Tag Archives: CVUSD

Two Chino Valley administrators to be honored in April by their peers

By CVUSD bwcvusd1 bw-cvusd2

 

Two Chino Valley Unified School District administrators have been named tops in their field by the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA) Region 12.
Mary Salcido, Chino Valley Unified School District’s (CVUSD) Director of Access and Equity, has been named a co-recipient of the Curriculum & Instruction Administrator of the Year Award by ACSA Region 12. Walnut Avenue Elementary School Principal Karen Morales will receive ACSA 12’s Wilson A. Grace Award that exemplifies the ideals and accomplishments of former San Bernardino Principal Wilson Grace in his unique efforts in professional leadership.
The two CVUSD administrators and 10 others from San Bernardino and Riverside counties will be honored at ACSA’s Spring Celebration/Administrator Awards Dinner, April 20 in San Bernardino.
Salcido has been an educator since 1976, beginning as an instructional aide in the Montebello Unified School District. She became a teacher in 1990 and worked initially in the West Covina Unified and Rowland Unified school districts. She also served as an assistant principal for the Corona-Norco Unified School District and the Ontario-Montclair School District. She served as an elementary principal in the Whittier City School District for 14 years.
She joined CVUSD in the 2014/2015 school year as Director of Access and Equity, which oversees English Language Learner and parent engagement programs.
“Because of my passion for students who are living in poverty and for those learning English, I have given all my efforts to those programs in Chino Valley Unified School District,” Salcido said. “The position is what enticed me to the District because ensuring that students have access to graduation provides equity.”
She was nominated for the ACSA 12 award by Wickman Elementary School Assistant Principal Trevor Carenzo and Ramona Junior High Assistant Principal Ryan Candelaria.
“Her innate ability to build relationships with District administrators is only rivaled by her determination to play a positive role with them,” the assistant principals said in the nomination application. “She works with principals to develop site plans that clearly support learning by making sure that funds are directed towards ideas that not only help intervention programs, but also push students towards enrichment curriculum and professional development for teachers who will implement these programs.” They also commended her for aiding the District in understanding both state and federal compliance concerns. “One of her greatest contributions to this, is her monthly compliance checklists that she has created for each school site,” the assistant principals said.
Salcido also works closely with the District’s Curriculum, Innovation, Instruction, and Support department to ensure that the District’s diverse students have their needs met, by approving and reviewing language development tools, curriculum, and other tools for students, the assistant principals said.
While working with West Covina Unified, Salcido participated in a collaboration with the Boys and Girls Club. She was also involved in a mentor program at Whittier High, and was named Los Angeles County Office of Education Administrator of the Year. She has completed three ACSA academies, and is currently an ACSA Administrator Coach for three candidates.
Salcido is a resident of West Covina, is married and has three children and three grandchildren.
Morales has been an educator for nearly 31 years. She began her career in South Whittier. She later taught as a bilingual teacher, in kindergarten and first grade for Bassett Unified School District.
In 1991, she joined CVUSD as a first grade teacher at Walnut Avenue Elementary School, where she also served as an intervention teacher, assistant principal, and as principal for the last two years. She was an assistant principal at Glenmeade Elementary School in Chino Hills for one year before returning as principal at Walnut Avenue.
“I always knew I wanted to be a teacher since I was in elementary school,” Morales said. “My third grade teacher had a huge impact on my life. She reached out to my family during a time of need and she did it with such compassion and true concern that the event has stayed with me my whole life, and it has shaped the way I have relationships with my families. I am passionate about education and I don’t take my responsibilities lightly. I enjoy helping people and find satisfaction in knowing that I can make a difference in a student’s life.”
Walnut Avenue Elementary Assistant Principal Michael C. Rodriguez, who nominated Morales for the ACSA award, said the principal frequently involves special education students into mainstream general education functions, she attends family gatherings with families of different cultures, and calls parents to offer referrals to social services.
Morales recently volunteered the school to be a pilot campus for the County of San Bernardino School Wide Positive Behavior Support System that awards schools for their level of effectiveness in creating and implementing behavior systems. “She is constantly leading the charge on major issues not only affecting our school, but schools within the entire district,” Rodriguez said in the nomination application.
Morales has also motivated teachers and students to meet academic goals that have not been met for several years, Rodriguez said.
Morales oversaw Walnut Avenue Elementary School’s recent 50th anniversary celebration as if she was “celebrating her parent’s anniversary,” Rodriguez said. The principal purchased commemorative water bottles for each student with her own money for the event, and is also donating a gift card every month for a student attendance campaign.
Morales is a Chino resident. She and her husband have been married 30 years and have three grown children who all attended CVUSD schools. Her oldest son is a biology teacher and head track coach at Chino Hills High. Her daughter is a behavioral therapist, and her youngest son works in the family business.

 

CLHS Honors Educators Of Year At Ceremony In Ontario

By CVUSD cvusd

Five teachers from San Bernardino County were among 10 educators from the region who were honored at the annual California League of High Schools’ Region 10 Educator of the Year event on Jan. 13. County Superintendent Ted Alejandre was among those who attended the ceremony to congratulate the recipients. The county teachers, along with five more from Riverside County, were recognized at the awards ceremony that was held at the Ontario Airport Hotel. The five San Bernardino County teachers to honored, including their schools and districts, were: Ashley Brinegar, Victor Valley High School, Victor Valley Union High School District; Jennifer Jungwirth, Yucca Valley High, Morongo Unified; Robert Kirby, San Bernardino High, San Bernardino City Unified; Teressa Moore, Alternative Education Center, Chino Valley Unified; Robert Rooney, Citrus Valley High, Redlands Unified.

 

 

 

Next Steps: Measure G

By CVUSD

Now that the results of Chino Valley Unified School District’s Measure G have been certified, activity has begun to kick off the $750 million bond program. The most common question is when will the community see something built or go up or change as a result of Measure G’s passage.

“That should become clearer over the next few weeks as a series of meetings and Board of Education study sessions begin,” said Superintendent Wayne M. Joseph. “Make no mistake about it, we are excited to embark upon this process and as anxious as the rest of the community to see a Measure G project begin.”

The Board of Education will meet in special session on Thursday, January 12, 2017, to approve the formation of the Citizens Oversight Committee. The meeting will take place in the Board room and is open to the public.

Once the Board has established the formation of the Citizens Oversight Committee, the application process will begin. Beginning January 13, 2017, interested residents can complete an application for consideration of appointment to the Oversight Committee. The Oversight Committee is governed by state law and members are to be appointed within 60 days after the election results were adopted by the Board, or no later than the first Board meeting in February (February 2, 2017).

The purpose of the Oversight Committee is to review and report to the public on the bond expenditures, advise the public as to the District’s compliance with Prop. 39, and ensure that no bond funds are spent on teacher salaries or District operating expenses. Additionally, the Committee receives and reviews annual financial audits.

The Oversight Committee consists of a minimum of seven members including representatives from the following: business organization, taxpayer group, senior group, parent of a student in the District, and parent involved in parent-teacher organization.

Applications will be available from January 13 to January 25, 2017, on the District website: www.chino.k12.ca.us or in the Superintendent’s Office between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

On January 19, 2017, Robert Barna, Managing Director of Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, will provide a presentation on the bond sale process at the Board of Education meeting. Stifel, investment advisors, also partnered with the District throughout Measure M, the previous bond program. The meeting begins at 7:00 p.m. in the District Board room and is open to the public.

One week later, the Board of Education will hold a budget study session to begin to plan and prioritize projects.

“The goal of the study session is to begin the prioritization process and build a timeline for projects,” said Greg Stachura, Assistant Superintendent of Facilities, Planning and Operations.

The study session will begin at 5:30 p.m. on January 26, 2017, in the District Board room and is open to the public.

On February 2, 2017, at the Board of Education meeting, the Board is expected to appoint the members of the Citizens Oversight Committee. The meeting begins at 7:00 p.m. in the District Board Room and is open to the public.

In addition to Board action, the Facilities, Planning and Operations Division is preparing budgets and working with other state agencies to ensure the District can obtain matching funds for eligible projects.

In the first 180 days, the Facilities Division will also oversee the hiring of consultants such as architects, CEQA experts, bond program manager & construction manager. Additionally, it will review other professional services contracts and construction contracts for various delivery methods.

Opportunities for the community to be involved in the process are available through meeting attendance or watching replays of meetings and study sessions on You Tube and/or applying for a position on the Oversight Committee. There will be opportunities for continued community involvement once projects enter the planning stages. Students, parents, community members and school personnel will be invited to learn about those opportunities as school project planning begins.

“The District engaged the community for one and a half years to learn about their priorities and expectations for our schools,” Mr. Joseph said. “The valuable contributions from our meetings helped shape the project list that will be before the Board for prioritization later this month.”

Mr. Joseph added, “We hope that community members – students, parents, staff, neighbors, business and civic leaders who care about the future of the Chino Valley, its schools and the success of its students – will join us on this journey.”

KEY DATES

Board of Education Meetings:

January 12 at 5:00 p.m. – Special Meeting of the Board of Education
• Creation of Citizens Oversight Committee

January 19 at 7:00 p.m. – Meeting of the Board of Education
• Bond presentation by Robert Barna

January 26 at 5:30 p.m. – Board of Education Study Session On Measure G
• Study session on bonds from election to sale

February 2 at 7:00 p.m. – Board of Education Meeting
• Appointment of Citizens Oversight Committee members

 

Annual Make A Child Smile shopping Wednesday

By CVUSD

A Chino Valley Unified School District student checks out his purchases at the 2015 Make A Child event at the Walmart Supercenter in Chino. Photo courtesy: CVUSD

A Chino Valley Unified School District student checks out his purchases at the 2015 Make A Child event at the Walmart Supercenter in Chino.
Photo courtesy: CVUSD

As early as 1937, local firefighters were collecting old toys, repairing and distributing them to make holidays brighter for Chino children in need.
By 1940, Chino firefighters were delivering toys throughout a 132-square-mile area, “sending trucks into every corner of the fire district on Christmas Eve,” according to an article in the Chino Champion newspaper.
That charitable idea continues with the 14th annual Make A Child Smile program, to be held Wednesday, Dec. 7 at the Walmart Supercenter in Chino.
It is a sponsor-funded program run by the Chino Valley Fire Foundation, a non-profit organization that has merged charitable activities with the Chino Valley Professional Firefighters in an effort to better serve the Chino Valley community.
Make A Child Smile began in 2002, when 34 students were each given $100 to shop for gifts. Since then, it has helped approximately 1,083 children shop for holiday treasures.
This year’s event will benefit 100 students with a $150 shopping spree each, a “Code Three” fire- and police-escorted bus ride to the store, photos with Santa, crafts, food, snow play, and commemorative t-shirts.
We cannot thank Chino Valley firefighters, Walmart, and other community partners enough for providing these children with a day they will never forget!

 

A message from Superintendent Wayne M. Joseph

BY CVUSD

The holiday season is the time of year we all take time to pause and count the numerous blessings in our lives. This is never more important than this year in which recent events have underscored the seething anger and frustration of many of our fellow American citizens. The time has come therefore, for us to reflect upon the positive occurrences that have affected us.

For me, it has been heartening to witness, these past twenty three months, the spirit of cooperation throughout the Chino Valley as my team and I met to discuss the facilities needs in our District. This time was especially gratifying in that it reaffirmed how vital and robust our schools are and how they continue to be a top priority for our community.

No matter the outcome and final results of Measure G, let us never doubt or question this community’s commitment to its schools and its children.

I hope that you will have some moments to reflect over this past year as well, and may the magic that is so prevalent this time of year permeate your lives and that of your families.

I wish all of you a very safe and prosperous holiday season.

Wayne M. Joseph, Superintendent

 

Walnut Avenue Elementary School celebrates its Golden Anniversary

cvusd

Kindergarten and transitional kindergarten students sing a song at Walnut Avenue Elementary School’s 50th Anniversary assembly Friday (Nov. 4, 2016) at the Chino campus Photo courtesy: CVUSD

BY CVUSD  

Bubbling with excitement, Walnut Avenue Elementary School students lined up Friday morning (Nov. 4) to form a giant 50 on their school playfield. A photographer atop a very tall ladder captured the moment as part of the Chino school’s 50th Anniversary Celebration assembly.
The school — built with some of the proceeds of an $8 million bond — opened its doors on March 15, 1966 to help accommodate growth in Chino, said Principal Karen Morales, who served as mistress of ceremonies for the assembly in the school quad. At the time of Walnut’s opening, an average home cost $14,000. Today, the new homes behind Walnut cost $536,000, Morales said.
The principal said she has spent 24 of her 25 years in the Chino Valley Unified School District at Walnut as a teacher, and later as an administrator.
“I was here for the 25th (anniversary),” she said. “I was here for the 40th, and now I am here for the 50th. You can be sure I will be back for the 75th.”
Morales said the school also has a great academic legacy. She said the school’s Academic Performance Index (API) score increased 85 points in 2002, the highest increase that year of all San Bernardino County schools.
About five of Walnut’s teachers actually attended the school as children, and several other teachers have children attending the school, Morales said. Instructional Coach Kris Ives has the longest tenure at Walnut, 27 years.
She provided all the students and staff with a commemorative water bottle to mark the occasion.
San Bernardino County Schools Superintendent Ted Alejandre also attended the assembly, commending the school on reaching its golden anniversary, and for being such a beautiful campus.
“I’m home!” former Walnut Avenue Elementary School Principal Ken Hawkins told the assembly crowd. Coming from Indiana for the event, he encouraged students and staff members to make their memories of the school about people. “Smile at someone every day…do something good for someone every day,” he said.
Walnut Avenue sixth-grader Ramon Montes-Torres was the official student speaker for the event. At the school since kindergarten, Ramon thanked several individual teachers for helping him learn different skills throughout the years. He said he wants to be a civil engineer.
Other speakers included Chino Valley Unified School District Board of Education President Andrew Cruz, board members Irene Hernandez-Blair and James Na, and Walnut’s Parent Faculty Association President Aida Jimenez.
Student Council President Elsa Mercado led the Pledge of Allegiance for the assembly, and music teacher Lindsay Roche played the “Star Spangled Banner” on the French horn.
Kindergarten and transitional kindergarten students sang songs, and the sixth-graders danced and sang to “Celebration” by Kool & the Gang.
An anniversary festival, featuring games, entertainment and food, was held that evening.

 

Future Chino High students and their parents get help with homework

 

By CVUSD 

Several fifth- and sixth-graders from Walnut Avenue and Cortez elementary schools got help with homework and a look at their future school this week (Oct. 11) during a Homework Partnerships workshop offered at Chino High. Carol Sweat, Chino Valley Unified School District’s (CVUSD) Parent, School, Community Specialist, worked with the elementary students’ parents on strategies they can use at home to assist their children with homework. Among the questions Sweat asked parents were: Do you set a regular time every day for homework? Does your child have the papers, books, pencils, and other things to do assignments? Do you talk to your child about homework assignments? Do you read the teachers’ comments on assignments that are returned? Is television viewing or video game playing cutting into your child’s homework time? Do you meet with the teacher early in the year before any problems arise? She also offered website links to parents on homework and Common Core math. Among those are: http://www.homeworkspot.com and http://mathforum.org/library/drmath/drmath.elem.html. While the parents attended that workshop, Chino High teacher Carol Ingram and Chino High students worked with the fifth- and sixth-graders on math strategies and manipulatives, which are objects such as blocks or colored shapes that allow children to learn mathematical concepts through a hands-on experience. Chino High’s folkloric dancers performed at the beginning of the evening, and Chino High’s Culinary Hospitality Occupations Management Pathway (C.H.O.M.P.) students provided light snacks.

University professor gives Chino High students advice on applying to college

Chino High students with questions about the college application

Dr. Begona Echeverria of the University of California, Riverside, speaks to Chino High students on Oct. 3 about college admission requirements.

Dr. Begona Echeverria of the University of California, Riverside, speaks to Chino High students on Oct. 3 about college admission requirements.

process recently received advice from Dr. Begona Echeverria, a University of California, Riverside professor.

Dr. Echeverria met in the school library on Oct. 3 with about 75 students from Diana Murillo’s Advanced Placement math classes. Dr. Echeverria gave advice on college essays and offered to give free feedback to students who emailed their essay drafts to her.

“She provided valuable insights into the admissions process and how (student) essays can make a difference in getting into our top colleges and universities,” Murillo said.

Dr. Echeverria also talked about misconceptions some students have about top colleges, and reminded students not to rule those schools out when applying for higher education.

“She attended Stanford University and spoke highly of the experience she had,” Murillo said. “She was not thinking of applying there until one of her teachers encouraged her. It changed her life.”

Dr. Echeverria volunteers every year to talk to Murillo’s students, the Chino High math teacher said.

Eagle Canyon helping Blake fight cancer

Chino Valley Unified School District

Photo courtesy: CVUSD

Photo courtesy: CVUSD

Eagle Canyon Elementary School in Chino Hills kicked off its Cancer Awareness Month in October with a special assembly honoring 3-year-old Blake Wood who is battling leukemia.
Arriving in a Batmobile and greeted by the cheers and tears of students, teachers and parents, Blake became an instant hero in the eyes of the Eagle Canyon community.
Eagle Canyon will join the fight against cancer with Blake as they host four dress up days, take part in a memorial run, collect colorful band aids and socks for local hospitals and spread awareness about cancer. Eagle Canyon’s PTA and its Safe School Ambassadors, an anti-bullying group, will host the month-long awareness campaign.

Pictured: Blake Wood (top center) and his mother Janet Wood are pictured with the Eagle Canyon Elementary Safe School Ambassadors.

 

Pic 2

Making treasure out of trash

Dickson Elementary School in Chino collects recyclable items from its students, staff, parents, and community every Friday. All proceeds are used to purchase Dickson’s “Character Counts” agendas for students.
“Not only does this help our school site to purchase agendas for our students, but it teachers the kids about responsibility and taking care of the environment,” said front office staff member Leticia Tafoya.

Pictured: Dickson Elementary School’s Student Council with some of the recyclable items they collected on a recent Friday.

 

 

Chino High Band wins Grand Championship at L.A. County Fair competition; Don Lugo takes third

By  CVUSD

Members of Chino High’s 77th Cavalry Marching Band at the Los Angeles County Fair High School Marching Band Competition on Sept. 23 in Pomona.

Members of Chino High’s 77th Cavalry Marching Band at the Los Angeles County Fair High School Marching Band Competition on Sept. 23 in Pomona.

Chino High 77th Cavalry Marching Band and Pageantry took first place in the Los Angeles County Fair High School Marching Band Competition on Sept. 23, winning $10,000.

Don Antonio Lugo High Marching Band of Chino took third place in the Class B of the competition, earning a $500 prize.

That evening, the two bands performed at the Milk Can football game between their schools at Chino High.

Forty-one high school bands from throughout Southern California participated in the L.A. County Fair competition on Sept. 23. They were selected for the competition after participating in parades at the Fair during its three-week run.
Chino High has competed in the competition four times in the past five years. It previously won second places and cash prizes in 2012, 2013, and 2015. This was its first Grand Championship (first place) win in the competition, according to longtime Chino High Band Director Doug Bowden.

“We’ve been second for three years, so to finally win was fun,” Bowden said.

There are no immediate plans for the $10,000 other than to replace some instruments, he said.

In the past, the Los Angeles County Fair parade championships were connected with the Tournament of Roses Parade, paving the way for bands to participate in the prestigious New Year’s Day event in Pasadena. As of 2015, Tournament of Roses Parade officials no longer attend the L.A. County Fair band competition, Bowden said.

Chino High’s Band was chosen to participate in the Tournament of Roses parade in 2002.

Don Lugo High Band also won third place in the L.A. County Fair competition in 2015, right after Stephen Yanik was appointed the school’s new band director.

“I am so incredibly proud of the amount of growth our Lugo marching band has shown in just my second year here,” Yanik said. “We are not even an official parade band, yet they went out there giving their best, performing their best….and their hard work paid off. These kiddos are awesome. It was a great day to be a Conquistador, no doubt about it. We will be using the prize money to continue to work toward new equipment and supplies for this up and coming program.”

The LA County Fair Association now awards $22,000 to nine winners in the band competition (Class B, Class A, and Open divisions).

 

County Teachers of Year Selected, To Be Honored in October

By SBCSS

SAN BERNARDINO – Four San Bernardino County teachers of the year have been announced, and the County Board of Education will honor them in October.

The four teachers will be honored during a ceremony on Oct. 3 at the County Schools’ Brier building located at 760 E. Brier Drive in San Bernardino. Each of this year’s recipients also will be honored by SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union, which is a sponsor of the County Teachers of the Year program.

In addition, this year’s Teachers for Tomorrow participants from the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools’ Student Services also will be recognized.

This year’s County Teachers of the Year are:

  • Kenneth Hall, kindergarten teacher at Chapman Heights Elementary School in the Yucaipa-Calimesa Joint Unified School District;
  • Alexis King, English teacher at Ruben Ayala High School in the Chino Valley Unified School District;
  • Heather Lewis, teacher of specialized academic instruction for the Academy of Careers and Exploration and Riverview Middle School in the Helendale School District;
  • Jennifer Nicastro, an English teacher at the Los Osos High School in the Chaffey Joint Union High School District.

“Each year, it is gratifying to honor and recognize the terrific teachers who excel throughout our county,” County Superintendent Ted Alejandre said. “It is inspiring to see the remarkable work they do for their schools, districts and communities on behalf of our students.”

The four teachers were nominated by their individual districts and reviewed by a county panel that made the final selections. This year’s award recipients will compete in the California Teacher of the Year event, which will announce its recipients in the fall.

Following is a biography of each of this year’s County Teacher of the Year recipients:

Hall has 19 years of teaching experience, all of which he has done in Yucaipa-Calimesa. “It is a pleasure to describe the extraordinary impact Ken Hall has on our school community of students, parents and fellow teachers,” wrote Chapman Heights Principal Andy Anderson in the nomination for Hall. He describes himself as the lead learner in his classroom. “I would expect to be held accountable for continuing to learn just like the other learners in my class. As teachers, it is our responsibility to keep up with research and best practices,” he wrote about his teaching philosophy.

As an English teacher at Ayala, King has spent six of her seven years as a teacher in her current position in Chino Valley. Her principal at Ayala, Diana Yarboi, said King’s leadership style and knowledge-base are impressive. “(Our) high school has benefited from her experience, stewardship and dedication,” Yarboi wrote in the nomination of King. As a teacher, King said she continues to grow and develop in her role as an educator. “I am very proud of the collaborative accomplishments within my classroom and the opportunities for students to experience the world,” she wrote in her nomination.

With 18 years of teaching experience, Lewis has filled a variety of roles in Helendale since coming to the district in 2013. She serves in specialized academic instruction in high school grades after previously working in positions from transitional kindergarten to a school administrator. “Heather Lewis is truly a one-of-a-kind teacher and a one-of-a-kind person,” Helendale Superintendent Ross Swearingen wrote in her nomination. She takes great pride in her profession. “The best teachers are life-long learners, and we have to keep learning because in order to be better, we have to know better,” Lewis wrote about the teaching profession.

Nicastro has spent most of her 17-year career in teaching in the Chaffey district, as she begins her fourth year at Los Osos High in Rancho Cucamonga. Chaffey Superintendent Mathew Holton said Nicastro has proven to be one of the district’s best teachers. “Her extensive knowledge of the curriculum is second-to-none, while her passion and enthusiasm for the subject enhances student engagement,” he wrote in her nomination. Nicastro takes pride in challenging her students to work hard. “As a student, you will know you are loved beyond measure, but that love is a tough love that has high expectations,” she wrote in her nomination.

School nurse helps Buena Vista High students thrive

By CVUSD  

Photo courtesy: CVUSD : Buena Vista Continuation High School Nurse Sherry Ma listens as Board of Education President Andrew Cruz reads a commendation, honoring Ma for her work with students.

Photo courtesy: CVUSD  Buena Vista Continuation High School Nurse Sherry Ma listens as Board of Education President Andrew Cruz reads a commendation, honoring Ma for her work with students.

 

 

Although Buena Vista Continuation High School nurse Sherry Ma was being honored at the Aug. 18 Board of Education meeting, she took the opportunity at the podium to thank district officials for helping to keep the Chino school’s Infant and Toddler Center open. The center, which cares for the babies and young children of teen parents attending Buena Vista, was facing closure at the end of the school year in 2012 when the recession forced the district to make difficult budget cuts. But district officials crunched the budget numbers and reopened a scaled-down version of the center that fall. Ma, who was being honored Aug. 18 for her outstanding work with students, said she has seen the good that the center has done when she spots the Buena Vista High graduates working in the community. “If we teach them they’ll teach their children,” Ma said. “And we will see their children in the district.” Ma has served as school nurse at Buena Vista since the late 1990s. She also served as a school nurse at Glenmeade, Litel, Oak Ridge, and Butterfield Ranch elementary schools. Prior to that, she was a public health nurse for HIV and tuberculosis patients at the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. Ma was named Chino Valley Unified School District’s Nurse of the Year in 2008. Board trustee James Na told the audience at the Aug. 18 board meeting that Ma once saved a toddler’s life when she recognized that his symptoms were extremely serious and called an ambulance. The students under her care have said Ma is easy to talk to and provides them with good advice. One girl had built such a close relationship with Ma that the teen called the school nurse first following a traffi

New teachers learn about CVUSD’s Area of Emphasis

By CVUSD

Chino- Chino Valley Unified had the pleasure of welcoming 80 new teachers to the district on Tuesday, August 9 at a training session in the district’s new Professional Development Center building in Chino. New teachers for the 2016-2017 school year were comprised of both elementary and secondary teachers. Approximately half are coming to the district with prior teaching experience from another district or charter school, and half are new to the teaching career.

The day began with a welcome from Director of Professional Development Grace Lee, a message about district’s mission and vision from Deputy Superintendent Norm Enfield, and ended with Associated Chino Teachers (ACT) President Todd Hancock and ACT Vice President Kelly Larned sharing about the support teachers receive from the union. Talented facilitators, Cal Aero Preserve Academy Instructional Coach Emily Lao, Eagle Canyon Elementary Instructional Coach Janine Milligan, and Liberty Elementary Assistant Principal Dawn Zwack shared strategies to implement Critical Thinking, Common Core ELA Shift 1 & 2.

They also talked about the importance of strong classroom procedures and positive expectations for all students throughout the year. “Teaching is one of the most valuable careers,” Lee said. “It is exciting to open our new Professional Development Center with our New Teacher Training.

Chino Valley views teachers’ life-long learning as a partnership between teachers and the district. Teachers in Chino Valley are provided with multiple professional development opportunities from various experts throughout their career with Chino Valley.” The new teachers continued their professional development with site orientations on Wednesday, August 10.

ALICE Training

By CVUSD  

CVUSD staff members participate in the ALICE Training to prevent an “intruder” from entering the room.

Photo courtesy: CVUSD
CVUSD staff members participate in the ALICE Training to prevent an “intruder” from entering the room.

Chino Police: Action is better than just ducking for cover in active shooter situations

Chino Valley – Seconds after hearing gunshots on campus, Ayala High Principal Diana Yarboi crouched behind a student desk, pulled off a sneaker and prepared to hurl it toward the classroom door.
She and dozens of other Chino Valley Unified School District (CVUSD) administrators and secretaries were learning to fight back against an armed intruder. They were participating in the ALICE (active shooter) training offered by Chino Police officers on July 29 at Rhodes Elementary School in Chino. The event was coordinated by Officer Robert Troncoso, a school resource officer at Buena Vista High in Chino.

ALICE is an acronym for four actions to take in an active shooter/attacker incident: Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, and Evacuate. The program is nationally endorsed by several law enforcement and safety agencies, according to Chino Police Officer Dustin Kato, a school resource officer at Don Lugo High.

Chino Police Department’s school resource officers – local law enforcement personnel stationed at school campuses – took a 40-hour course from the ALICE Training Institute in Ohio to become certified ALICE trainers.

“If you see something, say something,” Officer Kato said regarding the alert part of ALICE. Officer Kato said that among the lessons learned since the Columbine mass school shooting in 1999, is that 81% of the shooters had revealed their intentions to others before they took action.

Schools should go on lockdown when a reliable threat is discovered, the officers said. School officials should not just say lockdown over their public address system, but should also give details of where the shooter is on campus, where he is going, what he looks like, and other details to help people decide what action to take. This is the inform part of ALICE.

The counter part of the program trains people to distract, swarm, and fight back against an intruder, allowing people to escape or possibly detain the shooter.

Officer Kato said the best thing to do in a campus shooting situation is evacuate, if possible. He said most of the students killed in the Columbine High massacre hid under desks in the school library where they were “sitting ducks” for the killers.

The administrators and secretaries attending the training were divided into four groups and sent to unlocked classrooms at Rhodes. They experienced three scenarios: duck and cover only, distract and swarm the intruder, and barricade the door and prepare to fight.

In the first scenario, CVUSD staff members ducked under lightweight student desks as the “intruder,” Chino Police Officer Reggie Barber, burst in with a toy gun. Officer John Cervantes, who was among the trainers, said most of the group would have been killed using that strategy. He said people could have run out a back door of the classroom and possibly escape completely.

In the second scenario, the staff was asked to attack the intruder with perforated, light-weight plastic balls, simulating throwing heavier items to distract the intruder from shooting. Officer Barber retreated from the room when pelted from all sides by the balls. “It was intense, they were coming from everywhere,” he said.

Officer Cervantes told the staff members that most bad guys aren’t good shots, so distracting them, moving in different directions, or attacking the suspect helps delay shooting. “When we’re actively reacting to a threat, now we are a threat to them,” Officer Cervantes said.

In the third scenario, staff members were tasked with barricading the door with anything they could find in the classroom, including chairs, desks, and a looped belt held tight around the metal closer at the top of the door. The officers said a barricade can “buy time” for people to escape or get help from law enforcement.

The administrators and secretaries in one room built a ceiling-high wall of chairs and bookcases against the door, while one of them looped a belt around the door closer and held it tight to prevent the shooter from entering. The pretend bad guy was unable to get inside.

The ALICE program recommends keeping classroom and school office doors locked at all times. Officer Cervantes acknowledged that constantly having to unlock a door to let someone in or out can be inconvenient.

“But I’d rather be inconvenienced and save my life than save time,” he said.

Officer Cervantes said even locked doors can be defeated, so the ALICE training recommends the other tactics: people barricading doors and looking for objects to throw, such as books, staplers, paperweights, and even shoes.

“Always go over what you did and what you can do better,” Officer Cervantes said. “As a group, we have to prepare for (an armed intruder) and train.” He suggested that school officials and students take 15 minutes each month to drill for an armed intruder.

“What good are we if we just go into panic mode?” Officer Cervantes asked.

Chino Police Officer John Monroe said people usually go through three steps when they hear gunshots where they shouldn’t be: Denial, Deliberation, and Decisive Moment. In the denial step, a person might think the gunshots are firecrackers or some other harmless noise. In deliberation, they try to determine what is happening, and in decisive moment, they take some type of action, including running, hiding, or fighting.

“The faster you get to that decisive moment, the more people you save,” Officer Monroe said.

 

CVUSD Juniors Score Better Than State & Nation On SAT

By CVUSD

Chino- Chino Valley Unified School District 11th graders who took the SAT in March scored significantly better than similar students statewide and nationally on the standardized test that is widely used for college admission.

District wide, the 2,009 CVUSD 11th graders taking the test (evidence-based reading and writing, and math) had a mean score of 1,005. The State mean score was 965, and the national mean score was 971.

Chino Valley’s mean score on the evidence-based reading and writing portion of the test was 505. The State’s mean score was 486, and the national mean score was 490.

Chino Valley’s mean score on the math portion of the SAT was 501. The State mean score was 479, and the national mean score was 481.

The “new” or redesigned SAT was administered for the first time in March. The redesigned test is scored differently as well as on a different scale, so comparisons between results on this test and previous versions cannot be immediately drawn, according to Julian A. Rodriguez, Director of Assessment and Instructional Technology.

Participation in the test by Chino Valley 11th-graders greatly increased from previous years because the SAT was offered to all students, the District paid the students’ test fees and took care of the registration process.

Ayala High had 89% of its 11th-graders taking the test; Chino High, 83%; Chino Hills High, 77%; and Don Lugo High, 64%.

Prior to the 2013/2014 school year, CVUSD student participation in the SAT “hovered around 45%, consistently,” Rodriguez said. The district’s highest percentage of participation was 48.3% in the 2013/2014 school year, according to Ed Data Education Data Partnership. Participation percentage rates were formerly calculated for students who took the test at any time in their high school careers.

Now that the district is a part of the SAT School Day program, it can begin tracking participation numbers based on students who take the test that single day.

 

Don Lugo Earned A Six-Year Accreditation

CVUSD  Don-Lugo-WEB

Chino – This spring, Don Lugo High received a six-year accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, the longest accreditation granted by the organization to an educational institution.

The WASC accreditation process aids institutions in developing and sustaining effective educational programs and assures the educational community, the general public, and other organizations that an accredited institution has met high standards of quality and effectiveness.

In its more than 350-page WASC Self-Study Report, Don Lugo administrators and teachers listed a variety of data, citing its strengths, weaknesses, improvements, and goals for the future.

According to the document’s writers, the Chino school has undergone many significant changes in the last six years, and particularly in the last three years.

The school has a new principal and all three new assistant principals. Led by the administrative team, the school has implemented new attendance protocols, new behavior management programs, and new curriculum in English and math, while also making notable changes in social science, career and technical subjects, language, and arts instruction.

Don Lugo has added new Academics and Pathways to its course catalog and expanded its enrollment in honors and Advanced Placement courses.

In the summer of 2015, approximately 60 teachers (85% of the instructional staff) attended three days of training in the Capturing Kids’ Hearts program, a comprehensive philosophy and set of protocols to ensure a culture in which all students feel safe, supported, and where instructional and learning time is optimized. Teachers taking the training use strategies to build better relationships with students, such as getting them to learn each other’s names, sharing something good at the start of class, and creating social norms. The teachers were trained to ask four questions before sending students out on a referral: What are you doing? What are you supposed to be doing? Are you doing it? What are you going to do about that?

Many Don Lugo teachers have said they have noticed an improved atmosphere at the school since the Capturing Kids’ Hearts program was implemented. Plans are in place to provide the remaining staff with training.

Don Lugo now has a second Intervention Specialist for Math who is available to assist teachers with quality instructional strategies for rigor, the formative process, checking for understanding, providing formal and informal feedback, incorporating technology, and differentiation. The Intervention Specialist’s goal is to facilitate self-reflection and growth in teachers and provide instructional support for the new Common Core State Standards in math.

The Chino school’s administrators, teachers and students have worked diligently to increase Don Lugo’s Honors and Advanced Placement program. Don Lugo added AP Psychology and AP Economics to its course offerings. Site administrators and teachers have removed the more stringent prerequisites for admittance into AP courses as a way to ensure that all students have access to those classes. AP courses are publicized to all students during the spring prior to enrollment, and at AP Student and Parent Information Nights. Don Lugo’s AP Club holds fundraisers to help students pay for exams. All AP instructors are trained. Seventy-five percent of Don Lugo’s AP teachers attended the 2015 Summer AP By the Sea Institute in San Diego and/or Pre-AP trainings at the University of California, Riverside.

While the school’s AP program enrollment dropped from 245 in the 2012/2013 school year to 214 in 2013/2014 and 192 in 2014/2015, renewed efforts by the faculty and students have resulted in 320 students (about 20% of the student population) enrolling in AP courses in the 2015/2016 school year.

Two pilot programs are underway at Don Lugo. The school had adopted a multi-tiered system of support for positive behavior and have hired an Intervention Counselor to create the program. Also, four special education teachers are participating in the California Department of Education’s transitional project. In that project, teachers are taught how to successfully develop, implement, and monitor college and career awareness goals in the special education students’ Individual Education Plans (IEPs).

Don Lugo’s academies include the Lugo Engineering and Design (LEAD) Academy; Sports Management Academy; and Technology, Environment, Animal Medicine, Agriscience, and Agribusiness (TEAM A & A) Academy. It recently added an equestrian component and service animal program to its Agricultural department. Under the service animal program, students are raising puppies for the Guide Dogs for the Blind organization.

 

CH High Director Added To MVP Athletic Director List

Staff Reports  

Chino Hills – Athletic Director at Chino Hills High, Phil Garcia, has recently been named to the CIF Southern Section’s MVP Athletic Directors list, according to the Chino Valley Unified School District. Garcia is known for being an outstanding leader and making a positive impact on student athletes, which is why he was given this high honor.
The MVP Athletic Directors list also includes the following: Tom Martinez of Los Osos High in Rancho Cucamonga, Nicki Bonomo of San Dimas High, Pat Hafley of Redlands Unified School District, Kristen Braun of Jurupa Hills High in Fontana, Jeff Grant of Damien High in La Verne, Rich Imbriana of Cajon High in San Bernardino, and Darren Goodman of Oak Hills High in Hesperia.

 

Boys Republic High School’s Class Of 2016

CVUSD

Graduates from the Boys Republic School in Chino Hills were excited to receive their diplomas.

Photo courtesy: CVUSD
Graduates from the Boys Republic School in Chino Hills were excited to receive their diplomas.

Chino Valley- Seven Boys Republic High students graduated on June 17 in the chapel of the private, nonprofit, nonsectarian school and treatment community for troubled youth in Chino Hills.
Chino Valley Unified School District oversees the high school.
The Boys Republic High School Annual Awards Ceremony included awards for underclassmen and graduates, some powerful speeches about the boys’ struggles to set their lives on the right path, and the presentation of diplomas.
“We have all been in the position where people said we wouldn’t succeed…Today, we celebrate that we can succeed,” said graduate Lowell Nichols, 18, who was asked to speak for Boys Republic High’s Class of 2016.
“Our poor choices so far have taken us places we shouldn’t have gone,” Nichols said. He reminded underclassmen in the audience that they have to be “willing to take a risk and do the work.”
Nichols said he was blinded by people on the streets and also blinded to opportunities that were available to him.
“Without education, there is no opportunity, and without opportunity, there is no hope,” he said. “…We all make choices, but in the end, we are our choices…Courage is not being fearless, it is being scared to death and making the right choice anyway.”
He called Boys Republic the turning point in his life.
Nichols received the Crombie Allen Award from the Rotary Club. The award was established in 1929 by Rotarian Crombie Allen, then publisher and editor of the Ontario Daily Bulletin newspaper, to promote higher ideals of citizenship and attainment among the students of Boys Republic.
Boys Republic High Principal Carl Hampton, who previously served as administrator at Chino Hills High, told the boys they are now faced with other choices: “What will you do? How will you structure your life?”
“When hard times come – and they are going to come – not everything is going to be easy,” Hampton said. He advised the boys to make their choices now so they do not have to react to life at the spur of a moment.
“You did it and I am so proud of you,” Hampton said of their graduation. “I’ve worked at many schools, including a really big one down the street, but nothing gives me more pleasure than seeing you succeed.”
After receiving their diplomas, the boys shook the hands of Chino Valley Unified School District (CVUSD) Board members Sylvia Orozco and Pamela Feix, and CVUSD Superintendent Wayne M. Joseph. The boys also greeted teachers and staff members along a wall of the chapel.
A luncheon was held following the commencement ceremony.

$50K in Scholarships Available for Class of 2016

Courtesy of CVUSD

CHINO– Tim Adams, of School Portraits by Adams Photography, provided the Board of Education with the largest check to date of proceeds from the “Hit the Greens for Scholarships” Golf Tournament held every November. Adams has been hosting the tournament for the district for six years. This year’s check in the amount of $31,329.29, added to funds available from previous years, enables the district to distribute $50,000 to students, the largest amount since the tournament began. To date, more than $145,000 has been given to 116 seniors.

“The opportunity to assist students as they choose to continue their education is something that we consider a privilege,” said Tim Adams of School Portraits.

The scholarships will be awarded to high school seniors at each of the following schools: Ayala, Buena Vista, Chino, Chino Hills, and Don Lugo. The application period has begun and will continue through Feb. 29.
Seniors at each of those schools may apply for one of the following:
• Spirit of Chino Valley Unified
Awarded to a student who has volunteered at school or in the community, has embodied school spirit by serving in a student leadership role, has participated in school activities that promote good citizenship, and has an outstanding attendance record.

• President’s Award
Awarded to a student in need of financial assistance to continue their education.

• Superintendent’s Award
Awarded to a student who has embraced academic rigor and excelled by earning an overall grade point average of 3.8 or higher.
The application is available on the District website (www.chino.k12.ca.us) with a cover letter and checklist for submission.

CVUSD Seniors Perform Community Service

Photos courtesy of CVUSD Caitlyn Broad surrounded by Navy sailors and the goodie bags she made them

Photos courtesy of CVUSD
Caitlyn Broad surrounded by Navy sailors and the goodie bags she made them

Courtesy of CVUSD

As part of a literary unit on heroism, 12th grade students from across the Chino Valley Unified School District devoted several volunteer hours in community service over the winter break. Projects varied from volunteering at food banks and homeless shelters to cleaning up trails and parking lots across the city. Students were asked to “pitch” a proposal to a panel of their peers and suggest projects that would be classified as heroic. As part of a culminating experience which emphasizes effective oral communication, students prepared and delivered five-minute speeches sharing their experiences and addressing major societal issues.

Caitlin Broad, an Ayala High senior, traveled to the Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach with 40 goodie bags she prepared as thank you gifts for active duty sailors. Caitlin’s experience was especially meaningful to her as she was escorted by her father and grandfather, who are both Navy veterans.

Another Ayala senior, Diane Eckstrom, relieved her relatives in the daily care of her 94-year-old grandmother and delivered a speech on the need for loving elder care.

Priceless Pets, a pet adoption and care facility in Chino Hills, was a favorite organization of the volunteers, who exercised and cared for the animals. Ayala senior Terrance Seki walked dogs for Priceless Pets as part of his volunteer experience.

Ayala High senior Jake Sears, who cleaned up litter at Chino Hills State Park, told his classmates, “It shouldn’t be that difficult to clean up after yourself.”

Ayala students Jacob Axton and Calista Ho worked at a local food bank.

Most of the students involved in the program said they did not believe their efforts should be labeled heroic but rather just the actions of responsible citizens.

The curriculum unit writers included this project as part of the District’s implementation of Common Core State Standards to create real world experiences to develop 21st century skills. Teachers were impressed with their students’ passion towards the less fortunate and their appeals to their classmates to do the little things to show care for their community.