Notice is hereby given that the Denair Unified School District, 3460 Lester Road, Denair, CA 95316, hereinafter referred to as the District, will receive District bids up to but no later than 2:45 p.m. on May 7, 2021.
The calendar may say mid-April, but Monday felt more like mid-August – traditionally, the first day of school in the Denair Unified School District. Hundreds of students returned full time to Denair’s four campuses, some of them for the first time in more than a year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Everyone — students, staff and parents — is excited to be on campus five days per week, and there was a positive vibe throughout the day,” said Kelly Beard, principal at Denair Elementary Charter Academy, where more than 80% of transitional kindergarten through fifth-grade students attended classes in person Monday. “It was great to see all the smiling faces and hear and see students interact and enjoy being on campus!”
The students whose parents chose not to have them return to campus now will stay on distance learning for the remainder of this school year, which ends in late May.
It’s been six years since the first
class of Dual Language Immersion students began kindergarten at Denair
Elementary Charter Academy. They’re now fifth-graders. The goal all along was
to create a seamless English and Spanish education program that would continue
through the Denair
Middle School and, later, Denair High School. Now, that time is here.
Though the plan to transition that
first class of 26 dual language students to DMS has been in motion for a couple
of years, the sense of urgency has taken on a new focus. In August, that first
group will begin at DMS.
Principal Amanda Silva promises that
her staff will be ready.
“Something we recognize is that all our
dual families are invested in the dual program,” she said. “The commitment they
made at kindergarten is important to us. The challenge is to read and write in
Spanish with the goal of becoming bilingual. Those families are very committed
and invested and want to see us do it well. They want to see the return on that
investment.”
For Silva, the Dual Language Immersion
is more than professional; it’s personal, too. Her son Ezequiel is one of those
DECA fifth-graders who will be starting at DMS next school year.
The Denair Unified School District will take another important step toward returning students to full-time in-person next week by expanding the amount of time children spend in class.
About 60% of Denair’s 1,300 K-12 students already receive face-to-face instruction multiple days of the week. Beginning Monday, their school days will be lengthened by 90 minutes at Denair Elementary Charter Academy and by two hours at Denair Middle School and Denair High School. Classes will let out about 1:30 p.m.
The changes were prompted by updated state and federal guidance regarding distancing between desks in classrooms, sanitation and other COVID-related safety precautions, Denair Superintendent Terry Metzger explained in letter to parents sent Monday. The moves also position the district to transition smoothly into full-time in-person instruction for all students on Monday, April 12, when students and staff return from spring break.
“Next week will allow us to work out the bugs so we’re ready for the last seven weeks of the school year after the break,” Metzger explained.
Between now and April 12, parents who prefer to keep their children on 100% distance learning for the remainder of this school year must formally notify the district of their choice. Those wishing to opt out of in-person learning can do so by completing a form https://forms.gle/XVWPyFwvstu7hiJ47
“If they do nothing, we assume their child is coming,” Metzger said.
Parents with specific questions about their child’s schedule, teachers and other plans should contact the administrators at those campuses, or go to their websites or Facebook pages. School officials also will be reaching out to parents with more information.
What are the
odds of two best friends from the same small high school both being among just
eight student artists to have their creations honored in a countywide contest
with more than 300 entries? Probably pretty high.
Improbable as
it may be, that’s exactly what happened to Denair High School seniors Ayla
Monte and Kimberly Vega.
They were
among the hundreds of Stanislaus County students who submitted work to the
Office of Education in downtown Modesto. The office is undergoing some big renovations
and officials there wanted to showcase student artwork.
“I think it’s a crazy coincidence that we were both picked
together out of all the submissions,” said Vega.
“I thought it was funny at
first that we both were chosen, but then I was shocked when I realized it was
out of 300-plus entries,” Monte said. “It hit me then how huge of a deal the
whole thing was.”
Denair art teacher John
Stavrianoudakis said it’s appropriate Vega and Monte were selected because
“they always seem to be together.”
“I
guess I could describe them as full of life, witty, vivacious, independent
young women who have a talent and interest for art,” Stavrianoudakis said. “It’s
funny that they both got chosen, because I jokingly refer to them as ‘partners
in crime’ because they are always hanging out together and are teaming up on
doing the only ceiling tile painting that is being done this year due to
COVID-19.”
The girls have known each other
since middle school, they said, but became closer three years ago as
sophomores. Neither showed the other what they were working on before their
entries were submitted.
“I remember sending Kim little
updates now and then, but the only time she saw the finished piece was when I
submitted it for the art show,” Monte said.
“We normally don’t really show our work, but I do give Ayla
pieces I’ve made,” Vega added.
The projects were part of
school assignments made by Stavrianoudakis.
