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Clovis Unified School District — DEVELOPING STUDENTS IN MIND, BODY & SPIRIT	Volume 26, No. 8

FOLLOW US ON	AND AT

Public input helps guide update to school attendance study

map coming March 29
n Final proposed boundary

CUSD Today

Clovis Unified School District is in the process of reviewing all of its
more
n
Online
comment
form, map
school attendance bound-aries, and a final atten-dance map proposal is planned for release later this month. That map will be considered for action by the CUSD Governing
Board in April. If updates	scenarios, are approved, the changes
available at
cusd.com
to attendance boundaries would take effect in the 2025-26 school year.
n
See “Board
Briefs” on
Page 6 to
Currently, three pro-posed scenarios have been created, with schools con-tinuing to hold parent
meetings this month to	learn more provide more information
summary
report given
and gather input. An on-line comment form is also available through April
12 for the public to share	to the CUSD feedback.
Board.
Initially two maps – named Scenario 1 and Scenario A – were devel-oped after a months-long
study by a 50-member Steering Committee that evaluated enrollment trends, current school ca-pacities, future growth and the opening of new schools. Following community meetings in January and early February in all school areas, a third pro-posed map – Scenario Silver – was created and re-leased Feb. 23 that reflects adjustments where feasible based on the public’s input.
No decision has been reached and all three scenarios remain under consideration. The final recommended map proposal will be emailed to families and posted online March 29.
Families can find online specific information about how a school might be impacted, including detailed maps of neighborhoods that may be di-

‰ Please see Boundaries, Page 8

HOMERU
Kenny Gilman/Special to CUSD Today Third-grade students at Miramonte, Jefferson and Pinedale elementary schools have all been reading the same book in prepa-ration of an online visit by the book's author and illustrator recently.	N HIT
Author, illustrator ‘visit’ with third-graders at Jefferson, Miramonte and Pinedale thanks to baseball star

CUSD Today	interest in drawing and making comics when he was in elementary school,
Third graders at three Clovis Unified Schools each	which ultimately led to his career as received their own copy of the same, fun chapter book	an illustrator.
about hairstyles, and they got to meet the author all thanks	“It was daunting,” said Akeem of to the generosity of Major League Baseball star and Valley      developing his illustrating endeavors. native Aaron Judge.                                                                       But he did what he encouraged the
More than 200 copies of “JD and the Family Business”	students to do when they might be were donated to Jefferson, Miramonte and Pinedale elementary	trying to do a difficult task or learn schools by the Aaron Judge All RISE Foundation thats focus	something new. “Break it down and is to inspire children to become responsible citizens and	take the first step,” he said.
reach for unlimited possibilities.	Kids had lots of questions for
The Clovis Unified students have been spending time in	the duo about their creative process, editing class reading the book written by J. Dillard and illustrated	and the hardest part to writing a book.
by Akeem Roberts and discussing each chapter in preparation           “These have all been great questions,” Patty Judge said, of the online talk with both Dillard and Roberts. The Zoom      ending the presentation. “We want to encourage each of call in February was hosted      you children to be the best you can be in whatever you want
by Patty Judge, Aaron Judge’s	to do. Strive for the stars!”
mom.                                               Homerun star and outfielder Aaron Judge was born in The third graders listened      the Valley, played baseball for Fresno State and now plays
to how Dillard developed	for the New York Yankees. his story based upon his own
real-life experience as a kid who was teased in school because of an embarras-singly “bad” haircut by his
mom.
He vowed not to let that happen again. “I snuck Mom’s scissors and began to cut my own hair,” he confessed. Turned out, he was pretty good at it, and grew up to become a master barber.
Akeem, similarly, shared with students how he had an

Tim Simons Field
“
n Legendary coach becomes namesake of turf at Lamonica Stadium

28 Employees Honored With a
Crystal Award! See Page 9

Longtime and legendary Clovis Unified football coach Tim Simons learned at a recent CUSD Governing Board meeting that the field at La-monica Stadium will be officially named the Tim Simons Field.
Simons coached at Clovis High from the 1970s to 2000 and led the Cougars to several championship ti-tles. He went on to help establish the football program at Clovis North High when the school opened in 2007, and he led the Broncos to its first Valley title ever. Simons remains as the Broncos’ freshman coach and advisor to the varsity team today.
Numerous retired colleagues and administrators surprised the beloved coach by attending the meeting to celebrate him and his storied career.
“This is quite a shock,” said Simons who was at the meeting for the cur-rent Clovis North varsity football
team’s recognition by the board as this year’s Valley champions. “I can remember the first game we played at [the then new]
Lamonica Stadium … and we won!” he said. “This is such an honor.”
The announcement of Tim Simons Field on Clovis Unified’s social media channels had a viral reach exceeding 50,000, with

He is the blueprint for teacher, coach, character and leader.

former players, coaches, families and fans offering hundreds of comments.
“Well deserved and privileged to have him coach our son!”
“My respect for this man. I had an opportunity to coach against Coach Simons one time, and that was enough for me to recognize the leg-end that he is.”
“One of the best I was ever lucky enough to be around, from my play-ing days at Fresno State to the coach-
ing profession!”
“He is the blueprint for teacher, coach, character and leader.”
“I can’t imagine anyone who cared more about his players.” Plans are underway to create a sign bearing the new name
that will be unveiled at an event later this year.

Page 2	CUSD Today	March 2024

March 2024

‰ Announcements

Calling all artists
Want to design the cover of the next Clovis Unified Budget Book? The 16th Annual Budget Book Art Contest is underway. All Clovis Unified TK-12th grade students and CART students are welcome to submit artwork for the contest. Five finalists will receive a gift card and have their artwork featured in the Clovis Unified 2024-25 Budget Book. Submissions are due by 5 p.m. March 21. Visit your school ofice for an entry form. To see last year’s winning artwork: cusd.com/BusinessServices.

2024-25 new student registration Registration is underway for transitional kindergarten

through 12th grade students who will be brand new to Clovis Unified in the 2024-25 school year.
To be eligible for kindergarten, a child must be 5 years old on or before Sept. 1, 2024. To be eligible for transitional kin-dergarten, a child must turn 5 between Sept. 2, 2024, and June 2, 2025.
Parents should first complete an online pre-registration form, and then can visit the elementary or secondary school to finalize registration. In addition to the form, information about required documents and other details can be found at cusd.com/NewStudentRegistration.
Clovis Unified also provides high-quality preschool programs at 28 school sites, many ofwhich offer morning and afternoon programs. Enrollment for the 2024-25 year for preschool opens online at 10 a.m. April 3. To enroll or learn more, visit cusd.com/Preschool.

‘The Plot, Like Gravy, Thickens’ by CW Get ready as Clovis West High’s drama

students perform the hilarious murder mystery “The Plot, Like Gravy, Thickens.” The story follows a playwright named Walter as he creates the perfect murder mystery on stage and discusses it with the audience.
The fun begins at 7:30 p.m. March 14-16 and 21-23, and a matinee at 2 p.m. March 16 and 23, at the Dan Pessano
Theater, 2770 E. International Ave., Fresno. For information and tickets: cusd.com/events.

‘School of Rock’ shows in April
In April, Clovis North’s Bronco Drama will present “School of Rock,” a musical tale about Dewey, a failed wannabe rockstar

CUSD Today

who makes it his mission to teach his clueless, straight-laced students all about rock and roll. Much to Dewey’s surprise, he realizes they are a talented bunch, and he talks them into forming a rock band for an upcoming competition.
Performances will be at 7:30 p.m. April 18-20 and 25-27; and a matinee at
2 p.m. April 20 and 27 at the Mercedes Edwards Theatre, 902 Fifth St., Clovis. For information and tickets: cusd.com/events.

Spring Break
Clovis Unified schools will be closed for Spring Break March 25 through April 1. Business ofices on the district ad-ministrative campus will remain open.
Clovis Unified Child Development will hold a Spring Break full-day childcare program for elementary students from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. March 25-29 at Jefferson and Fugman elementary schools. Transportation to and from home school sites is available. Registration is open on a first come, first serve availability. Details: 327-9160 or cusd.com/Ex-pandedLearning.

Parent Academy workshops
Clovis Unified Supplemental Service’s Parent Academy hosts free, monthly Parent Night workshops for parents to learn about the many district resources and programs available to help their child. Remaining meetings include:
n March 19 – “Family Safety Night” (held at Weldon Elementary, 150 DeWitt Ave., Clovis)
n April 11 – “Building Readers at Home” (held at the district Professional Learning Center, 326 N. Clovis Ave., Clo-vis)
Free dinner and childcare are offered at 5:30 p.m., and the workshop begins at 6 p.m. Learn more: cusd.com/ParentA-cademy.

College financial workshops
Parents can attend the remaining workshops on college fi-nance applications that are being offered by Clovis Unified academic counseling staff. The workshops assist seniors who plan to attend college next fall and helps students and their parents complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) or CADAA (California Dream Act Application) online. FAFSA should be completed by all students planning to attend a community college for either a career certificate or transfer degree and by all students planning to attend a four-year university. The application determines eligibility of financial aid and it is also used for college scholarship information that can include need-based, academic merit and athletic scholarships.
Remaining, free workshops hosted by school counseling ofices will be at Buchanan High, March 20; Clovis East High, March 19; Clovis High, March 13; and Clovis West High, March 18. Links, information and workshop dates/times are available through the CUSD high school counseling centers’ websites. The FAFSA online application can be found at https://studentaid.gov/.

Wellness supports
The recent Clovis Unified Health and Wellness Resource Night was a success, equipping families with information and resources they can use to support their students’ mental health. Clovis Unified has many health and wellness resources to

Page 3

offer, from self-care tips and calming games to school-based interventions and community resources. For more information talk with your school or visit cusd.com/ComprehensiveWell-nessProject.

CUSD Folklorico Festival in April
Swirls of colorful skirts and the sounds of tapping shoes will fill the stage during Clovis Unified’s Folklorico Festival to be held in April. Several CUSD student dance groups – including, so far, teams from Kastner and Reyburn intermediate schools and Buchanan, Clovis and Clovis West high schools – will perform in celebration of the district’s rich and vibrant presence of Mexican culture through folk dance. The public is invited to attend the event that will be the evening of April 13 at the CUSD Performing Arts Center, located on the Clovis North Educational Center campus. A donation of $5 is requested, with proceeds benefiting the dance groups. For time and details: cusd.com/events.

Free tutoring help day or night
Is your child stuck on a math homework problem? Getting confused about adverbs and adjectives, and there’s a quiz the next day? No worries! One-on-one tutoring help is just a click away 24-hours a day, 7-days a week for Clovis Unified students at all grade levels. The district makes available free access to tutor.com, a service of The Princeton Review, to provide students with online tutoring anytime without charge to families. To access the on-demand service, students can log into their Clever account and select the tutor.com app.

SPECIAL EDUCATION

The Clovis Unified School District offers a variety of special education services and programs to serve children with com-municative, physical, learning, emotional and other special needs. To learn more about special education services and the special education referral process, contact the Clovis Unified School District Special Education Department at 327-9400.

Exceptional Person Awards
CUSD Special Education Department’s “Exceptional Persons Awards” will be held April 24. The award celebrates those district employees and volunteers who are exceptional at helping students with special needs. A judging team has de-termined the recipients after reviewing numerous nominations submitted by staff and the community. Details: CUSD Family Resource Center, 327-8455.

Advisory committee meeting
The Special Education Community Advisory Committee (CAC) will hold its final meeting of the school year May 15 on “Annual Service Plan Review, SPED Budget and Student Voices.” The committee serves in an advisory capacity to the Special Education Local Plan Area. Its goal is to raise community awareness about the needs of students and their families re-garding Special Education programs and to provide information, workshops and resources to families to help ensure that quality programs educate the student with exceptional needs in mind, body and spirit.
The meeting will be at noon at the CUSD Professional De-velopment Building, 1680 David E. Cook Way, Clovis, and a complimentary lunch is provided. CAC meetings are open to the public. For more information or to request an interpreter, call 327-8455 or email familyresourcecenter@cusd.com.

Page 4	CUSD Today	March 2024

”
VISION

March 2024	CUSD Today	Page 5

Education is the art of igniting a fire in kids

By Corrine Folmer, Ed.D. Superintendent

DID you know that great educators ignite passion, some would say a fire? Yes, there is a lot of science that
goes into the edu-cation of our stu-dents, but a criti-cal and some-times overlooked element of edu-

cating is the art
Ed D.
of igniting in our Corrine.Folmer, students a desire
to learn and the ensuing fire of ex-citement and self-confidence when they discover what they CAN
achieve.
To illustrate my point, I would like to share a story with you about Naksh. Naksh is a fifth-grade stu-dent I met during a recent visit to Pinedale Elementary, and he was on fire about what he had learned while participating in the science fair (where he received a Special Recognition Award).
His eyes were bright with ex-citement, and he was practically jumping with enthusiasm as he earnestly explained the intricacies of his project and how he had built a vacuum using, among other household items, the barrel of an ink pen, a plastic bottle and a bat-tery.
I learned that it was not just any battery, Naksh explained with seriousness, but a 12-volt bat-tery that would provide the neces-sary power to create a vacuum strong enough to pick up small pebbles. At the time of his illustra-tion to me, Naksh had to use a 9-volt battery and he was quick to explain in scientific terms why that

was not ideal for his demonstration      tempting to create) and had perse-      tical world around us, and why I because it diminished the power      vered to find a solution. That resil-      know with certainty that one of of his vacuum.                                     iency is another valuable life-long      our best tools to build students’ Not only was I impressed that      skill that our educators help our      confidence and self-esteem is aca-
he knew his experiment would	students learn.	demic success. Naksh knew what work best with a more powerful            In this energetic exchange with	he was talking about, was eager to battery, but also that Naksh had	Naksh, I was reminded what	share that knowledge with an adult experienced a challenge (a less	happens when a student connects	visitor to his classroom and could powerful vacuum than he was at-	classroom learning with the prac-	not wait to learn more. My inter-

LESSONS

Inspirations by, for and from our CUSD students

Joey Elswick/CUSD Today More than 500 students recently attended Clovis Unified’s Middle School African American Student Success Conference. The group African Drumming Interactive set the tempo to start the energetic day by getting students and staff on their feet (and some, pictured above, on stage!) to learn traditional African dances.

“A good laugh makes us better friends with ourselves and everybody around us.

DR. ORISON SWETT MARDEN, 19TH CENTURY AMERICAN AUTHOR

action with Naksh was an expres-sion of the “fire” that had been lit inside him by the experience of discovery and learning; and he wanted more. Once ignited, this fire seeks out new ways to learn and grow which usually leads our students, like Naksh, to develop into even more inquisitive and cu-rious learners for the rest of their lives.
Naksh impressed me, and then I met his science fair coordinator, Veronica Vela, and saw the source of the flame. As soon as Ms. Vela learned I had talked to Naksh about his project, she lit up, too. “Did you see how he used a sock as a filter?!” she exclaimed as she pointed out other small details of the project. She was as excited as Naksh was, and her enthusiasm and energy about the science, technology, engi-neering and math (or STEM) skills it demonstrated were contagious. What she saw as exciting, she con-veys to her students, opening their eyes to why the acquisition of learn-ing really is a thrill not a chore.
My interactions with Ms. Vela and Naksh were brief but they were a great reminder of what our edu-cational team is doing every single day for kids.
Our amazing Clovis Unified educators create light bulb moments daily across this district for our students.
Our educational team helps our students to perseverethrough difi-culties, they model and foster re-siliency, and lay the foundation for layers upon layers of academic growth that happens from the time our students walk through the doors of transitional kindergarten to the time they cross one of our gradu-ation stages. I am proud and grateful for our educational team who ignite fires for learning, which will con-tinue to burn and inspire our stu-dents into the future.

Students see impact of Martin Luther King’s efforts

Editor’s Note: Several Clovis Unified students were rec-ognized at an awards ceremony for their winning artwork, essays and speeches that reflect upon the work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for Civil Rights and his continuing legacy.
Sponsored by the Fresno County Superintendent of Schools, the annual MLK contest invites students from kindergarten through 12th grade to participate. This year’s prompt asked students to reflect upon a historical event that improved lives or to imagine a scene that reflects a future of inclusivity.
Below are excerpts from the winning essays for the categories of Elementary, Middle and High School, all written by Clovis Unified students. Congratulations!
Congratulations to the top three of each contest category!

Blake McLaskey
Fort Washington Elementary
Ruby Bridges: How a Six-Year-Old Changed the World
“Racism is a grown-up disease, and we should stop using our kids to spread it.” This quote by Ruby Bridges ex-plains how kids aren’t born racist. They learn it from their parents or other adults. She experienced this firsthand when she was 6 years old when she attended an all-white elementary school in New Orleans as the first black student to attend the school. Because of her, black children began attending white schools. This civil rights victory led to African Americans receiving a better education and a better life.
In 1954, the United States Supreme Court determined in Brown v Board of Education that all people, regardless of color, could attend the same school. This was called de-segregation. However, Louisiana and many more states in the South were not following that federal law until 1960 when New Orleans agreed to let African American children take a test to get into all-white schools. Ruby Bridges was one out of six children in New Orleans to pass the test and qualify to attend Franz Elementary, but Ruby was the only student who agreed to go to Franz. Although her parents were nervous, especially her dad, they still decided to let her attend. Her mom convinced her dad that it would be good for Ruby’s education, but just as important, it would help all African Americans.
… We need to stick up for African Americans when people are being racist. We can tell them to stop the name-calling or mean racial slurs. If a 6-year-old girl like Ruby

Bridges can make a huge difference in our world, we can, too.
Natasha Drigpal Kastner Intermediate

The Medical Civil Rights Movement Inspiration to move forward each day comes from the

desire to see improvement in the world and life around us. The individual and the social world continue to create, hustle, and burst into new endeavors.
In 1964, [Martin Luther King Jr.] directed our nation’s attention to public laws and its discrimination against indi-viduals based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin. In the upcoming year of 1965, he helped pass the fair voting rights act with the support of President Lyndon B. Johnson.
Today and back then, healthcare was and is one of the fastest growing demands in the United States. Having equal access, affordable pay, and prescription plans in place for citizens is hard to access and even though it wasn’t recognized by many people as a civil rights movement, we are still trying to make healthcare more accessible today.
The people involved in the medical civil rights movement have been working hard to get equal access to healthcare to everyone, and they have made much progress and had many victories since they started. One of the movement’s victories was creating a group in 1964 called the Medical Committee for Human Rights. … They started in Mississippi as a support group for civil rights workers and now they are continuing to fight for healthcare and have been a model for organizations that have also succeeded in fighting for equality in healthcare.
Another one of the movement’s victories was creating the passage of Medicare and Medicaid in 1965. “In four months, they transformed the nation’s hospitals from our most racially and economically segregated institutes to our most integrated ... ln four years, they changed patterns of use of health services that had persisted for half a century. The fundamental moral imperative - that those needing medical care will receive it,” states David Barton Smith in an article called “1965, The Year that Brought Civil Rights to the Nation’s Hospitals.”
… The medical civil rights act has done a lot since they began to help everyone access healthcare and they will continue doing this in the future until everyone has equal access to something that we all need.

— ABOUT US —

Marian Pineda Clovis North High

Women and Civil Rights
“Women, they have minds, and they have souls, as well as just hearts. And they’ve got ambition, and they’ve got talent, as well as just beauty. I’m so sick of people saying that love is all a woman is fit for.”
In the movie, “Little Women,” Jo March beautifully ex-presses the pressure and discrimination she faces as a woman. Women, African Americans and Asian Americans are just a few of the groups that have been discriminated against in American history. Throughout time, discrimination slowly diminished, but it never really ended. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 had a substantial effect on American so-ciety; it empowered people and gave human rights to many groups, including women. However, women still face prejudice in daily life, which can be fought against with unified effort.
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 is a significant civil rights victory that promotes equality in many ways. For instance, Title II of the act prohibits segregation and refusal from services on the ground of race, color, religion, or national origin. The section discourages discrimination by encouraging equality and banning separation by origin.
This aspect of the act focuses on giving people of different races, colors, religions, and origins the civil rights they deserve. Furthermore, not only does the bill address dis-crimination against origin, it was also a step towards gender equality. Title VII of the act prohibits unfair pay, terms, conditions, and privileges at work based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. In addition to race, color, religion, and origin, the act also promotes equality for women and men.
This was a necessary step at the time, for women’s suffrage had been in play, fighting for women’s rights since the mid-19th century.
… Inequality between genders has dwindled since the beginning of time, but there is always room for improvement. Problems women face today, such as violence, the gender pay gap, and disrespect. can be combated with active gov-ernments and widespread education. Working towards the common goal of equality perpetuates the legacies of the greatest heroes in history for a brighter future for human-ity.
For a full list of contest winners, see www.mlk.fcoe.org/contest-winners.

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 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. Edi torial 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 allow.

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

Hugh H. Awtrey	Yolanda Moore	Clinton Olvier President                                          Vice President                                            Clerk
437-6580	437-6580	313-6065

Deena Combs-Flores David DeFrank Steven G. Fogg, M.D. Tiffany Stoker Madsen 273-9824	327-9000	269-7000	392-1014

CUSD Administration

Corrine Folmer, Ed.D.	Norm Anderson Superintendent                                              Deputy Superintendent
327-9100	327-9107

Marc Hammack, Ed.D.	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

Page 6	CUSD Today	March 2024 ‰ BOARD BRIEFS

Feb. 21

The Clovis Unified Gov-erning Board received a report on public input regarding the current school attendance boundary study. The feedback was collected at a series of meetings and through online comments. Close to 600 people attended six commu-nity meetings held from Jan. 30 to Feb. 7; livestreams of those meetings have been viewed 1,575 times; and more than 465 online form com-ments have been received. More information is available at cusd.com.
In other action, the board: n Held a public hearing to
allow for comment on the col-lective bargaining proposals between Clovis Unified and ACE Psychologists and Mental Health Support Providers be-fore the start of negotiations n Adopted the Initial Study
– Mitigated Negative Decla-ration and Mitigation Mon-itoring and Reporting Pro-gram for the Terry P. Bradley Educational Center Additional Infrastructure Project, and then approved the project to
allow for construction. Feb. 7

The Governing Board also

recognized eight Clovis Un-ified fall sports athletic teams for their CIF, Valley or State titles. They included Clovis High boys water polo; Bu-chanan High girls volleyball, girls cross country, boys water polo; Clovis East High boys cross country; Clovis West High gymnastics, girls golf; and Clovis North High foot-ball.
The board announced the appointment of current Kast-ner Intermediate learning di-rector Ann Castro as principal of Weldon Elementary, effec-tive July 1. Current Weldon Principal Ray Lozano will be retiring after 24 years leading the Old Town Clovis school. The board received an up-date on the Governor’s January budget proposal and its impact on Clovis Unified’s prelimi-nary budget for the 2024-25 school year. With the COLA proposed to be only .76% and otherwise flat funding for ex-isting programs and services, the district is preparing a budg-et that plans for the fact that revenue will be insuficient to cover year-over-year changes
in existing expenses.
Full minutes, videos and agendas	are	online	at cusd.com.

CalKidds.com

AROUND THE DISTRICT

March 2024

Flying discs at Clark
Special Education Functional Life Skills intermediate students from around the district gathered at Clark Intermediate for the annual Van Ravenhorst Disc Golf Classic. Sixteen teams totaling nearly 100 students in Special Day classes from Clark, Kastner, Alta Sierra and Granite Ridge intermediate schools participated. Teams played through a nine-hole disc golf course, followed by a luncheon and awards ceremony. The Clark Intermediate team, “Team Prime,” took first place, followed by Granite Ridge Intermediate’s “The GR Giants” in second place and Clark Intermediate’s “Blue and Gold” in third place.
“It was a day filled with disc golf, building social skills and fun!” said Benjamin Canzano, an adapted P.E. specialist.

T’wolves help Mustangs
Miramonte Elementary student peer mediators visited Clovis East High peer counselors for a day of training. Students split into groups to discuss topics like bullying, leadership and conflict resolution, and they learned how to address these topics on their own campus.
“I loved hearing about what they get to do and this made me want to continue Peer Counseling later in high school,” said Alison, one of the Miramonte Elementary peer medi-ators.
Many of the Clovis East High students who led the session are former Mustangs, who are still participating in peer coun-seling and now get to train the next generation of students who want to help their peers.
“Learning these crucial, conflict resolution skills has a lasting effect on our students and overall campus,” said Trisha Sisk, a Miramonte Elementary advisor.

Cow visits Tigers
The Century Elementary Tigers had special guests to their campus recently: a cow named Valentine and her handler and Mobile Dairy Classroom instructor Mishael McDougal. Students learned all about dairy cows and the journey milk takes from the farm to the carton. They loved having Valentine on campus, said Principal Brion Warren, and they asked plenty of questions to learn more about the agricultural world.

Unity Week at Clark
The Clark Intermediate Chieftains celebrated the cultures of the world recently during their Unity Week. Students and

CUSD Today

National Emmy for Buchanan High

Congratulations to Buchanan High alumnus Taylor Brunzell on winning a National Student Production Award, better known as an Emmy! Last school year, as a Buchanan senior, Taylor created a video essay in Daniel Pearce’s videography class. It was about the campus’ Coffee Cave that’s operated by students in special education classes. After earning a Western Regional Emmy, his video was submitted to the national level to compete against talented and creative high school students around the country.
“Winning this award means a great deal to me, in the sense that it is a stepping stone to the future career path I want to take in the film industry,” said Taylor. When asked about his advice for younger students looking to follow a similar path, he said, “Don’t place caps on your ideas based on what you think is possible. You don’t get where you want to be by playing it safe – you get there with risk and dedication.”
To watch the award-winning video: https://drive. google.com/file/d/1Js49SpCLWSIBIHkK6o9jSsCPfZf-HBsFC/view?usp=sharing.

teachers around campus participated in a Door Decorating Contest, designing artwork including cultural photos, traditions and other fun facts about global countries. Students also created a Unity Quilt, each decorating a square to represent their unique “gifts to the world.” In Academic Block classes, cultural lessons were added to the curriculum for the week. Students also received a visit from Clovis High Cougars in the Folklorico and Indian Culture clubs who performed. Ac-tivities completed during Unity Week are still on display around campus to remind students that they celebrate unity year-round.

Bronco is ‘Superstar’
Fresno County Superintendent of Schools Michele Copher, Ed.D., and the FCSS Board of Trustees recently honored Surabhi Khanna from Clovis North High as their January Student Superstar. Surabhi was being recognized for her efforts to create campus resources around cultural proficiency and other service work she has done. The FCSS Superstar award honors students who are giving back to their school and community.

Page 7

Music honors black composers
Kicking off Black History Month, the Century Elementary Choir and Reyburn Intermediate Chamber Choir joined a chorus of more than 600 singers at the Fresno County Super-intendent of Schools’ Unity Fresno Festival and Concert held earlier this month.
In celebration of February as Black History Month, the county event honored the contributions of famous African American musical composers. Choirs from around Fresno County performed two songs during the festival and received feedback from judges, including renowned choral music com-poser and educator Dr. Rollo Dilworth.
Select groups, including the two Clovis Unified choirs, were invited back for their own “encore” performance during an evening concert. They also performed in the mass choir under Dr. Dilworth’s direction to premier his new piece, “Peace Like A River.”
“We received so many incredible comments from the ad-judicators just raving about how ‘polite, well-behaved, and at-tentive’ our students were,” said Century Elementary’s choir director Kaylene Clark. “To say I am proud is an understate-ment.”

T’shirt by T’wolf
Congratulations to Clovis East High senior Vincent Mejia who designed the winning T-shirt graphic to celebrate the Mental Health Pro Youth Advocacy work being done in Fresno County as part of the Mental Health Servies Oversight & Ac-countability Commission and Pro Youth organization. Vincent received a $1,000 scholarship from the Fresno County Super-intendent of Schools for his win.

One in 100!
Clovis East High senior and AFJROTC student Emaly Nieves has been selected as one of 100 worldwide recipients to receive the J-100 scholarship. This scholarship focuses on character, leadership and citizenship, and it will provide Emaly with 100% paid tuition at any 4-year university.

Fire safety training
Jefferson Elementary had a special visitor recently when Clovis Fire Department’s Captain Joe Christl talked to students about fire safety. The Bluejays have an annual Firefighters on Safety Education presentation to make sure students learn important fire safety information. Some students even assisted with the training this year, to help Captain Christl demonstrate how a firefighter would rescue someone in the event of a fire.

Page 8	CUSD Today	March 2024

Boundaries: FROM PAGE ONE:

rected to a different school and an address checker about what school a child would attend. The full timeline, reports, FAQ, comment form and further details about the boundary study are also available. Learn more at cusd.com.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are attendance boundaries being     areas.
reviewed?                                                             If my child will be directed to a new While the driving force behind the     school, is there a way they can remain at boundary review is the addition of the     their current school/what about students
Terry P. Bradley Educational Center in     on existing transfers?
the Fall of 2025, this review is also meant          After allocating staff to schools using to ensure enrollment across existing facilities     the new attendance areas, existing transfer is balanced. This provides guidance to     options will be offered based on available make sure the district efficiently uses ex-     space. Those already attending school on isting facility space – avoiding overcrowded     a transfer may need to reapply if their conditions at schools and filling schools     current school is impacted by changes in where room is available – and only builds     its attendance boundary or secondary new schools when absolutely necessary.        school system. Specific questions about (The Bradley Center will be the hub of     existing or future transfers should contact Clovis Unified’s newest school area. Under     the Student Services Office at 559-327-construction at Highland and Clinton ave-     9200. Questions about how transfers impact nues, it will house the new Clovis South     CIF athletic eligibility should be directed
High School and a yet-to-be-named in-     to your high school athletic director. termediate school. It is needed to ease	What if my older child will be in high continuing overcrowding at nearby Reagan     school at the time of a boundary change Educational Center.)                                       and I don’t want his/her siblings to attend
Why aren’t the changes limited to the     a different school?
schools that will populate the new Clovis          Dependent on the age of your oldest South Area?                                                    child at the time of the August 2025 school Initial findings following a months-     year, you may be able to access an open
long study show that schools in the Clovis     enrollment transfer.
East Area and some in the Clovis Area are          In an effort to keep families together in currently overcrowded, and likely some     the event of a boundary change that would of those students will become part of the     otherwise cause a family to have students new Clovis South Area.                                  attend two different secondary schools, On the opposite side of the district,     our Governing Board created a sibling data shows that most schools in the Clovis     transfer option. That option is in effect if West Area have seats available, while several     your oldest child is entering 10th grade in schools in the nearby Clovis North Area     the 2025-26 school year and your younger and Buchanan Area are at or above capac-     children would be entering grade 7 while ity.                                                                    an older sibling is still enrolled in high What is the district’s criteria for cre-     school. The policy is available online at
ating new attendance boundaries?	cusd.com.
Five guiding principles are followed	How can comments be shared, and whenever possible as an important frame-     has a decision already been made?
work to weigh considerations for student-          No decision has yet been made on new centered decision making when developing     attendance boundaries and comments are new attendance areas.                                     a valuable part of the review process. Feed-n Maximize facility space while moving     back can be given at school parent/SART
as few students as possible,                             meetings or provided using the online n Value neighborhood schools and keep     comment form at cusd.com. This input is neighborhoods together,                                 used to develop a final map proposal that
n Reduce operational expenses,	will be released March 29.
n Create boundaries that will last for 5-	The Governing Board will make its 10 years whenever possible, and                    decision whether to take action on the
n Balance enrollment across high school     recommendation in April.
	
For address check, comment form, and updates: Visit CUSD.COM

Jill Moorhead
Matthew Moss

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March 2024	CUSD Today	Page 9

Employees inspire with dedication, care

Editor’s note: Clovis Unified honored 28 employees for their exceptional work conducted in the 2022-23 school year with a Crystal Award, the district’s highest employee honor at a gala event Feb. 28. These educators – ranging from teachers and administrators to librarians and athletic directors – were nomi-nated by their peers or supervisor in the fall and found deserving by employee judging panels to merit the top recognition. Honorees were surprised with the news before Winter Break.
In this issue of CUSD Today, we continue a series in alphabetical order that showcases our honorees and the series will continue through upcoming editions.

By Carol Lawson-Swezey Special to CUSD Today

Tanisha Laret Boris Elementary
Whether it’s giving new fam-ilies a personal tour, attending boundary meetings to share her own experience, or volunteering for evening multicultural events, Boris Elementary Student Activ-ities Specialist Tanisha Laret has a far-reaching commitment. Laret was vital in establishing Boris’
PTC in 2016. Although her children no longer attend Boris, she remains a member and oficer today.
She was hired at Boris in 2017 as a special edu-cation instructional assistant, and in 2020, took on the challenges of pandemic education as registrar, handling social distancing, Covid leave days and standard school and district protocols. She also managed a huge increase in student population from 544 in 2020 to 741 last year.
She is known for her sweet treats, her lovely voice and motherly ways to many. In a nomination letter, one family describes how she helped them through a tragedy. Said the mother, “At the time, my two girls were scared and had no idea what was going on. Tanisha made sure their second- and sixth-grade years started off without a hitch with support and hugs.”
Jenny Mammen Gateway High
Jenny Mammen, Gateway High’s teacher librarian, works tirelessly for students.
In her own time, she trained for Gateway’s Positive Behavior Intervention Support team, and implemented an improved, easily accessible and teacher-friendly
staff referral system. She encourages students to use their PBIS points for rewards at the student store.
Mammen assists in state testing for students re-quiring makeup exams, ensuring a 90% completion rate for Gateway students.
Mammen develops and facilitates digital literacy and citizenship lessons for instructional staff, which are delivered to students throughout the school year. She serves on the School Site Council. She works with the Clovis Support and Intervention

The Crystals

For a full list of winners and their video biographies from The Crystals, see cusd.com/CrystalAwards.

program for at-risk Gateway students struggling	and make sure Oraze’s classrooms had a working with drugs, peer pressure, suicide ideation and	projector, document camera, Screenbeam and com-anger. She is one of three teachers on campus	puter carts.
trained as a LGBTQ support person and attends           Moorhead runs a “shelf-elf” program to create Gay Straight Alliance meetings twice a month.             a safe, reassuring haven for students at the library Mammen will do what is needed to support      that is open before and after school and during students, including assisting home hospital students      lunch. She started “Boards at Break,” where students at Enterprise School or ironing student graduation      can spend lunch breaks playing board games, and gowns before the ceremony.                                          it’s also an opportunity for English learner students
She is seen as a source of support and serenity	to practice conversation skills.
for many students. Her nominator said it best:           Moorhead serves as Athletic Director, coach “Jenny’s life is measured by the gifts of time, ded-      and events coordinator. She oversees the school’s ication, belief in possibility and inspiration that      coaches, sports programs, athletic schedules and students and staff receive from her.”                              maintains all equipment. She also runs a stand-out softball program. She’s created campus events like
Oraze Elementary		Rodeo Week and Olympic Day. Library Technician Jill Moor-
head has created a “champion”	Bud Rank Elementary/Facilities
culture at Oraze Elementary.                                              Known around campus for In 2011, when the campus                                   his magical prowess to get things opened, she was selected to build,                                   done, Bud Rank Elementary oversee and sustain more than                                   Plant Manager Matthew Moss 18,000 books on a limited budget.                                   juggles multiple duties without
Her passion for enhancing liter-	missing a beat.
acy has helped build students’ love for reading and                                         He can simultaneously handle increased ELA achievements. Moorhead’s efforts                                   home games, sports, rallies and are instrumental in Oraze earning the CLASSI                                   hundreds of unexpected small Award.                                                                           and large emergencies of a school site. He works Last year, Moorhead collaborated with the CUSD      with the neighborhood home owners association Technology Department and district support spe-      and City of Clovis to maintain sidewalks and flower cialist to maintain more than 1,000 computers, load      beds surrounding the campus. Moss’ attention to hundreds of applications onto the iPad collection,      detail has led every Parent SART survey to earn a 99% approval rating for the care of building and
grounds every year he has been the school’s plant manager.
Focusing on safety and integrity, Moss addresses issues promptly and eficiently. His philosophy is that school should look like a place you want to take your children.
He also works his magic by creating a supportive environment for students. Each year Moss starts the kindergartener’s educational journey with a red-carpet event for the new Ravens. Seeking more student involvement, he became a beloved coach in basketball, football and now volleyball. He points out the positive aspects of each athlete, encouraging growth in the sport and in the student as a person.

Erynn Nelson
Fancher Creek Elementary
Erynn Nelson’s job descrip-tion of instructional assistant at Fancher Creek Elementary doesn’t begin to encompass her many roles as seamstress, organ-izer, problem solver and men-tor.
She supervises reading inter-vention groups for first- through sixth-graders, and learned AVID focused note taking and coordinating strategies with mainstream teaching staff. Last year, she began providing SEL intervention to select stu-dents.
Nelson understands that differentiating instruc-tion is key to help students learn and succeed at their level. Student progress in her groups showed substantial growth on both iReady Reading Dia-gnostics and state assessments.
With a gift to see a need and develop solutions, she organized a back-to-school supply drive for

Fancher Creek teachers through her church and Eagle Scouts. Not only were the supplies delivered the week before school, but she also had volunteers who helped get classrooms ready. She sewed cus-tomized blackout curtains for classrooms and made removable shelves for rolling class storage units.
Nelson is often seen sitting on the floor at a stu-dent’s eye level so that she can provide encourage-ment. She mentors through Fancher’s Check-in/ check-out behavioral support strategy. She’ll do what is needed for her students, even repairing a hole in a student’s only sweatshirt or bringing snacks for hungry learners. Nominators say Nelson’s care for children comes from her “heart the size of Texas.”
Carlie Negrete Pinedale Elementary
Pinedale Elementary first-grade teacher Carlie Negrete is affectionately nicknamed “Mayor of Pinedale.”
Negrete creates a culture of caring in her classroom where students feel safe to take risks. Her passion extends throughout
the entire campus. She knows every student’s name and has high expectations for all.
She volunteers in the Behavior Lab and initiated “Saturday Sports at Pinedale” to engage kids in sports, activities and a free lunch. The program has grown to include “Teens that Care” where high school students organize and mentor students.
Negrete gives students and staff handwritten notes and shout-outs during school announcements. She works with parents to learn each child’s story and asks parents to send a note if their child is having a rough time that says “Handle with Care.” After the unexpected passing of a Pinedale student named Lily, Negrete honored her with “Kindness Week” and “Lily’s Garden.” Students planted lily and daffodil bulbs and painted rocks with inspirational messages. This year, to commem-orate what would have been Lily’s sixth grade year, a buddy bench inscribed with “Live like Lily” will
be installed.
Negrete inspires her students often with the chant “Pat yourself on the back man! I’m good, smart and strong!”
And because of her, they believe it. Dianne Oller
Cole Elementary
Cole Elementary kinder-garten teacher Dianne Oller bases decisions on what is best for all students, not just those in her own class. Last year she found herself in a unique situation when two of her kindergarten col-leagues had overlapping mater-
nity leave. To ensure their students received quality instruction and ample care, Oller chose to mentor the long-term substitute teachers – creating a com-prehensive pacing guide including SSST, planning weekly lesson plans, and making time for mentorship by opening her doors for observation and making herself available before and after school.
Oller’s continuous updates on classroom devel-opments were instrumental in maintaining a seamless learning environment. And to ensure the kinder-gartners experienced all the goodness of the grade level, Oller even planned the annual field trips in addition to the winter and end-of-year programs. Additionally, Oller used her own experience as
a cancer survivor to provide comfort and support to one of the substitutes who was undergoing a similar experience, and continuously checked on the teammates daily, creating a sense of safety and belonging. Her “care chip” and intentional leadership successfully developed a collaborative culture. Sandy Paez
Temperance-Kutner Elementary Temperance Kutner Elementary Home Liaison
Instructional Assistant Sandy Paez is known as the “sunshine at TK.” She’s the first to greet parents and students in the school ofice and juggles needs, Spanish translation and resources.
She often stays late, when parents are available, to act as a
translator. She is known as the first to jump in and offer help, with no strings attached, to assist with a radio or phone call, a line of tardy students, or wherever she’s needed.
Paez does all the shopping for Cathy’s Closet, which provides clothing and accessories to students as needed. She’s been known to buy items like new shoes, out of her own pocket. She will bring snacks and pack lunches for students without resources and deliver them privately without embarrassment. One student, experiencing food scarcity, was stealing from other student backpacks. Paez en-couraged him to visit her daily at the ofice for
snacks and support, and he is now thriving.
Her nominator said Paez never wants recognition for her unwavering, quiet kindness and generosity. “Sometimes the ones who say the least, do the most,” her colleague said.

Page 10	CUSD Today	March 2024