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Wednesday, September 21, 2016 | Volume VII, Issue VII
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Your weekly recap of student success
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| #Cool2BKind: Students transform into everyday superheroes |
Students and staff throughout Folsom Cordova schools were eager to show off the many ways they can be a superhero through everyday acts of kindness, during the District's annual #Cool2BKind week of activities.
Each year students, teachers, and staff members work together to foster positivity and strong character, which schools recognize is vital to creating welcoming and safe learning environments for all students.
Here's a sampling of just some of the dozens of activities schools spearheaded:
- Blanche Sprentz Elementary: Students made posters, watched anti-bullying videos, wrote thank you letters to personal heroes, and created positive character-themed artwork.
- Carl Sundahl Elementary: Students painted posters, created chalk art slogans, and learned lessons on "thinking before you speak."
- Cordova Gardens Elementary: Students wrote positive statements on the playground in chalk, wrote letters to military superheros, and "dressed like an everyday hero," such as a nurse, law enforcement officer, or doctor.
- Empire Oaks Elementary: Students wrote compliments or words of encouragement to classmates, and teachers led class discussions about how individual character traits can make students their own superheros.
- Mather Heights Elementary: Everyday heros from the community led student assemblies, while students read kindness quotes over the schoolwide morning announcements each day.
- Natoma Station Elementary: During schoolwide assemblies, students learned about a new program that rewards students who are "caught" demonstrating positive character during the school day. Students recognized during the week are entered into a prize drawing.
- Oak Chan Elementary: Students participated in "Oak Chan's Expectation Stations" - campus and behavior rules. In a salute to the Olympics, students competed for gold medals by demonstrating positive character.
- Vista del Lago High School: Students filled campus with good karma all week, sending "kindness grams" to their friends, writing notes of appreciation to teacher, administrators, office staff, custodial crews and other staff members. On social media, students posted positive images and messages using the #VistaBeKind hashtag!
PHOTOS:
See snapshots from some our schools' #Cool2BKind activities: on our Facebook page!
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FCUSD Teacher of the Year Debbie Andrus honored by county
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Folsom Cordova's 2016 Teacher of the Year, Debbie Andrus of Cordova High School, was among 16 standout teachers honored by the Sacramento County Office of Education during its annual awards banquet on Sept. 16.
Andrus, a 10th-grade Honors English teacher, yearbook advisor and department chair, joined the Folsom Cordova family in 2003, serving in a variety of positions and becoming a Mills Middle School teacher in 2007. She chose to try a new challenge and transferred to Cordova High School in 2014.
She is described by her colleagues as enthusiastic, exuberant, a Google queen, technology trainer, organizer, mentor, division leader, and department chair. She is also known as "the person who gets things done".
In an essay describing her teaching philosophy, Andrus wrote: "My philosophy of teaching is simple: do the work," she wrote. "Teachers who do the work embrace technology, differentiate lessons, facilitate discussions, lead by example and are forever giving of their time. They understand that the reward is not in a hefty paycheck, but positive change in the lives of real kids.
"By doing the work consistently now for 10 years, I feel I have shaped and transformed my students into better citizens of Rancho Cordova."
The county awards program will be rebroadcast by the Sacramento Educational Cable Consortium on
Oct. 4, 6 and 8.
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| Volunteers beautify Folsom schools during day of service |
Hundreds of volunteers gave up their Saturday morning to help beautify landscaping at six Folsom schools during the city's annual Community Service Day.
In all, 350 volunteers spread 34 tons of mulch - worth $8,000 - at Folsom High, Folsom Middle, Theodore Judah Elementary, Empire Oaks Elementary, Natoma Station Elementary, and Folsom Lake High schools.
Hardware retailer Lowe's donated half of the cost of material, while the City of Folsom funded the remaining cost with a grant. More than 100 of the volunteers were from Bayside Church, who provided extra labor at Folsom Middle.
Additionally, Folsom Lake High was the recipient of a
Lowe's Hero Project
, which included a new courtyard garden, raised beds and plants.
The school service projects - the first since
Community Service Day
began - were part of a massive citywide effort that included 2,500 volunteers and 40 projects across Folsom.
STAY TUNED:
We've got a full recap and snapshots from Community Service Day coming soon in a future issue of District Digest!
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| Hundreds of area students receive heart screenings |
Nearly 300 youths from throughout the region lined up at Cordova High School on Sunday to receive free heart screenings intended to help diagnose health problems before they emerge.
The event,
sponsored by the Via Heart Project
, teamed up medical professionals and 95 community volunteers to provide the free, noninvasive heart screenings for students age 12-25.
While almost all 286 attendees screened exhibited no problems, nine youths who participated were referred to their physicians for suspected cardiac issues.
Throughout the country, it is estimated 1 in 500 school-aged children suffer an undiagnosed heart defect, which can lead to sudden cardiac arrest and death.
STAY TUNED: A full story, with voices from volunteers, students, and others involved in the screening, will appear in an upcoming issue of District Digest!
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FCUSD schools receive $289,000 from Intel Matching Grants
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More than 1,100 Intel volunteers spent 34,000 hours in 26 Folsom Cordova schools last year, earning the District more than $289,000 from the global company's
Matching Grant Program
.
FCUSD schools were the single highest recipient of grant program funds and volunteers in the Sacramento region in 2015. Volunteer activities included:
- PC Pals - an e-mentoring program where students are paired and exchange e-mails twice a week with Intel employees to augment classroom learning.
- Team coaching
- Cyber safety presentations
- Tutoring
- Galileo trainings
- Science fair judging
Schools have used matching grant funds for:
- Updated, new computers
- New state-of-the-art technology for classrooms, including projectors and student devices
- Increased robotics programs for the classroom
- Enhanced engineering curriculum
The company held a celebration on Sept. 7 to honor more than 3,000 volunteers and the schools and nonprofits they served.
The
Intel Involved Matching Grant
program aims to recognize and motivate Intel employees globally to engage in outreach and volunteerism. After Intel employees volunteer a minimum of 20 hours at a qualified school or nonprofit, the Intel Foundation matches $10/hour with a maximum of $15,000 per school on an annual basis.
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PHOTOS: CA PTA supports Cordova High Back to School Night
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A big thank you to our partners in the
California State PTA
for an evening of family engagement at Cordova High School during its Back-to-School Night on Sept. 9!
Hundreds of parents joined the school, its PTSA, the Third District PTA and state representatives during the annual event, where volunteers shared easy family engagement tips with attendees and encouraged year-round involvement for student success.
Decades of research show
family engagement
is vital student success, and, with
major changes
to California's education system, parent involvement in school is more important than ever.
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Don't forget! One simple application could increase funding for your school
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Folsom Cordova is asking our families to apply for free and reduced school meals - even if they're not sure they'll use it.
Why? Because it turns out those applications could increase the amount of money your school receives to pay for resources that help students: academic coaches, technology, musical instruments, field trips and more!
Schools receive more money and resources based on the number of families who qualify for free and reduced meals - regardless of whether they decide to use the program.
Do I qualify?
Click here to see if your household income qualifies your family.
Easy and private: There's no need to bring us paper applications, and we keep your information private.
Your child will never be identified as a participant.
Another benefit? You and your student may be eligible to receive other services: Not sure you'll use the meal program? That's OK! You don't have to - but keep your approval letter. It could qualify you for other services, like reduced-cost bus transportation.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Families in the following schools
DO NOT need to fill out a meal application (
for school funding purposes, these schools will receive alternative income verification forms):
- Cordova Gardens Elementary
- Cordova Meadows Elementary
- Cordova Villa Elementary
- Mills Middle School
- Peter J. Shields Elementary
- Rancho Cordova Elementary
- White Rock Elementary
- Williamson Elementary
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IN THE NEWS: Teacher makes media rounds
Local media outlets want to know - what is it like to be a first-grader in the class of one of the nation's best teachers?
Click the links below to hear Kotko in his own words, describing how he inspires young students every day.
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Families invited to upcoming IB Programme Info Nights!
Enrolling in Folsom Cordova's International Baccalaureate (IB) Programme is a chance to show top universities your student is ready for the next level of success.
Folsom Cordova has two International Baccalaureate programmes:
- Middle Years Programme (MYP) for students grade 6 - 10 attending Mitchell Middle and Cordova High schools.
- International Baccalaureate (IB) for students grade 11 - 12 attending Mitchell Middle and Cordova High schools.
Information Nights
October 3, 2016
Library
November 1, 2016
6:30 - 7:30 p.m.
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Board of Education Update: Sept. 15, 2016
The FCUSD Board of Education held its next regularly scheduled meeting on Thursday, Sept. 15 at 6 p.m. in the Education Services Center, 1965 Birkmont Drive in Rancho Cordova.
Agenda Items included:
The next regular meeting is Thursday, Oct. 6.
Agendas are posted the Friday before meetings and can be
found here
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