Honoring Our Volunteers
Carrie Stillwell & Jorge Virgen, Sr. of Las Flores
High School
Carrie Stillwell and Jorge Virgen, Sr. were recognized as Education Partners at the December 7, 2010, meeting of the Elk Grove Unified School District Board of Education.
Carrie and Jorge have been active volunteers at Las Flores for the past five years. The family is usually the first to sign-up for field trips, volunteer work and Las Flores special events. Carrie and Jorge regularly attend school functions, such as the Multicultural Faire, Red Ribbon Week, Field Day and Student of the Quarter celebrations. They also actively participate in fundraising events, typically being the top sellers of coupon books each year.
Grandmother Pam Stillwell also contributes to assisting when needed at Las Flores. When "Power of the Pen," a popular writing contest, was threatened by budget cuts, Pam volunteered to make a donation to keep the contest alive. Pam also volunteers on campus for special events throughout the school year.
Carrie and Jorge have two children: Luis - a 4th grade student at Las Flores and Samantha - a kindergarten student at Las Flores. |
EGUSD Board of Education appoints new President, Clerk
Three Elk Grove Unified School District Board of Education members were elected to serve in three positions at the board meeting on Tuesday, December 7, 2010.
EGUSD board member Priscilla Cox became the new Board President. Chet Madison, Sr. will serve as Board Clerk. Pamela Irey was re-elected as the EGUSD Board Representative to the Sacramento County Office of Education. The term for all three positions will expire in December 2011.
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Kindergarten Registration at EGUSD
The Elk Grove Unified School District's kindergarten registration for children turning 5-years-old by December 2, 2011, began on December 3, 2010, at traditional and year-round schools and on Tuesday, January 4, 2011, at modified traditional schools.
Parents with students already attending Elk Grove Unified schools receive sibling priority registration for track schedules. Of the district's 39 elementary schools, 10 are on a traditional schedule, 13 are on a modified traditional schedule and 16 are on a year-round schedule.
Kindergarten families registering their first child will have equal access based on date and time of registration. Most families who turn in their registration materials by the February 1, 2011 deadline will get into their home school.
Registration packets can be picked up starting at elementary schools on traditional and year-round schedules. Packets can be picked up at schools on a modified traditional schedule at 7:30 a.m. on January 4, 2011. Numbers for parents first in line will NOT be handed out at any of the district's schools.
To register a kindergartner, parents need to bring proof of residence in the form of a SMUD or PG&E bill, rental agreement, or purchase papers for a home. School office staff will give parents a packet, stamped and dated.
Registration materials including the packet, the child's immunization record, birth certificate and proof of residence are due by February 7, 2011.
Incoming kindergartners must live within Elk Grove Unified School District boundaries. To view district and school boundaries, call the Boundary Hot Line at (916) 686-7755 or go to http://www.egusd.net/new_to_egusd/boundaries.cfm.
Parents seeking more information about the registration process can call the district's Elementary Education office at (916) 686-7704.
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Holiday Closures at EGUSD
As the holiday season gets into full swing, EGUSD students and staff on a variety of schedules will observe Winter Break during the month of December:
- Schools on a traditional school schedule will be closed December 20-31, 2010. They will reopen on Monday, January 3, 2011.
- Students and staff on Track A schedule will observe Winter Break from December 20-31, 2010. They will return to school on Monday, January 3, 2011.
- Schools on a year-round schedule will be closed December 22-31, 2010. They will be reopen on Monday, January 3, 2011.
- The Robert L. Trigg Education Center and satellite offices will be closed to the public December 22-31, 2010. They will reopen to the public on Monday, January 3, 2011.
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Welcome to eguNews, an EGUSD email newsletter published every two weeks. If you have questions about eguNews, you can email communication@egusd.net or call (916) 686-7732.
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Internet Safety at EGUSD
Elk Grove Unified prides itself in taking the initiative to be a leader in the state in a variety of programs and issues. The importance of Internet safety outreach is no exception. As a result, EGUSD launched an Internet Safety program in 2008. The EGUSD Internet Safety Program is an on-going project. Elk Grove Unified's Internet Safety Initiative is a three-pronged approach to educate staff, parents and students about cyber bullying, online predator strategies and other online Internet safety issues. As new tools become available, the district expands the curriculum and trainings as needed. The district also created an Internet Safety Task Force that meets regularly to address new issues and to assess program progress. The program was expanded to include partnerships with the U.S. Attorney's Office of Eastern California and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and WebWiseKids.org. In an effort to reach out to parents in a more interactive approach, district staff created the 2WebWatchers blog to invite the EGUSD community at large into an on-going, online discussion on pertinent topics. Information from the blog is also shared with parents in a printed format via school newsletters. Students in grades 4-12 also have a chance to participate directly in the Internet Safety Program through the EGUSD Internet Safety Video Contest. The contest is an opportunity for students to produce PSA (public service announcement) videos that promote the safe and ethical use of the Internet. For more information about the contest or to download rules and entry forms, visit http://blogs.egusd.net/2webwatchers/ and click on the links on the upper right side of the page.
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Students strive for SUCCE$$
at Laguna Creek High School
At Laguna Creek High School, students are building a path to their futures through the SUCCE$$ (Students United Can Create Economic Support Successfully) program.
The SUCCE$$ program was created by the Concerned African-American Parents (CAAP) group at Laguna Creek as a supplemental arm to the existing college preparatory programs at Laguna Creek. For two Tuesdays each month, the career center becomes a knowledge center for students looking for enhanced support in securing their dream of obtaining higher educations through the assistance of volunteer professionals. Students and their parents who participate in SUCCE$$ walk away with tools and the confidence that can be used for their entire post-secondary education.
"Although our program is geared towards juniors, seniors and their parents, any student can participate," said Ellie Townsend-Hough, one of the four program's facilitators. "It doesn't matter if they plan on attending a trade school, 2-year college or a 4-year institution, we're here to help them properly plan to finance those plans. Our program began drawing the attention of 9th and 10th students, therefore next year our program will expand to meet their particular needs as well."
"We know what scholarship committees are looking for in applicants, so it would be behoove SUCCE$$ to prepare students as underclassmen to make them even more competitive as seniors," stated Angela Jemmott, CAAP President.
Through the SUCCE$$ program, students build a unique tool called the SUCCE$$ binder, containing information on how to track and obtain the different types of scholarships - at the district, local, state and federal levels - and how to review and complete college scholarships and applications. Students learn the importance of meeting deadlines, as well as time management skills and follow-up procedures. The program also gives students one-on-one instruction on how to create a resume, biography and personal statements for college applications and interviewing tips for scholarships interviews.
"It is important that those who want a college or technical school education not be limited by financial constraints," said Townsend-Hough. "Although the economy is bad right now, many organizations are still committed to providing financial aid via scholarships to qualified students. The SUCCE$$ program helps connect those qualified students to scholarships."
For more information about the SUCCE$$ program, contact outreach facilitators Ellie Townsend-Hough at (916) 684-5027 or by email at ellienluv@hotmail.com or Kim Obanor at ladyoliviak@yahoo.com.
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Samuel Jackman Middle School Junior Cadets ready to tackle the future
Once a week, a dedicated group of 45 students can be seen marching across the campus at Samuel Jackman Middle School. These students are participants in Jackman's Junior Cadet program.
"The students responded so well to the Valley High School Junior ROTC program demonstrations under Colonel Norman's leadership, it seemed natural to start a program here," said Ron Richard, coordinator of the Junior Cadets at Jackman. "The kids couldn't wait to get to Valley! When the ASES (After School Education and Safety) program was restructured at Jackman, we were able to incorporate the Junior Cadets program.
Students interested in the Junior Cadets program can sign up through the ASES program. Then students go through an interview and intake process. The program, currently in its second year, drills students much like students in Jr. ROTC at the high school level. Under the direction of Richard, Cadet Curriculum Instructor Jannett Davis and Cadet Drill Instructor Courtland Younger, cadets also participate in the Safe Routes March, community service, graffiti clean-up, life skills and vocational training. Homework help is also offered to students who need it. Students wear their uniforms to school and raise the American flag as a group once a week as well.
"This program has been extremely beneficial for our students," said Richard. "We've seen our students develop citizenship and leadership skills in the areas of self-discipline, integrity and services. We have also seen an improved positive school climate.
In the future, Richard hopes to see the program expand to elementary schools that feed into Jackman. He also hopes to have Jackman students provide mentorship and volunteer at the elementary schools in activities such as crosswalk duty.
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Laguna Creek High School
ceramics student prepares for
national art exhibition
In its natural state, a lump of clay is just a lump of clay. But when Laguna Creek High School senior Julie Ireton gets her hands on clay, magic happens.
Freddy Santana, the Laguna Creek High School senior's ceramics teacher, first noticed Ireton's talent when he was introduced to her when she was an eighth grade student at Harriet Eddy Middle School.
"Julie is special because she may be that one student in a teacher's career that has so much talent you almost never see in a high school student," said Santana. "Her level of artistic skill, creativity and work ethic I have never seen before in a high school ceramic art student. I have been challenged to give Julie college and professional level projects just to keep her challenged and competitive."
Ireton has been taking ceramics classes for the past five years. Ireton's ceramic abilities have led her to compete and place in numerous competitions, including the EGUSD Superintendent's Art Contest, California State Fair and Sacramento's Second Saturday "Where I'm From" Art Show - where she received Best of Show.
Next on Ireton's plate is the National K-12 Ceramics Exhibition.The exhibition is an annual juried ceramic competition for Kindergarten through Grade 12 (K-12) students in the United States. Designed to showcase the best K12 ceramic work made in the country, the exhibition takes place in a different city each year in conjunction with the annual conference of The National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA). If selected, Ireton's work will be shipped to the host city to be displayed. Ireton and Santana would also receive a poster and catalog. This year's competition will take place in St. Petersburg, Florida on March 30, 2011.
In addition to ceramics, Ireton is an excellent student with a 4.10 GPA which ranks her in the top five percent of her class.
"After high school, I'd like to attend Cosumnes River College and then transfer to Humboldt State University to pursue a major in Wildlife or Zoology," said Ireton. "I will also continue pursuing ceramics so that I can continue to learn and improve."
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