DMS Celebrates ‘Pi Day’ with Amazing Feats of Math Memory… and 4 Pies to the Face

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pi_dayThe answer to, “May I have some pie, please?” took different forms Monday at a noontime rally at Denair Middle School.

For custodian and math whiz Charlie Asbill – and some impressive Denair students – the appropriate response was to recite dozens or even hundreds of the numbers in the sequence of Pi. That begins with 3.14 – making March 14 officially “Pi Day” around the world each year.

For Principal Travis Manley and teachers Linda Richardson, David Rodriguez and Jasmin Perez, the question led to a comical conclusion in front of 270 students and many staff. Cream pies to their faces delivered by pupils were their reward for being good sports.

For the uninitiated, Pi Day commemorates the most recognizable mathematical constant in the world. Pi (π) is the ratio of any circle’s circumference to its diameter. Its value is approximately equal to 3.14159265. It is special because its decimal representation never ends or repeats.

Middle school math teacher Roseanne Cantwell was the impetus behind Monday’s rally. Her leadership group – wearing Pi T-shirts – opened with a modified version of the rock ’n roll classic “American Pie.” Then, one by one, six students took the stage to recite as many numbers in the Pi sequence as they could.

Sixth-grader Allie Williams was first and she quickly got the attention of a hushed audience. With peers in the first row keeping track of her accuracy, she ripped off nearly 200 numbers before pausing. Just when everyone thought she might stop, she began where she left off. Ten minutes later, after a few more starts and stops, she was done, having recited 447 decimal places of Pi.

Sixth-grader Trevor Silva (239 numbers), eighth-grader Logan Pierce (109), seventh-grader Leslie Tadao (101), seventh-grader Allison Neal (82) and sixth-grader McKenna Galvan (33) also took their turns, each earning loud applause from the crowd, which included Channel 3 television crew from Sacramento as well as local news reporters. Continue reading “DMS Celebrates ‘Pi Day’ with Amazing Feats of Math Memory… and 4 Pies to the Face” »

Increasing High and Middle School Enrollment Key to Denair’s Long-term Budget Health

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Submitted by Denair Unified School District

The short-term financial outlook for the Denair Unified School District remains positive, trustees were told Thursday night, but the continued erosion of enrollment at the middle school and high school remains a threat to long-term stability.

Linda Covello, the district’s chief business officer, sketched a mixed picture during a budget update for board members, employees and others in the audience.

The good news, she said, is that the district has fully emerged from the financial crisis of 2013 that led to substantial salary cuts for all staff, some layoffs and temporary county fiscal oversight. DUSD is on track to finish its 2015-16 fiscal year with a general fund surplus of $1,333,239. And, thanks to an infusion of one-time money this year from the state, the district’s projected ending general fund balance is $2,186,713.

“We are projecting positive cash flow through June 2017,” Covello told trustees.

Clouds loom on the financial horizon, however. Covello projects enrollment at Denair High School and Denair Middle School to continue to decline – by approximately 4% in 2016-17 and 8% in 2017-18. And while growth at Denair Elementary Charter Academy and Denair Charter Academy is expected to partially offset the drop, Covello said there still is a net loss to the district. She expects DUSD to slip back into deficit spending each of the next two years unless the trend is reversed.

“This tells the story of DMS and DHS,” said Trustee Ray Prock Jr. “We need to get that enrollment up.”

“So, we need more kids,” stated Trustee Kathi Dunham-Filson.

“Yes,” replied Covello. Continue reading “Increasing High and Middle School Enrollment Key to Denair’s Long-term Budget Health” »

Extra Time for ‘Intervention’ and ‘Innovation’ Essential Piece of New DMS Schedule

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Submitted by Denair Unified School District

Denair Middle School Principal Travis Manley said he and his teachers looked to Silicon Valley and beyond when brainstorming how to create a new class schedule for 2016-17. What they agreed upon draws inspiration from “Google time” and “Fed Ex time,” he told the Denair Unified School District board Thursday night.

The concept, he explained, is that 20% of each day is devoted to the kind of creativity “that leads to great things.” In the case of the middle school, nearly an hour dedicated to intervention or innovation will be mandatory for every sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grader on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

In addition, the new schedule builds in time for instructors to teach a second elective. An extra period of band also will be added for students who want to stay after regular classes are over.

“Intervention” refers to additional time spent with those students who have struggled to learn key concepts in their regular classes. Students will be identified and assigned intervention based on “learning targets” for each subject established by teachers, Manley said. The idea is to quickly catch them up, then move them back into their chosen “innovation” project.

“You analyze that data to see where the (learning) gaps are,” he told trustees. “You use that extra period to reteach, whether it’s reading comprehension or math or whatever. … It’s not a life sentence. It’s fluid. Each week, that target will change and you’ll have new kids coming in.”

As important as “intervention” is, it’s the “innovation” piece that most excites Manley and his teachers. Essentially, students will be able to pursue interests beyond what currently is offered in class. That could take many forms, he said. Students must choose a specific learning area four times a year. Though they will not be graded on it, they will be expected to present a report to their teachers at the end of each quarter that highlights what they’ve learned. Continue reading “Extra Time for ‘Intervention’ and ‘Innovation’ Essential Piece of New DMS Schedule” »

Custodian Aims to Recite First 800 Numbers of Pi on 3.14.16

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Charlie Asbill

Submitted by Denair Unified School District

WHAT: A special Pi Day rally on 3.14.16 in recognition of the most recognizable mathematical constant in the world. Pi (π) is the ratio of any circle’s circumference to its diameter. Its value is approximately equal to 3.14159265. It is special because its decimal representation never ends or repeats.

WHO: Charlie Asbill, a custodian at Denair Middle School with a unique gift for memorization and a lifelong fascination with numbers. Two years ago, with only a short amount of practice, he was able to accurately recite the first 400 numbers of Pi. This year, he intends to at least double that in front of the entire student body. A large-screen projection of the numbers will be displayed behind Charlie so the audience can follow along. Students will participate. And there will be pie for all.

WHERE: Coyote Center at Denair Middle School. 3701 Lester Road, Denair.

WHEN: On March 14 (of course), from noon to 12:36 p.m.

BACKGROUND: Charlie Asbill, 61, has worked as a custodian in the Denair Unified School District since 2006. He grew up in Modesto and graduated from Downey High School, where he figured out his own way to solve algebraic equations. Charlie never attended college. He worked in his family’s furniture store before becoming a custodian and maintenance supervisor.

How did you get started with Pi Day? Inga Bernard was the math teacher at the middle school in 2013-14. She said they were doing something in her class to celebrate Pi Day. I told her that I’m pretty good with numbers. She said, ‘Why don’t you give it a try?’ So I got a sheet of numbers. I did 390 numbers (10 lines) in her class.

How long have you been practicing this year? Six weeks about 30 minutes a day, but not every day. I might go through the numbers once. If you fight yourself, you’re lost. … I usually practice in the morning when I grind my own coffee. … I don’t write things down. I have to look at the numbers and learn them in groups of four. Continue reading “Custodian Aims to Recite First 800 Numbers of Pi on 3.14.16” »

DECA Principal Lauds Fifth-Grader, Serenity Bailey

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Sara Michelena and Serenity Bailey

Submitted by Denair Unified School District

Serenity Bailey’s world has been anything but serene over the past year.

First was the news her mother had cancer – a traumatic event for any loved one, but especially a young girl. Then came the freak storm on November 15, when a category 1 tornado ripped through Denair and sent a massive eucalyptus tree crashing into the Bailey family’s 100-year-old Victorian home on Zeering Road. Fortunately no one was hurt, but the house was destroyed and the family displaced. Then, a week after the tornado, Serenity and the entire Denair school community was stunned by the tragic news of Mark Selee’s death. He was Serenity’s fourth-grade teacher last year.

It was more bad news than most fifth-graders ever have to absorb in such a short time. According to Sara Michelena, Serenity’s principal at Denair Elementary Charter Academy, the young girl has shown uncommon determination, resiliency and courage.

“She has continued to bounce back when others might not have done so,” Michelena wrote in nominating Serenity for a countywide award.

The Every Student Succeeding program honors students in grades kindergarten through 12 who have overcome serious challenges, succeeded beyond expectations or just won the hearts of their school staff. It is coordinated by the Stanislaus County Office of Education and the local Association of California School Administrators.

Michelena credits her staff, the Turlock Chaplain’s Association and the experts from Jessica’s House, a group that specializes in working with grieving children, for their efforts to help all of DECA’s students through a difficult time.

“The outpouring of support and kindness of the people of Denair and surrounding communities has restored our faith in the human spirit. Serenity and her family continue to rebuild and recover, and we continue to be in awe of her strength and courage,” Michelena wrote, adding that Serenity “is one of those bright lights in dark times.”