will be committed to those same core values
elementary school to

CUSD Today

The Clovis Unified School District will be under the leadership of longtime edu-cator Corrine Folmer, Ed.D., beginning July 1 as she becomes the next superin-tendent. Dr. Folmer, who is a CUSD grad-uate, was named to the position by the Governing Board March 20 following an eight-week long search to replace retiring Superintendent Eimear O’Brien, Ed.D.
“It is a humbling honor to become the superintendent of our unique and high performing school district, and to serve our incredible community of employees, students and their families,” Folmer said in addressing the board.
“Years ago, as a student in this district,

	CUSD
April 2023
	
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Clovis Unified School District — DEVELOPING STUDENTS IN MIND, BODY & SPIRIT	Volume 25, No. 9

FOLLOW US ON	AND AT	M

Dr. Corrine Folmer to be next superintendent

“I will continue to put my heart

and soul into Clovis Unified, our employees, our community and most importantly – our students.”

Corrine Folmer, Ed.D. Incoming Superintendent

dollar; and finally, to treat our people – the team that serves our students – as our most precious resource of all.”
Dr. Folmer is an experienced educa-tional leader whose career spans both el-ementary and secondary educational roles. During a 20-year career in Clovis Unified, she has served as a teacher, guidance in-structional specialist, learning director, elementary principal, and assistant su-perintendent of the Clovis East Area. Since 2019, Dr. Folmer has been the district’s Associate Superintendent of School Lead-ership where she oversaw all of the district’s schools. Prior to working in Clovis Unified, she was a teacher and resource specialist in Sierra Unified School District.
ues.
district well: to set as my first and central
and social emotional success; to be a wise
East area. Her breadth of exper ence and the
Said the Governing Board of her se-I was the great beneficiary of the core	Photo by P.J. LippertCUSD Today	lection: “Dr. Folmer fosters a culture of values established by (founding superin- The Clovis Unified Governing Board announced Corrine teamwork and openness everywhere she tendent) Dr. Floyd Buchanan and lived Folmer, Ed.D., left, as the next superintendent following the goes. She leads by valuing, hearing and out by my own teachers and coaches. upcoming retirement of Superintendent Eimear O’Brien, motivating those around her. The effec-Over our 63-year history, our governing Ed.D., pictured at right, at the end of the school year.	tiveness of her approach is reflected in boards, employees and the community                                                                                                   the substantial improvement of student have continued to uphold and honor these val- priority our students and their academic, physical outcomes during her leadership i of the Clovis I “As the superintendent of this great district, steward of our limited financial resources and respect she enjoys throughout our organization
and to the aims that have long served our to encourage efficient and effective use of every	➤ Please see Folmer,Page 9

FARM FUELS
FUN & FACTS

Satoshi Hirayama Elementary

New school bears name of CUSD educator, war veteran, MLB player

n Clovis Unified’s 35th

open in Fall 2024

Clovis East High ag students gave farm tours to hundreds of CUSD elemen-tary students –like Every Diaz, right, and Maddon Eisele and Barrett John-son, above –to learn about ani-mals, plants and ag mechanics.

Clovis Unified School District’s next elementary school will be named after Satoshi “Fibber” Hirayama, who was a long-time Clovis Unified teacher and leader, and ground-breaking Japan-ese American.
The CUSD Governing Board, which gathered suggestions from the com-munity and staff, announced the name March 15 for the school that is under construction at Fowler and McKinley avenues and will open in August 2024. Hirayama worked for the district from 1965 to 1991 and passed away in 2021. The board said he was selected in part because he represents those educators who work in the classroom, those who lead schools and depart-ments, and the district’s classified staff whom he worked with as a human re-sources leader under founding Super-
Photos by Kendra Burt/CUSD Today	intendent Floyd“Doc” Buchanan. He

CUSD File Photo

was a teacher at Clovis High School, the first principal of Gateway High School, and devoted a large part of his career to helping disenfranchised students overcome challenges and excel. As a Japanese American who was interned during WWII and overcame

➤ Please see School,Page 9

Foundation awards $200,000 in grants

Driving Success

Across the district, thousands of students are enjoying engaging programs thanks to annual grants from the Foundation for Clovis Schools that this year are funding over $205,000 in classroom, school and social emotional wellness projects.
Just over $155,000 went towards projects supporting classroom and school efforts related to art, literacy, science and technological advancement programs, agri-cultural development, math programs, collaborative learning, and much more. Nearly $50,000 is funding social emotional wellness efforts across the district.
The Foundation, a nonprofit group that raises money to support Clovis Unified students and educators, an-nually invites proposals for projects that enhance and support learning in innovative and creative ways.
“We are here to make a difference, to help close the gap Clovis Unified experiences as the lowest funded district in the area, and to let students and educators alike know we value them,” said Foundation Chairperson Mike Fennacy.
For the current 2022-23 school year, the Foundation has awarded 34 grants – 27 of which are classroom

➤ Please see Foundation,Page 4

Photo by Kenny Gilman/CUSD Today “Tell the truth, treat people like
you want to be treated and whatever it is you do, do it well.”

Michael Miller
Clovis West High CTE automotive technology instruction and 2023 California League of Educators Teacher of the Year

For complete story, see Page 8

LCAP review
Interested in Adult Education?
Page 2	CUSD Today	April 2023 ➤ Announcements

Native American Night
The sounds of drumming and singing from a NativeAmerican drum group recently filled the room at the Clovis Unified 10th Annual Native American Indian Program Family Night. Community members gathered to eat dinner, visit and celebrate their shared culture. Local NativeAmerican artist Bobby Von Martin spoke with the families about his life story and how art became his path to healing after overcoming obstacles. He showed some of his paintings and the stories behind them, both historical and personal. Von Martin then led a watercolor painting lesson and shared some tips and tricks for creating colorful artwork. Throughout the evening, presenters reminded the community that they are all “one big family” gathered together for an evening of cultural celebra-tion.
Get your tickets!
The final two major high school theater productions of the year are coming right up. For more information or tickets, visit CUSD.com/tickets.
■ ‘Sister Act’ – Clovis West High’s The-ater West will perform the musical comedy “Sister Act” in April. Based on the movie with the same name, the play follows the adventures of Deloris Van Cartier, an aspiring singer who witnesses a murder and has to go into protective custody as a nun. The musical will be at 7:30 p.m.April 20-22 and 27-29; and 2 p.m. April 22 at the Mercedes Edwards Theatre, 902 Fifth St., Clovis.
■ ‘Lost in Yonkers’ – Clovis North High Bronco Dramapresents this coming-of-age tale of two brothers who must temporarily live with relatives after their mother dies and their father tries to put their
life back together. The play will be at 7:30

Roof comes down at Sierra Outdoor School

At Clovis Unified’s Sierra Outdoor special childhood memories to be created School, the massive amounts of snowfall during teacher-student games, late-night in March proved to be too much for the skits, dances and more — evoked many camp’s gymnasium that collapsed from the reflections:
inclement weather. Camp had been canceled	“That gym was an icon! The acoustics, at the time due to the weather and road musty fragrance, and views out the back closures, and no students were present windows will never be forgotten.”
when the collapse occurred.                               “I remember going there in the late 70s Since 1970, thousands of elementary as a student, and I went there a few years students gathered, played games and visited ago as the teacher. The smell of the gym
in the building that is part of the district’s was exactly the same. Great memories!” Sonora campus that conducts science camps	“That gym was nostalgic and a great for Clovis Unified sixth graders and also place to play fun and games!”
students from around the state.                         Camp was back on schedule the following On CUSD social media, news of the week, with plans for using other buildings
gym – that for 50 years was the place for and areas for recreation.

p.m. May 4, 5 and 10-13; and 2 p.m. May 13	lowing months-long research and meetings at the Dan Pessano Theater, 2770 E. Inter-	with staff and the community reviewing national Ave., Fresno. Details: www.thebron-	available funding, current supports and co drama.com.	services, and recent California Dashboard
assessment findings of the district.
At a meeting in March, parents from
recommended student programs for the up-
dations will be presented to the Governing
There will be a public review and com-every school joined Clovis Unified School	menting period, and the final recommen-District site and administration staff to learn	Board for action in late May and June. Learn coming school year as part of the Local	more: cusd.com/lcap
Control and Accountability Plan.
LCAP is a state-required plan describing          Clovis Adult Education, a service of Clovis how the district will use funds received from     Unified School District, will hold its Career California’s Local Control Funding Formula     Technical Education Showcase at 10 a.m. (LCFF) to provide learning and wellness     May 16. The event will provide current and action and strategies for services primarily     prospective adult students information about supporting foster youth, English learner and     the many opportunities. Booths will include low-income students                                        information about: Administrative Assistant, The recent recommendations and prior-     Home Health Aide, Medical Assistant-Front ities for Clovis Unified were developed fol-     Office, Nurse Assistant, Vocational Nurse,

Financial Aid, Workforce Connection, Cal-WORKs, State Center Adult Education Con-sortium, Marjaree Mason Center, and Com-munity Outreach. The showcase will be held at the school, located at 1452 David E. Cook Way, Clovis. Details: clovisadult.cusd.com. Caution: Deadly drug
Clovis Unified has partnered with local health and law enforcement agencies in efforts to raise awareness about the deadly effects of fentanyl. The prescription drug normally used under a doctor’s care is being made illegally and sold by dealers, in many cases targeting youth. The unregulated version of the opioid – even just a small amount – can be deadly by unsuspecting users. Fentanyl is the leading cause of fatal overdose in Fresno County, according to officials. Learn the facts: cusd.com/Com-prehensiveWellnessProject.aspx; fresnocoun-tyca.gov/fentanyl; and opioidsafefresno.org. Class of 2024 graduation dates

Hey juniors, mark your calendars! The graduation schedule for the Class of 2024 has been announced. Graduation ceremonies will be held May 29, Clovis High; May 30, Clovis East; May 31, Clovis Online School; June 4, Clovis North; June 5, Clovis West; and June 6, Buchanan.Adult Education will celebrate June 1; and Alternative Education June 3.

Special Education

Exceptional Person Awards The Special Education Exceptional Person

Awards for this school year will be presented April 26 at a reception honoring Clovis Unified employees and volunteers. The event starts at 7 p.m. in the CUSD Professional Development Building, 1680 David E. Cook Way, Clovis. The award recognizes those who work with or support students with special needs and whose qualities include devotion, hard work, creativity, integrity, initiative, compassion and talent. Advisory meeting, May 17

The Special Education Community Ad-visory Committee (CAC) will meet at noon, May 17 at the CUSD Professional Develop-ment Building, 1680 David E. Cook Way, Clovis.
The meeting topics will be “Annual Service Plan Review, SPED Budget & Student Voices.” For information call 327-8455 or email fam-ilyresourcecenter@cusd.com.

Foundation awards
scholarships
April 2023	CUSD Today	Page 3

Students n Students of Promise

CUSD Today

honored for resilience, strength 2023 Students of Promise

Seventeen high school students who have made education a priority in the midst of facing heart-wrench-ing challenges – such as death of family members, housing insecurities, or abuse – were celebrated as Students of Promise March 22 by the Foun-dation for Clovis Schools.
“Unfortunately, these teenagers have experienced things no one their age should ever have to experience. The perseverance and courage they have shown as they keep showing up to school, as they keep trying their best, is so inspiring. They likely do not even realize how amazing they are, and we want them to know their efforts and tenacity are noticed,” said Foundation Chairperson Michael Fennacy.
Each year the Foundation for Clovis Schools, a nonprofit organi-zation that supports Clovis Unified School District, selects 16 students in their junior year to receive a $2,000 Students of Promise scholarship upon completion of high school and enrollment in further education. This year, a tie resulted in 17 students being recognized.
“The scholarship is our way to let these students know that we see such incredible promise in them, and that we believe in them and in their future. We want to encourage them to keep on striving for their dreams,” Fennacy said.
The gala event honored the 2023 Students of Promise recipients, and included a red-carpet walk, cande-labra dinner and presentation cere-mony.
Students are nominated for the scholarship by their school counselor, selected by a Foundation committee, and surprised with the news in late January.
“Not only is she excelling, but what she has gone through, she had to probably work three or four times harder than a normal student,” said Transitions Student Relations Liaison Shane Semien of an honoree. “She

shows that with any amount of ded-ication and hard work, you can sur-pass and become anything you want to be. She’s very firm and very sure of what she wants. There’s no wa-vering in that.”
“He has overcome a lot,” said Transitions Leader Ashley Wilson-Camy of an honoree.“That’s one of the great things about him. He doesn’t let the circumstances of his story take over.”
Keynote speaker Tanner Trutna was a 2014 Student of Promise and Clovis High graduate who has re-turned to the district and is a first-year teacher of a sixth-grade class at Dry Creek Elementary.
“When we go through struggles, we tend to believe that we are the only ones in our specific situation and we tend feel invisible to the out-side world,” he told the recipients, reflecting on challenges he has faced throughout his school years and be-yond.“Each one of you sitting here has faced the trials bravely with con-fidence and passion.And this unde-niable fact is why all of you should feel so incredibly proud of your-selves.”
This year’s Students of Promise event was supported by Premier Sponsors:Assemi Group; California Health Sciences University; Educa-tional Employees Credit Union; Elite Team Offices; FBB Bank; Golden State Steel; Granville Homes, Lin-genfelter Land Communications; Pro-Screen/Fan In a Box; and Con-tributing Sponsors: Central Valley Community Bank; JD Food; Preci-sion Engineering, Inc.; and Wild Electric.
The Foundation for Clovis Schools’ Students of Promise schol-arship program began in 2001 as a way to recognize at-risk students who have been attending school on a regular basis, showing responsibility and succeeding academically while at the same time facing challenging life circumstances outside of school.

Kylie Berry	Rosemaé Carpenter	Andrew Carrillo Clovis High School      Clovis West High School Buchanan High School

Dylan Garza	Athena Heather	Regina Herrera Clovis North High School     Gateway High School     Buchanan High School

Shalaya Klein	Camila Lemus	Bobby Liles Gateway High School     Clovis North High School Clovis East High School

Rome Mancilla	Angel Mendoza	Maya Tudman Gateway High School     Clovis East High School Clovis East High School

*One recipient is not media cleared and not pictured.

Daischa Cooks Clovis High School

Chrysta Hubbard Clovis East High School

Valeria Lopez Clovis East High School

Melyana Uribe Clovis North High/ Clovis Online

Page 4	CUSD Today	April 2023

Foundation:Technology, bikes, art supplies among grants

FROM PAGE ONE
grants for rigorous academic projects and in-terventions, and seven that support students’ social and emotional health.

CLASSROOM AND SCHOOL GRANTS

Alta Sierra Intermediate
■ Advanced Vocabulary Development: Upgrades a web-based program from the free to the premium version, to increase advanced vocabulary development for AP 8th graders. The premium package supports weekly vo-cabulary practice/quizzing for students, and data on student progress for teachers.
Boris Elementary
■ BOLD 3D Maker Lab: Equips Boris campus with a 3D printing lab that will be used by both students and staff to support learning and positive behavior. Students will sharpen their technical skills and problem-solving skills by creating models for themselves. Staff will be able to create personalized incentives for students showing positive behaviors and create three-dimensional model visual aids to support student learning.
Century Elementary
■ Leveled Readers for Kids Who Love to Read: Promotes literacy by providing books appropriate to individual learners’ needs and grade level for teachers to use in small groups. Clovis Adult Education
■ Developing Creativity in Lifelong Learn-ers: Curriculum and resources for a new class choice in the field of Art/Art History at Clovis Adult School.Will fulfill state elective require-ments for Clovis Adult School students to achieve their high school diploma, in collabo-ration with special education/adult transitions students.
Clovis Community Day School (CCDS)
■ CCDS Math Department Intervention Tools Grant:Supplies students with calculators that perform advanced calculations for at-risk students to use in their math classes. Engages students in additional strategies for compre-hension math concepts both in their academics and in real life.
■ Community Clothing: Equips the school with clothing for students who need it due to dress code requirements. Ensures students do not miss critical learning time in class, while providing clothing that instills confidence in themselves and pride in the district.
■ Forging the Future: Purchase of a Glow-forge printer and supplies, to engage high-risk students in standards-based lessons and career technical skills.
Clovis East High School
■ Access to Digital Modeling to Address NGSS Performance Expectations in Chem-istry and Physics: Purchase of iPads for Chem-

istry and Physics classes to increase availability of technology, and access to Next Generation Science Standards software, modeling, and curriculum for all students.
■ Timber Blossom Floral Walk-In Cooler: Purchase and installation of equipment for the floral design Career Technical Education (CTE) program. Will allow students to learn all aspects of running a floral design business and expand access to professional opportunities in floral design.
■ Wolfpack Fuel Station: Equipment and supplies needed for a student nutrition start-up in the Timberwolf athletic program. Re-sources to store, prepare, and serve high quality, nutrient-dense snack and hydration options to student athletes.
Clovis High School
■ Fine Art for Students: Provides easels and tables for an art classroom’s specialized workspace which will allow students to create more technically complex pieces on a larger and competitively professional scale.
Clovis West High School
■ AP Art History Field Trip: Helps art department meet the college board requirement for AP art students to experience works of art and architecture in person at the Norton Simon Museum in Southern California.
■ Collaboration Classroom:Provision of equipment such as chairs and desks for the collaboration classroom, which houses both Peer Counseling & AP Biology.Will allow the classroom space to be modified to meet the needs of each class.
■ eGlass for a Superb Class: eGlass tech-nology tools provide a new kind of whiteboard resource which allows teachers to interact with students in the classroom without needing to turn their back to the class. Use of a transparent board, a camera, and a projector creates an innovative way for teachers to engage their students in classroom instruction.
■ Flexible Seating in the Intervention Classroom: Furnishes a new dedicated class-room for the academic intervention program. Will provide at-risk students in this program with resources for workstations to fit the in-tervention students’ learning needs.
Fort Washington Elementary
■ Family “FUN”-damental PLAY:Provides resources to create a dramatic play and literacy center in a kindergarten classroom to promote and develop student awareness of emotions and social interactions through literature and imaginative role-play.
Freedom Elementary
■ Reading Simplified: Accelerating Student Achievement through Phonics-Based Instruc-tion: Provides teachers with the Reading Sim-plified program, supplying teachers in Profes-sional Learning Communities with research-

based professional development and instruc-tional strategy systems to differentiate and improve reading instruction for students. Gateway High School
■ Gateway Bike Project: Gives at-risk stu-dents opportunities to apply academic principles and collaborate while building bicycles. Every bike built will be given to elementary schools in the district to serve as prizes for positive behavior on campus.
■ Increase Physical Education Curricular Activity Offerings: Supplies equipment for three new P.E. activity units which assist in development of students’ physical strength, overall fitness and management of stress. Kastner Elementary School
■ Rock, Paper, Scissors, Tchouk!: Athletic equipment to introduce students to an inclusive team sport that improves student self-confi-dence, cooperation, and fitness levels. Tchouk is a new sport that focuses on inclusion and teamwork.
Liberty/Clovis West Area Elementary Schools
■ Robots and Computer Programming in the Elementary Classroom: Purchases Dash Robots and technology kits to build them. Will introduce students to the fields of coding and programming skills, lessons in STEM, and encourage creative problem solving. Lincoln Elementary School
■ Lincoln Library Lions:Purchase of grade-level reading resources for preschool through sixth-grade students. Increases the availability of reading materials that meet state standards and curriculum-supportive titles that engage and interest a diverse student population. Reagan Elementary School
■ Reagan Library Technology Project: Provides iPads for the library for the imple-mentation of an advanced reader program. Encourages high-performing readers to con-tinue to develop literacy skills by matching reading material to the reader’s skills. Reyburn Intermediate School
■ Reyburn Soundboks System: Flexible and portable sound equipment to be used by students and staff during student clubs and campus events to encourage participation and promote school spirit.
Woods Elementary
■ Dash Robots for Elementary Advance-ment in 21st Century Learning: Robots for K-6 students to use at five elementary schools to develop early understanding of computer programming, coding, STEM fields, and other standards-based learning goals.
Young Elementary
■ Destination Imagination 3D Printer & Supplies: A 3D printer and supplies to be used by the school’s Destination Imagination team to create competitive entries for three

categories of the Destination Imagination competition. Encourages and develops creativity, problem solving, and deepens student under-standing of engineering and physics.
■ YES Mobile STEAM Carts: Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathe-matics (STEAM)mobile carts equipped with engaging learning activity projects for use in K-6 classrooms will allow for inquiry and ex-ploration experiences.

SOCIAL EMOTIONAL WELLNESS GRANTS

Clovis North High School
■ Macy’s Parade Travel Enrichment Pack-age:Supports Band and Color Guard students representing the Clovis Unified community at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, while increasing students’ exposure to professional-level experiences.
Clovis Community Day School (CCDS)
■ Mind, Body, and Spirit: The Clovis Way: Fitness equipment for at-risk students to promote positive behaviors and improve physical and mental health.
Clovis Elementary
■ STEM Bins to Increase Engagement and Inclusion:Resources to provide academic engagement opportunities for students with social, emotional and/or behavioral disorders by implementing hands-on STEM activities differentiated by grade level.
Dry Creek Elementary
■ Breathe for Change:Certification training to allow additional instruction for teachers and students around movement and mind-fulness designed to reduce behavior problems and stress, and increase emotional intelligence and physical health.
■ Student Book Publishing Project to Benefit Our Community:Supports a school-wide literacy and creative writing project that will take place over the course of the school year. Students and teachers will coordinate on a published creative writing project that will result in a children’s book available through a national retail chain.
Liberty Elementary
■ Social Emotional Collaborative Learn-ing: Resources and materials to create collab-orative learning “electives” for students that enrich learning, create opportunities for col-laborative work, and build confidence. Tarpey Elementary
■ Promoting Literacy and Positive Be-haviors Using a Book Vending Machine at a Title I School: Purchases a book vending machine containing books within the school’s Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports system to promote positive behavior and in-crease access to books at home.

VISION

April 2023	CUSD Today	Page 5

Staying true to core as we lead forward

By Eimear O’Brien, Ed.D. Superintendent

IT IShard to believe that we are approaching the conclusion of another school year, with just about a month re-

maining before our Class of 2023 will walk across	the graduation stage.        This year’s graduates will hold an es-p e c i a l l y
in my heart
poignant place	Eimear O’Brien, given that this              Ed.D.
class also represents the last I get to congratulate in my role as Superin-tendent of our special school dis-trict.
With my retirement date near-ing, I’ve found myself reflecting a lot on leadership, continuity, and how we continue to protect the core organizational values of Clovis Uni-fied that have resulted in success for our students for more than 60 years. Clovis Unified, in the face of change and evolving pressures from outside of our community, must re-main at our core an organization that:
■ Puts kids first in every decision, ■ Sees education as a partnership
with parents and our community, ■ Lives out a belief that it’s peo-ple, not programs who make the positive difference in the lives of our students (a belief which compels us to put a priority on hiring, devel-oping, sustaining and valuing the
best people for our team)
If all of that is to remain in place into the future, then leadership mat-ters.And, not only does it matter, it is critically important. Recognizing the truth in that statement, over the past eight years, our district has been engaged in a process to define what leadership looks like in Clovis

Unified and to develop curriculum      framework to contemporary chal-     intendent of school leadership, as that is used to build up strong lead-     lenges that face us today, and to en-     the district’s next superintendent has ers within our organization.                 sure that the Clovis Unified team     many positive implications for Clo-This effort is not about “cookie      remains focused on a cycle of con-     vis Unified and was an affirmation cutter” or stagnant leadership, it’s     tinuous improvement far into the     of our leadership development ef-about building capacity within in-     future.                                                forts. Not only is Dr. Folmer a grad-dividuals to be intentional about ap-          The Governing Board’s recent     uate of our school district, she can plying a unique and well-proven ed-     appointment of Corrine Folmer,     point to her own positive experi-ucational philosophy and leadership      Ed.D., our current associate super-     ences in our schools as a model for

LESSONS

Inspirations by, for and from our CUSD students

Special to CUSD Today The results are in! The Clovis Unified School District 2023-24 Budget Cover Art Contest winners were an-nounced March 29 at the Governing Board meeting. The overall winning design by Clark Intermediate eighth-grader Joanna Fenn will be used as cover art for the district’s budget book, and the work of runners-up – Emmy Lovik, Oraze Elementary, transitional kindergartener;Amara Rankin,Woods Elementary sixth grader; and Valerie Pham, Clovis High sophomore – will be section fronts within the book.

“Creativity is intelligence having fun.” ALBERT EINSTEIN, PHYSICIST

the standard of care for students, breadth of opportunity, and aca-demic excellence that remains our standard today.
She was selected among a strong pool of candidates (both internal and from across California), and her appointment provides the district with continuity that is important given the excellent work underway in our classrooms to return students to pre-pandemic levels of achieve-ment.
My experiences with Dr. Folmer tell me that she will be a leader who holds a high standard for herself and others, and that she will value our team.
Whether it’s the classroom teacher delivering instruction, the bus driver ensuring students arrive to school and home safely, the cus-todian ensuring school is clean and inviting, or the payroll specialist who makes sure employees are paid accurately and on time, or hundreds of others, there is a team of people behind the success of every student. Our founding Superintendent Floyd “Doc” Buchanan said it perfectly when he said,“It’s people not pro-grams who make the positive dif-ference for kids,” and I know that Dr. Folmer holds that belief as well. I am also confident that our team
is one that is worthy of believing in, as is the greater cause in which we are engaged on behalf of our stu-dents and our community. Belief in a cause worthy of our best is pow-erful, and will continue to propel this district and our worthy cause forward.
During my very first state of the district community address in 2017, I referenced a quote by C.S. Lewis that has been on my mind a lot lately.“Change isn’t progress if you lose your core,” Lewis said, and he was correct. Change is coming, in fact, I would say change is constant. This upcoming change in leadership upon my retirement, however, is one we can be sure will keep the core of Clovis Unified strongly in place.

Crystal Award celebrates winners’ innovation, care

Twenty-four Clovis Unified employees recently received a Crystal Award, the district’s highest employee award for ex-ceptional work in the preceding school year. They were nom-inated by their peers or supervisor in the fall and selected by employee judging panels to merit the top recognition.
The award is given to those employees whose passion, in-novation, dedication and dynamic work ethic far surpasses their job description. These are people who in tangible, meas-urable ways selflessly help students reach their full potential in mind, body and spirit. They go above and beyond what is expected, and they do so without prompting. They lead and inspire others by their humble nature and heart-felt exam-ples.
In this issue of CUSD Today, we conclude our ongoing se-ries in alphabetical order highlighting the honorees. For com-plete video biographies and presentation, see cusd.com.

By Carol Lawson-Swezey Special to CUSD Today

Aaron “Coach Pen” Penberthy Kastner Intermediate
Aaron Penberthy, known as “Coach Pen,”, wears many hats at Kastner Intermediate in-cluding coach, PE teacher, assistant athletic director and mentor.
Coach Pen helped develop Kastner’s ath-letic program systems that help coaches or-ganize their team roster, athletic events and transportation needs. Since implementation,
in the 2021-22 school year, athletic participation increased by 52% for girls and by 43% for boys, with a total of 95% female and 97% male participation!
When the campus needed an intervention teacher last school year, Coach Pen volunteered to add that to his already full playbook. He used his coaching skills to make meaningful connections, to carefully de-escalate emotionally charged in-dividuals and situations, and to coach students toward calm-

➤The Crystals
A full list of this year’s winners and videos from the awards presentation can be found on-line at cusd.com

ness and positive change.
He will go the extra mile for his kids, like when he saw one student wearing shoes worn out and too small, so he got new shoes for him from the LA Lakers.
Coach Pen takes his support home with him, not only rais-ing his own children, but also he provides a great experience for exchange students that his family hosts annually.
Just recently, a former student asked Coach Pen to officiate his wedding. Always a teacher, Coach Pen not only accepted the honor, but also provided marriage counseling for the young couple so they’d have a successful start.
Joaquin Rivera Pinedale Elementary

Pinedale	Elementary	fourth-grade teacher Joaquin Rivera is a champion for kids. Known for his booming voice and out-going, positive attitude, Rivera is nicknamed “The Energizer.” He bounds out of the Pinedale office daily telling all who are around him: “Let’s go! Let’s make it a great day!”
Rivera seeks out students who are struggling either socially, emotionally or academically and encourages participation in a sport, resulting in student transformations - from challenged and reserved individuals into confident, thriving students. Participation in extracurricular activities has grown yearly un-der his leadership.
Using his personal example as a troubled youth who strug-

gled in school, Rivera mentors students to persevere through life’s challenges. He begins each school day having his students chant the classroom mantra:“Do something today that your future self will thank you for!”
Rivera initiated “Tie it up Tuesdays,’ where his kids are to wear a tie. He often provides the ties himself and sees the in-tentional wardrobe selection as a way to show how to dress for success and develop a positive growth and achievement mindset.
Rivera has created a sanctuary in his classroom that is open before and after school and during the lunch hour. Students feel safe and valued, and often former students seeking advice or help stop by. Kids know he will always be there for them. Lizette Ruiz
Clovis West High

As one of the first people who a newly en-rolled English Learner student meets on the Clovis West campus, Bilingual Instructional Assistant Lizette Ruiz has been an essential educator for 22 years. She works one on one with each student, and she supports their growth through the acquisition of English
and semiannual testing. She also proctors her students’ English Language Proficiency Assessments of California. Lizette follows up with each child to ensure continued success!
During her career, Ruiz’s diligence has resulted in success-fully reclassifying 575 students, an average of 27 each year. In the 2021-22 school year, she reclassified 40 students, which is a testament to her care and time connecting with students. She also makes sure ESL parents have an understanding of the English Learning path and benchmarks to proficiency.
Because of Ruiz’ attention to detail, ability to connect with students and families, and her diligent documentation prac-tices, she also mentors bilingual instructional assistants around the district. She even consults other school sites on their processes surrounding English Learners.

➤ Please see Innovators,Page 9

— ABOUT US —

CUSD Today, Clovis Unified’s good news publi-cation, is sent directly to the homes of all CUSD parents and staff, as well as district supporters. In an effort to unify the CUSD community, the newspaper highlights the achievements of Clovis Unified students and staff; profiles new and updated Governing Board policies; and shares general news and information happening within the district.
Circulation: 34,000.
Funding: All costs associated with producing, printing and mailing CUSD Todayare entirely funded by our advertisers. To show your appreciation of their support, we ask you to consider patronizing these businesses and services as the need arises.
Story submissions: Please submit all ideas to the Site Coordinator at your school. Please contact your school to find out who your Site Coordinator is. Editorial deadlines are two weeks before the pub-lication date.We do our best to include as many sub-missions in each issue as our editorial space will al-low.

CUSD Today Staff

Publishing & Editorial Clovis Unified School District 1450 Herndon Avenue Clovis, CA 93611 Telephone (559) 327-9094 cusdtoday@cusd.com

Kelly Avants, APR Chief Communications Officer
327-9092

Patti J. Lippert Managing Editor 327-9094

Kellie Feramisco Advertising Manager 327-9093

Verna Garcia Graphic Designer

CUSD Governing Board Members

D
David DeFrank	Hugh H.Awtrey	Steven G. Fogg, M. . President                                      Vice President                                        Clerk
327-9000	437-6580	269-7000

Y
Deena Combs-Flores       olanda Moore Clinton Olivier Tiffany Stoker Madsen 273-9824                              437-6580                     313-6065                             392-1014

CUSD Administration

Eimear O’Brien, Ed.D.	Norm Anderson Superintendent                                                    Deputy Superintendent
327-9100	327-9107

Robyn Castillo, Ed.D. Corrine Folmer, Ed.D.	Barry Jager	Michael Johnston Associate Superintendent	Associate Superintendent       Associate Superintendent Associate Superintendent
Instructional Services	School Leadership	Human Resources and	Administrative Services 327-9373                             327-9350                     Employee Relations                   327-9110
327-9308

	
	E featu tivitie throu
	d              e r              D

e
	: “Around the District” is a regular Today that highlights positive ac-mplishments of students and schools district. Items for consideration
	
	may be sent to cusdtoday@cusd.com.

AROUND THE DISTRICT

Page 6

Spelling V-I-C-T-O-R-Y

Bud Rank Elementary fifth grader Leo Wu is headed to Washington D.C. thanks to a jicama. That’s the word he spelled correctly after nine competitive rounds to win Fresno County’s spot in the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Leo looked a little confused the following day when his school presented him as a trophy one of the large root veg-etables to celebrate his accomplishment. “It’s jicama” a classmate can be heard saying on a video of the presentation. “Oh,” Leo said looking puzzled at the beige root, and then he smiled. He carried around his jicama trophy with him
the rest of the school day.
The fifth grader who plays sports, chess and piano said he watched spelling competitions online after a suggestion from his mom, and he decided to give it a try. He has an online coach and spends at least an hour a day studying words.
He qualified to be one of Clovis Unified’s two elementary participants in the Fresno County Superintendent of Schools’ Spelling Competition held in March where he competed against three dozen other spellers and finished as a co-champion. That victory advances him to a state competition, and it also entered him into a four-person runoff for the Scripps National Spelling Bee spot against the two co-champions from the FCSS elementary and intermediate school bees.
“I was so excited to win it. Then I found out I was an au-tomatic qualifier for the Scripps National Competition and then found out I was the youngest winner in Fresno County,” Leo said.“It just kept getting better after I won. It has been a dream of mine to go to Washington D.C. and compete.

Fancher Creek cares
Fancher Creek Elementary students, families and staff, and the Clovis East High Asian Club, recently participated in the school’s second annual “Show Your Love” community clean-up event. More than 100 volunteers met at the school on a Saturday morning to pick up trash in the surrounding neigh-borhood. In just a couple hours, they picked up 942 pounds of trash – 112 pounds more than last year’s event! Their efforts did not go unnoticed: a construction crew working nearby donated a pizza lunch for the volunteers to show their appreciation.
“It brings me such joy to see our students and their families serving their community,” said Fancher Creek Principal Carisa Cordova.

Beautiful sounds from CUSD
Several Clovis Unified student musicians were selected to

CUSD Today

I’ll get to meet my coach in person for the first time. I have only met her on Zoom.”
The national bee will be held the end of May.
“Spelling bees help students increase their vocabularies, develop self-confidence, and improve communication skills,” said Amy Alvarado of FCSS.“While it is a competition, the environment of the Bee is supportive and friendly, and contestants often walk away with new friends.”
And sometimes, with a new jicama.
Congratulations to the other Clovis Unified student participants: Young Elementary’s Kayleb Hodanu (fourth place, elementary);Alta Sierra Intermediate’s Xara Hussain (co-champion, intermediate; second place, Scripps qualifier); and Granite Ridge Intermediate’s Phong Nguyen-Tran (third place, intermediate).

take part in state groups that performed at the 2023 California All-State Music Education Conference, CASMEC. The annual three-day event brings music educators together to inspire and learn from one another as well as celebrate music as an essential part of a full education.
Clovis Unified musicians selected to perform as part of all-state music groups are as follows:
■ All-State Junior High School Symphonic Band: Joshua Boldt, baritone saxophone, Clark Intermediate School
■ All-State Junior High School Concert Orchestra:Ananya Chava, violin, Granite Ridge; Dylan Groger, violin, Granite Ridge, Natalie Han, cello, Granite Ridge; Kassidi Nguyen, viola, Granite Ridge; Marian Pineda, viola, Granite Ridge
■ All-State Junior High School String Orchestra: Andrew Fisher, bass, Granite Ridge
■ All-State High School Jazz Band:Jack Sullivan, trombone, Buchanan; Nathan Puopolo, bass, Clovis West
■ All-State High School String Orchestra: Jason Yang, viola, Clovis North;Abhishek Yarenahalli,viola, Clovis North ■ All-State High School Symphony Orchestra: Atom Paz, violin, Buchanan; Sophia Brown, French horn, Clovis High; Frank Buma, bass, Clovis High; Henry (Junghun) Kim, violin, Clovis North; Baylin Lamee, French horn, Clovis
North; Sonia Rao, violin, Clovis North
■ All-State High School Concert Band:William Damrose, trombone, Buchanan; Oscar Alverez, trombone, bass, Clovis High; Jason Hilario, Bb clarinet, Clovis East; Luke Blancas, flute, Clovis West
■ All-State High School Wind Symphony: Nicholas Gabriel-son, percussion, Clovis North
■ All-State High School Symphonic Band: Gavyn Tapp, Bb clarinet, Clovis High
■ All-State Junior High/9th Grade SATB Honor Choir: Alta Sierra,Dominic Olaes, Baritone
■ All-State High School SSAA Honor Choir: Rebecca Aparicio,Alto II, Clovis North;Lucia Magallo,Alto I, Clovis North; Crystal Henderson, Alto I, Clovis High; Samuelle

April 2023

Pawig, Alto II, Clovis East High School; Peyton Slaven, Soprano I, Clovis North; Meghana Vidyam, Alto I, Clovis North; Kathryn Wynkoop, Soprano II, Clovis North
■ All-State High School SATB Honor Choir: Francesca Campos, Alto II, Clovis North; Matthew Cereno, Tenor II, Clovis North; Mattox Vang, Bass I, Clovis North; Micheala Wenger, Alto I, Clovis North; Blythe Griffin, Soprano I, Buchanan; Emilia Kolbert,Alto II, Buchanan
■ All-State High School TTBB Honor Choir:Owen Cortes, Tenor II, Clovis North; Eric Cota, Bass II, Clovis North; Lance Elep, Tenor II, Clovis North; Peter Kildirian, Bass II, Clovis North; Jacob Wynkoop, Tenor I, Clovis North.

True gold at Woods
History came to life for Woods Elementary fourth graders recently, when their teachers worked with The Cranium Com-pany and turned the campus into
a Gold Rush experience for the day. The students and staff both dressed up in western wear for the event: “It truly felt like we were in 1849 doing all the things a gold miner would be doing,” said teacher Heather Devany.
Students panned for gold, made a poke bag to hold their gold, wrote in Chinese calligraphy and learned
how to shoot a bow and arrow. They also visited a pioneer store and decided what items they would need to purchase for a successful journey west.
Students enjoyed the experience, too. “I liked how we made the little bags of leather and then we got to keep our gold inside,” said fourth-grade student Emerson Macdonald.

So dramatic!
Buchanan High took the top prize Sweepstakes Award in the annual CUSD Drama Festival held recently. Scores were given in different categories of the event, which included im-provisation, monologues, two-person scene, costume design, scenic design, small musical and large musical numbers. The student or group with the highest score in each category was also awarded a trophy.
Congratulations to Jack Hammerstrom, Clovis High, monologues; Mitchell Henderson and Katelyn McGary, Buchanan High, two-person scene;Kalos Cluff, Katelyn Mc-Gary, Mitchell Henderson, Taylor Brunzell, Madyson Wright, Stella Freeman, Gianna DeLeon, Kynlee Gleason, Dodge Hyatt and Sarah Reed, Buchanan, small musical number; Buchanan drama, large musical number; Colin Cameron, Avery Chevalier, Gianna Howell, Jade Lounephom, Reed Lucasand Dominic Parlavecchio,Clovis West, improv;Emily Talesfore, Buchanan, scenic design; and Jocelyn Olmos-Rodriguez, Clovis East, costume design.

science, sports and more
April 2023	CUSD Today	Page 7

Summer learning plentiful in Clovis Unified

n Sign-ups coming up for art,

CUSD Today

The school year isn’t over yet, but it’s time to start planning for summer! Clovis Unified has several opportunities for kids to enjoy a variety of engaging activities in June and July that will begin taking signups soon. The following district programs are available:
CART Summer Academy
CART – the Center for Advanced Research and Technology that is a joint facility of Clovis and Fresno unified school districts – offers a Summer Academy for kids to invent, experi-ment, create, learn and have fun. Children who will be in fourth through seventh grade in the fall of 2023 can attend the one-week session that is from 8 to 11:30 a.m. June 12 to 16 at CART, 2555 Clovis Ave., Clovis.
Hands-on project-based learning experiences offered are: Builders Workshop, Game Design, Lemonade Stand – Microbusiness, Mini-Med School, Optical Illusions, Pixel Playground, and Robots, Rockets & Airplanes.
Registration opens April 12. The academy costs $199 before June 2, and $250 after that date. The fee includes a T-shirt.
Details: CART.org or call 248-7400. CTE Summer Academy
The College and Career Readiness Depart-ment will offer the Career Technical Education (CTE) Summer Academy for the third year. Held on all high school campuses, the popular, free program will feature several three-week courses in June and July for Clovis Unified students entering 6th through 8th grades in the fall. Offerings will include:
■ Engineering Essentials at Buchanan High: Students will explore the world of engineering! During the course students will learn founda-tional skills relating to multiple fields of engi-neering and build projects in groups and teams to develop their skills. (June 20 – July 6)
■ Graphic Design for Beginners at Buch-anan High: Students will learn the basic ele-ments of graphic design like color use, principles of design, typography, writing for media and basic photography skills. They will create several projects including logo design, event poster and a thematic portfolio that can be accessed both digitally and in print.

■ “Carpentry” at Clovis High: Students will learn safe and efficient use of woodworking procedures used by professional furniture and cabinet makers, life skills for maintaining equipment at home and ethical work practices. ■ 3-D Design Workshop at Clovis High: Students will be introduced to basic design concepts and discover how to use Computer-Aided Design (CAD) software to model and 3D print their own creations. Students will create unique solutions to design prompts that will challenge them to think creatively and work collaboratively. This course combines creative and technical skills, so it appeals both to those who like the arts and those who prefer
math and science.
■ Laugh n’ Learn at Clovis North:Students will have time to unplug and participate in activities that promote teamwork, games, crafts and lots of FUN!
■ The Art of Storytelling at Clovis North: Students will learn the basics of story writing and storytelling, plus the elements of plot structure and character development to develop themes that are important to the development of Child and Adolescent Literature, and they will create their own mythological story. At the end of the session, you will receive a pro-fessionally bound copy of your story!
■ “A Look into Health Careers” at Clovis North:Students will learn all about Cardiopul-monary Resuscitation (CPR), Automatic Ex-ternal Defibrillator, and First Aid, and they will have the opportunity to earn certification in these skills from the American Heart Asso-ciation. Other skills acquired will be vital signs and signs, symptoms and response to drug overdose. (Three options of a one-week class: CTE Session #1: June 12-15; CTE Session #2: June 20-22; CTE Session #3: June 26-29)
■ Intro to Teaching at Lincoln Elementary: Participants will learn about important aspects of education including teaching techniques,

how schools are run, how students learn, and the many diverse career opportunities in the field of education. In addition, participants will gain experience working with elementary age students as tutors for Lincoln’s summer school program.
■ Wheels and Reels at Clovis West: Join the immersive Cars and Video Production program, where students will learn the basics of auto maintenance and hone storytelling skills through film production. Get hands-on experience repairing classic cars while also mastering the art of video creation. Each pro-gram will be held from 8 a.m. to noon Monday through Thursday, and there will be no classes held on June 19 or July 4. Space is limited.
Details:Watch for the full listing of courses, dates and enrollment information at cusd.com/CTEsummer.

Sports & Recreation
The CUSD Clovis Community Sports and Recreation Department offers youth programs for children ages 3 to 12.Youth programs are offered in softball, t-ball, baseball, rugby, futsal and flag football.Year-round competitive and recreational programs are offered in gymnastics, swimming, dance, cheerleading, volleyball and water polo. The department also offers area camps that include sports, band, music, cheer, computers and a variety of other activities.
Details: See upcoming summer offerings at ClovisRec.com or call 327-9225.

Summer Expanded Learning Summer Expanded Learning Program (for-

merly Summer Campus Club and ELOP) will provide an enriching full-day experience for students currently enrolled in Clovis Unified TK-sixth grades. Each week of the six weeks of the program will have its own theme with activities, field trips, guest speakers, projects and more specifically planned to engage students

in learning while having fun!
Some activities will include Bricks 4 Kidz, The Bubble Guy, STEM projects, arts and crafts, and a visit to the Chaffee Zoo.
The Expanded Learning Summer Program will be held at selected elementary school sites Mondays through Thursdays (all CUSD is closed Fridays), June 20-July 27, and they will be closed for June 19 and July 4 holidays. The fee is $50 per day and free to students from Title I/CEP schools or who have qualified for a fee waiver. A light breakfast, lunch and an afternoon snack is provided.
Applications will be available online via Parent Connect, starting at 5 p.m. May 5. En-rollment is on a first come first serve basis.
Details: cusd.com/CampusClub Summer Fun
The Summer Fun program, coordinated by CUSD’s Community Education, offers a variety of classes for children ages 4 to 13. The program is open to all students in this age range, regardless of their home district. Class registration begins online May 1.
Summer Fun classes will be held Monday through Thursday, June 20 to July 20, from 8 a.m. to 2:20 p.m. at Century Elementary. Kids can take one class or up to four. Most classes are $199 and meet twice a week for two hours. The program offers a variety of fun learning opportunities including arts, crafts, computer, cooking, foreign language, math, music, drama, reading, writing, science, sports, dance and much more. Some of the highlights this year include: Easy Meals, No Bake Desserts, Ultimate Frisbee,Watercolor Painting, Playwriting and much more. There are also opportunities for
kids to take Scuba Diving classes!
Course catalogs will be distributed to all CUSD elementary schools during April and will also be available online.
Details: Summer Fun, ClovisCommuni-tyEd.com/summer-fun, 327-2880 or email
SummerFunInfo@cusd.com. Summer Public Swim
A designated Clovis Unified swimming pool will be open to the public this summer. Cool off at Clovis West High, to be open from 12:30 to 2:20 p.m. on all Wednesdays from June 7 to July 19.
Day usage fee is $4 for adults and $2 for children 12 and younger. Children must be at least 13 years old to use the pool without an attending adult (18 or older).

Academic summer school enhances education

CUSD Today

Academic summer school in Clovis Unified strives to meet the needs of students and families by addressing learning loss or providing further educational opportunities.
“Clovis Unified offers summer school for students who need additional instruction or practice to master grade level standards at the elementary level, and we will provide options for students with impacted schedules to take classes for original credits as well as students who need credit recovery at the sec-ondary level” said CUSD Summer School Administrator Karen Boone.
Elementary grade levels (TK-6)
The elementary summer academic program will be held Monday through Thursday, June 20 (June 19 is a holiday) to July 13; there will not be class July 4. Each school area will operate one elementary site, and some areas will operate two to serve the district’s students. The summer school programs for elementary and intermediate grades are designed to provide students with targeted, meaningful, and engaging instruction for essential skills in English and/or math. English Learner students will attend the summer school site for their area.All students at all elementary sites will receive daily language ac-quisition lessons designed to help all students master their English skills.
Summer academic programs for students in grades TK to sixth will be held at:
■ Tarpey Elementary: all Buchanan area students
■ Jefferson Elementary: students who attend Clovis, Get-tysburg, Jefferson, Mickey Cox and SierraVista
■ Weldon Elementary: students who attend Cedarwood, Red Bank and Weldon
■ Fancher Creek Elementary: students who attend Fancher Creek, Oraze, Reagan, Freedom and Young
■ Temperance-Kutner Elementary: students who attend Boris, Temperance-Kutner and Miramonte

‰Academic Summer School ■ Elementary: June 20 to July 13

■ Secondary: June 20 to July 27
■ Transportation: Available to enrolled students. See cusd.com/summerschool for schedules (avail-able at the end of May).
■ Campus Catering: Free breakfast, lunch available to students under 18 on school days, from Sum-mer Seamless program.

■ Mountain View Elementary: all Clovis North area stu-dents
■ Lincoln Elementary: students who attend Lincoln, Liberty, FortWashington, Maple Creek and Valley Oak
■ Pinedale Elementary: students who attend Pinedale and Nelson
Space at each site is limited. Students with at-risk grades will receive priority enrollment. Parents may contact their school regarding availability and site location for their school area.
Secondary grade levels (7-12)
Summer School for secondary students will be held at three sites this year: Kastner for Clovis West area students; Clovis North for Clovis North area and Buchanan area students;

and Clovis High for Clovis High area and Clovis East area students. In-person credit recovery and original credit classes will occur from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., June 20 to July 27. A summer school program for current seventh- and eighth-grade students will be held at all three sites and include lessons in English, math, leadership and study skills. Eighth-grade students will also take health. Independent Study summer school will operate Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and students’ appointments will be scheduled by their independent study summer-school teacher.
A Newcomer’s Academy will be held for English Learner students in grades 7 – 11 at Clovis North. Students will receive instruction in English skills and art; students will receive 5 units of fine arts credit in addition to boosting their English skills through targeted instruction based on their English learner level.
Due to the highly impacted courses and short duration of the summer session, strict discipline and attendance policies are enforced daily. For a student to receive credit for a summer school course, he or she must attend the entire summer school session and not miss more than one day of instruction. One absence is permitted. On the second absence of a semester class, the student will be dropped from the summer school program.
The purpose of the summer session for grades 7-12 is two-fold. First, the summer session provides high school students with the opportunity for “credit-recovery” to master the essential elements of incomplete/failed courses. Original credit summer school for high school students who will have an im-pacted schedule in the fall will continue to be available both in-person and through independent study class for those who meet requirements. If a student meets the criteria, high school counselors will enroll the student into summer school during the registration process.
To register or receive more information, contact your student’s high school counselor.

Page 8	CUSD Today	April 2023

Clovis West teacher is league’s educator of year

Clovis West High Career Technical Education automo-tive technology teacher Michael Miller learned re-cently he won the California League of Educators State Ed-ucator of the Year.As part of the CTE program, he teaches students professional skills alongside automotive skills. “I’m humbled, honored, shocked, glad and thankful” Miller said of the state award. The     mechanic     who worked in the auto industry for three decades said as a teacher he set out to “build the best auto program there was.” He never expected to be recognized in the educa-
tional world.
During the pandemic, Miller expanded the CTE Transportation program for when students returned. It now includes a full diesel shop and courses focused on alternative fuel vehicles and asset management. This helped the program reach more students and created a real-world atmosphere in the classroom.
His favorite part of the job is working with kids doing what he loves. He was inspired to become a teacher by his own auto technology teacher back in high school, Michael Brandt.
Miller still keeps in touch with Brandt who visited Miller’s classroom last school year and was one of the first Miller called to let him know about the award.
“What should be said about him cannot be put in words. Mr. Miller is by far the best teacher I have ever met. He is like Ketchup – he goes with everything,” said CW sophomore Matthew Toste.“This classroom is like a family to me, and I can come here with any burden and it will be lifted off my shoulders. You can talk to

Q:What was your very first job? A:Delivering newspapers and working at A&W
when I was 13 years old.
Q: You have owned two automotive shops. Why did you become an automotive teacher?
A:I took a CTE auto technology class 40 years ago as a student and had an amazing teacher. I always knew I wanted to work in the trades, but I began to think about teaching someday. … After 35 years in the industry, I liked the idea of giving back and teach-ing students who want to learn hands-on, students who maybe don’t fit into a box. Those are my people!
Q: What have you learned working with high school kids?
A:There’s several things!
n You don’t always need to be so serious. n Laugh when you get the chance.
n Ask them, and they’ll tell you their dreams. Once a relationship is built, then it isn’t so hard to teach them.
n Be a father to kids who need direction and reas-surance. Make an impact on their lives.
Q: What are you known for at Clovis West? A:My class is a family atmosphere. Everyone is
welcome who is ready to learn. And, I always have a desk full of snacks for my students.

him like he’s your father”               “Tell the truth, treat people Miller said he enjoys men-      like you want to be treated toring his students and works      and whatever it is you do, do to create a welcoming envi-      it well,” he advises. Students
ronment.	also say he is funny.
He teaches his students	“Every day he has a new about being on time, being      joke. He is the most positive professional and being of      person,” said CW junior Evan good character, while also      Durazo.“Mr. Miller and this teaching them the parts and      class make a difference in my mechanics of a car.                    life.”

April 2023	CUSD Today	Page 9

Innovators: Highest employee honor presented

FROM PAGE 5
A colleague said it best, “What made Lizette unique and effective is that she has never seen herself as part of a program. She sees herself as part of an educational team – a teacher and mentor with her students.”
Susan Rutledge Business Services

Susan Rutledge has a way with numbers! Clovis Unified’s Assistant Superintendent of Business Services leads directors responsible for departments that include Campus Cater-ing, Transportation, and Budget and Finance. Modeling high standards and a strong work ethic, Rutledge encourages her directors to approach their roles with innovation and
a drive to excellence. She seeks ways to alleviate the district’s low per-pupil funding. In 2021-22, this included navigating new CARES Act and state one-time funding of almost $200 million! She led the way in identifying requirements and re-strictions placed on the funds, and found solutions to maxi-mize resources.
Rutledge transitioned employee timekeeping to an auto-mated system, which reduced hundreds of staff hours annually in managing hard copy time sheets. She saved the district by taking on the role of Interim Director of Budget and Finance, and then she strategized to restructure the department, bene-fitting her entire team and the district. Sue also helped bring the Tyler Drive system to the district’s bus fleet, which enhances student safety and improves bus driver efficiencies.
On top of all that, Rutledge seamlessly led the migration of Munis — launching it for more than 680 district employees involving nine departments. She also makes time to mentor peers statewide and present at state conferences.
Loree Sisterson
Reagan Educational Center

Loree Sisterson’s colleagues say,“Her heart sets her apart!” The school office supervisor at Reagan Educational Center “loves big” as a mentor, teacher and coach. She extends re-spect and dignity to everyone, regardless of their role on a campus with over 4,400 stu-dents and 300 employees.
Each year, Sisterson holds a “New to the REC” meeting for all first-year teachers and clerical staff to educate them on important logistics. She follows up with an open-door policy for all.
She optimizes systems and workflow to maximize man-agement. A major example is her juggling of two separate budgets for Reyburn Intermediate and Clovis East High under one office. Under her management, she can quickly share with the leadership team purchase order status and account balances and predict budget adjustment needs based on yearly expen-ditures.
Sisterson’s Timberwolves passion extends far beyond her workday. She is a REC Foundation Board member, volunteer-ing her time to attend monthly meetings, plan fundraisers, organize the annual Howl event and advocate for numerous scholarship opportunities for REC students.With her natural bridge-building nature, Sisterson has been the catalyst to the Foundation granting over $100,000 last year to diverse campus groups and organizations that might not have received support otherwise.
Lauri Vaughn Cedarwood Elementary

As a Cedarwood Elementary teacher for 26 years, Lauri Vaughn prides herself on keeping campus traditions alive. Says her principal,“Lauri keeps the pulse and heart-beat of Cedarwood going!”
Vaugh understands that relationships and student self-esteem can accelerate learning! She structures her class to be a collaborative
space where students work as a team, and encourages them to

And the Crystals go to ...

n Toni Jo Beltran, Gettysburg Elementary Resource Specialist
n Sheryl Boe, Director of Transportation

n Annette Burger, Buchanan High School Secretary II n Sarah Burress, Clovis East High Activities Director n Trina Hairabedian, Cole Elementary Instructional
Assistant I

n Stephanie Hanks, Clovis High Principal

n Ginger Hazel, Temperance-Kutner Elementary Teacher n Cheryl Hedrick, Garfield Elementary Library Technician n Jennifer Hunt, Mickey Cox Elementary Ofice Supervisor n Charlotte Loefler, Mountain View Elementary Teacher
n Bobby Mammen, Clark IntermediateTeacher, Athletic Director
n Elizabeth Marquez, Miramonte Elementary Teacher n Michael Miller, Clovis West High Teacher
n Andrew Nabors, Facility Services Coordinator

n Dan Pantoja, Clovis West Area Student Relations Liaison n Abigail Paxton, Buchanan High Teacher
n Aaron Penberthy, Kastner IntermediateTeacher n Joaquin Rivera, Pinedale Elementary Teacher
n Lizette Ruiz, Clovis West High Bilingual Instructional Assistant II
n Susan Rutledge, Assistant Superintendent of Business Services
n Loree Sisterson, Reagan Educational Center School Ofice Supervisor, Sr.
n Lauri Vaughn, Cedarwood Elementary Teacher n Carol West, Mountain View Elementary Teacher n Maila Yang, Tarpey Elementary Teacher

feel comfortable and safe.
As a first/ second combination teacher,Vaughn intentionally sets up areas in her classroom to support differentiated learn-ing, and she plans STEM and technology lessons to strategically engage students at their varied levels.
Student challenges inspired Lauri to create Deployment, an opportunity for staff to target specific learning goals for struggling students. Data collected from the first round of De-ployment inspired teachers to seek more Deployment and af-firmed the time invested as valuable as it maximizes achieve-ment for ALL students!
Her care goes beyond her own classroom. She is the first to say, “Send them to me,” if a student is struggling or needs a break. Vaughn has spent lunch periods and afterschool prep time to assist the special education teachers with modeling and coaching.
In addition to teaching and fulfilling the duties of grade level captain,Vaughn is also Cedarwood’s Faculty Senate rep-resentative, school tech guru, yearbook coordinator and leads the Sunshine Committee.
Carol West
Mountain View Elementary

In Carol West’s fifth grade class at Moun-tain View Elementary, students regularly en-ter a transformed world.
West teaches lessons and benchmarks by designing high interest, engaging learning experiences through creative room transfor-mation. She knows kids learn best by doing and collaborating with peers. To enhance
global cultural and technological learning, she uses Virtual Reality headsets enabling students to visit Africa,Asia and The International Space Station! She assigns students various roles when learning concepts, like Taxation without Representation. During a math problem solving and logic lesson,West facili-tated an Escape Room for her students with the task of un-locking an oven to salvage Thanksgiving dinner before it burnt

to a crisp! Following the return from distanced learning,West recognized a need to more intentionally check-in with students’ emotional well-being and started Monday Moods, where stu-dents place post-it notes under the mood they are experiencing. This practice not only increased her students’ engagement, but now all upper grade classrooms are using Monday Moods as routine practice.
As Kid Nation Coordinator, Carol organized a schoolwide Parade of Nations assembly where students and staff created flags from their country of origin. Everyone marched in the amphitheater to the tune of“We Are Family.”
West’s administration called her “A leader of leaders” as she was key in implementing an upper-grade grading policy and classroom management system. She successfully facilitated the huge organizational undertaking for all three grades to departmentalize.
Maila Yang
Tarpey Elementary

Maila Yang is a second grade teacher at Tarpey Elementary, who is known by her stu-dents as Mrs. Xiong. She starts each day with Mindful Moments – an exercise which the 26-year-veteran teacher began post pan-demic. The daily meditation includes stu-dents stretching to calm, soothing music and imagining filling up balloons with their trou-bles, then blowing them away as they envi-
sion a happy place. They set an intention for the day, such as patience or kindness, and are encouraged to share how they are feeling.
Yang is a master of developing life skills in students and staff alike. She initiated a staff Return to School Student Success Workshop, where they practiced strategies such as “Positive Praises,”“Belly Breathing” and “Mindful Mentoring.”
Tarpey School Psychologist, Dr. Suja George said,“Maila is the model teacher for behavioral support! What makes it more amazing is her openness and ability to share her strategies and provide mentoring to others.”
Yang repeatedly takes students with significant behavioral challenges, yet sends zero referrals to the office.When she re-ceived a new student who had multiple referrals the previous year, she worked collaboratively with him to build self-aware-ness and identify his triggers so he could use her provided coping skills. The student learned to self-regulate.
Yang also developed a Multi-Tiered System of Support in her class and set up a daily check-in/check-out process to re-view with her students. She is often the tier-two support for other students when teachers ask for help.

Folmer: FROM PAGE ONE

will serve her well as she leads the district in our never-ending pursuit of excellence and a fair break for every kid.”
Dr. Folmer attended Jefferson and Weldon Elementary schools, Clark and Alta Sierra Interme-diate schools, and Buchanan High from which she graduat-ed.
“I will continue to put my heart and soul into Clovis Uni-fied, our employees, our com-munity and most importantly
- our students,” Folmer said.
Dr. O’Brien, who has been Clovis Unified’s superin-tendent for six years and education for 39 years, will retire June 30 to relocate closer to family and assist in caring for her aging parent.

School:

FROM PAGE ONE
that challenge to excel aca-demically and athletically, Hirayama is also an example of perseverance.
Hirayama was drafted into the MLB St. Louis Browns af-
ter being a highly suc-cessful stu-dent ath-lete	in baseball and foot-ball      at
Fresno State University, only to put his career on hold to serve the U.S. Army in the Korean War. He then went on to become the first Japan-ese American to play in Japan’s professional baseball league.
At Clovis Unified, he was a longtime supporter of ath-letics and was inducted into the district’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2018.
Since childhood, Hiraya-ma was known as “Fibber,” but not for reason’s one might think. He explains in a video made for the Hall of Fame that people had dif-ficulty pronouncing his name, and since he was born in February, they created the nickname “Fibber” from that. It stayed with him all of his life.
To watch a profile video about Hirayama: https:// vimeo pro.com/clovisunif-ied/halloffame/video/297777 574.
For updates on Hirayama Elementary School: hiraya-ma.cusd.com.

Page 10	CUSD Today	April 2023

April 2023	CUSD Today	Page 11

CUSD hosts Latino student success conferences

DARE TO BELIEVE

In March, Clovis Unified hosted the CUSD Latino High School Student Success Conference and the Officer Jesus Ceron Latino Student Success Middle School Conference. Both featured motivating messages by keynote speakers and dialogue with local mentors about their experiences in school and career.At the high school conference, TikTok star and Valley native Leo González, pictured right, shared his journey that included tragedy and even homelessness, but he kept pushing ahead and pursuing his dreams. He didn’t always know where they would take him, he said, but he just knew he had to keep trying.At the intermediate conference, keynote speaker Dr.Yammilette “Yami” Rodriguez, told students to be bold.“Dare to believe,” she said, echoing the conference’s theme.

Photos by Kenny Gilman and Joey Elswick,CUSD Today
BOARD
Board announces new leadership

By Kelly Avants CUSD Chief Communications Officer

March 29
The Governing Board ap-pointed Dr. Marc Hammack, Clovis West Area Superin-tendent to the position ofAs-sociate Superintendent of School Leadership effective July 1, replacing Dr. Corrine Folmer who will become the district’s superintendent. The board also approved a four-year contract for Folmer ef-fective upon her assumption of the role following the re-tirement of Superintendent Dr. Eimear O’Brien.
In other action, the board: ■ Approved the annual
agreement with Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) Center for the up-coming school year.
■ Approved the Clovis Unified Home-to-School Transportation Services Plan

➤ BRIEFS

for fiscal years 2022-23 and 2023-24, a copy of which is available from the district’s Business Services Office.
■ Approved a resolution regarding emergency contract work to make electrical repairs to Clovis High School fol-lowing damage that occurred during a storm on March 28. March 15

The board named what will be the district’s 35th ele-mentary school after longtime Clovis Unified educator, pro-fessional baseball player, war veteran and internment camp survivor Satoshi Hirayama. Hirayama Elementary will open in August of 2024 at Fowler and McKinley avenues. In other action, the board:
■ Approved the second interim financial report with

a positive certification indi-cating that the District will be able to meet its financial obligations for the remainder of the 2022-23 school year as required by Assembly Bill 1200.
■ Approved the increase of an existing contract with BICC Central California, LLC, for additional district-wide behavioral support trainings.
■ Awarded the phase 2 construction bids for Hiraya-ma Elementary/ES35 to Bush Construction.
■ Approved engineering services for the off-site water and sewer facilities at Terry Bradley Educational Center to QK Engineers.
The next meeting of the Governing Board is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. April 19 in the boardroom located at 1680 David E. Cook Way in Clovis. Complete minutes, agendas and videos of Governing Board meetings are available online at cusd.com.

Page 12	CUSD Today	April 2023