The Vine May 5, 2017 From the desk of Superintendent Chris Williams

Employees of the Year Congratulations to all of the PRJUSD staff members who were honored this week as teachers, classified employees, managers, rookies, and substitutes of the year! Last night, we celebrated their accomplishments at the beautiful Pear Valley Winery. We are pleased to announce the district winners: Teacher of the Year: Monika Robertshaw, Lewis Middle School Classified Employee of the Year: Marcos Zamora, bilingual family advocate, district office Manager of the Year: Tara Quinn, PRYDE Child Care Supervisor Rookie of the Year: Suzanne Balderrama, Intervention Specialist, Pat Butler/Winifred Pifer Substitute of the Year: Christy Jaureguy, Kermit King

Bike to School Day This Wednesday is Bike to School Day! We encourage all of our students and staff to ride their bikes to school that day. Participants will be eligible to win prizes at every school site. And don’t’ forget that tomorrow is a Bike Month celebration at Hidden Creek Village on 80 Cary Street from 10 AM – 12 PM. There will be a bike decorating contest and safety assembly. There will also be a bike giveaway!

Special Olympics PRJUSD was out in full force at Special Olympics today! Over 200 participants, volunteers, and staff members made the trip to Cuesta College. There were so many great highlights! • Lewis Middle School started the morning with a spirit tunnel for their athletes. • Three of our students were honored as torch bearers for the opening ceremony. • PRHS cheerleaders cheered alongside the new Sparkle cheer team. • Students in elementary, middle school, high school, and our adult students went home with medals in events such as basketball, swimming, and track & field. It was an awesome day for everyone!

Preschool Open House Everyone is invited to attend an open house event for our preschool, the Early Learning Academy. We will be hosting a ribbon-cutting ceremony for their new facility at the Arts Academy at Bauer Speck on Tuesday, May 16th, from 5:30 – 6:30 PM. Come tour the facility and learn more about our preschool program! For more information about the Early Learning Academy, contact Lauren Handley at lmhandley@pasoschools.org.

Student Art Gallery Students at Virginia Peterson Elementary recently celebrated their own gallery showcase at Studios on the Park as part of the Kids Art Smart Program. They were so proud to show parents what they had been working on! The next reception highlighting the latest exhibit in our PRJUSD Gallery will be held on Wednesday, May 10th, from 6:00 – 7:30 PM. This exhibit will feature artwork from our outstanding PRHS visual art programs. Student art will also be for sale! Students receive 80% commission on all work sold. So far this year, students have made almost $3000 selling their artwork! Appetizers will be provided by the Culinary Academy. We hope to see you there!

District Writing Celebration Over 100 students were recognized at the 2nd annual District Writing Celebration this past week. Students in grades 1-12 were honored as either winners or honorable mentions for work in one of four categories (Opinion/Argument, Informational/Explanatory, Narrative, or Poetry). Over 300 entries were received! Several students also had the opportunity to read their submissions.

District Choir Festival Another district-wide celebration held this week was the PRJUSD Choir Festival. Students from all six of our elementary schools attended PRHS where they learned how to improve their presentation, got a chance to practice, and then performed a concert.

PRHS Athletic Signing Day Paso Robles High School will be celebrating signing day for eight of its athletes on Thursday, May 11th, beginning at 3:15 PM in the PRHS Performing Arts Center. All are welcome to attend and celebrate this great accomplishment! Students who will be signing: Luis Armendariz - Cal Poly Trad Berti - Chico State Christian Erickson - Sacramento State Seth Matthysse - Redlands Annie Meeder - Cal Poly Madison Morrison - Westmont Gabrielle Morrison – Vanguard Miranda Pasky - Illinois Steven Schouten - Humboldt State

PRHS VAPA Signing Day In addition to our athlete signing day, we will be hosting the first-ever VAPA Signing Day in recognition of our student artists and performers who have been accepted to performing arts programs in college. The VAPA Signing Day will be held on Monday, May 15th at 3:45 PM in the PRHS Performing Arts Center. All are welcome to attend and help celebrate!

Liberty Shark News Congratulations to Liberty High School's Gwen Cunningham who received an award at the Paso Robles District Writing Celebration this week for her essay writing skills! Joining her, in receiving awards and recognition, were Emma Gripple, Lilia Fuller, Nayela Carranza, and Cristal Mendoza Ramirez from Independence High School,

Students at Liberty High School in the Government/Econ class participated in voter registration with the League of Women Voters this week. Science students, studying the carbon cycle, created biospheres from 2 liter bottles with the assist of Meghan from One Cool Earth. Students in the Drawing/Painting class wrapped up research and slideshows on famous artists, then began replicating one of their artist's pieces. Math students have been reviewing and getting ready for next week's state testing. And Leadership students organized a water balloon toss competition for a lunch activity, as well as made spirit posters for the upcoming Bike to School Day on May 10th! Finally, Sharks were visited this week by the PBIS district team and scored 91% on their walk-through for positive behavior interventions! Way to go, Sharks...you rock! Thank you to Deb Lauridsen for the udpates!

Staff Appreciation Week Georgia Brown Elementary celebrated teacher appreciation week. It started with door decorations for each staff member, personalized and created by parent volunteers. Staff members were treated to a fabulous catered lunch from the Culinary Arts Academy sponsored by the PTA. The week ended with a coffee cart that visited all of the classroom carrying pastries, muffins, fruit, and coffee for the teachers to enjoy. Pictured here are some of the decorated doors.

PRHS Track & Field League Finals The PRHS track & field teams competed in the PAC 8 League Championships where both varsity teams, girls and boys, finished in 3rd place overall and the frosh/soph boys won! Congratulations to Codie Wilshusen who broke her school record in the pole vault by jumping 12’4” which also puts her 8th in the CIF Southern Section and 10th in the state. All-League Selection: Madison Mitchell - 1st Team - 100m Hurdles, 300m Hurdles Codie Wilshusen - 1st Team - Pole Vault Annie Meeder - 1st Team - 1600m, 3200m Madison Mitchell, Key Mabien, Madison Wineman, Kayla McDonald - 1st Team - 4x100m Relay Cade England - 2nd Team - Triple Jump Jacob Franklin - 2nd Team - Shot Put, Discus Trad Berti - 2nd Team - 1600m Clay Wilshusen - 2nd Team - Pole Vault Key Mabien - 2nd Team - 400m

CIF Qualifiers: Cade England Dante Coletta Jacob Franklin Clay Wilshusen Javier Solis Kaden Gallant Jordan Summers Key Mabien Codie Wilshusen Madison Mitchell Madison Wineman Kayla McDonald Annie Meeder

SkillsUSA Sponsor Appreciation Dinner The SkillsUSA Chapter 211 Sponsor Appreciation Dinner will be held on May 17th at 6:00 PM at the Culinary Arts Academy. This dinner is in appreciation of the volunteers and donors who have made financial and in-kind contributions used for student costs such as registration, hotels, travel, contest clothing, equipment, and needed supplies. Dinner will be served by the students who earned medals at the SkillsUSA California State Leadership & Skills Championships. Daniel Lehmkuhl will be the guest speaker. Daniel is a SkillsUSA Alumni, Gold Medalist in Secondary and Post -Secondary Automotive Tech. He was a participant in World Skills representing the USA. He presently is a Mercedes-Benz Service Representative. Cost is $15.00 person. Anyone interested in attending should contact Randy Canaday rcanaday@pasoschools.org or call 674-4170.

State Testing Pep Rallies Last week, Lewis Middle School staff motivated and inspired their students as they prepare for state testing with a "Be a State Test Survivor" skit! Students and staff alike had a lot of fun!

Also getting into the state testing spirit was Kermit King Elementary. Teachers spoke to the studetns about the importance of doing their best, trying their hardest. And believing in themselves.

Culinary Arts Academy This Tuesday, it was pastry final for the 2nd semester students at the PRHS Culinary Arts Academy. According to Chef Gregg, the students nailed it!

Attendance Winners Congratulations to Pat Butler Elementary for earning the attendance award for month eight. The Butler Bears had a 95.93% schoolwide attendance rate. Way to go Butler Bears!

One Cool Earth Corner Pictured here is a praying mantis egg sac, suspended above Ms. Hamlin’s garden bed at Virginia Peterson Elementary. Students helped build the praying mantis tipi and learned about how the eggs will hatch. Did you know just one of these egg sacs is home to 50-200 eggs? The eggs will hatch and tiny praying mantises will suspend on silk-like threads out of the sac until the sun dries the threads and breaks the praying mantises free. Students are excited to find the first young mantis in the Panda garden! Providing children experiences with “creepy crawly things” fosters their understanding of the complex ecological web of the natural world.

In other news, please come join One Cool Earth this weekend as we build a pumpkin patch at Winifred Pifer Elementary! The workday will be held on Sunday 5/7 from 8am - 11am, rain or shine. It will be a fun morning of rototilling and mixing compost into garden rows in preparation for classrooms to plant pumpkins. The new Winifred Pifer Pumpkin Patch will be almost ¼ acre and will greet students as they come back from summer vacation! Garden days are not just limited to families of those schools; anyone in the community is welcome as long as children are accompanied by an adult. Remember to bring sun (or rain) protection and a water bottle!

Students Learn About Ponies The Arts Academy at Bauer Speck welcomed a special guest. Charlotte from Pony Pictures taught students how to behave around a pony. The students loved their visit from Cupcake the pony!

Gold Ribbon Award Paso Robles High School teachers and PRJUSD staff recently attended the Gold Ribbon ceremony in Santa Clara. PRHS was recognized for its outstanding programs and was recently named a Gold Ribbon recipient. Pictured with staff is the California State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Tom Torlakson. Congratulations again to PRHS staff and students!

PRHS Students Conduct Important Climate Change Research Submitted by: Geoffrey Land

Paso Robles High School’s new Field Studies Collaborative program has teamed with researchers in Joshua Tree National Park to conduct a long term study on the effects of climate change on Joshua Tree forests. During spring break, nineteen students and four PRHS teachers backpacked to remote sites and spent four days collecting data on the status and conditions of Joshua Tree woodlands, which are seen as indicator species for the effects of climate change. Students teamed up with park scientists to continue work they helped pioneer in 2016. Since then, PRHS has developed a Field Studies Collaborative (FSC) program allowing qualified students to gain school credits for field research in the fields of science and social science. The FSC was highlighted in the recent recognition of PRHS as a California state Gold Ribbon school.

“Everyone from Joshua Tree really enjoyed working with the teachers and students from Paso Robles, and your outdoor research program is incredible,” said Neil Frakes, Vegetation Branch Chief for Joshua Tree National Park. “Without Paso Robles High School’s initiative, I don't know if we would have implemented this special monitoring program for Joshua trees,” added Frakes. The data being collected by PRHS and other citizen scientist volunteers will help determine the extent to which climate change is impacting desert ecology, and guide future management plans for the park. “It’s so exciting to be doing real science in the field,” said junior Imelda Jimenez, a first time backpacker. “I’m proud to be on the cutting edge of actual climate change research.”

Joshua Tree National Park has made it a priority to improve knowledge of potential changes to Joshua tree distribution and abundance within the park. There is concern that Joshua trees are on the decline due to climate change and/or drought, causing a lack of regeneration (no new seedling establishment), especially on the southern edge of its range, which is where the park is located. The new Field Studies Collaborative includes course in marine biology, oral history and botany, and allows students to gain course credits for field research in partnership with universities, government agencies and non-profit organizations. Students are able to borrow backpacks, tents, stoves and other gear from the Field Studies Collaborative program at PRHS. Many on the Joshua Tree trip had never been to the desert, conducted field studies or backpacked before.

“We are incredibly fortunate to offer students an experience of this caliber,” said Geoffrey Land, who helped create the Joshua Tree field studies program. “Students gain real life research skills while getting an opportunity to learn wilderness and backpacking skills they can use their whole lives.” For over twenty years, under the direction of science teacher Mark DiMaggio, hundreds of students at Paso Robles High School have gained valuable research skills through wilderness education and field biology projects throughout California. In collaboration with Geoffrey Land, Alisa Bredensteiner, and other PRHS teachers, Mr. DiMaggio has facilitated projects on Santa Cruz Island, conducting a botanical surveys for The Nature Conservancy twice a year for the past 18 years. For more information about the Joshua Tree Program or the Field Studies Collaborative classes at PRHS, contact Geoffrey Land at gdland@pasoschools.org, or Mark DiMaggio at mdimmag@pasoschools.org

Broadway Bound Workshop Paso High Theatre Company and Advanced Drama is inviting students in grades K - 12 to come and act with them on Saturday, May 20th, from 9 AM - 12 PM. Company members will be working in teams to bring students fun and exciting acting workshops. This event is first come, first served, so sign-up today! Registration closes May 16th. This event is FREE! Broadway Bound Workshop

PRHS Student to Compete in Gymnastics Junior Nationals Paso Robles High School junior Beckett Andersen will be traveling to Kissimmee, Florida next week to compete in the Men’s Gymnastics Junior Olympic Nationals. This is Beckett’s first trip to nationals and he qualified by placing in the all-around top 25 in Region 1 (Nevada, California, Hawaii, Arizona). He will be competing against 170 other gymnasts from the country. In addition to competing at nationals, Beckett will also be receiving the Academic All-American Award. He has earned that award for the past three years by being an outstanding student at PRHS. He will actually be leaving on a red-eye flight just so he can take his AP calculus test next week!

PRISC Student Balances Academics with Gymnastics Submitted by: Mary Jo Anderson

Paso Robles Independent Study Center is the school of choice for students for many different reasons. Some students choose this alternative school so they can pursue athletics, dance, or acting goals while still receiving a rigorous education. Peyton Bedrosian, currently a 5th grade student with gymnastics dreams, is doing just that! Peyton has been in gymnastics for five years, but this year she and her family decided to make it a more intense commitment. She now trains five days a week from four to seven hours a day, at Performance Athletics in San Luis Obispo. She currently competes at Level 7, with Level 10 being the highest. This year, she has placed in all her meets, and was recently 3rd all around. She qualified for the State and Regional meets as well. She placed 6th All-Around at Regionals which includes the top

gymnasts from Arizona, Nevada and Utah as well as California. Her strongest event is bars, but she really enjoys floor and beam as well. Her goal is to hopefully be at Level 10 by her 8th grade year. Even though Peyton devotes so many hours to her sport, she manages to work at least a year above grade level in math and produce excellent work in all subjects. We look forward to watching Peyton pursue her dreams in the years to come!

Busy Pandas Students at Virginia Peterson Elementary have been very busy! Mrs. Maytubby’s 3rd grade class recently worked on a STEM lesson. The students built structures using index cards and tape to see what design would withstand the test and could be the tallest structure.

1st graders took a field trip to the Agriculture units at Cal Poly. While there, they saw horses, cows, pigs, and other animals plus their babies! In addition to learning about animal sciences, these young students experienced a bit of collegiate life by having lunch on campus!

Senior Science Night Paso Robles High School Science Department will be recognizing 46 seniors who met the requirements for the Science Honor Cord (5 or more science classes with a B or better). This is the largest number of recipients ever! Annie Meeder and Luis Armendariz both took a total of 9 science classes (tying the record that Emma Zelus had in 2015). Senior Science Night will be held on Tuesday, May 23rd in the Performing Arts Center at 6:00 PM. The event is open to the public. Come watch seniors compete for the coveted title of Super Science Senior and the Tie-dyed Lab Coat. It is a game-show format event with group lab challenges, individual written responses, and a Jeopardy game for our finalists. There will be audience participation prizes, fun demos, and recognition of the 46 honor cord recipients: Annie Meeder Averi Kerr Brandon Halebsky Breanna Williams Carina Ezzell Charles Higginbottom Damian Navarro Elizabeth Verzin Emma Wiest Ethan Athey Ethan Tran Gavin Smolik

Graham Farrell Grant Scheiffele Isaiah Garcia Issa Mawas Jacob Cagliero Jacob Van Wiggeren Jordan Proulx Josh Aronsohn Juleisy Rivera Kalyn Armstrong Kara Bullard Kasey Moffitt

Kiara DeOra Gable Kyle Meeder Lesley Galeano Linnea Schaefer Luis Armendariz Marina Smeltzer Mary Gregory Mason Wiesner Matthew Olsen Micah Canales Mikaila Brinar Mikayla Stone

Nadeene Al Azzam Nicole Raithel Phoenix Anguay Regan Dobroth Sadie Mae Mace Samuel Collins Shelby Farmer Solanda Magnuson Tegan Curren Teresa Cabello