the Mark Highlights October 2017 issue 1

MARK Highlights

Manteca Unified School Board

the

Making a positive difference to each and every student daily. facebook.com/ proudtobemusd

October 2017, Issue 1

Teachers Take Flight see page 12

Contents At Our Schools

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MUSD School Board

Taste and Teach Program

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President Stephen J. Schluer, Area 6

Lathrop Elementary Connects with their Community

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Vice President Bob Wallace, Area 7

Brock Elliott and 7-Eleven

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Board Clerk Evelyn Moore, Area 5

Dunbar Hacks the Classroom

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New Vision Visits MJC

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Calla Students Plan for Future

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Nancy Teicheira, Area 4

MHS Holds College and Career Fair

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SHS Art Show Grand Slam Win

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MUSD Superintendents

WRHS Breaks Out of the Box

Eric Duncan, Area 1 Kathy Howe, Area 2 Michael Seelye, Area 3

Superintendent

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Jason Messer Deputy Superintendents

Community Outreach

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Dr. Clark Burke

MUSD District Celebration

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Roger Goatcher

SOFIA Project Inspires Educators Among the Stars

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Night of the Arts at Manteca HS

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WRHS Plans Homecoming Week

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SHS Celebrates Volleyball Seniors

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LHS and the Ultimate Pledge

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be.tech Does Finals Differently

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WRHS Teachers Innovate CSF

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Department News Jumpstart’s Read for the Record

The Mark Highlights is published twice per month, on average.

Superintendent’s Office: It is a publication Community Outreach Manteca Unified School District of the MUSD Superintendent’s Office Community Outreach team. Highlights content is contributed on a rotating basis by every school site in the district. Highlights is

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Vision Manteca Unified School District will ensure every school day is relevant, rigorous, and leads students to become productive and engaged members of a global society while residing in the central valley.

Mission Manteca Unified School District is committed to providing a safe environment where all students will thrive with the tools, resources and support needed to achieve their academic and personal potentials.

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intended to be a reflection of the MUSD Vision and Mission, because above all, we value making a positive difference to each and every student daily.

The Mark Highlights Team are: Victoria Brunn Executive Editor and MUSD Director of Community Outreach vbrunn@musd.net

Peter Gale Design, Writing, and Editing pgale@musd.net Lindsay Stayner Content Coordination, Editing, and Design lstayner@musd.net Note to school site contributors: please send photography at the highest resolution possible. When emailing from a cell phone, please use “actual size.”

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Taste and Teach Program

The program requires teachers to complete a formative and summative on-line evaluation. 250 California K-12 teachers were selected, and among them are Jennifer Dooley and Ericka Meadows of Woodward school.

“Over the summer a former parent, and employee of Raleys, informed me about the grant,” said Dooley. “I shared the information on Facebook to all my teacher friends. Last year I received a $100 grant from Raleys for the tasting program. My students absolutely loved tasting different food items.”

Submitted by: Jennifer Dooley Woodward Elementary

“My students absolutely loved tasting different food items.”

Above: Dooley’s students proudly display their apple hats they made to celebrate this month’s food choice.

Below: Some foods are an acquired taste. These students are trying Granny Smith Apples for the first time.

Sometimes, children do not get the opportunity to try the kinds of fresh fruits and vegetables that will lead to healthy lifestyle choices later in life.

Raley’s and the California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom offered an opportunity for select California Teachers who applied in September to Taste and Teach.

Selected teachers received a $100 gift card to Raley’s, Bel Air and Nob Hill grocery stores to purchase featured California-grown commodities— fruits, vegetables and nuts!—each month starting September 2017.

Participants also received a binder of helpful resources, including instructions on how to lead students in a taste test while meeting California Education Standards, and a variety of promotional items during certain months!

Dooley further explained that the sole purpose of the program is to show students that the food item comes in many different forms. For example, October is about apples. Teachers bring in various apple products for students to talk about and taste such as: apple sauce, juice, apple chips, Gigi, Granny Smith, red delicious, etc.

“I just received mine last week,” said Ericka Meadows. “September was tomatoes, but we will double up on another month as I just received the box.”

“Then, we’ll incorporate science into the lesson. Making predictions about the products, discussing the five senses using the apple items,” said Dooley. “As a grade level, we are looking at going on two field trips; one to Raleys and one to the Hillmar Cheese Factory.”

During these trips, students will learn about healthy foods and community jobs at the grocery store.

“In addition, we are looking into having a local almond grower, nutritionists, and chef come to speak with the students,” said Dooley.

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Lathrop Elementary Connects with their Community Submitted by: David Silveira

Lathrop Elementary Principal

6th graders made postcards promoting the pillar of trust.

One of the best ways to connect with our Lathrop community is our Fall Carnival. Families once again had a great time playing games, eating, and dressing up to attend.

wanted to connect to a college future, so we re-purposed a pole that was used at one time to connect temporary wires to portables. Once unneeded, it looked out of place, with no meaning.

This event was organized by a great group of staff so that our community can enjoy an evening together while raising funds for grade level extras.

That pole now has given life and meaning in the school’s Warrior Hangout by promoting a college going future.

Also, Mr. Rasmussen’s multi-media class made a connection to the Pillar of the Month by having 6th graders make postcards promoting the pillar of Trust. Students worked with images and text to create meaning through visual metaphors.

Several colleges are labeled on wooden arrows with the distance in miles from Lathrop elementary to the college.

College choices were first inspired by colleges that staff attended, as well as colleges talked about on campus.

On campus, Lathrop Elementary

This is an ongoing project and there are more signs to come.

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Brock Elliott and 7-Eleven

Submitted by: Debbie Ruger Brock Elliott Principal

Pictured below are students from Mrs. Bishop’s 6th Grade class giving presentations on the water cycle.

7-Eleven invited Brock Elliott School to apply for their grant and become a community partner.

The school was awarded a grant for $711.00 to purchase materials and activities for their Maker’s Space.

This classroom has been created for students to explore, create, design and engineer projects. These hands-on science projects are part of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).

Brock Elliott teachers have embraced NGSS using Mystery Science and STEM Scopes in addition to the current adoption.

Pictured below are students from Mrs. Bishop’s 6th Grade class giving presentations on the water cycle.

The owner of the 7-Eleven store has indicated that they are interested in doing other things in the future to support the school.

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Dunbar Hacks the Classroom Submitted by: Tammy Dunbar Lincoln 5th Grade Teacher and Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert Fellow

They were almost awestruck. Now they are empowered.

See the video here Being showcased on Microsoft’s Hack the Classroom event this past October was an incredible experience not just for me, but, more importantly, for my Room Nine Kids at Lincoln Elementary.

“My favorite part was being interviewed on film,” said Dominick.

“That made me feel amazing!”

Microsoft sent a film crew to our classroom for three days in late September to capture how we “cultivate creativity and curiosity.”

Having them in the room and on the playground, was such a great learning experience for my students.

They learned how to set up shots, frame an image, and the importance of the angle of the camera, shooting up or down or face on.

They asked so many great questions.

They asked about the film crew’s college experience and their career journeys. They asked how the equipment worked. And the crew generously shared their knowledge, enthusiasm and caring with every student who asked.

Then we got the word that our film would premiere at Hack the Classroom. I was asked to be at the

event live so I could share a little bit about my favorite classroom tech tools and talk about my students.

Humbled and honored, I went to Redmond, Washington, to talk about how my students and I strive to cover core subjects in unique and engaging ways. This includes project-based learning, Genius Hour, collaborative global projects, and much more.

When The Room Nine Kids saw themselves on Hack the Classroom, which was VIEWED BY THOUSANDS of educators around the world (50,000 views on Facebook alone), they were almost awestruck.

Now they are empowered.

They have started working on antibullying and recycling projects, on a Climate Action Plan with more than 100 schools around the world, and we’ve even started something entirely new.

We have a “Mirror School” in Sweden with whom we are reading novels and sharing our impressions online via Sway and Skype.

The Room Nine Kids have learned not only how to hack the classroom, but how to hack life and make a better future.

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New Vision Visits MJC Submitted by: Sonya Arellano New Vision Principal

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Seniors from New Vision High School had the opportunity to glimpse what college life would be like.

They visited Modesto Junior College to tour the campus.

They visited Modesto Junior College to tour the campus.

College representatives showed them facilities, introduced them to current students, and gave them some hands on experience with a few of the programs offered at the college.

The Nursing and Fire Fighting segments were a big hit with students.

Register for our East Union High School

Thought Exchange

to discuss the future of campus buildings and facilities at: http://bit.ly/EUthink

http://mantecausd.net/notify sign up here to receive email notifications of calendar or news events for your school!

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Calla Students Plan for Future Submitted by: Dan Beukelman Calla Principal

On September 27th and 28th, Calla High School students participated in a day of exploration at Delta College.

They visited a few career technical programs: Think Big CAT, Auto Tech, Diesel and the Culinary Program,

as well as being introduced to the traditional college pathway.

Having this opportunity energized the students to begin actively thinking about their future goals.

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MHS Holds College and Career Fair

Submitted by: Rachel Strmiska Manteca High School Counselor Tuesday, Manteca High School held our 4th annual college and career fair.

We had representatives from various 4-year colleges, community colleges, technical schools and career organizations.

Senior Taylor Reed did an excellent job of contacting and securing these presenters and helping the fair run smoothly.

SHS Art Show Grand Slam Win AP Art student Lyza Stevens, of Sierra High School, entered the Manteca Senior Center Art Show.

She was the only teen that entered the show and won 1st, 2nd and 3rd place!

Stevens was also recently honored, among other excellent academic and artistic students, at the MUSD District Celebration.

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WRHS Breaks Out of the Box Submitted by: Jodi Beaty WRHS be.vital Teacher

They worked to develop awareness and skills to assist our students.

In Medical Biology and Medical Terminology, the students were tasked with using their knowledge from the first semester to find the cure for Patient X. They had 45 minutes to solve the puzzles to prevent a pandemic. If they were unsuccessful, then a global pandemic would have erupted.

The students in Medical Biology solved problems relating to genetics, DNA, body systems, and lab experiments.

The students in Medical Terminology used word parts and body systems to solve their problems.

Throughout the activity, students must use the clues to figure out how to open

another lock on the breakout box from http://breakout.edu .

The kids were super engaged and had a great deal of fun reviewing for their Medical Biology and Medical Terminology class final exams using this method of team learning.

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MUSD District Celebration

The Manteca Unified School District School Board held their semi-annual District Celebrations at Lathrop High School on Tuesday, October 17.

Student Board Members served as announcers for the 161 students and staff being recognized.

Select students were recognized for good citizenship or extraordinary achievements in that category.

Many others received certificates for scoring a top scale score on the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP).

We also celebrated students for achieving a top score the 2017 Advanced Placement (AP) Exams.

Many creative students came this evening for the District Excellence in the Arts award, many for achieving the San Joaquin County Honors Choir.

Finally, a few students were awarded for District Excellence in Writing.

We deeply appreciate the community support when we take the time to honor the successes of our MUSD students.

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SOFIA Project Inspires Educators Among the Stars

From Left to Right: Chris Courtney, SHS; Lisa Snyder, District Office; Todd Walker, LHS, Juliet Mathews, EUHS, Tim Horning, MHS; and Remberto Lopez, Jr., EUHS. These dedicated teachers have a a combined total of 80 years of science education experience.

Submitted by: Peter Gale Community Outreach Team

This past week, five more MUSD teachers took flight on SOFIA, and I got to tag along.

After two MUSD teachers earned the opportunity last year to fly on SOFIA, the SETI organization was tasked to form partnerships with school districts and NASA for more teachers to also study the stars so they could bring the knowledge back into the high school classroom.

This past week, five more MUSD teachers took flight on SOFIA, and I got to tag along.

As a former English teacher who now works for our Community Outreach department, I really didn’t know what to expect. What would I learn? How much would I understand? How was this benefiting our teachers and students?

Getting to know our next group of Airborne Astronomy Ambassadors, I asked them about their educational history and what they hoped the trip would do for them and their classrooms.

From EUHS, I met Remberto Lopez,

Jr. who has been teaching Astronomy and Earth Science for five years and was educated at San Diego State University with a BS in Kinesiology and a minor in physical science.

“My original plan was to teach Physical Education, but I took an astronomy class while completing my minor. I found astronomy to be fascinating and decided to get a supplemental authorization in Astronomy,” said Lopez. “I am now the first Astronomy teacher at East Union, but the class is gaining popularity and more sections are being offered each year.”

Next, I met Juliet Mathews, who completed her master’s degree in Physics from the University of Kerala, India. She has been teaching for 20 years, 13 of them at EUHS in physics and AP physics.

“My goal is to observe the Orion Nebulae, which is the closest to us, and nearly 1500 light years away from earth,” said Mathews. “I plan to teach

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my students the electromagnetic spectrum with focus on the possibilities in the infrared range when I get back from the trip.”

From LHS, Todd Walker has been teaching earth science, biology, anatomy and physiology for 7 years, after teaching 7 more elsewhere in the district. He studied Biology at the University of Nevada, Reno.

“Studying for SOFIA included webinars, a free online course on astronomy, and an 8-hour training on infrared technology to teach our students,” said Walker.

Tim Horning, who has taught earth science at MHS for 13 years, earned his bachelors in Geosciences education from Kutztown university

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in Pennsylvania and his Master’s in STEM from Teacher’s College of San Joaquin.

“I am just hoping to enjoy the experience and absorb as much as I can by talking with some of the scientists and participating wherever I can,” said Horning. “It was a great opportunity to work with NASA so that I can gain experience that would help benefit my teaching strategies.”

Teaching AP physics, chemistry, and geometry at SHS for 18 years is Chris Courtney, who studied Chemistry at UC Davis.

“I am hoping to solidify my knowledge with regards to infrared astronomy,” said Courtney. “I’m also taking the opportunity to do some physics experiments while in flight.”

More MUSD teachers, including some from WRHS, will be flying again in February.

For all of these MUSD teachers, that is the key. How do we inspire MUSD students to reach for the stars?

Coordinating between this diverse group of MUSD teachers and SETI has been Lisa Snyder, MUSD Science Coordinator, who taught at SHS for 14 years before coming to the district office for the past three years. She also came along to experience SOFIA for herself.

“I am hoping to interview as many Top Left: Tim Horning tries out a sample portable breathing hood during egress training.

Below left: Remberto Lopez Jr. uses a flashlight to see inside the telescope mirror resurfacing chamber.

Left: SOFIA mission briefings include a detailed discussion of the planned flight path and the scientific targets to be observed during the mission.

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Left: The interior bulkhead of the SOFIA telescope with its array of scientific instrumentation attached. Even while the plane is bouncing around in turbulent air, the telescopes gyroscopes keep it pointed at its stellar target. Right: The telescope operator team utilize an array of computer displays to help them ensure the telescope is on target.

of the NASA SOFIA team as possible to find out their path to SOFIA,” said Snyder. “I want to know which teachers were most inspirational for leading them to SOFIA.”

NASA experts explained the current conditions of the plane and the weather, what the flight plan was for that night, and what the scientific targets were for that night’s flight.

For all of these MUSD teachers, that is the key. How do we inspire MUSD students to reach for the stars?

Each group of teachers flew twice, either on Monday and Wednesday Nights, or Tuesday and Thursday. Each flight was 8-10 hours long and covered 4,000 to 5,000 miles. This week, SOFIA flew out over the Pacific Ocean for most trips. One of the trips went past

Once we arrived at the NASA Armstrong center in Palmdale, CA— that SOFIA calls home—we processed in with our SETI escorts through security and headed off to egress training. This is where we learned how to be safe on the airplane if something goes wrong.

Like every commercial airline, SOFIA has safety oxygen masks that descend from the ceiling if the cabin depressurizes while we are flying at 43,000 feet. Unlike commercial airplanes, scientists on SOFIA are often out of their seat and moving around to collaborate and monitor instrumentation.

Together the MUSD teachers tried out the multiple types of safety oxygen that SOFIA uses, including a portable oxygen tent that we all were required to carry around with us in a compact green bag slung over our shoulder whenever we left our seat.

Soon, it was time for the mission briefing. MUSD teachers listened as

“After 20 years, I am like a kid with a new toy.”

Northern Utah and down over Texas.

All flights are carefully mapped out to match what the computer plan said would give the science team the most time looking at their intended astronomical targets.

On the night I flew, there was a flight delay as a minor repair on SOFIA took place. Once everything checked out as fully operational, we took flight and quickly climbed to our target altitude. It was amazing to watch the team adjust the flight plan to still accommodate the majority of the scientific targets given their new

reduced time frame.

While on board, MUSD teachers plugged into the communication channels where they could listen to the pilots, telescope operators, scientists, and data analysts as they worked. They could also talk to each other and ask questions.

During the flight, explained in more detail what they were observing on the flight and how their instrumentation works to capture new information.

One SOFIA scientist from the University of Chicago—Dr. Al Harper—explained his excitement for their current experiments and what got him excited to study science in the first place.

“There are not too many ways to study magnetic fields, so when you get a new handle on nature, it opens up an experimental space that is brand new.

After 20 years, I am like a kid with a new toy,” said Harper. “This is the part that I really enjoy. Putting the instrument on the telescope, making it work, getting knew information out of it and then trying to figure out what we are seeing and what that tells us about the universe.”

“I got my first interest in astronomy in third grade. My teacher’s son was an amateur astronomer and he built an 8-inch telescope,” explained

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Left: Both NASA and university scientists look at the incoming data to ensure that SOFIA is capturing what the researchers intended, as well as looking for initial findings. Right: Additional university researchers analyze the data to see initial findings. All members of the team are in constant communication with each other via intercom headsets.

Harper. “So she invited me down and introduced me to him. He gave me a little 3-inch mirror and some eye pieces. My dad then helped me build my first telescope.”

Mathews said, “There is a lot that I can share with my kids now. If you want to learn science, this is the right way to do it: you see it, you feel it, and you get it—and it lasts forever.”

He went on to describe other teachers who inspired him. In high school, he was given free range to run all kinds of experiments. One of his favorite was measuring the mass of an electron.

Dr. Harper earn a BA in Electrical Engineering and a PHD in Space Science from Rice University—all because of his initial excitement for science that his teachers supported.

“We learned so much, not just in astronomy, but to the see the different backgrounds these crew members have and to see them all work together,” said Lopez. “The way their different fields of study combine to get all this information, and to process it, is just amazing.”

At the end of the week, our MUSD teachers gathered to share their excitement about SOFIA. Walker commented, “I learned a lot about infrared technology and how it is applied. I’m going to take this enriching experience and share it at school.”

Courtney added, “I’m thankful they’ve helped us understand and build our astronomy knowledge and how it can be applied in the real world.”

“We learned a lot more about the astronomy process and we can take it back to the class and actually explain to the kids when they ask, ‘how do they know this stuff?’” said Horning. “We have witnessed it, and experienced it.”

For me, it was thrilling to see their excitement, and to know that these teachers have a greater understanding that inspires them in new ways. They will bring that passion back to their classrooms and someday soon, it just may be an MUSD student who is taking flights on SOFIA as their full-time job—discovering knowledge about our universe that we haven’t yet imagined.

“If you want to learn science, this is the right way to do it: you see it, you feel it, and you get it—and it lasts forever.”

Top: the SOFIA cockpit, where pilots and flight engineer spend the 8-12 hour flights.

Below: Dr. Al Harper shares his story with the MUSD teachers and answers their questions.

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Night of the Arts at Manteca HS Submitted by: Fernanda Almaguer Community Outreach Intern

On October 3rd, 2017 Manteca High School had its 3rd Annual Night of the Arts.

“Night of the Arts was created to bring awareness to many of our talented artists; as well as give students a chance to show off their nature and acquire skills.”

With the courtyard between the library and theater decorated with lights, students from Intro to Art, Advanced Art, and AP Studio Art, had the chance to show off their fall artwork in a night full of creativity.

According MHS photography teacher Carol Creighton, “Night of the Arts was created to bring awareness to many of our talented artists; as well as give students a chance to show off their nature and acquire skills.”

The night not only consisted of Manteca High’s visual artists, but also the performing art students.

Band, theater, and choir too had the opportunity to parade their skills.

Lead by MHS choir teacher Andrew Hildebrand, Manteca High’s choir kicked off the night with songs they’ve been working on since the beginning of August.

Many students got to show off their voices with solos, including Noah Gonzales and Josiah Pisson. Under the supervision of MHS theater teacher Dawn Coyan, theater students Juan Chippers, Jorge Sanchez, and Jackie Colony put on a short play, that received lots of positive

feedback from the audience.

Lastly with the help of MHS band teacher Anthony Dahl, band took the stage to showcase their individual sound by doing mini shows with their instrument of choice. Jazz band took over the ending of the night with two outstanding performances which included the talents of Fernando Rocha, Isaac Bill, Josiah Pisson, and Noah Gonzales.

Manteca High’s Night of the Arts continues to be part of the basic foundation it was created on, which is to recognize students for their hard work, dedication, and creative spirit.

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WRHS Plans Homecoming Week Submitted by: Judit Zamora Community Outreach Intern

“We’re working together and thinking smarter not just as an individual but as a team.”

Weston Ranch High School is feeling the spirit of Halloween with their homecoming week theme being “Tim Burton Presents: A HAUNTED Homecoming.”

Leadership hosts homecoming October 23 to 27. To get the spirit of the event, Monday was Sleepy Hollow day where students were encouraged to wear pajamas, robes, house slippers, blankets, etc. On Tuesday, it was the Corpse Bride day with formal wear, dressing like a character, or the living dead.

On Wednesday, students were encouraged to dress a little Goth, with solid colors, or ripped clothes or crazy hair for Edward Scissorhands day. On Friday, we had Nightmare Before Christmas day with Christmas sweaters, Santa hats, costumes, or even a character.

To keep the spirit alive, WRHS held our annual powderpuff game on Tuesday, October 24th at 6 PM with the boy cheerleaders performing at halftime. Last year, the class of 2018 took home the win and everyone has high hopes for them this year again.

“We’re working together and thinking smarter not just as an individual but as a team,” Kaylani Herrera said.

Ja’Darius Encalade stated, “I hope we can all have a have a good time without making a fool out of ourselves.”

In addition to preparing for powderpuff, Leadership has been working non-stop on their upcoming rally and lunch time activities.

“This is my first time as Activities Director planning a homecoming and it’s been a really tough job but a great time working with the kids,” said Aubrey Lewis. “I just hope everything turns out well and all the students inside and out of leadership have a great time.”

Spirit week festivities near an end with a rally on Friday, when we meet who the homecoming royalty are.

The winners will be announced and crowned later that day at the Varsity’s half time game.

Not only will Weston Ranch’s Varsity football go up against East Union as their homecoming game, but it will also be the football team’s senior night.

The floats will be introduced to the crowd at halftime right before the crowning. Homecoming is a great chance for all Weston Ranch students and staff to renew their school spirit and have some fun together.

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SHS Celebrates Volleyball Seniors

Submitted by: Madi Boyd

Community Outreach Intern

Before stepping onto the court, the girls reflected on their past years of playing volleyball and the lessons they learned from it.

Six extraordinary young women played on their home court for the last time in their high school career on Monday night. It was evident that throughout the game they played with passion, intensity, and purpose.

Yolanda Tavares, Lindsey Walljasper, Kylie Matteroli, Emma Brierly, Carlee Mahurin, and Maria Lopez started the game with a ceremonious entrance arm in arm with their escorts, and they were welcomed with affectionate cheers from teammates and coaches.

Before stepping onto the court, the girls reflected on their past years of playing volleyball and the lessons they learned from it.

Kylie Matteroli has played volleyball for six years, and she, “learned communication skills and liability skills”.

Carlee Mahurin also played volleyball for six years, and she found that “putting trust in others” helped her on and off the court.

Both girls found that their favorite parts of volleyball after six years of experience were “meeting new people and coming together as a team” and “making new friends”.

“I truly love coaching these girls and enjoy the interaction I have with the girls and watching them grow as not just athletes but as people,” said Varsity Coach Trinity Johnson. “I love watching the girls realize and acknowledge the differences and mistakes, and learning from them and growing. Those are always fun memories to have.”

Sierra’s senior volleyball players are special girls, filled with strength, both mentally and physically, and willing to conquer any obstacle in their way.

Their tenacity has been displayed throughout the entire season, and their legacies will live on at Sierra High School.

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LHS and the Ultimate Pledge Submitted by: Jessika McCuaig Community Outreach Intern

Lathrop High is saying good bye to drugs and hello to a healthy lifestyle.

Friday Night Live, or FNL, is hosting this year’s Red Ribbon Week, starting October 24, and it is going off without a hitch!

On the first day of this activity, they got over 50 pledges for both lunches.

They decided this year to have students sign pledge cards to then showcase in the marquees around campus. FNL has a table set up during both lunches for their peers to freely walk up, sign a pledge card, and tape it to the poster.

On the first day of this activity, they got over 50 pledges for both lunches.

Friday Night Live is a club dedicated to providing the dangerous facts of substance abuse and distracted driving. They decided the best way to advocate their message was to host this activity.

“I honestly want to make a difference in this school,” said Alexis Treat an eleventh-grade club member. “This will hopefully be just one of the many community projects we do this year.”

Friday Night Live plans on getting 200 pledges by the end of Red Ribbon Week.

be.tech Does Finals Differently

Submitted by: Dominique Muñoz Community Outreach Intern

Students here at be.tech vocational high school have their own way of doing things! And to say we do it in a unique way, is an understatement. We get creative with something we call Expositions.

Expositions, or “expos” are basically our finals. Students are separated by grade to present to a panel our personal reflection on our semester.

Our presentation can be a PowerPoint,

a poster, a sway, or even just an oral speech.

This gives the panel members a brief explanation of the student’s growth and experience. It helps show how the teachers are doing, how we the students are doing, and how the school is doing.

Each student is also required to do community service, that changes based on grade level. A key part of our exposition is reflecting on this community service experience and what we have learned from it.

Our school isn’t only unique, but it is all about career readiness. Expos are a great way to show our responsibility, and leadership skills.

Talking in front of a panel or in front of our peers may be challenging, but be.tech students put our mind to it, are courageous, and proudly share what we have learned and how we learned it.

This kind of final exam is a learning experience in itself too, as sometimes we find new perspective even as we are presenting.

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WRHS Teachers Innovate CSF

Submitted by: Lindsay Stayner Community Outreach Team

“They were in awe and loved what we’ve done here at WRHS to organize and utilize 21st Century Skills.”

The California Scholarship Federation (CSF) seeks to recognize students living in California who possess high standards in academics.

At Weston Ranch High School, AP Placement Chair, and CSF adviser Stayce Baptista ensures Weston Ranch High School CSF students are recognized, encouraged, and introduced to avenues of service.

Baptista is helped by co-advisers Kevin Allred and Joseph Verderame.

On October 21, 2017, California advisers gathered at a regional CSF conference to share and promote best practices, fundraising ideas, and scholarships. During the conference, Baptista shared one of the school’s best practices utilizing Microsoft OneNote and their digital application with the CSF board and administration team.

“They were in awe and loved what we’ve done here at Weston Ranch High

School to organize and utilize 21st century skills,” said Baptista. “We went digital before CSF even considered it.”

As a result, the California Scholarship Federation’s Board of Directors asked Baptista and Allred to create an interactive tutorial for creating a OneNote Class Notebook—including the digital applications.

This tutorial will be available to all CSF Chapters in the state of California, and posted on the CSF official website.

These Weston Ranch High School Advisers love OneNote Class Notebook because it allows each CSF student to have access to announcements, meeting minutes, community service, officer forms, and the digital application. Further, it enables a space for the advisers to communicate and provide live feedback to their students.

Share a story with us! http://www.mantecausd.net/yourstory

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D e p ar t m e n t N ew s

Jumpstart’s Read for the Record

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Submitted by: Elementary Education Department Jumpstart is celebrating the 12th anniversary of its annual campaign, which gathers over 2 million people together around the world to read the same book on the same day.

Read for the Record brings much needed attention to inequities in early childhood education, inspires adults to read with children, spurs policymakers and organizations to take action towards transformative change in early education, and puts books in the hands of children across the country.

This year’s campaign book, Quackers

by Liz Wong, is a wonderful story that follows a kitten who grows up believing he is a duck. This tale is about understanding, acceptance, and learning it’s ok to be whoever

you want to be. Every year, Jumpstart produces a special edition of its Read for the Record campaign book that features vocabulary tips, reading comprehension questions, and more

resources to ‘jumpstart’ a child’s curiosity. Special editions are available in both English and Spanish.

A conference put on by MUSD Teachers for their peers. Registration available now at http://www.pepperpd.com

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Lo c a l New s

REL#17-77 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 18, 2017

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CONTACT: Robert Oakes PHONE: 916-319-0818 E-MAIL: communications@cde.ca.gov

State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Encourages High School Seniors to Join the “Race to Submit” for College Financial Aid SACRAMENTO— State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today encouraged all California high school seniors to fill out applications for college financial aid and also to join the “Race to Submit,” which aims to increase the number of students applying for college financial aid.

The California Student Aid Commission oversees the competition, which urges high school seniors and their families to fill out the federal Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and California Dream Act Application (CADAA).

“As a longtime runner, coach and high school teacher, I know an important race when I see one,” Torlakson said. “Filling out these financial aid applications is the first step towards college success and helps students qualify for federal, state, and campusbased financial aid.”

“The Race to Submit Campaign is a friendly competition to help more graduating high school seniors access the more than $6 billion in free financial aid available in California,” said Lupita Cortez Alcalá, Executive Director of the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC).

The Race to Submit encourages all California high schools and school districts to view and track their FAFSA and CADAA numbers online. A Web-based dashboard tool helps measure the number of submitted and completed applications. The applications are also required for students who apply for Cal Grants, California’s financial aid program for higher education.

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L o cal N ews

Until the Cal Grant deadline of March 2, 2018, each high school, district, and county can use the Race to Submit dashboard on the California Student Aid Commission Web site to view the number of submitted and completed FAFSA and CADAA applications, along with how many Cal Grants have been awarded at a high school, school district, and county. Results are updated weekly.

This friendly competition between California public high schools will show who can submit the most applications, based on school size.

CSAC will recognize the top five schools at different levels. In late spring of 2018, awards will be presented to the top schools that made significant strides in FAFSA and CADAA completion. ####

The California Department of Education is a state agency led by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson. For more information, please visit the California Department of Education’s Web site or by mobile device. You may also follow Superintendent Torlakson on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube

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MUSD District Celebration see page 11