Results tagged “Yucaipa-Calimesa Joint Unified School District” from Yucaipa Now
YUCAIPA - She calls them, "my kids." Her rewards are hugs, high fives, and smiles - lots of smiles.
Gail Diliberto has taught physical education in the Yucaipa-Calimesa school district for 24 years. Nineteen years as a regular PE teacher and the past five years as the district's only adaptive PE teacher.
And it's the past five years that have given her the greatest satisfaction in her teaching career. Diliberto works with special needs kids, those who face physical and mental challenges.
In a typical day, Diliberto travels from school to school, kindergarten through 12th grades, meeting with her kids and guiding them through special physical education and mentally challenging activities to enhance their life skills. And at the same time provide a fun time for kids that would have a difficult time adapting in a regular PE class.
"My rewards are seeing the kids smile and having fun," Diliberto said. "I think of them as my kids. To see them accomplish something is so rewarding. The little things that we take for granted are so special to them."
YUCAIPA - 12-year-old Addie Miller's eyes widened in dread of the thought. If she had lived in the Renaissance Period from about 1450 to 1600, in another year or too she'd be someone's wife.
"I wouldn't want to get married that young, that wouldn't be any fun," said Addie. "I know I wouldn't have liked living back then."
Back then people were fortunate to live into their 40s, which meant that married life had to begin much sooner - at about age 13 and 14, and sometimes as young as 12.
But the Renaissance Period was also, "an age of enlightenment when art, music and drama, and science flourished," said 22-year dance and physical education teacher, Gayle Timilione. "It was a wonderful period of time."
YUCAIPA - The accolades poured forth in glowing words, showered upon nine inductees of the Inaugural Yucaipa High School Athletic Hall of Fame during ceremonies at the University of Redlands Orton Center on Friday.
Dedication, commitment, pride, and hard work, were often cited as the qualities that all nine possessed.
Their athletic feats were outstanding, but their success didn't stop there, said former YHS basketball coach and teacher, Kent Hayden, himself a Hall of Fame inductee.
"It's not only what they achieved in high school, but what they have achieved in life," he said.
Of the nine inductees, Kimi Welsh, class of 1998, was the only female athlete selected. Her accomplishments in cross-country and track and field still bring wonderment to those who remember her during her high school years.
"In cross-country, she was All-CIF all four years," said her presenter, and YHS Athletic Director, Mark Anderson. "The (girls') team was California state champions all four years. She led her cross-country team to winning the National Championship in her senior season. They had 12 opportunities and they produced 12 championships. How do you top that?"
News Release:
By Trent Lacey
T.O.A. Math and Science K-12
YCJUSD
SAN BERNARDINI, CA - Yucaipa Calimesa Joint Unified School District Students performed exceptionally well this year at the RIMS County Science and Engineering Fair at the National Orange Show April 14 and 15, 2009.
Two hundred ten schools participated and YCJUSD students received nine bronze, five silver, and three gold awards medals. Additionally one student was awarded the top elementary award, the prestigious Sweepstakes Trophy.
Garrett Dotson was one of two gold medals awarded to Ridgeview Elementary School. This year there were only three Sweepstakes awards presented, one for Junior Division, one for Senior Division, and one for the Elementary Division.
YUCAIPA - For 19 Yucaipa-Calimesa school district students, attending the RIMS County Science and Engineering Fair and competing with students from schools in Riverside, Inyo, Mono, and San Bernardino counties was a thrill. But at the same time very challenging, and a bit nerve wracking.
One such Yucaipa student, was 12-year-old Kaitlyn Lattuca, a sixth grader from Crafton Hills Elementary, who presented her project, "Odor and Absorption in Small Animal Bedding."
Kaitlyn's project earned her a silver medal during the awards ceremony on Wednesday night.
After the two-day competion at the National Orange Show in San Bernardino on April 14 -15, Kaitlyn agreed to a question & answer session to help us better understand the science and engineering fair, and what the competition was like.
Q: Students were told during orientation that the interview with the judges was very important. What was that like?
Kaitlyn: "Being interviewed by the judges is nerve racking. It is still fun. Many kids and I think so."
Q: Also, students were told that answering the "unknown" questions could go far in their evaluation. What was that like?
Kaitlyn: "The questions were more surprising than difficult. The questions were mostly like would you continue or expand your project. I feel your nerves are controlling your brain,so you stutter and I think that you just think of something good and fast."
YUCAIPA - A mandatory project in sixth grade sparked an interest in science that at the time Amanda Leon didn't realize she had.
Now, two years later and in eighth grade at Parkview Middle School, 14-year-old Amanda's eyes light up as she talks about her science project, "Anti-Bubble PH."
Amanda was among 19 students from the Yucaipa-Calimesa school district in grades fourth through eighth, who competed in the RIMS Inland Science & Engineering Fair at the National Orange Show in San Bernardino on Tuesday.
Schools from Riverside, Inyo, Mono, and San Bernardino counties were represented by their top science and engineering students.
Experienced judges evaluated the projects for scientific method, content, clarity of presentation, and originality. And for those students and projects judged as the very best, state competition awaits them in Los Angeles in May.
Amanda's project has to do with the substances acids, bases, and neutrals, she said. She has assembled research data, graphs, a journal, and constructed a double-sided display board about five feet high. It's neatly and professionally organized and filled with scientific data. And it took hours of work to complete.
"You have to like research and you have to think processes through, and be very organized," said Amanda, who has competed in county competition for three years. "When I found anti bubble on the Internet, I decided that's what I wanted to do, and that got my interest in science going."
YUCAIPA - The Yucaipa-Calimesa Joint Unified School District Board of Education meets Tuesday, March 24, at 6:30 p.m.
Here's some of what the school board and administration will be discussing and possibly voting on:
- Waiver request to the 24 month rule for textbook adoption in English Language Arts to California Department of Education.
- Approve adoption of Resolution 15/2008-09, reduction in work year for classified management and classified confidential employees.
YUCAIPA - Trent Lacey, Science Fair Coordinator of the Yucaipa-Calimesa School District-Wide Science Fair Competition held on Feb. 28 at Chapman Heights Elementary School, says a big thank you for all those people that made the science fair a huge success.
"Thank all of you again for all your support and for helping to make a difference in
the lives of the children in our community," Lacey said by email. "Days like Saturday are an example of why most of us entered the teaching profession in the first place."
Over 60 volunteers helped out. Law Enforcement, educators from around the county, the Water District, YCJUSD Administration, community members, retired professionals, classified personnel, N.A.S.A., local businesses, and students all stepped in to lend a helping hand and insure that this day would be a successful celebration of the Yucaipa
Calimesa Students' achievement in Science.
"Please come every year and also join us for the county fair on April 14-15,
in San Bernardino," Lacey said.
Trent Lacey
Science Fair Coordinator
News Release:
By Trent Lacey
Science Fair Coordinator
YUCAIPA - The Yucaipa-Calimesa Joint Unified School District is sending 19 winners from the district-wide science fair held, Saturday, Feb. 28, from grades 4, 5, 6, and 8, on to compete in the Inland Science and Engineering Fair.
The County Award Winners
- Daniel Leon, Chapman Heights, 6th grade.
- Kaitlyn Lattuca, Chapman Heights, 6th grade.
- Johnathan Barone, Dunlap, 6th grade.
- Alesia Atherley, Park View Middle, 8th grade.
- Amanda Leon, Park View Middle, 8th grade.
- Ryan Casey, Ridgview, 4th grade.
- Garrett Dotson, Ridgeview, 5th grade.
- Jacob Zuniga, Ridgeview, 5th grade.
- Aubrey Curtis, Ridgeview, 5th grade.
- Heather Long, Ridgeview, 5th grade.
- Christian Lucas, Wildwood, 6th grade.
- Allison Baumstark, Wildwood, 4th grade.
- Courtney Carlson, Wildwood, 4th grade.
- Hannah Stevenson, Wildwood, 4th grade.
- Heather Graf, Wildwood, 4th grade.
- Christopher Eichinger, Wildwood, 5th grade.
- Logan Erautt, Wildwood, 5th grade.
- Austin Ahne, Yucaipa, 5th grade.
- Juan Guillen, Yucaipa, 5th grade.
YUCAIPA -At Tuesday's Yucaipa-Calimesa Joint Unified School District school board meeting, nearly everyone agreed that cuts and sacrifices must be made to resolve the district's budget crisis.
But what would be cut and who would sacrifice, remains the troubling question. Two particularly sensitive issues were discussed during the meeting - the possible closing of Dunlap Elementary and eliminating class size reduction in Kindergarten through third grades.
Superintendent, Sherry Kendrick, addressed the Dunlap issue by saying that it would be removed indefinitely from the agenda. But she added a qualifier: Although removed, "We have the caveat to bring it back at some future time," Kendrick said.
The Administration had recommended in a previous meeting to close Dunlap to save the district $500,000 of a $4 million budget deficit projected for next school year. But that proposal was continued as the administration and board agreed to search for other cost-savings alternatives.
Regarding class size reduction, parents, grandparents, and teachers pleaded with school administrators and school board members to leave class size reduction (CSR) off the chopping block.
We can lose our cars, our money, our belongings, one parent said, but the one thing we can never lose is a quality education. Ideas were floated to the board on ways to save money with out increasing class size from the current 20 to 1 student to teacher ratio to 30 to 1.
"Reduce the administration and overhead costs," said Lori O'Connor a mother of two Valley Elementary children. "Eliminating class size reduction will reduce our children's academic achievement, lower test scores, and inevitably lower academic standards."
Commentary:
By Trish Meagher
Forest Falls
FOREST FALLS - The proposed State budget is a framework for failure of Californiaʼs hopes and dreams. The proposed budget includes billions of dollars in cuts to schools. Our schools are already not adequately servicing the needʼs of our students. They are in dire need of help.
Schools are being closed and programs are being cut. Teachers are being pink slipped during class hours. This is not only tacky, but a disgrace to our educational process. Class sizes are being increased which creates a non-educational structure for our children.
Now the teacher is a childcare provider and not an educator. We are going backwards in education, not forward. Ok, letʼs kick ʽem when theyʼre down. We must give our children hope for their future. If we do not, we will have more of the same -- children who are lacking a good enough education to strive for the American dream.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and our current legislators are a failure to all Californians. They have put us in the red and offer only to take more from our children. What are they thinking? We need to stop cutting funding from our children and their hopes and dreams for a better and brighter future.
YUCAIPA - Many polls rate Abraham Lincoln as one of the most influential and revered presidents and Americans in our nation's history.
And by the chorus of, "Happy birthday Mr. Lincoln!" the 16th president (1861-1865) scores high marks with the 420 seventh and eighth grade students of Canyon Middle School. On Thursday, Feb. 12th, the school celebrated the 200th anniversary of Lincoln's birthday with birthday cake, balloons, and a party-like atmosphere.
And it all came about because Mike Bennett, the school's art teacher, and Principal, Jim Stolze, petitioned the school to become a Lincoln Legacy Bicentennial School. There are 471 Lincoln Legacy schools (nationwide) listed on the Lincoln Bicentennial 1809 - 2009 "Live the Legacy" website.
Canyon Middle School is one of only 19 California schools that participated in the program.
"When we applied, we had to make a list of activities to honor Lincoln," Bennett said. The list included a Lincoln portrait contest, an essay contest, writing poetry, writing Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, and hosting a birthday party.
YUCAIPA - Dunlap Elementary School parents, teachers, and students gathered at the corner of Yucaipa Blvd. and Oak Glen Road in cold, damp weather late Monday afternoon to show their opposition to the proposed closing of their school due to district budget cuts.
The Yucaipa Calimesa Joint Unified School District Board of Education will decide Dunlap's fate at a school board meeting Tuesday night at the district office. Because of a $4 million budget shortage the school board will vote on whether or not to close Dunlap in 2009-2010 school year to save $500,000.
But teachers attending Monday's protest have other ideas that they believe would save the district money and at the same time keep Dunlap open. But few of their ideas are being heard, say the teachers, who wish to remain anonymous.
Teachers said that a meeting of the Budget Advisory Committee was held on Monday. At the meeting, teachers presented their plans for a reconfiguration of the district that would create an average of about 600 students among each of the eight elementary schools.
"Our figures show that we would save a minimum of $360,000," said one of the teachers.
The parents and teachers are also upset that their request to move Tuesday's meeting to a larger venue was denied. They say that the board room is not large enough and open enough to accommodate the large numbers expected to attend the meeting.
There are many ways to save money on the budget, say parents and teachers, such as reducing district administration staffing and some assistant principal positions.
"Those kinds of cuts are temporary," one teacher said. "Closing a school that's been in the community for 50 years is permanent."
The School Board will meet at 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 10 at the district office.
Yucaipa Calimesa School District Office
12797 Third Street
Yucaipa, CA 92399
(909) 797-0174
YUCAIPA / CALIMESA - Concerned about the Yucaipa Calimesa Joint Unified School District budget? Would you like to voice your concerns about the YCJUSD budget to state officials?
Here are the elected officials to contact:
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-CA)
Website: gov.ca.gov
Sacramento Office:
California 95814
Phone: (916) 445-2841
Fax: (916) 445-4633
Los Angeles Office:
300 South Spring Street, Suite 167
Los Angeles, California 90013
Phone: (213) 897-0322
Fax: (213) 897-0319
Sen. Robert Dutton
Website: www.senate.ca.gov/dutton
Sacramento Office:
5094 State Capitol,
California 95814
Phone: (916) 651-4031
Fax: (916) 327-2272
Rancho Cucamonga Office: (more district offices)
8577 Haven Avenue, Suite 210
Rancho Cucamonga, California 91730
Phone: (909) 466-4180
Fax: (909) 466-4185
Asm. Paul Cook (R-CA 65th District)
Website: republican.assembly.ca.gov/member/65/
Sacramento Office:
5164 State Capitol,
California 94249-0065
Phone: (916) 319-2065
Fax: (916) 319-2165
Yucaipa Office: (more district offices)
34932 Yucaipa Boulevard
Yucaipa, California 92399
Phone: (909) 790-4196
Fax: (909) 790-0479
Sen. John J. Benoit (R-CA 37th District)
Website: http://cssrc.us/web/37/
Sacramento Office:
State Capitol, Room 4066
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 651-4037
Fax: (916) 327-2187
Moreno Valley Office:
13800 Heacock Street, Suite C112
Moreno Valley, CA 92553
Phone: (951) 653-9502
Fax: (951) 653-9524
News Release:
YUCAIPA / CALIMESA - On Saturday, December 6, 2008 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in San Diego, Yucaipa-Calimesa Joint Unified School District staff was awarded the presitigious Golden Bell in the area of Special Education by the California School Boards Association for the Language Development Kindergarten Class at Meadow Creek Elementary School.
This award recognizes innovative, exemplary, and sustainable programs that make a difference for students. YCJUSD received one of only four Golden Bells awarded in Special Education throughout all of California.
YUCAIPA - Mike Bennett is understandably proud. The seventh and eighth grade art teacher at Canyon Middle School has had many students evolve into gifted artists over the years.
But even he admits that Julian Bencito, 15, and Danielle Sanchez, 14, are two of his best.
Julian, an 8th grade student at the Yucaipa Ninth-Grade campus, created a diorama (a three-dimensional model) of New York City. It took him 11 months to complete and he finished it in November 2007.
"He received a nice letter in January 2008 from New York Mayor, Michael Bloomberg congratulating him for his effort," Bennett said.
What triggered the project was Bennett's assignment to build a paper craft model of the former Twin Towers in New York. But Julian took it much further, recreating the entire city. "The (assignment) was a tool on how to build (models) in three dimension," Bennett said. "It's a different way to use perspective. He went wild with it. It's incredible. I was astounded by the amount of time he put into it."
YUCAIPA - I discovered this interesting website for teachers filled with news, resource material, even educational videos on a variety of topics. You might want to check it out.
www.teachers.net/gazette. Check out the December Survival Guide. I'm sure some of you could probably use that about this time of the year.
Parents unite to stop alternative school's move into their neighborhood
YUCAIPA - The Yucaipa-Calimesa Joint Unified School District Board of Education had several items on its agenda Tuesday night. But one item in particular drew the unwavering attention of about 200 parents and neighbors living near Canyon Middle School: Item number eight - "The approval of school reconfiguration for the 2009 - 2010 school year."
A part of that reconfiguration calls for moving Oak View Education Center to Canyon Middle School at the beginning the 2009 school year.
YUCAIPA - It wasn't the real thing, but the students at Park View Middle School reacted like it was on Thursday during the largest earthquake drill in history - The Great Southern California Shakeout.
When the announcement came over the intercom at 10 a.m., students did as they were taught and told - duck, cover, and hold on. In Sandy Suchil's seventh grade classroom, within a few seconds all the students were under their desks with their hands and arms covering their heads.
Jessica Brasher, 12, was in her third-period science class when the "earthquake" struck. She said her classmates reacted quickly and got under their desks. "We've been doing this since Kindergarten," said Jessica. "If the real earthquake (struck) we'd be safe because our teachers know how to keep us safe."
In Stephanie Sharp's seventh grade science class, her students reacted with speed and efficiency. She has also taught them how earthquake waves differ and what to expect.
"We have talked about the different waves, the P (primary) and S (secondary) and how the rolling (secondary) waves cause more damage than the first jolt," said Sharp, "and why we need to cover our heads to protect our brains and our spinal chords from falling objects."
After the initial "earthquake" the students filed out of their classrooms, lined up, and walked to the far side of the school's blacktop playground about 100 yards away from the nearest building. There was no pushing, our load voices. Everyone remained calm, quiet, and orderly.
After they were assembled, teachers took roll call to make certain every student was accounted for. Meanwhile, the security staff scoured each classroom searching for anyone who may have been left behind - as they would in an actual earthquake. And they took additional precaution with a complete campus sweep.
Teachers, staff, and students took the Shakeout seriously. But disaster drills such as the Shakeout are nothing new at the school.
"We prepare by having disaster drills once a month," said Park View Principal, Jeff Litel. "Two months a go we did an entire evacuation drill. We do this often enough that they know what to expect, and they cooperate with the procedures."
Seventh grade teacher, Bob Rosenthal, lined his students up outside, well away from the school. He said that Park View staff has instilled within the students that they must treat disaster drills as the real event. "They take these drill pretty seriously," he said. "I think they did pretty well. I'm very proud of my group."
Eighth grade student, Hank Eurich, 14, ducked and covered under his desk when the alarm sounded, just as his teacher, Joseph Mead instructed the class. "Our teachers know what they are talking about," Eurich said. "I think we will be prepared if an earthquake happens."
News Release:
By Julie Stringham
YUCAIPA - Dunlap Elementary Librarian, Julie Stringham, doesn't mince words. The school library is in dire reading shape and needs help.
"This is a pathetic library," Stringham said. But she's determined to do something about it.
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