Submitted by Denair High School:

JT Smith knew exactly what the situation was as he took the mound in the top of the seventh inning Friday. He was three outs from a perfect game.

Not a single Delhi batter had reached base against the Denair senior. Most, in fact, hadn’t even put the ball in play. Smith had struck out 17 of the first 18 hitters he faced.

His Coyote teammates, meanwhile, had methodically built a 9-0 lead at Ron Cornell Field, so the outcome wasn’t in doubt.

The only question was whether Smith could compose himself and record three more outs without allowing a baserunner.

“I knew the game was going by pretty quick,” said Smith. “I asked someone when we were up what inning it was. They said it was going to be the seventh. No one wanted to say anything.

“When I went out to the mound, I saw my mom in the stands. My dad went down the outfield line. I was nervous, I admit it. It was pretty intense.”

Facing the top of the Delhi lineup for the third time, Smith relied on his overpowering fastball to quickly strike out the first hitter.

Continue reading “JT Smith Throws Perfect Game for Denair” »

Submitted by Denair High School:

There was a “fatal” car crash Tuesday morning on the Denair High track. Christian Obando was pronounced “dead” at the scene. Chloe Padgett and Scott Badal later “died” at local hospitals.

Valerie Sutton survived, but lost three friends.

Hunter Musgrave was led away in handcuffs, arrested on suspicion of drunken driving and vehicular manslaughter.

The graphically real-life scene – complete with Obando smashed through a windshield, actual emergency personnel using the Jaws of Life and even a helicopter — was part of the Every 15 Minutes program organized by the California Highway Patrol in conjunction with school districts.

It was a frightening, heart-breaking and, yes, sobering reminder to Denair’s students and others of the dangers of drinking and driving.

Shortly after 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, an alarm went off on campus. All students and staff were ordered to evacuate to the football bleachers.

There, they sat in stunned silence as emergency crews – sirens blaring and lights flashing – raced to the accident scene unveiled before them.

Some students quietly cried as paramedics and firefighters worked frantically to “save” Padgett and Badal. They held their breath as CPR was performed on the two teens before they were whisked away by regular and air ambulances.

They heard Sutton wail after Obando’s body was covered with a yellow tarp and, later, zipped into a body bad and loaded into the white coroner’s van. “You killed our friends,” she screamed at Musgrave.

They watched intently as Musgrave failed multiple sobriety tests.

They sat eerily still as a CHP officer read Obando’s obituary.

And Wednesday morning, they relived the whole horrible scene again during an assembly at which a victim of a real-life DUI incident talked about the impact it has had on his life.

The two-day event was timely, with the high school program this Saturday and graduation in a few more weeks.

The message, said Denair Superintendent Terry Metzger, is that “it only takes a minute to change your life.”

Continue reading “‘Every 15 Minutes’ Presentation Makes Powerful Impression on Students About the Dangers of Drinking and Driving” »

Submitted by Denair Unified School District:

Everyone who lives within the Denair Unified School District is invited to attend Open House on our campuses Thursday, May 2, 2019, from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Open House is a chance to see all the great things happening at Denair High School, Denair Middle School, and Denair Elementary Charter Academy.

Teachers and administrators will be on hand to explain programs, show off the best of their students’ work and answer any questions.

You don’t have to be a parent to enjoy Open House — the whole community is invited! We look forward to seeing everyone on Thursday.

About 60 home school and independent study students and their families attended. The students represented grade levels ranging from elementary through high school.

The participants enjoyed pizza and refreshments, made ceramic crafts, potted succulent plants, competed in a trivia contest organized by the PHAST (Protecting Health and Slamming Tobacco) Club and were able to get their faces painted.

Students in the American Sign Language class also performed several songs.

DCA Principal Breanne Aguiar was delighted with the turnout and believes the event helps “strengthen our connections and communication among members of our DCA community.” “Family Night promotes a sense of belonging, and reinforces the strong value we place on the relationships established with students and families,” she said.

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Packets with complete registration information are available at the DECA office at 3773 Madera Ave., Denair. Anyone with questions should call (209) 632-8887.

Completed applications must include a copy of the child’s birth certificate, updated immunization records and proof of residency (such as a utility bill).

Incoming kindergartners must turn 5 by Sept. 1. Children who turn 5 between Sept. 2 and Dec. 2 are eligible for transitional kindergarten. All parents also are required to attend a mandatory orientation meeting if they are enrolling their children in the dual language immersion program.