september 2017

District Welcomes Students Back

(Pages 4 and 5) (Page 12)First Day of School Photos

Students Join Eclipse Viewing

Teachers and staff welcomed students back to school on Aug. 14 on an opening day that launched a wide array of new programs and initiatives to support student learning in the coming academic year.

More than 74,000 students are expected to attend district schools this year, supported by a staff of more than 10,000 dedicated employees. “We had a smooth start to the new school year last

Bob Nelson, who started with Fresno Unified in 1991 as a teacher at Burroughs Elementary School, is the only finalist the district’s board of education is considering to lead the state’s fourth l a r g e s t s c h o o l district.The board will make a final decision on the superintendent at a future board meeting. The Fresno Unified Board of Education selected Nelson as the

only finalist on Aug. 12 following two days of candidate interviews.“It’s an incredible opportunity to be the final candidate for superintendent of Fresno Unified,” said Nelson, who has been serving as interim superin-tendent since Feb. 15 following the resignation of Mike Hanson.Nelson said he will continue to advocate for “positive dialogue in terms of making things better for students,” as well as an “attitude of civility.” A top priority will be reaching a contract with the Fresno Teachers Association.Nelson, 48, is starting his 24th year with Fresno Unified, where he has served as a teacher, school administra-tor, Human Resources administrator

and chief of staff.Nelson left the district in 2012 to become superintendent of the Chawanakee Unified School District in North Fork. He returned to Fresno Unified in 2015 as Hanson’s chief of staff.Nelson is married and has seven children, ranging in age from 21 months to 21 years. Nelson and his wife, Tiffany, have served for many years as foster parents, and four of their children are adopted.He is pursuing his doctoral degree from the University of Southern California and has taught education classes at Fresno State University.

See opening of School continued on page 10

For video, go to vimeo.com/fresnounified/firstday2017

I'm looking forward to participating in band and meeting my teachers. – Branden Sandoval, eighth

grade, Sequoia Middle School

I was nervous at first, but not that nervous now. I know my teacher is going to be nice. – Camilla

Torres, third grade, Figarden Elementary School

It’s good. There’s a lot of new people. It’s a good environment. – Kalon Wiley, ninth grade,

Bullard High School

First-grader Zyanna Leal is having a good first day of school at Figarden Elementary School. Fresno Unified, the fourth largest district in the state with more than 74,000 students, started the new academic year Aug. 14.

Superintendent Finalist Started at Burroughs

Bob NelsonInterim

Superintendent

(Page 13)Fourth-Grader Donates Backpacks

www.FresnoUnified.orgP R E P A R I N G C A R E E R R E A D Y G R A D U A T E SPage 2

september 2017

See School mealS continued on page 16

PARENTSDistrict Serving Up New School Meals App and Food Items

This school year, parents can tap into a new app and interactive website to easily view informa-

tion on school menus for breakfast and lunch each day. The app features an image and descrip-tion of food items, as well as nutrition and food allergies information. The innovative and interactive web site and mobile app make school menus more convenient and informative than ever before.The app can be accessed by searching for “School Menus by Nutrislice” on Google Play or the App Store or visit fresnounified.nutrislice.com.“This new app makes it even easier to take advantage of the nutritious, free school meals that our district offers to all our students. We know that when our students are eating healthy foods, they are better prepared to learn,” said Interim Superintendent Bob Nelson. The district is also intro-ducing several new menu items this school year, including:

� Barbecue pulled pork sliders with coleslaw

� Alaskan pollock fish sticks with curly fries and a whole grain Hawaiian roll

� Super Nachos, consisting of locally sourced whole grain corn chips from La Tapatia Tortilleria

� Breakfast tornado with turkey sausage, eggs, low fat cheddar cheese, jalapeno and picante sauce wrapped in a whole grain baked flour tortilla

� Beef maple sausage served with scrambled eggs and toast

The Fresno Unified School District will again offer breakfast and lunch at no charge to all students regardless of income levels. The free meals for all students was a policy change in 2014 that is reducing burdens for both families and school administrators and helped ensure that all students receive nutritious meals.The practice supports the district’s

efforts to eliminate all barriers to student learning, and helps ensure students are not hungry at school while they are trying to learn. The program is part of the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), an option available to s c h o o l s u n d e r t h e

National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program. The CEP allows high-poverty schools to expand access to free school meals while reducing paperwork and streamlining meal service operation. Meal applica-tions are no longer required.“The goal of the Food Services Department is to provide nutritious, appetizing meals to help students do their best in school each day, and implementing the CEP helps us meet this goal,” said Food Services Director Jose Alvarado.el Distrito ofrece nueva aplicación de alimentos y productos de comida Este ciclo escolar, los padres pueden teclear en una nueva aplicación y página (website) interactiva para ver la información más fácilmente sobre los

menús para el desayuno y almuerzo de todos los días. La aplicación cuenta con una imagen y descripción de los productos de comida, así como también información de nutrición y alérgenos. La innova-dora e interactiva página de internet y aplicación móvil hacen los menús escolares más convenientes e informa-tivos que nunca antes.

Se puede tener acceso a la aplicación a través de buscar “School Menus by Nutrislice” en Google Play, App Store o visitando, fresnounified.nutrislice.com.

“Esta nueva aplicación facilita incluso tomar ventaja de los alimentos nutri-

tivos y gratis que nuestro distrito ofrece a todos nuestros estudi-antes. Sabemos que cuando los estudiantes toman alimen-

tos saludables, están mejor preparados para aprender,” dijo el Superintendente Interino Bob Nelson. El distrito está intro-duciendo también varios productos nuevos en los menús este ciclo escolar incluyendo:

� Barbacoa de carne de puerco deshebrada con ensalada de col

� Pescado en trozos Alaskan pollock con papas fritas (curly fries) y pan integral Hawaiian

� Súper Nachos, con totopos (chips) de maíz de la Tortillería La Tapatía.

� Desayuno tornado con salchicha de pavo, huevos, queso cheddar descremado, jalapeño y salsa picante, envuelto en una tortilla de harina.

� Salchicha de res maple servida con huevos revueltos y pan tostado.

El Distrito Escolar Unificado de Fresno otra vez ofrecerá desayuno y almuerzo (lunch) sin costo alguno a los estudi-antes independientemente del nivel de ingreso. Los alimentos gratuitos para todos los estudiantes fue un cambio en la póliza el 2014, que reduce la presión para ambos familias y administradores escolares y ayuda a asegurar que todos los estudiantes reciban alimentos nutritivos. La práctica apoya los esfuerzos del distrito para eliminar todas las barreras al aprendizaje estudiantil y ayuda a asegurar que los estudiantes no tengan hambre en la escuela mientras están tratando de aprender. El programa es parte de la Provisión de Elegibilidad Comunitaria (CEP), una opción disponible para las escuelas bajo el Programa de Almuerzo Escolar a Nivel Nacional y el Programa de Desayuno Escolar. El CEP les permite a las escuelas con alta pobreza ampliar el acceso a alimentos gratuitos en la escuela reduciendo los trámites y simplificar la operación de servicios alimenticios. Ya no se requiere llenar la solicitud.

September 4 Labor Day HolidayOctober 24 School Choice Expo October 30 State of Education LuncheonNovember 20-24 Thanksgiving BreakDecember 1 Deadline for Choice SchoolsDecember 18-January 5 Winter Break

2017 Important Dates

www.FresnoUnified.org P R E P A R I N G C A R E E R R E A D Y G R A D U A T E S Page 3

september 2017

Bob NelsonInterim Superintendent

Ruth F. Quinto

Deputy Superintendent/Chief Financial Officer

Kim MecumChief Academic Officer

Miguel Arias

Chief Information Officer

Paul IdsvoogChief Human Resources/Labor Relations Officer

Kurt Madden

Chief Technology Officer

Karin TempleChief Operations Officer

Brooke Ashjian Area 7 President

Brooke.Ashjian@fresnounified.orgLiaison: Michelle Asadoorian

michelle.asadoorian@fresnounified.org

Claudia Cazares Area 6 Clerk

Claudia.Cazares@fresnounified.org

Christopher De La Cerda Area 4 Christopher.Delacerda@fresnounified.org

Valerie F. Davis Area 3 Valerie.Davis@fresnounified.org

Lindsay Cal Johnson Area 1

Cal.Johnson@fresnounified.orgLiaison: Cherella Nicholson

cherella.nicholson@fresnounified.org

Elizabeth Jonasson Rosas Area 2 Elizabeth.Jonasson.Rosas@fresnounified.org

Liaison: Brandalyn Hastings brandalyn.hastings@fresnounified.org

Carol Mills, J.D. Area 5 Carolmillsfusd@comcast.netLiaison: Michele Rodriguez

Michele.rodriguez@fresnounified.org

Jessica Baird

Public Information Officer

Tony BernardMedia Technician

Michael De La Cerda

Supervisor Media Services

Anne EllisCommunity Relations Officer

Amy IdsvoogCommunications Analyst

Keith RybaczykMedia Production Specialist

Xee YangManager III

Building futures is a monthly publication of fresno Unified School District prepared by the Communica-tions Office. To place an ad, contact (559) 457-3733 or email Communications@FresnoUnified.org.

BoARd

AdMINISTRATIoN

BUILdING FUTURES

Bob NelsonInterim

Superintendent

The weekend leading into the start of school, I was awash with emotions. There was the excitement of welcoming back students and staff, the anticipation of open-ing new build-ings at Bullard, Figarden and Turner, and the overwhelm-ing reality that the district was about to kick off a number of new programs -- including our online learning school, eLearn Academy, and our expanded dual immersion programs. Add to that, I was about to have the job inter-view of a lifetime -- that of superintendent for the fourth largest school district in the state. Interviews of any kind can be stressful. The sheer anticipation can cause your blood pressure to rise, but as I sat at the downtown hotel that had been booked for interviews, awaiting my opportunity, I had a moment of true clarity. As I looked out onto the atrium lobby, it hit me. This was the very same lobby where I first came to Fresno and met my wife some 28 years ago when I sang at my cousin’s wedding. It was in that lobby, at that wedding that my own personal storyline changed, set-ting in motion a remarkable journey that has led me back to where I first started, celebrating my 27th first day of school serving the students, staff and families of Fresno Unified. I am so humbled and thankful for the op-portunity to continue supporting the stu-dents and families of our amazing com-munity. I am extremely proud to be the first superintendent to serve this district in nearly 30 years who started as a teacher in the district. I began my career with Fresno Unified as a substitute teacher while com-pleting my full teaching credential at Fres-no State. I had started as a music major at University of Southern California, but earned my degree in general studies from USC. It was that chance encounter with my wife, Tiffany, which brought me here and connected me with another one of my true loves, teaching. I began teaching full time after earning my teaching certificate, taking my first job at Burroughs Elemen-tary. From there I went on to Susan B. Anthony Elementary, and later served as vice principal at both Addams Elementary and Powers Ginsburg. I felt I had found my calling in education and soon found myself principal of Thomas Elementary where we earned the California Distin-guished School in my second year as principal. I thoroughly loved what I was doing. I was the mayor of a small town,

making an impact on children and help-ing change a community. I recognized, as well, that any success I was having was di-rectly attributed to my amazing colleagues as well as the leaders who had preceded me. We developed an incredibly posi-tive culture at Thomas that was embraced by the entire community. Apparently, the positive work going on in that small town was noticed, and I was asked to join the district’s human resources team. What an opportunity I had in front of me, to support teachers, site leaders and serve as recruiter for the district and this city. While I have always been a firm believer in the importance of personal interaction and the significance of knowing an em-ployee’s name, the value of that was never clearer to me than when I was an HR ad-ministrator. I found an outlet for my love of teaching at Fresno State, working specifically with future counselors and those interested in special education and supporting fami-lies grappling with what it means to have a loved one with long-term disabilities. This semester is the first time in five years I haven’t taught at Fresno State. I am over the moon when I visit schools or our De-partment of Prevention and Intervention and see my former students who are serv-ing as counselors, social emotional spe-cialists and psychologists with the youth of our district. Tiffany and I will celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary next year. I know I wouldn’t be here if not for her, as I be-lieve “life balance” is truly whatever your spouse allows and she has given me a true gift. Along our journey, we have been blessed with seven amazing chil-dren. Our oldest, Ben, is 21 and away at college; twins Phillip and Joshua recently graduated from high school and have both taught us so much in their 18 years. Joshua is starting his first year in college. Phil-lip, who was born with cerebral palsy, quickly opened our eyes to the world of special education. Tiffany left a teaching career to care for the boys and helped us all become stronger advocates for our son and the youth of our community. Phillip has begun the Adult Transition Program in Madera County and reminds us daily what unconditional love truly is. Centered around our faith and a desire to help others, Tiffany and I have always felt that there was more we could do to sup-port kids in our valley. That desire has led to us serving as foster parents and over the last four years, adding to the Nelson clan through adoption. Daughter Destiny is 5 and just started kindergarten, sweet Abi-gail is 3, and our adventurous baby boys, Aston and Sawyer, are 21 months. They are a joy and each adds to the unique dy-namic of our family, a family I wouldn’t trade for the world.I have been a part of Fresno Unified for

most of my adult life and I am honored to be serving this community as your new superintendent. I look forward to sharing my plans for the district over the coming weeks.

el Superintendente finalista abraza la oportunidad de Dirigir al DistritoEl fin de semana del inicio de clases, es-tuve lleno de emociones. Fue la emoción del regreso posterior de los estudiantes y el personal, la anticipación de la apertura de los nuevos edificios en las escuelas Bul-lard, Figarden y Turner y la realidad abru-madora que el distrito estaba a punto de poner en marcha una serie de nuevos pro-gramas – incluyendo nuestro aprendizaje escolar en el internet, Academia eLearn y la ampliación de nuestros programas de doble inmersión. Añadiendo a eso, yo es-taba a punto de tener la entrevista de toda la vida – la de superintendente del cuarto distrito escolar más grande en el estado. Las entrevistas de cualquier tipo pueden ser estresantes. El simple hecho, de la sensación anticipada puede causar que se eleve la presión arterial, pero mientras que estaba sentado en el hotel del centro que había sido reservado para entrevistas, esperando mi oportunidad, tuve un mo-mento a la verdadera realidad. Mientras miraba hacia el interior del vestíbulo, fue que caí en la cuenta. Este era el mismo vestíbulo la primera vez que vine a Fresno y conocí a mi esposa hace como 28 años, cuando canté en el matrimonio de mi pri-mo. Fue en ese vestíbulo y en ese matri-monio dónde mi historia personal cambió, poniendo en marcha una trayectoria no-table la cual me ha llevado a donde inicié, celebrando mi vigésimo séptimo (27th) primer día de clases sirviendo a los estudi-antes, personal y las familias del Distrito Escolar Unificado de Fresno. Me siento honrado y agradecido por la oportunidad de continuar apoyando a los estudiantes y a las familias de nuestra co-munidad increíble. Estoy extremadamente orgulloso de ser el primer superintendente de servir a este distrito por casi 30 años, iniciando como maestro en el distrito. Inicié mi carrera con el Distrito Esco-lar Unificado de Fresno como maestro suplente mientras completaba mis cre-denciales de pedagogía en Fresno State. Mientras iniciaba mi especialización para obtener mi licenciatura en el desempeño lírico obteniendo en la Universidad del Sur de California, fue aquel encuentro ca-sual con mi esposa Tiffany, que me trajo aquí y me conectó con otro de mis ver-daderos amores, la pedagogía. Después de que obtuve mi certificado en pedagogía comencé enseñando tiempo completo,

Superintendent finalist embraces opportunity to lead District

See SUPT. MESSAGE SpaniSh anD hmong Continued on page 15

www.FresnoUnified.orgP R E P A R I N G C A R E E R R E A D Y G R A D U A T E SPage 4

september 2017

First Day of School for 2017-18First day of school, clockwise starting at left: Hayley Caeton displays a special sign for her first-graders at Figarden Elementary School; Jeff Allen teaches 11th grade U.S. history at Bullard High School; Design Science Middle High School students check out Fresno City College, where they take some of their classes; and Araceli Andrade, a home school liaison at Yokomi Elementary School, has a strong reaction to the first day.

www.FresnoUnified.org P R E P A R I N G C A R E E R R E A D Y G R A D U A T E S Page 5

september 2017

First Day of School for 2017-18First day of school, clockwise starting at the right: McCardle Elementary School students, from left, Olivia Monson, Melody Moua, Natalie Saldivar, Jade Rufino and Anthony Flores try out the new yoga ball chairs; sixth-grader Dominique Newhouse at Turner Elementary School; kindergartner Koeuy Alana Pe at Turner; kindergarten teacher Kimberly McBee with Jazmine Guzman and Vince Thor at Turner; and Dean Salazar, right, and Eve Triska have fun at recess at McCardle.

www.FresnoUnified.orgP R E P A R I N G C A R E E R R E A D Y G R A D U A T E SPage 6

september 2017

Parent University Means Back to School for Parents, TooParent University will offer a variety of classes for parents and guardians in the 2017-18 school year.Classes, starting Aug. 29, will include:

� Early Learning -- Importance of early learning, Fresno Unified’s programs, home strategies, impor-tance of attendance and communi-cation with teacher and school, and screening tools.

� Middle School -- District leader-ship and goals, grade level stan-dards, middle school expectations, A-G classes required for college and PLUS (Professional Learning Updraft System) classes that provide additional student support.

� 12th Grade -- Potential pitfalls for seniors and resources available, expectations, “senioritis,” post-secondary options, industry sectors, and admissions and requirements for community college, California State University and University of California.

Details on location and times for the classes can be found at https://www.fresnou.org/dept/parentu. Classes are offered in English, Spanish and Hmong. This will be Parent University’s seventh year providing classes and workshops to parents. The goal of the program is to empower, engage and connect families to their school community in support of student achievement through parent learning workshops at all levels of the school system. Last year, Parent University held 975 sessions for parents.Regreso a la escuela para los Padres TambiénLa Universidad Para Padres ofrecerá una variedad de clases para padres y tutores el ciclo escolar 2017-18.Las clases iniciarán el 29 de agosto, e incluirán:

� Aprendizaje Temprano – Importancia del aprendizaje temprano, programas del Distrito Escolar Unificado de Fresno, estrategias para el hogar, importan-cia de asistencia y comunicación con el maestro/a, escuela y herra-mientas de examen.

� Escuela Secundaria – Liderazgo

y metas del distrito, estándares del nivel del grado, expectativas de la escuela secundaria, clases de A-G requeridas por el colegio y PLUS (Sistema Ascendente de Aprendizaje Profesional) que proveen apoyo adicional al estudiante.

� 12vo Grado – Obstáculos poten-ciales para los estudiantes del 12vo grado (senior) y recursos disponibles, expectativas, estu-diantes que están en el 12vo Grado (“senioritis”) creen que no tienen que hacer ningún trabajo/tarea, opciones de postsecundaria, sectores industriales, admisiones y requisitos del colegio (college) comunitario, Universidad Estatal de California y Universidad de California.

Detalles sobre la localidad y horarios de las clases se pueden encontrar en; https://www.fresnou.org/dept/parentu. Las clases se ofrecen en inglés, español y hmong.Este será el séptimo año que la Universidad Para Padres provee clases y talleres para los padres. La meta del programa es fortalecer, participar y conectar a las familias a su comuni-dad escolar en apoyo del rendimiento

académico a través de los talleres de aprendizaje para padres en todos los niveles del sistema escolar. El año pasado la Universidad Para Padres llevó a cabo 975 sesiones.Rov mus Kawm Ntawv rau Tej Niam Txiv ThiabParent University yuav qhib muaj ntau chav kawm rau tej niam txiv thiab neeg saib xyuas rau lub xyoo kawm ntawv 2017-18.Cov chav kawm, pib rau lub Yim Hli tim 29, yuav muaj:

� Kev Kawm Thaum Ntxov – Tseem ceeb ntawm kev kawm thaum ntxov, Fresno Unified qhov kev kawm, tej tswv yim hauv vaj hauv tsev, kev tseem ceeb ntawm kev mus koom kev kawm thiab kev sib txuas lus tus xib fwb thiab tsev kawm ntawv, thiab tej twj siv.

� Tsev Kawm Ntawv Theem Nrab – Hauv paus tsev kawm ntawv kev ntaus thawj thiab tej hom phiaj, tej qauv theem qib, tsev kawm ntawv theem nrab tej kev cia siab, cov chav A-G raug tseev kom muaj rau kev kawm college thiab PLUS (Professional Learning Updraft System) cov chav kawm uas npaj muaj kev txhawb pab tub kawm

ntawv ntxiv. � Qib 12 – Tej yam yuav ua rau cov kawm qib kaum ob poob qab thiab tej kev pab uas muaj, tej kev cia siab, “senioritis,” tej kev xaiv kev kawm qib siab, tej tuam txhab txua khoom, thiab tej kev nkag thiab tej kev tseev kom muaj rau community college, California State University thiab University of California.

Tej kev qhia ntxaws rau qhov chaw thiab sij hawm rau cov chav no mus saib tau rau ntawm https://www.fresnou.org/dept/parentu. Cov chav qhib muaj ua lus Askiv, lus Mev, thiab lus Hmoob. Nov yuav yog Parent University xyoo thij xya npaj muaj tej chav kawm thiab kev cob qhia rau tej niam txiv. Lub hom phiaj ntawm qhov kev kawm yog los kuv kev txhawb zog, txuam thiab ntxuas nrog tej yim tsev neeg rau lawv lub tsev kawm ntawv hauv zej zog rau kev txhawb pab ntawm tub kawm ntawv kev kawm tau los ntawm niam txiv kawm tej kev cob qhia hauv txhua theem ntawm txoj kev kawm. Tseb no, Parent University tau muaj 975 ntu qhia rau tej niam txiv.

Parent Mai Vang Xiong and daughter Karen, 2, attend a kick-off June 3 at McLane High School for a new Parent University program to help parents guide summer learning for their children. Fall classes for Parent University started Aug. 29.

www.FresnoUnified.org P R E P A R I N G C A R E E R R E A D Y G R A D U A T E S Page 7

september 2017

State of Education Luncheon Supports Student Scholarships

Golfers Tee Up for Scholarships

Fresno Unified will host its annual State of Education luncheon Oct. 30, the district’s largest single event to raise money for the Fresno Unified Scholarship Fund.The event will feature Interim S u p e r i n t e n d e n t Bob Nelson as the keynote speaker and will be the first opportunity for the broader community to get to know Nelson and learn more about his goals for the district.The luncheon will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at a location still to be announced. For ticket information or to inquire about being a community sponsor, call (559) 457-3733.

In addition to the State of Education fundraising effort, employees and the

community are invited to contribute to the fund through https://tinyurl.com/

fusdscholarship.Last spring, the district

awarded $61,000 in scholarships to 49

students, all of whom overcame signifi-cant obstacles on their journey to academic success. Many of the 2017

winners’ stories will be shared at

the luncheon, giving guests an opportunity to

learn first-hand how impor-tant their support is to Fresno

Unified students.Many of these students struggled with poverty, having only one parent in the home, mastering English, and count-less other obstacles -- but managed to excel academically and become leaders of their high schools.Scholarship winners last year went on to attend a variety of colleges, including

Fresno Unified’s Goal 2 team raised nearly $5,000 toward student scholar-ships through its second annual golf tournament.The Tee-It-Up for the Scholarship Fund Golf Tournament, held Aug. 4 at Airways Golf Course, attracted 66 golfers and more than 20 sponsors. The tournament raffle was a high point, with memorabilia from local athletes

now playing in the NFL driving bids up.The tournament raised $4,855 for the Fresno Unified Scholarship Fund, which last May awarded $61,000 in scholarships to 49 deserving students.The Goal 2 team is excited for next year and has begun planning for the 2018 tournament.

University of California campuses in Davis, Berkeley, Los Angeles, Santa Cruz, and Santa Barbara; California State University campuses in Fresno and San Luis Obispo; University of Washington; Stanford University; University of Southern California; University of Pennsylvania; and a variety of other community colleges

and universities.The district’s scholarship fund, estab-lished in 2009, has made a difference in the lives of Fresno Unified students by not only helping to defray college costs, but by shining a spotlight on their success and singling them out as worthy of distinction.

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Fresno Unified Scholarship winners from the last school year celebrate at the scholarship banquet May 10. The annual State of Education luncheon, coming Oct. 30, is the primary fundraiser for the Fresno Unified Scholarship Fund.

The second annual Tee-It-Up for the Scholarship Fund Golf Tournament attracted 66 golfers and more than 20 sponsors.

www.FresnoUnified.orgP R E P A R I N G C A R E E R R E A D Y G R A D U A T E SPage 8

september 2017

FACiliTiESSchool Opens with New Looks at Turner, Figarden and BullardStudents at Turner and Figarden elementary schools and Bullard High School returned to school last month to big changes on their campuses.The work is part of $265 million in projects funded by the $280 million Measure Q bond, approved by voters in 2010. Plans are underway to build on the work with Measure X. Voters approved the $225 million Measure X bond last November.With the support of the community for local bond measures, Fresno Unified has been able to make significant improvements to campuses throughout the district, including school reno-vations, new safety and technology updates and new classroom buildings to replace portables. At Bullard, students and staff returned for the new school year Aug. 14 to a new library media center, which includes a 100-seat presentation hall, computer lab, career center, and coun-seling and registrar’s offices, as well as several collaborative and small group work areas.Renovations at Bullard also include a new administration building and a new design for the entrance of the school.At Turner, staff and students returned to a new classroom building and a new administration building to replace 13 aging portable classrooms. The new 10,000 square-foot academic building features eight classrooms, student and staff restrooms and a shared internal collaboration space to

foster project-based learning. The new administration building’s prominent location on the corner of Peach and Clay avenues will help reinforce the school’s identity. The 2,000 square-foot building replaces the portable administration building and features a visitor waiting area, meeting room, nurse’s office and restroom, teacher workroom, staff restroom and new administrative offices.At Figarden, work was completed on a new eight-classroom building and a new four-classroom kindergar-ten building. The district will soon start construction on another eight-classroom building, scheduled to be completed in late 2018.The classroom buildings were designed with larger collaborative study areas running down the center of all eight classrooms. The kindergarten class-rooms have direct access to restrooms and large teacher workroom areas.With completion of the Figarden projects, the 20 new classrooms will replace 18 portables.The Fresno Unified Board of Education will continue to use the 2009 Facilities Master Plan to provide a vision for improving district facilities while anticipating future needs. In addition, last fall the board updated high school master plans to reflect improvements completed, projects underway, and additional input from the community and the board.

The Fresno Unified Board of Education approved a list of Measure X projects last October. Projects include science and technology labs, career/techni-cal education classrooms, music and arts classrooms, security upgrades,

improved air conditioning systems, a new elementary school in southeast Fresno to accommodate enrollment growth, and a variety of other projects ranging from new classrooms to new theaters and gyms at high schools.

Students and staff returned to start the new school year at Turner Elementary School to a brand new classroom building, above. A new administration building that replaces portable offices and includes a visitor waiting area was also ready for the new school year.

Figarden Elementary School opened the new school year with a new eight-classroom academic building and a new four-classroom kindergarten building.

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september 2017

EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT

In his third year as teacher librarian at Sunnyside High School, Eric Wheeler has helped to create a welcoming, fun atmosphere in the library where 200 to 300 students gather. He has worked for the district for 14 years as a teacher, teacher librarian at McLane High School and as a teacher on special assignment to support technol-ogy. He was a finalist for the district’s Excellence in Education awards last spring. Sunnyside Principal Tim Liles said of Wheeler: “Student learning is his entire motivation and he approach-es his role as a leader on campus to enrich high quality instruction for all.”What do you enjoy the most about your job? I love being helpful, connecting students and teachers and staff with resources to help them be successful.What is the most challenging? Learning everyone’s names is the biggest challenge. All 2,800 students will visit the library multiple times this year. All 200 teachers, admin, and staff

will visit the library. How have school libraries changed over the years? School libraries are in a continuous state of change. We still have books, but much of our research and reference collections are curated online. Our

patrons look to us for meeting spaces, maker spaces, technology support, technology instruction, printing, bath-rooms, book suggestions, research help, and a smile -- always a smile.How do you entice students to come into the library?

The Sunnyside library is open, avail-able, and welcoming. Students know it is their library. I have not had to “entice” students.What role does Sunnyside’s library serve? The Sunnyside library is open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday. It is a warm place to eat breakfast and a cool place to eat lunch. You can print out work before class, join a game of League of Legends, play chess, study, read, visit with friends, meet a tutor, and work on a group project. The library is the biggest classroom on campus; we are always ready to help students be their best possible selves.What is surprising about Sunnyside’s library? We are so busy during lunch, students choose to wait in line to visit the library.

Eric Ovalle has been the plant supervisor at Bullard High School for five years and an employee of Fresno Unified for 21 years. He was selected as a finalist for the district’s Excellence in Education awards last spring. Roosevelt High School teacher Deborah Williams, a former colleague, described Ovalle as “hands down the best-of-the-best” and noted the hard work of Ovalle and his team during the large-scale moving required with the construction of new buildings at Bullard.What is the best part about your job? One of the highlights of my position is providing a clean and welcoming environment for our students to thrive in. What is the most challenging part about your job? The most challenging aspect of my job would be discovering solutions to

problems that may arise unexpectedly and demand a swift response.How has all the construction at

Bullard affected you and your team? I believe all the diverse phases of

construction have provided a renewed sense of pride and motivation. What do most people not know about a plant coordinator? In my opinion, being a plant supervi-sor requires a dedicated individual who provides support in various forms to our student community and staff.Name one thing most people do not know about you. Something that most people are not aware of is my passion for the restora-tion of classic vehicles. What do you like to do in your spare time? Most, if not all, of my spare time is spent enjoying friends and family quality time. What is your dream vacation? My ideal vacation would be to travel to Machu Picchu to explore the Inca ruins in Peru.

Wheeler Oversees a Library Where Students Stand in Line to Get In

Plant Supervisor at Bullard High School Smooths Campus Moves

Bullard High School plant supervisor Eric Ovalle works with custodian Joshua Lozano to get a classroom ready prior to the start of the new school year. Ovalle and his team were busier than usual preparing for the opening of new buildings on campus.

Sunnyside High School teacher librarian Eric Wheeler helps Spanish teacher Mi-caela Mora prior to the start of school. Wheeler has created a welcoming atmo-sphere at the Sunnyside library.

See WheeleR continued on page 10

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september 2017

Swim, Eat and Learn: A Successful Summer at Fresno UnifiedFresno Unified campuses remained busy over the summer, providing spar-kling pools for children and families to cool off in, free nutritious lunches and a variety of summer school classes.More than 12,700 students attended summer school to get caught up on classes and work towards graduating on time. Students in all grades partici-pated in a variety of classes, including science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), the arts, and English language arts.Summer school culminated with 118 students receiving their high school diplomas on July 14.The district established a new part-nership with the city of Fresno for the summer to expand the number of high school pools open for commu-nity swimming and create more green space at school campuses for summer recreation.

The pools at Bullard, Fresno, Roosevelt, Sunnyside, Hoover, Edison and McLane high schools were open to the community between June 12 and Aug. 6. More than 17,000 people took a dip in the school pools this summer as part of recreational swimming. The district’s partnership with the city allowed for 894 fee-based swim lessons to take place, with the Mayor’s Free Swim Scholarship paying for 700 students to receive swim lessons at no charge. The district was happy

to provide a safe place for families to escape the heat this summer.Fresno Unified also opened 45 school cafeterias this summer to offer free meals for any children between the ages of 1 and 18. No proof of financial need or identification was required. The healthy meals were served every week of the summer. Nutrition Services estimates more than 181,000 meals were provided for children from June 12 through Aug. 11.

month, thanks to an incredible amount of preparation and planning by our staff,” said Interim Superintendent Bob Nelson. “As I have visited schools throughout Fresno Unified, I am inspired by the enthusiasm of our teachers and students, and the dedica-tion of our support staff. It’s going to be a great year.”In addition to new programs, new classroom buildings opened at Turner and Figarden elementary schools and a new administration building and expanded library media center opened at Bullard High School. (See page 8 for expanded coverage.)With the start of the new school year, the district has launched several new initiatives, including:

� Offering tutoring in elementary school libraries until 4 p.m.

� Increased health services, with a health professional at every campus

� Expanded dual immersion

programs in Hmong at Greenberg Elementary School and in Spanish at Wawona School, Rowell Elementary School and McLane High School

Also this school year, the district has initiated additional support at schools to help close the achievement gap for African-American students Fresno Unified on Aug. 9 announced the hiring of Wendy McCulley for a new school leadership executive director position to focus on promoting a culture of equity and inclusion for African American students, families,

employees, and community. The district will also invest in mentoring and parent outreach programs targeting the African American community.The district’s first online school -- eLearn Academy -- is underway, providing flexible attendance options for grades 7-12, an onsite program for grades 7-9, single courses for students who want to accelerate their learning, and site-based online classes.The district this year will also roll out 25 more low emissions buses, complet-ing the conversion of its fleet to all low emissions buses.

Right, students had the opportunity to learn about set-making and theater arts during summer school.

What book are you recommend-ing to high school students? Book recommendations begin with a conversation. Every student is unique. I might ask about interests, past books, movies, favorite authors, pets, and hobbies. From there, I try to pull a variety of books and encourage the student to dip into each before selecting some to check out. For example, if a student tells me she is part of our anti-bullying club, “Don’t Laugh at Me,” I might pull the following books to get things started: “Wonder,” by R.J. Palacio, “Monster,” by Patrick Ness, and “13 Reasons Why,” by Jay Asher.If you were not a teacher librarian, what career would you choose?If I were not a teacher librarian, I would be an English teacher. If I had to change careers now, I would head to Bitwise and try to find a match for my technology skills and a startup.Name one thing most people do not know about you. I conduct “Speed Dating Workshops” in the library. Teachers bring a class of students who are selecting books for inde-pendent reading. Based on their interests, I will pull a variety of books, seat students four to a table, place about 20 books on each table, give some quick book talks to highlight books on each of their tables, and ask students to begin “dating” books by giving each book 30 seconds to interest them before they move on to the next book. Students typically leave with one or more books they would like to take out on a second date. What is your dream vacation? My dream vacation is a good book, a beach, tide pools for exploring, and waves for body surfing -- then Disneyland, of course!

WheeleRContinued from page 9

opening of School continued from page 1

Interim Superintendent Bob Nelson helps with crossing guard duties at Figarden Elementary School for the first day on Aug. 14.

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september 2017

Fresno Unified Wins First-Ever SAT Preparation AwardFresno Unified has won an award that recognizes school districts for encour-aging students to prepare for the SAT and college-level courses.Fresno Unified received the “Growth” prize for having the highest overall percent increase of students linking their College Board and Khan Academy accounts. By linking accounts, students can receive free, personalized SAT practice from Khan Academy. Since the SAT Practice All In Challenge began in December 2016, Fresno Unified increased the percentage of its students linking their accounts by 36%.The first-time award was announced by the Council of the Great City Schools in August for Fresno Unified and four other council districts. As a part of the award Fresno Unified School District will receive money to put towards initiatives that advance student success and opportunity.The increase is a result of a new initia-tive the district joined last school year. It launched a partnership with the College Board (which administers the SAT) to offer Khan Academy tutorials for free to students taking the PSAT -- the practice test for the SAT.College Board research shows that students who prepared for the SAT

using Official SAT Practice have seen substantial score gains. Twenty hours of practice is associated with an average 115-point increase from the PSAT/NMSQT to the SAT, nearly double the average gain of students who do not use Official SAT Practice.“I am extremely proud of our students for their efforts in preparing for the SAT and increasing their college options. I am also grateful to our staff for their support of our students, and for the work this partnership has undertaken to make sure all students have the help they need to prepare for the SAT,” said Interim Superintendent Bob Nelson.Official SAT Practice features video lessons, thousands of interactive practice questions, nine full-length practice tests, and test-taking tips and strategies. By linking their College Board and Khan Academy accounts, students who've taken the SAT or a PSAT-related assessment in the past can unlock a custom practice plan and determine what areas to focus on.The 2017 Official SAT Practice All In Challenge is sponsored by College Board, the Council of the Great City Schools, and Khan Academy. School districts had to be members of the Council of the Great City Schools to be eligible.

Students at Sunnyside High School register for Khan Academy online tutoring when the district launched a new program a year ago to help students better prepare for the PSAT. Fresno Unified recently won an award for having the greatest increase in students linking their Khan Academy and College Board accounts.

We have all heard advertisements for dental care that tell us that a healthy mouth is more than an attrac-tive smile. The fact is, oral health is significant to our personal and public health. Not only is our mouth the portal to our d i g e s t i v e system, but it also serves a key role in our personal interactions and socialization, and is a major point of introduction of

infection and chronic inflammation. Poor oral health in children can affect their well-being in a variety of ways through dental caries and periodon-tal disease. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, these diseases account for 5 to 10% of public health expenditures and are the fourth most expensive diseases to treat in the industrialized world. Dental caries (also known as cavities) is a communicable disease that all ages are susceptible to. They cause pain and discomfort that affect nutri-tion, communication, socialization, and sleeping, all of which affect our overall health and well-being and can result in absence from school leading

to lower academic performance. It is critical that children see their dentist on a regular basis, as caries can be removed or their progression slowed down with more brushing and flossing. If addressed early, root canals and tooth extractions can be avoided.The California Dental Association estimates that half a million California children missed school in the previous 12 months due to dental caries and that dental caries is the most common chronic childhood disease in the U.S. By kindergarten, 50% of California children have experienced tooth decay, and by third grade, that percentage is greater than 70%. Parents are often unaware of the impor-tance and value of baby teeth. Decayed

baby teeth hurt and impede the ability of the child to eat, drink, speak, sleep,

and do well in school. If your child is on Medi-Cal and needs a dentist, we e n c o u r a g e you to call Free Denti-Cal Youth S e r v i c e s at (844) 421-3484 to schedule an appointment.

For more information about the public health aspects of dental care, visit http://bit.ly/254P8SQ.

By Dr. Ken BirdFresno County Health Officer

By Dr. Paul HsiaoPresident of the Fresno Madera Dental Society

Health Message from Dr. Ken Bird and Dr. Paul Hsiao

By Kindergarten, Half of Children have Tooth Decay

www.FresnoUnified.orgP R E P A R I N G C A R E E R R E A D Y G R A D U A T E SPage 12

september 2017

See pReSchool Continued on page 13

McLane High Student Work Kicks Off District Art Shows

Computech is Over the Moon

to high school explore socially relevant themes in literature and express their reflections through writing and art. They have the opportunity to curate and display their work in a professional exhibit environment.For the September show, McLane High School’s ArtVenture Academy will showcase student art from past projects. The show provides a glimpse into the powerful voice that art provides for Fresno Unified students and what to look forward to this school year.“Watching students, families, and community members come through our gallery each month was a highlight of my year,” said Catherine Aujero, manager of the Visual and Performing

Arts Department. “Families and students beamed with pride. Community members were moved by the caliber of art our students produced and the thoughtful writing that went with each piece.”

The district is expanding a pilot arts initiative to schools in the Bullard, Edison, McLane, and Sunnyside regions, giving hundreds more students opportunities to showcase their art in a professional gallery space.The first art show is Sept. 7 at the district’s leased space in Gallery One at

the M Street Arts Complex. The show, "Voices, a Retrospective of ArtVenture Projects,” is part of ArtHop, held the first Thursday of the month downtown. The district’s expanded arts initia-tive is the REAL project -- Relevant Engagement in Art and Literacy. Students from transitional kindergarten

The entire Computech Middle School student body -- about 800 students -- donned UV protection glasses on Aug. 21 to observe the eclipse of the sun.Meanwhile, the school’s science teachers had traveled to Oregon to view the eclipse in totality, bringing back eye-witness accounts of the historic event. Hoover High School science teachers also traveled to Oregon to see the eclipse.Computech and other classes through-out Fresno Unified used the eclipse as a real-time science lesson.At Lawless Elementary School, Kijuana Hartshorn’s special day class students prepared for the big event by playing the roles of the sun, earth and moon. Then they put on their special

eclipse glasses to watch the eclipse.At Sunnyside High School, Tamela Ryatt’s photography students built pinhole cameras for projecting the image of the eclipse, and then recorded the projection with their smart phones. The activity combined the most basic camera device with the latest technol-ogy and launched a semester-long project on the evolution of the camera. Students will present their projects to the Fresno Art Museum, with the most impressive student work selected for display.Students in Jairo Sanchez’s class at Roosevelt High School used boxes to view and mirrors to project the solar eclipse onto a building.

An art show May 4 at district-leased space at the M Street Arts Complex gives students a chance to display their work in a professional setting. This school year, the arts initiative expands to 40 teachers and their students. The first show is Sept. 7.

Computech Middle School students Viviana Morales, left, and Arieta Shipman observe the solar eclipse as part of a schoolwide activity on Aug. 21.

Sept. 7 Show

What: “Voices, a Retrospective of ArtVenture Projects”

When: Sept. 7 5-8 p.m.Where: Gallery One, M Street

Arts Complex, 1419 M St.

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september 2017

Fourth-Grader Collects Backpacks, School Supplies for Students

African American Students Attend Leadership Camps Ahwahnee Middle School eighth-grad-er Damaree Arnold spent a week at UC Merced over the summer getting an in depth look at what he needs to do to get into college. Damaree was among 41 students who headed to summer camp at college campuses as part of the district’s African American Leadership Cohorts. The 2021 cohort, ninth-graders this year, attended camp for four days at Fresno State University while the 2022 cohort, eighth-graders this year, went

to UC Merced. The program seeks to accelerate achievement for African American students, ease the transitions to eighth grade and high school and prepare students for California State University and University of California campuses and other top-tier colleges.Edison High School freshman Harmony Newton, who attended camp at Fresno State, said she feels more prepared for college: "I feel like it

Zackeria Lovick, a fourth grade student at Figarden Elementary School, has been collecting backpacks and school supplies for students in need since he was in second grade, and estimates he has passed out more than 500 back-packs over the two years.Most recently, he delivered 165 backpacks to students at Williams Elementary School during their back-to-school block party on Aug. 9. The backpacks were filled with notebooks, folders and pencil boxes filled with crayons, colored pencils, markers, erasers, scissors, and glue sticks -- the basic school supplies most elementary students need.Zackeria’s first school supply drive started with 17 backpacks that he personally delivered to students at Del Mar Elementary School. Zackeria started the backpack drive when he was shopping for his own backpack and realized that many families in Fresno could not afford backpacks for their kids to start the school year. “Something as simple as a backpack with school supplies may not be simple for everyone. I feel like I am helping them,” Zackeria said. “It feels awesome when I am able to give school supplies to other kids because sometimes it is all the extra support they need to succeed.” Zackeria plans to continue collecting

backpacks and school supplies to give to different schools in Fresno Unified. Malarie Mendoza, Zackeria's mom, works for the district as a resource counseling assistant at Wolters Elementary School and helps him identify schools. So far, 13 schools have received donated backpacks and school supplies. Zackeria funds his school supply drive through donations from the communi-ty. His largest donation has been $500, which was key in helping Zackeria kick-start providing backpacks to students. Zackeria is thankful that the commu-nity continues to support his school supply drive. Zackeria feels that the more he donates, the more people will hear about his school supply drive, and he hopes more people will get involved and give. “This is a community effort and I wouldn’t be able to do it without the constant support from the community and my family,” said Zackeria. When Zackeria is not busy with his school supply drive, he enjoys playing baseball, video games, hanging out with friends and going to watch his favorite baseball team, the San Francisco Giants. Zackeria says he is just a regular kid who likes helping others. In school, he likes playing with his friends during recess and learning

about his favorite subject, math. Zackeria has a can-do attitude and says if he could change one thing about school it would be to create a family atmosphere, where everyone gets along: “I think too many kids try and bully others when we should just be helping one another.” Zackeria will graduate high school in the year 2026. He would like to go to college to earn a degree in sports journalism. His dream is to become a professional baseball player and then a sports announcer. He hopes to attend Fresno State to play on their baseball

team, like Aaron Judge, an outfielder for the New York Yankees.

To Donate � Call (559) 577-5448 � Drop off supplies at Studio 614, 614 E. Weldon Ave. (across from Fresno High School) by calling ahead to (559) 930-8181

� Find him on Facebook at Zackeria’s School Supply Drive

Zackeria Lovick, a fourth-grader at Figarden Elementary School, passes out donated backpacks filled with supplies during Williams Elementary School’s back-to-school block party Aug. 9. Zackeria has been collecting donations for students in need for two years.

Eighth-graders from the African American Leadership Cohorts take part in a four-day camp at Fresno State in July.

STUDENT SPOTliGHT

See SummeR leaDeRShip Continued on page 15

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september 2017

New Teacher Workshop Points Staff in Right Direction

Sequoia Middle School teacher Lisa Milazzo, left, and Gaston Middle School teacher Callie Leflam teach a Let’s Talk About It! session about how to get students involved in classroom conversations. The workshop was part of the district’s new teacher conference Aug. 5-6 to help prepare new employees for their new role educating Fresno Unified students. For the 2017-18 school year, the district has hired 250 new teachers -- 127 for elementary, 85 for middle and high school and 33 in special education. More than 375 employ-ees attended the conference at McLane High School, which was also offered to those in the district’s “pipeline” programs, such as student teachers. The keynote speaker on Aug. 5 was Nicole Dimich Vagle, president of Lighthouse Learning Community. The conference also featured a variety of sessions to help new teachers.

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ACSA Hosts Mini Conference A mini conference featuring Joelle Hood, an advocate for incorporating social emotional learning into schools, will be hosted Oct. 13 by the Fresno Consolidated Chapter of the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA). The mini conference is open to all management, supervisory and confi-dential employees with limited seating. ACSA members will be given first priority. Participants may choose a morning or afternoon session with a hosted lunch for both groups. Detailed information will be forthcoming.

Hood is an advocate for youth and helping schools prepare students to become the best that they can be, and

help make the world a better place at the same time. Her topic will be “Nourish to Flourish: The Connection between Workplace Well-being & Engagement, Efficacy, and Achievement of Staff and Students.”For more informa-tion on ACSA, email

Executive Director Susan Bedi at ACSAFresno2016@gmail.com.

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september 2017

SummeR leaDeRShip Continued from page 13

definitely makes us more dedicated to finishing our schoolwork and being more engaged so we can get into the UC."The leadership cohorts are a joint project of the Goal 2 Department at Fresno Unified, UC Merced, Fresno State and the Office of the Fresno County Superintendent of Schools.

tomando mi primer trabajo en la Primaria Burroughs. De ahí fui a la Primaria Susan B. Anthony y después serví como subdi-rector de las escuelas Addams y Powers Ginsburg respectivamente. Sentí que había encontrado mi llamado en la educación y muy pronto me establecí como director de la Primaria Thomas donde obtuvimos el reconocimiento de Escuela Distinguida de California en mi segundo año como di-rector. Me encantó por completo lo que estaba haciendo. Fui alcalde de un pueblo pequeño, haciendo impacto en los niños y ayudando al cambio de la comunidad. Así, reconocí que todo éxito que estaba tenien-do se atribuía directamente a mis increíbles colegas, como también los líderes que me han precedido. Desarrollamos una cul-tura increíblemente positiva en la Primaria Thomas la cual fue aceptada por toda la comunidad. Al parecer, el trabajo positivo que realicé en ese pueblo pequeño fue no-torio y se me solicitó unirme al equipo de recursos humanos del distrito. Qué oportunidad tenía frente a mí, de apoyar a los maestros, líderes escolares y servir como reclutador del distrito y de esta ciudad. Mientras que siempre he sido un firme creyente en la importancia de la interacción personal y el significado de conocer el nombre de un empleado, el valor de eso nunca fue tan claro para mí que cuando era administrador de Recursos Humanos (HR). Encontré el medio de mi amor por la peda-gogía en Fresno State, trabajando especial-mente con futuros consejeros, los que es-taban interesados en la educación especial y apoyando a las familias que luchan con lo que significa tener a un ser querido con una incapacidad a largo plazo. Este es el primer semestre en cinco años que no he enseñado en Fresno State. Me siento en la luna cuando visito las escuelas o nuestro Departamento de Prevención e Interven-ción y veo a mis estudiantes anteriores que están sirviendo como consejeros, especial-istas socioemocional y psicólogos con los jóvenes de nuestro distrito. Tiffany y yo celebraremos nuestro aniver-sario de bodas de plata (25th) el próximo año. Sé que yo no estaría aquí si no hubiera sido por ella, ya que creo que la “estabili-

dad familiar” es realmente lo que permite el cónyuge y ella me ha dado un verdadero regalo. A lo largo de nuestra trayectoria, hemos sido bendecidos con siete niños maravillosos. Nuestro hijo mayor, Ben, tiene 21 años y ausente asistiendo al co-legio/Universidad (college); los gemelos Phillip y Joshua recientemente se gradu-aron de la preparatoria y ambos nos han enseñado tanto en sus 18 años. Joshua está iniciando su primer año en el colegio/uni-versidad. Phillip, que nació con parálisis cerebral, nos abrió rápidamente los ojos al mundo de educación especial. Tiffany dejó la carrera de pedagogía para cuidar de los niños y nos ayudó a todos a llegar a ser fuertes defensores de nuestro hijo y los jóvenes de nuestra comunidad. Phillip inició el Programa de Transición de Adulto en el Condado de Madera y nos recuerda a diario lo que es el amor verdadero incondi-cional. Enfocado en la fe y el deseo de ayudar a los demás, Tiffany y yo siempre hemos pensado que hay mucho más que podemos hacer para apoyar a los niños en nuestro valle. Ese deseo nos ha guiado a servir como padres de crianza (foster parents) y en los últimos cuatro años, agregamos a la familia a Nelson por medio de adopción. Nuestra hija Destiny tiene 5 años y recién inició kindergarten, la dulce Abigail tiene 3 años y nuestros bebés aventureros, Aston y Sawyer, que tienen 21 meses de edad. El-los son la alegría y en cada uno se agrega a la dinámica única de nuestra familia, una familia que no cambiaría ni por el mundo.He sido parte del Distrito Escolar Unifica-do de Fresno la mayor parte de mi vida de adulto y es un honor servir a esta comu-nidad como su nuevo superintendente. Es-pero compartir mis planes para el distrito en las próximas semanas.

Tuam Thawj Saib Kev Kawm Kev Sib Tw Txais Yuav Txoj Kev Qhib los Coj Hauv Paus Tsev Kawm NtawvLub qab lim tiam mus rau kev pib ntawm kev kawm, kuv puv npo kev xav. Nws muaj kev zoo siab txaus siab tos txais tej tub kawm ntawv thiab tej neeg khiav dej num rov qab tuaj, kev cia siab ntawm qhib lub tsev tshiab hauv Bullard, Figarden thiab Turner, thiab qhov tseeb uas hauv paus tsev kawm ntawv tab tom yuav muaj ntau qhov kev kawm tshiab – xam nrog rau peb qhov kev kawm nyob rau hauv “online”, eLearn Academy, thiab peb cov kev kawm ob tog lus sib txuaam ntxuav ntxiv. Ntxiv rau ntawm, kuv tab tom muaj ib qhov kev xam phaj hauj lwm rau lub neej ntev ntev – uas yog tus tuam thawj saib kev kawm rau lub hauv paus tsev kawm ntawv loj tshaj tij plaub hauv lub xeev. Ib qho kev xam phaj twg los yeej ua rau yus nyuaj siab. Qhov kev uas zaum tos kuj ua tau rau yus ntshav nce siab thiab, tiam sis raws li kuv zaum hauv hotel hauv plawv nroog uas tau tshwj tseg rau kev xam phaj, tos kuv lub caij, kuv muaj ib lub sij hawm me me xav koj meej. Raws thaum kuv ntsia lub chav loj loj, nws raug kuv. Nov yog tib lub chav loj loj uas thaum kuv ntsib kuv poj niam thawj zaug kuv los rau hauv

Fresno thiab ntsib kuv poj niam 28 xyoo dhau los thaum kuv kuv mus hu nkauj nyob rau kuv tus kwv tij lub rooj tshoob. Nws yog nyob rau lub hoob loj loj no, nyob rau ntawm lub rooj tshoob uas kuv tus kheej zaj dab neeg tau hloov, ua rau txoj kev tau taug los dua rov coj kuv mus txog lub chaw thaum xub thawj kuv tau pib, kev zoo siab nco txog kuv thawj 27 hnub ntawm kev kawm los pab tej tub kawm ntawv, tej neeg khiav dej num thiab tej tsev yim neeg ntawm Fresno Unified. Kuv txaj muag thiab ua tsaug rau lub sij hawm uas kuv tau muab kev txhawb pab tej tub kawm ntawv tej yim tsev neeg ntawm peb lub zej lub zog txuas ntxiv mus. Muaj kev zoo siab heev ua los ua thawj tus tuam thawj saib kev kawm los pab lub hauv paus tsev kawm ntawv no tau ntau li 30 lub xyoo nws tau pib tam li ib tug xib fwb qhia ntawv hauv lub hauv paus tsev kawm ntawv. Kuv tau pib kuv qhov kev ua dej num nrog Fresno Hauv Paus Tsev Kawm Ntawv tam li ib tug xib fwb qhia ntawv hloov chaw tib lub sij hawm kuv kawm tiav kuv daim ntawv pov thawj qhia ntaub ntawv hauv Fresno State. Thaum kuv pib kawm ua ib tug neeg hu nkauj tau kuv daim ntaub ntawv pov thawj ntawm University of Southern California, nws yog ib lub zoo sij hawm tau ntsib nrog kuv tus poj niam, Tiffany, uas tau coj kuv los no thiab txuas kuv nrog lwm tus ntawm tus neeg kuv hlub tiag tiag, qhia ntaub ntawv. Kuv pib qhia ntaub ntawv puv sij hawm tom qab kuv tau kuv daim ntawv pov thawj qhia ntaub ntawv, kuv thawj txoj hauj lwm hauv Bur-roughs Elementary. Txij ntawm mus kuv mus rau Susan B. Anthony Elementary, thiab tsis ntev ntawm mus ua tam li tus lwm thawj xib fwb hauv tag nrho Addams Elementary thiab Powers Ginsburg. Kuv xav tias kuv tau raug hu los rau txoj kev kawm txuj ci thiab tsis ntev kuv tus kheej tau los ua tus thawj xib fwb ntawm Thom-as Elementary uas peb tau California Tsev Kawm Ntawv Nto Npe hauv kuv xyoo ob tam li thawj xib fwb. Kuv nyiam yam uas kuv ua kawg nkaus li. Kuv tau ua ib tug tswv nroog ntawm ib lub me nyuam zos, ua kom muab qho qho txiaj ntsim rau cov me nyuam thiab pab hloov pauv lub zej lub zos. Kuv paub tias ib yam kev vam meej twg kuv muaj yog ua ncaj nraim rau kuv tej khub ua dej num thiab cov thawj coj uas nws tau coj kuv. Peb tau tsim muaj ib tug kev coj cwj pwm zoo hauv Thomas uas tau raug txhawb los ntawm lub zej zog tag nrho. Tseeb, hauj lwm zoo nyob rau hauv lub me nyuam zos me me ua rau tau paub txog, thiab kuv tau raug hais los koom nrog hauv paus tsev kawm ntawv pawg neeg muab kev pab. Ib txoj hau kev ntawm kuv hauv ntej kuv muaj, los txhawb pab tej xib fwb qhia ntawv, tsev kawm ntawv cov thawj coj thiab pab tam li neeg yaum rau hauv paus tsev kawm ntawv thiab lub nroog no. Lub sij hawm kuv ib txwm tau ntseeg ruaj khov kev muaj nqis ntawm tus kheej kev sib tx-uas lus thiab kev muaj nqis ntawm paub ib tug neeg ua hauj lwm lub npe, lub txiaj ntsim uas tsis meej pem dua los rau kuv ces thaum kuv tau los ua ib tug thawj coj hauv HR. Kuv nrhiav tau ib txoj kev rau kuv qhov

kev nyiam qhia ntaub ntawv hauv Fresno State, ua hauj lwm tshwj xeeb nrog cov kws qhuab ntuas tom ntej no thiab cov muaj kev ntxim siab rau kev qhia ntaub ntawv tshwj xeeb thiab txhawb pab tej yim tsev neeg khawm nws txhais li cas tiag yog koj muaj ib tug hlub muaj lub cev tsis taus los lawm ntev ntev. Lub “semester” kawm no yog thawj zaug tsib xyoos dhau los kuv tsis tau qhia nyob rau hauv Fresno State. Kuv nyob saum ib ntau ntuj thaum kuv mus ncig xyuas tej tsev kawm ntawv los yog peb lub “Department of Prevention thiab Intervention” thiab pom kuv cov tub kawm ntawv dhau los nws tau los ua tam li cov kws qhuab ntuas, cov kws qhia kev sib haum xeeb thiab cov kws paub txog lub paj hlwb nrog cov me nyuam hluas ntawm peb lub hauv paus tsev kawm ntawv. Tiffany thiab kuv yuav ua peb lub koob tsheej 25 xyoos sib yuav rau lub xyoo tom ntej no. Kuv paub tias kuv yuav tsis nyob nov yog tias tsis muaj nws, raws li kuv kev ntseeg “life balance” tseeb tiag yam twg koj tus khub kam thiab nws tau muab ib qho khoom plig tseeb rau kuv. Nrog nraim rau wb txoj kev, peb tau koob moov xya tus me nyuam zoo tshaj plaws. Wb tus me nyuam hlob, Ben, muaj 21 xyoos thiab mus kawm colleg kev deb; ob tug me nyuam ntxaib Phillip thiab Joshua nyiam qhuav kawm tiav high school thiab tag nrho ob tug ua rau wb kawm tau ntau yam hauv nkawm 18 lub xyoos. Joshua tab tom pib nws thawj xyoo kawm college. Phillip, nws yog tus yug los muaj tus kab mob “cerebral palsy”, ua rau wb lub qhov muag qhib rau txoj kev kawm ntawv tshwj xeeb. Tiffany tau tawm txoj hauj lwm qhia ntaub ntawv los zov cov me nyuam thiab pab peb txhua tus dhau los muaj zog txhawb rau peb tus tub thiab cov me nyuam hluas ntawm peb lub zej zog. Phillip tab tom pib “Adult Transi-tion Program” hauv Madera County thiab niaj hnub ua rau wb nco qab tsoov txoj kev hlub tsis muaj nrim yog li cas tiag. Ntawm wb txoj kev ntseeg thiab txoj kev ntshaw los pab lwm tus, Tiffany thiab kuv ib txwm xav tias nws muaj ntau yam peb muaj peev xwm ua tau los txhawb pab tej me nyuam yaus hauv peb lub zej lub zos. Uas qhov kev ntshaw tau coj wb los pab tam lis niam qhuav txiv qhuav thiab tau plaub lub xyoo dhau los, ntxiv rau Nelson tsev neeg los ntawm kev txais. Tus ntxhais Destiny 5 xyoos thiab tab tom pib kawm kindergarten, Abigail me qab zib yog 3 xyoos, thiab peb ob tug me ab tub ntxim hlub, Aston thiab Sawyer, muaj 21 lub hlis. Lawv mas ntxim hlub tiag tiag thiab tej twb tus nyias muaj nyias qhov zoo rau ntawm peb tsev neeg, ib tse neeg uas kuv tsis xav pauv lub ntiaj teb no.Kuv tau muaj feem nrog Fresno Unified feem ntau ntawm kuv lub neej laus thiab kuv muaj lub zej xeeb zoo tau los pab lub zej zog nov tam li nej tus tuam thawj saib kev kawm tshiab. Kuv tos ntsoov los muab kuv tej kev npaj los sib qhia nrog hauv paus tsev kawm ntawv rau cov lim tiam yuav los no.

SUPT. MESSAGE Continued from page 3

www.FresnoUnified.orgP R E P A R I N G C A R E E R R E A D Y G R A D U A T E SPage 16

september 2017

School mealScontinued from page 2

Start at Fresno City College and transfer to a California State University campus. Choose from 22 majors!

Associate Degree for Transfer

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Dietetics• Philosophy• Political Science• Physics• Psychology• Sociology• Spanish• Studio Arts• Theatre Arts

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State Center Community College District

“La meta del Departamento de Servicios Alimenticios es proveer alimentos nutritivos y apetitosos para ayudar a los estudiantes a hacer lo mejor posible en la escuela todos los días e implementando el CEP nos ayuda a cumplir esta meta,” dijo José Alvarado, Director de Servicios Alimenticios.Paus Tsev Kawm Ntawv Tau Muab Daim Ntawv Thov Pluas Noj Tshiab thiab Cov Khoom NojLub xyoo kawm ntawv no, tej niam txiv muaj peev xwm mus saib tau daim ntawv thov tshiab thiab sib txuas lus tau nrog lub chaw nruab ntug los xyuas qhov lus qhia yooj yooj yim txog tsev kawm ntawv daim ntawv qhia khoom noj rau pluas tshais pluas su txhua hnub. Daim ntawv thov muaj tej yam ntxwv ib daim duab tshiab kev piav qhia txog cov khoom noj, thiab kuab zaub mov thiab lus qhia txog khoom phiv. Lub

chaw nruab ntug tsim tshiab thiab kev sib qhia thiab “mobile app” ua rau tsev kawm ntawv qhov kev qhia kev noj haus yooj yim tshaj qub thiab yooj yim tshaj yav dhau los.Muaj peev xwm nkag saib tau daim ntawv thov los ntawm mus nrhiav rau “School Menus by Nutrislice” nyob rau hauv Google Play los yog App Store los yog mus saib fresnounified.nutrislice.com.“daim ntawv thov tshiab no ua rau nws yooj yim tshaj los saib txog tej kuab zaub mov noj, tsev kawm ntawv tej pluas noj dawb uas peb lub hauv paus tsev kawm ntawv muaj rau peb txhua tus tub kawm ntawv. Peb paub lawm tias thaum peb cov tub kawm ntawv tau noj khoom noj huv si, lawv npaj kawm tau zoo dua,” Tus Tuam Thawj Saib Kev Kawm Ib Ntus Bob Nelson tau hais li. Hauv paus tsev kawm ntawv kuj tseem nthuav qhia ntau nqe lus qhia txog kev noj haus tshiab rau lub xyoo kawm ntawv no, xam nrog rau:

� Nqaij npuas ci xyaw nrog zaub qhwv (coleslaw)

� Alaskan pollock fish sticks nrog cov qos yajywm caws caws thiab qhob cij “whole grain Hawaiian roll”

� Super Nachos, uas muaj pob kws los ntawm La Tapatia Tortilleria

� Tshais “tornado” nrog nyuv ntxwm turkey, qe, cheddar cheese muaj roj tsawg, kua txob “jalapeno” thiab kua “picante sauce” qhwv nrog daim “tortilla” ci

� Nyuv ntxwm nqaij nyuj “maple” nrog qe kib thiab qhob cij ci

Fresno Hauv Paus Tsev Kawm Ntawv yuav rov muaj dua pluas tshais thiab su noj tsis raug them nqi rau txhua tus tub kawm ntawv txawm khwv tau nyiaj txiag npaum twg los xij. Pluas noj dawb rau txhua tus tub kawm ntawv raws li tsab cai tau hloov thaum xyoo 2014 ua txo lub nra rau tag nrho cov yim tsev neeg thiab tsev kawm ntawv cov thawj coj thiab pab kom paub tseeb tias txhua tus tub kawm ntawv tau txais pluas noj muaj kuab zaub mov.Kev ua los txhawb pab hauv paus tsev kawm ntawv kev sib zog peem los tshem tawm txhua yam thaiv kev rau tub kawm ntawv kev kawm, thiab

pab kom paub tseeb tias tej tub kawm ntawv tsis tshaib plab thaum nyob hauv tsev kawm ntawv thaum lawv tab tom kawm ntawv. Qhov kev pab yog ib feem ntawm Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), ib qho kev xaiv uas muaj rau tej tsev kawm ntawv los ntawm National School Lunch Program thiab School Breakfast Program. CEP pub rau cov tsev kawm ntawv muaj neeg txom nyeem coob los tau txais tsev kawm ntawv cov su noj dawb tib lub sij hawm los txo tej ntaub ntawv thiab kev khiav dej num pab kev noj haus. Cov ntawv thov pluas noj tsis raug tseev kom muaj ntxiv lawm.“Lub hom phiaj ntawm Lub Chaw Saib Kev Pab Khoom Noj (Food Services Department) yog los npaj muaj tej khoom muaj kuab zaub mov, tej pluas noj qab qab los pab tej tub kawm ntawv kom lawv kawm tau zoo hauv tsev kawm ntawv txhua hnub, thiab siv CEP tej kev pab peb ncav lub hom phiaj no,” Food Services Director Jose Alvarado tau hais li.