Cordova High School seniors came back to campus last week, to be celebrated by staff and local dignitaries in a safe and socially distanced way. Nearly every senior student came to school in a car parade that lasted from 9 am to 1 pm. Seniors and their families decorated cars and rolled onto campus, and past a line of teachers holding signs and cheering for them. They were given their cap and gown, and diploma covers by the teachers and the CHS Ornamental Horticulture department made bouquets for all the students as well. 

Shout out to our community partners for helping make the day so special. The City of Rancho Cordova and Rancho Cordova PD handed out swag bags for all the seniors, and gave each student a customized face mask with the Lancer logo and graduation yard sign. Plus the city put up custom banners on the light posts, proudly announcing CHS graduates. Drive by the school to see them! 

CHS teacher, Josh Creeger put together a great video of the morning. Check it out here. ( Read the next article about his honor as well!) and to view a gallery of pictures, head on over to this link .

What did students and participants have to say about the day? Here are some of their words below:

" Words cannot express how truly proud and honored I am to work with our teachers and staff... standing together as we clapped, cheered, and praised our seniors was so incredibly powerful - to see the happiness in our families was an experience I will never forget. Given the daily challenges we work through to support our deserving students is inspiring and the intentional approach to lifting up our seniors through this celebration made all the difference. " ~Jerad Hyden, Principal CHS

"I value our partnership and I am very happy that we could participate in celebrating our graduating students."

~Cyrus Abhar, City Manager

" This was such a special event put on by the school. It was truly an honor to be able to be part of it from the PTSA and as a senior parent. I really appreciate all that the staff has done for the students. " ~Darla Murphy, PTSA President and parent of a senior

" The fact that the staff put this together for these kids was amazing. Thank you all for adding that special touch for the Class of 2020 especially for those who won't be able to walk the stage because their next station in life will have already started and they will be gone. This was the best possible outcome for all involved. Thank you Cordova HS Staff and Faculty for this heartwarming experience. "  ~Faith Harris, parent of a senior

" The drive-thru made me feel bittersweet because it was a reminder of a near end to a huge chapter. My favorite part was seeing all the proud teachers and finding a way to celebrate in a time of uncertainty. I love CHS because diversity and culture are unique and hard to find ." ~Gerlyn Hinahon, CHS student

" My favorite part about the drive-through celebration was witnessing a close family compromising of teachers, administrators, and staff honoring the class of 2020. The environment and atmosphere were such a cohesive bond with posters, decorations, and awards. Witnessing Cordova High represented as a family was an amazing sight. The complete scale and symbolism of the celebration are forever embedded as one of the most memorable experiences at Cordova High School ." ~Matthew Hontz, CHS student

 " I felt joy seeing all the smiling eyes, tears filled with emotion, and the Cordova Pride exhibited by students, staff, families, and the community. I am humbled by the amount of gratitude families expressed and the enthusiasm of our staff ." ~Heidy Naderi, CHS Administrative Assistant

 

" My favorite part about yesterday's event was being able to congratulate our students!! It was hard not to give them a HUGE high five or hug because they deserve it!! I really liked seeing them smile and seeing them feel proud of what they had accomplished. " ~Michael Wegsteen, CHS Math Teacher

" For me, CHS has been a place where I feel I belong and a place that legitimately makes a difference. I love that we provide a program with IB that I feel advances a student's ability to learn. I love that I teach a class in which I can see evidence of student growth. I love being part of a school with a long tradition. I love knowing staff that does a lot to enhance students' lives and truly serve our students ." ~Jennifer Old, CHS Social Science Teacher

" I love how resilient our students and staff are. I get to connect with amazing students and help them grow into adults. We grow through challenges together and it creates and stronger community then I've seen at other campuses ." ~Kelly Samuelson, CHS Science Teacher:

" My favorite part was seeing my colleagues and students in person and being able to wave and yell hello and see the kids' smiles. I saw all seven of my advanced French students and a number of my TOK kids too, which made my day. I love the CHS community and how caring and genuine everyone is. The Lancer Family is hands down the best! " ~Stephanie Maddrell, CHS World Language Teacher

All of our high schools are planning a drive-through celebration for their graduating class of 2020, and will be taking place in the upcoming days. We will share and celebrate, so please stay tuned!

-Angela Griffin Ankhelyi, Director, Communication and Community Engagement , [email protected]  

~Sacramento Educational Cable Consortium

As we near the finish of the 2019/20 school year, our families, students, and staff are looking ahead to the start of the 2020/21 school year and wondering what that will look like. Our community, like your leadership team, is paying close attention to decisions being made now by other school districts and by higher educational institutions, such as the CSU and Los Rios college systems, both of whom announced to start their fall semesters with distance learning.

 

We are following daily the guidance set forth by public health agencies, including the Center for Disease Control (CDC), and their recommendations for opening schools. We are working with the California Department of Education (CDE) and the Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE) for guidance, and are discussing with them the resources we will need for the start of the next school year.

While we cannot know what the months ahead will look like in relation to the COVID-19 situation, we can plan for a variety of scenarios so we are ready to start schools, with the best learning options and conditions for both students and staff, depending on the environmental situation.

As we gather information and resources from our county and state, we will also be sending our families and staff a survey to gather your input, so we can make decisions for FCUSD that will be best for our students. We are committed to keeping you informed of the timeline of decision making and want and need your participation in this process.

At the next Board Meeting, May 21, we will provide an update of what information we have and next steps in the process for determining options for the start of the next school year. No decisions are being made on May 21. This is an opportunity to present information to the Board and the public. After the May 21 Board Meeting, we will be sending our families and staff a survey, outlining possible options, so we can gather your feedback. 

To view the board meeting and to participate in public comments, please visit: www.fcusd.org/virtualboardmeeting

The Folsom Cordova Unified School District (FCUSD) currently elects its Board of Education members through an at-large election system. Under this system, candidates for the Board of Education can reside anywhere within FCUSD's district boundaries. All voters within the District boundaries vote to elect each member of the school board. When elections are by-trustee area, the District is divided into smaller regions. The residents in each region vote for the candidate of their choice from their area but do not vote on candidates running for the school board in other regions.

To learn more about the transition to by-trustee area elections, please visit our website at www.fcusd.org/trusteearea

 

On our website you will find detailed information, including an interactive map, showing the different scenarios for proposed districting: www.fcusd.org/trusteeareamap

 

Public input is sought at the next Board Meeting to discuss the transition to by-trustee area elections .

· May 21: Regular Board Meeting;  5:00 p.m.(closed session),  6:00  p.m.(open session)

Instructions for viewing Board Meetings on Zoom, and how to participate in public comments, can be found on our website: www.fcusd.org/virtualboardmeeting