March 27, 2015
Concord Pioneer • www.concordpioneer.com
Ygnacio Valley High
Northgate
Academies invest in students’ futures Stephen Brady YGNACIO VALLEY PRINCIPAL
Ygnacio Valley High School offers several programs to meet the students where they are and take them in directions they want – or will want – to go. Three programs are flourishing: Puente, Health Science Academy and Education Academy. Project Lead the Way, an engineering sequence of courses, is in its infancy. In addition, the school has applied to become the Mt. Diablo Unified School District’s International Baccalaureate school. The Puente program prepares
the educationally underrepresented students who enroll as their families’ first-generation college students, specifically in four-year colleges and universities. Puente students earn degrees and return to their communities as leaders and mentors. Parents and students also learn about opportunities, including multiple college campus visits. Students in the Education Academy help in local elementary schools in the mornings and create their own school – including policy, curriculum, school colors, mascots, school building and grounds. The Health Science Academy is a rigorous academic program that integrates academics and health career-themed experiences. As juniors, students are able to become first responders and volunteer at John Muir Hos-
pital. They may also job shadow health-care professionals and ementor with those in specialized careers. The school’s engineering courses form the essential strand of what will become a full engineering pathway. Project Lead the Way links the initial two engineering courses with science, technology, mathematics and art. The goal is to create the kind of student Leonardo da Vinci would have appreciated: a genuinely Renaissance individual. The International Baccalaureate program in one of the school’s greatest long-term instructional designs. IB also seeks to foster Renaissance scholars who are interested in the world and all it has to offer. Send comments and questions to editor@concordpioneer.com
Emily Wright
Blankets for Trevor a school tradition
NORTHGATE CORRESPONDENT
In honor of former student Trevor Tonsing, Northgate High students and parent volunteers gather in the cafeteria once each year to cut and tie baby blankets. The tradition began after Tonsing died at age 16 due to heart problems. It is based on Tonsing’s Eagle Scout project, which he never got a chance to complete. Now in its sixth year, the project drew more than 100 students for the Feb. 26 Trevor Tonsing Blanket Making Festival. This year, students wore Disney clothing to school in
MDHS PRINCIPAL
World Academy ELD I teacher, Jean Malanasky in class.
Alberto Ruiz MDHS CORRESPONDENT
school aged students who test as a beginning or early intermediate English learner attend the World Academy. The highly qualified and experienced teachers provide intense, targeted instruction in English for students in English, math, science and social science. The teachers focus on accelerating the students’ acquisition of academic vocabulary. The World Academy also provides students with a gradual easing into the cultural and social patterns of a U.S. high
Students offer DeSaulnier a glimpse of campus life
Mt. Diablo High School students and faculty gave U.S. Rep. Mark DeSaulnier the royal treatment when he visited the campus last month. Although the visit was announced only a few days ear-
lier, it was a pleasant surprise. Superintendent Nellie Meyer and other Mt. Diablo Unified School District officials accompanied DeSaulnier, who spent most of the day on campus plus a bit of time after school.
Emily Wright is a senior at Northgate High School. She is currently the news editor for the Northgate Sentinel newspaper and is in her second year of ROP Journalism II. Email comments or questions to editor@concordpioneer.com
Campus springs into action NORTHGATE PRINCIPAL
World Academy gives students special guidance
Mt. Diablo High School is honored to host the World Academy for the Mt. Diablo Unified School District. The World Academy is a specialized academy for district students who are newcomers to the United States. The district’s English Learner Intake Center determines who participates in the academy. The intake center gives students the California English Language Development Test, a combination of reading, writing, listening and speaking. High-
honor of the day. After volunteers cut and tie the blankets, sewers complete the project so the blankets are ready to be donated. This year, volunteers made about 150 blankets in one afternoon. Tonsing planned to make
200 blankets for his Eagle Scout project. The annual festival has far exceeded his expectations. Friends, family and other volunteers have made about 4,000 blankets for Trevor’s Eagle Blanket Foundation. The group plans to continue making many more blankets, which are donated to Oakland’s Children’s Hospital.
Michael McAlister
Mt. Diablo High
Liane Cismowski
Page 11
school. In return, the World Academy students provide the school community with a vibrant and diverse mix of languages, cultural perspectives and world views. The World Academy is slightly different from the four other Mt. Diablo High School academies because it does not have funding from Career Partnership Academy grants or Career and Technical Education sources. However, it has been “adopted” by some generous benefactors, who have provided
beautiful classroom upgrades, World Academy lanyards and Tshirts and even Christmas gifts for each World Academy student. The staff is grateful for the kindness, support and generosity of the community partners. For more information about the World Academy or how to help support World Academy students, call 925682-4030.
The Congressman visited the Serendipity Restaurant, which is part of the school’s International Hospitality and Tourism Academy. Students prepared a delicious meal for DeSaulnier, who learned about the IHTA and all the other academies at MDHS. After school, he attended all the academy meetings for a short time. During the meetings, teachers from the respective academies got together to discuss, plan and collaborate. The teachers gave him short and simple presentations about each academy. Student representatives from each grade level added their thoughts about each
academy. DeSaulnier represents the state’s 11th Congressional District, which includes most of Contra Costa County. He said he was pleased to hear what was going on at MDHS. At the same time, many teachers were happy to tell him their appreciations and concerns. With the visit deemed a success, the students and faculty wait in anticipation for the return visit that DeSaulnier promised.
Northgate High continues its march into spring with a successful Junior Prom this past weekend. The USS Hornet provided picturesque views of the world’s most beautiful city and a historical backdrop for the celebration. Students are transitioning into spring sports from a successful winter season. All of the winter teams advanced to the North Coast Section, with the underdog wrestling team winning league for the first time in quite a while. The campus is alive with the spring sports of lacrosse, track, boys volleyball, swimming, boys tennis, softball and baseball. There is nothing like the sound of a bat hitting a ball to remind everyone that the weather is warming up and that summer isn’t far off. If all goes according to plan, we’ll also hear the sounds of
splashing by mid-April when the pool opens. Follow us on Twitter @NorthgateHS to see pictures of the progress. On another front, 10 teachers recently attended a technology conference in San Diego where they learned how to best integrate iPads into classrooms. Northgate is moving toward a 1:1 device integration with the students. This means that each student should soon enjoy the use of networked devices throughout the academic day. This effort requires both time and commitment from the entire community. Teachers at the leading edge of this effort who attended the conference were noticeably inspired. They used what they’d learned in classrooms immediately upon their return. Send comments and questions to editor@concordpioneer.com
Send comments and questions to editor@concordpioneer.com
Alberto Ruiz is a senior at Mt. Diablo High where he is student body secretary and a member of the Medical Biotechnology Academy. Send questions and comments to editor@concordpioneer.com.
Congratulate your grad With a special message in the Concord Pioneer May 22 and Your Grad’s June 26 Name Graduations and Promotions from
Pine Hollow
Rayna Stanziano PINE HOLLOW CORRESPONDENT
Educational ‘March Madness’ at Pine Hollow
Pine Hollow students dived into a month full of educational entertainment this March. The first black shirts of 2015 emerged, as students began
completing the five-part process required to earn the last shirt color. Meanwhile, music students have been preparing for the Area Band Festival and Area
Orchestra Festival. The sixth-graders are occupied with all sorts of events and activities. Annual math day was held March 6, and the youngest middle schoolers rotated to different classrooms for mathrelated activities. Students learned origami, played domino and dice games, made coordinate plane graphing pictures and tie-dyed T-shirts. They wore their new shirts on a field trip to the California Academy of Sciences, where they learned indepth about ecosystems. Sixthgraders also attended a Spring Fling Dance, which included games and food. The seventh- and eightgrade classes discovered an interactive environment when
the Lawrence Hall of Science came to Pine Hollow for an Engineer and Invent Science Festival. Students became honorary engineers as they tweaked the blades on wind turbines, constructed working hydraulic arms, explored circuits, and built bridges and towers. Many students played in the lunchtime basketball tournaments, which were a big success. And leadership organized several Friday spirits days, including super hero day and crazy sock day. Rayna Stanziano is in the eighth grade at Pine Hollow. She has a passion for writing and loves English and swimming. She lives in Concord. Send comments to editor@concordpioneer.com
• Pre-school • Elementary • Middle School, • High School College
Congratulations on an outstanding four years. You’ve been a joy and an inspiration to all who know you. We love you and can’t wait to see the next chapter. Love, Mom and Dad
50 word message and photo . . . . . . . .$ Message only
65 . . . . .$45
We will call you for payment information after you submit your order.
Send text and photo with your contact information to editor@concordpioneer.com by May 11 and June 15.