Distinguished
”

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FRESNO, CA
PERMIT NO. 398
April 2018

Clovis Unified School District — WHERE CHARACTER COUNTS!	Volume 20, No. 9

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Digging into Learning

State announces

School Awards

n CUSD schools recognized for gains, performance

CUSD Today

Six new Chinese Pistachio trees were planted at Cole Elementary, part of a re-placement program of trees there that were failing. Students learned from Don Martin with CUSD Grounds, above, about the correct way to plant a tree and best care practices. Top: Students Giovanni Chiaramonte, left, and Raina Mar-tinez tamp dirt around the base of a newly planted tree.

Photos special to CUSD Today by Ron Webb

State Superintendent of Public Instruc-tion Tom Torlakson announced that eight Clovis Unified schools have been named 2018 California Distinguished Schools.
“Every day at these schools, teachers, administrators and
classified employ-ees,	working with parents, apply       their dedication, cre-ativity and tal-ents      toward providing a great education for all
their students,” Torlak-son said.
Fancher Creek, Fugman, Gettysburg, Jefferson, Liberty, Lincoln, Mickey Cox and Woods elementary schools were announced to the prestigious list in early April and will be honored in a ceremony in Southern California in May.
The California Distinguished Schools Program returns after a three-year break and replaces the California Gold Ribbon Schools Program. The program recognizes California elementary schools that have made exceptional gains in implementing academic content and performance stan-dards adopted by the State Board of Edu-cation.
Schools that applied were eligible based on their performance and progress on the state indicators found on the California School Dashboard. Indicators include test scores, suspension rates and English Learner (EL) progress.
“We are so proud of these schools and their teams,” said Clovis Unified Superin-tendent Eimear O’Farrell, Ed.D.“This recog-nition is a tremendous achievement and speaks volumes about the commitment that these schools have made to provide the best possible learning opportunities for all of their students.”
Torlakson announced a total of 287 school recipients and commended them for their outstanding educational programs and practices that help students reach their potential.
In his congratulatory letter to Clovis Unified schools, Torlakson writes: “Your success is a direct result of your dedicated and talented staff as well as your supportive community.”
The awards will be presented May 3 at the California School Recognition Program Awards Ceremony.

District, parents work together to benefit EL kids

➤ Get Involved:

■ DELAC Meeting
■ 9 to 10:30 a.m. ■ May 15
■ CUSD Profes-sional Learn-ing Center
■ Details: 327-9554.

Photo special to CUSD Today. Parents provide feedback and insight during Clovis Unified’s District English Language Advisory Committee meeting..

By CUSD Supplemental Services

Two committees in Clovis Unified are focused on working toward the success of English Learner students and assisting parents with support and information.
At the school level, a school forms an English Language Advisory Committee (ELAC) when the school has 21 or more English Learner (EL) students. The district is required to form a District English Language Advisory Committee (DELAC) when there are more than 51 EL students. Both groups have the goal of gaining insights from and sharing resources with EL parents.
“In the DELAC meetings we have received dif-ferent trainings as parents, and together with our children, to face the challenges of a new language and culture when arriving to this country,” said parent Eleonora Amaya Martinez.“It is very gratifying to find the doors open to expose our needs and concerns so that together we find solutions. I want to thank and congratulate CUSD for this great DELAC Program.With all of their support, we will achieve the dream of all parents – that our children have the opportunity to set and achieve their goals.” A school’s ELAC must meet at least quarterly to discuss issues relative to the success of English learners. The ELAC also completes a needs assessment

“
With all of [Clovis Unified’s] support, we will achieve the dream of all parents – that our children have the opportunity to set and achieve their goals.

— Elenora Amaya Martinez Parent

on an annual basis to identify areas of need or areas where additional information is needed. Each school nominates a DELAC committee member that attends district level meetings and brings back and shares district level information to his or her school community. The representative also brings issues, concerns or needs to the DELAC.
The DELAC committee receives training to assist parent members in carrying out their responsibility. The purpose of DELAC is to provide parents of

➤ Please see DELAC,Page 8

INSIDE:

ANNOUNCEMENTS Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!
Clovis North High will perform “Mary Pop-pins,” in the Mercedes Edwards Theater April 26-28 and May 3-5. Page3

THE FOUNDATION FOR CLOVIS SCHOOLS 16 Students of Promise honored
The signature program recognizes students with incredible resiliency and the ability to persevere regardless of the circumstances they face. Page 11

VISION
School safety a top priority in CUSD Promoting a safe school environment is a daily
priority, and one that wraps around everything else that we do in our schools. Page 5

Page 2	CUSD Today	April 2018

April 2018	CUSD Today	Page 3

➤ ANNOUNCEMENTS

Class of 2019, get ready to celebrate!

Clovis Unified stu-dents who are now juniors in high school may want to enter this on their calen-dars. The graduation dates for the Class of 2019 have been re-leased. They are:
■ Clovis East, Lamonica Stadium, May 29, 2019
■ Clovis High, Lamonica, May 30, 2019 ■ Buchanan,Veterans Memorial Stadium,
June 4, 2019
■ Clovis North,Veterans, June 5, 2019 ■ Clovis West,Veterans, June 6, 2019
■ Clovis Adult, Mercedes Edwards The-atre, June 1, 2019
■ Clovis Online, MET, June 1, 2019
■ Alternative Education, MET, June 3, 2019

Clovis North performs “Mary Poppins”

Clovis North High will perform “Mary Poppins,” the beloved musi-cal about an ex-traordinary nanny who brings many magical experi-ences to the Banks children, along with her chimney-sweeping friend, Bert.
Performances will be held in the Mercedes Edwards Theater at 7:30 p.m.April 26-28 and May 3-5; mati-nees will be at 2 p.m. April 28 and May 5. Tickets are $10 for students and $12 for adults. Details: broncodrama.com

Clovis Hall of Fame art contest entries

Clovis Unified students in grades 7 to 12 may enter the Clovis Hall of Fame’s annual art contest. This year’s theme is “Clovis – Our Home Town.” Entries must be two-dimensional, in a vertical format, and no larger than 16” x 20.” Mediums may be watercolor, acrylic, gouache, ink or mixed media. No copies or projections.
The Clovis Hall of Fame annually holds an induction event, honoring those in the community who have shaped and supported Clovis. Inductees for this year’s event in September will be announced soon.
The winning artwork will become the

program cover and from it, a Giclee print will be made and become the prize in a drawing at the event. The winner will receive three tickets to the 2018 Clovis Hall of Fame and will win $200.
The art contest deadline is May 1. Details: Betsy Pavich at betsypavich@cusd.com.

Community Awareness and Health Fair, May 10

Clovis Unified’s alternative education will host Community Awareness and Health Fair from 6 to 8 p.m. May 10 at Gateway High School, 1550 Herndon Ave., Clovis. More than 30 agencies will share information, answer questions and provide information about: health insurance and services; youth employment; career opportunities; higher education; drug and alcohol treatment; mental health resources; nutrition; family support services; and more.
The free event will also feature giveaways, multi-cultural entertainment and a talent show, free blood pressure and body mass index measurements, a silent auction and food booths.
More information is available by calling 327-1800 or 327-1877.

Clovis Unified Pops Concert, May 26

Clovis Unified’s Visual Arts and Per-forming Arts (VAPA) department hosts a series of concerts featuring CUSD talent open for the greater community to enjoy. The performances have been held at the Performing Arts Center in the Paul Shaghoian Concert Hall. Proceeds from the concert series are planned to be used to
purchase a Yamaha Concert Grand piano The final concert in this year’s series is
CUSD Pops Concert at 7 p.m. May 26. Tickets are $10. They are available at the door on the day of the event or may be purchased online from Etix on the VAPA website.

SPECIAL EDUCATION The following upcoming workshops will

be offered by the Special Education De-partment’s Family Resource Center. For more information or to inquire about an interpreter, please call 327-8455.
■ Social Security for Your Student at Age 18: What You Need to Know will be presented from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. April 24 at the Professional Development Building, 1680 David E. Cook Way, Room 1, Clovis. A representative from the California Council on Developmental Disabilities, Sequoia Of-fice, will be presenting. Free. RSVP online at http://tinyurl.com/SSI4-24 or call 327-8455.

Page 4

Claire Tuggle wins big at swim championships
In March, Granite Ridge Intermediate eighth-grader Claire Tuggle thrilled the crowd at the 2018 NCSA Junior National Champi-onships in Florida when she won the girls 200-yard free in 1:44.96 – the fastest time of swimmers her age this year by four seconds, and the second-fastest time ever for the 13-14 age group. The record holder for that age group is Missy Franklin with 1:44.55 set in 2010; Franklin went on to be an Olympic multi-ple-medal winner.
Toggle holds several Na-tional Age Group records for 11-12-year-old girls and 10 and under girls, includ-ing the 200 and 500 free.

SPORTS CUSD Today

Legendary wrestling coach retires

Long-time Clovis High coach Steve	ful for the lasting im-Tirapelle is retiring from high school	pact he has made on wrestling. Tirapelle, who coached a record	our school commu-48 California CIF State Finalist appearances	nity, and in the lives and 33 California CIF State Individual	of the wrestlers he Champions with a 69 percent winning	coached,” said Clovis record, has been a fixture in the national	High Principal Steph-wrestling community for decades.	anie Hanks.
Tirapelle joined Clovis Unified School	Tirapelle began
District in 1995 as a teacher and coach, re-     coaching in 1983 in the Sacramento area tiring from his teaching job in 2014. He     and over his long tenure, coached more continued to coach Cougar wrestling for     than 100 state medalists.Among them were another four years, and this March saw the     his three sons – Adam, Alex and Troy – second wrestler from his program make     who earned eight state titles. Troy Tirapelle state history as only the third high school     is now Buchanan High’s wrestling coach, wrestler in California to bring home four     which this year won the state title. Adam consecutive state titles.                                    Tirapelle is an assistant wrestling coach at Tirapelle also holds the California State     Clovis High.Alex Tirapelle has coached at
Championship team scoring record of	the collegiate level.
276.5, and took the Clovis High team to a          A search is underway to find Clovis record five consecutive State Championships     High’s new head coach. Steve Tirapelle said during his career from 2011-2015 (bringing     he plans to spend time with his grandchil-the school’s total to seven).                              dren and keep involved in local wrestling, “Coach Tirapelle is a legend in Califor-     helping with elementary and middle school
nia’s wrestling community. We are so grate-	teams.

April 2018

➤ SPORTS BRIEFS

Two named All-Star Winter Athletes
Two Clovis Unified athletes have been selected as the Clovis RoundUp’s Winter All-Star Athletes. They are Clovis High wrestler Seth Nevills and Clovis West girls basketball player Madison Campbell. Nevills, a senior, won his fourth-straight state wrestling title. He is one of only three in CIF state history to have taken the top prize all four years of high school. Nevills holds a 168-1 career record and will be wrestling for Penn State next year. Campbell, a junior, helped the Golden Eagles rebuild after five of its key players graduated and assisted the young team not only win the Valley Title, but also land a spot in the CIF Southern California State Open championship.

TRAC soccer standouts
The boys and girls soccer All-League teams were recently announced. Boys: Player of the Year, Oscar Rubalcava, Clovis High; Offensive Player of the Year, Isaiah Cummins, Buchanan; Defensive Player of the Year, Cooper Wenzel, Clovis North; Coach of the Year, Cameron Shahrokhi, Clovis North. Girls: Player of the Year, Alexa Marchini, Buchanan; Offensive Player of the Year, Kylie Lucero, Clovis High; Co-Defensive Player of the Year, Emma Brown, Clovis, (and Maicee Espinoza, Central); and Coach of the Year, Tim Carroll, Buchanan.

about the many
VISION

April 2018	CUSD Today	Page 5

School safety a top priority in Clovis Unified

By Eimear O’Farrell, Ed.D. Superintendent

S
SCHOOL safety is always on our minds, and

in the wake of re-cent     news     of school shootings on	campuses across the nation, it is especially timely to talk

Ed.D.
things in place in	Eimear O’Farrell, Clovis Unified to
protect our students.
Promoting a safe school envi-ronment is a daily priority, and one that wraps around everything else that we do in our schools. Whether it is training for students and staff on crisis response or pro-viding support personnel and our own police department for our school sites, we are always looking for ways to improve and expand the support structures in place on our campuses.
As with so many other critical components of a quality education, it is our people more than any single program or security feature who make a positive difference in student safety. In addition our class-room teachers, campus monitors, student relations liaisons, school psychologists, health assistants, po-lice officers, nurses, truancy officers, transition teams and guidance counselors spend much of their time specifically focused on the so-cial and emotional well-being of our students.
This is a key component of school safety designed to ensure that every student on our schools has a trusted adult to whom he or she can talk to, and who helps de-crease chances that students become isolated or alienated during their school years. These personal con-nections are vital to keeping our schools safe, and for creating an environment in which students are comfortable when they “see some-thing,” to“say something.”
We recognize that young people

who feel connected to their peers, was that performing arts, athletics partners in prevention and training. caring adults and their school com- and academic clubs and competitive We are always looking for ways to munity are less likely to act out in groups were the most effective anti- work more closely together and harmful ways toward themselves drug and positive intervention re- this month joined schools from or others. That’s why we invest sources possible. Through involve- around Fresno County, along with heavily in hiring great people who ment in school activities, our stu- multiple law enforcement agencies care deeply about our kids, and dents can find those connection at a safety summit to share ideas constantly work to create a wide points with what they love to do, and strategize effective ways to in-array of opportunities for our stu- and with other people that may crease school safety.
dents to connect with our schools otherwise elude them.                             Partnering with our own Clovis and with each other.                               Another important part of our Unified police force, we have worked During the early years of our overall safety program is found in together to develop customized school district, founding Superin- our strong relationships with local school safety plans for each of our tendent Dr. Floyd“Doc” Buchanan law enforcement agencies. Fresno campuses, train our employees on advocated for the creation of ex- and Clovis police departments, effective strategies to respond in pansive co-curricular programs along with Fresno County Sheriffs the event of an emergency, and pa-that our students continue to enjoy not only stand at the ready to re- trol our schools and neighborhoods today. His philosophy, which is as spond and assist our schools in a 24-hours a day, seven days a week. relevant today as it was in 1960, crisis, but also serve as valuable         Not only do we have safety plans

Photo special to CUSD Today by Ron Webb. April is National School Library Month. Here, Cole Elementary librarian Carrie Haines reads the book,“We Are Growing” to fourth-grade students in Ashley Lake’s class.

“A library is not a luxury but one of the necessities of life.”

HENRY WARD BEECHER, AUTHOR

for each school, at the district-level we have a team of individuals who form a support and assistance re-sponse to our schools in the event of an emergency. This team is mod-eled from best practices of national and state emergency response agen-cies like the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and California’s Office of Emergency Services (OES) and regularly con-ducts drills and trainings with as-sistance from local law enforcement to ensure it is ready to support our schools if needed.
Decades ago, Clovis Unified took steps to establish our own police department, and we are one of only a handful of schools across the state to do so. Our police department is Police Officer Standards and Train-ing (POST) certified, and our offi-cers are sworn police officers.
Today we have 16 officers who are active on our campuses during and beyond the school day. From 7 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and often during weekend events, our officers are a regular presence at our schools.
Officers are assigned by high school area and stationed at each secondary school, and regularly visit our elementary schools. This allows our officers to not only be on hand when a need arises, but also to be a positive presence in the lives of our students.
A great example of this dual role is Officer Jesse Ceron, who in addition to his regular duties on campus has started a Hispanic Stu-dent Club that meets during lunch. His club has become a pop-ular destination for dozens of stu-dents at the school each time it meets.
School safety is not an effort isolated to any one department or designated group of employees, it is the responsibility of every single one of the adults on our campuses, and one that is taken seriously.
Our best defense of our schools is achieved when we work together every day to plan well, prepare thor-oughly, and provide meaningful connections for our students.

Crystal Award winners make a difference in CUSD

Phenomenal.Amazing. Dedicated. Tenacious. These are just a few of the words de-
scribing the 27 exceptional Clovis Uni-fied employees who are the 2016-17 school-year Crystal Award re-cipients who were celebrated at The Crystals Feb. 28 at the Per-forming Arts Center.
The Crystal Award is Clovis Uni-fied’s highest employee recognition. It
is given to those employees whose passion, innovation, dedication and dynamic work ethic far surpasses their job description. These are people who in tangible, measurable ways selflessly help students reach their full potential in mind, body and spirit. They go above and beyond what is expected, and do so without prompting. They lead and inspire others by their humble nature and heart-felt exam-ples.
Employees are nominated for the award by their peers or supervisor, and judging panels made up of Clovis Unified employees follow a strict rubric that outlines criteria in selecting the year’s recipients. This year’s Crystal Award winners are each, in their own way, a testament to the exceptional work employees are doing across the district on a daily basis.
The following is the final part of a three-part series profiling each recipient in alphabetical order. A complete listing of current and past winners can be found online at www.cusd.com/crystalawards.

By Kathleen Coates Special to CUSD Today

Donna Kawana
Health Services Assistant, Nursing Services/Fort Washington Elementary
A part-time health assistant who is compared to Florence Nightingale and Mother Teresa? How could that be? Who could that be?

Donna Kawana, that’s who. Nominators said this selfless, compassionate Fort Washington Elementary School em-ployee’s Crystal Award is overdue. She is repeatedly lauded for her dedication to making sure students are healthy and safe.
Even though Kawana is only contracted to work 5.75 hours a day, she arrives early and doesn’t head home until the last student involved in after-school activities has left. She comes in two weeks before school starts on her own time to make sure she has an updated parent contact list. Kawana uses her own money to purchase clothes to donate to the health office to replenish the supply loaned out to students, and even launders them herself when
needed.
In addition, this “Second Mom” makes sure she has stocked the office with juice packets and crackers so that kids with a stomachache who haven’t had breakfast don’t go hungry.
Kawana is so devoted to students that kids seek her out not just for a Band-Aid or an icepack, but for some nurturing. She has perfected the art of active listening.
Kawana works to improve the tasks she performs, writing in changes and saving them for next year. For example, she constantly improves her approach to delivering back-to-school forms. She wants to keep parent-school communications running smoothly.
Kawana also organizes Operation School Bell, connecting students in-need to groups that provide school supplies and clothing each year.

Judy Kobayashi Third Grade Teacher
Cedarwood Elementary
Thirty-three years. That’s how long Judy Kobayashi has been a third-grade teacher at Cedarwood Elementary School. But this dedicated teacher hasn’t let grass grow under her feet.
Since the beginning, Kobayashi has been instrumental in implementing technology into the school’s daily functions. Early on, she spearheaded the setup of a computer lab. Last year she spent hours familiarizing herself with new

interactive devices for whiteboards so she could teach others and use it in the classroom.
She holds her students to a high standard of excellence. Because she holds herself to that same standard, students are motivated to achieve. Judy has spent her career revamping grade-level curriculum. She plans each lesson to reach each student in her class. Her love for learning is infectious.
She’s also advisor to the Video Connections Club, teaching 4th-6th graders to shoot videos of sports teams that are shown at season sports awards nights.
Kobayashi leads the campus social committee, recognizing retirees with a big celebration, organizing farewell breakfasts for colleagues and recognizing weddings and births. The group helps staff members who are ill or lose family members, organizing collections of gifts and food.When a school family was hit by tragedy, she set up a food train, among other things to help the family.

Laurette Lee
Student Activities Specialist I Riverview Elementary
As the Riverview Elementary student activities specialist, Laurette Lee is the first person to greet students and parents and she’s the one who helps them enroll. She tracks student attendance, finds miss-
ing students and handles The Ram online newsletter, flyers and school marquee updates.
She does all this with a smile on her face and compassion in her heart. Lee is Riverview.
Because of her extra efforts, nearly 100 percent of parents complete online enrollment every year. Lee makes sure parent reminders go out during the summer when the office is closed. Once school begins, she sets up a computer in the office for parents and works with them to complete the forms.
Riverview’s attendance rate of 97.28 percent has been above the district rate for the last three years. She counsels habitually tardy students and helps the school address problems as she identifies children who are having issues

➤ Please see Crystal, Page 6

— 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 news-paper highlights the achievements of Clovis Unified students and staff; profiles new and updated Gov-erning Board policies; and shares general news and information happening within the district.
Circulation: 32,500.
Funding: All costs associated with producing, printing and mailing CUSD Today are 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 publication date. We do our best to include as many submissions in each issue as our editorial space will allow.

CUSD Today Staff

Publishing & Editorial Clovis Unified School District 1450 Herndon Avenue Clovis, CA 93611 Telephone (559) 327-9094 Fax (559) 327-2957 cusdtoday@cusd.com Kelly Avants, APR
Chief Communication Officer
327-9092 Patti J. Lippert Managing Editor
327-9094 Charity Susnick Advertising 327-9095 Verna Garcia

Graphic Designer 224-9711

CUSD Governing Board

Jim Van Volkinburg,D.D.S.	Elizabeth J. Sandoval	Ginny L. Hovsepian President                              Vice-President                                 Clerk

299-8994	291-7564	434-8272

.
Sandra A. Budd          Christopher Casado Steven G. Fogg, M.D           Brian Heryford 448-6801                          908-9953                          269-7000                           299-4586

CUSD Administration

Eimear O’Farrell, Ed.D.	Don Ulrich, Ed.D. Superintendent                                       Deputy Superintendent
327-9100	327-9107

Norm Anderson                        Barry Jager                         Michael Johnston Associate Superintendent,          Associate Superintendent,            Associate Superintendent,
School Leadership	Human Resources and	Administrative Services 327-9350                             Employee Relations                              327-9110
327-9308

EMPLOYEE CONNECTION

Page 6	CUSD Today	April 2018

Clovis Unified drivers win at Bus Safety Roadeo

On Feb. 24, Clovis East High School hosted the Cal-ifornia Association of School Transportation	Officials (CASTO) Chapter 8 School Bus Safety Roadeo.
Clovis Unified transporta-tion drivers brought home six titles in both individual and team categories during the bus-driving competition. The Roadeo course had six grueling obstacles where drivers put their skills to the
test.
The events ranged from

parallel parking a 40-foot bus to negotiating a narrow pas-sage called offset alley. Not only were the contestants tested on their driving skills, but also their brain power.
A written exam was issued with tough questions on State and Federal laws, including vehicle inspection require-ments.
CASTO was founded in 1968 to promote safe pupil transportation for all Cali-fornia children. CASTO is recognized by State and Fed-

eral agencies and other pro-fessional organizations as the leader of school transporta-tion safety in California.
CASTO Chapter 8 covers Fresno, Madera, Mono and Mariposa counties. The recent bus Roadeo had 74 contest-ants from a total of nine school districts. Some drove to Clovis from as far away as Merced to participate. The competition was a success raising money for the chapter and also building confidence and driving skills for school

bus drivers across the Val-ley.
Congratulations to the following Clovis Unified drivers: Casey Custer (first place, individual, Special Ed); Veronica Gonzales (third place, individual, Special Ed); Roland Kolb (third place, in-dividual, transit); Frank Urias,Veronica Gonzales and Casey Custer (first place, team, Special Ed); Kevin MacNeil, Terry Muir and Gary Winebrenner (third place, team, Special Ed); and

Bryant Vick, Marco Ruelas and Alexander Hardee (third place transit team).
Some of the CUSD drivers who placed will participate in the state sectional Roadeo held in Kern County.
–Submitted by Clovis Uni-fied Transportation Depart-ment

Crystal: 27 ‘difference-making’ employees were honored

FROM PAGE 5
at home and those absent without their parents’ knowledge.
But Lee is known most for the things she does outside her duties: helping a child retrieve a math book after school has closed, patching up scraped elbows, paying for hot lunches, finding students a pair of sweats when they tear out the knee of their jeans, making sure needy families get holiday meals.

Sharon Magill Speech/Language Specialist Valley Oak Elementary
Sharon Magill is the Valley Oak Elementary School speech and lan-guage specialist, and as such she has helped count-less students starting from the age of 3. But Magill goes far beyond her job description, handling chal-
lenging situations as the school’s third ad-ministrator or helping a child with special needs who is being disruptive or just needs some extra care. She has a calm demeanor that de-escalates tense situations.
For the past 24 years, Magill’s early in-tervention with children age 3-5 has allowed many to enter kindergarten with the com-munication and social skills they need for success. For those who do need formal speech instruction, she helps them close the language gap, and continues to monitor and communicate with them and their par-ents long after they leaveValley Oak.
In addition, Magill is the school’s cheer adviser, responsible for 30 girls of different socioeconomic backgrounds, who often come to her about issues outside of cheer. Caring and compassionate, Magill goes out of her way to make sure students feel safe on campus – well taken care of both
physically and emotionally.

Denise Sandifer
Guidance Learning Specialist Gateway High/Clovis Community Day
During her 28 years at Clovis Unified, Denise San-difer has made a huge dif-ference in the lives of Al-ternative Education stu-dents who need a nontra-ditional approach.
Chief among her duties at Gateway High and Clo-
vis Community Day School is her work as the founder-coordinator of the Healthy Start Program nearly 20 years ago. Through this program and the Healthy Start Collab-orative she started, at-risk students are con-

nected to mental health care, social services and medical care. Students have access to agencies like the Lock it Up Program and Assessment Treatment Rehabilitation, which help students overcome drug and alcohol use and dependency.
Sandifer runs parenting groups for teen mothers, and most recently, started a new group for teen fathers. She partnered with Clovis West to have teen parents and students who have successfully overcome addiction speak to classes. Sandifer constantly pushes students to continue on in their education after high school. She established a part-nership with Clovis Youth Employment Service Program, placing students in jobs at local businesses to earn both income and school credits. The program helps them gain job experience and creates relationships to further their success after graduation.
Sandifer oversees the mentoring program at Community Day School for elementary students.And she is site coordinator for the Clovis Support Intervention program, train-ing staff members in the prevention of high-risk behaviors.

Monica Schneider
Campus Club Program Supervisor, Child Development
Parents dropping off their children for Campus Club during the school year, summer or holiday break programs might come upon the Mad Hatter or a wild animal. That would be Child Develop-ment Program Supervisor,
Monica Schneider.
This energetic, outside-the-box thinker does all she can to make the district’s child-enrichment programs fun and valuable to students, including dressing up in costumes. She makes sure ALL students enjoy their time after school or during a school break at Campus Club. She provides hands-on activities to those who might have behavior challenges and helps them stay engaged.
Schneider is all about “super fun.” In the summer, she wants kids and staff to look forward to a full day of field trips, dress-up days, swimming and contests. Even at the staff meeting preparing for the summer, she held a dance contest and tricycle race and awarded prizes.
Schneider takes her job of recruiting very seriously, hiring and training a diverse Campus Club staff. With 350 employees for 29 school sites and 49 kindergarten pro-grams, she has to be ultra-organized. She has a talent for building cohesive teams. She makes sure every employee learns to be professional and positive with kids and par-ents.

Schneider is also known for helping those in need, including fundraising for a student with cancer. She partnered with ice cream vendors and Chukchansi, who donated pro-ceeds to the boy’s care.

Toni Shelby
Teacher, Clovis Online
When Clovis online teacher Toni Shelby is asked to do a task, she al-ways takes it upon herself to work those extra days or spearhead that project, all for the good of the on-line and comprehensive school students.
For example, when she was asked to help out two days a week to incorporate new math and English courses at one of the summer sites, Shelby not only upped her time to four days a week, she also created and ran five separate trainings for new teachers.
Shelby volunteered to be the lead online teacher, then took on the grueling process of aligning the online course program Ed-genuity with district and individual school curriculums. She revamped more than 36 courses, making it possible for students to transition seamlessly between online and in-school classes. Last year, when online students said they missed having a yearbook, she created and worked with a team of stu-dent to put together the first-ever Clovis Online yearbook.
Shelby sets clear goals for all students, underlining her belief that ALL students can learn – even those who struggle with motivation or have health issues. Since the online student population is made up of athletes, musicians, dancers and actors, she often attends their activities to show support.

Janis Tatum School Secretary II
Clovis North Educational Center Original Bronco Janis

Tatum, secretary to deputy principals and the athletic director at the Clovis North Educational Center, is all about compassion for students.
The 32-year district em-ployee takes students under
her wing, especially the ones who need a little extra support. She helps them through tough times in school and on the field.
This dynamic woman has a lot on her plate, yet, for example, she manages to go to that special education student’s game after school. As the varsity football team’s official statistics recorder, she attends every game. She uses the information to encourage

athletes, who come to see her daily. She also works with struggling kids in the Check-in, Check-out program.
Tatum has worked on the master calendar, graduations, facilities, athletics, handbooks, budgets, trip tracker and Academic Senate. Tatum monitors transportation for the entire school. As the athletic director’s assistant, she handles concerns of parents and coaches, and clearance of athletes for all sports and game schedules.
When Tatum had to have breast cancer surgery, she was most worried about those who count on her. She came back to work as soon as she could, against the doctor’s recommendation, so that she could take care of her students.
While working, Tatum went back to school and earned an associate’s degree in sports journalism and is now going to Fresno State for her bachelor’s degree.

Kent Younglund Sixth Grade Teacher Fugman Elementary
Every year, the Fugman Elementary Student Ac-tivities office fields calls from parents unhappy that their child is not going to be in Kent Younglund’s class. That’s because they know he is “the real deal.” What makes him so great? It’s“the other stuff”
he teaches besides his attention to academics in his sixth-grade class. Things like perse-verance, grit, how to be confident and men-tally tough.
Younglund coordinates the annual Sono-ma sixth-grade trip to the outdoor learning center. He goes to great lengths to plan the outing, and works with parents who say their child can’t go. When one student couldn’t attend because his religion required he say prayers at certain times daily, Younglund offered to set his phone alarm, and found an app with the prayers so he could ensure the child could say them while on the trip. Under his guidance, students’ English/Language Arts and math scores have been the highest in the district. He is a grade-level leader who guides his team toward student success. He is also a four-season coach and a key volunteer at the an-nual Marlin PTC fair.
An example of his devotion is his efforts teaching a Russian child who has a severe hearing loss. Not only did Younglund label every part of his classroom in English, he also consulted with primary teachers on early literacy skills, learned some key Russian words himself, taught the boy to use Google translate and found resources to help pay for hearing aids.

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AROUND

April 2018

THE DISTRICT

CUSD Today	Page 7

Photo special to CUSD Today. Clovis FFA students learn about welding techniques during the Butte College Arc Exposure held this year in Oregon.

Passing the torch for the future By Marissa Mahan and Anthony Cortez Clovis FFA

Each year, eight advanced high school welding students represent Clovis FFA at the Butte College Arc Exposure in Oregon. This is a training that is presented by Miller Electric. There are three different stations that the Arc Ex-posure offers: Oxy Fuel Cutting, Gas Metal Arc Welding/Flux Cored Arc Welding and Tungsten Gas Welding.
This year’s students attending were Clovis East High freshman Jackson Perris, freshman; sophomores Nathaniel Day, Jeremiah Perris; juniors Anthony Cortez, Marissa Mahan, Drew Sylvia, Keanu Burrelson; and senior Cora Hopkins.
On the first day of training, students learn safety pre-cautions and are split into three groups. In each of the three sessions, the students spend an hour in a lecture that covers the basics of the process they will explore. Once the hour is up, they then take that knowledge into the shop to get a hands-on experience welding joint designs in various positions. The day ends in a short review of what was learned where students get a chance to earn tickets for a drawing that traditionally ends the training.
The next day starts with an industry tour that shows a typical workplace and provides a frame of reference for students interested in welding. This year the students took a tour of Weiss McNair and got to see what it was like to fabricate nut harvesting equipment. Students then took a tour of PBM where they were able to see how tank trailers are assembled.After the tours, students and their instructors headed back to the Butte College campus to finish their last session of one of the three processes being taught. A short test follows that covers what they had learned for a chance to earn more tickets. Prizes included around $1,200 of welding equipment.
Students leave with valuable welding skills and a certificate of appreciation for their participation. This event is one that the students always enjoy and are eager to attend to the following year.

Heart health at Oraze
Oraze Elementary was a buzz of activity as students jumped for a great cause and fundraised for the American

Clovis schools throw a party for Dr. S
Photo special to CUSD Today. Shawn Huxtable, instructional assistant at Tarpey Elementary, enjoys reading a favorite Dr. Seuss book. euss

Many schools in Clovis Unified celebrated late children’s	Seuss-themed food. (Teacher Kathy Gulseth’s class enjoyed author Thedore Geisel – aka Dr. Seuss – on his birthday	green eggs and ham quiche.)
March 2 with activities involving his beloved books.          At Tarpey Elementary, fourth-graders in Teresa D’adda-“The Cat in the Hat,”“Green Eggs and Ham,” and “One     to’s class partnered with their reading buddies in Faviola Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish,” were read in many     Davis’ first-grade class and not only enjoyed reading classrooms.                                                                            “The Cat in the Hat,” but also they followed instructions At Temperance-Kutner, the whole school could wear     to make an edible “Cat in the Hat” hat, which they ate at crazy hats, caps, bows or headbands. They also read Dr.     recess. The older students also worked on informational Seuss stories in classes, graphed favorite books, received     reading texts that included a biography of Dr. Seuss and
special Dr. Seuss erasers and pencils, and enjoyed Dr.	created a timeline about his life.

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during Jump for the Heart, a challenge that included learn-	Caring for Others ing heart healthy skills and performing heart-pumping ex-
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Stations were set up in the schools amphitheate . For 3 minutes at a time, hundreds of students jumped rope, ran laps, jumped over the “river” and made healthy snack choices.
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The event also included a donation drive to raise money for the AMA.

CHS History Day champs
The recent Fresno County History Day saw two Clovis High entries earn championship ribbons. They are: Evelyn
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Navarro,senior individual exhibit,“For the Sake of Divorce:		Photo special to CUSD Today. Valley Oak Elementary students collected items and made more than 200 “Blessing Bags” recently. The bags for people in need included toiletries, candy, socks, scarves, pens, paper,
advancing to the state competition.	clothes and bottled water.

East
Daniel Frost, Clovis
ite Ridge
FINE ARTS
Page 8	CUSD Today	April 2018

n
Schools grateful for
community partners
Special to CUSD Today
Ten local companies were honored in March for their
long-term support of local schools, including two businesses
nominated by Clovis Unified’s FortWashington Elementary
and Liberty Elementary.
The awards were given by the Fresno Compact, which
is a coalition of business and community leaders and the
area’s school systems who are committed to a long-term
effort to improve achievement levels and skills of young
people graduating from area schools.
The mission of the Fresno Compact is to focus com-
munity-wide efforts on preparing students for the in-
creasing demands of society and the workplace. Each
year, the Fresno Compact awards its Business and
Education Partnership Awards.
Awardee Island Photography,
nominated by Liberty Elementary
In numerous ways, Island
Photography has partnered
with Liberty Elementary School
to provide a fun and supportive
work collaboratively with the
Awardee P-R Farms/Ricchuiti
Family, nominated by Fort
Washington Elementary
kids attended the school.
chiuti. “The true reward is seeing the kids progress,
contributors to the community.”
Other honorees

	FRESNO COMPACT AWARDS

Two CUSD nominees earn business awards structional posters, bookmarks, student IDs and other	It’s no surprise then that creative incentives.                                                                                                              Vinci and her husband, Pat,
Island Photography also captures magical moments	for the past 29 years, have been at school on special occasions and provides a compli-	active volunteers, fundraisers mentary free photo for the schools’ families.	and supporters of Fort Wash-
When California adopted new state standards, the	ington Elementary. For almost Liberty staff developed new instructional materials that	three decades, the couple has were aligned with those standards.Working collaboratively	actively supported their alma with Island Photography, the staff was able to create in-	mater.
structional materials together with the same quality as                                                      “We are so blessed to have commercial products.                                                                                                         such a wonderful part- nership The photography business also gives a percentage of       with P-R Farms,” said FortWashington’s Principal Melanie their photo package sales back to the school, resulting in       Hashimoto. “It allows our students to experience and a savings of $3,500 to $5,000 to the school every year       enjoy so many other resources. It shows how the com-
when combined with the money saved thanks to the	munity can come together to raise a child.”
support of Island Photography.                                                    The couple, who own P-R Farms and Enzo’s Table, With the money saved with Island Photography, the       has continued to partner with the school in providing school can redirect resources to provide additional support       donations of produce, centerpieces and silent auction for struggling learners, support that would have been       items for their school carnival, and has continued to difficult to access without their help. “Because the staff       provide an apple for every student at the finish line fol-was able to design quality instructional materials and       lowing the school’s annual fall Turkey Trot. P-R Farms create a fun yet motivating testing environment, Liberty       also makes available on-going storage space at their
has posted some great test scores.	facility for the school’s carnival props.
The Ricchiuti family is always ready to lend a hand with their time, talents and finances to support the Fort Washington community as well as students around the district through the Foundation for Clovis Schools.
environment for students. They                                                     Vinci Ricchiuti’s relationship with Clovis Unified’s           “Giving back is important to our family,” said Pat Ric-Liberty staff to produce student                                                FortWashington Elementary started long before her own       become successful, have kids of their own and become
incentives, instructional ma-                                                     The multi-generational commitment to Fort Wash-terials, banners and family pho-                                                ington enjoyed by the family include stints by both Vinci
tos to enhance school events.                                                and her daughter as student body presidents. Vinci and           Also honored this year were: Fresno Elks Lodge; Geek-Island Photography, at no                                                her own mother were Parent Club Presidents; and nu-       wise Academy; JR Sports; Harold McClarty, McClarty expense to the school, annually provides the school with      merous cousins and extended family attended the school       Family Farms; Donna Meeker Designs; NutriAg USA;
student planners, learning journals, editing folders, in-	as well.	RSD Total Control; and Yribarren Family Vineyards.

Clovis Unified students’ recognized at Big Fresno Fair

Several students from Clovis Unified	Clovis West
classes and programs entered works into	■ Ceramic – Pottery: Troy Zuccarini, the Big Fresno Fair. The following are first-      Clovis
place finishers whose names were supplied	■ Classic Photography: Adam Gash, by area schools.                                                 Clovis East
BEST OF SHOW ART CONTEST	■ Altered/Manipulated Photography:

■
s East
vis
Clovis
Aghoian, Alta Si rra
■
CloviBlack/White Drawing: Brook Bahn,	■ Two-Dimensional Design: Yimeng Li, ■ Color Drawing: Novalene Asher, Clo-	■ Middle School Painting: Jessica Eliza-■ Pen & Ink Drawing:William Vu, Clovis      beth Middle School eFine Arts: Eric Jin,
■
naventura, Clovis East
■
Destiny Murray, Reyburn
Bue Painting – Tempura/Watercolor:Allen	GranMiddle School Watercolor Painting: ■ Opaque Painting – Oil/Acrylic: Angel
Lesnikowski, Buchanan
■ Ceramic – Sculpture: James Martinez,		The following students won first place in Fine Arts at the Big Fresno Fair:

DELAC:
FROM PAGE ONE                   the annual language census.     to provide opportunities for English Learners the oppor-          ■ Advise the School Site     parents/guardians to access tunity to review and revise     Council on the development     district and community re-Clovis Unified’s Master Plan:     of the School Improvement     sources, to develop an un-A Guide to Providing Services     Plan.                                          derstanding of the learning for English Learners.                     Clovis Unified held the     process, to learn and practice In addition, the DELAC     first DELAC meeting of the     effective strategies that sup-conducts an annual dis-     2017-18 school year in the     port student learning at trictwide needs assessment     fall and another in January.     home, to establish home/ and provides information to     At the meetings, DELAC     school connections and be-the site’s ELAC. Annually     members requested to have     come active participants of the district’s Reclassification     a speaker provide tips on rec-     the Learning Community”, process and data are pre-     ognizing bully behavior and     said Tam Tran, program tech-sented to the committee for     how to deal with it. Bullying     nician with CUSD’s Depart-review and comment on the     is unwanted, aggressive be-     ment of Supplemental Serv-
district reclassification pro-     havior among children that     ices.
cedures. Reclassification data     involves imbalance in power.         The next DELAC meeting is also presented and re-     Students need to know ways     will be held from 9 to 10:30 viewed by site and district.     to safely stand up to bullying     a.m. May 15 at the CUSD ELAC and DELAC mem-     and how to get help.                 Professional Learning Center, bers help to provide parents         Julie Barrett, CUSD psy-     362 N. Clovis Ave, Clovis. of English Learners the op-     chologist, was able to provide     All meetings are open to the portunity to:                             simple steps adults can take     public.All ELAC and DELAC ■ Participate in the     to stop bullying on the spot     meetings have translators school’s needs assessments     and keep kids safe. When     available to assist parents of students, parents and     adults respond quickly and     with translation. Childcare teachers.                                    consistently to the behavior     is offered at the DELAC ■     Advise the principal     they send a message that it     meetings. Those with ques-and school staff on the     is not acceptable. Parents can     tions or who would like to school’s program for English     reach out to the school prin-     become part of the ELAC Learners.                                   cipal, GIS, psychologist and     or DELAC may contact their ■ Provide input on the     teachers if they have any con-     child’s school.At the district most effective ways to ensure     cerns or report the bullying.     level, more information is regular school attendance.              “Our goal at DELAC     available by calling Tam Tran
■ Advise the school on     meetings and workshops is	at 327-9554.

Acrylic Painting:Fernanda Muguia,“Koi Pond,” Granite Ridge; Grace Randall,“Dy-namite,” Clovis North; Kenna Knudsen, “Crashing Waves,” Reyburn; Lily singer, “Wave Recreation,” Clovis East; Stehem Xiong,“Our Waves,” Clovis East;Allen Bue-naventura, Clovis East; Nizeth Santoyo, Clovis East
Drawing:Caroline Simas,“Dingle Penin-sula,” Clovis North; Joseph Rogers,“Desolate,” Clovis North; Lauren Hill,“Procrastination,” Clovis North; Nathan Oliva, “Girl with a Gun,” Clovis; Yimeng Lee, “Young Man,” Clovis; McKinna Hall,“Snake,” Clovis; Edin Galardo-Scrivner, “Men with Checkered Hat” and “People on Floor Standing,” Clovis; Katie Kalocsia,“A Lifetime,” Reyburn; Brooke Bahn, Clovis East; William Vu, Clovis East; Bailey Freitas, Clovis East; Nizeth Santoyo, Clovis East; Anissa Garcia, Clovis East; Zaiah Padilla, Clovis East
Fine Arts:Zein Al Zoubi, Granite Ridge; Bella Galli, “Pisa,” Granite Ridge; Ivreese

Tong,“Monchromatic,” Granite Ridge; Bella Raven, “California Poppy,” Granite Ridge; Angel Lesnikowski, Buchanan; Haley Nichols, Buchanan; Samantha Luttrell, Buchanan; Kelly Compton, Buchanan; Paige Wilson, Buchanan
Photography: Vincent Bonafede, “Mo-ment of Impact,” Clovis North; Toma Day-ton, “Empty Revolutions,” Clovis North; Jonel Herb, “Heart Rock,” Clovis North; Trent Kammerer,“Infinite Reflection,” Clovis North; Harrison Feerst,“Phantom Melody,” Clovis North; Sierra Meyer,“Sweet Patriot-ism,” Clovis North; Chabeli Torres, “Nina de Hidalgo,” Clovis North; Maddy Davis, “A Lynx to Alaska,” Clovis; Daniel Frost, “The Eye of Mother Nature,” Clovis; Lucas Newman,“Aridity,” Clovis; Jordyn Ohashi, “Paper Models,” Clovis; Mckenzie Schroer, “KNZ,” Clovis; Joshua Vargas,“Silhouettes,” Clovis

➤ Please see Fair, Page 12

April 2018	CUSD Today	Page 9

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April 2018	CUSD Today	Page 11

16 Clovis Unified juniors receive red carpet treatment

By Charity Susnick CUSD Today

“There’s more about life you’ll learn as you go, because figuring things out on your own helps you grow. Just trust in yourself and you’ll climb every hill. Say,“I think I can!” and you know what? You will!”
These words, penned from the children’s book “I Knew You Could,” were shared by Clovis Unified Su-perintendent, Eimear O’Far-rell, Ed.D., during her con-gratulatory comments to 16 Clovis Unified high-school juniors at the 2018 Students of Promise Scholarship and Awards Gala last month.
A signature program of the Foundation for Clovis Schools, Students of Promise recognizes students with in-credible resiliency and the ability to persevere regardless of the circumstances they face. Nominated by a coun-selor or teacher, these are students who have faced hardships such abandonment by a parent, personal and/or parental addiction, severe medical conditions, or nu-merous school changes.
Receiving the scholarship award in their junior year encourages students to enter their senior year with hope for the future.“We want stu-dents to know we believe in them and to finish high school strong,” said Hugh Awtrey III, Chairperson of the Foundation for Clovis Schools.
The generosity of local businesses and individual donors allow student recip-ients to have a $2,000 schol-arship awaiting them upon graduation from high school and enrollment in post-sec-ondary education.
The featured speaker for

the 2018 event was Corryn Brechmann, a 2016 Students of Promise recipient and Clovis West High graduate, who is currently a Liberal Studies major at California State University, Fresno.
“This scholarship was my turning point. Going through middle school and high school, I was unsure of where I was going in life. I didn’t know what I wanted to do professionally. The only thing I did know was that I had been through a lot and that I did not want to be another foster child who ended up going down the wrong path,” she said.
Brechmann’s story of per-sonal triumph mirrors that of other recipients. Her par-ents struggled with drug ad-diction. Her father left when she was young and her mom continued the path of ad-diction so Brechmann, the oldest of six children, stepped into the parental role.At the age of eight, Brechmann and her siblings entered the foster care system.
In the sixth grade, Brech-mann and her sister were adopted and although her environment changed, she had to overcome years of being behind academically. Brechmann concluded her comments saying,“Take this scholarship and this night and run with it. Let it inspire you to do big things. This is only the beginning of your success story.”
They were words that rang true as the students en-joyed the evening designed to be all about them as an abundance of smiles, hugs, floral bouquets, happy tears and photos with family and friends ensued.

Adriana Ballesteros Clovis West High

Anthony Vallin Everk Clovis East High

Bre’ Aujanae Moore Clovis North High

Elizabeth Byrd Gateway High

Taylor Farmer Clovis West High

Kaleb Nazaroff Clovis West High

Nicholas Cardenas Clovis East High

Eliseo Flores Clovis High

Synthia Ramage Clovis East High

Cristian Castanon Clovis West High

Alondra Kyle Clovis High

Alejandra Rico Clovis East High

Photos special to CUSD Today by Ron Webb

Jacqueline Romero Gateway High

Susie Salgado Buchanan High

Christopher Welch Clovis High

James Woolsey Clovis North High

Page 12	CUSD Today	April 2018

Fair: FROM PAGE 8

Sculpture: Matthew Wil-fong, “Octopus” and “Bear Mask,” Clovis;Vanessa Chavi-ra, “Rhino,” Clovis; Dina Novik, “Head Sculpture,” Clovis; Alison Hietzig,“Body Landscape,” Clovis; Cedrick Verduzco,“Brain and Spine,” Clovis
2- and 3-Dimensional: Megan Maxwell, “Sinister Sentinel,” Clovis North
LIVESTOCK, FUR AND FEATHERS

The following first-place winners are with the Clovis FFA and/or the Ag Team with McFarlane-Coffman Agri-culture Center at Reagan Ed-ucational Center.
Beef: Austin Thompson, Reserve Supreme Champion market steer, Champion All Other Colors market steer, Grand Champion FFA mar-ket steer, Champion bred by exhibitor, 1st-place in show-manship, champion and re-serve champion feeder steers, champion and reserve cham-pion bred by exhibitor heifers; Katelyn Meritt, Re-serve Champion FFA steer; Clovis FFA Beef Show Team, Chapter Group market steers; Goats: Madison Allred,

Photo special to CUSD Today. Clovis East student Austin Thompson was awarded multiple times for his steer at the Big Fresno Fair including Grand Champion and Reserve Champion.

Supreme Grand Champion     Champion Feeder market Market; 1st place pen of two     lamb; Emma Carrasco, goats; Eleanor Cumming,     Champion Dorset market Bred by Exhibitor, 1st place     lamb; Macie Kulikov, Cham-pen of two goats; Abby Ras-     pion Suffolk market lamb; mussen, Class Market               Kaylee Melton, Champion Rabbits:Elle Knight, Best     bred by exhibitor, 1st place
of Breed Dutch rabbit; Best     in Class with Crossbred mar-of Opposite Breed Dutch     ket lamb, Reserve Champion rabbit; Krystal Heffeman,     rate of gain lamb, Pen of Best of Breed Mini Lop rab-     Two market lamb reserve bit; Palmer Ivalinn, Best of     champion; Emily Adams, Breed Jersey wooly rabbit;        Class Crossbread market Sheep: Anahi Rivera,     lamb, Freshman/Sophomore

Sheep Showmanship; Ray-lene Garrison, Champion All Other Breeds market lamb Swine: Cassandra Hol-guin, Champion Feeder; Pre-ston Jordan, Yorkshire; Goashing Vang, crossbread; Olivia Valdez, Champion Breeding Gilt; Jenna Scar-
bough, crossbread
Fruit and Nut Crops:Jor-dan Parker,Almonds
Horticulture and Floral: Noah Alberton, Color Bowl; Madison Allred, Succulent Bowl; Manvir Khera, Succu-lent Bowl; PaVouar Lee, Suc-culent Bowl; Ruby Martinez, Succulent Bowl; Noah Riojas, Succulent Bowl, Floral Arrangement; Jasleen Saran, Succulent Bowl; Izabela Sinor, Succulent Bowl, Floral Arrangement; Patrice Spen-hoff, Color Bowl; Austin Thompson, Color Bowl; Kaytlyn Weber, Succulent Bowl
Agriculture Mechanics: Matthew Lopez-Casares, Metal Livestock Feeder; Adam Buchnoff and Izaac Ramos,	Lumber	Rack; Zachary Morris, Metal Live-stock Feeder; Grant Melton, Steven Reed and Matt Mur-phy, Trailer Dolly.

Clovis student Costa Rica bound!

Photo special to CUSD Today. Eleven-year-old Tyler Petersen, from Dry Creek Elemen-tary, was on the gameshow “The Price is Right” in March that had an all-kids contestant show for a week. Tyler – who was proudly wearing his Dry Creek robotics team's t-shirt and told host Drew Carey he was from Clovis –played “Pushover” and won a family trip to Costa Rica!