January/February 2017
OUR AMAZING STUDENTS
CUSD Is a Huge Family!!!!
Chico Unified suffered a huge loss when Brett Silva, a long time teacher and coach at Pleasant Valley High School died in an automobile accident in late January. We are proud how all staff and students pulled together to show their support for each other and the Silva family. Below is a picture of how Chico High Students sent love and support to the Pleasant Valley family.
PVHS "We Not Me" Event
Stand Up To Bullying!
CHS and PVHS Cheerleading Teams Going to Nationals
Both Chico High School and Pleasant Valley High School Cheerleading teams were awarded a bid for Nationals in Anaheim at the Sacramento Regionals after CHS came in second and Pleasant Valley High came in third place. Both teams are trying to raise funds to attend. For more information on the Chico High cheerleading team’s fundraiser, visit the GoFundMe page at http://bit.ly/2kL359B. For more information on the PV cheerleading team’s fundraiser visit the GoFundMe page at http://bit.ly/2kQIWhR
Northern Section Division I CIF Champions
PVHS Film and Video Students Win at Regional Competition
Good Job CHS Musical Theater students!
Congratulations to Ryan Heimlich and the PVHS Band and Choir Students
A number of our students auditioned and were accepted to STATE level honor bands and choirs this past fall and spring. The following students participated in the California Music Educator’s Association Junior High Honor Choir at Chico State on Friday and Saturday, January 12-14:
Band:
Matthew Lor (9th Grade) – clarinet
Choir:
Katrina Lillie (9th Grade) - soprano
Kenzie Jones (9th Grade) – soprano
Also, congratulations to the following students who have been accepted to the Northern California Honor Band and Honor Choir (February 2-4). This is a very select group of high school students who auditioned for a spot from students in all of Northern California! The Band will be directed by the Sonoma State University band director, and the choir by the choir director for the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. Both groups are very prestigious ensembles.
Band:
Matthew Lor (9th grade) – clarinet
Olivia Blee (12th grade) – clarinet
Choir:
Lehana Mishelof (10th grade) – soprano
Porter Hames (12th grade) – soprano
Isabella Silva (11th Grade) – soprano
Joey Kelly (11th Grade) – alto
Alina Pickett (12th Grade) – alto
Mia Coleman (11th Grade) – alto
Justin Liu (11th Grade) – tenor
Also, Congratulations to Lehana Mishelof for being accepted to the American Choral Director’s Association Regional All State Choir held in Stockton last November! This is a great honor for her!
Congratulations to our students, and thank you for your support ~ Ryan Heimlich, Band and Choir Director, Pleasant Valley High School
Congratulations to CHS 2017 Science Bowl Team 1 Students
Congratulations to Tom Lampkin for coaching the Chico High School Science Bowl students to the Final Round of the Redding Regional Science Bowll. Way to go Mr. Lampkin and CHS Science Bowl students! Per Mr. Lampkin, the CHS Science Bowl Team (Team #1) swept through the morning rounds of the Redding Regional Science Bowl undefeated (6 – 0). They also won their first two playoff rounds, winning both their quarterfinal matchup and then their semifinal matchup. CHS headed into the championship game against the only other undefeated team, last year’s returning champions, University Prepatory High School (UPrep) of Redding. Although CHS did lead early on, CHS came up a couple of questions short and ended in second place. Mr. Lampkin reinforced, “It really could have gone either way, but we finished in 2nd place, which is still a remarkable and proud accomplishment.” We agree!!! Also huge kudos to Mr. Lampkin for coaching the CHS Science Bowl Team for the past 20 years!!!
Congratulations to the following CHS 2017 Science Bowl Team 1 Students:
- Jessalyn Ayers, Captain
- Karla Raigoza
- Lindsey Henry
- Malak Saleh
- Kobe Hassenzahl
The Chico Science Fair - Ready for Viewing
CHS Engineering Students Involved in Product Development
Six Chico High School Engineering students are involved in product development with a business partner, Woodzee Sunglasses. The students designed four new sunglass designs and 3D printed them and are responsible for all communication with Luke, the owner of Woodzee Sunglasses. Luke also asked CHS Architecture students to help him design his new retail store opening soon in downtown Chico (see below). They nailed it!
Luke holds regular business meetings at CHS and downtown with the students. Thanks to our Career Pathways and grant funds to purchase equipment to do this kind of work at CHS, and thanks to our awesome tech staff for setting up our labs and making it all run!
Mike Bruggeman
Chico High School
Citrus Students Visit the USS Hornet
Jason Davison shared information about a wonderful adventure Citrus students were able to take thanks to Chico Unified, parent volunteers, and generous donations from family, friends, and community. The staff at the USS Hornet were incredible and said they love large groups of students and scouts. There were so many primary artifacts to engage students, that they will be talking and engaged for weeks to come. This USS Hornet is in Alameda with an incredible view of the San Francisco skyline and the Bay Bridge.
Parkview Afterschool Program Makes a Difference
It all started with one student’s observation. Veronica Zepeda-Flores, a fifth grader at Parkview Elementary School was at Wal-Mart with her family on a rainy Sunday when she noticed a man who was unable to pay for his food and clothes. “They were trying to buy things that they actually needed.” said Veronica. All night she worried about the man, and even began to notice other homeless people in our community who seemed to have nowhere warm to go. Veronica brought her concerns to her Jr. Leader meeting at the Parkview Elementary Expanded Learning Program and was determined that the group could make a difference. Her call for action was so contagious that the fifth grade students immediately began researching and calling homeless shelters in the area. One Jr. Leader called Youth 4 Change’s 6th Street Center and arranged for Lauren, 6th Street Center’s Coordinator, to come and educate the program about homeless youth. One month and 628 pairs of socks later, the Jr. Leaders traveled to 6th Street Center to deliver the socks and even received a tour. On the drive back to school, the students expressed how proud they were that many homeless children would have warm and dry feet during the cold months. They were also thankful that they had warm homes full of food. While arriving back to Parkview Elementary School, the inspired fifth graders asked “What’s next Ms. Jeangerard?”
Rosedale's Ballet Folclorico Dance Group Performs at CUSD Board Meeting
NVSIG Calendar Art Winners
OUR AMAZING STAFF
Oroville Evacuation
2016-17 Educator of the Year Awards
The state League of Schools Educator of the Year Banquet was held on February 26 and 27 and honored 21 middle and high school regional winners from 11 regions in California. Congratulations to Jim Williams, Social Science teacher at Bidwell Junior High School!! Mr. Williams was chosen as the California League of Schools Middle School Teacher of the Year for Region Two. Mr. Williams is pictured below (second from left) with the winners from the other regions.
National School Counselors Week
We love our CUSD counselors every day, but as February 6-10, 2017, was declared National School Counselors Week by the CUSD Board of Education, we want to give them an extra special shout out! Thank you counselors for the thousands of lives you touch each and every day. You make a huge difference in the lives of students and you are so appreciated by our staff, students and families!
January Superintendent's Award
January Leadership Award
The January Leadership Award sponsored by Golden Apple Insurance was presented to Director Michael Morris. Congratulations Mike and thank you Golden Apple!
February Superintendent's Award
Thank you Rosedale Teachers
Special thank you to Maria Elena for allowing me to read with a group of her students—what polite, articulate, insightful and fun kids!
Thanks for a great morning! --Kelly
District News
Thank you Valley Contractor's Exchange
BCOE Juried High School Art Show
Personal Finance Education
Adopted 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 Student Calendars
New HVAC Units
Measure K Money Starting to Flow
Four Chico elementary schools: Loma Vista, Marigold, Neal Dow, and Shasta, will see major improvements with Measure K money starting to flow. Plans include improvements on these four campuses worth $73 Million.
LCAP Meeting on Tuesday, March 7
OUR AMAZING COMMUNITY
Annual Empty Bowls Benefit - Thursday, February 23
The 2017 Empty Bowls benefit for the Torres Community Shelter in Chico was held on Thursday, February 23 in the Lincoln Center at Chico Senior High School. The fundraiser involved delicious soups donated by local restaurants and agencies, served in handmade ceramic bowls made by local high school students and guests at the shelter. A Raffle and Silent Auction was also held. The Torres Shelter on Silver Dollar Way has been sheltering the homeless since 1998. It is the largest emergency shelter in Chico and the only year- round shelter for men, women and families with children. In 2016 services were provided to more than 800 people, among them 70 families with 123 children. For more information visit www.torresshelter.org.
Diversified Occupation at Chico and Pleasant Valley High Schools
We want to share the great opportunities the students in our Diversified Occupation classes have at the high school level. Thank you to Jon Nickerson and Russell Olson for all the work they put into this program.
CUSD staff has been working closely together to place students at individual training sites according to their interest areas. Thank you to our business community for helping our students become prepared for life after high school. Below is a list of the enclave sights:
- All students are training at Sutter Hall Café in different areas ranging from commercial dish room to Bakery Assistant.
- All students are training at Grocery Outlet in a variety of tasks such as collecting carts, dry mopping aisles, using pricing gun to make new labels, facing product and consolidating products, pulling out of date products, stocking products, etc.
- A new enclave training site to be added soon is TJ Max.
- There is also a greenhouse nursery day in which students propagate, shift up plants, fertilize, etc.
- When possible students participate in woodshop projects as well as ceramics which CHS and PV students will market along with the morning Adult Program
- A new Partner will soon be GRUB - where students will have a booth at the Farmer’s Market to sell projects and plants. In coordination with GRUB, students will also be producing vegetable plants for participating district elementary gardens.
In addition:
- We are working with Work-Ability and a monthly class with Youth Alliance Workforce which will assist students after graduation with 300 hours of paid employment and job placement assistance. We are meeting with Work-Ability to look at paid training sites for spring.