CUSD
December 2022
	
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	Clovis Unified S 1450 Herndon Clovis, CA 936
	
Clovis Unified School District — DEVELOPING STUDENTS IN MIND, BODY & SPIRIT	Volume 25, No. 5

FOLLOW US ON	AND AT	M

T ’S
ST
COUNTY’S BEST

Southeast boundary study continues 35th elementary school to open Fall 2024

In preparation of	and shared with the Clovis Unified opening	public and Governing a new elementary	Board in early Febru-school in the southeast	ary. The board is ex-area of the district in	pected to take action Fall 2024, potential at-	on the proposal later tendance boundary	that month.
map options have been                                                                                          Clovis Unified will developed and are                                                                                     open its 35th elemen-available for public re-                                                                                     tary school in 2024 view.                                                                                                                 near     Fowler     and The maps were cre-                                                                                     McKinley avenues to ated following several                                                                                     keep pace with grow-community meetings                                                                                     ing residential devel-with families and com-                                                                                     opment and increasing munity members at all                                                                                     enrollment in the Clovis East area ele-                                                                                     southeast area of the
mentary schools and	district. community-wide                                                                                          A recent study of meetings this fall that sought input.                        school enrollment shows that without a new el-
Criteria guiding the process has been:                ementary school, within 10 years elementary ■ Utilize existing school design capacity      schools in the Clovis East Area would be severely
whenever possible	overcrowded, with student populations of 1,000 ■ Keep neighborhoods together with con-	or more.
tiguous boundaries that avoid gerrymandering	Last month, the Clovis Unified Governing and avoid crossing major streets and other bar-      Board appointed current Miramonte Elementary riers                                                                          Principal Laura Reynolds as the future principal
■ Consider neighborhood dynamics	of the new school.
■ Consider transportation needs	To view attendance map proposals or submit ■ Consider implications to special programs      feedback: https://rec.cusd.com/2022schoolbound-A Community Forum discussing the different      aries.aspx.
attendance map options was held Dec. 6 and           To hear from Assistant Superintendent of staff gathered further feedback, which can still      Facility Services Denver Stairs as he explains be offered online at cusd.com.                                 the boundary-setting process and how to get Input about the options will be processed      involved, watch CUSD’s “2 Minutes Today”Oc-through January, with a final attendance map      tober edition at: https://www.cusd.com/2Minutes
recommendation anticipated to be developed	Today.aspx.

District budget book wins excellence

Eichmann, Hughes are Educators of Year

Congratulations to Clovis East High School CTE Health Pathway Teacher Dr. Kelly Eichmann who was named Teacher of the Year and Weldon Elementary/ Clark Intermediate Student Relations Liaison Gabriel Hughes Employee of the Year in the 2022 Fresno County Educator of the Year contest sponsored by the Fresno County Superintendent of School's Office. They –pictured here with Clovis Unified Superintend-ent Eimear O'Brien, Ed.D. –were announced Nov. 17 at a gala awards ceremony and selected from among dozens of outstanding nominees from Fresno County school districts for the award that recognizes deep com-mitment to the care and success of students.

Photo by P.J. Lippert/CUSD Today

For the 25th year in a row, Clovis Unified School District has been recognized for excellence in budget presentation with the Meritorious Budget Award for the 2022-23 school year. The award, announced Nov. 15, is presented by the Association of School Business Officials International.
The district holds the longest streak for receiving the award in California.
The association seeks to encourage school district budget presentations that meet compliance and re-quirements while also providing a presentation format that promotes public understanding and clarity.
This school year, Clovis Unified oversees a $572 million General Fund. Learn more: cusd.com/budgetfi-nance.aspx.

Free study help available online

Stuck on a math homework problem? Get-ting 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 for Clovis Unified students at all grade levels. The district has partnered with tutor.com,
a service of The Princeton Review, to provide students with online tutoring anytime without charge to families. There are more than 3,000 expert tutors in 250-plus subject areas available to help.
Students using the service can expect one-on-one help through a live messaging window, with the ability for the student or tutor to share screens on a whiteboard on which both write and view.
“It’s a great resource year-round, and right now as our students are heading into end of semester and looking into unit tests and finals and needing some help, this is a great place to get it,” said Curriculum and Instruction Assistant Superintendent Erin Waer said.
To access the on-demand service, students can log into their Clever account and select the tutor.com app. To find our more, view “2 Minutes Today” that was recently emailed to parents that shows the service in action.

Photo special to CUSD Today How are you

feeling?

At Temperance-Kutner Elementary School, students in Kristen Houston’s class were learning about emotions and feelings during their weekly Positivity Project Instruction and used their own emojis to express them-selves. The lesson included learning about being open and aware to the feeling of others. Find more news about school happenings in “Around the District” on Page 7.

Clovis North wows in parade They played “California Dreamin’” in

the streets of New York as the Clovis North High Marching Band and Color Guard performed in this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.A national audience was wowed by their televised performance as the 132 Val-ley musicians took part in the iconic parade with colorful floats and over-sized balloons – the Broncos were trailed by a massive SpongeBob – and thousands lined the route to view in person.“It was a trip of a lifetime!” said CN Band Director David Lesser.

Photos by John Arevalo/CUSD Today

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

Page 2	CUSD Today	December 2022

CUSD ag students score well at Fair

Around 100 Clovis FFA students from Clovis Unified’s McFarlane-Coffman Ag Center at Clovis East High participated this fall in the Big Fresno Fair where the Small Animal and Livestock Show Teams won six out of 10 overall Grand Champions. Clovis FFA students raise every-thing from goats and cows to chickens and pigs. Students invest several hours each day for up to 11 months a year tending to the animals that they will show at the fair. But there is a lot more involved than just
animal care.
The ag students work as inde-pendent entrepreneurs, obtaining advisory from teachers, parents and animal breeders, said Clovis East ag instructor Jennifer Knight. Individ-ually, they build strategy and project plans including budget, time and fi-nancial management, data tracking, data analysis and marketing.
“They have to market their project to ensure they will break even fi-nancially or end up making a profit when selling their animal. They also learn to manage their feelings when the animal they have created a bond with will be sold as food at the Live-stock Auction,” Knight said.

Students support and work along-side one another, helping and rep-resenting Clovis FFA, though they compete individually. Knight said she is proud of the level of dedication and professionalism her students possess.“They learn that just because you work hard does not always mean you will win, yet they learn to be proud of the success they’ve found making great choices and represent-ing our school and community in positive ways.”
BEEF AND CATTLE HIGH-LIGHTS: Cambria Cook,Supreme Champion Market Steer, Champion and Reserve Registered Breeding Heifer, Champion Cow/Calf Pair, Champion Advanced Beef Show-manship; Chase Gann, Reserve Supreme Champion Market Steer, Champion Breeding Bull, Champion Registered Bred By Exhibitor, Reserve Champion Intermediate Beef Show-manship; Gabrielle Garcia, Cham-pion All Other Colors Market Steer, Champion Novice Beef Showman-ship, Round Robin Master Show-manship Novice Champion; Josef Fulbright,Supreme Champion Bred By Exhibitor Market Steer, Reserve Champion Feeder Calf.
SWINE HIGHLIGHTS: Prestin Ashley, Supreme Champion Market Hog; Emmalee Balch, First Place Yearling Breeding Gilt;Gracie Peters, Reserve Champion Yorkshire Market Hog; Nolan Phalzgraph, Reserve Champion Duroc Market Hog; Ca-den Quinn, Champion All Other Breeds Market Hog; Jackson Scar-borough,Champion Yorkshire Mar-ket Hog;Tyler Scott, Reserve Cham-pion Hampshire Market Hog, Cham-pion Novice Showmanship.
GOAT AND SHEEP HIGH-LIGHTS: Caleb Gann, Reserve Supreme Champion Market Goat, Champion Junior High, 2nd Place Intermediate Goat Showmen, Champion Doe and Bred By Ex-hibitor Doe; Sadie Keller, Reserve Champion FFA Market Goat; Samantha Lane, Champion Senior Goat Showmen, 3rd Place Round Robin Master Showmanship; Chase Gann, Champion Inter-mediate Goat Showmen; Chris

Photo special to CUSD Today. Celebrating Clovis East student wins are, from left, parent Todd Cook, student Cambria Cook with her Supreme Champion Market Steer, student Chase Gann with his Reserve Supreme Champion Market Steer and Clovis FFA Beef Advisor Trevor Autry.

Lane, Reserve Champion Heavy-	SMALL ANIMAL HIGH-	Brandon, Grand Champion Pen of weight Market Goat;Ryan Hayashi,      LIGHTS: Lucy Hernandez, Grand	3 Market Rabbits.
Reserve Supreme Champion Bred	Champion Market Turkey, Cham-	FLORAL: Mishaila Pena, Best By Exhibitor Market Lamb.	pion Turkey Showmen; Elizabeth     of Show Floral Arrangement.

Artists honored in art competition

Clovis Unified student artwork stood out in the Big Fresno Fair’s annual art competition, with CUSD students earning Best of Show in nine of the 11 categories. They are: Melanie Moua, Clovis East High, Drawing-Black and White; Julie Harris, Clovis North High, Drawing-Colored Pencil, Felt Markers, Pastel, Oil Pastel; Allison Taylor, Clovis West High, Drawing-Black and White Pen, Ink or Black Felt Marker; Nadia Iqbal, Buchanan High, Painting-Tempera Painting or Water Color;Allison Taylor, Clovis West, Painting-Oil or Acrylic Paint; Josiah Warren, Clovis West, Ceramic-Sculpture; Alexa Sanders, Clovis High, Ceramic-Pottery, Func-tional Pieces; Kailee Ia, Clovis North, Photogra-phy-Manipulated or Altered; Jana Coetzee, Clovis High, 2-Dimensional Design-Print Making Graphic Design, Collage.
At the intermediate school level, recognized were Leanna Vang, Reyburn, Ceramics; and Jack
Photo special to CUSD Today.     Arnold, Kastner, Fine Arts Drawing.
Clovis West’s Josiah Warren holds his award as instructor	Jana Coetzee, Clovis High received the Allard’s Barbie Savage Piasecki celebrates at the Big Fresno Fair.     Art Awards.

the services of a certified asbestos consulting
Special Education
December 2022	CUSD Today	Page 3

‰ Announcements

It’s showtime in CUSD!
Who needs Broadway when the amazing talent of Clovis Unified’s high school students and their school productions are available right here? Several shows – the culmination of passion, hard work and numerous rehearsals – will be performed in the coming weeks. For more information or tickets, visit CUSD.com/tickets.
■ ‘A Christmas Story’ – Clovis West High Theater will bring the holiday memories of youngster Ralphie Park-er to life in the comical production of“A Christ-mas Story.” In the fic-tional tale, the boy dreams of getting a “Red Ryder air rifle” as a pres-ent and hopes against
all odds – involving crazy antics of his family, neighborhood bullies and even a broken leg lamp – it will be under the Christmas tree. Remaining shows will be at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 8-10 at the Dan Pessano Theater, 2770 E. International Ave., Fresno.
■ ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’ – Clovis North High will present the musical “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” in January. The Hunchback of Notre Dame tells the story of Quasimodo, the hunch-backed bell-ringer of Notre Dame, and his de-
sire to one day be a part of the outside world. The production will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 19-21 and 26-28; and 2 p.m. Jan. 21 and 28 at the Mercedes Edwards Theatre, 902 Fifth St. More: thebroncodrama.com.
■ ‘Exit the Body’ – Clovis High brings to life “Exit the Body” in this comedy stage production who-dunnit that features a mystery writer, jewel thieves and a disappearing dead body in search of hidden gems. Performances will be at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 26-28 and Feb. 2-4 at the Dan Pessano Theater, 2770 E. International Ave., Fresno.

Asbestos management plan in place at each school site

In compliance with the Environmental Pro-tection Agency’s Asbestos Hazard Emergency Re-sponse Act (AHERA), Clovis Unified is providing written notification of the availability of the 2021-22 school year asbestos management plan for public inspection at each school site and at the district office, 1450 Herndon Ave., Clovis. The management plan includes inspection records as well as documentation of any asbestos removal

2022 NATIONAL BLUE RIBBON SCHOOLS

Nation’s Best!
Clovis Unified School District administrators, including Woods Elementary Principal Cecilia Dansby, third from left, and Granite Ridge Principal Joshua Shapiro, fourth from right, received National Blue Ribbon School awards for their schools in Wash-ington, D.C., in November. The two CUSD schools were the only in the Valley to receive the national honor.

that has occurred at the site.Arrangements may entered in a drawing for a brand new home were be made to review these plans by contacting the distributed to several local nonprofits, including district’s asbestos coordinator,Adam Belmont at the Foundation for Clovis Schools. The foundation 327-9491.                                                           is comprised of volunteers who raise money for During the past school year, the district con- classroom grants, scholarships, new teacher mini-ducted two required six-month surveillance grants and leadership training. Thank you to the
AHERA inspections at all sites. This included in- community and all who purchased tickets through specting all known asbestos locations and reporting the Foundation for Clovis Schools and to Granville any changes in condition. Additionally, licensed Homes for your partnership and support! contractors performed asbestos removal work at
Dry Creek Elementary and Red Bank Elementary.
For each of these projects, the district retained	Clovis Unified School District offers a variety
firm to monitor the work and ensure compliance of special education services and programs to with all regulations and requirements.                   serve children with communicative, physical, If you have any questions or would like addi- learning, emotional and other special needs.
tional information about the district’s asbestos These services and programs are available to all program, contact Adam Belmont at the number qualified children in public schools and, to a above.	limited degree, children in private schools.
Granville’s Home of Hope
raises $103k for CUSD schools
Special education services are provided only to children who have been found eligible through a process of testing and other assessments and
The Foundation for Clovis Schools received when it is determined that their needs cannot be $103,410 for its	met using the resources of the general education participation in	program. Parents, teachers, or other concerned Granville’s	individuals can refer a child for assessment and Home of Hope	determination of eligibility.
event. Funds raised through purchases of tickets	To learn more about special education services

and the special education referral process, contact Clovis Unified School District Special Education Department at 327-9400.

Advisory committee meetings Clovis Unified holds regular meetings through-

out the year of its Special Education Community Advisory Committee (CAC) that are open to the public. The committee serves in an advisory ca-pacity to the Special Education Local Plan Area. Its goal is to raise community awareness about the needs of students and their families regarding Special Education programs and to provide in-formation, workshops and resources to families to help ensure that quality programs educate the student with exceptional needs in mind, body and spirit.
The next CAC meeting will be on “Legislative Updates” held from noon to 1 p.m. Feb. 8 at the CUSD Professional Development Building, 1680 David E. Cook Way, Clovis, and a complimentary lunch is provided.
For more information or to secure an inter-preter for a meeting, call 327-8455 or email fam-ilyresource center @cusd.com. Information and updates can also be found on cusd.com.

College financial aid window opens, workshops

Seniors planning on attending college in the Fall of 2023 can submit their FAFSA (Free Ap-plication for Federal Student Aid) and CADAA (California Dream Act Application) online. The application window closes March 2.
The FAFSA is not just for low-income students and should be completed byALL 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 will also be used for college scholarship information and many student athletes are asked to complete the application.
Starting with the Class of 2023,Assembly Bill 469 makes applying for the FAFSA mandatory for all seniors; however, students/parents can also choose to complete a FAFSA waiver form. Contact your high school counselor for more informa-tion.
Clovis Unified schools have been holding workshops to assist families in completing the FAFSA. Remaining upcoming workshops are on the following dates, and are open to families from all school areas: Buchanan High, Jan. 31; and Clovis West High, Dec. 12, Feb. 6 and Feb. 14. Links, information and workshop times are available through the CUSD high school counseling centers.
The FAFSA online application is available at https://fafsa.ed.gov.

SPORTS

Page 4	CUSD Today	December 2022

Fall district champions honored

Fall sports came to a close in November after a robust season where volleyballs smashed, footballs flew and water polo balls splashed across the district as athletes gave their all in league play.

Elementary
Clovis Unified Fall Elementary Athletic Championships saw hundreds of students competing in volleyball, football and cross-country – with a new district time record set for the Boys 5th/6th Grade cross country race by Valley Oak student Cole Jolley, with a time of 5:11.69. Congratulations to:
■ Football Bowl Series champions Dry Creek, Boris and Fugman; and runners-up Lincoln, Gettysburg and Free-dom.
■ Volleyball champion Fugman, and runner-up Jeffer-son
■ Cross-Country Team champions Dry Creek (girls fourth grade); Woods (boys fourth grade); Mickey Cox (girls 5th/6th grade); Dry Creek (boys 5th/6th grade).

Intermediate
Clovis Intermediate Athletic League (CIAL) fall cham-pionship teams: Varsity Football, Alta Sierra; 7th grade, Clark; Girls Volleyball, 8th grade, Reyburn; 7th-grade,Alta Sierra; Boys Water Polo, 8th grade, Clark, 7th grade, Alta Sierra; Girls Water Polo, 8th grade, Alta Sierra, 7th grade, Clark; Girls Tennis, Reyburn; Girls Golf, Alta Sierra; Girls Cross Country, Alta Sierra; Boys Cross Country, Alta Sier-ra.

High School
Tri-River Athletic Conference (TRAC) fall championship teams: Boys Cross Country, Buchanan; Girls Cross Country,

Photo special to CUSD Today. Dry Creek Elementary’ s 4th Grade Girls Cross Country Team receives the District Champions award for the 2022-23 school year at the Fall Elementary Athletic Championships held at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

Buchanan; Football, Clovis West; Girls Golf, Clovis West; Girls Gymnastics, Clovis West; Girls Tennis, Clovis North; Girls Volleyball, Clovis East; Boys Water Polo, Clovis North; Girls Water Polo, Clovis West.

Student athletes college bound

Forty-eight senior student athletes in Clovis Unified schools are signing Letters of Intent in November, with commitments ranging from Fresno State and Fresno Pacific University to Cal Berkeley, Oregon State and the Air Force Academy. Proud parents, coaches and friends will cheered at ceremonies for the following: Buchanan High

J.P. Acosta,Baseball, CSU Long Beach;Bailey Bracha, Soccer, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo; Maggie Cook, Water Polo, Fresno Pacific University; Savanna FauntLeRoy, volleyball, Hawaii Pacific; Hilton Green, Track and Field, Oklahoma;Braden Guentz, Baseball, Pepperdine; Hayley Hartsburg, Soccer, CSU Sacramento; Grace Hutchison, Cross Country and Track and Field, BYU; Genesis Jasper, Water Polo,Arizona State; Jordan Lev-

➤ Please see College,Page 9

the loss of learning
caused by a worldwide
VISION

December 2022	CUSD Today	Page 5

“
The art and science of great education

By Eimear O’Brien, Ed.D. Superintendent

GREAT education is both an art and a science, and in Clovis Unified we are finely focused on both in our

work to ad-dress students’ p a n d e m i c learning loss. Great edu-cation requires the art of rela-tionships and of         caring
deeply about	Eimear O’Brien, each uni que              Ed.D.
and individual
student. It demands of educators the willingness to take the time to get to know each child and to un-derstand his or her motivating in-terests enough to unlock their full potential for learning.When some-one accepts a job with Clovis Uni-fied, they accept an obligation to our students that they will care enough to go outside of their own comfort zones if it means that a child achieves his or her best.
As part of a long-standing tra-dition in our district that empha-sizes the direct correlation of great people to great education, I inter-view every teacher hired by Clovis Unified. The capacity to care is not a “teachable” quality, and every member of our team goes to great lengths to recruit and retain people who understand the art of caring. If art is one face of the educa-tional coin, science is the other. Educators must also be intentional and systematic, and they must be wholly committed to monitoring systems that are essential to ac-complish goals. A good teacher knows not only what his students’ personal interests are, but the data behind how that student is doing on each individual element of the curriculum and subject matter. Is the child at or above grade level? Have they mastered each concept that has been taught? Are they growing, regardless of their current

We are leaving no
stone unturned in
our efforts to bring
students back on track
and quickly make-up
grade level achievement?                                                                              about this multi-tiered evaluation On a larger scale, data drives                                                                that annually measures schools the actions of entire grade level                                                                against themselves and against a teaching teams in planning their                                                                standard. For decades, this system approach to instruction. And, on                                                                has measured everything from how a school-wide basis our principals,                                                                well students are being engaged in curriculum and instruction teams,                                                                co-curricular activities, parent in-and Area Superintendents are con-                                                                volvement, and cultural proficiency stantly evaluating both objective                                                                work, to year-over-year academic and subjective data to ensure every                                                                achievement growth and how clean
day of instruction is maximized.	the campus is kept.
Eimear O’Brien, Ed.D.
Superintendent
”
pandemic …
In Clovis Unified, we have mul-	If ever there was any doubt, a tiple accountability systems in place                                                                pandemic has reaffirmed that our that are designed to ensure we                                                                students achieve academic success never lose sight of the science of                                                                best when they are in a classroom education. If you are not familiar                                                                with a caring teacher. As recent with our Clovis Assessment System                                                                state assessment results showed, for Sustained Improvement (CLAS-                                                                the disruptions of COVID shut-SI), I encourage you to learn more                                                                downs, contact tracing and quar-

LESSONS

Inspirations by, for and from our CUSD students

Special to CUSD Today They may be young, but members of the Tarpey Elementary School Student Council took their message of civic re-sponsibility and caring for one’s community to Sacramento in November at the California State Judicial Council’s Civic Summit. The elementary children were invited to speak at the summit after the Clovis Unified school was named earlier this year as the only elementary school in the state – out of more than 5,800 public elementary schools – to receive the California Civic Learning Award of Excellence from the California Courts.

“
Children are human beings to whom respect is due, superior to us by reason of their innocence and of the greater possibilites of their future. ”
MARIA MONTESSORI, ITALIAN PHYSICIAN AND EDUCATOR

antines had a negative impact on student learning, and I make no bones about the fact that our stu-dents’ academic performance suf-fered.
In Clovis Unified, our students’ math scores are down roughly 9% from pre-pandemic levels, and English Language Arts scores are close to 6% lower than in 2019. While these results highlight the challenge facing our students and our educational team, there is an-other data set that shows our stu-dents are rebounding rapidly when engaged in our classrooms.
Formative assessments provide another data point that informs the science of teaching, as they show educators whether or not students are growing in their mas-tery of grade level curriculum standards. Last year, data from these assessments show that more than 80% of our students in grades K-6 grew and improved on these assessments. At the school and district level, we have multi-tiered systems of support that emphasize first, best classroom instruction and then the importance of iden-tifying and fulfilling needs that match resources, curriculum and staffing where they will make the greatest impact.
Each fall, teachers go through an individualized process to create plans to bring every child to grade level or above. At the same time, our Area Superintendents are meet-ing with each school leader in their Area to develop intentional strategies and plans to see school-wide academic growth. I, too, along with members of our school lead-ership and instructional services leadership, meet with two elemen-tary schools in each area along with every high school and inter-mediate school leader to dive deeply into student performance data and academic success plans.
We are leaving no stone un-turned in our efforts to bring stu-dents back on track and quickly make up the loss of learning caused by a worldwide pandemic, an effort that demands both the art and the science of great education.

Prevent child drug use: Facts you should know

Clovis Unified continues to partner with local health and law enforcement agencies in Fresno County to alert parents and stu-dents alike to the ongoing dangers of drug use in our area.An alarm-ing rise of the availability and use of illegally made street drug fen-tanyl creates great concern as the potent opioid can be deadly. Fen-tanyl is the leading cause of fatal overdose in Fresno County, ac-cording to officials.
Also of concern is that drug makers have begun disguising the drug by making it look like candy. That could allow adolescents to hide the drug in plain sight of adults, or it could mean that kids unknowingly consume the drug but think it is candy. In some cases, even a small dose of street fentanyl has been fatal as the opioid is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine.
This fall Clovis Unified hosted a Town Hall with local officials to bring this to the public’s attention; conducted social media campaigns to provide parents, students and

the community with facts; and provided educational messages during the recent Red Ribbon Week annual drug prevention cam-paign.
We encourage parents and the community to partner with us in this effort as together, we can help our students live their very best lives.
The following provide tips and resources to continue raising aware-ness and fighting for our children.

FACTS & INFORMATION

Knowing the facts can equip parents to better protect their chil-dren from drug use.
■ Drugs commonly accessed by youth include alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, prescription drugs and street drugs, including fentanyl which is the leading cause of drug-related deaths in Fresno County. ■ Drug dealers use apps to con-tact youth and arrange convenient cash-app purchases, even dropping off products in locations by a stu-
dent’s home.
■ App conversations can be made up entirely of emojis in cer-

tain combinations that signify var-ious drugs.
■ Common names for some of the street drugs in the area are: percs, blues, tango and cash, M30, xannie bars, fent and smackers.
■ Drugs can be hidden in plain sight, such as nicotine or THC va-ping products that look like a thumb drive or pen, or opioids in the shapes of common candies like gummy bears or Skittles.
■ Parents should talk with their child about the dangers and real consequences of drug use.
More information, resources and conversation starters can be found at cusd.com/ParentBulletin.aspx and cusd.com/Comprehensive WellnessProject.aspx.

PREVENTION TIPS

Parents, create an environment that encourages your child to live a healthy, drug-free lifestyle.
■ Talk with your child about the real consequences of drug use. ■ Keep any prescription med-ications out of reach of children
or in a locked cabinet.
■ Know where your child is

and know their friends. Speak up about any whose influence con-cerns you.
■ Monitor social media for peer pressure and cash apps that target youth.
■ Learn and watch for symp-toms of drug use.
■ Seek help for any mental health or wellness issues.
■ Encourage a balanced life that includes social, physical and co-curricular activities. Plan family time.
More information, resources and conversation starters about drugs and drug use can be found in Clovis Unified Parent Bulletins at cusd.com/ParentBulletin.aspx.

TALK WITH YOUR CHILD ABOUT DRUGS

Children whose parents talk to them about the dangers of drug use are 42% less likely to use drugs. Here are suggestions for making the conversations go well:
■ Choose informal times such as during dinner, in the car, going for a walk or at bedtime.
■ Set clear expectations about

drug and alcohol use, including real consequences for not following rules.
■ Develop strategies with your child if they encounter peer pres-sure regarding drug use.
■ Let them know you care and will answer their questions hon-estly.
■ Check-in with them and keep the conversation going.
■ Stay engaged in their lives by asking about their friends, school and activities.
■ Be a good listener.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Additional resources can be
found by contacting your school or visiting the CUSD Comprehensive Wellness Project website that has re-source pages on substance use, self-care, mental health, suicide preven-tion and more. There are also video links to view the Fentanyl Town Hall as well as a special report on the topic. Visit:cusd.com/Comprehen-siveWellnessProject.aspx. Fresno County also has information avail-able at fresnocountyca.gov/fentanyl and opioidsafefresno.org.

— ABOUT US —

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

CUSD Today Staff

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

Kelly Avants, APR Chief Communications Officer
327-9092

Patti J. Lippert Managing Editor 327-9094

Kellie Feramisco Advertising Manager 327-9093

Verna Garcia Graphic Designer

CUSD Governing Board Members

o
Tiffany Stoker Madsen	David DeFrank	Y landa Moore President                                  Vice President                                    Clerk

392-1014	327-9000	437-6580

Hugh H.Awtrey	Deena Combs-Flores	Steven G. Fogg	Clint Olivier 437-6580                              327-9000                                   269-7000                        313-6065

CUSD Administration

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

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

chance to ex-
ties available
Page 6	CUSD Today	December 2022

Careers launch from CTE experience

look in time for fall
n CTE Night gives students enrollment
By Karen M. Boone

Assistant Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Accountability

Clovis Unified families are invited to learn more about the district’s growing Career Technical Education programs at “CTE Night” from 6 to 8 p.m. Jan. 24 at the Clovis Veterans Memorial Building. With fall enroll-
ment open-ing soon for CTE courses, the	event will give stu-
Career echnical Education (CTE)	dents	the courses are offered at all of CUSD’s
plore college
and career
opportuni-
high schools and are designed to let students personalize their education to their interests. Students combine academic studies with hands-on learning applications and mentoring by industry partners.

to students from all CUSD high schools, CART and the Clovis Adult School.
Teachers and current CTE students taking classes ranging from construction and en-gineering to hospitality and healthcare will be on hand at the showcase and provide engaging activities and practical experiences so visitors can learn how CTE can impact students.
During the day, seventh- and eighth-grade Transitions Program students will tour the building as part of the Intermediate Transitions Conference and also get a sneak peek at what CTE is all about. Students at all intermediate and high schools will also be given an opportunity to sign up to take a bus over to the Veterans Memorial Building during the day to familiarize themselves with the 21 CTE pathways offered in the district.
Not every student learns the same way. In CTE courses, students experience a mix-ture of classroom instruction along with hands-on learning and industry partnership experiences. Career Technical Education provides an alternative approach that works to help students become college and career ready. Students and parents interested in learning more about how to get involved in CTE classes are encouraged to attend this event.
This school year, there are 3,705 students enrolled in CTE pathways throughout the district. Clovis Unified offers a variety of CTE courses at each high school, and students can take CTE classes offered at schools other

‰ QUICK FACTS

n 21 CTE Pathways in CUSD
n CTE courses at all five CUSD high schools
n Explore the options at CTE Night at 6 p.m. Jan. 24 at Clovis Veterans Memori-al Building
n Enroll for Fall 2023 during spring regis-tration

than their home school site.
Current offerings are as follows – Buchanan High Pathways: Engineering De-sign; Environmental Resources; Design, Visual and Media Arts; Production and Managerial Arts; Food Service and Hospi-tality; Patient Care; Performing Arts; Clovis East High School Pathways: Agricultural Mechanics; Agricultural Science; Animal Science; Plant and Soil Science; Emergency Response; Public Safety; Patient Care; Clovis High Pathways: Design, Visual and Media Arts; Residential and Commercial Con-struction; Systems Diagnostics, Service and Repair; Clovis North High Pathways: Design, Visual and Media Arts; Patient Care; Software and Systems Development; Clovis West High Pathways: Business Management; Fi-nancial Services; Performing Arts; Systems Diagnostics, Service and Repair; All Sites: Education; Child Development.
For more information on each of these pathways go to the CUSD website: https:// www.cusd.com/CTEPathways.aspx
We look forward to seeing you on Jan. 24th!

AROUND THE DISTRICT

December 2022	CUSD Today	Page 7

T’Wolves filmed for spirit Clovis East High is

one of three schools in the country chosen to be featured by the brand “Varsity Spirit,” which brought a film crew to the Timberwolves’ Salute to Services/Staff Appre-ciation football game this fall. The focus was how the band, pep and cheer teams, and student sec-tion work together to cre-ate school unity and
Wolfpack pride. The media coverage will show across the country throughout the year.

Growing knowledge at the farm

Tasty reading!
Oraze Elementary third-grade teacher Kris Salomonson held a “Book Tasting” in her class recently. Atop red-checkered tablecloths, students sampled several different kinds of books to get a “taste” of their different genres. On the menu were humor, fairy tales, non-fiction, biography and historical fiction. Students then created their own order of what they liked and shared it with the group.

Unity at Clovis Adult
Twenty-one cultures were showcased by students in Clovis Unified’s Clovis Adult Education English as a Second Language program at the school’s Multicultural Fair this month. CAE students created presentation boards about their homelands and shared traditional costumes and dances, food and heritage with attendees.“The reason for the fair is the spirit of oneness and unity, because in this school, everyone is family,” said Joann Beshansky, who teaches ESL and helped organize the event.

CN student video Top 30
A Clovis North High student made the Top 30 as a semifinalist in the Breakthrough Junior Challenge, a global science video competition for high school students. Isaac Wang created a video on how the immune system fights germs and used not just science, but a little bit of comedy and engaging animations to explain.According to the BJC website, entries were judged on a student’s ability to com-municate complex scientific ideas in illuminating and imaginative ways. Thousands of entries were received from around the world. To view Isaac’s video: https://www .youtube.com/watch?v=Q2YRdnq7LV0

Some of Clovis Unified’s youngest students took a field trip to the farm recently for tours and demonstrations at Clovis East High’s McFarlane-Coffman Agriculture Center. Kindergarten through second graders from Riverview, Cen-tury, Tarpey, Miramonte and Freedom elementary schools visited around different booths and activities manned by high school ag students who taught the younger children about all sectors of agriculture.
Kids learned about animals by watching sheep being shorn, milking a dairy cow model and petting goats, horses and pigs. They learned about plants and horticulture by playing a seed matching game, discovering the benefits of insects and creating a flower arrangement.And, they learned about ag mechanics by watching a welding demonstration, learning how to use hand tools safely and attaching different equipment.
“The grade-school children love it,” says Clovis East Agriculture Department Chair Jennifer Knight, “and it is also a great opportunity for our high school ag students to become the teacher for the day, sharing information about agriculture in a tangible, positive way.”
One of the primary goals of the event, which is also held in the springtime, is to educate kids about their food and where it comes from, which is especially meaningful in the

Guardians at Weldon
The Clovis High Transitions Team staff dressed up like characters from the movie “Guardians of the Galaxy,” and visited students at Weldon Elementary for the school’s Goodies with Guardians annual event. Hosted by the Weldon parent club, kids and their families are treated to donuts and coffee before school starts, and also have the chance to get their picture taken.

National prize for CE ag
Clovis East High’s FFA Meats Team won third place in the FFA National Convention & Expo in Indianapolis. The students – Devin Majors, Zachary Peters, Tyler Holt and

Central Valley where agriculture is a top industry.
“It may be the first time for some to see a farm or farm animal in person. We want them to know their food is grown by a human who cares about plants, animals and the environment, and that food doesn’t just come from a store or factory,” Knight said.

Raevyn Murillo – were coached by instructor Jennifer Knight. The event tests students’ skills and competencies in evaluating and identifying meat products and includes a general knowledge exam; beef carcass evaluation; identifi-cation of wholesale and retail cuts of beef, lamb, and pork; quality and yield grading of beef carcasses; a team meat merchandising event; and solving of a meat formulation problem.

Fun on the field
Discs flew and smiles, too, at the Van Ravenhorst Disc Golf Classic held recently at Clark Intermediate.Around 100 Func-tional Life Skills (FLS) students from Clovis Unified intermediate schools competed in friendly games and social opportunities. Clark leadership students and student mentors did a great job mentoring and encouraging the competitors.
The event is named after adaptive P.E. instructor Bert Van Ravenhorst who retired last year after 22 years with the district. It includes ladder golf, corn hole, volleyball and disc golf. This year’s champion FLS team was Alta Sierra Intermediate, followed by Kastner and Clark.
“The students learn about each other, their likes, dislikes, and find that they have things in common while playing disc golf,” said Shireen Malan, Special Education program specialist. “Our hope is that the FLS students learn teamwork and that it’s not solely about winning but that everyone is having fun!”

Let’s get moving!
Students, staff and families took part in Walk to School Day at Oraze Elementary recently. The event included local law enforcement and promoted safe walking practices as well as encouraging kids to be active for a healthy lifestyle.

Happy Diwali
Students at Copper Hills Elementary colored mandalas and learned about Diwali Oct. 24. Diwali, also known as the “Festival of Lights,” is an important celebration in history and within the Indian culture. It symbolizes the victory of light over darkness and good over evil. Several students also shared their family’s traditions for the holiday.

Editor’s note: “Around the District” is a regular feature of CUSD Today that highlights positive activities and accomplishments of students and schools throughout the district. Items for consideration may be sent to cusdtoday@cusd.com.

Clovis campuses
Catering staff dressed in “groovy” attire to
The week is intended to highlight the nu-
EMPLOYEES

Page 8	CUSD Today	December 2022

Educator finalists named

The California League of Educators	Cheryl Hedrick, Garfield; Brittany Salley, announced the Region 7 finalists being	Miramonte;	Natasha	McCollough, considered for the Educator of the Year	Riverview; Joaquin Rivera, Pinedale; Matt for elementary, intermediate and high	Filippi, Mickey Cox.
school for the area that includes Fresno,          Intermediate: Shauna Everson, Alta Madera, Merced, Tulare and Kern counties.     Sierra; Kenneth Martinez, Clark; Matt Hi-Finalists will be honored at events in     rata, Granite Ridge; Patty Manghera, Rey-December and Region 7 winners will be     burn; Stephanie Davidson Barcellos, Kast-
announced. They will go on to represent	ner.
the area at the State California of League          High School: Michael Miller, Clovis Educators of the Year awards in March.        West; Jenny Mammen, Gateway; Abigail Congratulations to Region 7 finalists     Paxton, Buchanan; Jeri Olson, Clovis East; from Clovis Unified:                                      Sarah Perkovich, Clovis High; Clifford
Elementary: Kimberley Bueno, Boris;	Nitschke, Clovis North.

➤ Employee briefs

cious meals – and they are back at it again this year. Now that’s groovy!
CUSD employees part of Blue Devils’ win

Groovylunch
week highlight on
When the Blue Devils Performing Arts won the World Championship title at Drum Corps International in Indiana this year, several Clovis Unified employees who are also CUSD graduates were part of the band! The Blue Devils, based in California, excelled with its 2022 program titled “Tempus Blue,” throughout summer competitions and went on to win its 20th World Championship title.
Across Clovis Unified campuses, Campus
Congratulations to Daniel Erese, Clovis North percussions technician and Clovis East graduate; Dalton Hooke, Clovis West music
Lunch!”
Segura, Clovis High music technician and
celebrate National School Lunch Week, keeping     technician and Clovis East graduate; Santiago with this year’s theme,“Peace, Love & School     Clovis West graduate; Shelby Stratton, Clovis High color guard technician and graduate;
nician and Clovis West graduate.
tritious foods served daily at schools, which	and Nathaniel Trueba, Buchanan music tech-this year are available at no cost for all Clovis
Unified students.
Clovis Unified meals include locally sourced fruits and vegetables, along with whole grains, low fat dairy and a variety of protein sources. For photos, descriptions, ingredients and nutrition information about the food offered in CUSD cafeterias, please visit https://cusd.
nutrislice.com/menu/.
Last year, Clovis Unified Campus Catering staff served 4.7 million nutritious and deli-

Lincoln teacher jams with band on stage

Lincoln Elementary	Long Run – 27 Mantras third-grade teacher Joel	to Bring You Past Your Stetler played drums this	Finish Line.” It includes fall for The Killers rock	illustrations and wisdom band in Los Angeles af-	from his students.
ter he held up a sign in                                                                        “Years of cancer treat-the audience that said:                                                                   ment have taught me that “Fighting Cancer, Ready                                                                   much of life can be boiled to Play Drums on ‘Rea-                                                                   down to goals vs. obstacles. sons,’” referring to the                                                                   … I’ve learned to take band’s song “Reasons                                                                   these obstacles as oppor-Unknown.” The former                                                                    tunities for growth,” he drummer caused the                                                                    writes. “It’s a beautiful crowd in the Banc of                                                                    thing to watch [my Room California Stadium to                                                                    11 students] … taking on go wild with his beat                                                                    struggle and adversity in and huge smile.                         life – he runs marathons! –      the same spirit as the world’s Stetler has been fighting      for himself, his family and      most dedicated endurance
a rare form of terminal cancer	his students.	athletes, then exiting out the for several years and has been           Earlier this year, in col-	other side being smarter than featured in local news reports	laboration with his Room 11	yesterday.”
for his mindfulness and de-	third graders, Stetler wrote a	The book is available on termination to live his fullest	book titled,“Wisdom for the      amazon.com.

Book brings fun to language

Mixing her passion for students and language development, 25-year Clovis Uni-fied veteran language-speech pathologist Lisa Phenicie published her first children’s book this fall called “Bubble Hunt” that is designed to build communication.
It’s a fun story about a family – including two sisters modeled after Phenicie’s own daughters – playing with bubbles and won-dering where they come from.
“The words and pictures in the book were carefully chosen as to assist with de-veloping communication skills – words, gestures, signs, facial expressions. It demon-strates a way to combine simple repetitive words with play,” Phenicie said.
Currently at Century Elementary, the new author said she has had the idea for
the book for some time, but it came together language information and suggestions on when she noticed the beautiful artwork of how to use the book. Grab some bubbles her co-worker at Century, Taryn Baker, and some toy animals and have some fun who joined in the project as illustrator.	while using the words in the book.”
“Bubble Hunt” targets developing com-        Phenicie dedicated the book to all the municators and those acquiring language. toddlers and preschoolers she has worked “My hope is that this sweet, little book with over her nearly three decades and will be used with parents, grandparents, those she will continue to work with in the speech-language pathologists, and educators years to come.A sequel is already underway:
as they interact with children. In the back “Even Elephants Love Bubbles!”
of the book, I have included speech and	The book is available on amazon.com.

December 2022	CUSD Today	Page 9

38-year board veteran honored upon retirement

By Kelly Avants CUSD Chief Communications Officer

Nov. 9
A crowd filled the board-room on Nov. 9 with leaders from around the community joining district staff and fam-ily members present to honor Board Member Betsy San-doval upon her retirement after 38 years of service on the Governing Board. The board adopted a resolution honoring her years of com-mitted service to the students, staff and community of the district.
Leaders from the City of Clovis and Foundation for Clovis Schools also spoke in appreciation of the example of civic responsibility and care for others that Mrs. San-doval’s service exemplifies.
Early in the meeting, the board announced the ap-

pointment of two principals. Monica Castillo, current prin-cipal of Clovis Community Day School, is moving to the position of principal at Clovis Online	School.	Laura Reynolds, current principal of Miramonte Elementary School, will become the prin-cipal of the district’s newest elementary school opening in August of 2024 at the cor-ner of Fowler and McKinley avenues.
Before the school opens, Reynolds will be involved in the community processes of developing	attendance boundaries; selecting a school name, mascots and colors; working with the facilities team overseeing construction of the new campus as well as staffing, equipment and sup-ply purchases; and building the culture of a new school community.
In other action, the board:

➤ BOARD BRIEFS

Photo special to CUSD Today. Retiring Clovis Unified Governing Board Member Betsy San-doval receives a proclamation of appreciation for her 38 years of civic service from the Fresno County Board of Supervisors.

■ Heard a performance	■ Held a public hearing from violinist Emily Nieves      to allow opportunity for com-from Clovis East High. She      ments on an energy service was present to celebrate the       agreement with Trane U.S. valuable role music education       Inc. for work related to HVAC plays in the district.                    improvement projects, and

later approved an agreement for the project.
■ Approved conference re-quests, fundraisers, student trips, voluntary community recreation programs, change orders, minutes for the Oc-tober 19 meeting, and notices of completion as submitted. ■ Approved a provisional internship permit for a teach-ing candidate to allow addi-tional time to receive special-
ized credentialing.
■ Awarded bids for foot-ball equipment recondition-ing, energy management sys-tem upgrades, and did not award a bid for district fleet vehicle replacement.
■ Approved amendments to existing Board Policies No. 1312.3, 4119.25, 4219.25, 4319.25, 4131.1, 4151.10, 4251.10, 4351.10, 4151.20, 4151.21, 4151.22, 4151.23, 4251.10, 4261.20, 4361.20, and Board Bylaw 9323, copies

of which are available online. ■ Approved an owner-controlled insurance program for the Terry Bradley Educa-
tional Center Project.
■ Approved the proposed use of one-time discretionary funds for the 2021-2026 Ed-ucator Effectiveness Grant at Clovis Online School.
■ Approved annual legal services agreements with three law firms for occasional work for the District.
■ Adopted a negative dec-laration for the Kastner Ath-letic Field Lighting Project.

q
The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Governing Board is scheduled for Dec. 9 at 12:30 p.m. in the boardroom at 1680 David E. Cook Way in Clovis; it will be followed by the annual Budget Workshop. Complete minutes, agendas and videos of Governing Board meetings are available online at cusd.com.

Field trip for the Teachers

Crayons, markers and colored pencils let Clovis Unified instructors explore their creative side at the Fresno Art Museum as they learned and created pumpkin drawings following the style of renowned artist Yayoi Kusama. The innova-tive program is a partnership between the dis-trict, museum and Fresno County Office of Education, and it lets district TK and kinder-garten Expanded Learning Opportunities Pro-gram (ELOP) instructors be the students first before they bring the lessons to their class-rooms. Pictured, top left, Ramona Esparza and Michelle Lauby begin their pumpkins after a discussion by FCOE Visual Arts Director Aaron Bryan.At left, Katherine Radke adds her finished work to the “Pumpkin Patch” on the museum wall.

Photos special to CUSD Today by Shera Scott

College:

FROM PAGE 4
Genesis Jasper, Water Polo, Arizona State; Jordan Leveque, Track and Field, CSU San Diego; Karly Lilles, Soccer, Fresno Pacific University; Christal Lopez, Softball, CSU San Diego;Jayden Mandal,Football, Fresno State;Caroline Mendyk, Cross Country and Track and Field, University of Wisconsin; Colton O’Toole,Baseball, CSU Long Beach; Noah Ray, Track and Field, University of Arizona; Olivia Sundgren, Swimming, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo; Sydney Sundgren, Cross Country and Track and Field, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo;Sloan Swan, Wrestling, Wyoming;Daisy Torres,Soccer, CSU North-ridge; James Watney, Golf, Saint Mary’s.

Clovis East High
Cadence Cunha, Soccer, Fresno Pacific University; Katrina Rodriguez, Softball, Hope International University; Jayden Xiong,Volleyball, Fresno State.

Clovis High
Kendall Carr,Soccer, Air Force Academy; Christopher Caudillo, Cross Country, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo;Olivia Gutierrez,Ten-nis,William Jessup University;Jada Hardwick,

Soccer, CSU Monterey Bay;Ryle Hibbard,Water Polo, Biola University; Alyssa Kem, Basketball, Fresno Pacific University; Emma Ruvalcaba, Cross Country, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo; Ella Sweeney, Water Polo, Azusa Pacific University; Fernando Valentin, Baseball, Dakota State Uni-versity; Sydnie Vanek, Volleyball, University of Arizona.

Clovis North High
Isabella Blanco, Cross Country and Track, Sonoma State;Naleya Bridges, Softball, Long-wood University; Braedyn Kincade, Soccer, CSU Northridge;Ryan Maddox,Softball, Uni-versity of Arizona; Sergio Montoya Jr., Wrestling, Oregon State;Katie Morris,Soccer, Fresno State.

Clovis West High
Brooke Cox, Soccer, Nicholls State Uni-versity;Aiden Goodrich,Volleyball, San Fran-cisco State University; Abby Hill,Swimming, Utah Tech; Millie Morales, Softball, Cal State East Bay; Cayden Munster, Baseball, Fresno State; Maddie Rey, Softball, Fresno State; Ju-lianne Snyder, Water Polo, UC Berkeley; Sidney Strickland, Water Polo, Fresno State.

Page 10	CUSD Today	December 2022