This is one in a series of Q&A’s with teachers new to Denair Unified in 2019-20

Family: Married with two daughters

School: Denair Elementary Charter Academy

Subject taught: Fourth-grade Dual Language Immersion

Experience and education:  More than 20 years in various education positions: including instructional aide, migrant education homeschool preschool teacher, substitute teacher and, for  the last four years, elementary school teacher.

What attracted you to Denair? The small-town feeling and the Dual Language Immersion program.

Why most inspires you about teaching? To see students grow and when they have their (aha moment) when they actually get it.

What is a challenge you look forward to tackling this year? I will be teaching fourth grade for the first time in my career.

What is your favorite teaching tool or activity? I enjoy using technology for various activities.

What do you want your students to remember? How much fun they had learning in fourth grade.

How can parents support what you do? By having an open communication and to let me know if they have any questions, comments or concerns.

What would surprise people about your job? I will be teaching 50% in English and 50% in SpanishWhat do you do for fun? I love to go to the beach and watch my daughter play volleyball.

This is one in a series of Q&A’s with teachers new to Denair Unified in 2019-20

Family: I live with my husband, Ian, and our cat, Graycie.

School: Denair Elementary Charter Academy

Subject taught: Third grade

Experience and education: BA in elementary education and minor in English language learning from Central Washington University. MA in english language learning from Western Governors University 

I have taught kindergarten (2015-18) and fourth grade (2018-19).

What attracted you to Denair? I have been a resident of California for a little over a year.  I was commuting a ways for my previous job and wanted to find a district closer to home. That is when I heard about a beautiful town just east of Turlock called Denair. I found that the district’s philosophy on education is very similar to my own. It provides excellent programs like PBIS and believes in doing all that it can to provide students with an education to help prepare them for their future. I knew immediately that this is where I wanted to be! 

What most inspires you about teaching? One of the things that inspires me the most about teaching is providing students with a love of learning that will make them want to continue coming to school each and every day. My favorite teachers and professors have also inspired me to teach by always making learning fun and engaging, by pushing me to try new challenges and believing in me when I struggled the most in school. These are some the things I want to do for my students, so I can provide a positive difference in their lives like my teachers have done for me.

What is a challenge you look forward to tackling this year? This will be my first year teaching third grade, so learning this new grade level, and working with 8- and 9-year-olds is going to be a challenge I look forward to tackling.  I cannot wait to start this new school year with my students, and my DECA team!

What is your favorite teaching tool or activity?  I absolutely love reading, and love to use rich and engaging texts to introduce new lessons.  Using books to teach new concepts helps get kids excited about the topic and can provide some background knowledge. It also allows students to make a connection between the lesson and real-world applications. 

What do you want your students to remember? I want my students to remember to never give up and keep trying when challenges come their way.  I want them to remember that failure is okay, and that mistakes allow thinking to happen!How can parents support what you do? Parents can support what I do by working with me as a team to help their child grow.  This can be done through communication and collaboration, as well as reinforcing classroom/school rules at home so your child knows we share the same expectations.  Parents can also support by letting their child play and take a break at home because the school day can be exhausting, and also take time to read with their child every day to help them gain a love for reading.

This is one in a series of Q&A’s with teachers new to Denair Unified in 2019-20

Family: My family consists of six people, including myself. My mother is Ernestina Arellano who was born in Michoacán, Mexico. My father is Armando Arellano who was born in Guanajuato, Mexico. I have two brothers and one sister. My twin brother is named after my father, Armando. My sister is Crystal and my youngest sibling is Jonathan.

School:  Denair Elementary Charter Academy

Subject taught: Third-grade Dual Language Immersion 

Experience and education: My education consisted of a total of five years at CSU Stanislaus. I have a BA in liberal studies and also completed the multiple subject credential program. I have worked in a variety of environments that have given me knowledge and great experiences. I first started working with children in a day care setting. I then worked as a substitute for paraprofessionals which taught me the importance of providing help and assistance. I have also been an after school recreational leader, a student support assistant (yard duty), substitute teacher, tutor and in different classrooms and as a camp counselor.

What attracted you to Denair? What attracted me to Denair was the warm welcome I received as soon as I stepped foot in the district office. I absolutely loved the warm and friendly welcome I received because it made me feel comfortable and happy to be there.

What most inspires you about teaching? It would definitely have to be the learning that takes place on both ends as well as the relationships you build. I absolutely love to see how happy a child gets from learning something that was once difficult for him/her, and I truly believe that I learn throughout the year along with them. I’m inspired because I love how one can build relationships that carry great memories.

What is a challenge you look forward to tackling this year? Teaching. Being a first-year teacher can be quite intimidating, but I am looking forward to this journey of learning and growth. I want to learn as much as I can from this amazing opportunity at DECA.

What is your favorite teaching tool or activity?  My favorite teaching activity is think pair share. I believe it is extremely important for students to be given the time to think about what they just learned and share what they learned with a partner. I believe this allows the student to be involved in his/her learning by having communication with a fellow peer.

What do you want your students to remember? One thing would be the importance of having courage and confidence. I truly want students to believe that it’s okay to make mistakes. It is okay to not know and ask for help and guidance when it’s needed because that is what having courage looks like. I truly believe that learning happens when mistakes are made. I want students to remember that they have confidence because they are capable of great things.

How can parents support what you do? Parents can support what I do by creating a quiet environment for their child to do their homework. I encourage parents to allow their child to make mistakes because this allows I, the teacher, to see if the student is understanding the material.

What would surprise people about your job? People would be surprised that teaching is a job that is full of learning. Learning not only takes place with students, but with the teacher as well. As a teacher, you are constantly learning.  What do you do for fun?  Creating DIY projects. I love to go on Pinterest and get inspiration on projects that I’d like to do for my class or my home.

Submitted by Denair Unified School District

There already was a line of parents and students waiting when Ryan Dudley and his medical team from Castle Family Health Centers arrived at the Denair Middle School campus Wednesday morning.

By midday, the clinicians already had seen 40 students, with another 30 in line. By the time the clinic was scheduled to end at 3 p.m., it’s possible nearly 100 students had received athletic physicals for fall sports or been given various vaccinations or booster shots.

All the treatment was free, courtesy of a partnership between the Denair Unified School District, Castle and Turlock-based Legacy Health Endowment, which picked up the cost.

It is the second free mobile medical clinic offered in the district since late May. About 70 students were seen at the first one and it appeared even more were treated Wednesday.

The fact that Wednesday’s event overlapped with Coyote Call no doubt increased activity at the clinic. With exactly a week before classes resume Aug. 7, middle and high school students were on campus Wednesday to get their schedules and sign up for clubs.

This is one in a series of Q&A’s with teachers new to Denair Unified in 2019-20

Family: Husband, Lee and children, Lucas, Logan and Rachel

School: Denair Elementary Charter Academy

Subject taught: Transitional kindergarten

Experience and education: BA from CSU Stanislaus, 13 years teaching preschool at Denair State Preschool. Currently completing preservice and then IMPACT program at TCSJ (Teachers College of San Joaquin).

What attracted you to Denair? DECA incorporates many wonderful programs such as PBIS, Academic Adventures and the Character Bound program along with college awareness as part of the learning culture.  I love the small-town feel, my amazing co-workers and the families that make up our school community. I am also an alumni (DHS class of 1992), member of the community and our three children all graduated from Denair.  

Why most inspires you about teaching? I absolutely love my students; they inspire me every day. Observing children utilize their critical thinking skills, collaborating, communicating and being creative while engaging in hands-on activities is inspiring. Seeing how they grow and learn through the year always amazes me.

What is a challenge you look forward to tackling this year? Going from a part-day program to a full-day will be something new for me this year as well as new curriculum.

What is your favorite teaching tool or activity?  Integrating STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) activities during free choice is a great way for students to use their critical thinking skills and creativity. When used in small groups, students then practice collaborating with others and building communication skills.

What do you want your students to remember? I want students to remember that their TK class was a safe, welcoming and engaging space to come to school and their teacher was caring and fun.

How can parents support what you do?   Fill your child with a love of learning by showing interest, asking them questions and encouraging them. Read to your child and foster a love of reading.

What would surprise people about your job? I think people would be surprised how much time educators spend outside of class time attending professional development and planning engaging classroom activities. What do you do for fun? I love to spend time reading, traveling and spending time with family and friends.