Social media, videos and podcasts are ubiquitous in the life of today’s teenagers, most of whom have only known a world of ever-evolving multimedia choices. Understanding how to create content and navigate that landscape – while having a little fun doing it – is one of the goals of a popular class at Denair High School.

At Thursday night’s meeting of the the Denair Unified School District board, trustees and the audience got a peek behind the curtain when the teacher and three of his students delivered a fun presentation about the Denair Entertainment and Sports Programming Network (DESPN).

The goal of DESPN is to provide opportunities for the 21 students in the class to practice their communication skills, exercise their creativity and develop shared responsibility through working collectively to create content and promote events for Denair High. All of the skills used are aimed at preparing students for post-secondary opportunities, explained the students and teacher Anthony Armas.

Videos, the “Coyote Crib” podcast and other content are recorded biweekly and available on Spotify, YouTube, TikTok and Instagram. Some content also appears within separate videos produced by the student leadership members and shown to the whole campus each Friday during second period.

As its name suggests, DESPN is a not-to-subtle tribute to ESPN, the global sports broadcasting behemoth based in Connecticut. 

And while the main focus of DESPN is on sports broadcasting, it also has a component on athletic leadership and how sports can have a positive impact on a student’s overall well-being. One video includes a friendly reminder to Denair students about how to treat athletes and fans from other schools. Another discussion centered around favorite foods. Students frequently wear their team uniforms or dress up to portray specific themes, like the pilgrims on Thanksgiving.

It’s clear the students in front of the cameras are having fun, even if the underlying goals are more serious. Students learn about communication skills, video editing, graphics editing, collaborating with classmates, organizational skills and time management – all important traits in whatever career they may pursue later in life.

“I would also say it provides students with an organic way of working on their literacy skills, which is a focus not only at the high school, but across the district,” said DHS Principal Breanne Aguiar.

Armas said all the content is driven by the students, who brainstorm when they meet daily in fifth period. Nothing is off-limits, as long as it’s appropriate for a student audience and not offensive.

“We have a general starting point for each podcast, but try to go wherever the conversation takes us,” he said.

Trustees also heard updates from Daisy Swearingen, the district’s chief business official, on some important building and security projects Thursday night.

She said plans are under way for a major modernization of Denair Elementary Charter Academy. The project includes relocating and upgrading the kitchen and multipurpose room, redesigning the main office, adding new classrooms, fixing existing portable classrooms, and modernizing the older classroom wings shared by DECA and Denair Charter Academy next door. New classrooms also are planned at Denair High School.

Board members also voted unanimously to hire companies to install video security cameras at all campuses, upgrade technology-related cabling throughout the district and create a facilities master plan. 

• EKC Enterprises of Fresno will install cloud-based video surveillance systems at a cost of $304,810.
• GigaKOM of San Diego will do a complete rip-and-replace of all existing cabling infrastructure to ensure reliable network connectivity across all sites. The total project cost is $404,444.
• Caldwell Flores Winters, Inc. (CFW) of Emeryville will develop a comprehensive Facilities Assessment and Implementation Plan, which is required for the district to tap into state construction funds. The plan will cost $50,000 and is due this fall.

Swearingen said the projects will be paid for by the Measure Z school bond passed by local voters last fall as well as a combination of state funding sources.

In other action Thursday, the board: 

• Applauded with the audience after Kathi Dunham-Filson was sworn in as the newest trustee. She replaces Crystal Sousa, who resigned last month. It is a familiar role for Dunham-Filson, who served on the Denair board from 2013 until November 2024, when she lost her re-election bid. She was chosen by the other four trustees earlier this month after public interviews with three finalists who applied to fill out the remainder of Sousa’s term, which ends in November 2026.
• Listened as Superintendent Terry Metzger outlined the district’s summer school plans. At the elementary and middle school level, there will be 23 days of extended learning for 150 students who will be in kindergarten through seventh grade next fall. High school students who need to make up a class they received an “F” in – a process known as credit recovery – will have up to 20 days at DCA. There also will be 20 days of extra instruction for up to 24 qualifying special education students. All the summer school classes begin May 27.
• Unanimously approved the addition of a one-semester ethnic studies class next year at Denair High. In 2021, the California Legislature passed a bill adding ethnic studies to graduation requirements, beginning with the class of 2030. Ethnic studies is an interdisciplinary field that examines the culture, history and experiences of different racial and ethnic groups in the United States, particularly people of color and other historically marginalized groups.
• Hired Merced Fencing to replace and upgrade fencing around the high school baseball field. New gates will provide secure entry down the access road between a new housing development to the west and school property, extending to the ag farm, and will create an additional access gate to the farm. The total project cost is $222,510. Of this, $150,000 will be paid by the developer, with the remainder covered by developer fees and/or Measure Z.
• Designated May 5-9 as the Week of the Teacher and May 18-24 as Week of the Classified School Employee.

Students at Denair Elementary Charter Academy will mark International Day of the Child on Wednesday with an afternoon of fun events to celebrate cultures from around the world.

The event will take place on campus from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Parents, family, friends and community members are invited. There will be games, booths, food and music for all to enjoy.

International Day of the Child was inspired by Children’s Day, which has been celebrated annually in Mexico since 1925 to recognize children as an important part of society and to emphasize loving, accepting and appreciating them. DECA began participating in International Day of the Child about five years ago.

“This event celebrates the wealth of cultures present in our school and community and provides an opportunity to showcase and appreciate our shared similarities,” said DECA Principal Laura Cardenas.

There are several performances involving students scheduled Wednesday.

Denair Middle School’s World Languages Club members will show off their dancing skills in the gym starting at 2 p.m. They will be followed by DECA students in first through fifth grades, who will perform cultural dances from 2:30 to 3 p.m. Kindergarteners from DECA’s dual immersion classes also will sing and put on a cultural fashion show. 

Cardenas said there are multiple classrooms activities throughout the school year that provide important background and context to help students appreciate International Day of the Child.

For instance, she said lessons about social studies and geography expose students to 

different countries, cultures, traditions, customs and global citizenship. Spanish classes include stories or poems inspired by other cultures.

Arts and crafts allow students to create things that represent other ways of life. And learning about and performing music and dances from around the world opens children’s minds to other perspectives.

Finally there is there is an element of social-emotional learning when students participate in discussions about diversity, empathy, understanding and respecting different cultures.

Trustees in the Denair Unified School District turned to a familiar face to fill a vacancy on the board Thursday night, unanimously choosing to appoint Kathi Dunham-Filson.

Dunham-Filson was one of three applicants interviewed publicly Thursday at a special board meeting. The others were Cheryl Rice and Johnny Chavez II. All sought to fill the opening created when former Trustee Crystal Sousa resigned last month. The term runs through November 2026.

The board opted to appoint a replacement for Sousa rather than call for a costly special election. In Dunham-Filson, they found an experienced successor.

Dunham-Filson first joined to the board in 2013 – when the district was in deep financial trouble — and was twice re-elected. Last fall, she finished fourth in a five-way race for three seats that saw newcomers Andrea Bennett and Jason DeMuro elected for the first time and incumbent Ray Prock Jr. re-elected.

In her application for the open seat, Dunham-Filson said her decision to apply was “driven by a deep commitment to the continued success of our schools.”

“While we have made significant progress – restoring financial stability, maintaining a responsibly balanced budget for the past decade and fostering positive relationships with our schools and community – there is still important work to be done,” she wrote. “Through strategic hiring, we have brought in the right people and the right time to meet the district’s evolving needs. I am eager to contribute my knowledge and leadership to help navigate the road ahead, ensuring that Denair Unified remains a thriving district for students, staff and families alike.”

Dunham-Filson has a deep understanding of educational issues, having worked for the Stanislaus County Office of Education for many years.

“Having an experienced and dedicated board member come back to the board helps to ensure that we don’t lose momentum as a district,” said Denair Superintendent Terry Metzger. “Kathi is a champion for our mission, programs and families.”

Prock, the board’s current president, also cited Dunham-Filson’s knowledge of education as an asset. He also applauded her for her leadership in helping to pass Measure Z last fall, a school bond that will provide money to upgrade and add to the district’s facilities for years to come.

“Her commitment to students is unwavering, she was instrumental in the recent success of Measure Z and will be a great addition to our governance team and our commitment to continue improving student successes,” Prock said.

Dunham-Filson will be sworn in at the April 10 board meeting.

The Denair Unified School District board is seeking qualified applicants to fill a vacancy created when Trustee Crystal Sousa resigned March 14.

Community members who live within the district’s boundaries and are registered to vote are eligible to apply. Applications are available at the district’s office and also can be downloaded from the district’s website. Applications will be accepted Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. until March 28. 

At a special meeting Monday morning, the remaining four trustees decided to appoint Sousa’s replacement rather than hold a costly special election. The vacant term ends in November 2026.

Trustees Ray Prock Jr., Billy Myers, Andrea Bennett and Jason De Muro will hold a special board meeting April 3 at 5 p.m. to interview all the qualified applicants. After discussion, trustees will hear public comment and then vote that night to choose Sousa’s successor. The new trustee will be sworn in at the April 10 board meeting.

Those with questions about the process should contact Jasmin Baltazar, executive assistant to superintendent and board, at (209) 632-7514, ext. 1202, or jbaltazar@dusd.k12.ca.us

Math is important. It touches people’s daily lives in a myriad of ways, whether it’s paying bills, balancing a checkbook, figuring out the best value at the grocery store, filing tax returns or even measuring the ingredients in a favorite recipe.

And despite its serious reputation, math is not something to be feared. It also can be fun. 

That was part of the message from four Denair Middle School math teachers at Thursday night’s meeting of the Denair Unified School District board. 

One of the keys to math instruction at DMS, the teachers shared, is to engage students in their classes. That means lessons layered with practical examples of how math is used every day. It involves using math to foster a growth mindset in students. And it even means involving families as they prepare meals together.

“We hope that students leave DMS with a positive mindset around their mathematical abilities,” said sixth-grade teacher Emma Mendes.

Sixth-graders are exposed to many areas that have math connections. They fill out a job application and learn interview skills. They are asked to work in teams to create a business plan, complete with a budget, business license and accounts payable/receivable element. They have to calculate taxes they may owe. 

All the tasks lead up to Market Day in the final week of the school year, which includes a lively auction on the last day of class. Amid all the fun, important math-related lessons are delivered.

“It shows them how to divide tasks and take responsibility for those tasks when working with others,” said teacher David Rodriguez. “It also builds confidence to responsibly handle and manage money.”

In seventh grade, students participate in interactive math learning labs, work collectively in i-Ready study groups and practice for tests, and are exposed to model thinking and reasoning with math.

The goal, explained teacher Erin Sniatecki, is to institute a “growth mindset” in students.

“We work to understand mistakes because they allow real thinking to happen so we can learn,” Sniatecki said.

One of the fun math-related projects in eighth grade is known as “cooking with proportions, a delicious math activity for families.”

Instructor Roxi Lagos asks families to take a favorite recipe (her family made pizza) and scale it in proportions using math principles. The feedback so far has all been positive.

“We made sourdough cinnamon rolls as gifts this year, so that meant doubling the recipe and working through correct conversions and proportions,” said parent Ali Loftin, who cooked with her daughter. “This has helped her so much with learning about fractions and using math in a real-world way. When we saw your pizza activity, we actually made a sourdough pizza crust. Thank you for sharing your love of math with her.”

With math scores on mandatory tests lagging, creating and fostering interest as well as ability in math is critical to preparing this generation of students for their futures.

“Lower math scores are a national issue, not just a Denair issue,” Sniatecki said.

Superintendent Terry Metzger as well as the trustees applauded the DMS teachers for their efforts.

“This presentation really helped us see the progression in math from sixth through eighth grade,” Metzger said. “You are preparing students well for higher level math courses in high school. I’m particularly impressed with the opportunities you are giving students to do item-and-error analysis as a way to think critically about math.”

In other action Thursday, the board: 

• Accepted the resignation of Trustee Crystal Sousa, who joined the board in 2017 and was re-elected in 2022. “While stepping down is a difficult decision, I am currently looking to expand my career opportunities and I want to keep all of my options open,” Sousa explained. The remaining four trustees now must decide whether to appoint a replacement within 60 days or hold a special election to fill out the remainder of Sousa’s term, which runs through the November 2026 election.
• Voted unanimously to eliminate three vacant positions in the 2025-26 budget and reduce the hours of two more employees due to declining enrollment. The jobs that will be cut are a campus supervisor at Denair Elementary Charter Academy, one registrar at Denair Charter Academy and a special education paraeducator at Denair High School. The positions to have a reduction in hours both are at DCA – the principal’s secretary (12 months to 11 months) and a paraeducator (five days to three days).
• Heard a report from the principals at DHS and DCA and two of their instructors about a new one-semester class on ethnic studies, which will be offered next fall. In 2021, the California Legislature passed a bill adding ethnic studies to high school graduation requirements, beginning with the class of 2030. Ethnic studies is an interdisciplinary field that examines the culture, history and experiences of different racial and ethnic groups in the United States, particularly people of color and other historically marginalized groups. Denair with host a parent preview night to discuss the proposed class on March 27 at 6 p.m. in the DHS library. Trustees will decide at their April meeting whether to adopt the proposed curriculum.
• Listened as Amanda Silva, senior director of student services, explained how a new reading screener process mandated by the state will work starting this fall. All students in kindergarten and first and second grades will be evaluated. Just like the hearing and vision screeners done each year in fall, winter and spring, universal screeners for reading are intended to catch concerns that may impact learning while they are still in the early stages. Screening is designed to help districts identify who might need extra support. It is up to the district to determine what form that support takes. Silva said screening is not a formal assessment, will not be used to diagnose or determine eligibility for special education, and will not be used to evaluate teachers.
• Invited residents in the district to apply to serve on the Measure K and Measure Z Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee. There currently are two vacancies on the seven-member panel, with the other terms of the other five volunteers to expire this year. Anyone interested can pick up an application at the district office. Questions should be directed to Chief Business Official Daisy Swearingen at dswearingen@dusd.k12.ca.us
• Approved the 2025-26 school calendar. The first day of school will be Wednesday, Aug. 6. School will be out the week of Nov. 24-28 for Thanksgiving break, Dec. 22 to Jan. 5 for Winter break and April 3-10 for Spring break. The last day of school will be Thursday, May 21. Graduation ceremonies will be May 20 for Denair Charter Academy and May 22 for Denair High School.
• Accepted a bid from EMCOR Services Mesa Energy of Irvine to repair and upgrade heating and air conditioning systems at all four district campuses. Work will start soon and is projected to be completed by Aug. 30. The $382,320 project is being completely paid for by restricted state grant funding the district has received.