fitness first in ashburn
Five Kern County schools that applied for Californias Distinguished Schools awards were honored in results released by the California Department of Education (CDE) on April 16. The schools designated "distinguished" are: Kern Valley High and Stockdale High - Kern High School District, Woodrow W. Wallace Middle School - Kernville Union School District, Earl Warren Jr. High and Tevis Jr. High - Panama-Buena Vista Union School District. They are five of the 171 California public junior high, middle and high schools that will be honored as Distinguished Schools May 18 at an awards ceremony at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim.
During the holiday season, many a public school teacher wishes for a gift that
will help inspire students to a new year of higher performance. Recognizing that
need, Kern County Superintendent of Schools Larry E. Reider annually awards teachers
within his organization with classroom minigrants. Dec. 13, teachers in the Special
Education and Student Services divisions received 18 minigrants totaling more
than $15,000 from Reider in a reception at the superintendent of schools'
Bakersfield office. "I love to be able to do this," Reider told the assembled teachers.
"This is one award where you can definitely see the fruits of your labor,
knowing that these minigrants will help in the education of a lot of children.
A wise person once said, 'you will lose good friends, family and health
during your lifetime, but education is a gift that can never be taken away from
you.'"
Rachel Emmer stood out in a group of 53 being trained to be tutors for the Central Valley Communities for Children AmeriCorps Program on Nov. 3. She received her B.A. in Theater and Film from UCLA almost five years ago. Emmer had a job in her chosen profession doing lighting and set decoration for a Los Angeles sound studio which produced segments for MTV. She gave it all up and instead was sworn in to do a year's worth of tutoring and community service with AmeriCorps, operated by the Kern County Superintendent of Schools in Bakersfield. "I felt like I wasn't happy and wanted to do something more," Emmer said. "AmeriCorps planted the seed and now my urge to do something for the community is being realized. Tutoring is more than helping children to read and write, it's passing along the joys of schooling which will stay with them beyond their education."
Thanks to Chevron's generosity and concern for advancing classroom innovation,
32 teachers from Kern, Fresno and Monterey counties received grants totaling
$28,250 in ceremonies held Aug. 1 at the Chevron Energy Center in Bakersfield.
Each year, Chevron Teacher/Classroom Grants are awarded in individual amounts
of between $500-$1,000 to teachers who have formally submitted ideas for advancing
education in their classrooms. Among the recipients of the 2006-07 awards were
three teachers from the Kern County Superintendent of Schools Office. They were
special needs teachers Toni Bouck, Marcia Larson and Nora Orizaga. This is the seventh year Chevron has presented the awards intended to "support
exemplary projects and innovations in math, science, reading, health and safety
training, along with helping prepare students for the work place." Since
the inception of Chevron's teacher/classroom grant program, more than
$175,000 has funded 218 classroom grants reaching approximately 31,000 students.
After a three-day weekend and three days before most Kern County high school seniors
would take their graduation walk, California Superintendent of Public Instruction
Jack O'Connell could not be found in his Sacramento office. It was May 30,
and O'Connell was on the road, stopping first in Bakersfield and later in
Fresno, to deliver a message to all California high school seniors, "We
remain focused on making certain every student has every opportunity to prepare
for and pass the California Exit Exam (CAHSEE)." O'Connell made Bakersfield his first stop on a statewide tour to discuss
the status of CAHSEE and to help students who have yet to pass the exam. His visit
came just days after the State Supreme Court upheld the validity of requiring
California high school students to pass the Exit Exam in order to graduate with
the class of 2006. Commenting on what lies ahead O'Connell said, "Later
this summer, we look forward to arguing the merits of the exam before the Court
of Appeal. I am confident that the Exit Exam will remain in effect for the Class
of 2006, the Class of 2007 and beyond, because the exam is helping create a better
future for our students and our state."
Not everything can be taught in the classroom and sometimes students need to see
how classroom curriculum has practical applications beyond the school yard. Recognizing
that need, State Farm Insurance stepped forward on May 24 presenting a check for
$20,000 to Kern County Superintendent of Schools Larry E. Reider to help county
school districts fund "service learning projects."
Reider accepted the donation from State Farm's Agency Vice President Ken
Heidrich, Public Affairs Specialist Hilary Baird and local agents Abir Pulskamp
and Jeremy Scheidle.
It came during a monthly meeting for Kern County public school superintendents
at the Holiday Inn Select Hotel in Bakersfield.
While presenting the check, Baird explained that the funding comes from the State
Farm Good Neighbor Citizenship Program.
"Through the Good Neighbor Citizenship Program, State Farm Insurance Company
and its Foundation are committed to provide funds to raise the levels of student
achievement and to build strong communities," Baird told the superintendents.
One works with special needs students, the other with at-risk students. Anthony
Goss works for the Kern County Superintendent of Schools, Whitney Weddell for
Nueva Continuation High School. They are two teachers dedicated to quality education.
But they are more. Goss and Weddell were honored as the cream of the crop of their
chosen profession -- selected as the 2006-07 Kern County Teachers of the Year
during a reception ceremony at the Kern County Museum on May 16. Another deserving educator, Karen Reyes, a kindergarten teacher at Princeton Street
School in Delano was named alternate. Goss and Weddell will now represent the
county in the California Teacher of the Year competition. The California Department
of Education (CDE) sponsors the annual California Teacher of the Year program. The three were among 34 county teachers who had been nominated for the honor by
their schools and districts.
A message from Larry E. Reider, Kern County Superintendent of SchoolsI am pleased to report that the Kern County Grand Jury has praised the staff commitment and student progress achieved by our Court Schools program, operated by the Division of Student Services. The Court Schools program provides education to students who are incarcerated or attend court-ordered instruction in lieu of incarceration. During our average school year, court school programs serve almost 3,500 students. The grand jury notes that our programs for these at-risk students earned accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. Very few programs directed at these at-risk students have this accreditation.
When you are the California Superintendent of Public Instruction and author of
the California High School Exit Exam, not everywhere are you welcomed with songs.
Not so the case for Superintendent Jack O'Connell who, because of a plane
mix up, m