DUSD Officials Urge Caution After Mountain Lion Reports

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Mountain Lion

Submitted by Denair Unified School District

Updated 10/06/14 at 10:10 am

School officials in Denair reminded students, parents, staff and community members to exercise caution after more unconfirmed sightings of a mountain lion over the weekend.

Stanislaus County sheriff’s deputies were called Friday night to the Country Squire Estates mobile home park on Waring Road after a resident there reported seeing a mountain lion. The park is about a mile west of the Denair High football stadium. There was no game there Friday night.

Deputies did not find evidence of the cat near the mobile home park, nor after two other unconfirmed reports Friday and Saturday.

On Thursday morning, a mountain lion paw print was discovered more than a mile south of the Denair campus complex. There was another unconfirmed sighting on Sept. 30 on the northern edge of Denair and multiple confirmed reports of a mountain lion in and around Turlock since Sept. 21.

Aaron Rosander, superintendent of the Denair Unified School District, recorded phone messages to parents and guardians that were sent Wednesday and Thursday in English and Spanish. In addition to the recorded messages, teachers discussed safety tips in class Thursday and elementary students were told to stay on the blacktop during recess and while teachers and aides stayed on the perimeter. Two-page flyers were sent home with about 1,250 students later that day. Continue reading “DUSD Officials Urge Caution After Mountain Lion Reports” »

Denair High School Hosts College Awareness Night

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DUSD_logo-Small

Submitted by Denair Unified School District

All high school students and their parents are invited to attend College Night on Thursday, when representatives from three area campuses will share information about their schools.

The free session is scheduled for Thursday, October 2, 2014, 6:00 to 7:30 p.m., at the Denair High School theater.

On hand will be officials from the University of California at Merced, California State University, Stanislaus and Modesto Junior College.

They will discuss the application process, how to choose a college and the differences between campuses, academic and vocational programs, and scholarships and financial aid.

Denair Unified School District officials encourage all families to attend and remind parents it’s never too soon to begin thinking about a college education for their children.

In the course of a 40-year working career, the College Board estimates that someone with a bachelor’s degree will make 66% percent more than someone with only a high school diploma. Those who receive an associate of arts degree from a community college are estimated to make 24% more than someone with just a high school education.

The college-going rate is lower in Stanislaus County than in many parts of California and the country. The 2010 Census estimates that 7.2% of the county’s 520,000 residents have an AA degree, 10.9% have a bachelor’s degree and 5.4% have a graduate degree or higher.

Happy Birthday DenairPulse!

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First Birthday Cake

Submitted by DenairPulse

Today marks the one year anniversary of the first article posted on DenairPulse! So far, we’ve published one hundred and one articles and had well over twelve thousand page views. Many of you follow us via Facebook and we’ve had another fifteen thousand views there. We will continue to bring you news about the community, the schools and the people who make Denair a great place to live.

Remember, you can follow DenairPulse on social media! Follow DenairPulse on Twitter and Facebook for notification of new posts.

Additionally, you can be notified of new posts on DenairPulse by subscribing via e-mail, using the Get DenairPulse via E-Mail form in the top right corner of every page. That way you’ll never miss important news about Denair!

Coyotes Drop Southern League Opener In Overtime

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DHS Coyotes Football

Submitted by Denair Unified School District

In trying to change the culture of the Denair High football program, Ted Howze knows that winning is important … but that learning how to win is a close second.

Friday night’s 15-8 overtime loss to Delhi is a prime example.

The Coyotes twice were within a few yards of the tying or go-ahead scores, but came away empty both times. In a physical game where defenses dominated, that made all the difference.

“Part of the situation with our team is we’re still trying to figure out how to win close games,” said Howze, a first-year coach who took over a team coming off a winless season.

Building a belief among his players that they can compete – and win – has been a priority for Howze and his staff. What the Coyotes lack in size or numbers (just 22 varsity players), they make up for in determination and hustle.

Two victories in their three preseason games were a solid start in preparation for the Southern League schedule, which began Friday against Delhi.

Denair capitalized on a turnover to score its only touchdown late in the first quarter. The Coyotes recovered a fumble on the Hawks’ 34 yard line. From there, they used their multiple-option run offense to move inside the Delhi 10. On the ninth play of the drive, quarterback Dominyc Silva reached the end zone on an 8-yard run.

A successful two-point conversion gave Denair an 8-0 lead, which it maintained at halftime.

Delhi tied the score on the first play of the second half when quarterback Garret Thomas completed a short pass to Sergio Hernandez, who broke two tackles on his way to a 49-yard touchdown. The Hawks ran for a two-point conversion to make the score 8-8. Continue reading “Coyotes Drop Southern League Opener In Overtime” »

A Class Act! 10 Questions for Kelly Beard

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Kelly Beard

Submitted by Denair Unified School District

Name: Kelly Beard

Family: My husband James and I have been married for 10 years, and we have a 4-year-old daughter who is in transitional kindergarten at Denair Elementary School.

School: Denair Elementary School

Subject taught: First grade

Experience and education: I graduated from Modesto Junior College with an AA. I then attended CSU Stanislaus where I received my BA in liberal studies with a concentration in English. I also minored in speech communications. I have a multiple subject teaching credential as well as a supplemental English authorization. I did my student teaching in Denair and was then hired to teach first grade. I have been teaching for 12 years, all of which have been in first grade at Denair Elementary School.

What most inspires you about teaching? What inspires me the most about teaching is seeing the excitement on my students’ faces when they have learned something new. Their excitement for learning inspires me to push myself and grow as a teacher.

What are your biggest challenges as a teacher? The biggest challenge is that there are too many great activities and projects that promote learning and never enough time to do them all!

What is your favorite teaching tool or activity? I love technology! A few of my favorite technology tools are my ELMO (document camera), projector and computer. We live in a technology-driven world and technology is a great way to engage students in learning. As much as I love technology, I also love a plain old piece of paper and a pencil. There is so much that we can learn and create using just the basics like paper and pencil.

How has Common Core affected your classroom strategy? Common Core has increased the amount of student conversations happening in the classroom. Students not only need to master concepts, but they need to be able to explain and defend the reasoning behind their answers. Common Core really allows students to think deeply and have meaningful conversations about their learning. Continue reading “A Class Act! 10 Questions for Kelly Beard” »