Intel Provides Technology Makeover for Sac City Teacher

Sylvia Rodriguez, a fifth-grade G.A.T.E. (Gifted and Talented Education) teacher at Phoebe Hearst Elementary School in the Sacramento City Unified School District, and a 2009 Sacramento County Co-Teacher of the Year received an early holiday present that will make her job a little easier. Rodriguez was the recipient of a technology makeover, or "Techover", for her home office.

Intel selected the teacher to receive an Intel Core Duo processor based laptop, printer/scanner/copier, wireless Internet from Comcast, a digital camera and an LCD television.

"Getting this Techover was so perfectly timed!" Rodriguez said. "My new class has just started a new service-learning project and they want to record their field experiences. Having the camcorder will help so much with this. It's also a camera, so they can take still pictures of their work in the field."

"We thought this would be a wonderful opportunity for Intel to give back to someone who very rarely gets thanked for all that they do: teachers," said Leroy Tripette, External Affairs Manager for Intel Corporation. "Sylvia can now use her new tools to create even richer project based lessons for her students which means a more enriching and exciting experience for them."

"I am so grateful to Intel for updating my life and making my tasks as a mother and a teacher easier to accomplish," Rodriguez said.    

Sylvia Rodriguez and Janet Anderson, who teaches 3rd grade at Elliott Ranch Elementary School in Elk Grove, were selected from among 18 Sacramento area teachers as 2009 Sacramento County Teachers of the Year.

All of the school districts within the County of Sacramento, along with the Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE), are invited each year to participate in the Sacramento County Teachers of the Year Program. Larger districts are eligible to submit two entries. All 18 Sacramento area teachers will be honored during a special halftime presentation when the Kings host the Utah Jazz on Friday, February 6, 2009 at ARCO Arena.

The Sacramento County Teachers of the Year Program is presented by the Sacramento County Office of Education in partnership with Maloof Sports and Entertainment, the Intel Corporation Folsom and the Sacramento Scottish Rite Bodies of Freemasonry.

More information about Intel's volunteer and education initiatives may be found online.

The Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE) is announcing that beginning in January 2009, students from three Sacramento County high schools and three middle schools will be helping promote traffic safety among their peers.

Funding from the California Office of Traffic Safety and provided through the California Friday Night Live Partnership office will allow student-led projects offered by SCOE to teach teens and their families about traffic safety.

Students at Franklin High School and Cosumnes Oaks High School, in the Elk Grove Unified School District, will focus on traffic safety and underage drinking prevention to increase student, parent and faculty knowledge and improve behaviors related to these issues. Students at these schools will conduct a "Click It Challenge" to encourage students, parents, school staff and the community to increase seatbelt usage. An underage drinking prevention campaign will educate students, parents and school staff and involve a Parent Pledge drive as well.

Student leaders with the FNL chapter at Rio Americano High School, in the San Juan Unified School District, will work with adult allies to create change through parent education, community forums and events, and other activities to enhance the message delivered by the Every Fifteen Minutes program. The Every Fifteen Minutes program is an educational experience focusing on the dangers associated with driving while impaired.

The Rio Americano FNL chapter will follow up the Every Fifteen Minutes program with a campaign that builds upon the anti-drinking and driving message delivered through the Every Fifteen Minutes program. Among other activities, the chapter will host an assembly before graduation to emphasize the anti-drinking and driving messages.

Sixty students from Will Rogers Middle School, Del Campo High School (San Juan Unified), Will C. Wood Middle School, Hiram Johnson High School (Sacramento City Unified), Grant High School, and Martin Luther King, Jr. Tech Academy (Twin Rivers Unified) will promote traffic safety messages and a Seatbelt Safety Challenge. High school student mentors will guide middle school student proteges in creating traffic safety campaigns for their school communities. Students will involve parents in their activities, including conducting a Parent Pledge event at each school's Open House event in the spring.

For more information about the program, contact Joelle Orrock, Coordinator, Friday Night Live/Club Live, at (916) 228-2418.

Learning Program Provides Special Education Services

Family members, teachers and guests applauded as three Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE) students were awarded certificates of completion December 17, 2008.The students are graduates of SCOE's program for high school and young adults with disabilities who are marking the transition to other educational programs in their local communities.

The graduation ceremony was held at the County Office's David P. Meaney Education Center.

"We are all thrilled to witness this tribute to great effort and success," said Sacramento County Superintendent of Schools David W. Gordon. "While it is thrilling, it is also humbling because we are recognizing the accomplishments of some students who, no doubt, surpassed the expectations of many people, and we now marvel at their achievements."

The students represent high schools in the Sacramento City Unified School District and the Galt Joint Union High School District. Many of them have received special education and other services from SCOE since they were young children.

Kyle Williams, Galt High School
Kaily Riley, Galt High School
Sean Batreman, CSUS Program for Young Adults

"Today is a special event during a long journey. It is an end to one chapter and a beginning to another. Sometimes it is with sadness, or anxiousness, or excitement that we face this journey, but today is a celebration. It is an event that affects the students, the staff, and the families. We will be changed forever," said Robin Pierson, Assistant Superintendent, Special Education.

Serving as master of ceremonies was SCOE Special Education Principal Mary Jo Johnson, and certificates of completion were presented by County School Board President Gretchen Bender and Trustees Brian Cooley and Greg Geeting. A slide show was presented by Program Specialist Leora Bautista Hendricks.

As part of the SCOE Special Education Department, the program for Students with Severe Disabilities provides special education services to students with severe disabilities and students with emotional disturbances, from ages 3-22 years, throughout Sacramento County. These programs are located on more than 25 sites/schools located in eight school districts within the county.

The Special Education Department provides special day classes for students with severe challenges or with emotional disabilities. Other students served include district students with visual impairments, mobility needs, or speech and language disorders. Special education services are also provided at local schools operated for youth through Sacramento County Probation. SCOE's Infant Development Program provides individualized, home-based instruction and family support for infants and toddlers having special needs.

For more information about SCOE special education services, call (916) 228-2382.

News10 Also Hosts Watts and Court School Students

Graphic Arts instructor Daniel Watts was honored December 16 by the Sacramento County Board of Education as Teacher of the Year 2009 for the Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE).

Watts is a Juvenile Court Schools teacher at SCOE's Carson Creek Jr.-Sr. High School campus where he works with detained, at-risk students. Carson Creek is located within the Sacramento County Boys Ranch juvenile facility operated by the Sacramento County Probation Department.

In his graphics arts classes, Watts has a weekly art contest where students compete for prizes. The contest teaches students how to work together successfully. He also developed a student teaching assistant program allowing students to earn the right to assist in the classroom, while learning leadership skills and responsibility. In addition, students in the Carson Creek graphic arts class benefit from a partnership with The Arts Institute of Sacramento. Every three months, a representative from the institute visits with students, makes presentations and talks about career opportunities in digital media and design. An entrepreneur program in the class provides graphic arts design services to SCOE staff and the public. The program and its students have created designed logos for several SCOE campuses and projects.

Watts, also named News10's October 2008 Teacher of the Month, accompanied six of his graphic arts technology students on a behind-the-scenes tour of the television station on December 13.

The students spoke with news team members Dan Elliott, Darla Givens, Jennifer Smith and Kelly Jackson, who gave them advice such as "Find a job you love," "Never stop learning" and "Continue with your education."  Teamwork and collaboration were emphasized by News10 staff, who cited the necessity of working together to create a newscast.  Students performed mock weather reports and visited inside the control room.  

"The students were very excited about the tour and stated that now they can make the connection between what they are learning in class and what skills are needed to work at a news station like News10," Watts said.

Daniel Watts was honored at the Sacramento County Teachers of the Year Banquet held on September 3, 2008, at the Sacramento Hilton. During the 2008-2009 NBA season all Sacramento County school district Teachers of the Year will be honored during a special halftime ceremony during the Sacramento Kings/Utah Jazz game at ARCO Arena on February 6, 2009.

Tickets for Teacher Appreciation Night, which is presented by Maloof Sports and Entertainment and Intel Corporation Folsom, are available by contacting Sean Sterner, Group Sales Account Manager, at (916) 473-4031.

The Sacramento County Teachers of the Year Program is presented by SCOE in partnership with Maloof Sports and Entertainment, the Intel Corporation Folsom and the Sacramento Scottish Rite Bodies of Freemasonry.

SCOE Principal Lyn Efken Receives Unity Award

Agencies throughout Sacramento County working with at-risk youth joined together to share ideas and information at Trading Secrets 2008: Insiders' Perspectives of How Sacramento Juvenile Justice Agencies Work, on November 20th in Sacramento.

Those attending the conference learned about the services available for youth at risk of becoming part of or are already a part of the juvenile justice system, met the people providing those services, and learned how to successfully maneuver through the various systems to obtain those services.

During the event, Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE) Special Education Principal Lyn Efken received the 7th Annual Roger K. Warren Unity Award, which recognizes an individual who promotes collaboration and cooperation among all agencies, public and private, that work with children in the court system.

The conference featured two keynote speakers. Abandoned, neglected, and abused as a child, Josh Shipp shared his personal story of triumph over tragedy. Shipp, in his presentation Don't Be Average, spoke of how he was raised in the foster care system. He attributed his personal growth to the encouragement of a great foster home, dynamic teachers, and school programs.

"I've found that sometimes the very thing that has hurt you the most, is the very thing you can use to help others," said Shipp. "Start seeing the problem you face as an opportunity."

Judy Murphy also provided a keynote address. She is co-founder of the nationally recognized Moms Off Meth Support Group and works for First Resources Corporation in Ottumwa, Iowa, as a supervisor of the HOPE (in-home substance abuse) program. She is an executive board member of the statewide Community Partnerships for Protecting Children.

Topics for the conference covered included such complex issues as:

• Truancy,
• Youth at Risk,
• Youth Gangs,
• Dependency or Delinquency,
• Alcohol and Drug Treatment Services,
• The Mental Health System,
• The Court System,
• Reducing Recidivism, and
• School Based Interventions.

Representing SCOE were Marty Cavanaugh, Deputy Superintendent, Judy Holsinger, Executive Director, SELPA and Dr. Mike Borgaard, Principal, El Centro High School. They conducted a workshop titled Life is a Box of Chocolates: Response to Intervention for Special Education Students. The workshop involved an explanation of the response to intervention service delivery model, an overview of the educational changes involved in using data to drive instruction, and a discussion about empowering students with the skills and tools for academic success.

Also representing SCOE were Stephen Wright, Principal, Esperanza Jr-Sr High School, Felix Duncan, Principal, Gerber Community School, and Jaime Calderon, Carson Creek Jr-Sr High School Teacher. Their workshop, The Secrets of My Success: The New Schools Assessment Tools in Case Planning, included LINKS students from the court's community schools programs and provided an overview of the LINKS program, strategies to engage students in their academic success, and ways to develop to assist at risk students.

Trading Secrets 2008 was sponsored by the following Sacramento County Agencies:

• Sacramento County Office of Education,
• District Attorney's Office,
• Department of Health and Human Services,
• Probation Department,
• Public Defenders Office,
• Countywide Services Agency,
• Sheriff's Department,
• Juvenile Court,
• Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Commission, and
• the Sacramento City Police Department.

10th Annual Grand Re-Opening Attracts Crowds of Hungry Customers

Wearing aprons and chef hats and holding pens and pads, students from Leo A. Palmiter Jr.-Sr. High School and Elinor Lincoln Hickey Jr.-Sr. High School took lunch orders from new and returning customers of their Culinary Arts Café on November 18.

The acclaimed Café, re-opening for the 2008-09 school year with a newly renovated kitchen and dining area, served dozens of diners during the opening afternoon. Students taking part in the Culinary Arts Program learn to prepare meals, serve customers, maintain a clean kitchen, and operate a business. They are young people with special needs who have difficulty managing in a conventional school environment.

One of the main goals behind the program is to teach students important skills designed to help them find employment some day.

"Our students find real success and gain self-confidence through our Culinary Arts program, and they take great pride in their achievements," Superintendent Gordon said. "They also are learning very valuable skills that will help make them employable and we consider that a great accomplishment."

The Culinary Arts Café is a classroom-based instructional program that provides students with hands-on opportunities to reinforce their newly acquired skills in food preparation, storage and handling, teamwork and customer service. The Café is a project of the Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE), operated through its Special Education Department and Regional Occupational Program.

In addition to their regular academic studies, students attend classes in the school's home economics lab to gain mastery of entry-level skills in the food service profession. Many students have subsequently attained jobs or have used their vocational and social skills to help them further their education.

The Café opens to the public Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12 noon to 1 p.m. starting in December. Weekly lunch offerings (just $6) include a main course, vegetable, salad, beverage, and dessert. Gratuities for student servers are always appreciated. All proceeds return to the program. Reservations (required) may be made by phoning the Café at (916) 566-2039 and menus will be posted online.

The Culinary Arts Café is located on the campus of Leo A. Palmiter Jr.-Sr. High School, 2040 Ethan Way, near Cottage Way and Howe Avenue. [map]

Teresa Stinson, a former Deputy Attorney General for the State of California, will join the Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE) staff, County Superintendent of Schools David W. Gordon announced today.

Ms. Stinson, who has more than fifteen years of experience as a Deputy Attorney General representing California's health, education, and welfare agencies, and as an attorney specializing in labor and employment cases, will serve as SCOE's General Counsel.

"We are delighted to welcome Teresa Stinson to our team. She brings a wealth of experience to the Sacramento County Office of Education," Superintendent Gordon said. "Teresa has an exceptionally strong legal background and knowledge of education and state government that will aid her in working with other governmental and education agencies."

Since 1998, Stinson has served as Deputy Attorney General for the California Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General, Civil Health, Education, and Welfare Section. She received her Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center and her Bachelor of Arts degree in Politics from Princeton University. She is a member of the Hispanic National Bar Association and the La Raza Lawyers Association.

"I look forward to Teresa joining our County Office team to continue providing top quality service to the students, families and staff of the county's thirteen local school districts," Gordon said.

Stinson will begin her new position in January 2009.

California Musical Center Theater Actors Put On Special Performances

They are accustomed to the Broadway stage, but professional actors performing at the California Musical Theatre spent time on the hardwood floor of the Leo A. Palmiter Jr-Sr High School gymnasium to educate and entertain hundreds of Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE) students during special presentations on November 7.

Several members from the cast of "The Color Purple" spoke about the history of the show, sang musical numbers, and held a question and answer session with the students from court and community school programs operated by the SCOE.

Cast members meeting students included Felicia P. Fields, Angela Robinson, Stu James and Rufus Bonds, Jr. The professional theatre performers told the students that no matter what careers they choose to pursue that they will have to work hard to achieve their goals.

"Anything in life that is worthwhile is going to be hard work," actor Stu James told the assembled students. "You've got to be ready for that opportunity because when that opportunity comes you have to be prepared."

"Training is extremely important. It is very important to know your craft and to have a certain level of respect for it," said actor Angela Robinson.

From the classic Pulitzer Prize winning novel by Alice Walker and the film by Steven Spielberg, "The Color Purple" is a musical and an inspiring family saga that tells the story of a woman who, through love, finds the strength to triumph over adversity.

The California Musical Theatre made 30 tickets available to SCOE students to allow them to attend a performance.

"This was a great opportunity for our students to not only see quality theatre but also learn the history behind a show that is considered by many to be a classic," said Sacramento County Superintendent of Schools David W. Gordon. "We are grateful that professional actors performing for the California Musical Theatre were willing to offer their time to our students."

USALearns.org Expected to Help Millions of Limited-English Adults

The U.S. Department of Education has launched a free Web site designed to help immigrants learn English. The site, U.S.A. Learns (www.usalearns.org), could potentially provide millions of adults with low levels of English proficiency with easily accessible and free English language training.

The Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE) assisted the U.S. Department of Education in the development of the U.S.A. Learns Web site. SCOE previously created several widely used Web resources in adult education. The U.S. Department of Education's Office of Vocational and Adult Education, through its Division of Adult Education and Literacy, oversaw the design of U.S.A. Learns. Core funding was provided by the U.S. Department of Education.

"America's limited-English adults will now have readily available materials to improve their literacy and help them become more productive workers, better parents, engaged community members and active citizens," said Troy Justesen, Assistant Secretary for the Office of Vocational and Adult Education.

"We are proud to have helped create this worthwhile Web site which will teach millions of people how to improve their English language skills," said Sacramento County Superintendent of Schools David W. Gordon. "We believe that U.S.A. Learns will have a positive impact on adult literacy for our English learners."

U.S.A. Learns is an easily accessible Internet learning tool with simple directions and offering free instructional materials to teach basic English skills. It was developed primarily for immigrant adults with limited English language skills who cannot attend traditional classroom programs because of difficulty with schedules, transportation, or other barriers. The potential learner could work from home, or a public library. Learners do not need advanced computer skills to use U.S.A. Learns.

"This Web site is designed mainly for distance learning, away from the traditional classroom," said John Fleischman, SCOE Assistant Superintendent of Technology Services. "One of the attractions of distance learning is that it gives students the freedom to study at their own pace and at times and places convenient to their busy schedules."

The 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy documented that as many as 11 million adults in the U.S. are not literate in English. Currently, local and state providers have the ability to serve only approximately one million of those learners annually, prompting the need for a Web site of this kind to offer to adults in need of easily accessible English language training.

For more information, please contact the Office of Vocational and Adult Education at the U.S. Department of Education at (202) 245-7700 or via e-mail at ovae@ed.gov.

The Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE) has announced that it will again award high school diplomas to qualifying U.S. veterans and Japanese American citizens through its popular "Operation Recognition" program.

The Operation Recognition program was adopted in October 2001 by the Sacramento County Board of Education to honor the contributions and sacrifices of individuals who missed completing high school to serve in the U.S. military (specifically World War II or the Korean War) or relocate to a World War II internment camp for Japanese American citizens. In 2005, the County Board Of Education expanded the program to include veterans of the Vietnam War.

"Many young people put their educations and personal lives on hold to serve our country during times of war," said Sacramento County Superintendent of Schools Dave Gordon. "These veterans and Japanese American citizens went on to make countless contributions throughout their lives. Operation Recognition is our opportunity to honor them for the sacrifices they made."

The Sacramento County Board of Education has provided diplomas to 128 qualifying veterans and Japanese American citizens through Operation Recognition since 2001. Four of the diplomas have been awarded posthumously.

Residents of Sacramento County are encouraged to request diplomas on behalf of themselves or qualifying family members, including persons who are now deceased. May 8, 2009, is the deadline to submit applications. The Sacramento County Board of Education is scheduled to hold its next Operation Recognition diploma awards ceremony on Tuesday, May 26, 2009.

Operation Recognition applications are available online or by mail from:

Operation Recognition
P.O. Box 269003
Sacramento, CA 95826-9003.

To request that an application be mailed, phone (916) 228-2416. Applications are also available from the Sacramento County Veterans Service Office, located in midtown Sacramento at 2007-19th Street.

Qualifications for an Operation Recognition diploma include:

1. Applicant or recipient is a Sacramento County resident;
2. Veterans: show proof of Honorable Discharge from U.S. military service occurring during WW II, the Korean War or the Vietnam War;
3. Japanese American citizens: show proof of internment in a WW II relocation camp; and
4. Veterans and Japanese American citizens: give name of high school applicant was attending at time of induction into military service or internment.

A family member of a qualifying individual, living or deceased may submit an application. Persons who meet the qualifications, but earned a GED, are eligible. Those living outside Sacramento County will be referred to their local county office of education.

California law (Education Code § 51440) authorizes the granting of retroactive high school diplomas to eligible veterans. California Assembly Bill 781 was enacted as law (Education Code § 51430) on January 1, 2004, specifically authorizing the retroactive granting of diplomas to persons whose internment by federal order in World War II prevented them from graduating from their home town high school.