Submitted by Denair Municipal Advisory Council
The Denair Municipal Advisory Council has posted the agenda for their February meeting, scheduled for March 3, 2015. The meeting starts at 7:00 pm. The meeting will be held in the DUSD Leadership/Board Room.
Submitted by Denair Education Foundation
Denair Education Foundation will be holding an eCycle event at Denair High School on Saturday, February 28, 2015, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Gather those old TV’s, CPUs, monitors, laptops, printers, cell phones, scanners, and copiers. Donating them is free and helps raise funds for activities and equipment for the students of Denair Schools.
Last year, students enjoyed a Diego Rivera art exhibit, attended a play at CSUS, enlarged the selection of books at the elementary school library, and applied for scholarships (John Robbins Memorial and Modesto Junior College).
Denair Education Foundation was established in 2005 to “enrich and improve the quality of the educational environment for the students of the Denair Unified School District.” The list is long of funded opportunities for the students. They are made possible through donations and our main e-cycle fundraiser. Thanks to all who have donated! You are helping Denair’s students and the environment! Continue reading “Denair Education Foundation February eCycle Event” »
Submitted by Denair Unified School District
Name: Robyn Hilton
Family: Husband, Tyler Hilton
School: Denair High School
Subject taught: Mathematics, leadership, algebra 2, AP statistics, trigonometry and math 8
Experience and education: Bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Fresno State; teaching credential from CSU Stanislaus. Last year, taught middle school math at Whitmore Charter School in Ceres.
What most inspires you about teaching? My students inspire me. I enjoy seeing them everyday and I appreciate their questions and our daily discussions. It is so rewarding when my students understand a key concept and then are able to explain that concept to others. I am passionate about education and mathematics, and when I can witness my students making progress in the subject area I get really excited.
What are your biggest challenges as a teacher? One challenge I face as a high school mathematics teacher is the negative comments that my students make towards mathematics. On the first day of school, I told my students that there would be only positive comments in my classroom and I have to remind them of this every day. Most of them feel that they struggle with math, or that they don’t like it, or that it is too hard. I am constantly working toward improving their opinions on the subject matter. I want them to realize that math can be interesting and fun!
What is your favorite teaching tool or activity? I love incorporating games and activities into my lessons. My students are very competitive and enjoy when they have the opportunity to show off their skills. I try to turn the independent practice portion of my lessons into games so that the students are solving problems, but also having fun while doing it. Continue reading “A Class Act! 10 Questions for Robyn Hilton” »
Submitted by Denair Unified School District
Flashing what his coach described as a “brute strength kind of move,” Luis Mendoza got the ultimate payback against a tough wrestling opponent – a pin.
The result was a third-place finish Saturday for the Denair High School senior at the Sac-Joaquin Section Division V Championships and a trip to this week’s Masters Meet. It also touched off an enthusiastic celebration by his Coyotes teammates at the Sonora High gym.
Mendoza, competing at 197 pounds, was the only Denair wrestler to survive the rugged two-day tournament. The top four in each weight class advanced to the Masters. The next closest Coyote was Richard Richards, who finished sixth at 140 pounds.
Mendoza put himself in a difficult spot Friday when he was pinned by Anthony Howard of Bret Harte in his first match. He rallied to win two consolation bracket matches Friday to stay alive, then pinned his first opponent Saturday.
That set up a rematch with Howard, with the winner guaranteed a spot in the top four and a berth in the Masters Meet.
“It was back and forth, like the first match,” said Denair Coach Don Helnore. “This time, Luis caught the kid and pinned him. … Luis escaped a bear hug move and got his arms around him and just put him down on the mat.
“It was a real brute strength kind of move.”
With that, the Coyotes celebrated and Mendoza moved to the third-place match, where he used a pair of two-point reversals in the second and third periods to defeat Riverbank’s Jose Ariza.
“Luis almost pinned him at the end of the first round, but time expired,” said Helnore. Continue reading “DHS Wrestler Luis Mendoza Qualifies for Masters Meet” »
Submitted by Denair Unified School District
First, the good news: The Denair Unified School District has emerged from financial crisis a year ahead of schedule and no longer requires oversight from state-mandated advisers and the Stanislaus County Office of Education.
Next, the less good news: While the number of elementary students continues to grow, enrollment at Denair High School still is trending lower for 2015-16. Unless that changes, it will require the equivalent of two teaching positions be eliminated and a slight reduction in class offerings in the next school year.
Those contrasting reports shared the spotlight at Thursday night’s meeting of the DUSD Board of Trustees, where the pride of having successfully navigated through near-bankruptcy was offset by the fiscal challenges that remain and the potential impact on the teaching staff.
Denair High School has 312 students this year, down from a high of 374 in 2006-07. By next fall, initial projections anticipate a decline to 270 students. To deal with that, trustees approved the elimination of a single class in 12 subject areas Thursday.
“What this effectively means is that there will be partial layoffs at our high school,” Superintendent Aaron Rosander said.
A full-time instructor, he explained, teaches six sections, or classes, a day. It’s likely, Rosander said, that some teachers will have less than six classes next year and see a corresponding reduction in pay.
“Whole teaching positions are not expected to be eliminated and our comprehensive high school with its college preparatory programs will remain solidly in place,” he said. Continue reading “DUSD Eliminates Need for Fiscal Oversight as Declining Enrollment Continues” »