By Amy Claire

Antioch Unified School District teachers will be receiving information about students with a history of disciplinary problems, according to a new district policy.

“Teachers will be getting a hard copy notification of the three-year history of their students,” said Kevin McIntyre, Coordinator of Educational Technology, at the February 8 meeting of the AUSD School Board. These lists will include only severe offenses.

An electronic three-year discipline history will also be available on the Teacher Access Center, which district teachers currently use to take attendance and enter grades. The online history will include all offenses, not just severe ones, as well as comments about the nature of the incidents.

The district is also working on adding a feature that notifies teachers when their students’ records are updated. “We’re aiming to have that up and running for the next school year,” said McIntyre. The notices would only be sent to the students’ current teachers.

Willie Mims, a representative of the East County NAACP, objected to the new system. “This policy really concerns me,” he said. “What kinds of safeguards are in place to protect the students?”

Mims also praised the proposed bond measure for renovating Antioch High School, saying, “I’m happy, and I hope that the bond passes, because that school needs some help. I’ve never come across a site that bad.”

Board Member Claire Smith defended AHS, stating that she has seen a large number of high schools in the Bay Area while attending her children’s band-related activities. “Antioch High School looks fabulous compared to some,” she said. “I am grateful to our maintenance people.”

Later in the meeting, Mims expressed concern about the release of 57 temporary certificated employees. “That’s a huge number!” he said. “Isn’t that going to cause a shortfall?” He cited the caseload of a Deer Valley High School counselor as an example of the need for more staff members.

Keith Rogenski, Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources, replied that the temporary employees were hired to cover permanent employees’ leaves of absence and to fill other short-term positions. While the employees’ contracts with the district terminate at the end of each school year, they may be rehired for the following year if needs arise.

Antioch High teacher Sean O’Neil reported great success with the new media tech academy. “There’s some amazing stuff going on in the classrooms,” he said. However, he mentioned a need for more space. “There will be a point where we will be maxed out.” O’Neil also inquired about the effect on AHS from the potential closure of the G Street off ramp.

The next meetings of the school board will be held on February 22 and March 14 at 510 G Street in Antioch at 7:00 pm.

The 2012 Metropolitan Transportation Commission High School Summer Internship Program is now open and accepting student applications online. Approximately 35 internships will be available throughout the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area.

The pay rate is $10.25 per hour. Each internship will last up to a maximum of 250 hours. Students may work full-time or part-time, for up to 10 weeks, between June 26 and August 31, 2012.

The purpose of the program is to:

• promote interest in transportation as a potential career;
• help students understand the role of transportation agencies in the community, county and region;
• provide skill-building and enrichment opportunities during all phases of the program; and
• provide assistance to our partner transportation agencies.

Interested tenth, eleventh, and twelfth grade students are invited to apply now.

APPLICATION PROCESS

• Complete online application.
• Attach a page that describes in your own words a transportation prob­lem in your community and explains what you think could be done to resolve the matter.
• Also attach one letter of recommendation from a teacher, principal, counselor, religious leader or employer (two letters are required if GPA is below 2.8).

Program requirements and information:
http://www.mtc.ca.gov/jobs/high_school/

Listing of the internship opportunities and application form: http://jobs.mtc.ca.gov/InternshipOpportunities/jobinternship.html

Deadline for students to apply: March 8, 2012

The Arts & Cultural Foundation of Antioch is proud to host the 7th Annual Art4Schools Exhibits at the Lynn House Gallery, January 26th – April 23rd.

The Art4Schools exhibits showcase Antioch Unified School District classrooms involved in the Arts4Schools Program, sponsored by the Arts & Cultural Foundation of Antioch, the City of Antioch, Union Pacific Railroad and a Calpine Grant funded through the office of Contra Costa County Supervisor Federal Glover.

The first exhibit features students from the Special Day Classes, February 15th -23rd, followed by Carmen Dragon and Mission Elementary, February 29th – March 10th; AUSD High Schools, March 14th-24th; John Muir and Belshaw Elementary, March 298th – April 7th and the last exhibit features E.N.C.O.R.E. Home Schooling on April 19th and 20th (2 days only).

The artist receptions will be held the first day of each exhibit from 4-6 PM. The Lynn House Gallery is located at 809 W. 1st Street, downtown Antioch (across from the AMTRK Train Station) and is open Wednesdays and Saturdays, 1-4 PM, during exhibits. There is no admission fee and the exhibits are free.

For more information, visit www.Art4Antioch.org or contact Diane Gibson-Gray at the Arts & Cultural Foundation at 925.325.9897 or e-mail Diane@Art4Antioch.org.

Diane Gibson-Gray, Executive Director
Arts & Cultural Foundation of Antioch
PO Box 613 | Antioch CA 94509
(925) 325 9897 Office | (925) 778-5075 Fax
www.Art4Antioch.org | Diane@Art4Antioch.org

Black History Month
The Black History Month Exhibit continues through February 11th at the Lynn House Gallery. Artworks, artifacts and displays highlight and feature past and present individuals who have contributed significantly to African American history and American culture.

The exhibit is hosted by The African American Village Collaborative: Ruah Community Outreach Ministries, Inc. and Parent Partners Providing for the Education of Young Children Family Solutions, Inc.

The Lynn House Gallery is located at 809 W. 1st Street in Antioch (across from the Amtrak Train Station) and is open Wednesdays and Saturdays from 1-4 PM. Admission to the gallery is free. Group and school tours available on request. Contact Diane Gibson-Gray at (925) 325.9897 or email Diane@Art4Antioch.org.

Art4Schools
The 2012 Art4Schools program and exhibits begin with the Special Day Classes showcasing their work at the Lynn House Gallery from February 15-25th. The artist reception will be held February 15th, from 4-6 PM. The reception and admission to the gallery is free.

Additional school exhibits will take place through April 23rd. The Arts4Schools Program is sponsored by the Arts & Cultural Foundation of Antioch, Union Pacific Foundation, the City of Antioch and Calpine & CCC Supervisor Federal Glover. For more information call (925) 325-9897 or email Diane@Art4Antioch.org.

Assemblywoman Susan A. Bonilla encourages all high school seniors and their families to apply for a college scholarship from the revised Cal Grant program before the March 2, 2012 deadline.

Below are local workshops for students and parents can attend to receive assistance in applying for the Cal Grant. Qualifying students receive from the State of California Cal Grant awards, which provide full financing for tuition and fees at the California State University or the University of California.

Awards are also given to community college students and students entering private California colleges. Students attending community colleges have until September 2nd to submit a Cal Grant application.

Students must apply for a Cal Grant by submitting a Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Form and a Cal Grant Grade Point Average Verification Form. With a Cal Grant, students can be awarded up to $12,192 per year for University of California campus, up to $5,472 per year at California State University campus or $9,708 per year at an independent campus to pay for college or career technical learning, depending on the cost of their college or university, their financial need and the type of grant.

Cal Grants do not have to be repaid. For more information on the Cal Grant Program, how to obtain an application, or how to fill out an application, high school students can contact their college counselors, or call the California Student Aid Commission at 1-888-224-7268. Additionally, the commission has a web site at www.csac.ca.gov, and the website for the Free Application for Federal Aid (FAFSA) can be found http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/. You can also contact Bonilla’s office at 925-521-1511.

1/30/12
6 p.m. – 8 p.m. Pittsburg High School
250 School Street
Pittsburg, CA 94565
Danni Le
925-473-2390

2/6/12
6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Deer Valley High School
4700 Lone Tree Way
Antioch, CA 94531
Pamela Price
925-756-6792

By Amy Claire

The January 18 meeting of the Antioch Unified School District Board of Education included a report on the District’s audited financial statements for the previous school year..

“We look at a number of transactions throughout the year. The audit went very smoothly,” said Jeffrey Jensen, a representative from the auditing firm, to the board members. He expressed appreciation for the cooperation of staff members and district employees during the process.

The report was almost entirely positive.

“We did not have any audit adjustments, so that’s always good news,” said Jensen. “We didn’t have any uncorrected misstatements, either.”

District procedures and records were found to be adequate and accurate, and there were “no compliance-questioned costs” associated with the spending of funds acquired through voter-approved taxes. “Your internal control structure is operating the way you would like to see.”

A few issues were noted – one regarding compliance with state regulations, another regarding attendance and a third regarding Associated Student Body (ASB) issues. Jensen said that these were only minor concerns, and he did not go into detail about them during the meeting. “You had a clean audit this year.”

Tim Forrester, Associate Superintendent of Business and Operations, acknowledged the contribution that each staff member makes each day toward maintaining good accounting practices. “A clean audit report is a one-night look at all the good work that everybody does,” he said.

The firm, Crowe Horwath, served as an independent auditor to ensure that the District’s accounting and financial statements were done correctly.

The next school board meetings will be held on February 8 and February 22, at 7:00 pm, at 510 G Street in Antioch.

“Bill Russell of the Boston Celtics once gave a speech and it started with “Do not be afraid.” This was the jumping off point for Guy McIntyre’s keynote speech this morning at Dow’s Celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King.

McIntyre, a former offensive lineman with the San Francisco 49ers was on hand to address the community and Dow employees about Dr. King – and he did through his experience as a pro athlete.

Though sports stories were only part of his twenty-minute address (citing the difficulties faced by Jackie Robinson and others), growing as human beings took center stage. He spoke about fear, courage, love and faith, saying, “The only way to master fear is with love … perfect love,” and ending with an old English proverb, “When fear knocked on the door, love answered and there was no one there.” No doubt, his words came from experience.

But just as inpiring was the essay read by Pittsburg High School sophomore, Bianka Machado, who took first place in Dow’s annual essay contest. The contest this year focused on civility, a value that the County Office of Education is working to restore in our schools.

Specifically, the question asked of students was “How has modern technology (cell phones, social media and the Internet) impacted civility?” Machado weaved Dr. King – and his era of no cell phones, no reality television shows and no Facebook – into an expose of how we have lost sight of civility.

“Modern technology has changed civility because we’ve inherited a shyness and timidity to meet people, so we add them on Facebook,” she writes. “Dr. King would go out and meet people to understand how they felt and reach a level of formality and kindness towards each other. We demolished that with new modern day technology.”

Also part of the packed program was noted jazz saxophonist Kevin Moore, who played two selections from his new CD “The Prayer Closet.”

Dow honored Silvester Henderson, Chair of the Music Department at Los Medanos College and a professor at UC Berkeley, with Dow’s MLK Community Award, for his decades of work using gospel to unite the community. Dow also presented the Dow MLK Employee Award to employee Jamie Polan, an engineer who has been a champion of diversity in the workplace and has promoted unity not only among her colleagues but across the entire site. As her supervisor, Paul Caizzi, said, “She inpires me to not only be a better employee but a better person.”

All attendees left with a gift – a journal. On the cover of the journal was the winning artwork from Deer Valley High School senior, Karla Rosales. Her art was chosen over more than 50 submissions in Dow’s first Poster Contest, asking students to illustrate one aspect of civility.

This was Dow’s 12th annual Celebration of Dr. King and is indicative of the company’s commitment to all Dr. King espoused – respect for others, tolerance, love, acceptance, diversity and equality.

By Amy Claire

Lynda Sifford, Director of Classified Human Resources for the Antioch Unified School District, delivered the 2010 – 2011 Personnel Commission Annual Report at the January 11 meeting of the school board. “The mission of the Personnel Commission is to provide the best qualified candidates for employment in a timely and efficient manner to support the District’s goal to advance student achievement,” Sifford said.

The report revealed an increase in the number of applicants for classified positions in the district – 1,201, compared to 713 in the 2009-2010 school year. The commission filled 117 positions during the year, including limited term appointments and re-employments of previously laid-off employees. The commission also established eligibility lists of qualified applicants for future positions ranging from bus drivers to administrative assistants. There were 129 employees who ended their employment with the district during the year, for reasons including retirement and continued education.

Sifford drew special attention to the fact that there were no appeals or challenges made regarding the hiring process over the last two years. “Every i was dotted and every t was crossed,” she said. She also reported fewer employee absences and more service awards given out to employees who have worked in the district for multiples of five years.

Finally, she recognized the District’s Classified Employee of the Year, Kellie Cavallaro, and noted that another employee, Mike Casey, was nominated as a School Classified Employee of the Year at the County level in the category of Maintenance, Operations and Facilities.

Superintendent Donald Gill wished everyone a Happy New Year and announced that January is Board Appreciation Month. In honor of that, the board members were presented with business card holders embossed with their names. Dr. Gill thanked them for all of the time and effort they put into their jobs. “This is the hardest-working board I’ve ever seen.”

Board President Diane Gibson-Gray summed up the board members’ gratitude for the gesture: “Let the record reflect happiness and joy from the board.”

The next school board meeting will be held on January 18 at 7:00 pm at 510 G. Street in Antioch.