John Muir Health announced this week, the donation of $10,000 to local high schools across Contra Costa County. The funds will support programs and services related to the schools’ 2016 “Safe and Sober Grad Night” celebrations, which are held to honor the graduating senior class in a safe environment.

Antioch High and Deer Valley High Schools, as well as 18 other high schools each received a $500 check from John Muir Health to help finance graduation night festivities hosted by the schools, including professional entertainment such as hypnotists, magicians, karaoke, casino games and live DJs.

“As a health care provider in the community with the county’s only trauma center, we’re well aware of the dangers involved with teens driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs,” said Kacey Hansen, executive director of Trauma and Transfer Services at John Muir Health.  “This is an important time in their lives and we appreciate the efforts by local high schools to provide an appropriate environment for them to celebrate. The last place we want to see members of the class of 2016 on their graduation night is in one of our hospitals.”

This year marks the 30^th anniversary of John Muir Health’s trauma center, which cares for critically injured patients in Contra Costa County and parts of Solano and Marin counties. In addition to treating critical injuries, John Muir Health actively works to prevent them. Trauma physicians, nurses and staff are participants in the Every 15 Minutes program to educate high school juniors and seniors about drinking and driving and the impact their decisions have on family, friends and other members of their community. John Muir Health also participates in Beyond Violence, an intervention program for trauma patients treated at the medical center between the ages of 14-25 who are victims of intentional injuries (e.g. gunshot, knife assault) and reside in West or East Contra Costa County. Support for Safe and Sober Grad Nights is another form of injury prevention.

The other high schools receiving donations included: Acalanes High School, Alhambra High School, California High School, Campolindo High School, Clayton Valley Charter High School, College Park High School, Concord High School, El Cerrito High School, Freedom High School, Heritage High School, Las Lomas High School, Liberty High School, Miramonte High School, Monte Vista High School, Northgate High School, Pittsburg High School, San Ramon Valley High School and Ygnacio Valley High School.

About John Muir Health

John Muir Health is a nationally recognized, not-for-profit health care organization east of San Francisco serving patients in Contra Costa, eastern Alameda and southern Solano Counties. It includes a network of more than 1,000 primary care and specialty physicians, nearly 6,000 employees, medical centers in Concord and Walnut Creek, including Contra Costa County’s only trauma center, and a Behavioral Health Center. John Muir Health also has partnerships with San Ramon Regional Medical Center, UCSF Medical Center and Stanford Children’s Health to expand its capabilities, increase access to services and better serve patients. The health system offers a full-range of medical services, including primary care, outpatient and imaging services, and is widely recognized as a leader in many specialties – neurosciences, orthopedic, cancer, cardiovascular, trauma, emergency, pediatrics and high-risk obstetrics care.

By Sean Pearson

The healthcare industry is hiring, and that means bright prospects for another crop of fresh Dozier-Libbey Medical High School graduates.  On Friday, 3 June 2016, at 8:00 in the evening, the Dozier-Libbey Class of 2016 held their graduation ceremony at the outdoor amphitheater of Deer Valley High School in Antioch.

Joining the graduates’ families in celebrating their achievement  were Antioch Unified School District Board of Trustees Vice President Walter Ruehlig, AUSD Trustee Fernando Navarro, AUSD Provisional Board Member Alonzo Terry, AUSD Associate Superintendent Tim Forrester, and Antioch City Councilwoman Monica Wilson.

The Board of Trustees’ decision to start all graduation ceremonies two hours later successfully avoided a repeat of the health crisis of June, 2015, which resulted in dozens of grandparents collapsing from heat exhaustion during commencement exercises and being transported to local emergency rooms.  One relative of a graduate was overheard calling the decision “genius”.

Ruehlig, using a book as a metaphor for an individual’s life, concluded his brief remarks with this exhortation:  “My closing prayer, then, is that each of your chapters ends with the same three words you finished with at Dozier-Libbey:  job well done.”

Graduate Michelle de los Reyes reminded her classmates how excited their families had been at their admission to the academically challenging pathway school, where they all wore medical scrubs as their school uniform.  Graduate Andrés Soto reflected on the gap between fantasy and reality:  “Unfortunately, Disney didn’t get their facts right.”

Bergerhouse named several students as he shared some of the valuable memories from their time at Dozier-Libbey.  When teacher Mark Libbey rose to read the names of the graduates, he was welcomed with loving applause.  After the reading, the class president and valedictorian each gave some closing remarks, challenging the students to go face the world with boldness and vision.  While thousands of high school seniors in Contra Costa County are graduating this spring, this small group of less than 200 can start college knowing they are especially well prepared for their future studies in health sciences.

By Luke Johnson

Nearly 300 graduates assembled in Eells Stadium for Antioch High School’s Class of 2016 Commencement Ceremony, Friday night, June 3rdd. This marked the first graduating classes for three academies: Media Technology, Environmental Studies, and Leadership and Public Services.

It was also the Engineering Academy’s third graduating class. With all these separate academies, Principal Louie Rocha likes to describe it as “four schools within one large high school.”

The campus has gone through several changes over the past two years with a new football field, administrative building, library and modernized classrooms. Still to come on the construction timeline is a new cafeteria, aquatic center and media center.

In her speech, Associated Student Body President Julia Odom emphasized that this moment was bitter-sweet, because although she was receiving a diploma, it signified that there will be some activities she will never get to do again, such as getting ready for prom and attending sports games.

“I’ll probably miss being a student athlete most, because that’s like a real big part of who I am, and it’s helped build my character throughout the years,” Odom said after the ceremony.

AHS’s athletic department reached milestones that had not been seen in decades. Its football team went undefeated in the regular season for the first time since 1977, and its boys’ volleyball team won a league championship for the first time since 1996. Rocha said the school’s athletic and academic success this year was like combining the old Antioch High School with the new one.

By Luke Johnson

The largest high school in the Antioch Unified School District, Deer Valley High School, held its annual Commencement Ceremony for the Class of 2016, honoring approximately 600 graduates in its newly resurfaced football stadium, Thursday evening, June 2nd. These diploma recipients have left a lasting impression according to Vice Principal Blair Wilkins.

“The Class of 2016, as a whole, are some of the most selfless students I have worked with in my 10 years in the AUSD,” Wilkins said. “In conversations I have had with students, they spoke about the legacy they wanted to leave so that the students behind them inherited a better school.”

Students and faculty alike feel that Deer Valley High School receives unfair and out of perspective negative criticism from the public on a regular basis. But this year, students decided to stand up for themselves and conducted a positive protest in October. They stood in front of the campus, waving signs that read, “Stop the Hate,” and “This is the real Deer Valley,” among several other messages.

Student speaker and Senior Class President Emma Hamilton said what she will remember most about her high school experience is the diversity to come out of Deer Valley.

“We have a huge variety of personalities,” Hamilton said. “We have people who achieve well in school, people who want to pursue a rap career and all of the above. It’s just amazing.”

Senior Class President’s singing inspires students, faculty, staff and Principal to join in dancing

By Frances Spijker

Students at Dozier-Libbey Medical High School displayed their knowledge and talents during an evening that included a science fair, as well as art and talent shows, in the school’s multipurpose room on Friday, May 6. A variety of students participated with the Garden Club serving a pizza dinner.

Following are the winners of the Science Fair.

9th/10th Grade:

1st place:  Chinyere Umozurike   $100 prize

2nd place:  Stephanie Spijker  $75 prize

3rd place:  Jordin Lara  $50 prize

11th/12th Grade:

1st place:  Andie Lindeman  $100 prize

2nd place:  (group project)  Matthew Beland, Sierra Abel, Mina Hernandez  split the $75 prize.

3rd place:  Lucas Stuart-Chilcote $50 prize.

Honorable mentions for great projects:  Madison Miller, Sarah Bohannon, both freshmen. Were given Starbucks gift cards

I have requested from the science teachers that they offer some type of extra credit to their students for their extra effort and helping us to promote this new annual event that I hope to grow bigger and better each  year.  I hope to work with the administration next year as PTSA Pres. to set up the fair earlier so that the students have time to participate in the larger fairs available in the district/region.  Thanks to Callida Martinez, one of our science teachers, for her help in organizing this event.

The awesome participants in the art show by the DLMHS Art Club, included Matthew Beland, Chinyere Umozurike, Cheyanne Jellich, Madison Miller, Ismal Obad and Graciela Ornelas.

Club Sponsor:  Gretchen Kohl (she did an awesome job organizing the amazing artwork.)

Talent Show performers:

The Hula Club

Freshman Nicole Cadigan sang Love Story by Taylor Swift

Sophomore Xavia Tanner sang NO by Meghan Trainor

Sophomore Merry D Wilson played Hey Jude on the saxophone and the audience sang along with “nah, nah, nah, nananana, nananana, hey Jude.”

Senior Class President and President of the Garden Club, Lucas Stuart-Chilcote sang the 1972 song Dancing in the Moonlight with Senior Andreas Soto, as his back up dancer.

Chilcote’s performance inspired other students and staff, and even Principal Scott Bergerhouse to join in and dance to the music.

We would like to give a special Thank You to our prestigious Science Fair judges:  DLMHS science teacher, Callida Martinez;  AUSD Board President Diane Gibson-Gray, Trustees Walter Ruehlig and Fernando Navarro,  and Interim Superintendent Stephanie Anello.  Thanks also to School Board Trustee Debra Vinson for representing the board and attending our event.

Our upcoming year will be filled with many new and exciting events at Dozier-Libbey to stimulate the young minds of the future.

Spijker helped organize the science fair. She is the Executive Vice President of the Dozier-Libbey PTSA.

Allen Payton contributed to this report.

 

 

By Allen Payton

At the Antioch School Board meeting, last night (Wednesday, May 25, 2016) Board President Diane Gibson-Gray read the following statement about the search for a new superintendent, when reporting out from the closed session, earlier that day:

“The Board has narrowed the search to a finalist but no decision on actual employment has been made until the completion of negotiations on the terms of employment. The final decision would come with approval of the new superintendent’s contract which should be scheduled on or before the June 22, 2016 Board meeting. No candidate names will be released pending agreement on the contract and review of any additional information that may come to the attention of the Board.

All those interviewed have been notified of developments which have occurred to date.

Negotiations with the finalist will occur between now and the Board meeting. The Board will ask its attorney to develop a proposed contract with Board President Diane Gibson-Gray and Board Member Debra Vinson.”

In a subseqent email from Gibson-Gray, she wrote “The board reached a consensus on a final candidate. There was no vote to report out.”

The name of the candidate was not released.

“Once the contract has been negotiated it will be placed on a regular meeting agenda for a vote in public,” Gibson-Gray added. “Until then, the candidate name is confidential.”

Newly appointed Trustee Alonzo Terry has not been included in the board meetings regarding the search for a new superintendent. He is expected to take his seat on the board at their next regular meeting on June 8, following the required 30 days of the provisional appointment period.

When asked how the board can reach a consensus without a vote and if that’s legal, Gibson-Gray responded in an email, “The process is conducted using our board attorney. Not being an attorney, I cannot tell you about the legality of a consensus without a vote.”

Board Member Debra Vinson, who was asked the same question, said Gibson-Gray had been chosen to speak for the board on the matter.

A request was made to Gibson-Gray for the Board’s attorney to provide a legal opinion on the issue. Check back for that update.

The Governing Board (Board) reports progress is being made on the search for the next chancellor of the Contra Costa Community College District (District) following Chancellor Helen Benjamin’s December 31, 2016, retirement announcement.  The Board is committed to conducting an equitable, inclusive, and transparent national search that will attract a strong pool of outstanding candidates.

“The selection of our next chancellor is one of our most important responsibilities,” said Governing Board President Vicki Gordon.  “We encourage our students, staff, and community members to participate in the process.”

Community input on the following two questions can be submitted online through the District’s website by clicking onto “Chancellor Search,” or you may send an email directly to search consultant Dr. Pamila Fisher at pamfisher@bresnan.net as soon as possible.

The questions are:

1. What are the major issues and challenges facing the District and its colleges in the next three to five years?
2. What characteristics, qualities, attributes and skills do you think are critical for the new chancellor’s success?

Progress reports and updates will be posted on the District website, and members of the community can meet the chancellor finalists at public forums during the last stage of the process.

The Contra Costa Community College District (CCCCD) is one of the largest multi-college community college districts in California. The CCCCD serves a population of 1,019,640 people, and its boundaries encompass all but 48 of the 734-square-mile land area of Contra Costa County. The District is home to Contra Costa College in San Pablo, Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill, Los Medanos College in Pittsburg, as well as educational centers in Brentwood and San Ramon.  Each college is individually accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges. The District headquarters is located in downtown Martinez.