Colorful flowers, tasty vegetables and creative floral arrangements brought community members to the renovated Denair High greenhouse last weekend for a spring plant sale hosted by the school’s FFA members.

The event was the latest step after nearly a year’s worth of work by Denair’s 118 FFA students and their instructors. And though many plants and bouquets were snapped Saturday, there still are some that can be purchased at Turlock Feed and Livestock Supply or by appointment at the high school. Officials ask people to call the office at (209) 632-9911 to set up a time after school to come check out what is available. 

So far, about $2,000 has been raised – money that will be plowed back into the FFA program.

Before anything could happen, the greenhouse – which was built in 2006, but hadn’t been used in a few years – had to be prepared. That work took place last fall. By February, it was ready to go and students in Denair’s Farm to Fork class began planting the first flower and vegetable seeds. 

The plants were nurtured until Saturday, when the students and staff threw open the doors, invited members of the community in and held their first plant sale since 2011.

“Our greenhouse hadn’t been in use for a while before this year, so it took a lot of hard work and dedication to get it up and running again,” said ag paraeducator Christian Obando.

The public had a bevy of eye-catching inventory from which to choose, including:

• Flowers (marigolds, petunias, cosmos and zinnias)
• Succulents
• Vegetables like tomatoes (beefsteak, Roma and heirloom); peppers (jalapeno, habanero and sweet), cucumbers and squash
• Herbs (basil, cilantro, parsley and dill)
• Fruit (watermelon and cantaloupe)

In addition, there was a build your own bouquet bar where customers were able to select from a three-stem bud vase arrangement for $10, a 10-stem Mason jar arrangement for $25 or a 12-stem bouquet for $30. After buyers picked their preferred stems, students in the floral arrangement class brought their ideas to life. The bouquets included flowers grown by the students as well as 80 sunflower stems donated by a community member.

The day included other fun activities like rock painting for kids, bouquet making and grow your own garden.

Students from the high school’s Project Life special education class also were on hand to man the Coyote Cup of Kindness drink cart, which had lemonade and other refreshments up for sale.

Obando said a goal that he and ag instructors Roger Christianson and Aime Snell share for the department and their students is to continue to renovate and update the greenhouse. New equipment will allow students to produce more food that can be used in the district’s kitchens in addition to growing flowers and veggies for future plant sales, which could include poinsettias at Christmas time.

Community members interested in contributing materials or money to the greenhouse project should contact the Denair High ag department.

Ethan Gonsalves’ high school golf career ended in heart-breaking fashion Monday when the Denair senior – thinking his 1-over-par 73 was too high – left the course early and missed a chance to compete in a playoff.

Playing at The Reserve at Spanos Park in Stockton, Gonsalves got off to a fast start in the Sac-Joaquin Masters Tournament. He was 3 under par when he stepped to the tee on No. 13 – a 151-yard par-3 where he made his first hole-in-one during a practice round Friday.

Unfortunately, Gonsalves made a bogey Monday, then followed that with another bogey at the par-4 14th and a double-bogey 5 at the short par-3 15th.

Just like that, he was 1-over for the day and in danger of missing out on one of the four individual qualifying spots into next week’s NorCal Championship at Berkeley Country Club.

Gonsalves rebounded on the par-5th 16th, crushing a drive and then knocking his second shot to within 5 feet for a possible eagle. He missed the putt, but tapped in for a birdie, leaving him at even par with two holes to play.

He made a bogey and a par to finish at 73, then began to wait in the clubhouse. Gonsalves followed the app on his phone to keep track of other players’ scores. Only the top three teams – plus the four players with the lowest scores who aren’t from those schools – would advance.

“He was winning the tournament, then had a couple of bad holes,” said Denair coach Greg Gaudio. “He was upset because the holes he didn’t do well on were easy holes he typically would do well on.”

Gonsalves and Gaudio stayed for about 20 minutes, but Gaudio ultimately decided that it was best for Gonsalves that they leave the course. They drove to a nearby shopping center just to decompress.

Then, Gonsalves’ phone rang and he was told he was in a three-way playoff. They quickly drove back to the course. 

“it was two minutes away,” said Gaudio, who dropped Gonsalves off in the parking lot, not far from the first tee, where the playoff began. But by the time he got there, the two other players had already teed off and were walking down the fairway.

Gonsalves was too late and was disqualified.

The shocking end to his remarkable season does nothing to diminish Gonsalves’ accomplishments this year. He was the Southern League MVP and captured his second straight Section Small Schools individual championship. Earlier this spring, he signed a letter of intent to play golf at Cal State, Stanislaus in college.

“I just feel it was a real honor to watch this young man for four years turn into a great golfer,” Gaudio said. “I was lucky to watch his growth in the sport. This was definitely a lesson learned. I’m sure today he’s starting to shake it off.”

Name: Cristina Lopez

Family: Two sons

Position: Bilingual Attendance Secretary

Experience: Eight years in Denair

What attracted you to Denair Unified? What attracted me to Denair Unified School District is the strong sense of community and the dedication to providing quality education to students. The support from teachers, staff, and families creates a special learning environment. The small-school feel can really make a difference. It’s like everyone knows each other and there’s a real sense of community and connection. It’s nice to have a close-knit environment where you can make a personal impact on the students.

What are your primary responsibilities? My responsibilities include maintaining attendance records for students, communicating with parents and guardians regarding absences, assisting with language interpretation for non-English speaking families and ensuring accurate documentation of student attendance. My role is crucial in supporting effective communication between the school and families, especially those who may face language barriers.

What do you like best about your job? I love working with students.  Working with students can be so rewarding. Teenagers can be so dynamic and full of energy. It’s fantastic that I get to support them and guide them during those formative years. It’s really fulfilling to make a difference in their lives every day.

What would surprise people about your job? I think what would surprise people the most about my job is the deep connections I build with students in that age group. People might not realize the impact I have on their lives and how much they can teach me, too.  It’s a two-way street of learning and growth.

Why is Denair Unified a great place to work? Denair Unified is a great place to work because of the dedicated staff and the opportunity to make a positive impact on students’ lives. The sense of collaboration and the focus on students’ success makes it a rewarding environment to work in.

What do you do for fun?  I love to hang out with my two sons. I enjoy going to the movies, camping, hiking, fishing, and spending time with my loved ones.

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Denair Unified is currently accepting applications for Classified substitutes. If you would like to gain experience in a variety of roles, subbing is a great way to do that. You can apply at  https://www.edjoin.org/Home/JobPosting/1896889 or contact Daisy Flores at dflores@dusd.k12.ca.us.

There were smiles, even a few tears, and plenty of hugs and applause Wednesday night when  Denair High School honored its top students in front of 300 family, friends and staff members in the gym.

An impressive $37,000 in combined scholarships were announced, money that will be important as the 52 members of the Class of 2024 continue their educations in college or trade schools.

The top scholarship recipients were:

• Kaitlin Perez — $6,000
• Landen Borges — $3,900
• Lauren Pierce — $3,950
• Iliany Contreras — $3,000
• Avarey Corriea — $3,000

“At its core, the annual Denair High School Awards Night is a celebration of student achievement and a tribute to each student’s resilience and grit,” said Principal Breanne Aguiar. “In recognizing excellence, we inspire greatness, and in celebrating achievement, we pave the way for a brighter, more inspiring future. 

“We are grateful for the opportunity to award students with over $37,000 in scholarships and thank our community partners for their unwavering support.”

Name: Stacey Bargas 

Family: Husband, Tony; sons, Joseph and Gabriel 

Position: Food Server 1 

Experience: 16 years 

What attracted you to Denair Unified? My boys were enrolled in Denair State Pre-School and Denair Elementary. The district needed subs. I decided to sub for the school. I ended up subbing at the elementary cafeteria. Denair is a small town. I knew many teachers and students. Everyone looked like they were having fun. I was already volunteering in my sons’ classrooms, so I figured, “Why not?” 

What are your primary responsibilities? This year, I started a new position. I’ve been cooking from scratch for Denair Elementary Charter Academy. I was lead at DECA for two years prior and, before that, I prepared pre-cooked food and served lunch for DECA. DECA was my home for 14 years. I built many relationships with our students and staff. 

What do you like best about your job? I like coming to work, cooking meals that the kids will enjoy. I love greeting the middle school kids at breakfast. I make sure their day gets started with a “hello” and a big smile. And I make sure I get one in return. (Even if they don’t want to!) 

What would surprise people about your job? That I can cook! People who know me know I wasn’t crazy about cooking, actual cooking. Now, I’ve learned new cooking tricks! I’ve hosted family parties and prepared the food! Too bad my kids are already grown up. I didn’t have the confidence to cook from scratch like I do now. 

Why is Denair Unified a great place to work? Denair is a small district. I know practically everyone in this town, even though I grew up in Hughson. I moved to Tennessee in 2022. I got a job as a manager at Martin Middle School. And even though I liked it, it was nothing like working at Denair. I missed the students, staff and all the families I built relationships with. I was so grateful I was given the opportunity to come back to this district. 

What do you do for fun? I love going to the beach with my best friend, camping, being the photographer for my husband’s fishing trips, going to church and hanging out with my hens and dogs.

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Denair Unified is currently accepting applications for Classified substitutes. If you would like to gain experience in a variety of roles, subbing is a great way to do that. You can apply at  https://www.edjoin.org/Home/JobPosting/1896889 or contact Daisy Flores at dflores@dusd.k12.ca.us.