User Posts : Bakersfield.com

State to honor local teen

South High School junior Oscar Encinas will be honored as California’s Young Champion for Change by the Network for a Healthy California at ceremonies in Sacramento on Feb. 8 at 3:30 p.m. Encinas was judged the most deserving of the award over 15 other statewide nominees because of his lengthy portfolio of public service promoting health lifestyles and obesity prevention in schools and his community. He was nominated for the award by the Kern County Network for Children (KCNC), administered by the Kern County Superintendent of Schools office.

Encinas has long been involved with the Central California Regional Obesity Prevention Program (CCROPP), operated through KCNC. That connection enabled him to work with Kaiser Permanente, Game Time and Bakersfield Recreation and Parks Department to get a new playground installed in Stiern Park that promotes family fitness and gives children a safe place to play. He made sure the design included accessibility for special needs children.

Growing up in Greenfield, Encinas and his family attended nutrition classes provided by KCNC and the Greenfield Family Resource Center. He helped found Greenfield Walking Group, volunteers as a local youth soccer coach, is on the steering committee of the Building Healthy Communities initiative and represents the county on the Statewide Youth Board on Obesity Prevention. His video on creating positive park graffiti to celebrate cultural traditions was a state finalist in the Mo Project sponsored by California Adolescent Nutrition and Fitness.

Stockdale High wins Mock Trial championship

Stockdale High School culminated an unblemished Mock Trial season by defeating previously undefeated Garces Memorial and Liberty high schools in the last two rounds to win the 2009-10 Kern County Mock Trial Super Saturday championship held on Jan. 23 in Bakersfield's Kern County Superior Courts of California. Emerging as the best among 16 county high school teams who competed, Stockdale will represent the county at the California Mock Trial, March 19-21, in San Jose. Finishing second was Liberty and the third place team was Garces. Other teams finishing in the top seven were:

Fourth — Centennial High

Fifth — East Bakersfield High

Sixth — Ridgeview High

Seventh — Bakersfield High

The top two students from each team who consistently performed the best throughout the course of the three-month competition were named to the Honor Court. They are:

Bakersfield High — Hilary Glossbrenner and Tangier Davis

Centennial High — Lauren Howry and James Bella

Delano High — Stephaine Daiz and Julio Lopez

Desert High — Crystal Lambert and James Kelleher

East High — Analicia Torres and Riley Barnard

Foothill High — Bianca Ramirez and Jennifer Rener

Frontier High — Krystle Cartier and Steven Porfiri

Garces Memorial High — David Freed and P.J. Atchison

Golden Valley High — Patricia Morales and Navjyot Gill

Robert F. Kennedy High — Paula Madrid and Balentin Lugo

Liberty High — Molly Mullaney and William Zimmer
North High C Genaro Alatorre and Ricardo Torres

Ridgeview High — Holly Dunn and Taylor Smith

Shafter High — Samantha Encinas and Joey Aguirre

Stockdale High — Harman Rahal and Michael Denari

West High — Michelle Rosas and Evan Reyna

Team members from competing high schools acted as defense and prosecution and provided witnesses and courtroom officials in the fictitious case of People v. Bratton, in which comedian Jordan Bratton was accused of murdering entertainment critic Preston Palmer to silence his negative Web site reviews. The case was prepared by the Constitutional Rights Foundation and used in each round.

In the annual competition, students have the opportunity to address serious and timely issues young people face today. Under the guidance of teachers and coaches, students use critical thinking and interpersonal skills to prepare and argue the case. An objective of Mock Trial is to give students a better understanding of the link between the Constitution, the courts and the legal system.

Kern County Mock Trial is sponsored by the Kern County Superintendent of Schools, Kern High School District, Kern County Bar Association, Kern County Superior Courts of California, Kern County Sheriff's Department and Sheriff's Reserves with a grant from the Harry and Ethel West Foundation.

Stockdale High School - 2009-10 Kern County Mock Trial Team Champion
Teacher Coach - Kristin Jurich; Attorney Coaches - Devin Brown, Melissa Brown and Felicia Nagle

Students - Brianne Bertolaccini, Moury Bidgoli, Joseph Cooney, Michael Denari, Mackenzie Hooper, Jotthe Kannappan, Isheeta Madeka, Erika Martinez, Prutha Mehta, Natasha Patel, Sagar Patel, Yashesh Patel, Harman Rahal, Alyssa Ramanini, Vid Reddy, Lovkarn Riar, Shalin Shah and Sona Shah

CALM welcomes Nettie

CALM has become home to Nettie the beaver at the zoo’s northeast Bakersfield location, 10500 Alfred Harrell Highway between Lake Ming and Hart Park. Nettie is a two-year-old, North American beaver (Castor Canadensis). She shares an enclosure, outside the Reptile House, with CALM’s American white pelican, herring gull and Canadian goose.

“Nettie has a sweet disposition, as she was hand raised by another facility,” said Zoo Manager Lana Fain. “She may have a slight brain injury affecting her vision and movement a bit. She enjoys the company of humans and loves yams!”

Beavers are nature’s "engineers," building large water habitat for wide varieties of animal life. They often come in conflict with humans in agricultural areas where water flow may be inhibited or trees damaged. Beavers are well known for their tails, which they use as a rudder, to build dams and slap the water surface to warn family of danger.

Beavers are the largest rodent in California and second largest in the world. They once numbered about 60 million but now about 8 million exist.

Don Richardson, curator of animals, said, “Beavers directly from the wild, such as the “Riverlakes Beavers,” are often more difficult to acclimate, but Nettie is appropriate for our enclosure because she was hand raised.”

Non-profit CALM has for 26 years provided residence for injured and abandoned animals that are no longer able to live on their own in the wild. For information, call (661) 872-2256 or visit the Web site, http://www.calmzoo.org.

Kern's National History champs

Five students from Bakersfield’s Fruitvale Jr. High School — Marissa Manos, Ramneet Sahota, Bianca Hinojosa, Calvin Laverty and Sameen Bramer — finished first in the junior division group performance category at National History Day which concluded June 18, at the University of Maryland. Their entry, “Sylvia Mendez: The Legacy of a Young Girl’s Fight for Equality in Education,” was judged the best out of 14 finalists from 12 states. Kern County also had another finalist, Centennial High School’s Sarah Moore, whose senior division individual documentary, “Silently Leaving a Legacy: The Actions of Chiune Sugihara,” was judged third best in the nation.

“Once they said Bakersfield had won, I screamed so loudly I didn’t even hear all our names being called,” said Sahota. “I thought we had done a good performance, and lots of people who saw it assured us we would be in the top three. But this is nationals, we just didn’t expect it.”

The Fruitvale team’s performance was based on a child of Mexican descent who was denied admission to a school near her Orange County home because of segregation. The family took the case to court, and their 1947 victory helped desegregate public schools in California.

Moore, who improved on a ninth place finish at nationals last year, said the result was both “exciting and overwhelming.” Her documentary focused on a Japanese diplomat assigned to Lithuania who was responsible for issuing transit visas to more than 2,100 Jewish refugees escaping from Europe during World War II.

“This was a fun a project because I got to interview lots of people who knew Sugihara and received visas from him which allowed them to immigrate to the U.S.,” Moore said. “I wish more students would be able to do this. To do your own research and speak with people who have lived history first hand is one of the most valuable experiences you will ever have in life.”

Kern County was also represented at National History Day by another Fruitvale Jr. High group performance team that included Aaliyah Beed, Dylan Gonzales, Richard Sotille, Gabriela Forter and Madison Olinger. Their entry was “Elie Wiesel: A Survivor’s Legacy, A Messenger for Mankind.” Fruitvale Jr. High’s Anne Bardet represented the county at nationals with her junior division individual exhibit, “Mother Teresa: A Light in the Darkness.”

Nationally, approximately 500,000 students and 40,000 teachers annually participate in National History Day programs. More than 2,000 students from across the country attend the national contest (from 48 states, the District of Columbia, Department of Defense Schools and American Samoa). Kern County’s students had to win at the Kern County History Day competition, sponsored by the Kern County Superintendent of Schools on March 7, then prove victorious over the best in the state at History Day in California held in Sacramento on May 3 to be eligible to compete at National History Day.

Court & Community School Graduation

Court and Community Schools, operated by the Kern County Superintendent of Schools (KCSOS), will conduct graduation ceremonies at 11 a.m. on May 30 at Bakersfield High School’s Harvey Auditorium, 1241 G Street. The number of high school seniors taking part in the ceremonies will be 206 out of a graduating class of 265 from five geographic Court and Community School sites in Kern County.

KCSOS Court and Community Schools offer options that improve student safety, encourage learning, reduce classroom disruption and help reduce Kern County’s dropout rate. Campuses are located on 16 sites in Bakersfield, Delano, Kernville, Lake Isabella,

Mojave, Ridgecrest and Taft. During the 2007-08 school year (the most recent figures),

KCSOS provided education to 9,335 elementary through high school students who were incarcerated, in juvenile court programs, expelled, on probation or at serious risk of dropping out of school.

2008-09 KCSOS Court and Community School Graduates

Bakersfield

Marissa Alaniz, Hector Alatorre, Norma Alvarado, Monique Alvarez, Vicente Alvarez, Monica Ambriz, Jamie Amos, Donald Anderson, Jose Angel, Zachary Anthony, Ashley Aragon, Adam Arellano, Stephanie Arreguin, Eduardo Arrellanes, Erik Atkinson, Rogelio Avina, Cinthia Ayala, Christopher Ayers, Jasmine Baktiar, Tylor Ball, Alicia Barrera, Daniel Barrera, John Baston, John Beltran, Paul Regal Bernal, Darryl Bogan, Julia Brewster, Michael Bugarin, Inty Buthdy, Angel Camacho, Brian Cano, Destinee Cartagena, Zachery Carter, Benjamin Cashpal, Israel Cashpal, Luis Castro, Angelica Chavarria, Jessica Christopher, Joe Cisneros, Emily Clara, Elbis Cortes, Michael Craig, Marcel Cyprian, Daryl Daniel, Araceli Davila, Sabrina De La Rosa, Marco Delgadillo, Eddie Delgado, Hector Delgado, Jorge Delgado, Breeanna Demaree, Jesus R. Diaz, Edwin Diaz, Brittany Dickerson, Jacob Dijkstra, Michael Dolbec, Patricia Dunbar, Miguel Duran, Alonzo Elenes, Shyan Erwin, Iva Evans, Jaime Fernandez, Tanisha Fields, Manuel Figueroa, Harold Fisher, Starla Fitzgerald, Antonio Flores, Cauthemoc Flores, Edward Foster, Starlah Fowler, Angelique Gage, Lana Gallardo, Jorge Garcia,

Mike Garcia, Marco Garcilazo, Christina Garza, Tito Gomez, Michael Gonzales, Robert William Ray Gonzales, Filiberto Gonzalez, Magdalena Gonzalez, Miguel Gonzalez, Sergio Guerra, Roger Guevarra, Justin Gutierrez, Ashley Guzman, Michael Hankins, Lawresha Hardin, Art Harris, Madison Hedge, Eden Hernandez, Edgar Hernandez, Lisvet Hernandez, Michael Hernandez, Sandra Hernandez, Jimil Herron, Jeff Hill, Tommy Hunley, Zaeba Islam, Crystal Jackson, David Dillon Jenkinson, Yolanda Juarez, Hannah Keller, Andre Kellybrew, Alexander Knox, Jereme Kotenski, Dillon Lacoy, Alphonse Laforet, Gildardo Leal, Pauline Leos, Mario Lizarraga, Aldo Lobos, Patrick Longoria, Cesar Lopez, Derrick Lopez, Rocio Lopez, Rodolfo Lopez, Michael Lozano, Domingo Lucero, Leah Luna, Eddie Madera, Letysia Martinez, Mario Martinez, Luis Massie, Lacey McCormick, Michael Mejia, Miriam Mijares, Isaias Montes, Fernando Morales, Richard Morales, Eduardo Moreno, Mario Moreno, Rico Morning, Rachel Morris, Keith Morrow, Matthew Moss, Lisarenee Muñoz, Mirella Najera, Vincent Nevarez, Christopher Norman, Rayon Norwood, Leonel Nunez, Miguel Oliveros, Jason Palmer, Anthony Park, Alanzo Patterson, Lupe Paz, Cecilia Perez, Kent Perez, Nathan Deon Perry, Parris Peterson, Jamaal Phillips, Travon Pitts, Joshua Pope, Jamel Portis, Joshua Provencio, Franklin Pung, Eric Pytlak, Lorena Quezada, Marco Quintero, Annabel Quiroz, Miguel Ramirez, Jose Ramos, Christian Resendiz, Albert Reyes, Maria Reyes,Christopher Rios, Andrew Rivera, Ricardo Rivera, Shaya Roam, Steven Roberson,

Fredrick Robinson, Jose A. Robles, Jesus Robles Miranda, Christopher Rodriguez, Sabrina Rodriguez, Terah Rossiter, Cecilia Ruiz, Fernando Ruiz, Jose Ruiz, Beatriz Salas, Jacquelynn Salas, Angel Salazar, Hector Salazar, Christopher Salinas, Nicholas Salinas, Adriana Sanchez, Andrew Sanchez, Hugo Sanchez, Nancy Sanchez, Pedro Sandoval, Brandon Sanford, Isamar Santiago, Robert Santos, Jeremy Saunders, Lucio Sedeno, Joshua Shank, Tiffany Shannon, Haylee Shull-Hyde, Aundre Simpkins, Ruth Smith, Timothy Smith, Jose Soto, Gloria Thomas, Leonardo Tobon, Francisco Torres, Juan Tovar, Mykail Turner, Israel Valencia, Kevin Valencia, Jennifer Valenzuela, Patrick Vargas, Xsavier Villa, Humberto Villegas, Alejandro Vizcarra, TaShawn Walker, Melissa Walton, Jeutisha Webb, Randall Wehrmanm, Ciara Williams, Jarrett Williams, Zackhary Williams, Makayla Williams, Callie Willoughby, Ashley Diane Wood, Breeana Wright, Vernon Wright, Christyna Ybarra and Antonio Zavala

Delano

Stephen Juarez, Lydia Lambert, Veronica Maldonado, Osmar Paniagua, Oralie Rodriguez, Monica Salazar and Hector Torres

Lake Isabella

Daniel Bull, Cory Fine, Kelly LuJan, Dazi Miller, David Mitchell and Reyna Watkins

East Kern

David Benzie, Luke Cox, Hector Garcia, Kirt Hulsey, Phillip Ice, Erica Jimenez, Lindsey McMillin, Leanisha Muhummad, Patricia Rico, Ruben Ruiz, Carol Schaefer, William Shores and Dylan Welch

West Kern

Thomas Clevenger, Sonny Henning, Kasey Ibarra, Stephanie Jordan, Jordan Payne, Courtney Price, Samantha Price, Lupita Ramirez, Matthew Robinson and Arianna Shwind

###

Ridgecrest pair tops in science fair

Burroughs High School sophomores Amy Lee and Thomas Wooding from Ridgecrest topped the list of Kern County students earning awards at the 58th annual California Science Fair which concluded May 19 in Los Angeles. Lee and Wooding, who did very well by earning second place honors at the Kern County Science Fair in March, took their project to the top in the state competition winning in the senior division Mammalian Biology category with their entry, “Lead Bullets Poisoned the Condors, Are Grizzly Bears Next?”

The Ridgecrest winners showed how animals killed by lead bullets were poisoning condors and grizzly bears who fed on their remains. “We simulated a condor and bear stomach, used chemicals to show if poison was present after the introduction of lead and copper, allowed a digestion period of five hours and used filtering paper to determine the results,” Lee said.

Lee and Wooding were the top finishers among 18 Kern County students who earned honors for their mathematical and scientific methodology skills at the California Science Center competition. Warren Jr. High seventh-grader Irfan Habib finished third in the junior division Biochemistry/Molecular Biology category, Standard Middle School seventh-grader Lily Denesha was fourth in the Product Science category and Stockdale High Senior Nicholas Okita earned fourth in senior division Chemistry. Kern County students also received eight honorable mention awards and six others were recipients of California Science Fair Special Awards.

Kern County had 59 students presenting 55 projects in a field that included 960 of the state’s top middle and senior high school students. Those from Kern who qualified to compete in the California Science Fair scored among the top projects at the March 17 Kern County Science Fair, administered by the Kern County Superintendent of Schools Office.

California Science Fair competitors came from 35 counties, entered projects in 24 categories ranging from aerodynamics/hydrodynamics to zoology, and winners took home a combined total of $50,000 in cash prizes.

Kern County students who received awards at the California Science Fair, their schools and the category they entered include:

First Place — Amy Lee and Thomas Wooding, Burroughs High — Mammalian Biology

Third Place — Irfan Habib, Warren Jr. High — Biochemistry/Molecular Biology

Fourth Place — Lily Denesha, Standard Middle School — Product Science; Nicholas Okita, Stockdale High — Chemistry

Honorable Mention — Michelle Stanley, Tevis Jr. High — Applied Mechanics and Structures; Danielle Behrens, Stockdale Christian School — Chemistry; Clayton Skousen, Desert High — Chemistry; Alexandra Vaughan, Stockdale Elementary — Earth Science; Matthew Nickell, Rio Bravo-Greeley School — Electronics and Electromagnetics; Rohan Sharma, Warren Jr. High — Environmental Science; Mark Canning, Desert High — Physics and Astronomy; Laura Jennings, El Tejon Middle — Plant Biology

California Science Fair 2009 Special Awards

Dr. Ibrahim El-Hefni Achievement in Science Award ($500) — Suevana Ayala, Jefferson Middle; Madeline Atchison, St. Francis Parish and Sarah Stauffer, Jefferson Middle School

Science Buddies Clever Scientist Award ($30) — Darby Adler, Independence Elementary and Shreya Banerjee, Reagan School

Society of Petroleum Engineers Superior Technical Achievement Award ($300) — Nicholas Okita, Stockdale High

County Superintendent Reider to Retire

Kern County Superintendent of Schools Larry E. Reider announced Tuesday, (May 12) he will retire June 30, concluding a 44-year career in education, the last 10 as county superintendent.
     Reider announced his decision during the regular meeting of the Kern County Board of Education. The Board of Education is expected to name Reider’s replacement when it meets June 9. Education code section 1042(e) provides that the county Board of Education fill by appointment any vacancy that occurs during the term of the office of the county superintendent of schools. The appointment will be effective through December 2010.
     “There are no words to fully describe the rich and rewarding career I have had in Kern County education. Quite simply, this is because of the wonderful people in Kern,” said Reider. “Particularly rewarding has been seeing former students – many who overcame obstacles to learning when they came into my classroom – become productive and contributing adults.” Many of his students entered education and today are working as teachers, principals and other posts in our schools.
      Reider said he plans to stay in Kern County and remain active in our community.
“While retirement affords me more flexibility in deciding what, where and when I’ll do things, I certainly won’t be sitting around. This community has been extremely good to me ever since I arrived to teach school in Arvin in 1965. I want to continue to repay this kindness during my retirement years.”
      Since he became superintendent of schools in 1999, Reider committed himself to helping more children be successful with specific emphasis on reading and being ready to learn when they begin school. He also was committed to expanding the pool of qualified teachers. Through partnerships with private, public and not-for-profit organizations he helped launch initiatives to benefit our children including:
      -The Community Reading Project in concert with The Bakersfield Californian. Volunteers from the private, public and not-for-profit sectors work with second grade students struggling to master reading. Now in its 10th year, more than 325 Community Reading Project volunteers are working with students at nearly 30 school sites. Second grade students are targeted because this is considered the grade most critical to master reading skills.
      -Ready to Start which began as a pilot in two school districts and later expanded to two others. Ready to Start is designed to make students ready to learn when they enter kindergarten. The six-week course focuses on instructional basics and social skills building. Post assessments found children better prepared to learn than their peers who didn’t participate. At a cost of about $350 per student, Ready to Start is a cost-effective option to the traditional 180 day preschool, particularly during tight budget times. Key partners in creating Ready to Start include Aera Energy LLC, the Jim Burke automobile dealerships, the United Way of Kern County, Kern Schools Federal Credit Union and The Bakersfield Californian.
      -Co-chaired the teacher retention and recruitment task force that developed approaches to recruit and retain more Kern County-based teachers. Given that the baby-boom generation is at or near retirement, the need for highly qualified teachers will exist for years to come. This is particularly true for math, science, special education and English teachers. The task force put in place approaches to train classroom aides to become teachers, saw local universities increase the number of teacher training slots and created a pathway for professionals in other careers to become teachers.
      -Constructed a Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) fueling facility-which is open to the public – and began switching school buses from diesel to clean burning CNG. To date about half the fleet is powered by CNG and each year additional high-mileage diesel buses are replaced with CNG.
       Reider is chairman of MOVE International, a program developed in Bakersfield and now used throughout much of the world. MOVE teaches mobility skills to severely disabled children and adults. Today, the MOVE curriculum is published in 13 languages. Reider also was appointed by the United Kingdom’s Prince Charles to serve on the Disability Partnership board of directors. The Disability Partnership, funded by the prince, offers MOVE to children and adults with disabilities in the United Kingdom and other European countries.
      Reider speaks often about the link between the community’s economic viability and the education of its citizenry. He is a consistent advocate for increased career training particularly for students who don’t go to college immediately after high school.
Reider is active in numerous local and state organizations in addition to not-for-profits.   These include the United Way of Kern County, Bakersfield Vision 2020, the Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce, the Kern Economic Development Corp.,      Bakersfield Museum of Art and the Rotary Club of Bakersfield. In 2005, he was state president for the County Superintendents Educational Services Association. He also is the recipient of numerous recognitions from community and education organizations. Throughout his tenure Reider urged his staff to volunteer and give back to our community.
      Reider and his wife Sandra, a retired drama and literature teacher, are parents to one adult daughter, Mikhail.
“Ever since his first day in the classroom, he has focused on what’s best for our children. He has absolutely no ego and never seeks the spotlight. To him, a good day is one that makes life and learning better for our children. That’s one of many reasons why he truly will be missed,” said Associate County Superintendent of Schools Christine L. Frazier.

Students bank on speaking

Thorner School fourth-grader Stephen Bush, Old River Elementary fifth-grader Acquila Maliyekkal and Endeavour Elementary sixth-grader Olivia Belda emerged as Bank of America Essay and Speech Contest winners among 25 of the best essayist-speakers who competed in the annual event held May 7 at University Square in Bakersfield. Each convinced the judges they should be their grade level champion by delivering a three-to-five minute speech from an essay they had previously written. Fourth-graders had “Why is Volunteerism Important” as their topic. “Should Community Service be a Requirement for High School Graduation” was the topic for fifth and sixth-graders.

Approximately 400 Kern County students had written classroom essays on the topics. Each county English and language arts region could nominate only one classroom essay per grade level. The top 25 essayists, as determined by a panel of judges from the Kern County Superintendent of Schools’ (KCSOS) Curriculum, Instruction and Accountability department, were picked to compete in the speech portion of the contest. Bank of America’s Central California Market and KCSOS sponsor the competition, which awards savings bonds in the amounts of $100 for first place, $75 for second and $50 for third.

Each of the three grade level winners had a unique way of addressing their topics.

Bush compared volunteerism to the makeup of a beach. As he put it, “I am one grain of sand, but if there weren’t many like me there wouldn’t be a beach.”

Maliyekkal referred to community service as a feel good experience.

“If you want to lift yourself up — lift up your community,” he said.

Belda felt success in life was an opportunity to share the wealth

"Community service is a great way to help others in need. By earning more in

your chosen field you have a chance to give more to your community,” Belda

said.

2009 Bank of America Essay/Speech Contest Finalists

4th Grade

1st — Stephen Bush, Thorner School

2nd — Lexi Keene, Reagan School

3rd — Natasha Bramer, Columbia Elementary

5th Grade

1st — Acquila Maliyekkal, Old River Elementary

2nd — Mikayla Regier, Discovery Elementary

3rd — Manooshree Patel, Reagan School

6th Grade

1st — Olivia Belda, Endeavour Elementary

2nd — Natalie Moss, St. Francis Parish School

3rd — Nia Brazzell, Stockdale Elementary

2009 Bank of America Speech Contest Competitors (not by order of finish)

4th Grade

Natasha Bramer, Columbia Elementary

Stephen Bush, Thorner School

Nick Clarksean, St. Francis Parish School

Ryan Crowley, Stockdale Elementary

Lexi Keene, Reagan School

Jayden Lotz, Endeavour Elementary

Claire Murray, Patriot Elementary

Joshua Svihovec, McAuliffe School

Cy Williams, Veterans Elementary

5thth Grade

Matt Chaffee, McAuliffe School

John Irwin, Columbia Elementary

Kaley Lovio, Patriot Elementary

Madalyn Luter, Veterans Elementary

Acquila Maliyekkal, Old River Elementary

Manooshree Patel, Reagan School

Mikayla Regier, Discovery Elementary

Joseph Rivera, St. Francis Parish School

6th Grade

Olivia Belda, Endeavour Elementary

Nia Brazzell, Stockdale Elementary

Amrit Dhillon, Berkshire Elementary

Natalie Moss, St. Francis Parish School

Annie Murrell, Thorner School

Grace Park, Discovery Elementary

Julie Pascual, Norris Middle

Matt Wade, McAuliffe School

Math a 'Field Day' for students

       Although it is not scored as a team competition, Murray Middle School of Ridgecrest distinguished itself with 10 category finalists and Rosedale Middle School and La Viña Middle School of Delano each had eight finalists among approximately 800 students from 31 schools who competed at the 39th annual Kern County Middle School Mathematics Field Day held at Ridgeview High School in Bakersfield today (May 2).
      The competition, sponsored by the Kern County Superintendent of Schools, Westchester Kiwanis Club, Bakersfield Math Council, California Math Council, Kern County Science Foundation American Petroleum Institute-San Joaquin Valley Chapter and Ridgeview High, is a fun day of problem solving games and competitions. Some have playful names such as “leap frog” and “mad hatter.” Still others offer the flavor of athletic competition with names such as “power relay,” “circuit training,” “individual medley” and “triathlon games.”
       “Questions are written to the California Content Standards,” said Kathy Hill, event coordinator. “So, students can prepare for Mathematics Field Day while preparing for the California Standards test at the same time. And the competition is fun for everyone.”
       Sixth, seventh, eighth-graders or those in an algebra class for which they will receive high school credit compete in a series of written events testing their math skills individually and in teams of two, three, four and five by grade level.

2009 Kern County Middle School Mathematics Field Day results

INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY — Top Students from each School
(School, Student, Grade)
Actis Jr. High — Jenny An, 7th; Dylan Grimes, 8th; Caitlin Williams, 8th
Alicante Ave. — Vanessa Diaz, 6th
Almond Tree Middle — Omar Martinez, 6th; Arsenio Chaidez, 7th; Jestoni Caban, 8th
Cecil Ave. Middle — Ivan Ayon, 6th ; Nadia Gapur, 7th; Juan Cerda, 8th
Chipman Jr. High — Phoebe Contreras-Jones, 7th; Brianna Wright, 8th; Alex Pearson, 8th
Discovery Elementary — Tyler Burnes, 6th; Keagan Reeves, 6th
Downtown — Noah Finch, 6th; Marvin Fuller III, 7th; Madison Robledo, 8th
Edison Middle — Marcus Rivera, 6th; Christian Miranda, 7th; Salvador Paz, 7th; Sarah Fedhel, 8th
Emerson Middle — Johnny Ceja, 6th; Susan Lee, 7th; Jessica Reyes, 8th
Franklin — Max Eldredge, 6th
Fruitvale Jr. High — Michael Summers, 6th; Alex Winger, 7th; Lyly Huynh, 8th
Independence Elementary — Alex Galland, 6th
Jefferson Middle — Michael Blanchard, 7th; Jose Castro, 8th
La Viña Middle — Mary Munoz, 6th; Jasmine Paraiso, 7th; Richmond Prado, 8th
McKee Middle — Oscar Goldamez, 6th; Steve Ramos, 7th; David Tirado, 8th
Monroe Middle — Van Burkhardt, 6th; Skylar Muse, 7th; Kendrick Cowie, 8th
Mountain View Middle — Noemi Lopez Parra, 7th; Chris Leal, 8th
Murray Middle — Jennifer Kandell, 6th; Zach Flatebo, 7th; Rebecca Kandell, 8th
Myrtle Ave. — Cristal Garcia, 6th
Ollivier Middle — Esmeralda Rojas, 7th; AaronMendez, 8th
Owens Intermediate — Alex Burdick, 6th
Rosedale Middle — Shlok Patel, 7th; Elaine Bae, 7th; Andrew Nicholas-Melton, 7th; Derek Frost, 8th
Semitropic — Joshua Gereke, 7th; Ivette Ruiz, 8th
Stiern — Mickeylinda Hernandez, 6th; Anthony Camacho, 7th; Anthony Ochoa, 8th
Stine — Cheyenne Rodgers, 6th
Stockdale Elementary — Glenn Golla, 6th
Van Horn— A.J. Ong, 6th
Wallace Middle — Braeden Grimsby, 6th; David Powell, 7th; Weston Williams, 8th
Washington Jr. High — Seressa Guzman , 6th; Katlyn Johnson, 7th; Baylee Wickham, 8th

POWER RELAYS — 6th Grade
1st — John Schad, Hannah Van Nevel, Samuel Kelley, Chase May, Matthew Decker — Murray Middle
2nd —Tyler Burnes, Isaac Trevino, Keegan Reeves, Brock Hallum, Kirstin Catapang — Discovery Elementary
3rd —Victoria Boyd, Ali Vaughn, Kayla Rogers, Tiffany Yen, Glenn Golla — Stockdale Elementary

POWER RELAYS — 7th Grade
1st — Oswaldo Marquez, Phoebe Contreras, Cole Frayne, Nick Romero, Caroline Hendricks — Chipman Jr. High
2nd — Charlyne Nicolas, Anthony Abad, Diana Caliboso, Bryan Osario, Ashley Stebbins — La Viña Middle
3rd — Jmil Kim, Rachael Song, Taylee Helms, Graham Mattox, Julianna Mullen — Fruitvale Jr. High

POWER RELAYS — 8th Grade
1st — Jed Caragan, Jacob Elliott, Alex Pearson, Paulette Rodriguez, Brianna Wright — Chipman Jr. High
2nd — Michelle Rivas, Elaine Bae, Taylor Winter, Samuel Oberlies, Derek Frost — Rosedale Middle
3rd — Arielle Rey, Adriana Zerbinu, Diana Forbes, Alyssa Bloomberg, Lara Luu; Murray Middle

LEAP FROG —- 6th Grade
1st — Alex Burdick, Maria Torres — Owens Intermediate
2nd — LeCheng Tong, Keani Garner — Stockdale Elementary
3rd — Elizabeth Feist, Annie Ewbank — Murray Middle

LEAP FROG — 7th Grade
1st — Christian Chavez, Shiv Patel; Rosedale Middle
2nd — Evamae Bayudan, Jasmine Paraiso; La Viña Middle
3rd — Esmeralda Rojas, Miguel Ochoa; Ollivier Middle

LEAP FROG —- 8th Grade
1st — Caitlin Williams, Dylan Grimes — Actis Jr. High and Dylan Karakas, Zach Flaten — Murray
Middle
2nd —Chance Marchini, Claudio Carbajall — Chipman Jr. High and Aaron Mendez, Angel Lara —
Ollivier Middle
3rd — Jessa Millwee, Emily Cruz — Fruitvale Jr. High School and Mariela Vega, Kassandra Castruita
— Mt. View Middle

6th GRADE CIRCUIT TRAINING
1st — Braeden Grimsby, Anthony Seldon —Wallace Middle
2nd — Jordan Joke, Haley Raichelson — Independence Elementary
3rd — Nicholas Le, Eddie Carranza — Owens Intermediate

7th and 8th GRADE (combined) CIRCUIT TRAINING
1st — Kevin Quintana, Anhkhoi Vu; Murray Middle
2nd — Alma Almanza, Jose Castro — Thomas Jefferson Middle
3rd —Aaron Taylor, Nina Mercado — Rosedale Middle

MAD HATTER — 6th Grade
1st — Julia Castro, Natalie Rosica — Discovery Elementary and Mary Munoz, Areli Alvarez — La
Viña Middle
2nd — Cheyenne Rodgers, Rebecca Oberg — Stine School
3rd — Hannah Johnson, Jennifer Kandell — Murray Middle

MAD HATTER — 7th Grade
1st — Saleh Hassan, Justin Picar — La Viña Middle
2nd — Isabella Busacca, Andrew Melton — Rosedale Middle
3rd — Raymond Osorno, Arsenio Chaidez — Almond Tree Middle

MAD HATTER — 8th Grade
1st — Jestoni Coban, Ariene Gregorio — Almond Tree Middle and Jared Parks, Chris Hopwood —
Fruitvale Jr. High
2nd — Richmond Prado, Arden Pagdilao — La Viña Middle and Cesar Lopez, Bryan Hernandez
Washington Middle
3rd — Jessica Reyes, Melissa Gonzalez — Emerson Middle and Josiah Warkentin, Dominic Tarraoza
— Murray Middle

SCHOOL PROBLEM SOLVING
1st — Joseph Pappe, Franklin Floresca, Zach Flatebo, Rebecca Kandell— Murray Middle
2nd — Brandon Cheong, Kiefer Park, Allen Zeng, Justin Mai — Rosedale Middle
3rd — Stephanie Webb, Rodrigo Miranda, Katelyn Johnson, Brea Wickham — Washington Middle

SUDOKU — 6th Grade
1st — Francisco Mora — Myrtle Avenue Middle
2nd — Wesley Cane — Wallace Middle
3rd — Pablo Orozco — Almond Tree Middle

SUDOKU— 7th Grade
1st — Alicia Vidales — Thomas Jefferson Middle
2nd — Susan Lee — Emerson Middle
3rd — Diane Ariaga — La Viña Middle

SUDOKU— 8th Grade
1st — Esmeralda Castro — Thomas Jefferson Middle
2nd — Eduardo Hernandez — Washington Middle
3rd — Mallory Wells — Rosedale Middle

TRIATHLON GAMES — 6th GRADE
1st — Bailey Hallford; Fruitvale Jr. High
2nd — Eisen Ipac; La Viña Middle
3rd — Max Eldredge — Franklin School

TRIATHLON GAMES — 7th GRADE
1st — Alex Winger — Fruitvale Jr. High
2nd — Franco Castelo — Chipman Jr. High
3rd — Caleb Quitoriano — La Viña Middle

TRIATHLON GAMES — 8th GRADE
1st — Baylee Wickham; Washington Middle
2nd — Elijah Baier — Chipman Jr. High
3rd — Adam Johnson — Rosedale Middle

TAX COLLECTOR — 6th GRADE
1st — Jordan Jose —Van Horn School
2nd — Myka Drake — Endeavour Elementary
3rd — Evan Burkhardt; Monroe Middle

TAX COLLECTOR — 7th GRADE
1st — Marvin Fuller — Downtown Elementary
2nd — Josue Cruz — Ollivier Middle
3rd — Ashton Hyman — Fruitvale Jr. High

TAX COLLECTOR — 8th GRADE
1st — Tyler Starr — Chipman Jr. High
2nd —Ynessa Claudio — Ollivier Middle
3rd — Meziah Cristobal — Actis Jr. High

TEAM RELAYS — 6th Grade
1st — Destiny Reyes, Maria Torres, Alex Burdick, Lesly Diaz — Owens Intermediate
2nd — Haley Raichelson, Jordan Joke, Stephen Myrr, Fredrik Seber — Independence Elementary
3rd — Leah Merete, Tue Le, Cheyenne Rodgers, David Chambers — Stine School

TEAM RELAYS — 7th Grade
1st — David Powell, Jill Schulz, Quinn Bohn, Breana Wethington — Wallace Middle
2nd —Aaron Taylor, Allen Zeng, Elaine Bae, Mitchell Grove — Rosedale Middle
3rd — Miguel Ochoa, Esmeralda Rojas, Cecilia Torres, Julianna Vasquez — Ollivier Middle

TEAM RELAYS — 8th Grade
1st — Baylee Wickham, Stephanie Webb, Rodrigo Miranda, Eduardo Hernandez — Washington Middle
2nd — Anhkhoi Vu, Kevin Quintana, Rebecca Kandell, Joseph Pappe — Murray Middle
3rd — Lyly Huynh, Craig Bailey, Jasdeep Gill, Heather Hansen — Fruitvale Jr. High

Kern students make California history

Twenty-one students from Kern County schools achieved honors at the History Day in California competition which concluded May 3 in Sacramento. The annual competition focused on the national theme “The Individual in History: Actions and Legacies” and brought together those students who had won History Day competitions in their own home counties to challenge for the title of state champion. Kern County students earned the right to compete by winning in their category at the Kern County Superintendent of Schools-sponsored Kern County History Day on March 7 in Bakersfield. Kern had state winners in three separate categories, and they will represent the state at National History Day from June 14-18 at the University of Maryland.

Kern County’s History Day in California 2009 Winners (*indicates winner)

*Senior Individual Documentary — “Silently Leaving a Legacy: The Actions of Chiune Sugihara,” Sarah Moore — Centennial High
*Junior Individual Exhibit — “Mother Teresa: A Light in the Darkness,” Anne Bardet — Fruitvale Jr. High
*Junior Group Performance — “Sylvia Mendez: The Legacy of a Young Girl’s Fight for Equality in Education,” Marissa Manos, Ramneet Sahota, Bianca Hinojosa, Calvin Laverty and Sameen Bramer — Fruitvale Jr. High
* Junior Group Performance — “Elie Wiesel: A Survivor’s Legacy, A Messenger for Mankind,” Aaliyah Beed, Richard Sottile, Dylan Gonzales, Gabriela Forter and Madison Olinger — Fruitvale Jr. High
Alternate-Junior Group Performance — “Stepping Out of His Shadow,” Moriah Franco, Annie Murrell, Quichaye Hicks, Niko Gonzales and Alexis Aguirre — Thorner School
Alternate-Junior Group Exhibit — “John Walsh: A Legacy for America’s Children,” Amy Williams and MaKay Moss — Columbia Elementary
Alternate-Junior Individual Web site — “Lyndon B. Johnson and His Dream for America,” Brittany Louey — Fruitvale Jr. High
Alternate-Junior Individual Performance — “Jan Scruggs: Healing a Nation,” Andrew Kerwin — Fruitvale Jr. High

History Day in California is sponsored by the Constitutional Rights Foundation, and Kern County History Day was sponsored by the Kern County Superintendent of Schools and the law firm of Klein, DeNatale, Goldner, Cooper, Rosenlieb & Kimball, LLP.

Museum makes membership really affordable

There may not be a bigger bargain with so much to offer than the introductory membership price being extended by the Kern County Museum, located at 3801 Chester Ave., in Bakersfield. The museum has slashed the cost of a half year’s membership by more than half from $65 to $35. Which means every daily admission to the museum with your membership is free for up to six people for a half year. Members also receive free admission to 24 California science museums and there is no admission charge for all car shows at the museum, including the March 28 VW Bugs & Buses Invade the Village.

Because of the strain California’s economy has put on the non-profit museum’s budget, by necessity, it will be raising admission prices on April 1, which makes purchasing a half year membership even more cost effective to visitors. As of April 1, admission prices will be: Adults — $10, Students (with I.D.) and seniors — $9 and children ages 6-12 — $8. Children younger than age 3, when accompanied by an adult, are still free.

There are even more pluses to purchasing a half year membership, such as discount tickets to Wine Fest (June 13) and other museum special events, invitations to exhibit openings and events, guest passes for regular admission and a 10 percent discount on merchandise purchased at the Museum Store.

For more information about the half year memberships and the museum, call (661) 852-5000 or pick up a membership application on your next visit to the museum.

Students prove scientific theories

       Designing wind barriers to reduce soil erosion and measuring gender and the stroop effect were just some of the subjects under scrutiny by dozens of students who entered projects in the 22nd annual Kern County Regional Science Fair held March 17 at the Rabobank Convention Center in Bakersfield.
       Senior and Middle School Division students placing first, second and in some cases third in categories may be eligible to compete in the 58th annual California Science Fair to be held May 19 at the California Science Center in Los Angeles.
       Approximately 550 students in grades 4-12 from 140 schools competed in many categories ranging from aerodynamics/hydrodynamics to thermochemistry. Entries were judged on scientific thought/engineering goals, creativity, organization, completeness, clarity, effort and motivation. Students had to explain their displays, log books and hypothesis to a panel of judges.
       The science fair is administered by the Kern County Superintendent of Schools with primary sponsorship provided by Aera Energy LLC. Additional sponsorship and support is offered by Chevron North America Exploration and Production, Occidental of Elk Hills, and Kern County Science Foundation.

2009 Kern County Regional Science Fair Awards

HIGH SCHOOL DIVISION – Grades 9-12

AERODYNAMICS/HYDRODYNAMICS
First Place — Leo Banuelos and Nicholas Ross – Desert High
Second Place — Maliha Ahmed – Stockdale High
Third Place — Trevor Fobel – Desert High
Honorable Mention — Erica Mimay and Emily Wright – Desert High
Honorable Mention – Bradley Reeves – Bakersfield Christian High

APPLIED MECHANICS
First Place — Brian Lee – Burroughs High
Second Place — Joshua Arreola – Frazier Mountain High
Third Place — Alyssa Arias – Desert High
Honorable Mention — Christopher Buchanan – Desert High

CHEMISTRY
First Place — Aurora Ostrom – Burroughs High
Second Place — Nicholas Okita – Stockdale High
Third Place — Joseph Stearns – Bakersfield Christian High

PLANT BIOLOGY and EARTH SCIENCE
First Place — Clayton Skousen – Desert High
Second Place Tie — Lindsey Lewis and Kaitlin Wright – Desert High
Second Place Tie — Matthew Rodgers – Highland High

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
First Place — Kirsten Albers and Caitlyn Krug and Yi-Ling Liu – Bakersfield Christian High
Second Place — Jennifer Hines – Desert High
Third Place — Nicole Foy – Bakersfield Christian High
Honorable Mention — Danielle Gregory – Bakersfield Christian High

LIFE SCIENCE
First Place — Aubryn Butterfield – Bakersfield Christian High
Second Place — Tommy Wooding and Amy Lee – Burroughs High
Third Place — Nathan Williams – Desert High
Honorable Mention — Jacob Brown – Liberty High
Honorable Mention – Elle Tanner – Desert High

PHYSICS and ASTRONOMY
First Place — Mark Canning – Desert High
Second Place — Aley Barnum – Desert High
Third Place — Zach Miller – Desert High
Honorable Mention — Heidi Yi – Burroughs High

MIDDLE SCHOOL DIVISION — Grades 6-8

AERODYNAMICS/HYDRODYNAMICS
First Place — Josh Dhaliwal – Reagan School
Second Place – Tanner DeWalt – Stockdale Christian School
Third Place — Samuel Nobles – Standard Middle

AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE
First Place — Rohan Sharma – Warren Middle
Second Place — Leah Ostermann – St. Ann School
Third Place — Ali Vaughan – Stockdale Elementary School
Honorable Mention — Susan Nickell – Rio Bravo-Greeley

APPLIED MECHANICS
First Place — Michelle Stanley – Tevis Jr. High
Second Place — Nathan Behrens – Stockdale Christian School
Third Place — Dylan Young – Standard Middle
Honorable Mention — Nathan Esch – St. Francis Parish School

BEHAVIORAL and SOCIAL SCIENCES
First Place —Maribeth Villanueva – El Tejon School
Second Place — Madeline Atchison – St. Francis Parish School
Third Place — Sarah Stauffer- Thomas Jefferson Middle
Honorable Mention — Erika Cruz – Thomas Jefferson Middle
Honorable Mention – Selene Torres – Thomas Jefferson Middle
Honorable Mention – Britney Louey – Fruitvale Jr. High

CHEMISTRY
First Place — Danielle Behrens – Stockdale Christian School
Second Place — Le Cheng Tong – Stockdale Elementary
Third Place — Rachael Metzger – Edison Middle

EARTH and ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
First Place — Nathaniel Tweed – Valley School
Second Place —Roman Lara – Endeavour Elementary
Third Place — Chase May – La Vina Middle
Honorable Mention — Lilian Najera – Lakeside School
Honorable Mention – Gathenji Njoroge – Freedom Middle
Honorable Mention – Amigha Shukla – Warren Middle

ELECTRICITY and ELECTRONICS
First Place — Jacob Moe – Rio Bravo-Greeley
Second Place — Douglas Johnston – Chavez School
Third Place — Matthew Nickell – Rio Bravo-Greeley
Honorable Mention — Jessica Druey – Hart School

MAMMALIAN BIOLOGY AND PHYSIOLOGY
First Place — Shalin Shah – Warren Middle
Second Place — Joshua Bertey – Standard Middle
Third Place — Karren Stille – Standard Middle
Honorable Mention — Michael Dyar – Cecil Avenue Middle

MATERIALS SCIENCE
First Place — Claryce Lazerson – St. John’s Lutheran School
Second Place — Janel Self – Stockdale Christian School
Third Place — Anne Shambaugh – St. Francis Parish School
Honorable Mention — Caitlyn Murphy – Murray Middle
Honorable Mention – Caleb Quitoriano – LaVina Middle

CONSUMER SCIENCE
First Place — Rachel Andrews – Stockdale Christian School
Second Place — Olivia Lipco – Heritage Christian School
Third Place — Evan Amason – Columbia Elementary
Honorable Mention — Jonathan Salaz – La Vina Middle

FOOD CHEMISTRY
First Place — Shreya Banerjee – Reagan School
Second Place — Genevieve Edwards – St John’s Lutheran School
Third Place — Logan Wright – Old River Elementary
Honorable Mention — Samantha Harrison - St. Ann School

PHARMACOLOGY and BIOCHEMISTRY
First Place — Irfan Habib – Warren Middle
Second Place — Lauren O’Connell – St. John’s Lutheran School
Third Place — Evan Sanchez – Del Rio Elementary
Honorable Mention — Lacey Lindsey – St. Francis Parish School

PHYSICS and ASTRONOMY
First Place —Effie Striem – Freedom Middle
Second Place — Lilia Denesha – Standard Middle
Third Place — Noah Krocker – Owens Intermediate
Honorable Mention — Anthony Martin – Thomas Jefferson Middle
Honorable Mention –Alex Rinaldi – Our Lady of Perpetual Help School

PLANT BIOLOGY
First Place — Laura Jennings – El Tejon School
Second Place — Katie Helms – Stockdale Christian School
Third Place — Patricia Marinas – Fairfax Middle
Honorable Mention — Christian Verdugo and Shawn Chundagal– Cecil Avenue Middle

STRUCTURAL MECHANICS
First Place — Ali Champness – Our Lady of Perpetual Help School
Second Place — Issa Bizantioy and Crystal Hammond – Lakeside School
Third Place — Avery Andrew – St. Francis Parish School
Honorable Mention — Christopher Davison - Edison Middle

THERMOCHEMISTRY
First Place — Forrest Csulak – El Tejon School
Second Place – Suevana Ayala – Thomas Jefferson Middle
Third Place — Brian Bender – Patriot Elementary
Honorable Mention — Jenny Pratt – Del Rio Elementary

ZOOLOGY
First Place — Samuel Lang – Reagan School
Second Place — Rachael Oliver – El Tejon School
Third Place — Mariana Roldan – Our Lady of Perpetual Help School
Honorable Mention — Tab Rufing-Radney – Standard Middle
Special Recognition – Gage Harden – Rio Bravo-Greeley Middle

KINETIC ENERGY
First Place — Jamie Bizzini – El Tejon School
Second Place — Darby Adler – Independence Elementary
Third Place — Dev Madeka – McAuliffe School
Honorable Mention — Joshua Park – Fruitvale Jr. High

INTERMEDIATE DIVISION — 4th Grade
(Not Eligible for State Science Fair)

ASTRONOMY/EARTH and ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
First Place — Garrett Gwinn - Reagan School
Second Place — Brianna Edwards – El Tejon School
Third Place — Logan Lovett- Wingland Elementary
Honorable Mention — Dawson Pitcher - Buena Vista School

BEHAVIORAL/ANIMAL and FIELD STUDIES
First Place — Alexis Bustin – Granite Pointe Elementary
Second Place — Jada Blomberg – Harding School
Third Place — Carson Beckett – Highland Elementary

CHEMISTRY and CHEMICAL REACTIONS
First Place — Breanna Cervantes – Bill Williams School
Second Place — Emily Oliver – El Tejon School
Third Place — Jordan Dawson – Hacienda Elementary

ENGINEERING, MATHEMATICS AND GAMES
First Place — Emma Stevulak – Westpark Elementary
Second Place — Brycen Jacobsen – Golden Hills Elementary
Third Place — Robert Pipkin – Laurelglen School
Honorable Mention — Caleb Melson – Highland Elementary

HEAT CHEMISTRY and HEAT PHYSICS
First Place — Ryan Wakefield – Patriot Elementary
Second Place — Madison Contreras – Almondale Elementary
Third Place — Noah Serda – Morningside School
Honorable Mention — Britt Chafin – Discovery Elementary

FOOD and HEALTH SCIENCE
First Place — Anselmo Arellano – Karl Clemens School
Second Place — Krystalmae Raynes – Berkshire Elementary
Third Place — Shikha Srinivas – McAuliffe School

MATERIALS and CONSUMER SCIENCE
First Place — Jason Abbott – Castle School
Second Place — MarcAnthony Myers – Rosedale North Elementary
Third Place — Chase Morales – Chavez School
Honorable Mention — Carlos Gonzalez – Fremont School

PHYSICS
First Place — Riku Koseki – Hart School
Second Place — Tommy Toretta – Centennial Elementary
Third Place — Andrew Ostrom – Saint Ann School

PLANT BIOLOGY
First Place — Lexi Hazelton – Pruiett Elementary
Second Place — Julia Montoya – Tompkins Elementary
Third Place — Christine Baal – Van Horn School

ELECTRICITY
First Place — Sebastian Gomez – Independence Elementary
Second Place — Jacob Bartel – American Elementary
Third Place — Jonathan Santiago – Fairview Elementary
Honorable Mention — Matthew Glasgow – St. John’s Lutheran School
Honorable Mention – Selene Orozco – Owens Intermediate

INTERMEDIATE DIVISION — 5th Grade
(Not Eligible for State Science Fair)

ASTRONOMY, EARTH and ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
First Place — Emily Haviland – Sing Lum School
Second Place — Nicholas Millan – Discovery Elementary
Third Place — Trey Schoenwetter – Downtown Elementary
Honorable Mention — Becca Jensen – Stine School

BEHAVIORAL, ANIMAL and FIELD STUDIES
First Place — Jordan Holmes – Owens Intermediate
Second Place — Claire Urata – Castle School
Third Place — Cassidy Elwell – Almondale Elementary

CHEMISTRY and CHEMICAL REACTIONS
First Place — Lizabeth Nunez – Fremont School
Second Place — Mykela Blanchard – Palm Avenue School
Third Place — Chandler Beck – St. John’s Lutheran School
Honorable Mention- Sayo Yamashita – Hart School

ENGINEERING, MATHEMATICS and GAMES
First Place — Manooshree Patel – Reagan School
Second Place — Austin Palacios – Centennial Elementary
Third Place — Yannis Exarchoulakos – Kendrick School
Honorable Mention — Kazuya Fujita – Stine School
Honorable Mention –Cody Maynard – Quailwood Elementary

HEAT CHEMISTRY and HEAT PHYSICS
First Place — Kimberly Nelson – Harding School
Second Place — Jared Lampson – Endeavour Elementary
Third Place — Randeep Gill – Buena Vista School
Honorable Mention — Brenda Cortes – Fremont School

FOOD and HEALTH SCIENCE
First Place — Cameron Roberts – Independence Elementary
Second Place – Eric Beyer – Fremont School
Third Place — Delaney Beck – Berkshire Elementary
Honorable Mention — Garrison Lee – Owens Intermediate

MATERIALS and CONSUMER SCIENCE
First Place — Kathryn Piper – Stockdale Elementary
Second Place — Kaleb Kingston – Endeavour Elementary
Third Place — Xochitl Mireles – Alicante Avenue School
Honorable Mention — Vanessa Adams – Myrtle Avenue School

PHYSICS
First Place — Lily Hallmark – El Tejon School
Second Place — Jennifer Holmes – Old River Elementary
Third Place — Kyle Winchell – Tompkins Elementary
Honorable Mention — Janelle Estalio – Seibert School

PLANT BIOLOGY
First Place — Sarah Powell – St. John’s Lutheran School
Second Place — Matthew Chaffee – McAuliffe School
Third Place — Ashley Yasin – Wallace Elementary

ELECTRICITY
First Place — Madison Shannon – Downtown Elementary
Second Place — Jose Cervantes – Redwood Elementary
Third Place — Timothy Calderwood – Hacienda Elementary
Honorable Mention — Tanner Utt – Patriot Elementary
Honorable Mention – Ryan Chapman – Harding School

2009 Kern County Regional Science Fair Awards for Excellence

Kern County Science Foundation Scholarships (Grades 9-12)
Maliha Ahmed — Stockdale High
Christina Apple — North High
Brian Lee — Burroughs High
Lindsey Lewis — Desert High
Samuel Munoz — North High
Bretton Neville — North High
Nicholas Okita — Stockdale High
Aurora Ostrom — Burroughs High
Analiese Scrivano — Bakersfield High
Christopher Woodward — Kern Valley High

Dr. Vinod Kumar Award
Senior Award — Matthew Rodgers
Junior Awards — Andrew Wilbur
Lacey Lindsey

U.S. Naval Science Awards
Senior Awards — Aurora Ostrom
                                  Matthew Rodgers
                                  Aubryn Butterfield
Junior Awards — Josh Dhaliwal
                                  Tanner DeWalt
                                  Michelle Stanley
                                  Danielle Behrens
                                  Jacob Moe
                                  Douglas Johnston
                                  Forrest Csulak

Kern's top school bus driver crowned

When in comes to driving a school bus, Greenfield Union School District proved it has the best driver and best driving team in the county. Greenfield’s Essa Hall earned top driving honors in the large bus category, and the district swept the first three places in the team category at the California Association of School Transportation Officials (CASTO) Chapter 12 School Bus “Roadeo” held on March 14 in Bakersfield.
       A total of 68 school district bus drivers from Kern, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo and Santa Clara counties took part in the day long competition. Drivers had to maneuver their way through 10 events testing their ability to negotiate obstacles and situations they might encounter everyday transporting children to and from school. Each event was worth 50 points. The activities simulate testing drivers go through to obtain a California school bus driver’s license.
       Winning drivers can compete in the CASTO Southern Sectional, April 25 at the Ventura County Fairgrounds. The state championship will be held May 24 in Galt.
       While the competition was entertaining, it also underscored the safety training required of all school bus drivers.

2009 CASTO Chapter 12 Roadeo Results

Team Results:
Kern County Team Champion
1st — Greenfield Union School District (Essa Hall, Julie Johnson and Peggy Weir)
2nd — Kern High School District (Charlotte Powell, Randy Turner and Charisse Webster)
3rd — Kern County Superintendent of Schools (Damon Anglin, Louise Burnett and Melissa Ramay)

Out of County
1st — Student Transportation of America from San Luis Obispo (Ray Bartlett, Jay Patten and Stephanie Oliver

Individual Results
Category A (buses longer than 28 feet)
1st — Essa Hall, Greenfield Union School District
2nd — Julie Johnson, Greenfield Union School District
3rd — PeggyWeir, Greenfield Union School District
4th — Charlotte Powell, Kern High School District
5th — Ron Wayne, Panama-Buena Vista Union School District

Category B (buses shorter than 28 feet)
1st — Phyllis Mustin, Panama-Buena Vista Union School District
2nd — Kandie Deaton, Panama-Buena Vista Union School District

Out of County A and B Combined
1st — Les Johnson, Student Transportation of America from San Luis Obispo
2nd — Cory Patten, Coach America from San Diego
3rd — Antonio Perez, Snowline School District from San Bernardino County

School Bus 'Roadeo'

       Local residents have an opportunity to see why school bus drivers are skillful at safely transporting children, by attending the 25th annual California Association of School Transportation Officials (CASTO) School Bus ARoadeo@ on March 14. It will take place from 7:30 a.m.-2 p.m., at the Kern County Superintendent of Schools Transportation Service Center, 705 S. Union Avenue in Bakersfield.
       Approximately 80 school bus drivers from Kern, San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo and Santa Clara counties will maneuver their vehicles through obstacles and situations they may encounter while transporting children in this annual event hosted by CASTO=s Chapter 12.
       Drivers will be asked to parallel park, back up stall, as well as perform offset alley and backing-crossover maneuvers, among others. Competition simulates testing drivers must pass to obtain a California school bus driver=s license. All drivers must also take the Apre-trip@ written test administered by the California Highway Patrol.
       While the competition is entertaining, it also underscores the safety training required of all school bus drivers who transport the area=s children every school day.

History Day wins focus on ‘individuals’

         Encouraged to explore “The Individual in History: Actions and Legacies,” approximately 150 students put their research and findings on display at the 26th annual Kern County History Day competition held (today) (March 7) at Ridgeview High School in Bakersfield. Winners in each category earned the right to compete at History Day in California — April 30-May 1 in Sacramento. State winners go on to compete at National History Day, June 14-18 at the University of Maryland.
         Students in grades 4-12 from 22 Kern County schools competed. They had been involved in research since the beginning of the school year preparing historical papers, exhibits, performances, documentaries, Web sites and posters designed around the National History Day theme of “The Individual in History: Actions and Legacies.”
        Thorner School’s Maveric Guzman and Elizabeth Nakagawa chose documentary as their winning vehicle in the junior group documentary category. The judges watched with interest as Guzman and Nakagawa’s entry “A Thorn in His Side” used narration, pictures, interviews and graphics to chronicle the story of how women’s suffrage leader Alice Paul help sway the opinion of President Woodrow Wilson.
         “I never knew about the suffrage movement before we began this project, and that women didn’t have the right to vote back then,” Nakagawa said. “When women got divorced they couldn’t even get custody of the children and would lose their money and the house. To this day on a percentage basis they still don’t earn equal pay for their work.”
           Grant Stanton’s exhibit “Ulysses S. Grant: Man Not Monster,” which was on display with dozens of other notable efforts in the Ridgeview Gym was not overlooked by the judges. It was one of two first place winners with its well-defined display of newspaper clippings, photos and memorabilia. It even included a Civil War jacket that Stanton made himself from a discarded Goodwill coat and authentic replicas of military buttons and badges.
            “I found history does not give Grant the respect he deserves,” Stanton said. “I read through his personal memoirs and other books and articles about him, which showed he played a big role in healing the nation after the Civil War. Although his administration was the most scandalized in Presidential history, he was for the most part not involved in the scandals.”
             Still others took the theatrical approach to express their knowledge of history in solo or group performances that included period costumes and portable sets. Two Fruitvale Jr. High teams took both of the group documentary titles in the junior division with performances based on World War II concentration camp survivor Eli Wiesel and American civil rights activist Sylvia Mendez.
             The Kern County Superintendent of Schools, law firm of Klein, DeNatale, Goldner, Cooper, Rosenlieb & Kimball, LLP and Ridgeview High School sponsored the county event.

KERN COUNTY HISTORY DAY 2009WINNERS
*(Students eligible to represent Kern County at History Day in California, May 13-16 in Sacramento)

SENIOR DIVISION (Grades 9-12)

Historical Paper
* Jillian Concepcion, East High — “Chuck Yeager: Faster Than a Speeding Bullet”

Group Documentary
* Ruben Rivera and Sergio Gonzalez, East High — “Benito Juarez”
* Dylan Del Rio and Joseph Lopez, East High — “Burt Rutan: Aviation Pioneer”
* Lee Ann Oliver and Brandon Killough, East High — “Mikhail Gorbachev: Soviet Reformer”

Individual Documentary
* Morgan Barnes, Bakersfield High — “Sing Out Freedom: the Pete Seeger Story”
* Sarah Moore, Centennial High — “Silently Leaving a Legacy: Chiune Sugihara”

Individual Performance
* Sanjeevani Kumar, Frontier High — Eli Wiesel: Perils of Indifference”

Group Exhibit
* Tayler Obenshain and Alyssa Meeks, Liberty High — “Sally Ride: The First American Woman in Space”
* Alex Knight and Charles Knight, Liberty High — “The Father of Modern Chemistry: Antoine Lavoisier”

Individual Exhibit
* Jade Brink, Liberty High — Elvis Presley: The King of Rock and Roll”
* Grant Stanton, Centennial High — “Ulysses S. Grant: Man Not Monster”

Individual Web Site
* Breanna Fields, Liberty High — “Julie Krone”
* Michael Rice, Liberty High — “Winston Churchill: Legacy of the Preservation of Democracy”

JUNIOR DIVISION (Grades 4-8)

Group Performance
* Aaliyah Beed, Gabriela Forter, Dylan Gonzales, Madison Olinger and Richard Sottile, Fruitvale Jr. High — “Eli Wiesel: A Survivor’s Legacy, a Messenger for Mankind”
* Sameen Bramer, Bianca Hinojosa, Calvin Laverty, Marissa Manos and Ramneet Sahota, Fruitvale Jr. High — “Sylvia Mendez: The Unknown Story of a Young Girl’s Fight for Equality in Education”
ALTERNATE: Alexis Aguirre, Moriah Franco, Niko Gonzalez, Quichaye Hicks and Annie Murrell, Thorner School — “Stepping Out of His Shadow”

Individual Performance
* Andrew Kerwin, Fruitvale Jr. High — “Jan Scruggs: Healing a Nation”

Group Documentary
* Maveric Guzman and Elizabeth Nakagawa, Thorner School — “A Thorn in His Side”
* Geoff Gonzales, Ryan Moffit and Kody Ryan-Mitchell, Columbia Elementary — Byte Into Apple: It’s Insanely Great: The Actions and Legacies of Steve Jobs”
ALTERNATE: Erica Cole, Zachary Lewandowski and Brook McLaughlin, Pond School — “Elvis Presley”

Individual Documentary
* Grace Moore, Fruitvale Jr. High — “Jimmy Carter’s Legacy: Actions Beyond Expectations”

Group Exhibit
* Michelle Laurendine and Meredith Neilsen, Fruitvale Jr. High — “JoAnn Robinson: Civil Rights Advocate”
* MaKay Moss and Amy Williams, Columbia Elementary — “John Walsh: A Legacy for America’s Children”
ALTERNATE: Hannah Pope and Emily Preston, Endeavour Elementary — “The Mystery and Legacy of Amelia Earhart”

Individual Exhibit
* Joshua Dunbach, Fruitvale Jr. High — “Admiral Yamamoto: Awakening a ‘Sleeping Giant’”
* Anne Bardet, Fruitvale Jr. High — “Mother Teresa: Saint of the Gutters”
ALTERNATE: McKenzie White, Endeavour Elementary — “Dr. Seuss: The Grinch, Yertle and Horton, Too: The Legacy for Me and for You”

Individual Web Site
* Larissa Gallegos, Almond Tree Middle — “Adolf Hitler and His Destruction”
* Brittany Louey, Fruitvale Jr. High — “Lyndon Johnson and the American Dream”

Group Poster (Grades 4-5 only)
* Colby Freeman and Jacob Kartinen, Highland Elementary — “Andrei Sahkarov: Peace, Progress and Human Rights”
* Julia Gonzales, Morgan Kaess and Jackson Olinger, Columbia Elementary — “The Great Communicator: A Man of Actions & Legacy”
ALTERNATE: Kacie Hoffman, Kristiana Hohler, Angel Key and Kylie Redwine, Highland Elementary — “One M.A.D.D. Woman — Candace Lightner”

Individual Poster (Grades 4-5 only)
* Emily Baumstark, Highland Elementary — “Looking Through the Lens — Toyo Miyatake”
* Christopher Trickey, Endeavour Elementary — “Chuck Yeager’s Legacy in Supersonic Flight Research”
ALTERNATE: Elsie Mares, Alicante Avenue School — “Robert Oppenheimer: The Atomic Bomb Legacy”