This morning the Stanislaus County Public Health received confirmation that two adult male residents of Stanislaus County have tested positive for the novel (new) coronavirus by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH). These tests will be confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

One person was a passenger on the Grand Princess Cruise to Mexico and one has no history of travel to a country with known community transmission and no known contact with a confirmed COVID-19 case. Stanislaus County Public Health is working to determine the source of the individual’s infection and is conducting contact investigations for both.

We understand there are several pending COVID-19 tests in the county and monitoring of individuals. At this time, there are no known cases at the schools or district offices. We take this very seriously and will continue to take precautions in our regular cleaning and disinfecting schools and offices. Currently all schools are open and well students are expected to attend class. We will continue to work in collaboration with the Public Health Officer and the Stanislaus County Office of Education to keep our students and staff safe, and will keep the public updated as more information becomes available.

We are restricting/cancelling all non-essential, previously approved out-of-county travel and field trips to locations that have confirmed “2 or more community spread” cases (i.e., counties of Contra Costa, Riverside, Sacramento, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, San Francisco, Yolo; Seattle, WA etc.). The list of locations experiencing community spread will be reviewed daily.

Public Health recommends the following daily measures to reduce the risk of getting sick:

• Wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, or use hand sanitizer

• Cover your cough or sneeze

• Stay home if you are sick

• Get your flu shot to protect against flu or symptoms similar to COVID-19

• Try alternatives to shaking hands, like an elbow bump or wave

• If you have recently returned from a country with ongoing COVID-19 infections, monitor your health and follow the instructions of public health officials.

• Healthy people should not be excluded from activities based on their race, country of origin, or recent travel

Anyone who is medically fragile or with respiratory symptoms, such as a cough, sore throat, or fever, should stay home, practice proper cough etiquette and hand hygiene, and limit their contact with other people. If your symptoms become more severe and you need medical attention, call your provider first.

Sincerely,

Terry Metzger, Superintendent

Available in English and Spanish, Click Here

Two leaders from the Denair Unified School District participated on a panel last week that discussed the mental health needs of students.

Superintendent Terry Metzger and DUSD Board President Crystal Sousa were among three education leaders interviewed by a Modesto Bee reporter as part of the forum. Sousa also is principal at Valley Community School in Atwater.

The event in Turlock was hosted by EMC Medical Foundation. Metzger, Sousa and Tracy Manzoni of the Patterson Unified School District shared advice on how K-12 students can best cope with social media pressure, anxiety, depression and other common challenges.

Metzger talked about some students are affected by their interactions with peers on social media.

“When we were growing up, if we had a conflict with someone at school, we were usually able to escape it at home,” she said. “With social media, that’s not true anymore. Also, we need to understand that social media and online gaming are designed in a way to stimulate the brain in the same way that addiction does. Students are constantly thinking about their likes, followers and streaks. Kids never get a break. There’s a lot of pressure.”

Sousa said as many as 40% of the at-risk students at her Atwater school are gang members. Many of them have undiagnosed mental health issues, she said. One tactic the school has implemented to lessen social media pressure, Sousa said, is to ban cell phones on campus.

“Now I look around me and kids are actually looking each other in the eye at lunch and having conversations,” she said.

Sousa offered some general advice to all parents: Just listen to your kids. …. What’s the harm of giving them too much attention, because we know the harm of not giving them any attention or (not) giving them help when they’re crying out.”

Since the fall of 2018, the Denair district has offered mental health services to students and their families in partnership with Sierra Vista Child & Family Services of Modesto. A full-time mental health clinician is stationed at Denair Middle School to work with students and their families from all DUSD campuses.

The program is funded by the Legacy Health Endowment, whose mission is to provide financial and technical support to improve the health of people living in Stanislaus and Merced counties.

One of Legacy Health’s grants funds a program directed by Sierra Vista that focuses on the mental health of people living in southeastern Stanislaus County. Research by Sierra Vista shows that some children and teens in the area can be adversely affected by their socioeconomic status or rural living conditions.

Submitted by Denair High School:

PACIFICA – A coach’s perspective. That’s what R.J. Henderson tried to impart to his Denair players Tuesday night in a tearful locker room after 47-44 defeat against Pacific Bay Christian in the first round of the Northern California Division V basketball tournament.

Less than a day later — the sting and disappointment of a close loss still fresh in his mind – Henderson talked not of how the season ended, but of the magical moments it featured and the lifetime memories that were created.

“We had an incredible run,” he said. “You’re not going to repeat 26-4 very often. It was just one of those great years. I want to thank those kids; my coaching staff, which was terrific; the administration, which let the coaches coach; and the parents, who supported all the traveling we did in the spring and summer to be in the position we’re in.

“It was just a special group. Everything that transpired since November has been special.”

Continue reading “Denair’s Season Ends with 47-44 Loss in First Round of NorCal Basketball Tournament” »

Submitted by Denair High School:

R.J. Henderson thinks Tuesday’s first-round matchup against Pacific Bay Christian in the NorCal Division V basketball tournament could not have worked out any better for his Denair team.

That’s because, in many ways, the seventh-seeded Eagles (27-3) are very similar to the 10^th-seeded Coyotes (26-3).

They have a big center – 6-foot-7 senior Dwight Bumgarner – who can be a load in the middle. He averages about 14 points and nine rebounds a game.

Denair responds with its own physical front line featuring 6-6 senior Jacob Kuharski (10.3 ppg, 8.6 rpg) and 6-2 senior Jordan Smith-Sires (12.9 ppg, 8.4 rpg).

Continue reading “Denair Seed 10th in NorCal Basketball Tournament; Coyotes Open Play Tuesday in Pacifica” »

Submitted by Denair High School:

Dan Desomma started at the Turlock Irrigation District in 1996 as a temporary worker. A few months later, he was hired full time in the maintenance department. Eventually, he worked his way into the power department, where he has spent the last 18 years as a troubleshooter. When the power goes out, he’s the guy who gets the call.

Desomma loves his job, loves helping people and loves working in the community in which he grew up. He has only a high school education and a couple of years of college, but years of specialized training that qualifies him for a career that pays him almost $60 an hour.

Friday, Denair High School’s third annual Career Fair Desomma and three other TID linemen shared their insight about their jobs, the equipment they use and the company they worked for. They were among more than two dozen presenters ranging from educators to bankers, military and law enforcement, medical assistants and dental hygienists, a local mayor, a funeral director, a nail salon employee, a civil engineer and various business executives.

All converged on the Denair campus to give students a chance not only to hear about different careers, but to ask questions about the education, training, preparation and other skills that it takes to do them. All seventh- through 12^th-graders signed up in advance for three 30-minute sessions.

“About 50 percent of our graduates go straight into the workforce after graduation, so it’s important that we expose them to many different kind of career opportunities,” said Principal Kara Backman.

The TID linemen were a popular choice for many young men. While most sessions were inside classrooms, the TID crew was outside in the quad, where students could send the bucket trucks, handle some of the equipment and even try on the protective clothing that guards against electrical shock.

“TID is a great place to work,” said lineman Adam Hope. “It’s provided a good living for my family and kids. There are a lot of different career paths there.”

Continue reading “Career Fair Opens Students’ Eyes to Many Different Jobs” »