Monthly Archives: December 2016

Justin Steeley Named Southern League Football Co-MVP

Posted on by

Submitted by Denair High School

Justin Steeley, the heart and soul of a determined Denair High football team that succeeded despite limited numbers, was selected as the co-Most Valuable Player of the Southern League in voting by the league’s coaches.

Also honored were Joe Brasil, chosen as lineman of the year for his play on offense and defense, as well as defensive back Brendan Curnow.

Steeley is a senior who excelled at running back and linebacker. He scored 17 touchdowns and was the emotional leader all season for the Coyotes (6-5), who reached the Division VI playoffs before losing to eventual Sac-Joaquin Section champion Amador. For much of the season, Denair had no more than 15 players on its varsity roster.

Steeley shared the league’s top honor with Toby Silva, a wide receiver and defensive lineman for league champion Orestimba.

Brasil, a senior, was a force on both sides of the ball. At 5-foot-9 and 230 pounds, he was the Coyotes’ strongest player and the one they often ran behind on offense and counted on to make a big play on defense.

Big plays were Curnow’s specialty. The senior scored six touchdowns as a running back against Le Grand and spearheaded the Coyotes’ ball-hawking secondary with hard hits and interceptions, including three against Ripon Christian.

Three Denair players made the all-SL second team – defensive back Chase Pritt, linebacker Zach Ramalay and tight end Dylan Mann – while Joe Ciccarelli and Hector Obando gained honorable mention.

The awards were announced Saturday night by head coach Anthony Armas at the Coyotes’ football banquet.

DCA Wood Shop Students Building More Than Projects

Posted on by

Submitted by Denair Charter Academy

It doesn’t matter that most of Barry Cole’s wood shop students came to his class this fall not knowing the difference between a band saw and a table saw or had never operated a router or drill press before. Cole’s patient instruction and infectious enthusiasm soon removed any doubt.

The brand new cutting boards, footstools and even a dog house made of pine and oak and poplar are testament to the curiosity and ingenuity of Cole’s Denair Charter Academy students. They bring him a picture of a potential project and he shows them how to make it. Along the way, the teens build more than a simple pencil holder. They gain confidence.

“This is about envisioning a project and developing the skills to complete it. It’s a feeling of accomplishment,” explained Cole. “It’s always a different kid, several times a day.”

Cole is a longtime teacher in the Denair district who moved to DCA’s independent study program last year. He coordinates the science curriculum across many grade levels, and also teaches a landscaping class in addition to his woodworking elective.

Cole’s grandfather was a carpenter, specializing in garage doors. As a young boy, Cole followed his grandfather around, learning the proper use of tools and enjoying the satisfaction of completing a project.

“I love the smell of the wood and I love making things, especially from repurposed wood,” he said.

It didn’t take much for Cole to convince first-year DCA Principal Brian LaFountain that a wood shop class would be a fun addition to campus.

“We started with 10 kids in one class on Monday and now we have 20 or so. We had to add another class on Thursdays,” LaFountain said.

Cole made calls, sent letters and beat the bushes for scrap lumber. Denair Lumber has been a generous donor as have local farmers and others in the Denair community. Some of the tools came from Denair Middle School, where Cole had used them as part of his science instruction. Others were purchased using a $5,000 budget. Continue reading “DCA Wood Shop Students Building More Than Projects” »

Denair Charter Academy Hourly Teachers Receive Pay Increases

Posted on by

Submitted by Denair Unified School District

Another piece of the salary restoration puzzle was put into place by Denair Unified School District on Thursday night when they unanimously approved 2.2% pay increases for 13 teachers at Denair Charter Academy.

The instructors at the campus serve home-school students and parents in grades kindergarten through eighth as well as teens enrolled in the independent study high school program.

Unlike teachers at the district’s other campuses, they are paid hourly and are not covered by a union contract. When the district faced financial crisis in 2013, their pay was reduced 3.5%. Thursday’s board action restores their wage in the same proportion as already has occurred this year for union-covered teachers, as well as non-teaching classified staff and administrators.

Also on Thursday, the board:

  • Elected Trustee Kathi Dunham-Filson as board president for 2017 and Trustee Ray Prock Jr. as clerk.
  • Approved the addition of two new courses at DCA: the history of Mexico and introduction to culinary arts. Matthew Groom will teach the first course; Barry Cole will lead the second.
  • Heard a report from Lucy Zamora, principal at Denair Elementary Charter Academy, and four of her instructors who recently attended a conference on dual immersion language programs in New Mexico.
  • Cheered as Denair High School Principal Kara Backman reported that more than $30,000 was raised for the campus’ FFA programs and students from the first-ever tractor pull in November. More than 1,100 people attended the event at Jack Lytton Stadium.
  • Heard a presentation from Mike Curry of Johnson Farms, asking the district to join other public agencies and residents in opposing the State Water Resources Control Board’s plan to increase flows in the Tuolumne, Stanislaus and Merced rivers.

DHS Library Club Hosts Angel Tree

Posted on by

Submitted by Denair High School

The DHS Library Club is partnering with the Salvation Army and hosting an  Angel Tree this year.  You may come to the DHS Library and pick a tag from the tree.  The child’s gender and age are listed on the tags. Buy age appropriate gift(s) and return the unwrapped gift and tag to the DHS Library.  Gifts will be distributed to families that have signed up under the Community Food Basket Program with the Salvation Army.

If you aren’t able to come to the library to pick a tag, please buy your gift, and when it is returned, we can add the age appropriate tag.  Please return gifts by December 14th 3:30 p.m., to the DHS office.  If you have questions, please contact Ms. Schell at 632-9911 ext. 4259, W-F or 632-2510, ext. 3210-M & T.

The DHS Library Club thanks you for your kindness and support!

Class Act! 10 Questions for Rosa Zamudio

Posted on by

Rosa Zamudio

Submitted by Denair Middle School

Name: Rosa Zamudio

Family: My big family includes my parents, four sisters, three brothers, seven nephews and four nieces. We all live in Riverbank except for my older sister, who lives in L.A. with her three children.

School: Denair Middle School

Position: Bilingual school secretary

Experience/education: I have a BA in Education from Ashford University in San Diego. Before working for DUSD, I worked for a head start program for eight years as a secretary, social worker and data technician. I also worked as a library assistant for the Stanislaus County Library. I love books, so one of my future career goals is to become a full-time children’s librarian.

What most inspires you about working at Denair Middle School? What inspires me the most about working at Denair Middle School is seeing students really trying their best to succeed in school. Some students really care about turning in their work and getting good grades and, to me, that is very inspiring.

What are your biggest challenges as a classified staff member? I have just recently become a classified staff member working for DUSD so I haven’t really found any big challenges yet.

What is your favorite support tool or activity? Being patient works for me! I think that taking the time to learn something new or taking the time to help someone is a great way to become an efficient co-worker and great team player.

What do you want your students to remember? I want students to remember that with just a little effort, great things can happen. Doing their homework, behaving in class and just being a good person can help them succeed both personally and academically.

How can parents support what you do? Parents can support what I do by being accessible and being willing to work with office staff. Continue reading “Class Act! 10 Questions for Rosa Zamudio” »