Here's the story of how Natomas Unified student Jonathan De La O got a handshake and hug recently from a former president of the United States. His path leads directly from Discovery High to Barack Obama.

Jonathan enrolled in Discovery High this year with deficient credits and lousy grades, but with determination to turn his life around. He came to Natomas about four years ago, unable to speak English, fleeing violent and horrific memories from a Mexican community. Initially, he struggled in NUSD, but this year he's gotten honor roll grades, made up lost credits, and joined two groups dedicated to helping young men of color reach their potential.

One of those groups is My Brother's Keeper, an effort launched by Obama in 2014, while he was president. The Obama Foundation remains tied to MBK. So Obama was the headliner at an MBK-led conference in Oakland several weeks ago. And Jonathan was there to learn what he could about bettering himself and serving his community. The two crossed paths at a workshop and - voila - what happened next was a Kodak moment.

Here's the punchline: With only enough time to say one thing to Obama, very quickly, Jonathan gave a shout-out to NUSD: "You should come visit Natomas and Discovery High if you get a chance," he said. ... (Can you hear our standing ovation? Bravo! Bravo!)  

Farm to EVERY fork?

NUSD's Nutrition Services Department will lead a countywide coalition committed to serving a million free meals this summer -- with increased emphasis on farm-fresh food -- to students whose school cafeterias are closed pending the start of a new school year.

Every kid should have somewhere to turn for a nutritious meal.

To assist in this effort, NUSD has been selected for a $70,000 grant by a national group, No Kid Hungry, to buy its first food truck. This will enable the summer hot-food program to expand beyond schools to community centers or swimming pools.

Sen. Richard Pan is spearheading this year's million-meals campaign, which is supported by Mayor Darrell Steinberg, Councilwoman Angelique Ashby, and a broad array of area schools, organizations, and leaders.

Here's the bottom line: Healthy students make better learners. And we're proud to help.

The American Lakes School "Green Team" was honored last week by the Sacramento Recreation and Parks Commission for volunteer efforts by its dozens of students that have included:

1) Recycling about 8 tons of paper and cardboard from classrooms each year
2) Helping the school launch a cafeteria food waste diversion program several years ago
3) Participating in tree planting, park cleanup, and developing a school garden.

Former Sacramento Mayor Heather Fargo, a Natomas resident, came to the commission meeting to thank and praise the Green Team's participating 1st- through 7th-graders with comments that were simple, touching, and profound:

"I'm just really proud of all of you," Fargo said. "I'm so pleased and comforted by the fact that you care about your community, your neighbors, your friends, your family, and Mother Earth herself. Not only do you care, but you're willing to take action. It's one thing to care, it's another thing to actually step up and do something about it. So I just wanted to be here tonight to tell you how proud I am, on behalf of Natomas and everyone in the city."

Pretty much says it all, no? You make us proud, American Lakes Green Team!

Whether you want a career in the

health field or not,  the Health Pathway  at Natomas  High will teach you vital skills useful throughout your life - lifesaving techniques, for example, that could rescue a loved one if tragedy strikes. Students also learn about the health industry, human body, first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), health, wellness, and medical terminology. If you're a future health-care professional, the pathway is designed to lay the foundation  for college and career success. 

Here's what students are saying about it ...

Start by hiring a longtime TV journalist, with extensive experience in video production. Then provide professional equipment, in a studio classroom, and offer students hands-on experiences in writing, camera work, lighting, sound, and editing. That's the story behind our Broadcast Media Pathway at Inderkum High, led by former ABC 10 newscaster Melissa (Crowley) May.

Students learn video storytelling, media arts, news broadcasting, and interviewing skills as they prepare for both college and career. Here's what teens say they're gaining from this opportunity ...

Trustee Lisa Kaplan read "Green Eggs and Ham" to a 1st-grade class at Bannon Creek School recently to honor "Read Across America," an annual celebration of reading that honors the birthday of Dr. Seuss. In the spirit of that beloved children's author, here's a lighthearted account of Kaplan's visit ...

She likes to read books, Sam I am.
She read them Tuesday in a chair.

She didn't even mind my stare. 

She read while visiting our  class.

She read the pages very fast.
I bet she'd read them in a boat!
Or maybe to a billy goat!
Soaking wet, in pouring rain.
Or in the dark - or on a train.
Over and over, "Green Eggs and Ham." 
Again, then again -- as much as she can.
Surely a Dr. Seuss rhyming-words fan --
She makes me LOVE books, Sam I am!

You'll soon be seeing this on local cable TV...

Sacramento Educational Cable Consortium (SECC) partnered with NUSD to create this video of elementary and K-8 schools holding assemblies to applaud data showing that 540 graduates from NUSD's Class of 2018 enrolled in a college or university. That's 68 percent of all graduates last year!

We wrote about the college-going data in our last edition of "Spotlight" community newsletter, Feb. 26, but the video had not yet been completed. It shows schools displaying pennants to spotlight the colleges or universities that former students now attend. Principals also discussed  Career Technical Education options at their school's assembly.

At campus after campus, the message to kids was much the same: Think big, work hard, and never waver in chasing your dreams. SECC's video is expected to air soon on Comcast channels 15 or 16. No need to wait another minute to check it out, however. Simply click on it now.