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District Newsletter
What’s “News” in Alvord?
A Newsletter for the parents and employees of the Alvord Unified School District
May 2015
Volume 8, Issue 11
Prepared by the Superintendent’ s Office
Norte Vista High School’s IB Program Wins a
2015 California Gold Ribbon Schools Award!
Board of Education:
Ben Johnson II
President
Carolyn M. Wilson
Vice President
Art Kaspereen, Jr.
Clerk
Julie A. Moreno
Member
Robert Schwandt
Member
Superintendent of Schools:
Sid Salazar, Ed.D.
In this Issue:
Norte Vista High School’s
IB Program A Gold
Ribbon Winner
Riverside’s Most
Remarkable Teens
Alvord Students Win
Springboard Art Contest
2015 Cesar Chavez
Memorial Education
Award
Dr. Richardo
Michelino
dem
visits Alvord
Alvord Students Win Take
Back the Wall Contest
Alvord Recognized as a
Gold Fit-Friendly
Workplace
Wells Students Win for
Eating a Healthy
Breakfast
RMK Honorees
 Kylie & Jocyln Diyorio
 Nadia Templeton
 Eloisa Mora
 Rebecca Ebert
Parent Engagement
Recognitions
2016 Site Teachers of the
Year and AUSD Teacher
of the Year
On May 5, 2015, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson
announced that International Baccalaureate at Norte Vista High School (IBNV)
was selected as one of 180 high schools being honored under the State of
California’s new Gold Ribbon Schools Award Program. He stated that, “These
schools are academically successful, vibrant and innovative centers of learning
and teaching. They provide great examples of the things educators are doing
right – embracing rigorous academic standards, providing excellence and
creativity in teaching and creating a positive school climate.”
Schools applied for the award based on a model program their school has adopted
that includes standards-based activities, projects, strategies, and practices that can
be replicated by other local educational agencies. The new award is recognizing
middle and high schools this year and elementary schools in 2016. The Gold
Ribbon awards recognize California schools that have made gains in
implementing the academic content and performance standards adopted by the
State Board of Education. These include, the California Standards for English
Language Arts and Mathematics, California English Language Development
Standards, and Next Generation Science Standards.
Dr. Salazar, Susan Boyd, Shawn Marshall and Alejandro Moreno were
recognized
at theHigh
California
School
Recognition
hosted by the California
Norte Vista
School
Drama
Presentation
Department of Education’s Schools of Distinction program in San Diego on May
22nd.
DistrictNewsletter
Newsletter
District
City
of Riverside
Award
Award
Winning
Alvord
Staff Winners!
and Students
Page 22 of
of 88
Page
Riverside’s Most Remarkable Teens
Alvord is proud to have 8 of the 25 Most Remarkable Teens honored at the May 12 City Council Meeting. The 25
Most Remarkable Teens are selected by the Riverside Youth Council, created in 2004 by the City Council to create
a means of expression and leadership development for the youth of the City of Riverside. This group works as
advisory to the Mayor, City Council and other City departments on matters of importance to the City’s youth.
Saaria Sohail
La Sierra High School
Saaria was nominated for her
extraordinary ability to overcome arduous
circumstances. Immigrating from Pakistan
one year ago to be allowed to go to school
without the threat of death, Saaria has
excelled in all aspects of school,
maintaining a 4.5 GPA and hopes to
become a lawyer and possibly a judge.
Kendall Reusing
La Sierra High School
Kendall was nominated for her exceptional
wrestling achievements. In addition to her
athletic accomplishments, Kendall has
maintained a 4.43 GPA and been involved
in extracurricular and community
organizations. Kendall will attend Simon
Fraser University in Canada and hopes to
become an Olympic athlete!
Samantha Malouff
Hillcrest High School
Samantha was nominated for her
outstanding accomplishments in water
polo. In addition to being a highly
decorated water polo player both at her
school and on the Riverside Water Polo
team, Samantha has been treasurer for
yearbook, Green Living Club and National
Honors Society. She is currently taking the
maximum AP courses offered and
maintaining a GPA of 4.33.
Michael Carrillo
Norte Vista High School
Michael was nominated for his ability to
surpass the rigorous requirements of the
International Baccalaureate program while
excelling in his extracurricular activities.
Michael carries a 4.37 GPA, is Captain of
the Varsity baseball team and is involved in
many on-campus clubs. He also
participates on the Riverside County Youth
Advisory Council as well as the Optimist
International’s Octagon Club. Michael will
attend UC Berkeley in the fall and major in
economy.
Minh Tran
La Sierra High School
Minh was nominated for her ability to
cope with countless difficulties in her
life. Minh and her family escaped
from Communist Vietnam just four
years ago. Arriving with no English,
she has excelled at school, to the point
where she is currently taking
numerous AP courses. Mihn aspires
to become a doctor and return to serve
in her homeland of Vietnam.
Joshua Weaver
La Sierra High School
Josh was nominated for his dedicated,
kind, hardworking and humble
attributes. He has participated in
numerous sports, held many positions
within ASB including ASB President
this year, and was a major part of
organizing La Sierra’s anti-bullying
presentation to the student body last
year.
Daniel Chevallier
Hillcrest High School
Daniel was nominated for being
tenacious in the face of adversity. Very
active in sports during his freshman
year, Daniel received a serious neck
injury and was forced to stop playing.
He found a way to stay involved in
sports through photography, give back
to his community through his church
and various community service groups
and maintain his ranking as 9th in his
junior class.
Johnathan Hawkins
Norte Vista High School
Johnathan was nominated for his
ability to cope with adversity and
maintain a positive attitude, remain
highly motivated, maintain his faith and
have a huge impact on Big Brothers Big
Sisters of the Inland Empire. Despite
surviving a serious attack and injury,
Johnathan has maintained his desire to
give back to his community.
District Newsletter
Alvord Students Win!
Page 3 of 8
Alvord Students Honored for Springboard Art Contest
Alvord students, their parents, and art teachers were honored with a luncheon at the Mission Inn on April 23
celebrating the Springboard Annual Financial Literacy Youth Poster Contest. Froukje Schaafsma-Smith’s Loma
Vista Middle School students Jennifer Florez, Nataly Nunez, and Brenden Cash, and Jeff Ribaudo’s Norte Vista
student Kacie Haro were recognized with a gift bag, medal, trophy, and certificate for their winning posters. The
students also received cash awards: Jennifer Florez won $100, Nataly Nunez won $75, Brenden Cash and Kacie
Haro both won $50 each. The posters were judged on expression of theme, artwork, style, content and overall
creativity.
(from left to right)
Nataly Nunez
Springboard Education Coordinator
Lacy Houze
Jennifer Florez
Brenden Cash
Arizona Student Wins 2015 Cesar Chavez Award
Congratulations to Arizona student Britney Lemus who was selected by the California
Teachers Association as recipient of the Cesar Chavez Memorial Education Awards
Program. Her winning poster will be displayed at CTA Headquarters and an article
featuring award winners will be published in a future issue of California Educator. In
recognition of Britney’s outstanding talent, both she and her teacher Jean Leuenberger
each received a monetary award of $550.
Professor Ricardo Michelino Visits Alvord Schools
Professor Ricardo Michelino visited Alvord schools during the week of
May 4-9, 2015. Professor Michelino is a composer, conductor and
saxophonist. He was visiting from Brazil and working with La Sierra
University students on a May 9 concert.
As a part of the Alvord Partnership with La Sierra University, Dr.
Ricardo Michelino worked with students from Hillcrest High School and
Villegas and Arizona Middle Schools.
District Newsletter
Alvord Wins Again!
Page 4 of 8
Alvord Students Win Take Back the Wall Poster Contest
Alvord middle school students Nicholas Nguyen and Cidney Cerda from Loma Vista and Aylin Rafeal from
Arizona were recognized at the May 19, 2015, Riverside City Council Meeting for winning the Department of
Public Works Take Back the Wall Poster Contest. They were recognized by Mayor Rusty Bailey and the City
Council and received trophies from Department of Public Works Senior Administrative Analyst Robert Rivers.
Out of over 180 entries from 11 middle schools, Nicholas won first place and a check for $500, Cidney won
second place and $250, and Aylin won third place and $125. Loma Vista Principal Dr. Sherri Kemp and art teacher
Froukje Schaafsma-Smith were there in support of the students.
Alvord Recognized as a Gold Fit-Friendly Worksite
The Alvord Unified School District was recognized as a Gold Level Recipient of
the American Heart Association’s Fit-Friendly Worksites Recognition program.
The Fit-Friendly Worksites program is a catalyst for positive change. Worksites
throughout the nation can be part of the initiative by making the health and
wellness of their employees a priority. Alvord was recognized as a Gold Level
Fit-Friendly Worksite by the American Heart Association’s My Heart. My Life.
initiative for:
 Offering employees physical activity
support.
 Providing/increasing healthy eating
options at the worksite.
 Promoting a wellness culture.
 Implementing at least nine criteria as
outlined by the American Heart
Association in the areas of physical
activity, nutrition and culture.
District Newsletter
Child Nutrition Services Rewards Students
Page53of
of83
Page
Wells Students Eat School Breakfast and Win!
Alvord’s Child Nutrition Services is rewarding students for their healthy habits. The names of students who ate
breakfast at Wells Middle School from January to March were entered into a raffle to win 1 of 5 prizes donated by
General Mills. The promotion was a partnership between Child Nutrition Services and General Mills to promote
the new breakfast smoothie bar that was made possible by a grant awarded to the school. Because students who
eat breakfast at school start the day ready to learn, have higher test scores and better classroom behavior; Child
Nutrition Services Director Eric Holliday invites all students to eat school breakfast and start their day off right.
From left to right: Principal David Ferguson,
8th grader Janeth Acosta, 8th grader Cristina Cuevas,
8th grader Estefania Navarro, 6th grader Uriel Lopez,
7th grader Ernesto Gonzalez,
Child Nutrition Services Director Eric Holliday
Winner of the bicycle Ernesto Gonzalez with PE teacher
Alanna Kolonics, Food Service Worker Beckey Carmona,
CNS Director Eric Holliday and Principal David Ferguson
As
8th graders
Janeth Acosta and
Estefania Navarro
won movie cards
for participating in
the breakfast
promotion at Wells
Middle School
Cristina Cuevas
8th grade,
and
Uriel Lopez
6th grade,
won iTunes gift
cards for eating
healthy school
breakfasts.
For more information about nutrition programs, visit our website ausdnutrition.org and follow us on Facebook: AUSD Child Nutrition Services.
District Newsletter
Board of Education Recognitions
Page 6 of 8
Rosemary Kennedy Elementary School Honorees
At the May 7 Board Meeting, the Board of Education honored the following students, staff and volunteers from
Rosemary Kennedy Elementary School:
Students of the Month:
Rosemary Kennedy Elementary School recognized Kylie and Jocyln Diyorio as the Alvord Unified School
District Students of the Month for May 2015.
Sisters Kylie and Jocyln are not just outstanding
academically they also started a Back To School
Supply Program at RMK in 2013. This program
started as a Girl Scout patch and has evolved to a
standard resource available for students that do not
have the necessary school supplies at home to
complete their assignments. From backpacks to hand
sanitizer, materials are carefully packaged for either
male or female students. Kylie and Jocyln’s project
has gained great support through their mother’s
Facebook page and they have been successful in
recruiting donations. These sisters take community
service to another level and have become truly
innovative increasing the amount of resources they
provide to RMK students each year.
It is a great pleasure to honor Kylie and Jocyln Diyorio as the Alvord Unified School District Students of the
Month for May 2015.
Certificated Employee of the Month:
Rosemary Kennedy Elementary School is proud to recognize Nadia Templeton as the Alvord Unified School
District Certificated Employee of the Month for May 2015.
Nadia Templeton began her teaching career in
Alvord in 2003. Nadia is a great asset to the RMK
Team. She is currently the co-chair of the Student
Success Team and ensures that staff are not just
monitoring students but ensuring that they have
determined active next steps to support their
students. Nadia is dedicated to students and more
importantly to the success of all children. She is a
teacher that promotes an inclusive learning
environment for all students and parents.
It is a great pleasure to honor Nadia Templeton as
the Alvord Unified School District Certificated
Employee of the Month for May 2015.
District Newsletter
Board of Education Recognitions
Page 7 of 8
Classified Employee of the Month:
Rosemary Kennedy Elementary School is proud to recognize Eloisa Mora as the Alvord Unified School District
Classified Employee of the Month for May 2015.
Eloisa Mora joined RMK as a campus supervisor this
last year. She was selected as the Classified Employee
of the Month because of her dedication to students. As
the parent of students in grades TK-5, Eloisa sees her
position as a campus supervisor as one that goes
above supervising students, but understanding them
and ensuring that they are successful students. She is
always present with a positive attitude and looks for
ways to always support students and teachers. She
always strives to give everyone she comes in contact
with the best service regardless of who you are.
It is a great pleasure to honor Eloisa Mora as the
Alvord Unified School District Classified Employee
of the Month for May 2015.
Volunteers of the Month:
Rosemary Kennedy Elementary School is proud to recognize Rebecca Ebert as the Alvord Unified School
District Volunteer of the Month for May 2015.
Rebecca Ebert, known as Becky, has been a
dedicated volunteer at RMK for the past 3 years.
She is being recognized as an outstanding volunteer
because she has shown up regularly as scheduled
and assisted in RMK’s Target Time, working
directly with students and addressing not just
fluency but reading comprehension and writing.
Becky demonstrates great passion and patience with
all of the students she works with. A key piece to
the amazing puzzle that makes up Becky is the fact
that she is a former Alvord teacher who is now
retired and has made a dedicated commitment to
students 180 days a school year! Students always
look forward to working with Becky.
It is a great pleasure to honor Rebecca Ebert as the
Alvord Unified School District Volunteer of the
Month for May 2015.
District Newsletter
Board of Education Recognitions
Page 8 of 8
At the May 21 Board Meeting, the Board of Education honored the following parents and staff:
Parent volunteers and Parent
Engagement Leadership Initiative
(PELI) teams were recognized for
their dedication to improving student
Board
of
Education
Recognitions
School
Honorees
achievement through parent
School
BoardBoard
Honorees
(cont’d)
involvements.
The Board honored and presented certificates to the twenty-two Site Teachers of the Year and Alvord Unified
School District Teacher of the Year for 2016:
James Navarro
Carol Orr
Julie Trujillo
Melony Morales
Yvette Haskins
Jessica Cassese
Marisela Recendez
Michelle Brazeal
Elizabeth Crough
Nicole Higgins
Jennifer Surette
Janell Ruiz
Tawni Webster
Pete Gennaro
Kimberly Gallo
Erica Campos
Kathleen Harthcock-Cryder
Rich Politiski
Chris Jeffrey
Michele Spratley
Stuart Drake
Ed Moran
Karen Gaines
Arlanza Elementary
Collett Elementary
Foothill Elementary
La Granada Elementary
Lake Hills Elementary
McAuliffe Elementary
Myra Linn Elementary
Orrenmaa Elementary
Promenade Elementary
Rosemary Kennedy Elementary
Stokoe Elementary
Terrace Elementary
Twinhill Elementary
Valley View Elementary
Arizona Middle
Loma Vista Middle
Villegas Middle
Wells Middle
Alternative Education Center
Alvord High
Hillcrest High
La Sierra High
Norte Vista High
Marisela Recendez from Myra Linn Elementary School was selected to represent Alvord Unified School
District as the District Teacher of the Year for 2016. Marisela will be going on to compete for the Riverside
County Office of Education Teacher of the Year.