Keyes to Learning Charter students earn accolades, get head start on college

Rachel Segars has been getting a jumpstart on her college career, while earning credits for high school graduation. She took both Intro to Music and Marine Biology through California State University, Dominguez Hills while still in high school. High school senior Danae Johnson was recently accepted to Cal State Stanislaus and will enter with six college units after she took Intro to Art and Intro to Music while still attending high ...

Hilmar students mind their Ps and Qs

There were no elbows on the table or shoveling of food into mouths last Thursday at Hilmar Junior High's annual Etiquette Day event.

Budget committee recommends cuts to schools days, salaries

The Turlock Unified School District's Budget Advisory Committee will recommend the TUSD Board of Trustees cut salaries and reduce the number of days in the school year.

Playing games at Pitman

Who knew playing games such as Warhammer 40,000 or Yu-Gi-Oh could increase adolescent problem solving capabilities, analytical skills and even social skills?

‘Evaluation’ is a bad word to some teachers

I now have a better understanding of the phrase "making a mountain out of a mole hill."

TUSD continues eCademy public forums

Imagine a day when Turlock Unified School District students could have NetBook computers instead of paper textbooks. When the day of lugging around heavy backpacks filled with over-sized textbooks are gone. A day when students can do homework and participate in classroom discussions from practically anywhere they want, whenever they want. Well those days are just months away for TUSD's non-traditional students. <font ...

Chatom Union consolidates super with principal

The Chatom Union School District (CUSD) Board of Trustees approved the consolidation of the district superintendent position with the Mountain View Middle School principal position during their Tuesday night board meeting.

Taking steps to improve

Three years ago the Turlock Unified School District was placed in "program improvement" after failing to meet federal student testing standards. Since that time the district has been implementing a Sheltered Intervention Observation Protocol (SIOP), which is essentially a way for school administrators and district personnel to evaluate teachers' instructional methods, with follow up discussion and coaching. Administrators and district ...

TUSD receives Energy Star award

The Turlock Unified School District recently received the federal government's Energy Star award for 14 school sites throughout the district.

State budget cuts could deflate county fairs

Governor Jerry Brown's current budget proposal includes a 100 percent reduction in California county fair funding, slashing $32 million from fair budgets across the state. If the budget is approved, nearly 30 county fairs could permanently or temporarily close.

School administrators justify iPad purchases

In recent weeks numerous anonymous complaints have been made to the Turlock Journal concerning a recent $20,000 purchase of Apple iPads for Turlock Unified School District administrators and certain teachers. The complaints circulated around the idea that administrators were wasting money on iPads and letting teachers go without much needed technological upgrades in TUSD classrooms.

Highlighting our youth

Hello Turlock Journal readers! My name is Jonathan McCorkell and I am the new education reporter here. I just wanted to introduce myself and give you a brief outline of who I am, my journalism history and my journalistic philosophy.

EDUCATION: MUSICALLY INCLINED

Edwin Savelson, an 8th grader at Turlock Junior High, was recently awarded first chair at the California Music Educators Association conference in the Bay Area for his exemplary French horn play. He is also first chair for the Stanislaus County Honor Band. Edwin, also an honor student, has only played the French horn for about a year and a half after switching from clarinet.

Turlock Christian Schools highest performing in county

According to data from the California Post Secondary Education Commission, Turlock Christian High School sends the highest rate of students on to California colleges in Stanislaus County.

Welding tech students with future occupations

One of the most paramount priorities of secondary public education is to train a skilled, workforce to enter technical related career fields educated and employable.

Can Tree gearing up for season of giving

As the season of giving arrives in the coming weeks the Turlock Christmas Can Tree Project begins its quest to help feed thousands of needy area citizens over the holidays. Can Tree is part of a three pronged approach to fighting hunger during the holidays, which includes the Salvation Army and Turlock Together. Since 1982 local realtor groups volunteer their time and talents to hold annual fundraising efforts to raise money for ...

2012 fair kicks off with a mob

Crane Park residents cry foul on proposed bocce ball court

Crane Park resident Dan Palmquist says living across the street from Turlock's most-used recreation area is like coming home after a hard week of work to see and hear a party that lasts all weekend, every weekend - only he is never invited to it. Another recreational amenity, a proposed bocce ball court, he says, would only make that on-going party bigger. The City of Turlock Parks and Recreation Commission voted to oppose ...

UC Merced continues commitment to increase first-generation college students

When the University of California, Merced campus opened in 2005 it was supposed to be the beginning of a new era of access to higher educational opportunities for San Joaquin Valley students. In 1995, the University of California Board of Regents specifically selected Merced because it was in the heart of the state's largest and most populous region without its own UC campus - which hindered opportunities for residents and left a need for ...

Turlock, Hilmar receive Cal Trans grant to improve pedestrian safety around schools

The State of California Department of Transportation announced that Turlock will be receiving a nearly $320,000 grant through the Safe Routes to School Program for pedestrian safety construction in front of Turlock Junior High. Funding is part of a $48.5 million statewide effort of 139 projects aimed at increasing safety and helping to reduce the number of injuries and fatalities among children in grades K-12 who walk and bicycle to school. City ...

Livingston celebrates

The Livingston 4th of July Celebration kicked off on Friday, extending the Valley's Independence Day festivities. The event continues Saturday from 3 p.m. to 12 a.m. On Sunday, the Livingston Sweet Potato Festival returns for the first time in 15 years. Visitors can expect everything from sweet potato pie to fries from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday's events will feature the carnival, more talent show acts, a car show, live bands including ...

All things dairy

Dairy parents steaming over fair changes

Tempers are flaring among some 4-H and FFA dairy parents over what they say is a major scheduling debacle by the Stanislaus County Fair. For nearly four decades the county fair has held dairy cow judging, showings and sales from the first day the fair opens to the public to the last. But this year the fair changed the schedule and the vast majority of at least 300 dairy cows will only be ...

Horsing around at the county fair

Hundreds of 4-H and FFA youth put their skills to the test Tuesday at the Showmanship and Western horse competitions held at the Stanislaus County Fairgrounds. Tuesday's competitions were just two of the events held during this week's pre-fair horse events. "Horse shows are a great part of Fair," said Laura Moore, exhibits manager. "We hope everyone comes out to see the spectacular events." Pre-fair horse events continue Wednesday with 4-H/FFA ...

Turlock Sikh Temple holds first parade

The world comes to Turlock

This summer more than 200 young adult Catholics from around the globe will converge on Turlock for the 2012 Young Adult Teams Of Our Lady International Meeting, which will be held at California State University, Stanislaus in July. YATOL is an international young adult Catholic movement built on the principle of youth serving youth, which began in1975 in France and is now headquartered in Seville, Spain. YATOL is for young adults who are ...

Turlock dad, daughter recovering well after kidney transplant

This Father's Day Turlock resident Les Crutcher will receive the greatest gift he could ever receive - a simple day with his family. On May 1, Les donated one of his kidneys to his 5-year-old daughter Isabella, who had suffered from acute kidney failure after she ingested the E. coli bacteria strain, resulting in a kidney infection. Les and Isabella recovered at a remarkable speed, and ...

City permit required for all garage sales

Before putting out one box of knick-knacks or rack of clothing onto their front yard on Tuesday, the Cotton family obtained a permit from the City of Turlock to hold a small garage sale. The Cotton family was one of only about a dozen homes that obtained the mandatory $15 permit for that particular day. While the Cottons followed the city ordinance pertaining to yard sales, not all do. In just a mile radius ...

Hilmar graduates its centennial class

Hilmar High School celebrated its 100th commencement Thursday night at McSweeney Field. After the last high school diploma was handed out a massive fireworks display lit up the night sky as a flashing "Class of 2012 100 Years" sign made the night's event one to remember.

KTL educator retires after 40 years

When Keyes to Learning Principal Lee Ann Stangl launched one of the state's first charter schools in 1995 there was a lot of resistance to the idea, but she remained steadfast to her belief that parents and students wanted a choice in education - something that was not readily available at the time. Choice in education is now at the forefront in national news and Stangl was diligently working behind the scenes in the ...