ELK GROVE UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT | EXCELLENCE by DESIGN

September 22, 2014

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In This Issue

EGUSD's new superintendent

SHS selected as CTE Model Demonstration Site

Aerojet assembly @ Elliott Ranch

PBIS Program

Know who children are exchanging e-mail with, and only let them use chat areas when you can supervise. Limit chatroom access to child-friendly chat sites.

Honoring Our Volunteers

Anne Spencer of Cosumnes River Elementary School

Anne Spencer was recognized as an Education Partner at the September 16, 2014, meeting of the Elk Grove Unified School District Board of Education.

Spencer began her volunteer career at Cosumnes River Elementary School (CRES) more than nine years ago when her oldest daughter was in kindergarten. Through the years, Spencer has devoted herself to promoting family involvement and fundraising in order to provide the students at CRES with the best possible educational experience possible. She is especially passionate about providing resources that allow the arts to continue being an integral part of every child's experience.

Over the course of nine years, Spencer has truly done it all. She has served in just about every PTA board position there is, from historian to vice-president to president. During Spencer's tenure with the PTA, she has rallied the CRES community and helped the PTA earn more than $200,000. As a result of her efforts, CRES students have benefited from many opportunities, including a complete laptop lab, art supplies for classroom art activities, a 20 hour/week library technician to make the most of the Lester & Faye Ledbetter Library, a large shade structure for the CRES playground and trees that will provide shade for future generations of students.

In addition to her work with PTA, Spencer played a central role in the creation of CRES' annual "Salute to Agriculture Day" that takes place each spring. "Salute to Ag Day" is an opportunity for CRES students to see and taste the fruits of local agriculture and to learn about sustainable agricultural practices.

Anne's husband Jerry has also volunteered at CRES. Every October, Jerry can be found hauling dozens of hay bales to school for the annual Harvest Festival. He was also the highlighted performer at the 2013 "Salute to Ag Day" who - along with the Spencers' dogs - provided a wonderful demonstration of how the family pets can also be working animals who love to herd.

The Spencers have three daughters: Elizabeth - an 8^th grade student at Katherine L. Albiani Middle School and Audrey and Charlotte - both 5^th grade students at Cosumnes River. All three girls are exceptionally talents in activities inside and outside of school. Elizabeth and Audrey are involved in competitive gymnastics throughout the year while Charlotte is a blossoming thespian. Charlotte most recently appeared in the El Dorado Musical Theater production of "The Jungle Book" this past summer. They also regularly appear on Honor Roll lists.

Elk Grove High School FFA to hold 5^th Annual Dinner & Barn Dance fundraiser

The 5^th Annual EGHS FFA Dinner & Barn Dance will take place from 5:30 p.m. to midnight on Saturday, October 4 at the Lent Ranch Barn.

Tickets are $40/person and includes a prime rib dinner "with all the trimmings," live music by the Jay Rollerz and live and silent auctions. All proceeds will benefit EGHS FFA.

To purchase tickets for this 21 and over event, call 916-681-4425, send an email to ffabarndance@gmail.com or purchase online at www.elkgroveffa.com.

Help Franklin High School's Winter Guard win a custom performance tarp

Help Franklin High School win the Winter Guard Tarps "Teams for Tarps" competition! High school winter guards use decorative tarps to cover the floor during their performances. These tarps can be quite expensive and Winter Guard Tarps is offering a custom designed and printed floor tarp as the grand prize for a Winter Guard who gets the most votes!

You must have a Facebook account to vote. Click here to vote for Franklin's Winter Guard.

Laguna Creek High School's 20th Anniversary Celebration

Calling all Laguna Creek High School alumni!

This year, the "Home of the Cardinals" turns 20 years old and to celebrate this momentous occasion, LCHS will hold a 20th Anniversary Celebration during the homecoming football game at 6 p.m. on Friday, October 17th at the Cosumnes River College football stadium.

All LCHS alums are invited to come out to the game and participate in the Parade of Classes.

If you plan on attending the game, RSVP to Rod DeLuca at RDeluca@egusd.net.

Click here to view the event flyer.

Welcome to eguNews, an EGUSD email newsletter published every two weeks. To subscribe to eguNews, click here. If you have questions about eguNews, you can email communication@egusd.net or call (916) 686-7732.

Meet EGUSD's newest superintendent - Christopher R. Hoffman

EGUSD welcomed home Christopher R. Hoffman on September 16 following the Board of Education's unanimous vote to appoint him as the 6th superintendent in District's 55-year history. Hoffman, who currently serves as Superintendent of El Dorado Union High School District, will join EGUSD on November 17, 2014.

The event was held at Valley High School where Hoffman graduated in 1986 and began his teaching career. Board President Priscilla Cox, Elk Grove Education Association President Maggie Ellis, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees President Jennifer Ballerini, Valley High School Associate Student Body President Jackie Garcia, members of the Stakeholder Search Committee and Valley High and EGUSD students and staff all welcomed their new superintendent.

Hoffman will serve as chief executive officer of the largest school district in Northern California and the fifth largest in California. He will be the first Superintendent in District history to have received elementary and secondary education in EGUSD schools. He attended Herman Leimbach Elementary, Charles Mack Elementary and James Rutter Middle schools, in addition to Valley High School.

Hoffman has spent his professional career in public education, working with diverse student populations in wide-ranging communities across Northern California, including Elk Grove, Lodi and the Sierra foothills. He is highly committed to improving the teaching and learning of socioeconomically disadvantaged students. As a principal and superintendent, he has a solid record of improved academic performance for socioeconomic disadvantaged students as measured on the Academic Performance Index with a 43 point gain in El Dorado Union High School District, 62 point gain at Mira Loma High School and 102 point gain at Tokay High School during his tenure.

Hoffman has served as Superintendent of El Dorado Union High School District for the past four years. He began his career in 1992 in education as a social science teacher at Valley High School, and went on to help open Laguna Creek High School, where he became a vice principal, before serving as principal at Tokay High School in Lodi and Mira Loma High School in Sacramento. Prior to becoming Superintendent, he served as Associate Superintendent for the El Dorado Union High School District.

Sheldon High School selected as CTE Model Demonstration Site by California Department of Education

Sheldon High School has been selected as a Career Technical Education (CTE) Arts, Media and Entertainment (AME) Industry Sector Model Demonstration Site for comprehensive high schools by the California Department of Education for the 2014-2015 school year. AME Model programs serve as examples of exemplary CTE programs and as resources for California secondary schools wishing to develop an AME Industry Sector CTE program.

Sheldon joins seven other schools from across California who have earned this distinction this year. Sheldon's CTE AME Model programs include performing arts, production and managerial arts, design, media and visual art. Sheldon's top AME feature programs are animation, theatre, music and visual art.

To be classified as a CTE AME Industry Sector Model Demonstration Site, schools must have some or all of the following components:

Explain how the curricula have been developed for the pathway(s) and why the curricula might be relevant to other high schools exploring a program with this focus
Describe interesting instructional strategies
Describe the school's CTE program assessment system
Describe support strategies that assist students and encourage their academic achievement, attendance at school, etc.
Describe formal and informal student leadership opportunities
Explain unique scheduling and school/program organizational strategies that make the CTE AME site innovative and successful
Describe critical partnerships that enhance the CTE AME site and offer students the opportunities to practice the knowledge/skills they have learned outside the classroom
Describe any partnerships that have been established to provide funding (foundations) or other support (consortiums)
Describe professional development strategies that build teacher skill levels and help sustain the program
Present an overview of how the features of the CTE AME school will be demonstrated to representatives of other high schools or school districts that wish to develop a similar program
How would the CTE AME site publicize their Demonstration Day

Sheldon has received $15,000 to provide a regional Demonstration Day where they will share pathway standards-based curriculum, program design, collaboration strategies and industry partnership resources. The Demonstration Day schedule for all Model AME Industry Sector Demonstration Sites will be published in September 2014. Each school may also be visited by appointment. Demonstration sites will also be required to share best practices at a minimum of two statewide or local conferences each year and provide technical assistance to build regional AME capacity.

Elliott Ranch Elementary School students continue to reach for the stars with STEM assembly

On Thursday, September 18, students at Elliott Ranch Elementary School continued to learn more about the world of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) with a rocketry lesson from Brian Ferraiuolo, an Aerojet Rocketdyne engineer who is currently working on the future Orion spacecraft which will carry humans to deep space destinations such as asteroids and Mars.

Ferraiuolo introduced students to the principles of propulsion and the application of a STEM education in the real world by using balloons and skateboards to help illustrate thrust. He also showed a video of rocket engines igniting and brought models of actual spacecraft that Aerojet is currently working on.

"We hope to continue our partnership with Aerojet and perhaps build on this foundation to expand learning in our next assembly with them," said Tracey Panuschka, vice-principal at Elliott Ranch. "Aerojet has granted our school with $1,000 to help continue to expand our STEM focus so we would like to continue working with Aerojet and MakerBot - who supplied our 3D printer - to provide an engaging and relevant STEM education to all of our students."

The assembly was brought to students at Elliott Ranch as a follow-up assembly to the NASA downlink event in August. Students had the chance to interact and chat live with National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Commander Steve Swanson and Flight Engineer Reid Wiseman aboard the International Space Station.

"Student enthusiasm for all things STEM has exploded this year and our families and community are exceptionally supportive," said Brian MacNeill, principal at Elliott Ranch. "We truly see this as an opportunity to help our students move with confidence into the new world of possibilities before them."

PBIS Program @ EGUSD

Changing behaviors through positive reinforcement is the name of the game through Elk Grove Unified's Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports (PBIS) program.

The PBIS program was implemented at EGUSD to provide positive, predictable and safe school environments for students. The program also seeks to reduce discipline referrals and disproportionality. The use of incentives and positive praise are instrumental in creating student buy-in and support to the program.

Although Elk Grove Unified's had been interested in the PBIS program for years, the Coordinated Early Intervening Services (CEIS) monies funded the program and gave the means to implement the program. In the program, students provide input through focus groups at their individual sites and classrooms. Students who have participated in the focus groups have indicated that they like predictable expectations and common understanding of all stakeholders in implementing the program. Adults are instructed how to create a safe, consistent, predictable environment for students, which makes students understand the rules and consequences.

Currently, staff at 20 elementary, seven middle and seven high schools have been trained on PBIS curriculum. Staff at the last 19 elementary schools are currently being trained on the curriculum. The goal is to completely train staff at all EGUSD schools in the PBIS curriculum and provide coaches and behavioral support to the sites.

"Our plan is to completely train all Elk Grove Unified schools in PBIS and provide coaches and behavioral supports to the sites," said Bill Tollestrup, director of special education for the district. "This program is easily tied to real life and it assists students in understanding the expectations of the school and in the future work force."

Click here for more information about PBIS at EGUSD.