In his first official visit to the Bay Area, newly appointed Philippine Ambassador to the United States, Jose L. Cuisia, Jr. (center), was welcomed by (L-R) Cynthia Ruehlig, Contra Costa County Board of Education Trustee, and Walter Ruehlig, Antioch Unified School District Trustee at a reception at the Mark Hopkins Hotel in San Francisco.

Ambassador Cuisia is soliciting support for “Save Our Industries Act” which will provide duty-free benefits for apparel products imported into the United States that have been manufactured in the Philippines using U.S. made fabrics.

Ambassador Cuisia asserted that The Save Act program would help both the U.S. textile industry and the Philippine apparel manufacturing industry by creating thousands of jobs and generating over a billion dollars in revenue for both countries. For more information, visit www.saveourindustriesact.org.

Dr. Robert Sheffield is now giving residents of East Contra Costa County another reason to smile by starting a local chapter of the Smile for a Lifetime foundation.

The mission of Smile for a Lifetime is to provide braces at no cost to disadvantaged children between the ages of ten and eighteen who reside in the above mentioned county. The children we strive to serve are those who would not otherwise have an opportunity for orthodontic care.

Dr. “Rob” Sheffield will award six orthodontic scholarships in 2011 and twelve scholarships annually beginning in 2012. The recipients will be selected by a local board consisting of diverse community leaders. This board will meet semi-annually to review applications and award scholarships.

Dr. Sheffield, whose office is at 3428 Hillcrest Avenue, Suite 100 in Antioch, is pleased to have the opportunity to serve our community by becoming a member of this generous foundation, and at the same time to realize his dream of serving local children who are in need of orthodontic assistance.

The Smile for a Lifetime application can be found at http://www.sheffieldortho.com/AboutUs/SmilesforaLifetime.aspx. For more information: e-mail S4Lfoundation@sheffieldortho.com or call 925.757.9100 or visit www.sheffieldortho.com.

Robert Sheffield, DDS is a respected provider of orthodontic treatment serving East Contra Costa County with offices in Antioch and Brentwood. The practice’s top priority is to provide the highest quality orthodontic care in a friendly, comfortable environment. It utilizes the latest technological advances in the industry, such as Damon System braces, Invisalign® and Insigna Custom Braces, along with the latest in computer technology (digital imaging and advanced computer graphics) to help offer faster treatment options that are more comfortable and more appealing than ever.

Smile for a Lifetime Foundation is a non-profit, charitable organization comprised of local chapters throughout the country that provide quality orthodontic treatment for patients who may not have the opportunity to achieve a beautiful, straight smile without financial assistance.

The Smile for a Lifetime Foundation helps equip orthodontists with the resources necessary to help develop a local Board of Directors that will specifically select individuals for orthodontic treatment. Smile for a Lifetime Foundation’s mission is to create self-confidence, inspire hope, and change the lives of children in our communities in a dramatic way. The gift of a smile can do all this for a deserving, underserved individual who, in turn, can use this gift to better themselves and their community.

April 14th was a memorable day at Deer Valley High where allegedly five teachers and two staff members have been assaulted on campus by students this year, four of the assaults occurring this semester.

Posted comments on a local online forum written by parents/teachers/teacher relatives, etc. state that on April 14 fights broke out in different areas of the high school campus after lunch, one involving multiple kids assaulting one boy. When a teacher jumped in to stop the assault, the teacher was hit and kicked by students, as was another teacher who also responded to the incident. Ultimately Co-Principal Clarence Isadore successfully intervened.

Concerned about the assaults and the fact that they could occur again in the near future, I emailed the district office for information. I subsequently received a reply from Tony Shah, Director, Student Support Services acknowledging, “On April 14th, we did have an incident in which an isolated fight escalated to a large number of students becoming involved. Due to federal privacy rights laws, I am unable to provide you with specific information about either the incident on the disciplinary consequences. I can assure you each student involved in the incident was appropriately assigned consequences in accordance to our current discipline policy and education code.”

I wonder if AUSD reported the assaults to the Antioch Police Department?

Mr. Shah also informed me that parents receive a copy of the district’s discipline policy, and teachers and staff have received “I Understand” training conducted by the Tools For Schools educational consulting firm. The “I Understand” website states that its training program will reduce tardies, absences, detentions, suspensions, too many referrals to the principal’s office and address parent involvement and school safety.

Wonder how well it’s working overall. It doesn’t appear to have been effective in regard to school safety. Perhaps the district should seek a refund. Educational consulting programs are controversial because they’re expensive, and taxpayers wonder why they’re necessary since there are sufficient administrators downtown to properly oversee and run the district.

Antioch’s teachers have been complaining about lack of safety since 2009 when former Superintendent Dr. Deborah Sims changed discipline policy. Teachers alleged that the new lax discipline policy, which led to a signification reduction in appropriate suspensions and expulsions, was meant to improve the district’s public image, and that by keeping such students on campus the district was able to maximize state funding, which is tied to average daily attendance figures.

Having received a copy of the Student and Parent/Guardian Handbook from Mr. Shah I checked the section in regard to the district’s suspension and expulsion process. Basically it states that, except where suspension for a first offense is warranted in accordance with law, suspension shall be imposed only when other means of correction fail to bring about proper conduct.

Expulsion is an action taken by the Board for severe or prolonged breaches of discipline by a student. Except for single acts of a grave nature, expulsion shall be used only when there is a history of misconduct, or other forms of discipline, including suspension, have failed to bring about proper conduct, or when the student’s presence causes a continuing danger to self or others.

My verdict is in – the students involved in the April 14th incident or any other incident in which a teacher or staff member has been aggressively defied or assaulted should be expelled immediately and a report taken in this regard by the Antioch Police Department.

Deer Valley High School Choirs will present their Spring Concert on Thursday, May 19th at 7PM at the DV Theater.

The concert will feature the DV Vocal Ensemble, Concert Choir, Divine Voices and Show Choir. Divine Voices will perform their Gold Award-Winning selections including Hold On! arranged by Moses Hoggan and Shenandoah, arranged by Darmon Meader. Show Choir will present their Gold Award-Winning Lion King Broadway Medley. The concert will also feature several soloists from the choir program. Admission is $5.

Photos by Luns Louie Photography

By Antioch Chamber of Commerce

Matthew Satyadi

Announced at the Antioch Chamber of Commerce’s annual Gala on Friday, April 22, was the Youth of the Year for 2010. That honor was bestowed upon Matthew Satyadi, a 16-year old junior at Deer Valley High School who also received a $1,500 scholarship.

The runners up were Teron Schaeffer of Antioch High and Maureen Gil of Dozier-Libbey High, who each received a $1,000 scholarship. Scholarship funds were donated by the Antioch and Delta Rotary Clubs and the East Bay Community Foundation.

Matt is exceedingly involved in Deer Valley’s Leadership class, and is also a member of Deer Valley’s Varsity Water Polo and Swim teams. Matt first began his interest in leadership in middle school. Starting in seventh grade, Matt worked his way up to become Dallas Ranch Middle School’s student body president.

His assiduous journey prepared him for high school where he became Deer Valley’s Class Treasurer his freshmen year, Class President his sophomore year, and Class President his junior year.

He headed the 2010 Winter Ball and the 2011 Junior Prom, as well as organizing and helping coordinate the 2011 DV Fashion Show. In 2007, Matt was selected out of 350 students to attend the National Young Leaders State Conference.

The following Spring 2008, Matt won the California Junior Scholarship Federation’s Marian Huhn Award, representing outstanding eighth grade students in both academics and community service.

In 2010, he was selected out of 700 sophomores to attend the Northern California Youth Leadership Seminar. This June, Matt will be representing Deer Valley High School at California’s Boys State program.

His academic achievements include holding a 4.43 GPA, resulting in his being in the top 1% of his junior class. He is also an acknowledged scholar athlete by the North Coast Section, CIF.

Donna McGee of the Antioch Chamber of Commerce honors the Youth of the Year Runners Up and $1,000 scholarship recipients Maureen Gil (center) and Teron Schaeffer at the Chamber's Annual Gala.

Matt is also a Life Scout of Boy Scout Troop 450 and has been involved with Scouting for nine years. Being an active member of Boy Scouts of America, he has been able to contribute to the community through various projects: BSA’s Scouting for Food, Christmas Tree pick ups, volunteering as a waiter at the Bedford Center’s and Delta Advocacy dinners at Roddy Ranch, and Coastal Clean Up. Other projects include building and refurnishing benches, gardens, and sheds for John Muir Elementary, Deer Valley High, and Holy Rosary Schools; assembling planter boxes for Quail Lodge and the Rivertown Senior Center, making animal shelters for the Antioch Animal Shelter, and restoring the habitats of naked stem buckwheat and Lange’s Metalmark Butterflies at the Antioch Dunes Wildlife Refuge.

Youth of the Year winner Matthew Satyadi with a copy of the Antioch Herald article about him on the night he was honored by the Chamber of Commerce.

Within his troop, Matt has served numerous leadership positions including Senior Patrol Leader and Troop Den Chief. He is also a member of the Order of the Arrow, Scouting’s National Honor Society, and has completed the National Youth Leadership Training for Scouting.

Outside of Scouting, Matt sits on Antioch’s Parks and Recreation Committee as a youth advisor.

Among his peers, he is well liked not only for his sincerity, but for his ambition as well. Through his endeavors, Matt demonstrates creativity and hard work. He is well known for being meticulous and persistent. He takes responsibility and commitment very seriously. Matt is revered for his overall integrity.

Matt’s hobbies include swimming, snowboarding, traveling, watching movies, and playing the piano. He intends on pursuing Physiological Science and Economics degrees at Stanford University or the University of California, Los Angeles, in hopes of opening his own private practice in orthopedics.

Only two schools from Contra Costa garnered the 2011 California Distinguished School Award. I proudly announce that both schools belong to Area 5 which I represent as Trustee for the Contra Costa County Board of Education.

A big applause goes to Bristow Middle School, Principal Russell Cornell and staff, Superintendent Merrill Grant and the Board Members of the Brentwood Union School District. This is the fifth time that a school from BUSD earned this distinction. Other winners include Edna Hill Middle in 2007, Brentwood Elementary in 2002, Ron Nunn Elementary in 2000 and Garin Elementary in 1998.

A well deserved kudos to Dozier Libbey Medical High School, Principal Nancie Castro and staff, Superintendent Donald Gill and the Board Members of the Antioch Unified School District. This is the fourth time that a school from AUSD earned this award. Other winners include Park Middle in 2001, Marsh Elementary in 1997 and Park Middle in 1996.

Congratulations!

Cynthia Ruehlig
Trustee for Area 5 of the Contra Costa County Board of Education. Area 5 includes Bethel Island, Brentwood, Byron, Discovery Bay, Knightsen, Oakley and parts of Antioch, Bay Point and Pittsburg.

Clarence Isadore, left, and Scott Bergerhouse

By Tami Barrera

Parents of Deer Valley High School students gave the School Board an earful last night, expressing outrage at the plan to eliminate the co-principal model at the school in which Scott Bergerhouse and Clarence Isadore jointly run the school. The four-year, innovative partnership may be eliminated due to the need to make $4 million in budget cuts.

Distraught parents argued that the two principals have improved safety, school spirit and education at the school, adding, “Why are we eliminating a model that works?”

Jim Thompson said, “The atmosphere created by the two gentlemen, Clarence and Scott, is different today than four years ago.” Removing the co-principal model will place an indelible mark on the school society that it may not be able to recover from, he said. Thompson noted that the school board members took on their responsibility because they wanted to make a difference, and he called on them to rethink the elimination of the co-principals.

Other parents also questioned why Deer Valley, which was in a slump and chaos before the co-principals and is now on the right track, is having the co-principal model tossed by the wayside.

Superintendent Donald Gill responded that $4 million in cuts need to take place across the board due to a $1,000/student decrease in state education funding. In addition, enrollment at Deer Valley High has declined, he said.

In other action, it was announced that Dozier-Libbey Medical School is one of 97 schools in the state and one of only two schools in the county to receive the 2011 California Distinguished School award. Dozier-Libbey has also received the Exemplary Career Technical Education Program Award.

An update was provided on the progress of the widening of Highway 4, which may impact local roads and school commutes.

The Somersville Road construction began on March 16, and is scheduled to take about 2 1/2 years to complete. The Contra Loma Boulevard Interchange/G Street Overcrossing will begin construction in early 2012. The Lone Tree Way/A Street Interchange construction is slated to begin next spring. The Hillcrest Avenue Interchange will be the last segment and will be tied in to the construction of an eBART station. For more information visit www.widensr4.org or call 925-756-0721.

Empowered Parents help to make Empowered Kids!

PASSA, which stands for Promoting African-American Student Success and Achievement, is a program that was piloted at Lone Tree Elementary school in Antioch It will now be presented at Grace Bible Fellowship in Antioch, this Friday night and Saturday morning.

Parents and students are invited to attend and hear from school administrators and personnel.

The workshop, presented by both Grace Bible Fellowship and the NAACP East County Branch, “strives to educate and guide parents to become empowered to work as partners with the school system,” according to the promotional flyer.

In addition, it states “In turn, our parents will help promote their African American students to display success and achievement academically, socially, behaviorally and emotionally.

The two-day “mini series” will be held at 7:00 p.m., Friday, April 8 and 9:00 a.m., Saturday, April 9 at Grace Bible Fellowship, 913 Sunset Drive, Antioch, in Suite L.

For more information about the PASSA workshop, call Cheryl White, (925) 522-8186. For more information about Grace Bible Fellowship, visit www.gbfofantioch.org and for the NAACP East County Branch, visit www.naacpeastcounty.org.