Four Apply For DHS Football Head Coach Position

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DHS Coyotes Football

Submitted by Denair Unified School District

Four men have been interviewed to become the next football coach at Denair High School, a vacancy unexpectedly created by Ted Howze’s engagement and recent decision to move to Stockton with his fiancée.

Two finalists will advance to the next round of the interview process and a new coach could be introduced by the end of the month, said Denair High School Principal Aaron Delworth. The applicants include coaches from the region as well as outside the area, he said.

“We are very sad to see Ted go. He brought fire and passion back to the football program,” said Delworth. “Players walked taller in the hallways and the conversations on Fridays were always positive. He did a great job in rejuvenating our program and bringing pride back to the school. …

“Our focus now is to find a coach who will bring the same fire and passion, and continue the process of building a dominant football program. We have very high expectations for our program and will need a coach who shares our vision.”

Superintendent Aaron Rosander also credited Howze with establishing “a strong foundation upon which a new era in DHS football can be built.” He said the school is “looking not only for a qualified football coach, but for an individual with exemplary leadership skills who transmits pride, energy and a passion for excellence across the entire school.”

Howze, 48, a large-animal veterinarian by trade, was a non-traditional choice last spring to take over the Coyotes’ program, which had fallen on hard times after previous success. Denair was winless in 2013, but improved to 3-7 last fall despite finishing the season with only 20 varsity players. Howze used a deceptive single-wing offense and hustling defense to re-establish the Coyotes as a competitive team in the Southern League. Continue reading “Four Apply For DHS Football Head Coach Position” »

DECA Petition Up For Final Approval By DUSD Board

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DUSD Logo

Submitted by Denair Unified School District

A new elementary charter school that would include Spanish instruction for all students with rigorous core subjects and exposure to fine arts tops the list of items to be considered Thursday night by the Denair Unified School District board of trustees.

The proposal calls for Denair Unified School District to form a new school known as Denair Elementary Charter Academy, or DECA, for the 2015-16 school year.

DECA’s mission, according to the proposed new charter, “is to provide students with an engaging, nurturing, equitable learning environment that promotes the development of skills necessary for the 21st century.”

One of the innovative features of the new charter school would be a dual immersion English/Spanish class for kindergarteners. The class would follow the 90% Spanish and 10% English dual immersion model, said Principal Sara Michelena. The goal is to have a 50/50 mix of English and Spanish speakers. The intent, she said, is to add a dual immersion class at successive grade levels each year as the first group of kindergartners gets older.

All other DECA students also will have regular Spanish instruction, Michelena said. In addition, the new charter school would have two 30-station computer labs to teach tech skills and would continue to focus on arts enrichment for all students. Even at the elementary level, there will be an emphasis on building a college-going culture and “assist students to become self-motivated, competent, lifelong learners.”

Parents and community members can weigh in on the new charter at Thursday night’s meeting. Trustees have until the end of April to adopt the rewritten charter petition and send it to the state, which must give final approval.

Thursday’s meeting begins at 7 p.m. in the district’s board room at 3460 Lester Road.

A Class Act! 10 Questions for Cristina Rojas

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Cristina Rojas

Submitted by Denair Unified School District

Name: Cristina Rojas

Family: Sons, Alex (20) and Max (18); daughter, Grace (12)

School: Denair Charter Academy

Subject taught: Independent Study – all

Experience and education: Bachelor’s degree in economics and teaching credential in math. I have been teaching in Denair since 2010.

What most inspires you about teaching? Making a difference in the lives of students is what inspires me.

What are your biggest challenges as a teacher? Time.

What is your favorite teaching tool or activity? My favorite teaching tool/activity is having in-depth conversations with my students.

How has Common Core affected your classroom strategy? Common Core has jump-started many relevant real-world, cross-curricular conversations between me, my students, other students and teachers in the classroom.

What do you want your students to remember? I want my students to remember that they all are valuable, have worth and have something special to offer this world.

How can parents support what you do? I believe parents can support what I do by being present and engaging in their child’s life.

What’s next in your classroom? Continued collaboration and problem-based learning activities and lessons.

What would surprise people about your job? The amount of paperwork that this job entails would surprise people.

What do you do for fun? I love to travel, am passionate about cooking and enjoy reading.

DHS Sports Boosters Host “Jeans and Jersey” Fundraiser

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DHS Sports Boosters Jeans and Jersey FlyerSubmitted by Denair High School Sports Boosters

Denair High School Sports Boosters are hosting a Jeans and Jersey dinner, dance and auction on Saturday, April 18, 2015.  Happy Hour starts at 6:00 pm, with dinner following at 7:00 pm, at the Denair Community Center. Attendees are encouraged to wear their favorite athletic team’s jersey to the event.

Tickets are $35.00 each and attendees must be at least 21 years of age to attend.  Tickets can be purchased by calling Carissa Borba at (209) 410-3516, Robert Hodges at (209) 652-4336 or Susan Gilbert at (209) 216-6214. Additionally, you may contact any DHS coach for tickets.