Leading the Way - Walnut Valley Unified School District

Walnut Valley Unified School District
Kids First... Every Student, Every Day
Issue 13 June 2009
A Message from
the Superintendent . . .
Dear Walnut Valley
Community,
As we end the 2008-09 school
year, I want to thank you for
your continued support, words
of encouragement, and “out-ofthe-box” ideas as we face many
difficult decisions about budget
reductions.
It has been a year of courage and compassion. We have
experienced the elation of our fi rst African-American
president and the shock of our economy free-falling.
We felt the tremors of earthquakes and the too-close
for comfort Freeway Complex Fires. We are fi nding our
way through the most challenging budget reductions we
have ever faced. I have been inspired by our undaunted
human spirit as it shines throughout Walnut Valley in
spite of these challenges.
We are blessed with outstanding teachers, staff, and
leaders who love their students, colleagues, and schools,
and who are devoted to Walnut Valley. We couldn’t be
in better hands as we travel this rocky and uncharted
territory together.
Walnut Valley continues to lead the way keeping “KIDS
FIRST- Every Student, Every Day”. On every campus,
our wonderful, resilient teachers and staff have stayed
focused on teaching and creating an atmosphere for
learning. They are touching hearts and minds, and truly
making a difference in the lives of children.
Walnut Valley celebrated many successes in 2008-09.
Several are highlighted in this issue of Outlook. Walnut
High earned the State’s highest award as a California
Distinguished School, a testament of dedication to
excellence. Diamond Bar High School was California’s
only school to earn the Siemens award for AP math,
science, and technology, as well as the only Grammy
Signature High School Award. Congratulations as well
to the nine seniors in the class of 2009 chosen by their
schools as Superstars.
This edition of Outlook provides an update on the
construction projects made possible by your approval of
Bond Measures S & Y. These dollars can only be used for
construction and capitol projects and are an investment
in the safety and modernization of our school facilities.
Thank you again for your support!
Summer is here. Enjoy your children, your family,
and the beauty of Southern California. Best wishes for a
wonderful summer!
Sincerely,
Dr. Cyndy Simms
Superintendent
Leading the Way
Walnut High Distinguished with State Award
Walnut High School has been selected as a 2009
California Distinguished School. Out of nearly 2,400
middle and high schools throughout the state, WHS made the group of
261 schools singled out this year to receive the state’s highest honor.
This is the seventh time since 1990 that WHS has received the
California Department of Education award. “The administrators,
teachers, and students at Walnut High School have a great deal to be
proud of, after being
named a Distinguished
School for the past seven
years straight,” said
State Superintendent of
Public Instruction Jack
O’Connell.
Walnut had to show
they were closing the
achievement gap in
order to qualify for the
nomination.
Overall,
Walnut’s Academic Performance Index (API) increased from 854 in
2007 to 871 in 2008. The state’s target score is 800. “Walnut is already
successful, yet it continues to grow,” said Interim Principal Dave Schmid.
Distinguished School applicants submitted a comprehensive narrative
application and hosted a site visit.
This year, the selection process required schools to provide an indepth description of two “signature” practices implemented at the
schools that are replicable and directly related to student success.
Walnut teachers use “Checking for Understanding” strategies
including whiteboards, electronics, and equity cards to get instant
feedback on students’ understanding of a concept. In “Professional
Learning Communities” (PLC’s), WHS teachers work together focused
on supporting the learning of all students.
“Their hard work and determination have lifted student achievement
and is helping to prepare these young people for success in our
hypercompetitive global economy,” O’Connell said.
Inside This Issue. . .
2
WVUSD Seniors
Our “Superstars”
3
Budget Update
Outlook Issue 13 June 2009 1
Senior “Superstars”
Over 1,600 students took part in high school graduation ceremonies on June 4. Here are profiles of a
small selection of our stellar students.
Diamond Bar High School
Walnut High School
Mallory Harris, California Polytechnic
University, San Luis Obispo
College of Engineering
3.5 GPA
Taken 4 AP courses and IB Diploma Candidate.
Dean’s List for Modern World History. Principal’s
Honor Roll for 2 years. Spanish Club for 3 years,
current secretary. Science Club member for 2
years, current photographer. Brahma IB Students (BIBS) for 2
years, current historian. Student ambassador to Japan, summer
2008. National Student Leadership Conference 2007. Class of
2009 committee for 3 years.
Eric Chow, University of Chicago
3.91 GPA
Taken 9 AP courses. 2009 National Merit Finalist.
Superior Rating in Editorial Writing at 2008 National
Journalism conference, 1st Place award Lion’s Club
Student Speech Contest 2007. Member of school
newspaper for 3 years, current editor. National
Honor Society for 3 years – Executive Board,
Parliamentarian NASA Inspire internship at JPL 2008, Academy of
Business Leadership 2007. Founder, President Anti-Smoking, Climate
Change Awareness Campaign.
Beverly Uweh, Hampton University
3.43 GPA
Council of African American Parents (CAAP)
Most Encouraging Student and Academic
Excellence Award. Computer applications,
track & field, and basketball sportsmanship
awards. Black Student Union for 4 years,
current president. Girls’ League for 4 years,
current president. Step Team for 4 years, current captain. Peer
Counseling for 1 year.
Daniel Lan, University of California, Irvine
3.33 GPA
Taken 5 AP courses.
Marching Band
trumpet player for 4 years. Received
Most Improved Award for band – 2 years,
swimming for 1 year. GAME Club member for
3 years, assistant event planner and current
head of music.
Megan Simmons, University of Oregon
3.51 GPA
Taken 4 AP courses.
Member of Choir
for 4 years. Outstanding Performer and
Most Inspirational Award Recipient. Girls’
League member for 4 years, current Vice
President. Class of 2009 club committee for 4
years. Science Club member for 2 years and
Choir Historian for 3 years. Study Abroad Program in Spain,
Summer 2007.
Ron Hockwalt Academies
Matt Cajas, Mt. San Antonio College
4.0 GPA
2009 Kiwanis Scholarship winner. Top senior
and a leader on RHA campus. Served as 2009
Vantage Magazine managing editor. The
talented artist and creative writer, plans to
pursue a graphic design degree and transfer to
Cal State University, Fullerton.
Andrew Clement, University of Southern
California
Marshall School of Business
3.96 GPA
Taken 6 AP courses. Awarded USC Presidential
Scholarship for 4 years, USC Global Leadership
program, LA County Federation of Republican
Women Scholarship, AP Scholar, English Desk
Business Reporter Television Maldives 2008, Stanford Education
Program for Gifted Youth 2007, Chess Club - 4 years, Junior Class
Treasurer, Polish Language Class at Pope John Paul II Cultural
Center.
Bernice Yen, Dartmouth College
4.0 GPA
Taken 9 AP courses. AP Scholar with Honor, San
Antonio “5” Outstanding Senior, Track and Field 4
years, Cross Country 4 years and Scholar Athlete
09 and All League 2008, 2009; Calif. Scholastic
Federation 4 years, National Honor Society 3 years –
current president; Evergreen Club 4 years, President
08, 09, Interact Club 4 years, Chinese-American Student Assoc. 4
years. Girls’ League member for 3 years.
Kimberly Siegel, University of Chicago
4.0 GPA
Taken 4 AP courses. IB Diploma Candidate.
Finalist National American Miss Pageant, WHS
HOBY leadership delegate 2007, Foreign Language
Academic Achievement 06, 07, 1st Place Women’s
Monologue at Cal Poly Shakespeare Festival,
French Club, current president; Calif. Assoc. of
Student Councils (CASE) Club 4 years, current president, Advanced
Drama all 4 years; Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership for 3 years..
Impressive Grad Stats from the Class of 2009. . .
9
National Merit Winners,
Hayden Orchestra Festival. . .
Chaparral Debuts at the Kennedy Center
The Chaparral Middle School 8th grade
orchestra, traveled to the nation’s capitol
in May to debut at the prestigious John F.
Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts,
home of the National Symphony Orchestra.
Only five school orchestras in the country
were specially selected to perform in the
Hayden Orchestra Festival.
2 Outlook Issue 13 June 2009
Chaparral had the distinction of
being both the only middle school
and only orchestra from California.
The 90-member award winning
ensemble under the direction of
Greg Rochford performed Hayden’s
Finale from Symphony No. 47 in
G major.
15
Students with 4.0 GPA all 4 years,
29 National Merit Finalists, and
80 IB Diploma Candidates!
Walnut Valley’s
”Excellence in the Arts”
Diamond Bar Earns National Honor
Diamond Bar High has been named a
2009 Grammy Signature School, a national
honor reserved for schools that make an
outstanding commitment
to music education during
the
academic
school
year. Only 14 schools
nationwide
earned
this year’s prestigious
Grammy Foundation honor.
The award is based on excellence in all
aspects of musical performance in the
school’s Orchestra, Band, Choir, Performing
Arts Academy, and Chamber Music
programs.
“This is a testament
to the quality of the
programs offered, the
talent and dedication
of the students, and
the
commitment
of
this community to excellence,” said Steve
Acciani, Director of the DBHS Performing
Arts Academy.
Walnut High
Teacher Receives a
Prestigious Bravo!
Walnut High School drama
teacher Joanne Karr received a 2009
Music Center BRAVO Award. The
coveted award recognizes exemplary
teachers and schools for creativity,
innovation, and excellence in arts
education.
“I love theatre and helping students
to appreciate and participate in it”
said Karr. She is a recipient in the Theater
Arts Specialist category. “The arts help
Around
our
schools,
Walnut
Valley students and
staff watched the
historic inauguration on Jan. 20 of Barack
Obama, the fi rst African American
elected President of the United States.
Educators captured the moment with
meaningful discussions and classroom
lessons. At Collegewood Elementary,
fi rst grade students thought of ways they
could help make a change in our world
including being a friend, saving energy,
and feeding needy people. Castle Rock
3rd graders connected the words and
ideals of the inauguration speech with
their focus on citizenship. They wrote
letters to President Obama letting him
know how he truly is a global citizen, just
as they are. Quail Summit kindergartners
penned Dear Mr. President notes offering
advice for the new leader – “If you can’t
do something, get other people to help
you… Do your best… Hug your family
everyday… You should try to help
people solve their problems so they can
have jobs… You should not sleep in late
because America needs you.”
Teens Attend
Inauguration
people give meaning to their lives, and all
students need them,” she said.
The State Budget
Crisis
How it will Impact our
Schools...
These difficult economic times are
impacting our families, our schools, and
our state. With the defeat of the May 19
ballot measures, Walnut Valley Unified
School District must reduce our 2009-2010
budget by $11,000,000 (approximately 9%).
For the past several months, our Budget
Advisory Committee and District Leaders
have worked diligently to address these
reductions in revenue. Because school
districts are required by California law to
submit a balanced budget to the County
Office of Education by June 30 each year,
Walnut Valley has taken precautionary steps
to prepare for the worst. To that end, our
Board of Trustees approved a number of
tentative budget adjustments in March and
will fi nalize those reductions in June.
The
American
Reinvestment
and
Recovery Act (ARRA), also known as the
Economic Stimulus Plan, will offer some
relief with one-time funding by the Federal
government of approximately $7 million.
If you have any questions regarding the
budget reductions or the ARAA funds,
please contact Jack LeBrun, Assistant
Witnessing
History
Superintendent for Business Services at
jlebrun@walnutvalley.k12.ca.us
Unfortunately, kindergarten class sizes
will rise to 22 students per teacher and
24 students per teacher in grades 1-3.
Class sizes will increase to an average
of 36 at our middle and high schools.
Elementary Learning Specialists (ELS) will
be eliminated at each elementary school
as well as 3 teaching positions at the Ron
Hockwalt Academies. Clerical staff will be
reduced at the District Office as well as 3
instructional aides and 5 noon-time aides.
All administrators in the District will take 3
furlough days and administrative positions
have been eliminated. Funding for new
math textbooks, and carryover dollars for
a number of other programs have been
reduced as well.
Be assured that Walnut Valley will continue to take a thoughtful, conservative approach to ensure each dollar is maximized.
With so many uncertainties yet to be resolved in Sacramento, our challenge is to
ensure that the best interests of our Walnut
Valley students are served.
Three high school students experienced the once in a lifetime opportunity
of attending the ceremonies in Washington, DC.
Ayanna Stokes, a sophomore at
Diamond Bar High performed with the
Agape International Spiritual Choir and
musician/producer Will.i.am at several
inauguration celebrations including the
Neighborhood Ball. Stokes referred to
the experience as “life altering” and has
a renewed focus on pursuing a career in
music.
Walnut
High
junior
Stephanie
Gebhardt, a member of the Presidential
Classroom Scholars Program, proudly
stood near the Reflecting Pool on the
National Mall during the historic inauguration. “I was inspired by Obama’s
encouragement to pull together as a nation.” Stephanie will always remember
the freezing temperatures and the warm
friendships that she experienced!
Diamond Bar High sophomore Tiffany
Babb, a member of the Congressional
Youth Leadership Council attended
celebrations through the Presidential
Youth Inauguration Conference.
On
inauguration day, she recalled “there
was electricity in the air that screamed
something historic is going to happen
here.”
Outlook Issue 13 June 2009 3
Outlook
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Issue 13 June 2009
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Walnut Valley Unified School District
880 S. Lemon Ave.
Walnut, CA 91789-2931
(909) 595-1261; (909) 839-1214 (fax)
www.wvusd.k12.ca.us
WALNUT, CA.
PERMIT NO. 3
Cynthia S. Simms, Ph.D.
Superintendent
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Helen M. Hall, President
Nancy A. Lyons, Vice President
Cindy M. Ruiz, Clerk
Carolyn J. Elfelt, Member
Larry L. Redinger, Member
2009 Summer School Calendar
Elementary Schools
Middle Schools
High Schools
Special Education
Special Education
Grades 1-5
Grades 6-8
Grades 9-12
Pre-School - Grade 8
Grades 9-12
June 15 – July 9
June 15- July 23
June 15 - July 23
June 8 – July 2
June 15–July 23
2009 -10
School Y
ear
Begins
August 2
4, 2009 !
A Very Special
Collaboration
Diamond Bar High art and wood shop
classes are bringing new experiences and
friendships to special needs students on
campus. In addition to daily classroom
lessons, students attend an art class each
day to promote creativity and expression
through drawing, painting, 3D design,
and ceramics. “Art touches everyone in
different ways,” said art teacher Bill Schafer
who enjoys having kids of all different abilities
in the classroom.
Two years ago, wood shop teacher Mike
Bromberg began overseeing tailor-made
designs to expand the students’ creative
experience. For a bird house project, his top
students cut out pieces of scrap poplar, then
worked side-by-side with the special needs
students providing help with the gluing,
hammering, and sanding.
When the assembly was complete, the
student teams stood back to admire their
handy work. “It did it!” said one grinning
Students Excel
at IB Exhibition
young carpenter.
The
following
day, the bird houses
received finishing
touches – a coat of paint and tidy rows of twigs
glued on the roofs. “Students are so proud of
their art experience,” said Schafer.
What Mike and Bill provide for our students
exemplifies the true meaning of “Kids First,
Every Student, Every Day,” said Special
Education Coordinator Judi Koorndyk.
“They have created environments of success,
acceptance, and pride to all students who walk
through their doors.”
Thank You!
to the Community
W
alnut Valley schools are receiving
much needed improvements and
modernization through funds provided by
Measure S & Y.
Recent Projects:
• At Walnut High, completion of two-story
modular building with classrooms,
dance studio, and P.E. fitness lab.
Summer Projects :
• Upgrading the track and field at Walnut
High with the installation of artificial
turf and replacement of all-weather track.
• Phase I of modernization at Chaparral
Middle School including excavation of
42,000 cubic yards of soil in preparation
for 17 new classrooms at back of campus.
• Energy efficient skylights installed in
four Westhoff Elementary classrooms.
WVUSD drawings are complete and
have been submitted to the Division of the
State Architect (DSA) for modernization at
C.J. Morris & Maple Hill Elementary Schools,
and the DBHS pool complex.
To learn more about Walnut Valley Schools visit our new website at
4 Outlook Issue 13 June 2009
Two Walnut Valley elementary schools,
C.J. Morris and Castle Rock, have achieved
status as prestigious International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program (IB-PYP)
schools. The goal is to develop inquiring,
knowledgeable, and caring young people
who develop intercultural understanding
and respect.
The IB Exhibition is the culmination of
the students’ K-5 learning experience at the
international schools. Fifth graders work
on projects with the support of volunteer
mentor teachers. For the 2009 IB Exhibition, students researched “World’s Natural
Disasters” at C.J. Morris and “Sharing the
Planet” at Castle Rock.
The global-minded groups presented
their plans using visual displays, posters,
and multimedia presentations.
Each IB Exhibition also
takes action
to share their
findings with
a broader audience. One C.J. Morris group collected
donations for the volcano victims in the
Philippines. “I am honored to lead in a
school where children learn that through
their actions we can make a difference in
the world,” said Principal Sue Arzola.
www.wvusd.k12.ca.us