This Week in KCUSD
Celebrations, News & Information for Team KCUSD
Weave Don't Stack * Support³ * Take It to the Next Level
AROUND THE DISTRICT
A.L. Conner Students and Staff Celebrate New Student Care Office
A.L. Conner students and staff had a very exciting morning at the ribbon cutting ceremony for their new Student Care Office.
Kevin Wagner from PBK Architects attended the ribbon cutting as well. Mr. Wagner has been designing schools for 30 years. He shared that he has never experienced the level of engagement and excitement working with a school district like he felt in Kings Canyon Unified.
"The care that the administration has for its community and its students was something I haven't experienced before," Wagner said. "It hit my heart and I really wanted to try to do something good for the community and the school that cares so deeply."
Kings Canyon High School Designated as “Model School” by State Superintendent of Education
The California Department of Education (CDE) announced this week that Kings Canyon High School (KCHS) has been selected as a Model School, solidifying its position as one of the top-performing alternative continuation schools statewide.
The Model Schools designation is given to alternative high schools where relationships are developed with students to create a positive and personalized learning environment. This is done at KCHS on a daily basis with the goal of preparing students for the next chapter in their lives.
“We are excited that the county and state continue to acknowledge the hard work, dedication, and accomplishments of the students and staff at KCHS,” said Principal Josh Darnell.
The California State Superintendent of Schools commended the school's commitment, noting staff is committed to prioritizing the well-being of the students they serve.
“Kings Canyon High School is a shining example of how amazing small schools can be,” a statement from the CDE stated. “Their genuine care and intentional relationship-building have created an authentic culture that is safe, inclusive and supportive. The community partnerships and wholistic supports for students and families set the bar for alternative education schools in California.“
This is the second time KCHS has been designated as a Model School - the first being in 2019.
OCHS Student Takes 1st Place in CTE CAD Competition
Orange Cove High School had a great showing at the recent Career Skills Challenge at Fresno City College. The annual competition included salad preparation, 2D CAD, photo editing, crime scene investigation and robotics. With schools participating from Fresno, Madera and Mariposa counties, OCHS came out strong with Luis Perez bringing home 1st place in the 2D CAD competition.
Middle Schools Make Science Olympiad Debut
Middle School students from T.L. Reed, Riverview, Grant, and Citrus had a great showing at the Fresno County Office of Education’s Science Olympiad. The event, which has been described as a "track meet for science," challenged students to investigate a crime scene, build structures and launch ping pong balls among many other types of challenges. Students also tested their knowledge on topics like anatomy/physiology and dinosaurs.
Angela Tombaugh, District Instructional Coach in science, was the catalyst for district middle schools inaugural entrance in the Olympiad. With help from volunteer science coaches at each participating school, students prepared to compete in categories Core Knowledge, Build, Laboratory and Hybrid.
While students weren’t sure what to expect going into this competition, they expressed a great deal of confidence in their abilities were very proud of themselves for what they accomplished. The Science Olympiad teams will begin preparing for next year's competition in the fall.
Wheeled Vehicle
Grant - 4th Place
Francisco Ramos
Leslie Zamora
Tower
Grant - 5th Place
Lizeth Montano
Lizbeth Montano
Crime Busters
Riverview - 5th Place
Owen Booth
Lillian Vargas
Air Trajectory
Grant - 6th Place
Maria Rivera
Daniela Montano
Meteorology
TL Reed - 6th Place
Cesar Mejia
Joaquin Ramirez
Coaches
Grant: Tyler Johnson-Ferris & Ryan Kopper
Citrus: Natalie Ramirez
Riverview: Andrea Arakawa
TL Reed: Kaelyn Silveira
Four First Place Wins at Regional Speech & Debate Competition
Four Kings Canyon Unified students took it to the next level, winning first place at a regional speech and debate competition in Fresno. The students, part of the district's migrant program, represented Reedley High School as well as Citrus and Grant Middle Schools.
Students faced-off against seven other migrant programs in both prepared and extemporaneous speeches, in English or Spanish.
These first place wins earned students a spot at the statewide competition in Monterey.
12th Grade Spanish - First Place
Evelyn Reyes - RHS
11th Grade English - First Place
Genesis Rodriguez - RHS
7th Grade Spanish - First Place
Jasmine Martinez - Citrus
8th Grade English - First Place
Julissa Saldana - Grant
KCUSD IN THE NEWS
Mid Valley Times: KCUSD a ‘bright spot’ among state attendance struggles
REEDLEY – Statewide chronic absenteeism rates have reached all-time highs since the COVID-19 pandemic, a circumstance Reedley and Orange Cove schools are not immune to; however, within Kings Canyon Unified School District (KCUSD), those highs are still lower than most other districts across California.
In 2019, the statewide chronic absenteeism rate for kindergarteners was 15.6%; it jumped to 36.3% in 2023. At KCUSD, 9.6% of kindergarteners were chronically absent in 2019, and 26.7% were chronically absent in 2023.
Through these numbers and a broader analysis of publicly available attendance data, the CCEE identified KCUSD as a chronic absenteeism “bright spot,” a recognition that only 20 out of nearly 1,000 California school districts received. KCUSD shines in this area not only because its overall rates are lower than average, but because it shows a holistic and ever-improving trajectory toward getting that rate down.
A Guaranteed Spot at UC Merced? These Students Can Get One
Kings Canyon Unified School District is the latest Valley district to announce a partnership with UC Merced for guaranteed admission for eligible students.
Students who want to enroll on the Merced campus don’t quite face the same fierce competition as students vying for a slot at UCLA, Berkeley, San Diego, and Irvine, but admission to any UC is not a cakewalk either.
REMINDERS
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Website: kcusd.com
Location: 1801 10th Street, Reedley, CA, USA
Phone: 559.305.7193