2009/2010 Staff Update

Hello All,

We finally have word on who our third teacher will be for the coming year. Dale Zgraggen, from Don Pedro, will take the 5th-7th grade classroom teaching assignment. Marita Dietz will teach the 2nd-4th grades. Cathy DeCecco will stay with the primary grades--teaching a K-1 in the mornings and a 1-2 in the afternoons. These classroom configurations give each teacher 10 students. Because the 1st grade consists of two students Mrs. DeCecco agreed to take the 2nd graders in the afternoons to teach science and social studies. During our work days next week we will work on afternoon schedules for Mrs. Dietz and Mr. Zraggen for the 3rd-7th grades. Our one, short time, 8th grade student has not been forgotten and she will work with me for Algebra I, and join her class for science and social studies until she moves.

Dale and Marita are both experienced teachers who have taught combination classes before. I look forward to introductory articles from each in an upcoming Badger so we can all get to know them better. It was a long tense summer waiting for teachers to be assigned to our school and it is great to have a staff to begin planning with now. Since our first PTG meeting is the first day of school, Monday, August 24, we will all have an opportunity to meet both new teachers at that time.

Please feel free to comment here or contact the school with any questions. My email is Csoria@mariposa.k12.ca.us

YVS Summer Update, July 27, 2009

Hello All,

I have some news--Cathy DeCecco has been rehired by the district and will resume her last year's teaching assignment in the primary grades. Marita Deitz, formerly teaching at the Don Pedro School will join our staff. Our third position has not been staffed yet so no assignment will be determined for Ms. Deitz yet. The school board approved our temporary teaching and aide positions at the last board meeting so we will be filling those positions as soon as possible. I will post any more information about this as soon as I know more myself.

The first day of school, for students, is August 24th. We will be hosting a visit from the Tobishima Middle School on that day as well--as has been a tradition at YVS for the past 6 or 7 years.

I have been talking with park service personnel about our garden and landscaping project. The PS is working on removing the asphalt pile (did you know asphalt was toxic waste?)and will be helping us get native plants, soil and a leaf composting structure approved.


As usual we will start the year with several ongoing and new projects to designed to engage the students and improve our school. Look for more details in a Summer Badger that will be sent home in two weeks.

Enjoy the rest of your summer and see you soon.

Catherine

YVS Summer Update, June 22, 2009

Hello All,

Although no absolute decisions have been made about our teaching positions it looks like two of our positions will be filled with teachers who need new positions within the district and one position will be filled by Cathy DeCecco. As long as there are laid off teachers with status in our district they have the right to accept one of our school's teaching positions. When the final decisions have been made I will let you know who will be on our staff. We'll also set up a time for everyone to meet the new teachers and I will ask them to send in a short article about themselves so that everyone can get acquainted with them. This seems like a drastic change for our school--two out of three positions changed but at the Dom Pedro school 9 out of 10 positions have been changed. We will also hire aides to assist each of our teachers in the mornings.

As soon as the district gives me the official notification about our positions I will put a notice in this blog. Hope everyone is having a restful and happy summer! Catherine

Mariposa School District Funding Cuts

Hello All,

Please look at the information on this link about possible school district cuts to meet reduced funding models. You may take the survey to have the school district consider your preferences in this matter. In the left column, on the bottom, click on "Budget Information & Survey Page". In the center column, all the way at the bottom, you'll see "Updates From the Superintendent's Desk." This will lead you to Randy's initial talking points from the meeting--what's happening with the budget and why.

How To Use Technology to Teach

Hello, I just watched a video I had seen before and thought you might want to watch and comment on. What do you think? Are we heading in the right direction? Watch Here's Why

Service Learning

We are very excited to receive the Service-Learning Leader Schools Award given by the California Department of Education this year. We fulfilled a long list of criteria that identified our commitment to service learning as exemplary. Included in the criteria were more than 40 measures of school-wide implementation such as: "my school identifies service-learning as a school improvement strategy in its strategic plan," "service-learning at my school is explicitly linked to content standards," "there is flexibility within the school schedule that can accommodate some service-learning activities, as needed," "students at my school are knowledgeable about community resources," and "community partners are involved in planning service-learning events for my school." For more information about the five elements of service-learning as outlined by the California Department of Education click on these links:

Element One—Meets a real community need

Element Two—Integrates into and enhances the curriculum

Element Three—Coordinates with a community agency, another school, or the community at large

Element Four—Helps foster civic responsibility

Element Five—Provides structured time for reflection

We live in a wonderful community for our school's focus to be service-learning projects. The nature of our community is already service based so connections for students to make are plentiful and meaningful. If there are needs that community members identify the school welcomes new ideas for projects.

A good example of how a project we are already working on can become or embody service-learning elements is in the Yosemite Historic Landscape Garden Project. In considering where the school is located and restrictions that might limit our gardening plans we ran across the Historic Neighborhood guidelines. Future plans are to have students organize a neighborhood meeting where the Historic Guidelines would be outlined and discussed.
Let me know if you have ideas or comments!

Project Respect

The staff at YVS is concerned about the overall health of our students. Their well being on the way to and from school can affect their performance in school. One school rule that combats bullying is that all students must included in any games. There seems to be common practice of some students walking together and excluding other students from walking with them. I've even heard of telephone calls the night before arranging the inclusive groups for walking. Since any number of students may be on the way to school at the same time they may end up walking next to one of the specially formed walking groups. We expect that that group would welcome the child who is walking on their own into their group.
The school district program, Steps to Respect, will be used at YVS over the next several weeks to have children:

Practice friendship making skills
Learn to recognize bullying
Learn bullying-refusal skills
Learn how to reach out to someone who is being bullied
Develop bullying-reporting skills

Steps to Respect is based on research about the prevention of bullying. You may find more information about this program at www.cfchildren.org

Please feel free to drop by on Thursday mornings during our flag salute assembly to watch/partipate in the Steps to Respect lessons.