Parents still have time to enroll their children into kindergarten and transitional kindergarten for the upcoming school year at Denair Elementary Charter Academy.
Interested parents must pick up a registration packet for the 2023-24 school year at the DECA office at 3773 Madera Ave. between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Families do not need to live in Denair to enroll their children at DECA.
Completed registration packets must include a copy of the child’s birth certificate, updated immunization records and proof of residency (such as a utility bill).
Parents must fully complete the registration packet and return it with the proper documentation by Aug. 4. The first day of school is Aug. 9.
For the 2023-24 school year, students whose fifth birthday occurs between Sept. 2 and April 2 are eligible to enroll in transitional kindergarten. Students whose fifth birthday occurs by Sept. 1 are eligible to enroll in kindergarten.
At DECA, parents may choose between two language tracks — the Dual Immersion Program and the traditional language program. Parents who wish to enroll their child in the Dual Immersion Program are requested to attend an orientation on Aug. 3 at 8 a.m. or 5 p.m. These will be the final parental orientations for any families interested in enrollment of in the Dual Immersion Program.
Class lists for both TK and kindergarten will be posted through Parent Square and Class Dojo on Aug. 8.
For parents who have already enrolled their child in TK, kindergarten or first grade, DECA offers an early acclimation opportunity called “JumpStart” on Aug. 2-3 from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. JumpStart is designed to introduce students to the campus, familiarize them with the daily routine, and help them develop essential self-regulation skills. Registration for JumpStart is available through this link.
Parents with questions are encouraged to call the DECA office at (209) 632-8887.
At DECA, students are exposed early on to the importance of attending college. There is a wide range of fun and important electives and after school activities, and an emphasis is placed on being safe, responsible, respectful and kind.
All this occurs on a pretty and well-maintained campus under the direction of an experienced staff who are passionate about educating students.
The dual immersion program continues through Denair Middle School where 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students expand and refine their academic vocabulary in both languages.
Immersion means just that. In kindergarten, 90% of the instruction is in Spanish, in first grade it drops to 80%, then 70% in second grade, 60% in third grade, and 50% in fourth and fifth grades.
Dual immersion teachers in kindergarten through second grade only speak Spanish in front of their students. English instruction takes place with other teachers.
It’s not just dual language immersion students who learn a second language. Students on the traditional track also receive Spanish instruction one to three times a week in the language lab.
In addition, DECA provides a variety of fun and challenging Academic Adventure electives, such as:
When the principal’s job opened up this spring at Denair Charter Academy, the school district didn’t have to look far for a well-qualified, enthusiastic and popular replacement. Jamie Pecot – who has taught in and then led the school’s math program the past nine years – was an easy choice.
“Jamie knows the DCA program very well, has strong relationships with students and has the full confidence of staff. Cheers erupted on campus when her appointment was announced!” said Denair Unified Superintendent Terry Metzger, who promoted Pecot in May.
Pecot is well-versed in DCA’s unique mission in the district – which is to work with home-school parents and their children in grades K-8 and also provide an independent study option for high school students for whom a traditional setting just isn’t the right fit. Pecot’s experience as a teacher gives her a valuable perspective on how to balance those important and very different responsibilities.
“One of the best parts to working with DCA is that we get to make individualized lesson plans for students in order to engage the student and advance them in their education,” Pecot explained.
Thanks to her background in the district – she began teaching math at Denair High School in 2005, then moved to DCA in 2014 – Pecot hit the ground running in her new position. She also has previous management experience as the summer school co-principal for four years as well as filling in during gaps between previous DCA principals.
“Each time, they have been a short-term experiences where I have time to be immersed in the daily workings of a principal and get a taste of the balancing act, then my duties are complete and I have time to reflect on the happenings,” Pecot said. “I feel like I was on the JV team before, getting experience and learning, and now I am ready for the varsity team and make DUSD proud of all the great programs going on at DCA.”
Metzger credited Pecot for having “taken on progressively more complex leadership roles at DCA over the last several years” and believes that background prepared her to become the full-time principal.
“Jamie has already started planning for next year and is working on some ideas to further improve services and programs for DCA students and their families. She’s taking a methodical approach to learning all of the facets of the principal role and I appreciate her thoughtful questions. She’s going to be a great addition to our administrative team,” Metzger said.
Pecot will lead a staff of 24 teachers. DCA’s enrollment currently sits at about 120, but that number always rises in the fall as high school students from throughout the region find their way to the independent study program. Regardless of age or grade level, Pecot said the relationships the staff forge with students and families is the key to their success.
“The staff is an energetic group of professionals with great ideas and a heart for helping students,” she said. “Our staff goes above and beyond to help students and find resources for the families when we can. Each staff member has a certain population of students that he/she really connects with. The difference in the population could be age group or personality type. We do a great job of matching the student with the staff member who is going to help the student reach his/her goals.”
Pecot grew up in Livermore, then came to the Central Valley when she enrolled at CSU Stanislaus. She “fell in love with the community, pace of life and friendliness of the community,” and can’t imagine living anywhere else today.
She has a degree in math as well as an administrative credential. Outside of work, Pecot and her husband enjoy traveling with their two daughters on fun trips. So far, they have visited 13 states and two other countries.
Summer school has a different look and feel in Denair this year. For the first time, the school district has partnered with EDMO, a Bay Area organization that specializes in summer and afterschool programs. The result is a fun-filled, high-energy and academically intense schedule that blends 16 Denair teachers with 16 EDMO employees and eight Denair support staff to present two two-week blocks of instruction in a camp-style environment.
The first block began Monday at the Denair Elementary Charter Academy campus and runs through June 16; the second begins June 19 and goes through June 30. There still is time for parents to register their children at https://enroll.edmo.org/partner_programs/edmo-deca-summer-2023. Only Denair students in grades TK through eight are eligible to enroll. There are about 150 students in the current block and room for at least that many more in the second.
EDMO’s program packs a lot of learning and activities into a full day. Students arrive as early as 7:30 a.m. and are treated to a free breakfast. An all-school rally is held at 8:15 to rev kids up and get them excited for the day. Then the students are broken up by grade level. From 8:45 to 10 a.m., Denair teachers focus on the first academic period – mostly reviewing concepts from the previous year to build retention and minimize the learning loss that can happen during the summer.
At 10, all students have a 15-minute snack break, then they move to the first of two STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) periods. Wednesday morning, for instance, transitional kindergarten and kindergarten students in teacher Betsy Clark’s class used the STEAM time to draw dinosaurs, which were part of an earlier lesson. Across campus at a picnic table outside under a pavilion, seventh-graders working with EDMO camp counselor Yasmin Rivera were learning about chemical reactions when things like iodine, vinegar and water are mixed with salt, baking soda and cornstarch. That built upon fun exercises Monday and Tuesday when the same students learned about fingerprints and the fingerprinting process.
“The idea was they were forensic crime scene investigators,” explained Kayla McCain, EDMO’s site director in Denair. “First, they learned about lifting and identifying fingerprints. Today, it’s about pretending they’re collecting evidence. They have to write down what they observe. It’s a science lesson that includes English skills.”
At 11 a.m., students return to their teachers for the second academic block, which emphasizes reading, writing and math. By 12:15 p.m., it’s time for lunch, which is free for all students, who are grouped by age during that time. After lunch, there is a 30-minute block led by EDMO staff devoted to social-emotional learning, followed by a half-hour of games and recess.
From 2 to 3 p.m., there is more STEAM enrichment time. The formal school day ends at 3:15 after a checkout rally, but many students remain on campus as late as 4:30 p.m., the last time parents can pick them up.
“It’s nine full hours,” said McCain. “It’s a long day.”
The relationship with EDMO came about after DECA Principal Laura Cardenas was intrigued after reading information in February about the organization. She brought the idea to Denair Superintendent Terry Metzger and, by April, Denair officials and EDMO began creating a vision of this summer’s program.
“I’m very excited because I think they’ll be a good partner for us,” said Metzger while strolling through the DECA campus Wednesday. Denair is the first district in the San Joaquin Valley to work with EDMO, which has primarily been in the Bay Area.
Denair is using state money from the Expanded Learning Opportunities Program to pay the $200,000 cost of the month long program.
Emily Mancilla remembers being a sixth-grader in 2017 when her older sister, Crystal, was about to graduate from Denair High School and participated in the first-ever Grad Walk.
“I remember being so excited to see all the graduates,” said Emily.
Friday morning, it was Emily’s turn to provide inspiration to hundreds of younger students as she and the 61 other members of the Denair High Class of 2023 donned their purple and white graduation gowns and then paraded through the campuses of Denair Middle School and Denair Elementary Charter Academy to loud applause amid the sounds of “Pomp and Circumstance.”
For Emily, the squeals and shouts of encouragement rang a little louder at DECA, where her nephew and niece – fourth-grader Raul and third-grader Isabella – were among those in the crowd.
“I know they’re excited,” Emily said. “I feel like the Grad Walk is a rite of passage for our family.”
The Grad Walk was the first step in a daylong series of events, including a mid-morning graduation practice walkthrough, leading up to Friday night’s high school commencement ceremony. Graduation begins at 7 p.m. at Jack Lytton Stadium.
The march began at the high school, with seniors – girls in white robes, boys in purple – paired up to walk first to the DMS campus next door and then across Lester Road to DECA, where students in grades K through five sat excitedly on the ground.
The symbolism of the older students’ educational journeys – was intentional. Many in the Class of 2023 – like Emily – began as kindergartners at DECA 13 years ago. The Grad Walk provided a vivid example to the younger students of what they can accomplish if they continue to study as they progress from campus to campus.
“It shows that education matters and that when you put in the work, anything is possible,” said DHS Principal Breanne Aguiar, who was participating in her first Grad Walk. “Graduation is really a huge accomplishment for our students and for them to be a role model for younger students is exciting.”
The procession culminated on the sidewalk near the DECA gym, when the graduates formed a human tunnel. The younger kids filed through one-by-one, many laughing and shrieking with delight.
A few minutes later in the final assembly of the school year, DECA Principal Laura Cardenas led one last loud cheer for the Class of 2023.
“Just think,” she told her students, pointing at the graduates as they walked through. “That will be you someday.”
Matthew Lee is the Denair High School Class of 2023 valedictorian thanks to his 4.18 grade-point average. The salutatorian will be Rylee Gonsalves, who each compiled a 4.11 GPA over four years.
Graduation is set for Friday night at Jack Lytton Stadium. Gates open at 6:30 p.m. and the ceremony begins at 7 p.m.
Lee and Gonsalves recently took time to answer some questions about their high school experiences.
Question: The Class of 2023’s educational experience as freshmen and sophomores was disrupted because of the pandemic and a year of school held primarily via distance learning. How do you think that will shape you and your classmates?
Lee: I transferred here to Denair High School at the start of junior year, and the previous year, sophomore year, was when we had distance learning. Basically, where I came from had a huge student population, so there were slight changes in how schooling was done; one of the biggest being that we did not have to have our camera on for any of the classes. Besides this fact, personally for me, distance learning caused me to be less in touch with my classmates. For example, it was very difficult to make new friends compared to freshman year, where I could easily be introduced to somebody by a mutual friend, and so forth. This was only social-wise, although, as for academics, it was a huge struggle for me to stay focused on work or even listen to the teacher because I had so many sources of distractions and so many things I could and would rather do than learn. This was a bad but addictive habit to develop instead of learning, but I learned to overcome it by dedicating much of my after-school hours to studying and asking one of my already-known classmates questions whenever needed. I can only imagine that my current peers felt the same as well, but they could have had a better academic outcome since I heard cameras must stay on during distance learning at Denair.
Gonsalves: Having the opportunity to have a mostly normal freshman year, before it got cut short three months early, helped our class have more of an appreciation of the high school experience and allowed us to make the best out of the years we are able to experience in person. Being online almost the entirety of sophomore year was a weird experience, so it was especially exciting to be able to go back to semi-normal school days and in-person learning for the last three months that year. These different learning experiences as a result of the pandemic helped me realize that these years are so important, and it inspired me to get more involved in extracurriculars, honors and AP courses so that I could really make up for that time I lost. I hope my classmates learned to appreciate the time we were able to be in school, as we got really lucky to have a part of freshman year, a “semi-normal” junior year and a “new-normal” senior year.
Q: What are the key things other students should know about your academic success and how you achieved it?
Gonsalves: I think the key thing I want other students to know about my academic success is that it was a difficult, time-consuming and emotional goal to achieve through my long-term set goals and determination. I had battles with myself every day because for almost my entire life I was set on being the valedictorian, and it was hard to accept that I was just short of that title. I’ve learned that these titles aren’t labels on the actuality of how smart I am or that others are. I achieved my goals of being at the top of my class by following through with my promise to myself I made early on, where I had the idea to become the valedictorian or salutatorian in middle school and then when freshmen year came around, it was actually time to step up and do what it takes to get to the place where I want to be. I was the main person who pushed myself to become the best I can be and I really thank myself for doing that.
Lee: The key thing that motivated me the most was to see that A on my final grade at the end of each semester. What I did to achieve this — although it took a huge amount of dedication and determination — was spend countless hours reviewing notes or flipping through a huge stack of flashcards in order to be ready for that big test. My parents are also huge motivators for me since they will reward me if I finish the year off with excelling grades.
Q: How much time outside of regular class did you spend studying or doing homework?
Lee: During some of my high school career, from freshman to junior year, I would dedicate a lot of time to studying and doing homework. Especially during my time at my other school, they would assign what seemed like an endless stream of homework, and on top of this, they would end the week off with at least a couple of quizzes or tests. There was always a project that needed to be finished in one of these classes. Needless to say, I spent a lot of time outside of my regular classes studying or doing homework. Senior year, although a different story, struck me early and hit me hard. I was struggling to even study for that quiz at the end of the week or complete my assignments. There were many times this year where I had to turn in my assignments late or didn’t know what to do during a quiz or test since I had dedicated no time to studying.
Gonsalves: I would say that I spent about three to four hours a night studying or doing homework, but that number would be much higher if I didn’t take the chance to study and work on homework during my TA periods and free periods after school.
Q: Which classes and/or teachers at Denair High had the most influence on you?
Gonsalves: The teachers who have had the greatest influence on me at Denair High would have to be Ms. North, Mr. Allen and Mr. Cumberland. Ms. North and her AP English classes helped me challenge myself and feel better prepared for college-level classes and assignments. I especially love her personality and that she pushes her students to get to their full potential. Mr. Allen is a teacher who really loves this school and each of his students. While I was only in his AP U.S. History class, he made learning fun and was very inclusive with me and being in his clubs centered around athletics. While I do not play any sports, he saw that I also loved being a part of the school and being a part of the yearbook class, which made me find a love for photographing and watching sports, he made me feel included in the club activities. Mr. Cumberland was my freshman year health teacher and junior/senior year yearbook advisor, and with his many words of advice and support, he helped me through becoming the salutatorian of my class and getting me out of my comfort zone. He helped me find the love for photography and journalism, which I hope I can continue doing after high school.
Lee: The classes that had the most influence on me were probably the ones that helped me introduce myself to other people socially. These were Mr. Allen’s history class and a physics class I took at my old school. I met some great people in these classes who ended up being my biggest friends throughout high school. These were the classes I looked forward to attending.
Q: How many Advanced Placement classes were you able to take? Were you challenged?
Lee: Weirdly enough, the only AP classes that I took throughout my entire high school career only happened during my senior year. They were AP Macroeconomics, AP Government and AP English Literature. They were challenging classes, but personally, I would say they weren’t as hard as the honors classes I took during my freshman and sophomore years. It was a challenge to pick myself up and do the work because these courses didn’t pique my interest and I was just very unmotivated to do my work. There would be moments where I would be very invested in one of these classes, AP English Lit, when we had to read “The Things They Carried” and “Macbeth.”
Gonsalves: I was able to take five AP classes and two honors classes throughout my four years at Denair. I took honors math my sophomore year, then honors math, AP U.S. History and AP English Language my junior year, then AP English Literature, AP Government and AP Macroeconomics my senior year. I felt fairly confident in my AP U.S. History, Literature and Government classes and it felt more challenging in my AP Macroeconomics and English Language classes. Macroeconomics struggle was due to the many different graphs, equations and concepts that are gone over in only half a year, and while I don’t think the material of Language was difficult, it was the heavy workload that class consisted of compared to my other six classes that made it much more of a challenge.
Q: What kind of culture of learning exists in your home? What has that meant for your success in high school?
Gonsalves: Good grades are expected in most people’s homes, and while I was always a good student with straight A’s and few B’s, my two different home styles made learning culture hard. At my mom’s, she was supportive of me no matter if I had a C for a little bit in a class or an A+. At my dad’s, it was always expected to have nothing less than an A. Feeling pressured to only have A’s was challenging, but it was helpful in the end since I am here now as the salutatorian. I will also be the first in my immediate family to go to college, which I am grateful that I have the chance to go to, all because of my want to learn and my success in school. I am so glad that I pushed myself these four years but didn’t burn myself out to want to do another four years of learning.
Lee: The culture in my house influenced my way of learning immensely. First of all, my older brother and I were very competitive and always strived to do better than one another. This contributed to my academic success because he was in no way an average scholar; he was very smart and took challenging classes, so I strived to one-up him in every aspect. Just a friendly brotherly competition. My parents also encouraged and motivated me to do my best no matter what, but this wasn’t all for nothing because for my academic achievements they would grant me a well-deserved prize, which could be money, a nice dinner, etc.
Q: What should members of the community know about the quality of education at Denair High?
Lee: In my opinion, the way of teaching at Denair High School is well done, and the parents planning to put their kids into attendance at this school shouldn’t worry at all about their education. Every class that I took here has left me educated and satisfied in my confidence in knowing said subject.
Gonsalves: The quality of education at Denair High isn’t something you can easily achieve at bigger schools local to us. The community itself of Denair is small and like a family where everyone knows each other and everyone helps each other out. The same goes for the school, as the students here are also like a family, where you have had at least one conversation with every student here or know every student, which isn’t as easy to do at a school with more than 300 kids like Denair High does. I appreciate the small class sizes and how it’s easier to create relationships with your teachers and peers, making every class feel more personal and comfortable that you know most of the people there and don’t feel like a stranger if you were in a class with 50 people as opposed to 20-30 people.
Q: Outside of class, what kinds of teams, organizations or clubs are you involved in? How important are extracurricular activities in preparing you for college and beyond?
Gonsalves: Outside of school, I was involved in the yearbook my junior year and then became the yearbook editor my senior year, publicity coordinator for ASB leadership, a member of the California Scholarship Federation and the Committed Coyote program. Extracurricular activities are very helpful in preparing you for college or simply just life after high school as it gives you experience working with a team and giving you a set of responsibilities to follow. These clubs also help out your college resume and appeal on job applications, as these places most likely want someone who is involved and a team player.
Lee: At my old school, extracurriculars were important to me because I did wrestling. The biggest thing that I liked about wrestling was the team-building skills and the friendships that I made during the season. I also joined a Filipino club, which always had many activities to do. Over here at Denair, although I only participated in the Environmental Club for a little bit, that doesn’t mean the club isn’t bad at all. I liked the club a lot, and there were a lot of activities that happened, and all of the club attendees were very kind. I did eventually stop attending these clubs and sports because I started to get a job so I could pay for a car.
Q: What is the right balance for teens busy with school, teams or clubs, and even part-time jobs?
Lee: I think the right balance for teens busy with school and all of the extracurricular activities is to do what they love the most, or whatever their passion is. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t at least get passing grades in high school, although you can walk the stage with your diploma in hand.
Gonsalves: Time management is a must for teens. Whether you are involved in AP classes, clubs, sports or jobs, you’re always going to want to have the time to relax and spend time with friends and family. It’s essential to find the right balance and discipline with making sure you get your work done before going out, still being an active participant in club activities that are meaningful to you, showing up to your games, and being a good worker if you have a part-time job. I am glad I found my right balance with homework and clubs while also having lots of time to have fun or relax.
Q: What are your college and career plans?
Gonsalves: I am planning on attending Sacramento State in the fall as an interior architecture and design major. I hope to become an architect or interior designer, depending on if I want to go to graduate school to get my master’s degree in architecture or join an interior design firm after receiving my bachelor’s.
Lee: I am going to Menlo College. I am going to pursue a career in business, hopefully participating in the creation of a family business.
Q: What themes are you going to talk about in your graduation speech?
Lee: I am going to congratulate every high schooler in the class of 2023 for completing this astounding task as well as talk about what it was like moving to this school.
Gonsalves: I am planning to talk about my love for school and learning, my love for my class and the number “23” as it is a part of our identity, and thanking my friends and family who stayed by my side and supported me all throughout my life. I hope my speech stays with my class as I hope they appreciate the memories of their high school years like the way I will.
