The final three weeks of a school year like no other are shaping up to be busy ones in the Denair Unified School District. About three-quarters of the district’s 1,300 students returned to their campuses last month after spending most of the year learning at home via computer because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, with the end of the school year in sight, here is what’s happening on each campus.

Denair High School

Final exams loom in all grade levels, but many of the most fun and memorable events will be enjoyed by seniors. At least the Class of 2021 – unlike their older friends and siblings last year, when the pandemic wiped out events like the prom and senior trip and turned graduation into a drive-by ceremony – will get to experience some of the senior traditions.

On the same night Denair Unified School District board members unanimously extended Superintendent Terry Metzger’s contract, trustees also heard her lay out a vision for where the district would like to be when that new deal is up for renewal in three years.

In California, all school districts must develop a strategic plan that lays out for parents and the community how they will spend the millions of dollars they receive each year from the state. That document is called the Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP). It reflects the district’s goals, actions and metrics relating to how progress will be measured. 

“In Denair Unified, we see the LCAP process as a great opportunity to think deeply about the focused actions we’ll be taking to improve student outcomes,” Metzger said Thursday night.

Specifically in Denair, the broad goal for the next three years is that all children will have a foundation for post-secondary success. That means preparing high school graduates to enter a two- or four-year college, or having the skills to go directly to a trade school or another kind of vocational field in order to begin their professional careers.

One key measure of success in the next three years, Metzger explained, is for at least 80% of Denair’s 1,300 students to demonstrate literacy – reading, writing and speaking – in all content areas. She described that as teaching students to speak well, to organize their thoughts, and to be able to create and give presentations. 

Denair High senior Christian Perez became the first-ever Coyote to be honored by the Sac-Joaquin Section for his accomplishments as an athlete as well as his success in the classroom and contributions in the community.

Perez earned a prestigious A. Dale Lacky Scholar-Athlete Award, it was announced last week. He is one of 41 students recognized in the Section – which ranges from Merced to north of Sacramento and Napa nearly to Lake Tahoe.  The award is named after former Section and State CIF President A. Dale Lacky. Each league within the Section nominates a male and female athlete for the award.

Perez played on the football and baseball teams for three years each while maintaining a 3.7 GPA in the classroom and making the school’s Honor Roll. In 2018, he was a member of Denair’s Section and state championship football team, playing linebacker and wide receiver. Off the field, he volunteers with Denair Youth Football and won the school’s Committed Coyote Award, which is part of a program intended to allow students to reach their full potential by avoiding reckless behavior. It was created through a partnership between student athletes, teachers, coaches and Stanislaus County Behavioral Health and Recovery Services.

“It’s great to be recognized because this year with quarantine, I worked really hard to keep my grades up through everything,” Perez told the Turlock Journal. “I think this is a diamond in the rough — it’s something great in a bad situation and really helped motivate me to continue doing well.”

It was Staff Appreciation Week in the Denair Unified School District, a time to recognize and honor the many positive impacts employees consistently make on more than 1,300 students.

The district includes nearly 250 teachers, food service workers, classroom aides, office staff, grounds and maintenance employees, counselors and others across its four campuses. All play key roles in educating students ranging in age from pre-school to high school.

“Our employees are the heart of our district,” said Superintendent Terry Metzger. “Our mission is to provide the very best education we can to every student and that wouldn’t be possible without the professionalism, passion and dedication of each of our employees.

“That’s never been truer than in the past year, when we have been challenged to continue that mission in a way that most of us never could have imagined. We truly appreciate each and every one of our employees who have enabled us to serve our students.”

On Tuesday, each Denair employee received a card from Metzger and the five school board members expressing thanks for the difference they make in the lives of children. Wednesday, every employee was invited to enjoy a free drink paid for by the district from the Coyote Cup of Kindness, a cart run by the high school’s special education students. And Thursday, there was a barbecue luncheon for all employees.

The news that the Denair Unified School District has been awarded a $20,000 grant from the state to begin a Farm to Fork program at the high school opens up numerous exciting possibilities.

FFA and special ed students at Denair High — under the guidance of ag teachers Holli Jacobsen and Taylor Doo – soon will begin turning a dusty patch of ground into a one-acre garden. The fruits and vegetables grown in it will funnel straight into the district’s food program.

Broccoli and cauliflower. Tomatoes, peppers and beans. Cucumbers, onions and a variety of melons. Even yams and sweet potatoes. All are options for the new garden.

“All I know, if they send us stuff, I’m going to use it — in the actual entrée, as a side, in the salad bar.” said Kim Fuentez, the food services coordinator who is responsible for preparing thousands of breakfasts and lunches each day.