Future uncertain for K-12 education

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a California State budget solution on Tuesday that will solve $24.2 billion of the state's budget woes. The bulk of the budget deal is $16.1 billion in expenditure reductions, with the biggest cuts to education funding.

CSU Stanislaus braces for share of budget cuts

The $584 million budget deficit that has walloped the California State University system will translate into enrollment reduction, higher fees and "furlough Fridays" at the CSU Stanislaus campus.

CSU faculty union agrees to furloughs; issues no confidence vote for chancellor

Members of the California Faculty Association have joined other unions in the California State University system in agreeing to take a two day a month furlough through the 2009-10 fiscal year.

TUSD trustees ‘just say go’ to school

Turlock High School will be rocking this school year, as local radio station KWIN will be broadcasting on-campus as part of the Turlock Unified School District's "Just Say Go" attendance campaign.

CSU student fees take 20 percent hike

In the wake of waning state monetary support, the California State University Board of Trustees took action Tuesday to close a $584 million budget gap and voted to raise student fees by an unprecedented 20 percent.

College students make science fun

Students at Osborn Elementary love to get their hands dirty in the name of science. Fourth graders in Celia Montes' class got the opportunity to do just that when they made their own play dough molecules on Wednesday.

Budget woes force admissions freeze

In the wake of a projected $584 million budget deficit, the California State University system has taken the drastic step of closing all winter and spring admissions for 2010.

EDUCATION: SUMMER SCIENCE

About two dozen sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students put their brains to work for the annual Math and Science Prep Camp at California State University, Stanislaus.

Nursing students get online option

To meet the growing demand for nurses and ease their own wait list numbers, California State University, Stanislaus will be offering Nursing degrees that can be earned through online classes.

Agriculture teacher, program win top honors

The California Agriculture Teachers Association has named Modesto Junior College professor Steve Amador as a Teacher of Excellence and MJC's Agriculture Department as the 2009 Outstanding Community College Agricultural Education Program.

OLYMPIC DAY

Cathy Ferguson, an Olympic gold medalist in swimming, gave a presentation to students at Julien Elementary School on Tuesday. Ferguson spoke about what it means to win, and told the story of how she started swimming at the age of 10 and grew up to become an Olympic gold medalist. Ferguson was invited to speak to the school by Mayor John Lazar as part of Turlock's Olympic Day celebrations. Turlock is one of many cities ...

Grant to boost science, math education at CSU Stanislaus

A grant of nearly $1 million to use in the recruitment of math and science teachers for "high need" schools was awarded to California State University, Stanislaus.

Move for nursing doctorate at CSU gains momentum

The push for instituting a doctorate program in Nursing at the California State University campuses moved one step closer to realization earlier this month when the State Assembly overwhelmingly passed the needed bill.

Earl students learn about their neighbors on Exploration Days

Students at Dennis Earl Elementary School got a taste of Mexican culture on Friday when they participated in Exploration Day. The kindergarten through sixth grade classes watched Aztec dancers and did classroom activities such as making tortillas, ponchos, and paper flowers.

CSU Stanislaus class of 2009 encouraged to take risks

On a day that felt and looked more like the beginning of the fall semester, about 600 California State University, Stanislaus students walked across the stage, moved their tassels from the left to the right, and became college graduates.

TUSD restores library positions

The Turlock Unified School District is bringing back at least one victim of the recent budget cuts - library resources. On Tuesday, the TUSD trustees voted to restore hours to current library technicians and create three new positions. The "There's a combination of library technicians who are currently divided into the school sites and many of them work very few hours," said TUSD's Director of Human Resources Jason Maggard. "We wanted to ...

Class gives Hilmar students skills for success

Many high school students think that career planning happens once they have entered college. On the contrary, career planning is a process that begins during high school, a task that Hilmar High holds as a standard. Hilmar High helps junior and senior students get a jump start on finding their career path through the ROP Business and Marketing Course. Through this special course, students are taught how to produce a portfolio with a ...

Mountain View students collect pennies to save lives

Students from Mountain View Middle School learned a penny can go a long way through their participation in a fundraiser for patients who suffer from leukemia and lymphoma. For three weeks the school collected pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters and raised more than $400 for the Pennies for Patients organization, which helps with funding for scientific research through the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Student Council Advisor Kathy Cook said students were excited ...

Earl students connect with elders through letters

Love was in the air at Cypress Assisted Living on Wednesday morning as third grade students from Earl Elementary greeted their pen pals with gifts in honor of Valentine's Day. The residents showed their affection in return by showering the students with candies, stuffed animals and other memorabilia. "The kids were extremely excited to meet their pen pals," said 3rd grade teacher Deserae Cook. "It was a good experience for them to go ...

Cuts continue for Denair schools

Valentine's Day was a somber event for the Denair Unified School District as it continued to process cuts for the 2013-14 school year. Trustees voted to cut 14 high school teachers' school hours, most for one period each. The elimination of hours will save the district $457,356, equivalent of 7.24 fulltime slots for the 2013-14 school year. "As board members, we understand that decisions that we make are going to affect a ...

TUSD moves forward with science, technology program

The Turlock Unified School District's plan to implement a program that will give students the leg-up they need in science and technology was approved by the Board of Trustees. Starting with the 2013-14 school year, the STEM program will be offered to 30 seventh grade students as an elective program at Turlock Junior High School. This systematic approach will integrate the content and skills of science, technology, engineering and mathematics over the course ...

Local students turn imagined ag stories into award winners

One local student imagined how an ordinary egg journeys to the supermarket and eventually the breakfast platter. Another taught a city girl what it takes to live on a farm. Still another explained the importance of barn owls during harvest season. These three young authors won top honors in the California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom's 18th annual "Imagine this…" writing contest. For Gratton Elementary fourth grader Morgan Gravatt, seeing her ...

Celebration of science

TUSD applies for USDA Farm to School grant

The Turlock Unified School District is looking to bring even more fresh fruits and vegetables to its students through a U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm to School grant. The district is applying for funds from the federal program, that, if granted, will help buy seed and supplies for a new farm being constructed at Turlock High School. Once fully implemented, the THS farm could potentially supply 10 to 20 percent of the fresh ...

A fun trip to the dentist?

Dozens of schoolchildren entered the First Step Dental office Friday morning; for some a first-time dental experience. The purpose of annual field trip day: make children more comfortable with going to the dentist and teach important dental hygiene skills. The Turlock dental office hosted the field trip as part of Children Dental Health Month and taught the importance of brushing and flossing, nutrition and a fun introduction of the dentist chair. "This ...

THS finalist for classroom makeover

When Turlock High School yearbook advisor Virginia Barr entered her classroom one morning in December 2011, she was surprised to learn that a flood had destroyed her entire classroom from the inside. "The torrent of water passed through me when I opened the door," said Barr. "Our books were covered in mold. Aside from losing files and computers, our students lost valuable time in completing their assignments. Our computers were filled with water. ...

Sacred Heart celebrates Catholic Schools Week

As parishes across the nation celebrate Catholic Schools Week, students at Sacred Heart School in Turlock marked the annual event with a jog-a-thon, open house, and musical presentation. From special masses to open houses, Sacred Heart found ways to mirror the National Catholic Schools Week theme of "Catholic Schools Raise the Standard. " This initiative seeks to ensure that these high standards are met at catholic schools across the country. "Catholic Schools ...

Science holds the key: STEM program to open at TJHS

With the onset of the recession and high unemployment rates, education is fundamental in succeeding in today's economy. The Turlock Unified School District is looking to offer a program that will give students the leg-up they need to compete in high-demand science and technology fields. The STEM program, a systematic approach that integrates the content and skills of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, will be integrated over the course of three years and ...

Turlock High principal moves to district office

Turlock High School students began 2013 with a few changes, as longtime principal Dana Salles Trevethan moved into a position at the district office and assistant principal Marie Peterson stepped up to lead in her place. On Jan. 10, Trevethan sent a letter to parents announcing her departure from Turlock High School and her move to the Turlock Unified School District under Superintendent Sonny DaMarto. "I will relocate to the district office ...

CSU Stanislaus receives $250K grant for student research

Anthropology research at California State University, Stanislaus will soon get a technological upgrade thanks to a quarter million dollar grant. CSU Stanislaus was recently awarded a $250,000 grant from the W.M. Keck Foundation to support the creation of the Deck Visual Anthropology Lab to equip and fund an undergraduate classroom and research lab. The grant will fund the project for three years, paying for new cameras and accessories, editing workstations, digitizing equipment, ...