For the second year, schools came out on top in the competition for the Dow Community Advisory Panel (CAP) Community Grant Program. Forty-four applicants (an increase of 25 percent over last year) vied for the funds and focused primarily on projects that impacted education, science and/or the environment.

The Dow CAP is pleased to announce the four organizations that will be receiving this year’s grants. The grants vary from $3,450 to $4,436 each for a total of $15,831. The recipients are:

· Antioch Charter Academy (Antioch) – Creating the Great Eco-Spherience project which involves purchasing equipment to collect rainwater, to compost and to study habitats by raising, ants, silk worms, tad poles, butterflies and lady bugs.

· Riverview Middle School (Bay Point)– Purchase Lego Mindstorm kits to benefit the After School Robotics Enrichment Class

· Independence High School (Brentwood) – Purchasing books for an underutilized library including literary masterpieces but also reference books for science, literature and health & fitness.

· Regents of the University of California – Purchase EarthBox Container Gardening systems and education kits to bring the “Healthy Eating from Seed to Table” program to Pittsburg and Antioch schools.

The successful applicants designed projects that combined all of Dow’s criteria – education, science and the environment –, would reach a large number of residents and would have staying power; projects that, though the funding would be used in one year, would continue to have an impact for many years. CAP members were please with the variety of applications they reviewed and expressed their hope that the ideas won’t die just because they don’t get funded.

Members of the CAP Grants Committee ranked applications based on sustainability, overall impact, benefits to the community, emphasis, and the strength of their partnerships.

Michele Copeland, a member of the Dow CAP, participated in the grants review process. “The grant applications provide such a positive glance at what is taking place in our surrounding communities,” Copeland said. “I so appreciate Dow for allowing the Dow CAP to further the dreams and visions of many teachers and students in the coming year and I look forward to seeing the results.”

About Dow
Dow is a diversified chemical company that combines the power of science and technology with the “Human Element” to constantly improve what is essential to human progress. The Company delivers a broad range of products and services to customers in approximately 160 countries, connecting chemistry and innovation with the principles of sustainability to help provide everything from fresh water, food and pharmaceuticals to paints, packaging and personal care products. In 2008, Dow had annual sales of $57.5 billion and employed approximately 46,000 people worldwide. The Company has 150 manufacturing sites in 35 countries and produces approximately 3,300 products. On April 1, 2009, Dow acquired Rohm and Haas Company, a global specialty materials company with sales of $10 billion in 2008, 98 manufacturing sites in 30 countries and approximately 15,000 employees worldwide. References to “Dow” or the “Company” mean The Dow Chemical Company and its consolidated subsidiaries unless otherwise expressly noted. More information about Dow can be found at www.dow.com.

About Dow’s Pittsburg Operations
The Dow Chemical Company purchased the Pittsburg facility in 1939 from the Great Western Electrochemical Company. It is one of more than 150 manufacturing sites located in 37 countries around the world and supports two of Dow’s eight global businesses – Dow AgroSciences and Performance Chemicals. The Pittsburg facility produces a variety of products used in personal care products as well as a variety of crop protection products and intermediates.

About the Dow CAP
The Dow Community Advisory Panel (CAP) is comprised of 14 members of the East Contra Costa community who serve to advise Dow on issues affecting both the community and Dow’s operations in the community.

Seen September 29th at the downtown Antioch Library grand opening of the Gateway renovations, which includes Laptop Lane, are Gateway Committee members Becky Nielson, Chief Librarian; Walter Ruehlig, Antioch School Board; Gary Agopian, City Council; and Lonnie Karste, Prewett Community Center Project Manager.
(Photo courtesy of Greg Enholm)

Teachers and administrators from the Alternative Education Program smile for the camera after being recognized for a recent increase in student achievement scores.

While the Antioch School Board recognized improvements in the alternative education program at their September 14 meeting, not everyone was smiling. One teacher from Prospects High School, which is part of the alternative education program, raised concerns about the school’s lack of a vice-principal or a counselor for its students.

Because alternative education students are often those who have struggled with traditional education settings, he saw the removal of the counselor and administrative support as potentially harmful to student development.

Three parents also expressed their disappointment with the district.

The first, angered by the release of private information to an individual who did not have custody over her children, was also upset by the lack of district response to her repeated complaints about the matter.

The second parent, mother of three students who are high achievers and involved in many extracurricular activities, voiced her irritation about an ongoing absence of textbooks in her son’s advanced world history course in high school. She stated that this was an unacceptable state of affairs, particularly now that the school year is four weeks into session.

The third parent was also frustrated by apparent apathy from the district. The day after her son broke his hand at school and failed to complete an assignment, his teacher demanded to know why he had not brought his homework to the hospital in order to finish it. The parent was very upset by this response, but felt further scorned when, after repeatedly contacting administrators and district employees, the issue remained unaddressed.

The board stated that it would look into her situation, as well as those of the other two parents.

The alternative education program, in contrast, projected high spirits. This program, which includes Live Oak, Prospects and Bidwell as well as the adult education program, has recently seen significant increases in student achievement scores, and has helped to raise the graduation rate in the district by 5.2 percent.

Program Principal Amy Farias expressed gratitude to the teachers and staff on her team, and Superintendent Donald Gill agreed. “They make this program proud,” he said.

The board also recognized change order committee member Fred Ehler for his service to the district. They then gave special recognition to two donations from the Antioch High School Alumni Association to the AHS football team and the performing arts program. After the special recognitions, the board was presented with the budget actuals for the 2010 – 2011 school year, which were largely positive.

The next regular school board meeting will be on Wednesday, September 28 at 7 p.m. at the district office, 510 G Street in Antioch.

School board members pose with Fred Ehler after presenting him with a certificate recognizing his service on the change order committee.

Come join the Antioch Band Backer’s Association for the 28th annual Delta Band Review on Saturday, Sept. 24th from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. The competition area is in front of Antioch Middle School on D street. The awards ceremony is at 1 p.m. in Eells Stadium at Antioch High School.

16 bands from Northern and Central California will be judged on music and showmanship. Bands attending include Deer Valley High School, Freedom High School, California High School, Northgate High School, Concord High School as well as many others.

This is a free event, no charge for the parade or awards ceremony. Food will be available for purchase at Antioch High from Sticky Chicken and Ribs, Straw Hat, Cold Stone Creamery and Jamba Juice.

The summer of 2011 proved to be an unusual one for two local educators who typically anticipate the summer as a time to refresh and regroup after a busy school year.

Instead, Rick Barton, AP Environmental Science and Earth Science teacher at Antioch High School, and Lynda Ramos, a 5th grade math, language arts, science and history teacher at Kimball Elementary School, packed their bags and joined a group of similarly dedicated teachers to embark on a unique professional development opportunity at the Colorado-based Keystone Center.

Barton and Ramos were afforded their opportunity thanks to Dow California Operations in Pittsburg, California, and for each it was an experience that they deemed inspiring, and one for which they have nothing but praise.

In the case of Barton, the Keystone Institute was, “The best institute I have attended in my sixteen years of teaching. The program was amazing, the facilitators were awesome and the location was incredible.”

Barton goes on to say that he was able to bring back materials that he will use in his biology, earth science, and environmental science classes this year. In addition, because so many of the concepts taught are transferrable, he has acquired some great math and language arts lessons that he’ll be able to use with his team.

When asked if he had any concerns about his time at Keystone, the depth of his experience is apparent: “My biggest concern on returning was sorting everything out so that I didn’t forget anything. I came back with tons of material but more importantly, I came back motivated and excited for the start of the school year!”

Ramos is similarly enthusiastic about her time at the Institute and notes the caliber of professional educators from around the country who were part of the training: “The institute was very organized and planned out to every detail along with a very intense curriculum. The curriculum covered all areas of my own teaching from language arts, math, and science to social studies.”

Ramos also found it helpful that activities for the teachers were inquiry-based which allowed the teachers to experience what students experience.

“As a fifth grade teacher, I learned a great deal about sustainability in science as well as the larger issues that face our country,” she said. “For example, there was an activity where the teachers were in groups of four. We were given different choices as to what was more important to sustain – like the rain forest versus glaciers or between freedom of speech or museums. Then, we were to place them in different sections like the environment, the economy, or ethics. What a valuable lesson for all students.”

Ramos is excited to get back to school and begin sharing what she has learned and believes the time she spent was extremely valuable to her own professional development. “I now have a wealth of lessons from teachers around the country, in addition to the lessons I received at the Institute,” she said.

And, for Patty Deutsche, Senior Manager of Public Affairs at Dow, there is no better validation of Keystone than that sort of feedback.

“Education is an area where Dow places considerable emphasis, and the Keystone Center is one of our longest-standing educational partnerships and one where we see terrific value,” she said. “By providing local teachers with new approaches, unique educational resources and an innovative learning environment we believe we are helping to improve the quality of science education as well as raising awareness about today’s environmental issues. This is especially critical so that front-line educators, those who are up in front of the class day-in and day-out, can meaningfully convey how the actions of today can have far-reaching effects on the future of tomorrow.”

To learn more about what Dow is doing to further science and science education, please visit Dow at www.dow.com. Key Issues is a national teacher professional development training program within the Keystone Center for Education – a long-term strategic education partner of The Dow Chemical Company.

by Amy Claire

At the first board meeting since the Antioch Unified School District began its 2011-2012 session, positive attitudes abounded. After the flag salute and approval of the previous meeting’s minutes, superintendent Donald Gill took a moment to thank the district’s teachers, staff, administrators, parents and students for helping the school year kick off “exceptionally well.”

Part of the smooth beginning was attributed to the fact that the district’s 70 summer construction projects are all complete or nearing completion.

Several new administrators introduced themselves to the board, including two new vice principals at Deer Valley High School, Rachel Bartlett Preston and Susan Ceballos. Mark McCain, Antioch Middle School’s new associate principal, thanked the district for their support during the transition. Scott Bergerhouse, who had been the co-principal at Deer Valley High School, shared his excitement at taking over as principal at Carmen Dragon Elementary School, saying, “I’ve got to be the happiest man in the world.”

Angela Hotchkiss, director of the district’s special education program, gave a presentation in which she announced that the program has met all of its improvement goals and has found several ways to improve its fiscal policy. She also said about 40 special education students currently attending nonpublic schools will be unable to return to Antioch schools until the 2013-14 school year for legal and fiscal reasons.

After approving expulsion re-entries, human resources positions, a contractor’s bid for work at Antioch Middle School, interfund transfers and purchasing procedures, and discussing future possibilities for Brown Act compliance training, the board closed the open meeting and returned to a closed session.

Next month’s school board meetings will take place at 7 p.m. on September 14 and 28 at 510 G Street in Antioch.

The Antioch Schools Education Foundation will be hosting their Annual Teacher of the Year Dinner on Tuesday, September 27 from 5:00pm- 7:30pm at the Lone Tree Gold Course Event Center.

We’re looking for Corporate Sponsors: $1,000.00 (Seating for 6) Friend of Education: $750. (Seating for 4) Patron: $500 (seating for 2) Individual Seating: $45.

Flyers for the event are available on the Antioch Unified School District home page or the Antioch Chamber of Commerce, 101 H St., Suite 4.

The 4th Annual Mary Allan Fellows Award winners will also be honored at the dinner, along with this year’s Antioch Teacher of the Year, Tom Gravert, and runner up Bonnie Berquist.

The following teachers were nominated by peers, parents and students in their schools: Winners: Thomas Gravert, Dozier-Libbey Medical High; Steve Kish, Deer Valley High School;
Chris Mathews, Antioch High School; Margaret Ricklie, Belshaw Elementary School; Finalists: Julie Cullimore, Bidwell High School; Stacey Wickware, Dozier-Libbey Medical High
School; Nominees: Kristofor Freeman, Deer Valley High School; Heather Keeton, Deer Valley High School; David Porcel, Diablo Vista Elementary School; Deidra Sheehan, Belshaw Elementary School.

It’s been a tough year for those in education and it doesn’t look it’s going to get any better in the very near future. Having the support of the community makes a hard job easier when teachers know they’re not alone.

We look forward to seeing you at this very special event on September 17, 2011.

If you have any questions please contact: Barbara Herendeen at (925) 754-3014 or Martha Goralka (925) 706-1419.