Category Archives: News

New Testing Procedure for all Denair Students Will Drive Personalized Instruction in 4 Key Areas

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Submitted by Denair Unified School District

Testing procedures and analysis is about to go to a whole different level in the Denair Unified School District.

The goal, school trustees were told Thursday night, is to better understand student performance in order to create customized plans to address specific academic weaknesses. Parents soon will be receiving reports that chart their children’s progress in four performance areas and include recommendations to help them improve.

“This assessment allows us to target specific skills that can be improved throughout the school year,” explained David Naranjo, the district’s senior director of student support services. “We can target the specific intervention by setting goals with students.”

The testing program is part of the NWEA system, an international organization recognized for its student assessment systems. NWEA’s results provide the national averages to which Denair students from kindergarten through 11th grade were compared.

The tests themselves cover four core subjects – math, reading, language usage and science. Each child is expected to complete them, including students in special education programs as well as those for whom English is a second language (starting this year, exams also will be given in Spanish). The tests are taken at the district’s various computer labs; each subject takes about 50 minutes to complete.

The tests will be given three times a year, Naranjo explained, so performance can be measured and interventions introduced as necessary. The first tests were given in May. Those results were shared Thursday night.

High school principal Kara Backman said the initial analysis shows that Denair students “are generally strong in language use” across the district, but are “average” to “low average” in other subject areas. Continue reading “New Testing Procedure for all Denair Students Will Drive Personalized Instruction in 4 Key Areas” »

Volleyball, Cross Country Teams Search for Success

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Submitted by Denair High School

The seasons have started for the athletes on the Denair high volleyball and cross country teams.

The girls playing volleyball jumped right into the Southern League schedule with two matches this week. Monday at Waterford, they lost a well-played match 25-22, 25-12 and 25-17. Wednesday at home, they fell in straight sets to Orestimba 25-9, 25-6 and 25-12.

Against Waterford, first-year Christy North felt that the “strength of our game was serving.” Cheyenne Souza and Courtney Prock each had three aces while and Alexandria Sanders and Bryanna Suarez had two each.

Against Orestimba, North was impressed by the Souza, one of the team’s outside hitters.

“In one amazing series, she hit the ball, they blocked it and we picked it up three times in the same play!” North said. “t was very exciting, especially near the beginning of the match, but then their block intimidated the rest of the girls.”

North said she is looking for improvement in passing and receiving. The Coyotes will have a chance to score their first victory with upcoming matches against Mariposa (Sept. 14) and Ripon Christian (Sept. 18).

Denair’s runners competed in the first Southern League meet Sept. 7 at Tuolumne River Regional Park in Modesto. It was a 5K course, mostly on grass with only a couple of small hills. Denair finished fourth behind Waterford, Orestimba and Delhi.

The top finisher for the Coyotes was senior Alex Flores in 21 minutes, 21 seconds. He was followed by Pablo Flores (21:40), Uriel Gonzalez (22:59), Brigg Wenstrand (23:38) and Johnny Ibarra (24:18).

“I am proud of all my team, they all ran hard,” said coach Matthew Groom. I am especially proud of my underclassmen for stepping up to varsity and giving us a chance to score as a team.”

Earlier, Denair competed against 31 other schools in the Lodi Flame Invitational at Lake Lodi. Gonzalez was the Coyotes’ top finisher in the varsity race in 24:37, while Pablo Flores had the top time (13:27) among all Division V runners in the JV race, followed by Ibarra (14:43) and Wenstrand.

Next up for Denair is the Frogtown Invitational Sept. 19 at the Calaveras County Fairgrounds.

Denair Learns to be the Aggressor in 27-24 Victory Over Millennium

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Submitted by Denair High School

Football is a physical game. It’s all about size and strength combined with speed and leverage. The toughest guys don’t always win, but their willingness to deliver and absorb hard hits certainly can set a tone for a team. Younger players, in particular, can be intimidated.

Just ask Denair coach Anthony Armas, a bruising former lineman who must walk a fine line during practice. He recognizes his inexperienced team must learn to be more physical. But with less than 20 players available and most playing both offense and defense, he also realizes that too much hitting during the week risks injuries that could leave the Coyotes at a disadvantage come game time.

Armas thought Denair was dominated in its 48-2 season-opening loss to Summerville. With a bye in Week 2, he and his coaching staff emphasized playing more physically in Saturday’s game against Millennium.

Message received.

Denair won 27-24 thanks to big games from Blake Davis, Drew Pritchard and Steffin Winston – and by playing with more intensity, especially in blocking and tackling.

“Physically, we got tougher. I think Summerville took it to us,” Armas said. “This week, I thought we took it to them (Millennium).”

The Coyotes’ short roster prevents them from lots of hitting during the week. Instead, the coaches use heavy bags and tackling dummies to teach players about leverage and technique. But there is no substitute for live game experience when the adrenalin is flowing under the lights.

“We definitely got better, but there still are a lot of things we need to work on,” assessed Armas.

Denair’s three-headed attack of Hunter Musgrave, Dylan De Silva and Winston “all ran hard,” according to Armas. Winston scored on two short runs in the second quarter as the Coyotes built a 13-6 halftime lead. Continue reading “Denair Learns to be the Aggressor in 27-24 Victory Over Millennium” »

Denair’s Pizza Factory is Partnering With No Kid Hungry

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Submitted by No Kid Hungry

One in six kids in the United States struggles with hunger, meaning that instead of worrying about being a kid, they are worried about their next meal. To help reverse this statistic, Pizza Factory in Denair is partnering with No Kid Hungry, an organization that focuses on making sure kids are able to eat healthy food through programs such as school breakfast and summer meals.

For every special XL pizza sold during the month of September, the local Pizza Factory will donate $1 to the organization in an effort to help fight against child hunger. Pizza Factory is located at 4326 Main Street, in Denair, and is open Mondays through Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sundays from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Founded 30 years ago, Pizza Factory has become well known for serving fresh, high-quality pizza, sandwiches, salads and more. The brand is also widely recognized for its close community connection, which includes its iconic “No Bully Zone” program and impactful fundraising partnerships.

To learn more about Pizza Factory, please visit http://pizzafactory.com.