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” »

Denair Sports Boosters Hosts Enchilada Drive-Thru

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DHS Sports Boosters Chicken Enchilada Drive-Thru

Submitted by Denair Sports Boosters

The Denair Sports Boosters will be holding a drive-thru Chicken Enchilada fundraiser on January 28, 2015, 4:30 pm-7:00 pm, at the Denair Middle School cafeteria.  Cost is $10.00.  Tickets are available in the Denair High School Office or by contacting Carissa Borba at (209) 410-3516.  Proceeds for this event will go towards paying spring sports umpires and referees.

Storer Transportation Hired to Provide Drivers and Maintenance

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DUSDbus

Submitted by Denair Unified School District

A contract with Storer Transportation Services of Modesto to take over transportation services was approved Thursday night by the Denair Unified School District Board of Trustees.

Storer has furnished drivers to operate Denair’s buses on an emergency basis since the first of the year. The new contract will pay the company $75,400 for the remainder of this school year. The conditions of the deal require Storer to use and maintain Denair’s four buses and offer an equivalent position to the district’s former transportation supervisor.

Denair needs two drivers each in the morning and afternoon to handle its routes. Repeated recruitment efforts last fall generated no qualified applicants. Instead, other district employees certified to drive a bus – a custodian, a utility worker and a transportation supervisor – had to take time away from their other duties.

About 120 of Denair’s 1,300 elementary through high school students ride the bus daily. District officials said the outsourcing arrangement will be re-evaluated at the end of the school year.