The time has come to create a new kindness-themed logo for the 2016-17 school year.  This past school year, #cool2Bkind became the mantra throughout our schools, beginning with a full week of back-to-school activities. 

  

YOUR ARTWORK COULD BE OUR NEXT LOGO!  The theme for the school year 2016-17 is "Be a Superhero" and we are coming to you, the students, to create a logo.  The logo may be used on school banners, posters, and news articles as well as advertising on social media.

  

The contest starts today, April 13 and will end Friday, April. 29 at 3 p.m.  The winner of the "Be a Superhero" logo contest will be announced Friday, May 6 and will receive four tickets to a Sacramento River Cats game of the winner's choice during the month of May.

  

Click here to see contest rules and submission information. 

A Folsom High School freshman's first-ever short film - a creative story on standing up to bullying and the power of empathy and kindness - is tugging at the heart strings of people throughout the region and going viral on social media, with more than 150,000 views on FCUSD's Facebook page since Monday.

The piece, titled "Silent," is the fictional story of a deaf student who is bullied by other girls - and how the kindness of one student can make a meaningful impact on others. The short film was written, directed and edited by Folsom High freshman Lindsey Hunter, who produced the video in her spare time and has entered it into the Northern California Media Educators contest.

Watch the video on our Facebook page, or on Lindsey's YouTube page.

FCUSD is completing a roll-out of new staff computers and preparing for large-scale infrastructure upgrades as part of the District's ongoing efforts to improve access to technology that supports student success.

These needs are being addressed through a variety of ways. This month, for example, the District expects to complete the replacement of 590 computers - including 425 laptops for teachers and 165 workstations for staff. These computers are generally 10 years of age or older, and cannot be upgraded to newer and security compliant versions of operating systems. The effort is funded by about $850,000 of the governor's one-time funding for technology, professional development and Common Core.

This effort is part of a larger District initiative to replace obsolete computers and improve staff and student access to modern tools. The District has developed a four-year plan to provide 1:1 access to a device for every student in every school using a combination of Title I funds and the governor's one-time funding by the 2018-19 school year. The District expects to begin the next school year at a 3:1 ratio.

Additionally, technology infrastructure upgrades will commence in the coming weeks that will help improve the speed and capacity needed to support increased uses of technology in the classroom. Using a combination of voter-approved bond funds, federal e-rate funds, and the Governor's one-time funding, the District is improving its data center and upgrading bandwidth in all schools.

Using Measure G bond funds for Folsom schools, the District also will soon begin installation of new LED flat screen presentation devices - interactive, state-of-the-art tools that teachers and students can use to create multimedia lessons and presentations, videoconference with other schools and remote locations, and more. A timeline for installation is still being developed.

During the workshop, Board members will discuss long-term financing options, bonding capacity, and project priorities as they determine how many school improvements ultimately can be funded during the 8-10 year life of Measure G.

  

Due in part to the strengthening economy, bids from contractors for potential construction projects are exceeding initial projections. Additionally, future growth in property valuations are not meeting projections - potentially reducing the overall amount of money available for future improvements. During its April 21 workshop, Board members will discuss whether any potential Measure G projects must be reduced or eliminated.

  

The Board has previously approved a Facilities Master Plan to help identify and prioritize upgrades, and the Board has authorized the issuance of the first $100 million to plan and construct several initial projects, including:

The April 21 Board workshop will be held in the Education Services Center Board Room, 1965 Birkmont Drive in Rancho Cordova.

Folsom Middle School is inviting families and community members to its first interactive, free educational event showcasing student and community ingenuity in the fields of science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM)!
 
An impressive lineup of businesses, museums, government agencies, nonprofit organizations, clubs, and programs will provide hands-on, interactive stations and samples of their work.
 
Co-sponsors include: Explorit Science Center, Crocker Art Museum, Aerojet Rocketdyne, Micron, Nano Nerds, Sacramento Valley Astronomical Society, Bach2Rock Music School, El Dorado Musical Theatre, City of Folsom Water Conservation, Mathnasium, Camp EDMO - and many more!
 
Need dinner?  Chando's Tacos, Drewski's, and Blue Dolphin Shaved Ice will all have food trucks on site.

  

When: Thursday, April 14

Where: Folsom Middle School, 500 Blue Ravine Road in Folsom

Time: 7-9 p.m. (Astronomy exhibit may extend to 10 p.m.)

Cost: FREE (Sponsored by the FMS PTO)

More details: Click here for a full list of exhibitors and activities.

Hundreds of cutting-edge engineering and art projects canvassed the Folsom High campus last week during the school's annual "Folsom-bration," a massive display of student ingenuity and creativity.

The annual exhibition, which drew nearly 300 students this year, showcases student achievement in science, technology, engineering, art, and math. From moving visual art projects to state-of-the-art solar-powered contraptions, student-created projects steal the show each year.

 
Click here to watch Good Day Sacramento coverage of the annual event!

Click here for photos from last week's event!

Folsom High was the site of a fatal car crash last week - a mock demonstration meant to teach students a sobering lesson about the real-life consequences of drinking and driving.

The " Every 15 Minutes" program was coordinated by the California Highway Patrol, National Transportation Safety Board, and the Folsom Fire and Police departments.

"I like that this is an opportunity to get kids to think about their choices, and that they aren't invincible," Clif Castro, Folsom High's activities director, told the Folsom Telegraph. "It is really important because something like that can actually happen to them."

Click here for full coverage in the Folsom Telegraph.

Click here for a Sacramento Bee column about the event.

MORE PHOTOS: Visit our Facebook page for additional photos.

	Matteo Maneri and Ian Ng

Folsom Middle School Math Club performed at the 2016 MathCounts Sacramento Region Contest, which was held at UC Davis on Saturday, Feb. 27.

  

Students from 13 schools in the region participated. The contest consisted of the Sprint Round (30 questions in 40 minutes), four Target Rounds (two questions in six minutes), and a Team Round (10 questions in 25 minutes).

  

Folsom Middle School students Ian Ng, Samyak Surti, Parth Purankar, and Dennis Xiao came in second place overall.  Ian Ng also took first place in the competition as an individual and was the top scorer of all eighth grade students.  Matteo Maneri took home the honors for the highest 6th grade score.

  

Additional Folsom Middle School students who placed in the top 10 for their grade level were Samyak Surti, Dennis Xiao, and Jonathan Lam.  Rounding out the FMS students at the competition were Sydnee Tan and Emily Guo.

In recognition of World Autism Awareness Day, Gold Ridge students spent Friday, April 1, learning about Autism Spectrum Disorder through a variety of special activities.

Jennifer Freitas, a teacher at Sutter Middle School and National Junior Honor Society Advisor recently worked with the organization to sponsor Cash 4 Camp Challenge.