Category Archives: News

DHS to Compete in Academic Decathlon Competition

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SCOE Academic Decathlon Logo

Submitted by Denair Unified School District

Months of intense study, Saturday cram sessions and practice tests are over for the Denair High School Academic Decathlon team. The 16 students are as prepared as they can be and enter the countywide competition expecting to continue an impressive legacy – Denair has won the small-school championship in Stanislaus County the past five years.

“We have high hopes,” said first-year coach Sean Pham.

The 35th annual countywide competition is a two-day series of oral interviews, speeches and tests revolving around this year’s theme of “Renewable Energy.”

Friday night, Denair and more than a dozen other teams will gather at Enochs High School in Modesto for the speech and interview portions of the competition. Three judges will talk individually with each team member. Saturday, everyone moves to Modesto High School for tests in math, language and literature, economics, science, social science, art and music.

The overall champion and runner-up regardless of enrollment advance to the state finals in March in Sacramento.

The members of Denair’s team are Brandon Bettencourt, Alexis Brantley, Jennifer Calderon, Jacklyn Gonzales, Noah Johnson, Ryan Kisner, Andrew Knapp, Louis Koehn, Carter Lawson, Shawn McVeigh, Eva Olivas, Jose Orozco, Alexis Padilla, Jordan Sandoval, Garrett Schults and David Sweeten.

The team has been practicing since before school started in August, Pham said. Denair is one of the few schools that set aside a period each day for Academic Decathlon students. The Coyotes also have cram sessions every other Saturday, where former students often return to serve as mentors. Continue reading “DHS to Compete in Academic Decathlon Competition” »

DHS Student Earns FFA State Degree

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Kenneth Carder

Submitted by Denair Unified School District

Denair High School’s Kenneth Carder is the only member of this senior class who has earned his FFA State Degree. This ambitious student, who has been a member of Denair FFA since eighth grade, previously earned his Greenhand and Chapter Farmer Degrees.

At the 2012 fair, Kenneth won Yorkshire Breed Champion. He placed first in market class for his pig in his freshman and sophomore year, and for his cow during his sophomore year. He also made it to finals in his junior and sophomore year, for showmanship of his pig.

Kenneth is working this year on his FFA American Degree, which is not awarded until next year. Currently enrolled at Modesto Junior College in an Ag Computer Applications class, Kenneth plans to major in Animal Science and become a veterinarian.

Kenneth demonstrates all three circles of the agriculture education model. He is an excellent student in class, attends monthly FFA meetings, and has carried out a Supervised Agricultural Education Project (SAEP) in swine, each year. Students like Kenneth are great role-models to those looking to be involved in FFA.

Denair Charter Academy Students Connect with Teachers

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DCA Office Sign

Submitted by Denair Unified School District

Erin Kirkley, who was once a dropout and now is on the brink of graduation, calls Denair Charter Academy “her second home.” Darlene Contrell credits DCA with turning around her grandson’s life. A teen father says the independent study program allows him to balance school with a job to support his daughter. Aspiring church missionary Tabitha Harrison appreciates the flexibility of the schedule.

Though each student’s situation is unique, they all reflect an approach to what Principal Michelle Bush calls “personalized education.” The appeal and effectiveness of that philosophy is reflected in the small campus’ impressive growth: Just since August, DCA’s enrollment has risen from 225 students to 320 today.

“I think the kids are seeking a different kind of experience,” explained Bush, who blends high academic expectations for her students with equal portions tough love and emotional support. “The magic in this place comes from the relationships teachers establish with their students that extend beyond the lessons.”

DCA is not a traditional school. It offers comprehensive support for parents who home school their children (46 this year) as well as a rigorous independent study program for high school students who need a different path to their diplomas. Those teens arrive from throughout the region for a variety of reasons – they have fallen behind in a traditional setting, they have behavioral or emotional issues, they have to work to support their families or they have specific scheduling needs.

Whatever the circumstances, Bush and her staff work on-one-one with the student and his or her family to create an Individual Learning Plan, which guides what will follow. Students spend only an hour or two on campus each week to meet with their teachers, who grade and review previous assignments, answer questions and give the teens the next week’s worth of lessons to be completed at home. There also is one parental meeting a month and a counselor on staff to work with families.

The expectations are high and the responsibility all on the student to complete the work.

“The image of it being a quick and easy way to get an education is the myth that is blown away,” Bush explained.

Kirkley arrived last year as a junior, admittedly with “a bad attitude toward school … and toward life.” She had bounced between high schools in San Antonio, Texas, and Modesto before being directed to DCA. Continue reading “Denair Charter Academy Students Connect with Teachers” »