DHS Teacher Uses Innovative Approach to Math

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RussHess

Submitted by Denair Unified School District

Taking over six math classes a month into the school year isn’t the preferred way for a new teacher to join a staff. But Russ Hess didn’t have a choice. He didn’t become aware that Denair High School was looking for a teacher until well after classes began last August 12. And by the time he went through the interview process and was hired, a long-term substitute had been in place for four weeks. Hess may have gotten a late start, but he’s worked hard to make up for it.

“It was difficult because – no fault to the sub – (the classroom environment) was so loose and I’m very strict,” said Hess. “I didn’t have time to prep. I haven’t had time to get my room in shape.”

There was a bigger issue: Hess also didn’t have a California teaching credential, though he had spent the previous five years teaching math and science at Brethren Heritage School, a private campus in Salida. He worked with the Stanislaus County of Office of Education to gain recognition of his proficiency based on his classroom experience and a double math major from Central Washington University.

Despite those initial hurdles, Hess quickly made a positive impression.

“One of his strengths is that Mr. Hess expects mastery,” said Christine Skinner, Denair’s associate director of secondary education. “He gives frequent concept mastery quizzes that students have to pass or retake until they do.”

Hess teaches three periods each of algebra and geometry, classes filled mostly with freshmen and sophomores. He recognizes that making math’s abstract ideas seem relevant to them can be difficult.

“I dream about math sometimes and wake up with ideas,” he admitted.

One of those middle-of-the-night thoughts dealt with “nets,” which are two-dimensional paper diagrams with cuts and folds used to create three-dimensional figures such as cubes, cylinders, cones, prisms and pyramids. Hess came up with a team project for his geometry students that required them to build a three-dimensional town using a variety of shapes. Continue reading “DHS Teacher Uses Innovative Approach to Math” »

Denair High School Hosts Basketball Clinics

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Basketball

Submitted by Denair Unified School District

Denair students who want to sharpen their basketball skills are invited to sign up for free clinics in January and February. The sessions will be conducted in the high school gym by Denair High varsity boys coach R.J. Henderson and his staff. Boys and girls are invited to register. All the clinics are on Saturdays and are limited to 60 players. Students in grades 1 through 5 will have clinics January 10, 2015 and February 7, 2015; middle school students will have clinics January 24, 2015 and February 14, 2015. The sessions will cover basic skills, fundamentals and teamwork. Sign-up sheets are available in the elementary and middle school offices. Each student must fill out a waiver and will receive a pass to an upcoming Denair High School basketball game.

DHS Hosts Holiday Angel Tree

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AngelTree2014Submitted by Denair Unified School District

The DHS Library Club is sponsoring an Angel Tree, in collaboration with the Turlock Salvation Army. Contributers can choose an angel tag from the Angel Tree located in the Denair High School Library. Each tag has a child’s gender and age listed on the tag. Contributers can purchase age-appropriate gifts and then return them unwrapped, with the tag attached, to DHS Library. The last day to drop off gifts is December 17, 2014, by 3:30 pm. Gifts will be distributed to families who have signed up under the Community Food Basket Program.

If you need to arrange for an angel tag, or for a gift pick-up, please contact Ms. Schell, at 632-9911 x4259, or x3210.

The Denair High School Library Club thanks you for your kindness and support!

Denair Board Moves to Hire Private Bus Services

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DUSD School Bus

Submitted by Denair Unified School District

A shortage of qualified bus drivers and mechanics prompted the Denair Unified School District board to unanimously pass an emergency declaration Thursday night to immediately seek bids from a private company to provide the service.

About 120 of Denair’s 1,300 elementary through high school students ride the bus daily, district officials said. Despite repeated recruitment efforts, Denair has been unable to find two qualified applicants to work the daily four-hour bus driver shifts. Drivers were paid between $13.50 and $16 per hour, depending upon experience.

Instead, other district employees qualified to drive a bus – a custodian, a utility worker and a transportation supervisor – have had to take time away from their other duties. In some cases, they also have had to work overtime.

When its own fill-in employees have been unavailable, Denair has had to contract with the Hughson Unified School District to provide bus services.

“We are little one absence away from the buses collapsing. If one of these employees is out, we would be in an untenable situation,” said Superintendent Aaron Rosander, who stressed the need to provide reliable transportation to students.

The emergency declaration allows Denair to seek bids in a compressed time frame. Meanwhile, when school resumes January 5, 2015, after the holiday break, the district expects to drivers from Storer Transportation of Modesto operating the buses while bids are being evaluated.

The change will not affect the route schedule, said Linda Covello, Denair’s chief business officer. She said the new company will be expected to use the four DUSD buses and offer an equivalent position to the current transportation supervisor.

Covello said Denair expects to spend about $75,000 to outsource busing, which would save about $39,000 from what was budgeted. The new company will provide bus services for the remainder of this school year, at which time the outsourcing arrangement will be re-evaluated.

DUSD Board Cheers Positive Financial Report

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DUSD Logo

Submitted by Denair Unified School District

The Denair Unified School District has made a remarkable financial turnaround, trustees were told Thursday night, and will finish the 2014-14 school year with a small surplus.

The recovery is about 18 months ahead of the aggressive expectations set last spring by new Superintendent Aaron Rosander and his revamped financial team in conjunction with state and county advisers. He said the district has kept a “laser-like” focus on its fiscal challenges and been “parsimonious” with its spending.

“The entire district has come together to ensure our success,” said Rosander, who took over in February. “Management and union members have worked impressively together over the past eight months. This relationship is strong and our combined will to succeed is even stronger.”

The district has an $8.7 million budget in 2014-15 and estimates it will end the school year with a 3% reserve, or about $262,000. That meets the minimum requirements set by the state and should earn Denair a “positive” certification for the first time since January 2012 from the Stanislaus County Office of Education, which reviews all school district budgets in the county.

In addition to across-the-board pay cuts, 19 full-time teaching jobs and one administrative position were eliminated earlier this year, and there were reductions to some non-essential academic programs. This fall, the district also was buoyed by a $250,000 windfall from the state thanks to recalculations related to its Average Daily Attendance, which school funding is based on. Other revenue adjustments netted the district about $90,000.

Rosander said parents and other community members “can rest assured and put confidence in the district that their schools are being managed with a high degree of accuracy when it comes to the financial component. Continue reading “DUSD Board Cheers Positive Financial Report” »