Sacramento, CA – Gov. Jerry Brown, Monday signed AB 341 by Assemblymember Jim Frazier (D-Discovery Bay), which gives local school districts the authority to use funds at their discretion for student participation in field trips or excursions to other states, the District of Columbia, or a foreign country.

“School districts have been explicitly prohibited from using funds to help students participate in field trips or educational excursions out of state,” Frazier said. “AB 341 changes this, allowing schools to use district funds to enhance educational opportunities by increasing access to student resources and improving the outcomes that students experience.”

 The idea for AB 341 came locally from the Fairfield-Suisun School District, which is in the 11th Assembly District. In the spring of 2016, Armijo High School and Grange Middle School VEX robotics teams qualified to participate in the world competition in Kentucky. The students on these teams needed financial assistance to attend the competition. The school district was required to file for a waiver to the state Department of Education, in order to use district funds for this purpose.  AB 341 will eliminate the need for a waiver, allowing school districts to use their own discretion on whether to use district funds for travel that enhances student educational experiences.

 “This common-sense legislation grants local school districts the authority to use funds to help students whose families may not have the financial means to pay for these types of opportunities,” Frazier said. “I thank Fairfield-Suisun School District for bringing the need for this legislation to my attention and for the district’s strong support of AB 341 during the legislative process.”

Assemblymember Jim Frazier represents the 11th Assembly District, which includes the communities of Antioch, Bethel Island, Birds Landing, Brentwood, Byron, Collinsville, Discovery Bay, Fairfield, Isleton, Knightsen, Locke, Oakley, Pittsburg (partial), Rio Vista, Suisun City, Travis AFB, Vacaville and Walnut Grove. To contact him please visit his website at www.asmdc.org/frazier or call his District Offices at 707-399-3011 or 925-513-0411. Follow him on Facebook and “Like” him for updates on events and happenings in the 11th AD.

On Wednesday, May 24, the Fleet Reserve Association (FRA) honored three Antioch students for winning first place at their respective grade levels in the annual FRA Americanism Essay Competition.  The theme for this year’s competition was, “What Memorial Day Means to Me.”

The three students, all of whom attend Paideia Academy, are: 7th grader Khaaliq Parker-Thomas, 8th grader Eddy Crowder, and 10th grader Hugo Cortes.  Each of the students was presented with a cash prize and an American flag that had been flown over the United States Capitol.  They were hosted at a dinner held at the Veterans Memorial Building in Vallejo.

Gary Blackburn, past National President of FRA, expressed his appreciation for the students, and for Paideia Academy, which has seen students entering the competition for over a decade.

“We are very pleased to receive the essays from the Paideia students every year,” he said.  “Patriotism is something we, as veterans, value very highly, and working with a school that emphasizes this important character trait gives us great satisfaction.”

Sheri Crowder, Administrator for the school shared her thoughts.

“We consider it a great privilege to be able to enter the patriotic writing and speaking competitions,” she said. “It gives the students an opportunity to develop their research and writing skills.  It helps to teach the students how to focus their thoughts, and express them in a clear, logical way.”

“It also gives students the opportunity to think of something and someone bigger than themselves,” Crowder continued. “Most importantly, it gives all of us the opportunity to meet veterans and hear their stories.  It never fails to amaze me that in our attempt to honor veterans, we come away blessed and honored by them. Thank you to all the veterans.”

By Luke Johnson

Associated Student Body President Chelsea Abillano was brought to tears at the end of Antioch High School’s commencement ceremony, when graduates formed the traditional “block A” on the football field.

“It was when I had one of my last encounters with a teacher who made a big impact on my life,” Abillano said.

She was referring to Student Government teacher Sean Taylor who embraced her with a hug while graduates threw their caps into the warm, nighttime sky over Eells Stadium.

“Mr. T was a teacher who always taught life lessons,” Abillano said. “It was always fun and memorable.

Approximately 368 students received their diplomas Friday, June 9. This was the most for AHS since 2011 – the last year before Dozier-Libbey Medical High School started graduating classes in the same district.

Abillano said in her four years spent on campus she will remember athletes and coaches turning around the school’s athletic program.

When she was in 8th grade the boys’ basketball team finished 0-22, and when she was a freshman the football team went 1-9. However, before she graduated she witnessed the football team win a league championship for the first time in 31 years and the basketball team win a playoff game for the first time in six years. On top of that, the boys’ volleyball team won its first league title in two decades.

The school’s most famous member of the Class of 2017, who helped create some of that sports success, Najee Harris returned from the University of Alabama to walk with his classmates and participate in the commencement ceremonies.

By Allen Payton

The 149 graduates in the Class of 2017 at Antioch’s Dozier-Libbey Medical High School and their families, friends, faculty and staff celebrated their achievement during commencement ceremonies on Friday, June 9. They heard humorous, inspiring and encouraging messages from top classmates, their principal, and a representative of the Board of Trustees

Antioch School Board Vice President Debra Vinson representing the trustees, shared her thoughts and offered encouragement to the graduates.

“Many of you don’t know what you want to be when you grow up. I’m on my fourth career. So’ there is hope,” she said to laughter.

Vinson reminded the graduates of the Six Pillars of Character, from the Character Counts program, which is promoted in all Antioch district schools: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship. https://charactercounts.org/program-overview/six-pillars/

She also referred to The Four Agreements, from the book by author Don Miguel Ruiz. The first is “Be impeccable with your word.”

“Only speak bright, positive things about your future,” Vinson said. “Don’t Take Things Personally” and “always give your best.”

“You are now the creator of your life,” she continued.

“Keep a list of loyal friends. Make sure your pastor is on that list. It’s OK to ask for prayer,” Vinson shared. “Learn to listen to your heart. It’s now your life. You’re responsible for it.”

She finished by reading the poem, “All I Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten” to some laughter from both the graduates and the audience and ended with “Congratulations graduates.”

Valedictorian Angela Geronimo, wearing “UCSD” on her cap, where she is college bound, spoke to her classmates about their shared experience.

“The fears, anxieties and mood swings have ceased for now,” she stated. “We all started out…in baggy scrubs.”

Geronimo spoke about the various teachers and what they taught the students and of “juggling AP (Advanced Placement) work with projects after project after project.”

She spoke of Raul Martinez a fellow classmate who had passed away, then lightened the mood by joking about “anxiety attacks and melt downs.”

“We struggled to gain extra credit points,” Geronimo shared, and “Mr. Libby’s depressing documentaries,” eliciting laughter from the grads.

She then thanked “our amazing staff, faculty, family and friends. We appreciate you more than we can think of.”

“We conquered the most difficult school in Antioch, California,” Geronimo declared.

Next to address the graduates was a fellow student, Erron Williams who had a different, interrupted experience at Dozier-Libbey.

“I left Dozier-Libbey in my junior year for a real campus experience,” he shared. “I realized the grass isn’t always greener on the other side.”

“I’m grateful and proud to be a graduate of Dozier-Libbey,” Williams stated. “The school has taught us to never give up. Never lose hope in who you want to become.”

He thanked the teachers, saying “you’ve made an impact deeply on my life. I see now you are our biggest ally.”

To his fellow grads Williams concluded by saying, “I want you to know you’re absolutely amazing.”

The final speaker was Principal Scott Bergerhouse, sharing his pride in the class.

“Tomorrow is the beginning of a brand, new future,” he stated. “I’m proud to stand before excellence.”

He spoke of the achievements of the students.

“We have three valedictorians and two salutatorians…55 students out of a class of 149 with a 3.5 GPA (Grade Point Average) and above. 26 with a 3.85 and above. And 14 of those 55 with an above 4.0 GPA” and “19 unbelievable students of mastering two languages.”

“You will be leaders of our future,” Bergerhouse continued. “All of you have touched the hearts of the teachers and myself.”

He mentioned a variety of students by name and the memorable things they did.

“Those valuable memories will never be forgotten,” the principal said.

“You have to leave the city of your comfort and go to the wilderness of your intuition,” Bergerhouse shared, quoting actor Alan Alda.

“The teachers and staff are proud of each and every one of you,” he concluded.

The graduates were then presented their diplomas as each of their names was read aloud to the cheers from the crowd.

Congratulations to the Dozier-Libbey Medical High School Class of 2017!

 

Bradley McNell accepted his commission from his Commander in Chief, President Donald Trump during the U.S. Coast Guard Academy graduation ceremony on Wednesday, May 17th, 2017.

After completing four years at the Academy in New London, CT and    receiving a Bachelor of Science degree McNell’s first tour of duty will be as an Officer on the 418 foot National Security Cutter, USCGC Waesche – whose homeport is Alameda, CA.

He is an Eagle Scout from Troop 450 and a 2012 graduate of De La Salle High School.

To watch the speech by given to the graduates by General John Kelly, the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, click here and to see highlights of the graduation, click here.

By Luke Johnson

An unlikely dream came true for a Deer Valley High School alumnus.

Blair Wilkins – who ranked No. 317 out of 400 students in DVHS’s first graduating class in 1999 – spoke during the commencement ceremony for the Class of 2017 as the school’s vice principal.

“For me graduating 18 years ago – half my life ago – it’s been very surreal for me to come back and it’s been a great pleasure to serve as a vice principal,” Wilkins said.

Approximately 475 diploma recipients filed in on the campus’s football field Thursday, June 8, on an unusually cloudy evening for this time of year with an estimated 3,000 loved ones in the stands.

Wilkins said this was one of the school’s most successful years academically with nearly one-fourth of graduates finishing with a 3.5 GPA or higher.

“We have had a lot of growth with our students – most recently being recognized as a California Honor Roll School,” Wilkins said. “Which to me is a great honor and really shows how great of a school community we have.”

Every year students and administrators agree that DVHS has an unfair negative reputation. However, Valedictorian Henry Rausch believes the school took a step forward this year in progressing public opinion.

“From the inside, we don’t have a bad reputation. We all like the school,” Rausch said. “It’s just a small fraction of the school that’s making trouble and giving us bad press, and from the inside we don’t see any of that.”

Before the event began, everyone in attendance had a moment of silence to pay tribute to Reggina Jefferies, who was on pace to graduate that day but tragically passed away in a mass shooting in Oakland last summer.

 

To offer students a bridge to college, community service

By Jesus Cano

Established in 1981 at Chabot College in Hayward, according to their website, “the Puente Project is a national award-winning program that…has improved the college-going rate of tens of thousands of California’s educationally underrepresented students. Its mission is to increase the number of educationally disadvantaged students who enroll in four-year colleges and universities, earn college degrees and return to the community as mentors and leaders to future generations. The program is interdisciplinary in approach, with writing, counseling and mentoring components.”

The program’s headquarters are located at the University of California, Berkeley but expand all over the Golden State as north as Woodland all the way the way down south to Coachella Valley.

Some of Puente’s statistics include having 800 students in Northern California, but the number that left the families in the room most impressed, was a 79 percent, four-year university acceptance rate amongst program members.

The word puente in Spanish means bridge, and the program helps provide a bridge for students to college and community service.

“Bringing Puente to Antioch High is one of my biggest successes,” Antioch Vice Principal Stephon Cartwright said. “The immediate goal is to build up a Puente Family.”

Since Antioch will inaugurate their first year of Puente, they will be receiving a lot of assistance from eight year Pittsburg High School Puente counselor Danni Le and her staff. In fact, Le brought four of her elite Puente students to speak at the meeting in order to provide personal experience about the program.

“The biggest advantage about being in Puente is having a family bond with your fellow Puentistas,” Le said.

In order to be accepted into Puente, you must complete a summer session, where members interact with each other in order to have that early family aspect. Le states that the summer session is one of the most pivotal moments in the program’s duration.

Antioch High is currently recruiting 8th graders that will be attending the school in the fall. The process will consist of submitting an application, then following an interview. However, not all students will be admitted.

Principal Louie Rocha made an appearance and introduced the Puente staff who will include Violeta Orozco – Puente Counselor, Stephon Cartwright – Puente Vice Principal and Jennifer Swatzell – Puente English Teacher

Personally, I am part of the Puente program at Pittsburg High School and it is a very beneficial program to be in. It heavily improved my writing and opened my eyes about college and my future. If you are a parent wanting to enroll your child in this program, do not hesitate. This is a positive life changing program that any student must take advantage of.

To apply contact Mrs. Orozco at VioletaOrozco@antioch.k12.ca.us or call (925)729-7550 ext. 40230.