical Fitness and Sports Month

Designated Week

May 5–11        Be Kind to Animals Week
May 5–11        National Teacher Appreciation Week
May 7–11        School Nutrition Employee Week
May 12–18      Police Week (36 USC 137)
May 13–19      National Children’s Book Week
May 19–25      Classified School Employee Week (California Education Code §45460)
May 19–25      National Educational Bosses’ Week

Designated Days

May 1            Law Day, U.S.A. (36 USC 113)
May 1            Loyalty Day (36 USC 115)
May 1            School Principals Day
May 7            National Teacher Appreciation Day
May 8            California Day of the Teacher (California EC §37222). This year's theme is “California Teachers:      Honoring our past. Guiding the future.”
May 8             National School Nurse Day
May 12            Mother’s Day (36 USC 117)
May 15            Peace Officers Memorial Day: US Flag to be displayed at half- staff from sunrise to sunset (36 USC 136)
May 18            Armed Forces Day
May 22            Harvey Milk Day (California EC §37222)
May 25            National Missing Children’s Day
May 31            World No Tobacco Day

Holidays

May 27            Memorial Day: US Flag to be displayed at half-staff from sunrise until noon
(California EC §37220; 36 USC 116; CDE offices closed)

Historic Durham Ferry Goat Team Competition

The Advanced Boer Goat Show Team from Venture Academy's Historic Durham Ferry competed in the Open Adult Show at the SRMGA 6th Annual "Boers De Mayo" Show in Idaho. They left the show with one Reserve Grand Champion, four First-Place, five Second-Place, and three Third-Place titles.

"These kids grew so much, and it showed today," said Teacher and Coach Rashonne Founts. "They showed the boer goats like adults, worked hard, and supported each other."

For more information about Venture Academy, visit http://www.ventureacademyca.org.

Brown Calls for Changes to School Funding

Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr. joined 20 local school superintendents from across California on Wednesday to call for action on his plan to direct additional resources to the state’s neediest students and restore local control over how money is spent in schools.

“This is not an ordinary legislative measure, this is a cause. It’s a cause for the children of California, and it’s a cause for our own future as Californians,” said Governor Brown. “Kids can’t wait, California can’t wait, and that’s why the superintendents and thousands of people throughout California are going to work to see the passage of our bill.”

The Governor’s plan, also known as the “Local Control Funding Formula,” increases flexibility and accountability at the local level by restoring local education agencies’ control over money previously earmarked for state-mandated programs. The plan also strategically directs additional money above base funding to children with the greatest need – low-income students, English learners and foster youth.

According to a recent PPIC poll, 78% of adults support the Governor’s proposal to give local districts more flexibility and 71% of adults support the Governor’s plan to direct more funding to lower-income students and English language learners. The Governor has called for changes to how the state funds schools for more than a year and has met with education experts, educators, the Legislature and other stakeholders from throughout California. This year’s proposal, introduced with the 2013-14 Budget, builds on what was introduced in January 2012.

The Governor was joined today in Sacramento by supportive superintendents representing school districts large and small, urban and suburban, wealthy and low-income from across California. “With the Governor’s Local Control Funding Formula, students with the greatest need would receive the greatest support,” said John Deasy, superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District. “Now is our chance to make progress towards the promise of equal opportunity, which is why I fully support the Governor’s proposal.” “The new funding formula trusts local decision-makers and school leaders with greater flexibility and decision-making at the local level where the priorities, needs and goals of our schools are best understood,” said Mary Jane Burke, superintendent of the Marin County Office of Education. “This plan acknowledges that there are students in our schools that ‘need more to get the same’ in order to provide the quality educational opportunities that are available to other children and schools.”

“The Local Control Funding Formula is a critical step in the right direction to ensure a more equitable funding system that better reflects the educational needs of English learners and students considered to be at or below the poverty line,” said Thelma Meléndez de Santa Ana, superintendent of schools for the Santa Ana Unified School District. “California’s school funding system is experiencing serious problems, and the Governor should be commended for trying to address this issue.”

“The issue is how best do we spend the dollars that we have, and that’s what makes the Governor’s proposal so unique and so urgent and so timely,” said Jonathan Raymond, superintendent of the Sacramento City Unified School District.

The following superintendents joined Governor Brown today: Rob Arias, Bakersfield City School District; Tom Armelino, Shasta County Office of Education; Mary Jane Burke, Marin County Office of Education; John Deasy, Los Angeles Unified School District; Elliott Duchon, Jurupa Unified School District; Marc Ecker, Fountain Valley School District; Mick Founts, San Joaquin County Office of Education; José González, Planada Elementary School District; Jon Gundry, Pasadena Unified School District; Bill Kowba, San Diego Unified School District; Michael Lin, Corona-Norco Unified School District; Dale Marsden, San Bernardino City Unified School District; Thelma Meléndez de Santa Ana, Santa Ana Unified School District; Al Mijares, Orange County Department of Education; Rick Miller, Riverside Unified School District; Jonathan Raymond, Sacramento City Unified School District; Tony Smith, Oakland Unified School District; Sandy Thorstenson, Whittier Union High School District; Randy Ward, San Diego County Office of Education; and Kenneth Young, Riverside County Office of Education.

The Governor’s plan is also supported by a diverse coalition of education, civil rights and business organizations, including Children Now, the Latino Community Foundation, the Asian Business Association and the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights.

To read the full article, visit http://scvnews.com/2013/04/24/brown-calls-for-changes-to-school-funding/

Congratulations to the Seal of Biliteracy Award Recipients!

Check out this year's Seal of Biliteracy Award Recipients! http://sjcoe1.shutterfly.com/pictures/1559