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.

Coyotes Crush Waterford 62-21 in Season Finale

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DHS Coyotes Football

Submitted by Denair Unified School District

For the Denair High football team, the 2014 season was always going to be about more than wins and losses.

It was about a new coach with a whole new playbook. It was about the value discipline and hard work. Mostly, it was about changing a culture and restoring energy and confidence to a program that had lost its way.

Mission accomplished.

The Coyotes – who didn’t win a game last year – showed how far they’ve come with a dominating 62-21 victory over Waterford on Friday night at Jack W. Lytton Stadium.

The victory was Denair’s third in 10 games this season and punctuated the improvement that has taken place since new coach Ted Howze and his staff took over last spring.

“I think we played better than a 3-7 team at times,” said Howze. “There were at least three more games we should have won, but these kids came a long ways as juniors and seniors.

“Looking back, you’d have to be satisfied. … This is a multi-year project. No. 1, we have to change the culture with kids we have in the program. No. 2, we have to attract kids back to the program and who are at the school and not playing or have transferred out of the district. That’s our two big things. I feel like we’ve done both.”

Against Waterford, Denair left no doubt who the better team was with an impressive first half that featured three successful onside kicks in a row.

The Coyotes took the opening kicked and drove 80 yards for a touchdown, burning 8 minutes off the clock. They recovered a squib kicked, scored another touchdown … and then recovered two more inside kicks before Waterford ever touched the ball.

Denair led 27-0 before Waterford ran its first offensive play with about 3 minutes to play in the first half. Continue reading “Coyotes Crush Waterford 62-21 in Season Finale” »

A Class Act! 10 Questions for Samantha Ericksen

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Samantha Ericksen

Submitted by Denair Unified School District

Name: Samantha Ericksen

Family: Husband and three daughters

School: Denair Charter Academy

Subject taught: Kindergarten through sixth-grade home school class

Experience and education: BA and teaching credential from Biola University. I spent five years as a classroom teacher in Modesto. This is my 14th year at DCA.

Why most inspires you about teaching? Seeing students make progress in areas that are challenging for them.

What are your biggest challenges as a teacher? Teaching multiple levels effectively.

What is your favorite teaching tool or activity? Using technology to create projects with my students.

How has Common Core affected your classroom strategy? I use more conversation between students to inform their learning.

What do you want your students to remember? I want them to remember that they are capable of anything. They CAN succeed.

How can parents support what you do? Participate in school work. Check their assignments. Show you care about school.

What will it take to improve academic success in DCA? A group effort between parents, teachers and students to emphasize the importance of lifelong learning.

What’s next in your classroom? We are focusing on water and energy and how we can conserve both.

What would surprise people about your job? That the time I spend on paperwork exceeds the amount of time I actually spend with students.

What do you do for fun? I became a teacher because I enjoy being with children and helping them become lovers of learning.

Stimulating Lessons Popular at Denair Elementary State Preschool

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Denair Elementary State Preschool

Submitted by Denair Unified School District

Activity time each day in the Denair Elementary State Preschool is a choreographed frenzy of exploration, excitement and energy among two dozen 3- and 4-year-olds and a team of skilled educators. To the untrained eye, it may seem slightly chaotic, but rest assured – learning is happening at a rapid rate.

In one corner of the classroom, the focus is on science. There is a small fish tank and another for a lizard. There are rocks and shells and blocks to hold and count. There is a magnifying glass, a small weight scale and an array of colorful objects. Youngsters use a small water tank to test what floats and what sinks.

Across the room, there is more introductory science and math. Giggling children in mini-lab coats and goggles find out what happens when vinegar is mixed with baking soda, use oversized tweezers to count how many seeds are in a pumpkin or eagerly work a magnet to see whether metal or plastic items are affected by it.

Nearby, students wearing smocks paint their names or discover what colors are created when others are mixed. Their previous artwork hangs proudly on the wall.

There are multiple computers with programs in English and Spanish. There is an area set aside for reading, and blocks and toys and pencils and paper available around the room.

It is a vibrant place, with plenty of visual, verbal and sensory stimulation. No doubt, it’s a fun way for a preschooler to spend three hours a day.

Site supervisor Mary Worman and Lenora Gomes share teaching duties for the two classes – one from 8:15 to 11:15 a.m. and the other from 11:45 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. Para-professionals Shirley Corriea, Erica Prock, Cassie Talaga and Sandra Wynne patiently help with lessons and individual instruction. The staff spends plenty of their time on their knees or sitting on the floor to get to eye level with their students. Continue reading “Stimulating Lessons Popular at Denair Elementary State Preschool” »