Local business gives teachers money through grant program

Two years ago GDI president Grant Davis started the "Adopt-A-Teacher" grant program. But in two years Davis said he has only received a grand total of two requests for funds.

Learning about space

Walnut Elementary Education Center celebrated "Space Week" this week. Space week started 15 years ago to commemorate astronaut Alan Sheppard's first U.S. manned space launch. Students at Walnut learned about aerodynamics, flight control and design, and rocketry. Fifth grade teacher Bret Sutterley said Space Week is now done in conjunction with California Standardized Testing to loosen up what can be a tight atmosphere on campus.

Renaissance kid

Pitman High School Principal Rod Hollars has worked in education for decades and has never seen a child so young and gifted as Kohl James.

School district dealing with Sacramento failures

After months of trying to work out problems with legislative Republicans, Gov. Jerry Brown called off budget negotiations on Tuesday.

TUSD school communities raise funds for sixth grade camp

Where there's a will, there's a way. In a remarkable display of cooperation, dedication and commitment all nine Turlock Unified School District elementary schools raised enough funds to send every single sixth grader to Foothill Horizons camp in May.

Wakefield students have ‘no excuses’

There is a simple theory that if you tell kids over and over again they are unlikely to succeed because they come from bad neighborhoods and are growing up in poverty, they will do exactly what society tells them to do, which is fail.

Cancer doesn’t keep Osborn student down

If you ever get a chance to meet Adham Hamza it will be hard to forget him. He has that much personality. He has been known to literally talk non-stop for hours and the whole time he will have a smile on his face and unrelenting enthusiasm for wherever his creative mind takes him.

Julien students blast math at competition

A group of sixth-grade students from Julien Elementary in Turlock recently competed in the Stanislaus County Math Blast. More than 200 sixth-grade students from across the county participated in the event.

Hilmar student earns dairy scholarship

Modesto Junior College student and Hilmar resident Karessa Mann was selected as a 2011 scholarship recipient by the Dairy Farmers of America, Inc. (DFA), a national milk marketing cooperative.

Crowell principal earns top honors

Before Linda Alaniz became principal of Crowell Elementary School in Turlock five years ago, there was a slight disconnect between parent, teachers and administrators. While the school was functioning, it wasn't doing so at its highest level, according to numerous parents and teachers on campus.

Local students excel at Occupational Olympics

The 26th Annual Stanislaus County Occupational Olympics and Career Exposition was held Wednesday at the Stanislaus County Fairgrounds in Turlock. More than 800 students from county high schools participated in 23 competitive events. In addition to the events 54 business and industry representatives exhibited and spoke to students during the Career Expo.

Turlocker named Middle School Teacher of the Year

Turlock resident Jeanne Hartman, a resource specialist teacher at Empire Elementary K-8 School in Empire, was recently named the California League of Middle Schools' "Middle School Educator of the Year."

Junior high rallies ‘Just for Jeremiah’

About a month ago Turlock Junior High School seventh grader Jeremiah Coghill started feeling ill. He was weak, had random nose bleeds, and was sleeping 20 hours a day and he had lost 15 pounds.

Pentathlon athletes bring home top honors

Denair Middle School seventh-grade students were big winners at The Stanislaus County Academic Pentathlon, held last Saturday in Modesto. The Pentathlon is a one-day, five-event competition for county seventh and eighth grade students. After weeks of coaching, studying and preparation, students gather and are tested on their knowledge in literature, math, science, social science, speech and essay writing. Other local seventh grade winners included Sarah Reedy (TJHS- silver ...

CSU system faces drastic cuts in enrollment, employees

The California State University system will likely enroll at least 10,000 fewer students and cut employees to meet a $550 million funding gap, according to a report delivered to the CSU Board of Trustees Tuesday.

Denair Unified fires superintendent

In an unexpected turn of events Thursday night, the Denair Unified School District Board of Trustees unanimously voted to terminate Superintendent Edward Parraz. Parraz will be placed on administrative leave effective immediately until the board and Parraz can come to an agreement on the release of his contract, which was set to expire June 30, 2014. "It is with deep regret that we inform that the board has reached a unanimous decision ...

Cancer doesn't hamper Dutcher student's passion for learning

Very few of Raymond Perez's classmates at Dutcher Middle School know that he is a survivor. Last year Raymond, 13, was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma, the third most common type of cancer in kids and teens ages 10 to 14. He had to spend most of last school year studying at home - and in the hospital. "It was a very difficult time in my life," said Perez. "I cried all the ...

Medeiros student knows the meaning of respect

March Character Counts Profile: Respect Student feature: Kendrick Lacerda Nominated by: Principal Jennifer Yacoub and Assistant Principal Laura Long Kendrick Lacerda, a fourth grader at Sandra Tovar Medeiros Elementary School, is proof there are still children who know the meaning of the word respect. His actions in and out of the classroom were recognized through the Turlock Unified School District's Character Counts program for the trait of respect. Lacerda, who ...

Former track standout earns NCAA postgrad scholarship

CSU Stanislaus alumna and track and field standout Alycia Wagner has received the prestigious NCAA Minority Enhancement Program Postgraduate Scholarship for careers in athletics. Wagner, who was the first CSU Stanislaus student to win the award, will receive a $6,000 scholarship for enrolling in a sports-related academic program as a full-time graduate student in the 2013-14 academic year. "I am so thankful and excited to receive this award," Wagner said. "It is of ...

Superintendent apologizes for early calls

Turlock Unified School District Superintendent Sonny DaMarto issued an apology on Friday for accidentally sending out a robocall to publicize today's Festival on the Green event to the homes of students at 5:45 a.m. The robocall was supposed to go out at 5:45 p.m. "I apologize for the call so early in the morning. It was my fault. Evidently I set the time to be delivered on 'a.m.' instead of 'p.m.' for the ...

Sacred Heart Preschoolers to present 'An Afternoon with Picasso'

Nearly 200 aspiring young models will hit the catwalk today for the 8th annual Sacred Heart Preschool Fashion Show and Tea. The sold out event will house nearly 300 people in the school's gymnasium and feature a light lunch and tea, live and silent auctions and raffle of over 20 items. "This fashion show is one of my favorites," said Debbie Cannella, founder of Sacred Heart Preschool. "Having a fundraiser where children are ...

Turlock High students put their campaigning skills to the test

Parents voice outrage at proposed Denair school board election change

In an effort to save more money for a financially struggling Denair Unified School District, the district's board of trustees considered postponing board elections for one year. This idea was met with disdain by district parents who questioned current board members' competency and their motives for wanting to postpone elections. In a special board meeting held Thursday night, Superintendent Edward Parraz recommended rescheduling the election of governing board members by aligning district elections ...

TUSD prepares for governor's adult school changes

When Governor Jerry Brown released his proposed budget plan for the 2013-14 fiscal year, it included many changes in education funding. One of those changes, that moves adult school funding from K-12 school districts to community colleges, has many schools throughout the state fearing a loss of services to local students. The Turlock Unified School District, which has the largest adult school program in Stanislaus County, fears that if the governor's proposed budget ...

New assistant principal working to make TJHS '800-point school'

The new assistant principal at Turlock Junior High School is a familiar face to many. That's because the district picked longtime Turlock resident Sumeet Singh, a former 8th grade history teacher at TJHS. Singh started his new role this week as the assistant principal of curriculum and instruction, working alongside Principal Dave Kline and Assistant Principal of Student Services Tim Norton. "I've barely been working for this position for about a week ...

Read Across America

Students of Cunningham Elementary School were nothing short of ambitious after attending their annual Read Across America assembly, a nod to the nation's largest reading celebration in honor of Dr. Seuss' birthday. The audiences ranged from kindergarteners to sixth grade students, and all were encouraged to dress up as their favorite story book characters in light of the occasion. During the assembly, students were taught about the importance of reading and were encouraged ...

Area students compete in Regional Science Olympiad

Future scientists will put their skills to the test today, as the CSU Stanislaus campus hosts the 27th annual Stanislaus County Regional Science Olympiad. More than 550 students representing 16 middle school and 14 high schools from across Stanislaus County will be participating in a series of events that will begin at 8:30 a.m. and end at 2 p.m. inside the gym. "This is a wonderful event for our junior and high ...

NJROTC student wins big at air rifle competition

Determination and discipline are just two of the traits developed by those who participate in air rifle marksmanship. For Richard Gastelum, a junior ROTC student at Turlock High School, competing in air riffle competitions has also earned him the title of one of the best shooters in the nation. Gastelum was selected as one of the top 15 shooters in the nation, beating out 3,065 competitors, in the 2013 Navy JROTC Service Championship ...

Festival to highlight talents of local students

Over 600 Turlock Unified School District students will be showcasing their musical talents at the Festival on the Green, set for March 9 at Pitman High School. Festival on the Green, hosted by the Turlock Education Foundation and TUSD, is free and open to the public. "Our goal is to provide an opportunity for the community to come together and celebrate music and arts in our community and enjoy our TUSD students," ...

Julien student teaches peers importance of respect

February Character Counts Profile: Respect Student Feature: Decimas Guzman, Julien Elementary School Nominated by: Linda Murphy-Lopes, principal Treating people with dignity and respect can build a foundation for a better tomorrow. Decimas Guzman, a fourth grade student, is well on his way to building that foundation at Julien Elementary School. For his short 9 years of age, Decimas has already embodied the belief of treating others as you would like ...