News from Folsom Cordova schools

Thursday, January 24, 2019 | Volume IX, Issue XXI

News, Announcements, & Success Stories

Oak Chan celebrates new campus with ribbon cutting ceremony

It was chilly last night but that didn't keep the community away from celebrating newly remodeled Oak Chan Elementary. Dozens of families, teachers, current and retired, community members and civic leaders showed up to reconnect and cheer as we cut the ribbon to this new state-of-the-art facility. View photos here ! Thanks to the voters of Folsom who passed Measure G in 2014, the school has been completely remodeled to be a modern learning environment with flexible seating, collaborative spaces and new technology.

Honored guests that evening included the Chan family who have been instrumental in shaping the culture and success of Folsom for decades. The school was named for Oak Chan who immigrated to California in 1852, making Folsom his home and contributing generously to the community. His grandson, Howard Chan was a teacher at the school, and great-grandson's students there as well. Granddaughter June Chan continues to support the school district and was instrumental in the naming of Oak Chan Elementary.

Oak Chan was opened in 1989 with all portables. Now 30 years later, it is the newest school in the school district. JoAnne Reinking, School Board President said it best as she addressed the crowd. "The outside can change, but you can't change what's inside." The tight-knit community that makes up the strong culture of Oak Chan illustrated that point so beautifully last night. Happy to be together and thrilled for their updated school.

Cordova educator earns statewide award for outstanding teaching

Congratulations to Cordova High School teacher Jennifer Rossiter (pictured center), who has been honored with the Exemplary International Baccalaureate (IB) Middle Years Programme Educator Award from the California Association of IB World Schools (CAWS).

CAWS offers IB schools like Cordova High training and support while also recognizing excellence through student scholarships and educator awards.

Rossiter, a science and agriculture teacher, will receive a $1,000 cash award and will be presented with her honor at the upcoming CAWS Spring Seminar in Sacramento on Feb. 4.

Rossiter also runs a student floral design program and oversees the Future Farmers of America on campus. She earned this honor for being a champion of the school's IB program , and for her student-centered approach to teaching, learning, and building positive relationships with students.

Tony Award winner Roger Bart is coming to Cordova High's Performing Arts Center

Broadway star and Tony Award winner Roger Bart will be performing at the Cordova High School Performing Arts Center in February.

Roger Bart is best known for originating the role of 'Carmen Ghia' in Mel Brooks' Broadway musical, The Producers, for which he received Tony and Drama Desk nominations. Bart revisited the character he played in Producers when it was adapted into a film by Universal. Bart won Tony and Desk Drama Awards for his role playing Snoopy in You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown on Broadway. Bart is currently recurring on the new EPIx series, Graves, starring opposite Nick Nolte and Sela Ward. He also starred on the Netflix series, A Series of Unfortunate Events, playing Vice-Principal Nero opposite Neil Patrick Harris. His recent film pedigree includes the independent film, Speech & Debate, which was adapted from Stephen Daram's acclaimed off-Broadway play as well as Trumbo, which was directed by Jay Roach and starred Bryan Cranston.

Bart is the singing voice of Hercules in the Disney animated film and voiced the character of Scamp in Lady and the Tramp 2. Other Broadway credits include: Young Frankenstein, Disaster, Triumph of Love and The Frogs. Other film credits include: American Gangster, Last Vegas, Law Abiding Citizens and the Stepford Wives. Bart has also recurred in a number of television series: 30 Rock, Desperate Housewives, Law & Order, Episodes, and Grace and Frankie and many more.

Bart's performance will be Tuesday, Feb. 26 at 7:00 p.m. General tickets range from $15 to $40, with the option of purchasing special meet and greet plus performance tickets for $60. Reserve your tickets today . The event will help support the Cordova High Drama Program.

Empire Oaks Elementary raises book donations for Paradise Elementary fire victims' school library

Empire Oaks Elementary held school library book fundraisers for Paradise Elementary School whose school was burned in the Paradise Fire in the Fall of 2018.

Empire Oaks Library Clerk Kiersten Crowley-Brunt spearheaded their efforts and said they wanted to help Paradise Elementary rebuild their school library collection.

Shortly after the fire Crowley-Brunt set up a Facebook fundraiser that raised over $3,000 in one month and held a Scholastic Book Fair at Empire Oaks which raised another $200, plus the school is donating their $3,000 in scholar dollars earned, to Paradise Elementary so they can use to buy books for their school. In total they've raised over $6,000 to help rebuild their school library.

Crowley-Brunt will be delivering a check and book donations so far to Paradise Elementary this month.

Empire Oaks is continuing to host an on-going new or gently used book drive for them as well if you are interested in donating contact Library Clerk Kiersten Crowley-Brunt .

Folsom High's Theatre teaching power couple featured on Folsom Focus

Michael and Tamara Mosier Folsom High's Theatre teaching power couple was recently featured in a Folsom Focus story by local veteran journalist Cristina Mendonsa highlighting the award winning theatre program they've built together over the years.

Michael and Tamara Mosier just recently celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary, he teaches technical theatre and she teaches drama. Both have been teaching at Folsom High for 22 years, Michael also spent four years at Vista del Lago teaching theatre and directing. This dynamic duo has racked up numerous awards including an Achievement Award from the Folsom Arts & Cultural Commission in 2016, various Elly Awards from the Sacramento Area Regional Theatre Association, and just last year in 2018 at The Lenaea High School Theatre Festival, multiple students received recognition in the Northern California competition where over 55 schools competed.

The Mosiers have a lot to be proud of with many of the drama students they've taught have moved onto big things after graduating from Folsom High, like Mara Davi whose done musicals on Broadway or Luke Hawkins , who recently came back to his alma mater to choreograph Newsies in November 2018. Many others have worked in Disney Parks across the world or other opportunities in theatre arts.

Their next theatre production of Alice in Wonderland at Folsom High will be March 21 to 23 & 28 to 30 2019.

Watch the Folsom Focus video on the Mosiers.

In other news ...

2019 SEC Awards Application Call for Nominations!

The Sacramento Environmental Commission (SEC) invites you to participate in the 2019 Environmental Award Program. The goal of these awards is to recognize and show appreciation to residents of Sacramento County and its cities who give back to the environment.

Eligibility: open to any citizen, business, or organization based within Sacramento County or, to entities with at least 10 percent of their participants being city or County residents, which have demonstrated outstanding efforts to improve the environment.

Deadline for submission is March 8, 2019

For additional information, please check the SEC website or contact Jill Koehn at [email protected] or call 916-875-8584.