Inspiration Guides DMS Teacher, David Rodriguez

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David Rodriguez

Submitted by Denair Unified School District

David Rodriguez has a short list of people who inspired him.

His father, a farmworker, taught him the value of hard work. An entrepreneurial cousin helped him develop an appreciation for money. A high school coach convinced him to dream big.

But it is the memory of the elementary teacher who didn’t believe a shy, Spanish-speaking boy could learn in her classroom that led him to a career in education and a place on the staff at Denair Middle School.

Rodriguez grew up in Ivanhoe, a poor, gang-plagued community just northeast of Visalia in Tulare County. His father — a former minor-league baseball player in Mexico – worked in the fields. The family only spoke Spanish. Rodriguez had to learn English bit by bit at school, without any special attention.

His third-grade teacher relegated him to the back of her classroom with a pair of headphones. She didn’t think he could understand what she said. One day, while he was standing next to her holding a tray of classroom materials, she called him a “turtle” in front of his fellow students. Ashamed and embarrassed, Rodriguez dropped the tray on her foot. It broke her toe.

The incident led to a conference involving the teacher, school officials and Rodriguez’s parents. Questions were asked … and Rodriguez responded in Spanish and English, shocking the teacher. “She had no idea I spoke English.”

The lesson that stuck with him, Rodriguez says during a quiet break in his sixth-grade Denair classroom, is about supporting and believing in students, especially those from non-traditional backgrounds. Many of his Spanish-speaking peers back then faced the same culture of low expectations. It was a powerful barrier and Rodriguez admits he was a “middle-of-the-road” student.

It was his cross country coach, Juan Garcia, at Golden West High School who finally convinced Rodriguez, by then a budding running star, not to let others define him. Garcia grew up in a similar background and became a role model for Rodriguez, encouraging him to fully develop his intellectual and athletic abilities. Continue reading “Inspiration Guides DMS Teacher, David Rodriguez” »

Two DHS Students Accepted at Oregon Universities

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Joel Thornton and Anna Dirkse

Submitted by Denair Unified School District

Two of Denair High School’s brightest students have gained early acceptance into colleges in Oregon.

High-achieving seniors Anna Dirkse and Joel Thornton applied at multiple universities and likely would have been welcomed at many campuses. But both say they were thrilled when their first choices offered spots in next fall’s freshmen class early on in the process.

Dirkse, 17, was accepted at George Fox University in Newberg, about 25 miles south of Portland. It is a small, private Christian college known for its engineering program, though she’s leaning in other directions.

“I don’t know what I’m going to major in – maybe arts or communications or English,” said Dirkse, who has a 4.43 grade point average. “I just applied to an honors program there that studies great works of literature and how they affect culture.”

The university’s acceptance letter also included a $15,000 merit scholarship.

Thornton, 18, will attend Oregon State University in Corvallis, about 60 miles south of where Dirkse will be. He wants to become a veterinarian.

“I ultimately wanted to go to Oregon State. I think they’re the No. 3 school in nation for biology and that’s what I’m looking to major in,” said Thornton, who carries a 4.0 GPA.

Denair High Principal Aaron Delworth called Dirkse and Thornton “model students” and said their academic success can be an example for their younger peers.

“These two students exemplify the ideology that hard work and determination pays off in the end,” he said. “Students can, regardless of the high school they attend or the odds that stand before them, attain their dreams if they push themselves and take advantage of everything that is placed in front of them.

“Joel and Anna personify this. They have always taken the most rigorous courses, have been involved in a number of activities both on and off of campus, have been involved in their community, and have always set goals for themselves.”

Continue reading “Two DHS Students Accepted at Oregon Universities” »

DUSD Sidewalk Project Moves Ahead

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DUSD Logo

Submitted by Denair Unified School District

The beautification project that will add almost 700 feet of sidewalk and landscaping along the north side Monte Vista Avenue behind Jack W. Lytton Stadium is about to kick into high gear, Superintendent Aaron Rosander told Denair school board trustees Thursday night.

The project is a partnership between the Denair Unified School District and Stanislaus County. Supervisor Vito Chiesa, who represents the Denair area, arranged for a local company to donate the concrete work. The school district will install the irrigation system, grass and shrubbery.

Rosander said there will be a community fundraising effort to help pay for the district’s piece of the project, estimated to be about $5,000.

Grading of the strip of land already has occurred. Rosander expects the concrete to be poured sometime after Thanksgiving, depending upon the weather.

The new 5-foot sidewalk will connect with an existing walkway that now ends at the intersection of Lester Road and Monte Vista. It will provide a safer route to and from the stadium, which hosts football games and other community events.

At Thursday night’s board meeting, Rosander also updated trustees on proposed unification of Denair Elementary School and Denair Academic Avenues, a charter school that shares the elementary campus.

Principal Sara Michelena, who oversees both schools, has had initial discussions with teachers and other employees as well as parents, Rosander said. The concept, he said, is to “take the best of both campuses” and combine them into a single, high-performing charter school.

Rosander cited D2A’s enriched language and fine arts programs and DES’s music and traditional academic offerings as strengths that would be retained on a unified campus. Together, the schools have about 420 students.

He said parents and community members will be invited to a meeting before winter break at which the tenets of the new program will be laid out and questions can be asked.

DHS Students Recognized for Bilingual Skills

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Seal of Multilingual Proficiency

Submitted by Denair Unified School District

Three students at Denair High School have earned prestigious recognition for their bilingual speaking and writing abilities.

Seniors Maria Martinez and Kimberly Perez Pulido and junior Alejandra Parada were awarded the coveted Seal of Multilingual Proficiency in a ceremony Wednesday night at the Gallo Center for the Arts in Modesto. The designation will be specially noted on their high school diplomas, certifying that they are fluent in English as well as Spanish.

This important recognition helps graduates when they apply to colleges, compete for scholarships or submit job applications.

“This is a verification of their skills,” said Maria Olivas, a Spanish teacher at Denair High who also serves on the language committee run by the Stanislaus County Office of Education.

This year, 319 juniors and seniors from 10 Stanislaus County school districts applied for the Seal of Multilingual Proficiency. Of that group, 154 were certified as meeting the bilingual standards, according to a release from the County Office of Education. A dozen different languages were represented.

All students must submit an autobiography in English, followed by a 300-word essay in their other language on a designated topic. Those who pass the first step then went to the county office for face-to-face interviews in both languages. The scores from the autobiography, the essay and the interviews are combined to determine which students qualify for the seal.

“Being proficient in multiple languages enhances a student’s education and value in the marketplace,” said Tom Changnon, the county superintendent of schools. “Our economy is tied to that of other nations, and Californians who participate across international borders bring strength and potential to this state’s global enterprises.”

Olivas said eight Denair students applied for the program with Martinez, Parada and Perez Pulido emerging as winners. All have taken advanced Spanish classes at the high school.

“Learning a language at home is an advantage, but if they don’t have training in class, they probably won’t pass the tests,” Olivas said. “They may lack sentence structure or grammar.”

Denair has had nine other students earn Multi-Lingual Seal recognition in the four years of the program. Seven of them currently are attending college, Olivas said.