This is one in a series of Q&A’s with employees new to Denair Unified in 2021-22.

Position: District school psychologist

Experience and education: I have spent more than 15 years working with parents and families of all backgrounds in the field of drug and alcohol counseling and mental health. I am a fully credentialed school psychologist. 

What attracted you to Denair? I enjoy working for small districts as they provide a larger sense of community, comradery and offer support not only to families but also staff.  

What most inspires you in your job? I ultimately want to help others succeed and reach their goals. I love people as well as all the strengths and weaknesses we as humans bring to the table. It’s beautiful. 

What is a challenge you look forward to tackling this year? Working through COVID and helping these young people address the social emotional aspects and aftermath of the pandemic.

What is your favorite counseling tool or activity? I love building rapport and using activities to get to know people, but when it is time to really buckle down, simple grounding and deep breathing techniques never fail. I utilize the social emotional curriculum from therapist aid and Teachers Pay Teachers a lot. 

What do you want your students to remember? That they are valued, loved and capable. 

How can parents support what you do? Open communication is the key. Ask me for help and I will help. 

What would surprise people about your job? My job is very legal and stressful, but it is also very rewarding as I get to investigate how a student learns best and assist in implementing the correct learning tools and interventions that meet their individual needs.

What do you do for fun? I love musicals, spending time with my family and traveling.

This is one in a series of Q&A’s with teachers new to Denair Unified in 2021-22.

Family: Married with two children

School: Denair Elementary Charter Academy

Subject taught: Spanish language lab

Experience and education: Graduate of CSU Stanislaus. Eight years as a substitute teacher.

What attracted you to Denair? The small town and wonderful people attracted me to Denair.

What most inspires you about teaching? What inspires me the most about teaching is knowing that I make a difference in the life of every student.

What is a challenge you look forward to tackling this year? I plan to get better at managing my time.

What is your favorite teaching tool or activity? I enjoy singing songs with my students.

What do you want your students to remember? I want them to remember that I am here to help them learn.

How can parents support what you do? One way parents can support what I do is by encouraging their child to learn new things.

What would surprise people about your job? It can surprise people that I teach more than 500 students a week in the language lab.

What do you do for fun? I like to spend time with my family and go out on adventures.

This is one in a series of Q&A’s with teachers new to Denair Unified in 2021-22.

School: Denair Middle School

Subject taught: Seventh- and eighth-grade science

Experience and education: BS from UC Santa Barbara; teaching credential from CSU Stanislaus

What is a challenge you look forward to tackling this year? Being new to such a small district can be a little scary, but I am very excited to become a part of this really close community.

What do you want your students to remember? I want my students to remember my passion for science education. I would hope that they know and remember how much I care about their growth as a learner and an individual. 

How can parents support what you do? Ask their students how their science class is going. Make sure that they are encouraging them to ask questions and discover the material. 

What would surprise people about your job? Many people do not realize how much I truly care about the students that I am teaching. 

What do you do for fun? I am a big Disney, Marvel and Harry Potter fan. I love to watch movies or read whenever I have a free moment.

This is one in a series of Q&A’s with teachers new to Denair Unified in 2021-22.

School: Denair Middle School

Family: Husband, Juan; sons, Xavier, 13, and Sebastian, 11.

Subject taught: Dual Immersion (DI) Spanish, DI Social Science and English Language Arts.

Experience and education: Spanish Dual Immersion at DECA, Spanish at DHS and Spanish at Modesto

Junior College.

What attracted you to Denair? The students at Denair. The students are phenomenal, sweet and kind. The Denair community is friendly, family environment. The camaraderie and friendship is seen in

the schools and town.

What most inspires you about teaching? The students inspire me. I have seen the students want to learn something new and different. A challenge they are willing to face to achieve their goal of becoming proficient in another language.

What is a challenge you look forward to tackling this year? Taking the dual immersion students to the

next level will be a challenge that they are ready for.

What is your favorite teaching tool or activity? Sharing. My favorite teaching method is the sharing of

life moments that reflect on what is being learned in the classroom.

What do you want your students to remember? Funny moments in class that made everyone laugh.

How can parents support what you do? Parents are welcome to participate in activities throughout the

year. I welcome communication with the parents.

What would surprise people about your job? I am in a constant bilingual mode: speaking Spanish and

English all day. My bilingual mind is thinking and speaking in both languages throughout the day.
What do you do for fun? I run, cycle and swim.

All the excitement and energy that accompanies the beginning of a new school year were evident this week in the Denair Unified School District as more than 1,300 students returned to in-person instruction Wednesday. They were greeted by teachers and other staff thrilled to welcome them back.

The energy was infectious, but the ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic still were evident across Denair’s four campuses. The most obvious example is that the smiles of students and staff were hidden by face coverings — at least in the classroom, where masks still are required.

Denair – like hundreds of school districts across California – must adhere to health and safety guidance handed down by the California Department of Public Health and federal Centers for Disease Control. That means masks still must be worn in class, though they can be taken off outdoors. Other precautions like temperature temps, social distancing and testing also have been relaxed.

“It’s very confusing that the state’s guidance is called ‘guidance,’ ” explained Denair Superintendent Terry Metzger at Thursday night’s monthly Board of Trustees meeting. “We’ve been told over and over that these are public health orders that we are mandated to follow.”

Continue reading “Denair schools up and running with in-person classes; some parents unhappy that masks still are mandatory” »