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Buhach Colony High students will host a PBL Night where students will present the projects they've been working on commemorating Holocaust survivors.

THE 2020 MERCED COUNTY PARENT INSTITUTE

IS SATURDAY, MARCH 7

Annual Conference Aims To Improve Leadership and

Communication Skills For Parents and Caregivers

Atwater, CA (February 28, 2020) – The 7th Annual Merced County Parent Institute will be held at Golden Valley High School in Merced on Saturday March 7. The free event, organized by the Merced County Office of Education (MCOE), Merced Union High School District (MUHSD) and the local Child Care and Development Programs, is an opportunity for parents and caregivers to learn how to become more involved in the lives of their children.

“Many parents need to be reminded of the importance of the role they play,” said MCOE Program Manager Rosa Barragan. “At the Parent Institute they will learn how to better interact with their children, advocate for their children and be inspired by a diverse group of speakers.”

Among the speakers is Dr. Victor Rios, an Associate Dean and Professor at UC Santa Barbara, who was the focus of a recent PBS documentary entitled “The Pushouts”. The short film documents his journey from growing up poor and involvement in gangs to eventually earning his high school diploma, going to college and becoming successful. Dr. Rios uses his personal experience to spread his message of hope to students who feel marginalized by their schools and community.

Also scheduled to speak are Senior Director of Early Care and Education at Fresno County Superintendent of Schools Lupe Jaime-Mileham, Playwright and educator Kim McMillon and motivational youth speaker Freddie Alamazan. Workshops led by our speakers and community volunteers will cover a range of topics including “Ending the Silence for Families”, “Positive Discipline”, “Parents and Stress”, “Creating Systems of Support for Parents” and “Immigration”.

“We are very excited about our guest speakers and the program we have put together,” said Barragan. “We hope that parents leave the event with a feeling of empowerment.”

Other aspects of the Parent Institute include a large vendor fair featuring community organizations that offer services to parents and families, a catered lunch and entertainment. A separate workshop for teens will be taking place concurrently and child care will also be provided.

It is a free event, however registration is required. Visit https://tinyurl.com/qpj2tmj to register online or call 209-381-6793.

"Smart Start" Program Aims To Reduce Young Driver Accidents

What: “Smart Start” New Driver Workshop

When: Saturday, March 7 2020, 10am-12pm

Where: Buhach Colony High School

General Info: In an effort to reduce accidents involving young drivers, Merced Union High School District (MUHSD) is partnering with the California Highway Patrol (CHP) on its new driver education class “Start Smart”. Teenagers ages 15-19 are welcome to sign up for this workshop that will cover safe driving practices, rules of the road and new California driving laws. The class is free to attend, however a parent is required to accompany each child. Upon completion, each participant will receive a certificate that can be presented to many insurance companies for a discount of up to 5%.

“We are very happy to partner with CHP on this important issue,” said MUHSD Superintendent Ala Peterson. “Many new drivers aren’t fully aware of all of the responsibilities that come with a driver’s license, so the “Start Smart” Program is here to help make young drivers safe drivers.”

ATWATER HIGH TEACHER WINS “KISS THE CALF” CONTEST

What: Atwater High Music Teacher will “Kiss the Calf”

When: Friday, 2/28 during lunch (11:30am)

Where: Atwater High School

General Info: As part of “National FFA Week” celebrations, a poll was posted asking Atwater High students who they would like to see “Kiss the Calf”. Over 1200 votes were cast and the top vote-getter was Music Teacher Mr. Flores.

“Things like this really bring the campus together,” said Ag Teacher/FFA Advisor Kim Mesa. “When a department gets all students and staff involved in an activity, it lifts school spirit.”

DUTCH STUDENTS SPENDING A WEEK AT EL CAPITAN HIGH,

MUHSD hosts foreign exchange students in 11th year of the program

What: Foreign exchange students from The Netherlands visit MUHSD

When: February 24-28th

Where: El Capitan High School

General Info: Dutch students are getting a whirlwind tour of Merced and the surrounding area this week while attending El Capitan High. Activities planned for our guests include field trips to UC Merced and Yosemite National Park.

"Smart Start" Program Aims To Reduce Young Driver Accidents

What: “Smart Start” New Driver Workshop

When: Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020, 10am-12pm

Where: Atwater High School

General Info: In an effort to reduce accidents involving young drivers, Merced Union High School District (MUHSD) is partnering with the California Highway Patrol (CHP) on its new driver education class “Start Smart”. Teenagers ages 15-19 are welcome to sign up for this workshop that will cover safe driving practices, rules of the road and new California driving laws. The class is free to attend, however a parent is required to accompany each child. Upon completion, each participant will receive a certificate that can be presented to many insurance companies for a discount of up to 5%.

“We are very happy to partner with CHP on this important issue,” said MUHSD Superintendent Ala Peterson. “Many new drivers aren’t fully aware of all of the responsibilities that come with a driver’s license, so the “Start Smart” Program is here to help make young drivers safe drivers.”

EL CAPITAN HIGH FRESHMAN JOINS FIGHT AGAINST BLOOD CANCERS

Atwater, CA (February 24, 2020) – Londyn Ekizian, a Freshman at El Capitan High, is known for helping those who are in need, and it’s this reputation that earned her a nomination to be one of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) “Student of the Year'' participants. The nationwide program selects students who have shown an interest in charity work to tap into their resources and raise awareness and money for LLS to help find a cure for blood cancers.

“This is right up my alley.” said Londyn. “I’ve always been the type of person to be helping others and doing community service type stuff.”

Londyn, who was the only student from Merced County chosen by LLS to participate, has until March 13th to raise as much as she can. The LLS “Student of the Year” campaign is also a competition, and the student with the most amount of money raised at the end of the seven-week period is named the LLS “Student of the Year” and also receives a $2500 scholarship to the college of their choice.

Londyn says that winning would be nice, but she’s more focused on making a difference in people’s lives.

“People living with cancer don’t know if they’re going to see another day, so just raising awareness about it and helping the cause makes me feel good,” said Londyn. “No matter how much we raise, my hope is that this will inspire others to donate their own time and money to help people in need.”

Anyone interested in contributing to Londyn’s campaign can do so at www.soylondyn.org.

AG HORTICULTURE CLASSES OFFER STUDENTS MORE THAN JUST FLOWER ARRANGEMENT

Atwater, CA (February 12, 2020) – Ag Horticulture classes around MUHSD are gearing up for one of their busiest days of the year...Valentine’s Day. Students and staff typically spend the days leading up to it arranging orders that have come in and preparing for the last-minute rush.

“Valentine’s Day is extremely busy for us,” said Merced High Ag Teacher Mrs. Brewer. “I mean, we’re making arrangements all day long. It gets pretty hectic around here.”

On the big day, Mrs. Brewers class will spend the mornings filling orders and making deliveries to other classes and offices. Then during lunch, they’ll set up out in the quad for those who may not have seen their flyer and didn’t know flowers were sold on campus. Some campuses also sell flowers to the public, and at a more affordable rate than most floral shops.

“Because students make the arrangements, we do offer them at a lower cost than a regular business,” said Brewer. “But we also ask for a donation which goes right back into the program.”

All proceeds earned go toward purchasing more flowers, which can be quite expensive, as well as supplies and marketing tools. A recent purchase for Mrs. Brewer’s class was a lightbox to create better photos of the student’s work, which are then posted on the class website and social media pages.

“Marketing is a big element of the class,” said Brewer. “It allows students to see the business side of floral and how it’s not just about creating something pretty. You have to present it in a way that makes people want to spend their money.”

Those photos can then be assembled into a portfolio, something Atwater High Ag Teacher Kaylyn Davenport stresses to her students.

“The students learn how to promote themselves as a designer by doing things like posting their arrangements on social media,” said Davenport. “Even if they don’t have an account, I tell them to create one just to show off their work. It doesn’t matter if you don’t have a lot of followers, but it’s a good way to market yourself to the public and to a prospective employer.”

Another way to impress a potential boss is to have design certification, something that is available for those taking the advanced horticulture class. To earn the certificate, upon completion of the class students must demonstrate proficiency in several areas including bouquet design, corsage and have the ability to duplicate an arrangement.

“The certification is recognized industry-wide, so for someone interested in pursuing a career in floral, having that already in their portfolio will give them a head-start in front of everyone else,” said Davenport.

Both Brewer and Davenport have big goals for their respective programs that include an actual storefront on campus run by students. A vehicle for deliveries would be ideal too. Until then, the public can call and arrange a time to pick up orders which are submitted online. The flowers that are available at any given time depends on the season, and as you would imagine, right now it’s all about the roses!

To see all that Mrs. Brewer and Mrs. Davenport’s classes have to offer, click on the links below and visit their floral shop websites.

http://www.mercedffa.org/floral-shop.html

http://www.ahsfloralshop.com/

Over the past week, social studies teachers around the district have been following the Presidential Election in their classrooms. It was a very eye-opening experience for students, many of whom will be eligible to vote for the next President.

The wildly popular app "Among Us" has made its way into classrooms at MUHSD. Some teachers have used it as a reward for completing assignments, while others have incorporated the game into the curriculum. But no matter how it's used, everyone we talked to agrees that it's helped foster interaction in a socially distant environment.