Submitted by Denair High School

Henry Johnson has been overcoming obstacles, knocking down barriers and inspiring those around for all of his 16 years.

Now, the Denair High School sophomore has been recognized as part of a countywide program honoring students who have succeeded against all odds, beyond expectations or simply won the hearts of the administrators and other educators who helped them achieve their goals.

Tuesday morning, Henry was among 23 Stanislaus County students from 14 districts to receive an Every Student Succeeding Award at a breakfast in downtown Modesto.

Henry was born with Apert Syndrome, a genetic defect that falls under the broad classification of craniofacial/ anomalies and is primarily characterized by specific malformations of the skull, midface, hands, and feet. His skull was prematurely fused and unable to grow normally, and his fingers and toes were fused together in varying degrees.

He has undergone more than 20 surgeries to separate his fingers and toes, reform his skull and restructure his face. His most recent was early this year at UC Davis to realign his eyes.

Through it all, Henry has maintained a positive attitude about school and life. He is popular with his classmates and a favorite of his teachers. From 2008 to 2011, he and his family raised more than $90,000 for cranial research through a series of Henry’s March fun runs at CSU Stanislaus.

“Henry is an amazing kid,” said Denair Principal Kara Backman, who nominated him for the award. “He is the true definition of a young man that exudes grit, perseverance, and kindness.” Continue reading “Denair High Student Henry Johnson Honored with Special Stanislaus County Award” »

Submitted by Denair Elementary Charter Academy

The students and staff at Denair Elementary Charter Academy are having fun this week, marking the birthday of Dr. Seuss on March 2 while also celebrating Read Across America week.

“It’s a chance to promote reading and inspire students to read,” said Principal Kelly Beard.

The DECA student council has identified a different dress-up them for each day, encouraging students as well as staff to come to school in non-traditional outfits.

Monday was “Fox in a Socks” with crazy socks and hair, Tuesday was “Put Me in the Zoo” for spotted or dotted clothing, Wednesday was pajama day and Thursday was “Cat in the Hat” twin day.

Friday, everyone is urged to come as their favorite Dr. Seuss character. Beard and her third-grade daughter, Mackenzie, plan to be Thing I and Thing II. Learning director Laura Cardenas will be the Cat in the Hat.

“It’s been a fun week,” Beard said. “Everyone always looks forward to it.”

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SACRAMENTO – Denair ran into a taller, stronger, faster team Monday night in the second round of the Sac-Joaquin Section Division V playoffs, with predictable results.

Sacramento Adventist scored the first 14 points of the game and never looked back, cruising to a 67-36 victory and ending the Coyotes’ season.

“They’re bigger across the board. They were better and more skilled at most positions,” assessed Denair Coach R.J. Henderson.

The Capitals (25-5) limited the Coyotes (17-11) to just 13 points in the first half in building a 19-point lead.

“Their game plan didn’t alter,” Henderson said. “After makes, they went into a zone (defense) and after misses, they go man. We saw that in the three films we watched, but we didn’t handle it well.”

Despite its cold shooting, Denair trimmed Sacramento Adventist’s lead to 10 points entering the second quarter. The run coincided with insertion of junior Austin Upfold, who kept the Coyotes in the game.

“Austin came off the bench and sparked us, but we could never really make a push,” Henderson. “I thought if we could get it to eight or nine points by halftime, we’d have a chance. … We just didn’t make enough plays and enough shots.” Continue reading “Denair’s Season Ends with Basketball Playoff Loss” »

An $181,000 infusion of one-time state money will allow the Denair Unified School District to create more options on its campuses to help students struggling in core programs such as math, English, and science.

Superintendent Terry Metzger, the principals at each of Denair’s campuses and representatives the teachers union have collaborated on just how the money can be put to best use.

The plans they created, Metzger told Denair trustees Thursday night, “allow us some time to study evidence-based practices, work with teachers and support staff, and then provide resources and support for students.”

She described the grant as a “final gift” from former Gov. Jerry Brown in his 2018-19 state budget. The money must be spent by June 2021.

“Each plan includes language that allows us to think about how to create inviting spaces for students to access technology, collaborate, study and get tutoring before/after school,” Metzger said.

Also Thursday, the board voted 4-0, with Trustee Regina Gomes absent, to implement a new middle school math curriculum that has shown promising results during a pilot period.

Known as enVisionmath2.0 Common Core, the program is a comprehensive mathematics curriculum for grades six through eight. It uses problem-solving, interactive experiences and visual learning to engage students. Personalized math practice, built-in interventions, and customizable content deepen understanding and improve achievement.

Denair Middle School math teachers David Rodriguez and Anthony Narsi have been using the program since last fall. They told trustees last month they believe it will help to improve students’ math skills and, ultimately, their performance on state tests, which has been a concern.

The middle school program is consistent with what was introduced last year at Denair High School. Metzger said it is a hybrid of written materials as well as online programs and videos that students access via Chromebooks at school or their own computers at home. Continue reading “Denair Trustees Accepted $181,000 State Grant Aimed at Helping Students in Key Academic Areas” »

Submitted by Denair High School

SACRAMENTO – Denair High School Coach R.J. Henderson calls senior shooting guard J.T. Smith a “marksman.” And one statistic illustrates that description better than any other. Of the 58 field goals Smith has made this season, 51 of them have been three-pointers.

“When’s he on, he’s changing the game,” Henderson said.

Smith definitely was a game-changer Wednesday night, hitting three of the biggest shots in Denair’s come-from-behind  68-61 overtime victory over Bradshaw Christian in the first round of the Sac-Joaquin Section Division V playoffs.

The win was Denair’s first in the playoffs since 2007 and moved the 11^th-seeded Coyotes (17-10) into Monday’s second round against No. 3 seed Sacramento Adventist (24-5), which routed 14^th seed Leroy Greene 73-28.

Denair’s season is still alive thanks to some clutch shots from Smith. He drained a three-pointer with about 50 seconds left in regulation that cut Bradshaw’s lead to 52-50. After a missed shot by the Pride, Drew Pritchard – who led the Coyotes with 26 points – made a basket to tie the game.

Denair’s defense came through again, forcing another Bradshaw miss, but the Coyotes missed two free throws with 1.8 seconds that could have clinched the game.

No matter. Smith opened overtime with back-to-back three-pointers, opening a lead that Denair never relinquished despite starts Steffin Winston (13 points, 12 rebounds) and Mario Plasencia both fouling out early in the four-minute extra period.  Continue reading “Denair High Win Basketball Playoff Opener in Overtime; Face Sacramento Adventist on Monday” »