Schools: Bakersfield.com

Californian's: "GOT HOPE?" Are You tired of all the "Doom & Gloom" Bad News about California?

If there has ever been a time in history when Californian's needed some good old fashioned Hope, it is now. California is & always has been "The Golden State"!

What if California was NOT broke & in financial distress?

What if the best of the best days for California are still yet to come?

What if California is the Golden State that leads the Nation of The United States of America that leads the Nations of the world?

If you are sick & tired of hearing the "doom & gloom" news about California's future,this meeting is for you.

If you are a business, educational or governmental leader & you want to be encouraged about the future of the City of Bakersfield, Kern County, California, America &/ or the Nations of the world, this meeting is for you.

If you are a Pastor & need to hear about 'The California Contribution" to global outpourings & the endtime harvest, this meeting is for you.

If you are interested in hearing about the history of California, this meetings for you.

If you have been wondering whether to leave or stay in California, this meeting is for you.

If you are worried about your future & the future of your loved ones, this meeting is for you.

If you need your heart to be refreshed & revived by encouraging Good news, this meeting is for you.

If you are in need of new strategy on how to pray & how to believe your prayers will be answered, this meeting is for you.

If you would like to receive the ministry of Jesus for healing in your body, this meeting is for you.

If you are not sure if you believe that there is a God that loves you, this meeting is for you.

If you want to connect with others & you enjoy being in the Glorious & Miraculous Presence of God, this meeting is for you.

Come & hear & decide for yourself if this message rings true for you.

The real heart of "The Golden State" will be revealed..

Come & hear how California is "ground zero" to more worldwide moves of God than any other place on earth.

• God’s mighty hand in the early history of California

• How California’s natural features reveal God’s plans

• California’s Apostolic mantle as the global leader in worldwide ministries

• The prophecies confirming California as an end-time revival leader

• How you can help bring California and the world into its prophetic destiny
Come & be encouraged & amazed by incredible plan & destiny for Calofrnia that has been revealed to Henry Falany in his newly released book titled "God, Gold & Glory"

You will be astonished as you hear all the lies that have been said about California dispelled by the Truth & really Good News of The Golden States bright & shining future.

September 23rd, 24th & 25th
GOD, GOLD & GLORY ! Bakersfield

(Breakers-field) California
REVIVAL GATHERING!
with Apostolic Revivalist, Historian & Author
Pastor Henry & Grace Falany

cohosted by Eaglerock Ministries & The Kern Region Prayer Watch

For locations, dates, times, more info and/or to register for free click on this link:

http://www.terijohnson.org/freshfire-falling-in-the-fall--bakersfield-revival-gatherings.html

Local high school student recipient of national scholarship

Bakersfield – The National Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society, Southern California & Nevada Chapter, is giving more than $1 million in scholarships to students around the country this year. More than 800 applications were submitted nationwide, and one local high school student, Liberty High School’s Cameron Califf, was chosen to receive one of the awards. Califf was honored during a ceremony at Liberty High held on World MS Day, May 25.

Califf, who is graduating this year with a 4.5 GPA, will be receiving $1,000 from the Society and plans to attend the University of Southern California where he will major in Mechanical Engineering. He said he chose USC because of its reputation and because of everything the school has to offer. “USC has everything a college would want—a successful football team, strong academics, and the fact that it is located in the heart of L.A., so there will always be something to do,” he explained.

Besides receiving the scholarship last Wednesday, Califf was also recognized for being at the top of his class (and earning the highest GPA possible in the Kern High School District). He was also involved with the school newspaper, The Revolution, and was on the “We the People” constitutional debate team, which went to state in February. But his achievements go beyond past the classroom; he has also been instrumental in raising multiple sclerosis awareness in Kern County.

In 2009, Califf was chosen as “Youth Volunteer of the Year” for the entire Southern California & Nevada Chapter, which serves 20,000 living with MS. He was honored for two projects he completed for the National MS Society as he was trying to achieve the rank of Eagle Scout – the highest rank attainable in the Boy Scouts. He designed and created 10 signs that have been (and will continue to be) used during Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Week in Bakersfield. Califf also designed and constructed a “Wall of Honorees” so the Bakersfield office can publicly recognize those who have made generous donations, those who are top fundraisers, and those local volunteers who have received honors from the Chapter. Because of his accomplishments, he was awarded the rank of Eagle Scout at a ceremony on May 29.

Califf chose to do his Eagle Scout project for the Society because of his mother, who was diagnosed in 1997. “She became involved with the MS Society in 2002 and because of her close connections, I have also had the privilege of working with them,” he said. “I am just glad that I could help out and help try to find a cure for MS.”

Every year, the National MS Society awards scholarships to high school students with a connection with MS. Last year, Paige Brock, a Frontier High School student living with MS, along with Bakersfield Christian High School’s Siobhan O’Rourke, the daughter of a Bakersfield woman who has MS, received the scholarships.

About Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis interrupts the flow of information between the brain and the body and it stops people from moving. Every hour in the United States, someone is newly diagnosed with MS, an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system. Symptoms range from numbness and tingling to blindness and paralysis. The progress, severity and specific symptoms of MS in any one person cannot yet be predicted, but advances in research and treatment are moving us closer to a world free of MS. Most people with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50, with more than twice as many women as men being diagnosed with the disease. MS affects more than 400,000 people in the U.S., and 2.1 million worldwide.

About the National Multiple Sclerosis Society

MS stops people from moving. The National MS Society exists to make sure it doesn’t. We help each person address the challenges of living with MS. In 2010 alone, through our national office and 50-state network of chapters, we devoted $159 million to programs and services that improved the lives of more than one million people. To move us closer to a world free of MS, the Society also invested $37 million to support 325 new and ongoing research projects around the world. We are people who want to do something about MS NOW. Join the movement at nationalMSsociety.org.

Wasco High School Scores Victory

Congratulation to Wasco's High School's International Economic Summit Teams!

During spring vacation, on April 21st, Wasco High School students competed at San Jose State in the Regional International Economic Summit against 76 teams from the San Francisco Bay area. The Wasco economic advisor teams represented Zimbabwe and South Korea. The Zimbabwe team of Abby Wheeler, Eddie Aguilar, Josue Machuca, and Christian Quinones, placed first in the over-all competition and scored seconds in costume and table display. The team representing South Korea consisting of Alexis Tolivar, Angie Alonzo, Diana Olivaras, and Jesus Carando placed 3rd in the over-all competition, but scored firsts in the table display and costume categories.

It was an outstanding effort of the part of Wasco. These students put in a lot of time and effort preparing for this competition. This is the second time this school year that Wasco teams have captured first place in Regional Summits and the fourth time in the last three years that Wasco has placed or tied for first place.

Rosedale Middle School Cheer wins State Championship at Knott's Berry Farm

The Rosedale Middle School Cheer team competed at Knott's Berry Farm on March 26th and placed first above 15 other Junior high squads and numerous High school squads to win the State Championship title. The squad is coached by Desmond Ramey and Melody Molina.

Public Schools Award Banquet

The Bakersfield Scottish Rite of Freemasonry and three local Masonic Lodges in held their annual PUBLIC SCHOOLS AWARD BANQUET to honor and recognize students for their outstanding academics and community involvement. The event was held March 22, 2011. The student honored is selected by his/her school officials. This year a total of 9 local schools were invited and participated.

Music for the program was provided by Rosedale Middle School, directed by Peggy Biller and the Guest Speaker for the evening was Mark Fulmer, Assistant Kern County Superintendent of Schools.

Award presentations were made to the following students:

Duane Dinesen Emerson Middle School

Colby Evans Curran Middle School

Kennedy Marie Burke Freedom Middle School

Kassandra Bravo Sierra Middle School

Ryann Stevens Sequoia Middle School

Amy Montano Stiern Middle School

Ricardo Ojeda Edison Middle School

Hannah Contois Norris Middle School

Osman Trieu Rosedale Middle School

Spanish is NOT the key.

A couple of days ago there was an article rreferring to the lack of Hispanic legislators. The last sentence seemed to be tossed out as a remedy. I submit that teaching the children Spanish as soon as they enter schools will not produce Hospanic Leaders.

Everyone needs to learn English to succeed in our American Society. Teaching them Spanish will not do it. Look at the Hmong and the other ethnic groups. Many of them are fluent though their primary language was other than English. Those who have been taught Spanish for the most part are still thinking and speaking Spanish or Spanlish and are behind their counterparts. The key to fluency is that the the learner must understand what he is to do and what it means........and I don't mean translation.

Why no Fog Delays?

This morning (January 20th 2011) I nearly avoided a horrific wreck on Commanche road. I get to work and hear news of an accident near Lamont. Busses are coming in late and a message is sent out telling the staff to excuse late students effected by the weather and accident. Durint this time I am wondering why no one called a fog delay. I couldn't see more that 15 feet in front of my car and had to deal with traffic coming to standstills at intersections. This is the reason we have fog delays. I am convinced that school officials are reluctant to call fog delays because it will mess up what's called the "master schedule". Testing dates, in services, and staff meetings must be rescheduled or cancelled. The story for the Arvin / Lamont schools is that someone in the transportation department makes the call about whether or not there will be a fog delay. Either someone isn't doing their job or they have been pressured to not call fog delays. Someone needs to review the fog delay procedures. An accident on Sunset between Arvin and Lamont has been reported. Let's hope no one was injured or worse. It could have been avoided if someone had the common sense to call a fog delay.

Winter is here. Get out of the house with OLLI!

Winter is here. Get out of the house

& into something fun…

CSUB’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) program

How about ..…

Women & the Criminal Justice System

Tai Chi

History of Africa

Native American Religion

DIY for Women

Digital Photography

Contemporary Moral Problems

Create Mosaic Art

Archaeology in Middle Egypt

A Journey into the Blues

Food & Wine pairings

Learn to play Bridge

Field trip to the Nethercutt Museum

These & many more classes offered, all with NO tests, homework, or stress – just learning for the fun of it!

Contact OLLI at CSUB: Check our website:

661/654-2441 www.csub.edu/OLLI

olli@csub.com

There’s something for “OLLI” of YOU!

Special Performance Honoring Veterans

All Veterans are invited…

to attend a special music in motion performance presentation by the Frontier High School Marching Titans titled Belated Honor.

Tuesday, November 16^th at Titan Stadium

Frontier High School - 6401Allen Rd. (at Olive Dr.)

6:15 pm- Veterans in uniform, with military id, dog tags, or a photo in uniform will receive a complimentary “All-American” hot-dog dinner w/chips and drink (while supplies last), served in the parking lot.

7:00 pm- Performance in the stadium. You do not need to be a veteran to attend. All are welcome. Seating will be on the “home” (west) side of the field.

This season, the Marching Titans have chosen to honor the Tuskegee Airmen, the first African-American pilots of WWII, by telling their story through music. We are grateful for, thankful to, and proud of all the men and women who have served our country in uniform, however, we chose to honor the Tuskegee Airmen specifically. Without their contributions to the war effort in Europe and their war against discrimination in this country, the United States could have lost both struggles. Some of these fine men were treated worse than prisoners of war by their own countrymen, but still stood tall and protected our freedoms without complaining. Their story -and this performance- has been so moving to audiences all over Southern California that tears and applause have followed every show.

Please join the Marching Titans as we honor all veterans with our award winning performance.

Sponsored by the Frontier Blue Crew Band Boosters, Inc.

For more info, contact Mike O’Hearn @ 661.319.0053

The Healing Power of Music

It can be considered food for the soul. It can brighten the darkest day. It can help with forming thoughts about feelings. It is music, and the power of song will be explored at a special concert event featuring the Bakersfield College Choirs, with special guests the Centennial High School Chamber Singers.

“Students are fond of saying, ‘you know what I mean,’ or ‘you know what I’m sayin’,’ when they can’t quite get their point across. My response to these students is ‘if you don’t know what you are saying, then how can I know?’,” said Dr. Ronald Kean, director of Bakersfield College choral activities. “This is true, I think, EXCEPT in music which has a direct link to those secret places in the soul that are not expressed through ‘normal’ language. If you want to be uplifted, then this is the concert for you.”

The Healing Power of Music will be presented on Friday, October 22 at 7:30 p.m. in the Bakersfield College Indoor Theater at 1800 Panorama Drive in northeast Bakersfield.

Funds raised at all choir events this year will help Bakersfield College students accept their invitation to travel to Hawaii in May 2011 to perform at University of Hawaii, St. Andrew’s Cathedral, Kawaiahoa Church (the oldest in Hawaii built in 1840) with an all-Hawaiian choir, plus choir exchanges at Punahou and Iolani Schools.

The Healing Power of Music is open to the public and tickets are $8.50 general admission and $5.50 for seniors, staff, students and active military with ID. Tickets can be purchased at the door or through the Bakersfield College Ticket Office at 395-4326. For more information, call 395-4547.

Stine School Kindergarten Bathrooms

My son is in kindergarten at Stine Elementary School. Two days ago I got a call from school because he had wet his pants. I brought him home and he told me he wasn't allowed to go to the bathroom during class so he just peed his pants. Well come to find out there was five kids in line at the bathroom and his teacher told him to wait. There are four kindergarten classrooms and they are seperated from the rest of the school and they share only two toilets. 132 kindergartens have to share 2 toilets. Is this even legal? One toilet is located in my sons classroom and the other one is in K2 classroom. If kids from K3 and K4 have to use the bathroom they have to leave their classroom and disrupt my sons class time to come use the restroom in his class or the one in k2. I think this is ridiculous. My son could have been spared embarrassment and ridicule had there been ample bathrooms to use. His teacher said they were suppose to get a trailor with 6 extra bathrooms for the kindergarten area, but there was no word on when it would be there. This is perposterous. What are the laws about bathroom/student ratio? 132 to 2 cant be legal. If it is, its not right and its unacceptable. Plus its not right that my sons class time is interrupted by other students coming in and out to use the restroom in there.

Soloist Author Comes to Bakersfield College as Part of Author Series

Steve Lopez, recognized Los Angeles Times columnist and author of The Soloist: A Lost Dream, and Unlikely Friendship, and the Redemptive Power of Music, will be visiting Bakersfield College on Wednesday, October 13 as the College’s 2010 Cerro Visiting Author.

Lopez has been a newspaper journalist for most of his career. When he started writing for Time, Inc. in 1997, a Time-Warner editor in chief said of him: "Steve is a journalist's journalist--an indefatigable and fearless reporter, an elegant writer, and a tireless crusader." He began working at the Los Angeles Times in 2001, writing Points West, an opinion-editorial column, three times a week. He describes his mode of operation as a columnist as "opening the refrigerator to see what's moldy and writing about that."

While he has written several novels, he is best known for his columns and his best selling non-fiction work The Soloist: A Lost Dream, an Unlikely Friendship, and the Redemptive Power of Music published in 2008 and made into the 2009 film with Robert Downey, Jr., and Jamie Foxx. The story centers on Lopez's relationship with Nathaniel Ayers, a homeless musician. What began as a subject for a column developed into a friendship. Of the book, reviewer Bill Williams writes, "Lopez has given us a remarkable story, told with sensitivity and insight--one that sheds light on mental illness, homelessness, journalistic standards and, as the subtitle says, 'the redemptive power of music.'"

Steve Lopez will give a presentation for the public at Bakersfield College’s Indoor Theater at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, October 13. Lopez’s visit to Bakersfield College is made possible by a gift from the Dolores Cerro family endowment.

Bakersfield College's Renegade Room Now Open

Sauteed Shrimp with Grapefruit Fennel Slaw

Red Snapper with Black Bean Cake

Goat Cheese Ravioli

While these culinary delights may seem as though they would only be found at the country’s finest four-star restaurants, they are actually right here in Bakersfield at the county’s largest community college.

Bakersfield College’s Renegade Room restaurant will open for the fall season on Wednesday, September 1, and is serving these feasts for the body and soul on Tuesday and Thursday nights, as well as Wednesday lunches.

Prepared by students in Bakersfield College’s Culinary Arts Department under the skilled tutelage of chefs Pat Coyle and Suzanne Davis, guests of the Renegade Room can enjoy fine dining cuisine at home-cooked prices.

The Renegade Room restaurant offers gourmet dinners on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 5:30 – 7 p.m. each evening, and lunches on Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday evenings feature themed buffets, while meals on Tuesdays and Wednesdays are a selection of two to three dishes. The Renegade Room will be open from September 1 through December 2 before closing for the holidays.

“Renegade Room patrons become part of the educational process,” Coyle said. “At the beginning of the year, the students appear scared and unsure. By the end of the semester, they are confident in their meal preparation and service techniques. The Renegade Room is a hands-on experience that the classroom can’t teach.”

The Bakersfield College Culinary Arts program offers associate degrees in Food Service Management and Child Nutrition Management, with certificates in Culinary Arts, Child Nutrition Management and Dietetic Services.

The menu is elegant and the experience is one that will be remembered, according to Coyle. Dinners are $10.95 per person, plus tax. Lunches start at $7.50 per person, plus tax. The atmosphere is relaxed and the dress is casual. The current menu can be viewed online at www.bakersfieldcollege.edu/renegaderoom.

The Renegade Room Restaurant at Bakersfield College is located in the Family and Consumer Education (FACE) Building at Panorama Drive and Mount Vernon Avenue. Free parking is available near the restaurant. The Renegade Room is available for large parties on regular business days and takeout meals are always available. Reservations are highly recommended and can be made by calling 395-4441.

standard middle school

User Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

by joy

08/17/2010

my daughter is a very creative and intelligent child going into the eighth grade, always testing in the above average range from the time she began her education. i find it very disappointing that after a single year at standard her grades have fallen as well as her interest in learning. i find it ridiculous that most of the homework given to these children is done on xerox copies and without the benefit of the text books. i also disagree with the fact that the kids are not taught to write in cursive and in pen. at that age i was not allowed to turn in anything, except math and science work, that was not done in cursive and ink. they are not required to read real books or to write essays, in fact i find the curriculum pathetic for the most part. i understand that in this economy it is hard to find the money for everything, but books are essential! and the amount of waste generated by the use of copy paper is outrageous. and the fact that the children are not taught, required, to learn to typing and penmanship is setting them back in terms of getting ready for high school and college. i have seen the work she is given as homework and it is comparable to the work i was given in 5th grade, albeit, 20 years ago. i should think the educational system would be improving, not de-evolving..whats next, personal chalk boards and gas lights? it is unfair to the kids of this generation to for anyone to expect them to be able to compete on the world stage when they are so under priviledged in the realm of education.
i also have a gripe about the amount of creative programs offered by this school. under funded and ignored, the music and art programs last year (according to my daughter) consisted of the kids watching videos of some man drawing on a television and copying,which teaches them nothingthough it does fill up an hour. they also only have the option of band if they want to learn and experience music.no choir, no dramatics, no variety in the programs offered that would allow the kids to find a creative, constructive outlet for their energies.
instead they resort to bullying (a VERY major problem at standard) and unhealthy socializing as a way to find their niches. my own child, a well adapted and happy child before attending standard, has expereinced everything from outright sexual harassment to overt violence upon her person in the year she has been a student at standard. i have had numerous (and i mean weekly) contact with her teachers and counsilors, over this particular issue and all to absolutely no avail. nothing was ever done to assure her that she would be safe in school and as a result she has resorted to anger to protect herself. when i asked if there wasn't some better way to deal with these out of control people, she simply replied, "that is how everybody does everything here." i find the fact that the boys grope the girls when ever the mood takes them unacceptable, i find the violence insited by girls against eachother equally so. but nothing is ever really done to resolve these continuing issues and it makes children who were not raised to think violence and harassment are the answers unhappy and outcast. unlike the issue with the curriculum and educational standards, this can not be resolved only by the very over worked and extremely underpaid staff at the school. this would be an issue for the parents and thierchildren. holding your kids responsible for the problems they cause at school and bringing them up to be law-abiding and socially moral people would be a good start to making certain that we all have a safe and secure place to send our kids to learn. i am of the opinion that a country that can put a man on moon should and can be able to provide a learning enviornment for it's children that will show them the way to lead the country into the future. as it is all they are getting out school is a lesson in how to survive in a violent situation while putting out the least possible product.

Reflecting

Sunday’s article about charitable donations by business and corporations was a real tribute to the generosity of our community. As a kindergarten teacher, I have been reflecting on the wealth of learning experiences this past year at Owens Primary School. Our school is a kindergarten-third grade school. Based on the number of students who receive free or reduced lunch, most of our students are at a low-socio economic level. This year, hundreds of Owens Primary students participated in language, math, science, social studies and visual and performing arts activities made possible by grants from the following foundations, businesses, and corporations: BCSD Education Foundation, Chevron, Target, ddsDISCOUNTS, First Book, Comfort Dental, Kern County Library, MOR Furniture For Less and KBAK Channel 29 television station.

Teachers were excited to teach the curriculum with “hands-on” activities that inspired creativity and academic skill practice in a multitude of ways:

· basic incentives such as alphabet soup for kindergarteners who mastered identifying the letters of the alphabet

· flip cams for GATE classes

· sprouting seeds, changing the colors of flowers, making pottery, tortilla snowflakes, real snow play, and ice cream soup

· graphs and science project competitions

· professional puppet shows coupled with puppet making for students and their parents

· CSUB drama performance coupled with a CSUB classroom workshop

· teachers, students and parents participating in interactive music experiences on stage thanks to professional musicians

· a very special Mother’s Day for kindergarten students and mothers

· classroom guests such as firemen reading to the children and presenting books to the students

· a visit from the Tooth Fairy who taught about dental health and presented toothbrushes

The list is endless! Reviewing last year’s test scores, I am so proud of the success of these children who rose above a language and academic gap and reached proficiency in the state standards. But I am even more proud of the diligence, confidence and excitement that these students demonstrate in life and education. The business community has indeed played a valuable part in the education of young children here at Owens Primary. People who are familiar with our FLASH (Families Learning At School and Home) program know that I have a firm belief in the teamwork component of education: teachers/students/parents. Reflecting on this past school year, I am adding the fourth team member—community businesses! Thank you again, Bakersfield, for your support. Enjoy the photos!

Local high school students, one with MS, awarded National scholarshipos

Bakersfield – The National Multiple Sclerosis Society is giving almost $1 million in scholarships to students around the country. Of the more than 700 applications that were submitted, less than 300 students were chosen to receive awards. Two of those students who will be receiving money are right here in Bakersfield: Siobhan O’Rourke from Bakersfield Christian High School and Paige Brock from Frontier High School.

O’Rourke received the second highest ranking from those applicants within the Southern California Chapter. She will be receiving $2,500 and plans on attending Biola University in La Mirada. O’Rourke says since her mother was diagnosed about eight years ago, life has been trying, yet rewarding. “I had more work for myself and it’s been trickier to combine school and responsibilities at home,” she explained, “but I have thoroughly been able to enjoy everything.” O’Rourke says she has been able to get through the years because her family has been so supportive. She plans to major in English and minor in Biblical Studies, and hopes to either teach English or write (mostly Christian stories, short stories, and poems).

Brock was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis just before her 17^th birthday last year. She says before her diagnosis, she was a social butterfly and very outgoing. But after she found out she had MS, she missed several classes, started to mellow out, and was forced to mature faster than most teenagers. Through her treatments, she has been able to juggle managing the disease, school, and other activities. Her mom, Jennifer Brock says, “When all this happened, it was really hard, but she is so positive and strong … I feel like she will be an inspiration to others with MS.” Brock will be receiving $1,000 and plans on staying in Bakersfield, attending California State University, Bakersfield’s nursing program. She hopes to become a labor and delivery nurse.

O’Rourke, Brock, and the other scholarship recipients were notified one week before World MS Day, which is being celebrated today. The National Multiple Sclerosis Society is encouraging everyone to become involved by registering at www.worldmsday.org, or by texting “MSAWARE” to 20222 to make a $5 donation to the National MS Society. Funds raised by the National MS Society, Southern California Chapter, go to research for prevention, better treatments and a cure, as well as comprehensive local programs and services for 14,500 Southern and Central Californians living with MS.

Mr. Brown Virginia Ave. Elementary 1961

Biography

Dean Evans, 57, is an English teacher and Theater Arts Director in the San Antonio Independent School District in Texas. Son of Jeanette Evans, he was raised in Bakersfield, California. He worked as a youth in the fields of the San Joaquin Valley and is a graduate of the East Bakersfield High School Class of ’70. Dean is a recipient of the “2005 Harcourt Educators for Excellence in Education” award and is currently working on his doctorate in Teacher Leadership. He is a veteran and professional musician and is involved in several outreach ministries benefitting the homeless. Dean and his wife (the former Janie Torres from Bakersfield High) have 5 children and 6 1/2 grandchildren. The “Mr. Brown” in the story was his teacher at Virginia Avenue School in the Fairfax School District.

Phone (210) 685-7621 devans@saisd.net devans20@yahoo.com

Mr. Brown

Mr. Brown was my 4^th grade teacher. One day, as he walked from the back of the classroom, he squeezed and patted my shoulder. Simple. I’ve often wondered if this kind teacher sensed in me a profound need to have someone care. He could not have known that at that precise moment I was reeling emotionally from the latest in a long series of terrible weekends--weekends punctuated by the beatings and verbal abuse of my entire family at the hands of a binge drinking step-father. Mr. Brown became my hero that day. Yet what had he done to be deserving of such adoration? He was the purveyor of hope. He cared. For the first time in my life, I dared to dream.

That year Mr. Brown played sports with us, taught us Spanish, and ignited in us a desire to learn. He was a young, creative, teacher who taught beyond the box and seemed uncomfortable in a sports coat and tie. It was in Mr. Brown’s room that I became a true life-long learner and lover of literature---a reminder of the joy that may be gleaned and the seeds sown in the smallest gesture of kindness.

Years later, I decided to visit my hometown to thank Mr. Brown. I wanted him to know that I had modeled my teaching after his---and that, in a quite literal sense, he had saved my life. During the two-hour drive from Fresno to Bakersfield, California, my mind was flooded with memories of a simpler time. There were Tinker Toys, the Twist, Howdy Doody, Looney Toons, Superman, Zorro, and the Mickey Mouse Club. Levi jeans were not really seasoned until they were so dirty they stood in the corner of the room waiting for our return. P.F. Flyers really did make us run faster and jump higher and we were reminded daily that father knew best. Soon, the invincibility of our handsome president would be shattered, civil rights would take center stage, and people we knew would take part in an unpopular war. We watched history unfold in our dining rooms as strategically angled T.V. sets flickered images that forever altered our threshold for violence.

Sadly, I would never complete my mission to see Mr. Brown. I learned that the Mr. Brown of my youth--my hero--had died. This wonderful young teacher, with the infectious smile and boundless energy died only a few years after he taught me. I learned that he died from the complications of alcoholism. The irony did not escape me. However, I was not discouraged by it. I have continued the legacy of the heroic teacher who was a giver of dreams. I too became a giver of dreams. I teach. And now, I realize the importance of identifying the traits of turnaround teachers and cultivating those traits in aspiring teachers---indeed, any teacher who, like Mr. Brown, recognizes in all our students, no matter the challenges, a glass that is significantly more than half full.

School lay-offs

It's a shame that our California schools have to suffer extensive cut backs when our welfare system keeps passing out checks to those who refuse to work or make any fiscal contribution to our economy. Once again the lazy are rewarded and the responsible punished. What a Country!

Bakersfield Christian High School Prom

Bakersfield Christian High School's prom was Saturday evening, April 24. This is a great looking group of young people. And I happen to know first-hand they are just as nice and ready to graduate in May. I may be somewhat prejudiced because one of them is my granddaughter but still, what a great bunch of kids, soon to be adults.

Annual CSUB open campus event celebrates campus life, university’s 40th anniversary

Celebrate CSUB!, a university-wide open house, returns for a day of free fun and educational activities on Saturday, April 24, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the main campus of California State University, Bakersfield.

Now it its fourth year, Celebrate CSUB! is one of many events scheduled this year to connect and engage with the community, promote campus life and celebrate the university’s 40^th anniversary.

The family-friendly festivities will kick off with a 5K Fun Run/Walk at 8 a.m. followed by a full-day of great food, fun and exciting activities including the Associated Students, Student Union, and Student Activities’ annual spring carnival, freshman/parent orientation, fun and games like “are you smarter than a CSUB honors student,” tours of the new state-of-the-art Student Recreation Center, live music from Thee Majestics, Dose of Adolescence, and Entice, Bike Bakersfield’s bicycle repair station, weird chemistry experiments, robots on patrol, a people-powered Roadrunner vehicle, alumni events, community painting project, a women’s softball doubleheader, and much more.

The morning’s activities culminate with several special activities to mark CSUB’s 40^th anniversary. At 11 a.m., guests can take their place in history and join in the formation of a human 40^th anniversary logo for an aerial photo. Immediately following, alumni will lead a march up the Red Brick Road to the traffic circle where CSUB President Horace Mitchell will dedicate the university’s new flag poles and recently-designed CSUB flag, followed by a cake-cutting ceremony.

“Sometimes people take for granted the university in their own back yard. Whether you are alumni and have not been on campus for some time or a local resident who has not yet ventured to campus, a current or future student, Celebrate CSUB! is a great opportunity to discover or rediscover your university," said Evelyn Young, Celebrate CSUB! chairwoman. “This year will be our best yet.”

Event sponsors include KGET, Pepsi Bottling Company, Target, and Terrio Therapy-Fitness.

Admission and parking for Celebrate CSUB! are free. For a complete schedule of events, log on to www.csub.edu/celebrate or call 654-2175.

Camp KEEP: One Parent's Survival Story

Camp K.E.E.P.: One Parent’s Survival Story

By Thomas G. Robinson

In 2008 I had the pleasure of accompanying my son, Andres, to Camp KEEP (Kern Environmental Education Program) during his 6^th grade year at Leo B. Hart Elementary School. We were asked, as parents, to volunteer to become counselors since the rules changed and high school students were no longer being accepted to counsel.

We spent the week at the Ocean Home where we hiked, hiked and then hiked some more. We hiked to a creek; we hiked atop a mountain, through the sand dunes and into the coves. At the time I didn’t think it was so bad. Oh, there were moments where I didn’t think I would make it, but in the end I prevailed. That was two years ago.

In March of this year, it was my youngest son, Alex’s turn to go to KEEP. Forgetting all the pain and headaches from the two years before, I unwittingly decided to volunteer to counsel again. As soon as I arose to the early morning bus ride, seeing the excitement of the voyage ahead for the students, I began to remember just how much work this week was going to be.

Counselors for Camp KEEP are elementary student’s parents. We are usually of the same breed, meaning, we have usually sat on the boards at the schools, are educators or administrators, or have been room parents or carpoolers. In short, we’ve been known to corral kids in a nonviolent way (usually) and maintain some sort of mutual respect between us and “them”. At this point I’ve usually been pretty comfortable in knowing these kids. However, over the last four years, due to the economy and starting a new job, my school involvement has waned a bit and my previous status of knowing these kids on a first name-basis has gone by the wayside. I knew a few of my son’s friends, but not as many as I had before. It made me feel a little guilty knowing I have not been as involved as I used to be. But, here I am, at Camp KEEP for the second time in two years!

Take off: What would have taken you or me about an hour and a half to two hours to get to Morro Bay, takes about three hours by two charter buses with about 150 kids and 8 to 10 parents and teachers. With required stops for the “official bathroom break” and at all railroad crossings, the “adventure” becomes slightly stalled and I become entangled in conversations about the latest video games and all the “Mr. Robinson, Mr. Robinson” questions that come from surrounding kids. Still, it’s a comfortable ride as the teacher has brought a DVD for the kids to chill out with, “Disney’s Snow Buddies”. Oh joy.

Arrival: The air quality is the first thing you notice when you arrive at camp. There’s a hint of salt-water in the air and the faint smell of the eucalyptus trees that surround the campgrounds. It’s so refreshing to take a deep breath and fill your lungs with clean ocean air. Then you see it, the ever-present big white dome. The place where we’ll be having all our breakfasts and dinners, where the kids will be challenged to eat properly and keep their voices at a respectable level, where most disciplinary action will take place for groups that don’t contain themselves, where Naturalists (that’s what they call the teachers there) will spend countless minutes pausing for silence until the kids realize that they are talking too loud and the naturalists are waiting for them. It’s where we, as counselors, are separated into teams and are ordered to sit at cafeteria tables designed for kids half our size in order to instill some sense of leadership. It’s at this point as you attempt to squeeze into that very tight bench-to-table narrowness that you renew your personal vow to do a few sit-ups in the morning and start watching what you eat – again.

Over the course of the five days and four nights that we are there, we see the kids in a whole new light. They are excited to be away from home for the first time without their parents. They are learning how to cope with problems without yelling out for mom or dad to help. They are learning to control themselves in a very excitable environment where rules and regulations still exist. They are preparing to leave primary school and begin their new lives in ever-so-cool junior high. And, they are learning.

During the week, the Naturalists take kids to various ecosystems around the campsite. We learn (yes, WE learn) about riparian ecosystems, how Morro Rock came to be (very interesting), about local birds and plants, and how everyone is responsible for how we treat our planet. Before you begin to hum a few bars of Cumbaya, note that although the “hippie” atmosphere is ever present, these Naturalists are professors and scientists who have educational backgrounds that would rival most of the top educators in the state. They also have a great love for what they do, and it shows. From hiking to the oceanic view of the coves to our mountain top view from Mt. Valencia, Jr., we get to know the naturalists on a more personal level, and they become regular people just like you and me. I am constantly amazed at how they stay calm and collected with some very aggressive children; knowing that they do this kind of thing week after week for nine months out of the year. (Insert shout-out to “Squid” here!)

Return: I think most parents and kids will agree that as much as you want to continue this love-fest of nature, we all are excited to begin the trek home. For the counselors, images of soaking in a scented bath, drinking a glass of wine, and eating a nice home-cooked meal are so precious, so near and yet so far. For the kids, I’m sure their PS3’s and X-Boxes are calling on them to come play again with the familiar sights and sounds of Japanese anime, dramatic musical interludes and promises of laser blasts and karate chops galore.

My favorite memory for both visits to Camp KEEP involve the simple fact that, for a full week, I spent 24 hours a day with my child, watching them interact with their friends, teachers and other adults. I noticed that they are young men, still innocent enough to act silly with their friends yet become cool when called for, and knowledgeable enough to know that this will eventually become one of the fondest memories of their childhood.

Camp KEEP has been around for over 40 years. When I mentioned to friends and colleagues that I was about to spend my week’s vacation at KEEP, most of them had a memory to share of their time there as a child. Some of them burst into campfire songs (The Scat Song, anyone?) and reminisced about their favorite moment there. Not originally from Kern County, I was amazed at the impact this place had on them.

It’s important to note that not every school in Kern County is going to Camp KEEP anymore. Budget cuts have dramatically cut the amount of schools that have been able to include it in their educational programs. Personally, I think it’s a shame that there will be students who will never experience the outdoors in this way. For some kids, it would have been their first and last time in that type of environment.

Overall, if you ever get a chance to go, or if your child’s school is one of the lucky schools that will be attending - jump at the opportunity! Your outlook on life (environmentally) will change, your relationship with your child will grow stronger, and your time spent away from all the chaos at work and home will be something to fondly reflect upon.

For me – I am a two-time survivor of Camp KEEP. If I had another child that would be attending camp in the future, you can be sure I would make it three. Who knows, maybe twenty years from now, I’ll be attending with my grandchild… Hopefully, it’ll still be there.

Click on this link to learn more about Camp KEEP: http://www.campkeep.org/

Parents Beware as Kindergarten Registration Nears

With registration beginning soon for kindergartners, parents should beware of the state’s “Home Language Survey”. This required questionnaire asks parents of kindergartners, who will be starting school in the fall, if another language is spoken in the home, among other questions. What parents don’t know is how the Home Language Survey is used.

If the answer to the first three questions is a language other than English, the child will be tested for fluency in English. The test to check for fluency in English is called the CELDT (California English Language Development Test). But this school year, 2009-2010, a reading and writing component was added to this test.

Very few to none of the children entering kindergarten can write a complete sentence on a given topic without spelling mistakes. Kindergarten teachers will tell you it’s likely no student entering kindergarten for the first time can pass the CELDT test.

If your child doesn’t pass, it is mandatory he/she receive EL services. While state education laws state if a parent and/or teacher suspects a child has mistakenly been identified as an “English Language Learner”, the district is required to re-test or reassess the child’s English fluency. But much of the re-testing and re-assessing criteria is left up to the district’s discretion, which is why a child can languish in an EL setting for most of the school year, before anything is done about it.

In these budget-crunching times, it is to a district’s advantage to have higher EL numbers as more funding (categorical money) is available for these students.

While many parents take pride in diversity and raising a child exposed to many cultures, teaching a second language at home such as French or Spanish, probably doesn’t mean a child needs additional English language lessons outside of the regular classroom curriculum.

Many teachers have had to conduct an English Language Learner class for “beginning speakers” with a child completely fluent in English shouting out all the answers. It seems common sense would tell us to place the English speaking student in another class to make better use of that’s student’s instructional time.

Again, “up to the district’s discretion” is problematic. One can only speculate a district may be trying to increase its English Language Learner population to receive more funding or improve test scores by having an English speaking student take a standardized test as an “English Language Learner”.

Hopefully, parents won’t go away from this article thinking they need to teach their pre-schooler to read and write before entering kindergarten. (To clarify, if English is the only language listed on the Home Language Survey, your child will not have to take the CELDT.) If a child truly needs additional English Language instruction, do not hesitate to put down another language on the form, but if your child’s first words were “Si, leche”, but everything after that was English, it may be wise not to list Spanish as the language your child first spoke.

If we can get the word out about this kindergarten registration pitfall, it is my hope multitudes of students will no longer is placed erroneously into a language instruction class unnecessarily.

State education officials with the Language Learner and Support Division confirm it is difficult for any kindergartner to score as fluent under the new CELDT test, but the state was forced to add the speaking and writing component by federal guidelines.

So it shouldn’t be surprising to see a vast number of students passing out of ELD programs in first and second grade in the next few years (since many of these students only spoke English in the first place). The statistics will make it appear our ELD programs are really working.

Gail Morris

Kindergarten teacher

GARCES STUDENTS DONATE OVER 1200 BOOKS TO NEEDY CHILDREN IN ARVIN & LAMONT

During three weeks of the Lenten Season, students from Garces Memorial High School were asked to look beyond themselves and consider doing something for others—specifically, for children who are much less fortunate than most of the children they know.

Under the direction of Teacher Librarian Mrs. Darla Brown, Garces English classes collected 1,277 new and gently used books for children aged one through ten. The books will go to the students of the Arvin and Lamont School Districts and their families.

The Lamont School District has a poverty rate of 98%, and 100% of students qualify for free and reduced-rate lunches. “These are not children who have lots of books to read in their homes,” says Mrs. Brown. “The books our students have donated will literally change the lives and futures of these needy children.” Books will be distributed to Arvin and Lamont families at the district’s Parent Youth Conference at Arvin High School at the end of April.

While collecting the books, Garces English classes also engaged in a little friendly competition. The winner, with 469 books, was Mrs. Huddleston’s 5^th period class. While their teacher was awarded a stylish book tote, the class enjoyed home-baked chocolate chip brownies and milk from Mrs. Brown as a well-earned reward.

39th Annual Lee Webb Math Field Day Held at CSUB

On Saturday March 13 nearly 500 high school students from 22 schools converged at Cal State Bakersfield for the 39th Annual CSUB Lee Webb Math Field Day. They came from many Bakersfield schools, and also from Arvin, Delano, Tulare, Visalia, and even as far as Fresno. This year marked the first attendance of McFarland, RF Kennedy (Delano), Independence, and Mira Monte High Schools.

The event is named after former CSUB mathematics professor Lee Webb who directed it for more than 25 years.

After a brief welcome by CSUB vice president Beth Rienzi, the students all went to the first competition of the day – the Individual Medley, which is a 50 minute multiple choice examination. This was followed by the Junior Varsity Math Bowl. In this event, each team sends up onto the Dore Theatre stage a different student for each of the four rounds. The participants then race each other to answer questions projected on a screen at the back of the stage.

After a break for lunch, the next event was the team medleys. Each school selects a team of three students who have 50 minutes to work together on eight free response problems. After this came the final competition of the day – the Varsity Math Bowl. This had the same format as the Junior Varsity version, but of course now the problem level was now junior/senior level instead of freshman/sophomore.

A sampling of 3 JV questions: (1) What is the sum of all the positive odd integers less than 100? (2) How many positive integer divisors does 30 have? (3) The diagonal of a square is 48” What is the area of the square, in square feet? And 3 Varsity questions: (1) The main diagonal of a cube is 18 inches. What is the area of one face? (in square inches), (2) How many edges does a regular dodecahedron have? (3) Two positive numbers have difference and quotient equal to 5. Find the larger of the two numbers. Answers below.

Because of budget cuts, the math field day was a little smaller than in recent years – the chalk talk and computer programming contests were canceled. But by the awards ceremony at the end of the day this seemed hardly noticed. Among those honored were:
Akash Jain and Man Cheung Tsui of Stockdale were presented awards for solving problems from the Math Field Day Website during the last year. Michael Limiero, also of Stockdale won 1st place in the Varsity Individual Medley. The teams from Arvin HS and Bakersfield Christian HS won the Division B Junior Varsity and Varsity (respectively) Team Medleys. Stockdale HS also won the Junior Varsity Math Bowl, while the Varsity Math Bowl title went to Clovis West HS for the third year in a row.

A complete list of winners is posted at the math field day website (www.csub.edu/~dgove/mfd.htm). Also posted are complete descriptions of the events and copies of complete tests for the last several years.

Though just ended, we are already thinking about next year’s event. Despite the fear of more budget cuts, we are hoping to go all out and make the 40th Annual Lee Webb Math Field Day bigger than ever before.

Answers to sample questions: JV1. 2500; JV2. 8; JV3. 8; Var1. 108; Var2. 30; Var3. 25/4.

Smash Lab’s Maverick Engineer to Speak at Bakersfield College

Bakersfield College will host maverick engineer and star of the Discovery Channel’s hit TV show Smash Lab, Deanne Bell, on Tuesday, March 23 from noon to 1 p.m. as part of a special series of speakers sponsored by the College’s Science Technology Engineering Mathematics (STEM) program. Bell will make her presentation in the Bakersfield College Fireside Room, located in the John Collins Campus Center, at noon. STEM is working to bring a series of speakers with extensive experience in the technical fields of study that students are pursuing. The event is open to the public and admission is free.

Bell is known for taking everyday technology and applying it in revolutionary new ways on Smash Lab.

Could bulletproof Kevlar protect an airliner from bombs?

Could a car airbag be reinvented to stop a helicopter from sinking after ditching at sea?

Deanne Bell aims to find out!

Bell earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Washington University in St. Louis in 2002. As an opto-mechanical design engineer in the aerospace industry, she designed a FLIR (Forward Looking Infrared) system and a LADAR optical navigation system with Raytheon. She worked on product development with SpaceClaim, a 3D mechanical CAD startup. She hosted PBS’ Design Squad before becoming a scientist on Discovery’s Smash Lab…a program focused on “destruction instruction” to perform experiments on existing technology for a better world.

More than just a scientific innovator, Bell is also a world adventure traveler who has hiked to the base of Mt. Everest, and was a NCAA Div III soccer finalist.

STEM at Bakersfield College focuses on the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Efforts surround encouraging underrepresented student populations to pursue higher education in one of the fields.

The South Kern Education Consortium Parent/Youth Conference

The South Kern Education Consortium -

Parent Youth Conference

Held: April 22, 2010

The South Kern Education Consortium, made up of representatives from Lamont, Vineland, DiGiorgio school districts and Arvin and Nueva High Schools, will be presenting its annual Parent Conference on April 22, 2010 at Mt. View Middle School in Lamont.

Parents from the Lamont, Vineland, and DiGiorgio School

Districts and Nueva and Arvin High Schools are invited to attend this

annual conference which will commence at 4:45 p.m.

Topics for this years conference are :

“High School Requirements”, “Teen Health Issues”, “Gang Issues” with a quick in-service on nutrition and the U.S. Census.

Parents will also be treated to a number of vendors and representatives from Bakersfield organizations and colleges, a free Hot Dog dinner and a free raffle that will include a computer, bicycles, gifts baskets, etc.

Lamont School District parents will be offered free transportation by the Lamont School District and all parents will be offered free child care for children in grades K—5. All children will receive a free dinner, entertainment from the Lamont Fire Department, Lamont Sheriff’s Department, Lamont Library, and folkorico dancing and free books to take home!

A youth conference will also be held that same night. Watch for registration forms for both the Parent and Youth Conference!

Bakersfield College’s Garden Fest Goes Green for 2010

Bakersfield College’s annual Garden Fest is known for being one of the best annual celebrations of all things horticultural in Bakersfield. This year the event is changing shape and taking on the Green movement.

On Saturday, April 24 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Bakersfield College’s annual event will become Garden Fest Green and Clean. This celebration, to be held in the College’s Environmental Horticulture Gardens, located on Mt. Vernon Avenue just north of Memorial Stadium, will bring thousands of visitors to campus for a day of gardening, pet care, cooking, outdoor leisure, and arts and crafts.

“With an emphasis on environmentally-friendly gardening concepts and the ease of going green, activities and education at the 2010 Garden Fest Green and Clean will help attendees learn how they can be Earth friendly and save money at the same time,” said Lindsay Ono, Environmental Horticulture faculty at Bakersfield College.

The day’s events include free seminars on gardening, floral design, cooking, installing water features, pet and plant safety, pet adoptions, a farmer’s market, as well as arts and crafts..

The California Landscape Contractors Association Garden Stage will feature free seminars presented by industry professionals who inform and entertain attendees about gardening, floral design, and cooking. Learn how to install a water feature from start to finish with the Build-A-Pond seminar presented by Buck’s Landscape Materials and Pond Shop.

Animal lovers will enjoy the “Pets and Plants” classroom featuring the Bakersfield College small animal companion class presentation of pets and plant safety. “Adopt-A-Pet” will be presented by Kern County Animal Control.

This event also brings community gardening clubs, schools, forestry, parks and recreation, and green organizations to educate and inform the public.

The Renegade Ranch Farmer’s Market will return this year, featuring products produced by Bakersfield College agriculture students, and fresh fruit and vegetables from Murray Family Farms.

Breakfast and lunch will be prepared by the outstanding Bakersfield College Culinary Arts department and Coldstone Creamery will be selling ice cream to support Operation Smile.

The Arts and Crafts fair features works of art designed by both faculty and student artisans. And to keep the younger crowd entertained don’t miss Battlefield Live laser tag.

Garden Fest Green and Clean has more than 120 booths already scheduled for the one day event!

A full list of activities is available on the Garden Fest Green and Clean website at http://www2.bakersfieldcollege.edu/lono/Garden_Fest_2010.htm. Admission is free, though some activities require a fee for participation. Proceeds benefit the horticulture program at Bakersfield College. For more information, call 395-4446 or 395-4938.

Life in Estonia: Snow Problem?

I'm a Bakersfield native currently living and teaching English in the small town of Tapa, Estonia (population 7,000). Where is Estonia? In Northern Europe's Baltic Region, just west of Russia and below Finland.

Not a whole lot of people live in Estonia. When you consider that its land mass is roughly double the area of Kern county yet is inhabited by fewer than 1.5 million people, you get a get a pretty good sense of just how sparsely populated the country is. But Estonians wouldn't have it any other way. Around here, towns are small, communities are tight, and nature abounds.

I've been here for 7 months now and have enjoyed experiencing the changing of the seasons in ways I've never before known. I'm not sure if I should consider myself particularly lucky or unlucky, seeing as how this season is shaping out to be the most snow-filled that the country has seen in a hundred years. After 3 months of below-freezing temperatures and still no sign of spring, I often daydream about California weather.

Anyway, here are some photos from my first "real" winter.

Olympic Torches on Display at Bakersfield College

The Olympic Flame or Olympic Torch is a symbol of the Olympic Games. Commemorating the theft of fire from the Greek god Zeus by Prometheus, its origins lie in ancient Greece, where a fire was kept burning throughout the celebration of the ancient Olympics. Carrying the Olympic flame in preparation for the Summer or Winter Games is truly an honor – one which was bestowed on two Bakersfield College staff members.

Dr. Chuck Wall, retired communication faculty, carried the torch in a relay leg in preparation for the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.

Ray Maranda, retired staff member, carried the torch in a relay leg in preparation for the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

The torches carried by both Wall and Maranda will be on display in the Bakersfield College Grace Van Dyke Bird Library foyer beginning Wednesday, February 24. The community is invited to come observe the torches.

Winter Wonderland

Snow found its way to the kindergarten playground at Owens Primary School on February 4, with a little help from our snow donor and our snow Dads who loaded and dumped mountains of snow for seven kindergarten classes. Although this winter wonderland has become a yearly tradition for our children, the resulting snow play and creations are always different! This year’s group seemed to understand that the snow would be very cold so most children showed up with mittens. Even when their mittens were freezing cold and wet, the students teamed up to build their classroom snowmen. Each classroom’s snowman seemed to come alive with its own personality, bringing so much excitement, pride and happiness to the students, teachers and parents. Indeed, our snow song ending became a reality for all: “When I grew cold I was warmed with a hug…and steaming hot cocoa in a mug!” Well, the hot cocoa was not really steaming, but it sure warmed us up!

First Book Bakersfield Awards Grants

First Book Bakersfield Awards Literacy Grants

By Sandy McMahan

First Book Local Advisory Board

First Book is devoted to providing low-income children and their families with their first books. The volunteer advisory board was formed in January 2001 to act as a liaison between the community, local educational programs and the national First Book non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C. Since then, First Book Bakersfield has placed more than 4,600 books in the hands of more than 450 children annually; recently awarding grants to 30 classrooms representing 646 students.

Congratulations to the most recent First Book recipients; teachers whose students will each recieve six books to start their own, home library:

Tammera Bruce, Estelle Brewer, and Heather Skelley, KCSOS, Special Day Classes, Rosalie Rodriquez- Mt. Vernon , Katherine Jordan and Kyle Johnson - Horace Mann, Briony Post and Kara Reimer - Pond, Maribell Cantu, Stacy Garza, Angela Dinnerville, Susie Robles, Kristi Walker, Maria Plant and Kathleen Nichol-Kern Ave., Christina Barnett-Longfellow, Linda Adams, Rebecca Cole, and Kenna Johnson-Granite Point, Joyce Victor, Jessica Ercoli and Karen Howard- Owens Primary, Amanda Meheiz-Casa Loma, Janet Brandon, Monica Aleu de Ridley, Colonel Nichols, Carolyn Bunker and Kelly Haughton-McKinley, Rebecca Martinez and Susan Camps-Virginia Avenue,

The children supported by First Book are hardest to reach and are found in literacy programs based in libraries, housing projects, school –based programs and other initiatives. Preschool through second grade teachers apply for grants in August of each year, with books distributed to children each month from October through March.

For more information contact Teresa Twissleman at 636-4645, Sandra Yoon at 631-4808, or Sandy McMahan at 636-4806.

Levan Institute Opens Classes for Spring Semester

Gone are the days of riding into the sunset of retirement. Today’s retiree is looking for ways to enrich their life, and Bakersfield College is presenting a new educational opportunity for residents 55 and better.

Through the 2006 $5.7 million gift from local dermatologist Dr. Norman Levan, Bakersfield College is announcing the Levan Institute for Lifelong Learning, which opens for its second semester in late January. The purpose of the Institute is to make interesting and useful learning experiences available primarily to those 55 and better who are interested in continuing to gain knowledge throughout their lives.

“The Levan team continues to work hard to bring a series of courses which are interesting, insightful and relevant to our community,” said chair Dr. Robert Allison. “Each session will introduce new courses and courses which are applicable to what is currently happening in our society.”

Course topics include gardening and plant care, soapmaking, silversmithing, drawing, photography, music, personal finance, astronomy, wine appreciation and many more. A full schedule of courses is available in the Spring 2010 Catalog and Schedule, which can be requested by calling 395-4431 or checking online at bakersfieldcollege.edu/levaninstitute.

While the courses offered by the Institute are primarily designed to address the interests of seniors, they are open to all adults. Courses vary in length and subject, and with just two exceptions, are outside the “credit” sphere of the college.

“We have tried to provide a curriculum that will appeals to the wide spectrum of interests of those living in our community,” said committee member Ned Gilfillan. “We hope that we have succeeded in providing a range of topics that will interest many people.”

Classes take place on various days and at various times to fit all schedules. Check the course schedule for full information on dates and times. Fees vary by course and some courses will require books or materials. Check the course schedule for full information on fees and materials.

For more information on the Levan Institute for Lifelong Learning, please contact Dr. Bob Allison at 395-4431 or at rallison@bakersfieldcollege.edu

Spring 2010 Levan Courses by Date

1.) The Art and Science of Home Beer Brewing – Saturdays, January 23 – February 13, noon-2 p.m.

2.) Buddhist Philosophy and Meditation – Mondays, February 1-March 15, 6:30-8 p.m.

3.) Silversmithing – Tuesdays, February 2-March 23, 6-9 p.m.

4.) The Internet for Beginners – Tuesdays, February 2-23, 6-7:30 p.m.

5.) Italian Language and Culture – Tuesdays, February 2-March 9, 6-8 p.m.

6.) Advanced Silversmithing – Thursdays, February 4-March 25, 6-9 p.m.

7.) Pilates for Seniors – Thursdays, February 4-March 25, 6:30-7:30 p.m.

8.) Basic Robotics – Thursdays, February 4-May 6, 6-9 p.m.

9.) A Short Course in Drawing – Tuesdays, February 9-March 16, 1-4 p.m.

10.) A Beginner’s Guide to Computers – Tuesdays, February 16 & 23, 6-8 p.m.

11.) Beginning Photography – Wednesdays, February 17-March 17, 6-8 p.m.

12.) How to Write Better or Less Worse – Wednesdays, February 17-March 24, 6-7:30 p.m.

13.) Writing Your Memoirs – Thursdays, February 18-March 4, 1-4 p.m.

14.) Woodcrafting for Beginner’s – Fridays, February 19-March 26, 9-11:30 a.m.

15.) Wonderful World of Wine – Mondays, February 22-March 22, 5:30-6:45 p.m.

16.) Wine 202-French Connection – Tuesdays, February 23-March 23, 5:30-6:45 p.m.

17.) History of the Old West – Tuesdays, February 23-March 23, 6-9 p.m.

18.) Painting in Progress – Mondays, March 1-April 12, 6-9 p.m.

19.) Pine Needle Decorated Gourds – Tuesdays, March 2-16, 3-5 p.m.

20.) Microsoft Office: Word – Tuesdays, March 2-23, 6-8 p.m.

21.) Mapping the Afterlife – Wednesday, March 3-17, 7-8:30 p.m.

22.) Ancient Art of Astrology-Wednesdays, March 3-April 14, 6-7:30 p.m.

23.) Dream Interpretation – Thursdays, March 4-April 15, 6-7:30 p.m.

24.) Machu Picchu – Monday, March 8, 6-8 p.m.

25.) Acrylic Painting- Tuesday & Thursday, March 9 & 11, 6-9 p.m.

26.) Oil Painting – Tuesday & Thursday, March 16 & 18, 6-9 p.m.

27.) Landscape Photography – Wednesdays, March 17-April 21, 6-9 p.m.

28.) Art of Soapmaking – Thursdays, March 18 & 25, 6-9 p.m.

29.) Spiritually Inspiring Films – Monday, March 22-May 3, 6:30-8 p.m.

30.) Watercolor Painting – Tuesday & Thursday, March 23 & 25, 6-9 p.m.

31.) Digital Slide Show Presentations – Wednesday, March 24-May 5, 6-8 p.m.

32.) Exploring California’s Wineries – Saturday, March 27, 7:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m.

33.) Microsoft Office: Excel – Tuesday, April 6-27, 6-8 p.m.

34.) Writing a Short Story – Wednesday, April 7-28, 3-4:30 p.m.

35.) Personal Finance in Turbulent Times – Thursday, April 8-29, 6-8 p.m.

36.) Enjoyment of Jazz – Tuesday, April 13-27, 6-8 p.m.

dd's Discount & First Book Delight Owens Primary Kindergarteners

Thanks to dd’s DISCOUNTS corporate match with First Book and generous donations from Bakersfield customers, 150 kindergarteners will become owners of 6 books each this year! The FLASH (Families Learning At School and Home) Program at Owens Primary School is honored to have received an award of $2,248 worth of books for their students. Manager Grace Prendez of Bakersfield’s dd’s DISCOUNTS is extremely proud of her employees’ enthusiasm and her customers’ generosity. In fact, the Bakersfield dd’s DISCOUNTS was recognized by the store’s corporate headquarters because they showed the highest percentage of sales that donated to the book drive.

Mrs. Victor’s kindergarten class was truly honored to have dd’s DISCOUNTS manager, Grace Prendez, as their first guest reader. Miss Grace read two books to her captive audience and became a true friend as she engaged them in conversation about the stories. Before she left, Miss Grace promised that a big truck was bringing them an extra surprise later that morning. Sure enough, FedEx arrived a few hours later with boxes of stuffed dinosaurs, mini versions of the dd’s DISCOUNTS mascot Dino the Dinosaur! Students were thrilled to have that special memory from their new friend. Hopefully, Miss Grace will visit us again this year and perhaps bring “Big Dino” along!

In order to help the parents and students in academics, the FLASH Project (Families Learning At School and Home) was founded in 2003 by Joyce Victor with grant support from Chevron and the Bakersfield Education Foundation. All kindergarten classes at Owens Primary School participate in the FLASH Program. Each month, parents attend a 20-minute workshop with their child right after school in the classroom. We go over the letter names, sounds, literacy skills, vocabulary, poems and stories that we will be focusing on. This program provides take home kits, book/CD sets, videos, DVDs and learning games to families for home use. Throughout the project years, parental attendance at our monthly class meetings continues to average 90%. Parents are engaged in learning along with their child, as we build literacy in the homes. This award from dd’s DISCOUNTS and First Book provides our families with books to treasure, read and keep at home. We know that our students need books and yearn for books to own, not just to borrow. Teachers and families are very grateful for this opportunity to own books. They look forward to inviting guest readers to read and distribute the books to our young students throughout the rest of the school year.

American Idol contestant Jim Ranger in Concert

American Idol contestant Jim Ranger in Concert

Friday, February 19 @ 7pm
at New Life Center located at 4201 Stine Road Bakersfield, CA 93313

This will be a FREE concert that you will

not want to miss!

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.

Garces Helps Children in Africa

Garces Memorial High School students and teachers are knitting and crocheting warm winter beanies for orphaned children in the African nation of Swaziland. The beanies will be sent to Swaziland at the end of February as part of a world-wide project—appropriately called “The Beanie Machine”—sponsored by Heart for Africa, a non-profit Christian relief organization focused on the needs of vulnerable children in Africa.

Garces Teacher Librarian Darla Brown travelled to Swaziland with members of her church, Canyon Hills Assembly of God, on a Heart for Africa missions trip in 2006. Brown, a knitter, heard about “The Beanie Machine” via an e-mail update from the organization, and knew she had to get involved. She first went to members of her church for help, and was “not surprised when several ladies stepped up and started knitting beanies right away.” But Brown was astonished at the response from Garces staff and students. “I did a few announcements and hung up a sign in the library. Now, six students and seven teachers and other staff are knitting and crocheting right along with me!” Also participating are student Sora Woo’s mother in Korea, and Spanish teacher Marcela Limpias’ mother in Bolivia.

“It’s been fun,” says Claudia Gavrilescu, Garces senior and novice knitter. “If I need help, I go into the library after school and sit at the [circulation] desk with Mrs. Brown. She helps me with the knitting.” The Garces group—plus the women from Brown’s church—have made almost 40 beanies to date.

"These Swazi children have so little," adds Brown. "For them to have a warm piece of clothing that is actually theirs--they'll be so thrilled." All beanies will also contain a small personal note telling the children that God loves them, and that the knitter will be praying for them.

“The Beanie Machine” has over 300 women (and men!) all over the world making beanies that will be distributed to orphans at a celebration in Swaziland on July 23, 2010 (winter in the Southern hemisphere). The Heart for Africa organization hopes to have enough beanies for each of the 15,000 participating children. At last count, 9,500 beanies were completed.

If you’d like to get involved, please contact Mrs. Darla Brown at Garces Memorial High School, 327-2578, x133, or go to www.heartforafrica.org. Beanies will be mailed at the end of February.

Milan Institute Expands Cosmetology Program to Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA – Milan Institute, a vocational school in Bakersfield, California, recently announced the addition of a new Cosmetology program. The school first came to Bakersfield in June 2002 as an auxiliary classroom of the Visalia campus and became a branch campus in May 2009. The first class of cosmetology students was held on January 13 with 46 students in attendance. Approximately 150 students are anticipated to start the new program over the next year. The campus is located at 2822 F Street, Bakersfield, California 93301.

Up until now the school has only offered massage therapy training to the community, which is why the faculty and staff are so excited about the new program. “Our school has been well received by the local community,” states Gary Yasuda, President of Milan Institute. “Cosmetology is one of the hottest industries right now, and the Bakersfield area was in need of more schools that could provide professional career training for it. Milan has already experienced success here, and we are excited to see what the future will bring.”

In addition to the new Cosmetology program, the Milan Institute Bakersfield location also offers Massage Therapy. Both day and evening class schedules are offered, and financial aid is available to those who qualify. Milan’s faculty offers academic credentials with years of training or work experience in their areas of specialization. The school’s administrative staff is committed to providing the individual student attention necessary to achieve success in the fields of cosmetology and massage therapy. In addition, the school provides employment services assistance to all of its graduates to assist them with their new job search.

The campus will eventually open a student salon where value-priced beauty services such as haircuts, highlights, pedicures, facials and waxing will be offered to the public. All services will be performed by students under instructor supervision. The student salon is expected to begin accepting clients in spring 2010.

The school also has a student massage spa where massage services are available to the public. Services such as Swedish, Deep Tissue, Sports, Therapeutic and Reflexology massage are available for just $25 for 50 minutes and $40 for 80 minutes. That’s more than 50% less than the prices at local day spas. A variety of seasonal specials are offered via website coupons, email marketing, student referral coupons and Facebook. February specials are a $25.00 one-hour Shiatsu massage and a $45.00 one-hour cranberry seed body scrub with pumpkin spice wrap. All services are performed by students under instructor supervision. Gift certificates are also available. To schedule an appointment, call (661) 335-5900.

Milan Institute has been preparing students for the workforce since 1985 and has 17 campuses located throughout the western United States. Milan Institute in Bakersfield is accredited by the Council on Occupational Education located at 41 Perimeter Center East NE, Suite 640, Atlanta, Georgia 30346, (770) 396-3898. For more information on career training and student massage spa services, contact Milan Institute at (661) 335-5900or go to http://www.milaninstitute.edu/.

Bakersfield College Performing Arts Presents “Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992”

Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992, a documentary theater play written by award-winning writer and actress Anna Deveare Smith, will be performed by students in Bakersfield College’s Department of Performing Arts on March 4, 5, 6 and March 11, 12, 13 in the College’s Indoor Theater. All performances are at 8 p.m.

“Twilight was originally a one-woman show of which Ms. Smith skillfully portrayed each person,” said director, Bakersfield College performing arts professor Kimberly Chin. “However, we will have more than 16 student actors portraying the more than 40 people in the play. Our students are working as an ensemble and have committed themselves to offering viewers a night of professional, quality theater.”

Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992 is a one woman play written and originally performed by Anna Deavere Smith. The original Broadway production opened at the Cort Theater in New York City on April 17, 1994, ran for 72 performances and was nominated for the 1994 Tony Award for the Best Play. Anna Deavere Smith was nominated for a 1994 Tony Award and recreated her role in the filmed production in 2000 directed by Marc Levin.

Smith interviewed hundreds of people of which more than 40 are depicted in the play. In this one-woman show, Smith skillfully portrayed each person based on her detail study of their body language, vocal quality, vocal tone, and used their real words. Bakersfield College’s production will be presented in an intimate three-quarter round formation. Video footage of the events leading up to and including the riots of 1992 will be shown.

All performances begin at 8 p.m. and doors open at 7:30 p.m. Tickets for Bakersfield College’s performance of Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992 are $3.50 for students/staff/seniors/military and $5.50 for general admission, and will be available at the door. Due to adult content and language, Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992 is not suitable for children under the age of 6.

For more information, please call Kimberly Chin at 395-4388.

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

Bakersfield College Health Fair to Feature Screenings, Health Care Organizations

Students and community members alike will be able to partake in free health screenings, blood pressure checks and information on topics such as diabetes and health careers during Bakersfield College’s 11th Annual Health and Wellness Fair on Wednesday, May 4, 2010. Local health care industry representatives will be on hand for the yearly event, which is open to the public and free of charge.

Bakersfield College’s 11th Annual Health and Wellness Fair will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Free Speech Area, and FREE PARKING is available just east of the Campus Center (Corner of Panorama and Mount Vernon) on the college’s Panorama Campus at 1801 Panorama Drive in Bakersfield.

“This event is a great opportunity for members of the community to take an active role in their health,” says Debra Strong, Bakersfield College’s Student Health Center nurse. “This event will allow the community to have access to a large number of health and wellness resources at one, free event”.

For more information, please call Bakersfield College Student Health Center Nurse Debra Strong, R.N. at 661-395-4337 or visit the Student Health Center’s website at www.bakersfieldcollege.edu/student/health.

Bakersfield College Planetarium Announces 2010 Show Schedule

Bakersfield College’s William M. Thomas Planetarium, located in the College's Math and Science Building, has announced the show schedule for the Spring 2010 semester. Each one hour show will begin with a short tour of the evening sky using the planetarium's Goto Chronos star projector. Shows for 2010 include:

Ice Worlds is a 24-minute full dome show using the Planetarium’s Spitz SciDome to travel to the Arctic and Antarctic regions of our planet to examine the ecosystems that live and thrive there and see how their survival is connected with our own. Beyond Earth, we'll see how the existence of ice shapes the landscapes and the natural systems on other planets and moons in our solar system, including Mars, Titan, and Enceladus. Tickets are $6.50 for adults and $4.50 for students and seniors.

IBEX: Search for the Edge of the Solar Systemis a 28-minute full dome show using the Planetarium’s Spitz SciDome to investigate the boundary between our Solar System and the rest of our galaxy. Designed for audiences with an appreciation for the challenges of space science and a desire to learn more about science research, IBEX: Search for the Edge of the Solar System follows the creation of NASA's Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX). Audiences will get an in-depth look at the mission and how IBEX is collecting high-speed atoms to create a map of our Solar System's boundary. Tickets are $5.50 for adults and $3.50 for students and seniors.

Black Holes: The Other Side of Infinity returns to the Planetarium again in 2010. This favorite among visitors brings the current science of black holes to the dome screen. Supported by grants from NASA's high-energy GLAST telescope project and the National Science Foundation, this cutting-edge full dome projection features high-resolution, animated visualizations of cosmic phenomena, working with real data generated by computer simulations. Visualization(as opposed to a Hollywood-type movie) uses only real data and computer simulations of realprocesses, not some artist's imagination. Tickets are $5.50 for adults and $3.50 for students and seniors. No children under age 5, please.

Read more about these showings and get up to date information at the Planetarium’s website: bakersfieldcollege.edu/planetarium. To purchase tickets, call the Bakersfield College Ticket Office at 395-4326 or bakersfieldcollege.edu/ticketoffice. Tickets will not be sold at the door. Dates and shows are subject to change. Doors open ½ hour before show time. Shows sell out regularly, so purchase tickets early!

February 18 @ 7:30 p.m.

Ice Worlds

Adults: $6.50, Seniors/Children: $4.50

March 18 @ 7:30 p.m.

IBEX: Search for the Edge of the Solar System

Adults: $5.50, Seniors/Children: $3.50

April 15 @ 7:30 p.m.

Black Holes: The Other Side of Infinity

Adults: $5.50, Seniors/Children: $3.50

May 6 @ 7:30 p.m.

Ice Worlds

Adults: $6.50, Seniors/Children: $4.50

Proud Parents, Pupils and Puppets!

A picture is worth a thousand words, and these photos reflect the joy experienced by Owens Primary kindergarten students and their families as they created puppets made out of recyclables. Target Stores awarded Joyce Victor the KIT (Kids in Theater) grant to provide all kindergarten and first grade students with professional puppet shows and interactive children's drama presentations. First, Don Kruszka performed Omnipresent Puppet Theater's "Beyond the Heap: A Trash to Treasure Tale" for all the children. Then, three classes participated in a puppet making workshop with assistance from Don, Target employees Jeanette Bond and Joana Corral, and over 30 parents. The puppets became very much alive as students introduced them to their classes, giving them names and relating facts about their newly created friends!

Thanks to community donors like Target, our young students at Owens Primary are being enriched with a well-rounded education. The students are excited about speaking and writing in order to remember their experiences and in order to share them with others. This year is a year for theater arts, motivating students to listen, speak, read, write and illustrate. We look forward to more surprises in the spring!

Proud Pilgrims

A Chevron grant and parent volunteers enabled kindergarten students to work as busy Pilgrims in the classroom. Proud Pilgrims converted hand-shaped whole wheat cookies into colorful turkeys to share with their families. Making butter was the next chore for the hard-working Pilgrims. The kindergarteners sat around the rug and took turns shaking two jars of cream while chanting: "Butter, butter, butter...shake, shake, shake! Butter, butter, butter...we can't wait!" Finally, the cream solidified into a soft, light-colored butter. The kindergarten Pilgrims were successful--all but 2 agreed that the homemade butter on crackers was absolutely declicious!

Native American Day

Thanks to a grant from Chevron, Kindergarteners at Owens Primary School experienced Native American Day with a wealth of exciting activities: buffalo hunting and beef jerky, cranberry gathering and cranberry sauce, fish spearing and fish crackers, story time at the tepee, buffalo skin painting, clay pot sculpting, and tortilla tepee building. Dressed in their headbands and macaroni patterned necklaces, 120 students rotated to each learning station to learn about customs and arts with a fun kindergarten touch! Most importantly, students were stimulated to be creative and imaginative as they integrated fundamental standards in Language Arts (sequencing, speaking in sentences, describing, illustrating) and Math (counting, patterning). In the spirit of Thanksgiving, teachers and students are grateful for the opportunity and freedom to learn in such exciting, meaningful activities.

San Miguel Commemorative Grove Gets A Facelift

Melissa Iger, director of the Tree Foundation of Kern, hopes that someday the San Miguel Commemorative Grove will be a destination place to study indigenous plant science for students of all ages. “Our goal is to create a botanical garden that features native plant life,” says Iger. Once completed the Grove will be a local field trip opportunity for kindergarten through twelfth grade students and a place where students from Bakersfield College have the opportunity to study plant science in a natural setting. “The hope is to raise money and depend on volunteerism to make the botanical garden a reality,” says Iger.

On Saturday, November 21, volunteers from across Kern County came out to rake, pile and haul away trash, sticks and other debris from the San Miguel Commemorative Grove. Daniel Hipsher, Liberty High School student and future Marine, feels that it is important to volunteer. “ Community service helps the community grow and look better,” says Hipsher. Volunteer Chris Jabonillo claims that, “you need to give your time to help others and not just focus on your self.” Julia Cruz found out about the project through her church. She insists that getting out and working hard for the community is good for her spirit. She was vigorously cleaning up piles of leaves and sticks from the center of the park. “It makes me feel good to do some hard work,” says Cruz.

The City of Bakersfield has partnered with the Tree Foundation of Kern in order to maintain the Grove during this time of budget cuts and diminishing revenues. The city is counting on volunteers to keep the indigenous tree grove located on The Kern River Parkway looking beautiful. Hope 4 Kern volunteers found two large shopping carts and mounds of trash in the canal that parallels the grove. Liberty High School student, Henry Palacios believes that more people should volunteer. Palacious plans to study criminal justice next year at one of the CSU campuses.

More information about the San Miguel Commemorative Grove and the botanical garden project can be found at www.urbanforest.org.

School Loses a Valued and Trusted Friend

Palla Elementary School in the Greenfield Union School District lost a trusted friend this week when Willie McClaren passed away. Willie was a wonderful friend to all the students and staff at Palla School. He was not only the crossing guard who kept everyone safe, but he took the time to get to know each child that passed through the crosswalks he monitored so carefully for so many years. When I was the Assistant Principal at Palla, Willie and I became good friends. When I moved to Valle Verde School, Willie continued to come to visit me every week and, therefore, he made lots of new friends. I must admit I tried to get Willie to move to my school because I missed seeing him and talking to him everyday, but he said he couldn't leave the Palla kids because they needed him and depended on him. He was a wonderful man who made a difference in the lives of so many children and lucky people like me who called him my friend. God Bless you Willie! I'll miss you.

Columbia Elementary Veteran's Day Program

Columbia Elementary School will be celebrating Veteran's Day by honoring Bakersfield Veterans. The celebration begins at 9:00 am on Tuesday, November 10th. The program will include a color guard, music, a special speaker, slide show, and recognition of our Veterans. All Veterans and their families are invited to attend. For more information, please call the school at 588-3540

Partnership Provides Free Flu Shots October 30

Like the coming of fog and rain, Bakersfield citizens know and expect another winter recurrence – flu. That means it’s also time to get your flu shot, and a unique community partnership is working together to provide free flu shots to help prepare the community for the virus.

At a news conference, the Kern County Department of Public Health, Bakersfield College and California State University, Bakersfield, announced a partnership to provide free seasonal flu vaccinations to the community in a drive through clinic on Friday, October 30 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Officials emphasize this is a seasonal vaccine and not the H1N1 (swine) flu vaccine.

The purpose of the clinic is to provide a free flu vaccine to residents and also to practice mass vaccination plans, which are designed to ensure that health professionals and volunteers are prepared to vaccinate or dispense medication to a large population in a very short period of time. If Bakersfield was ever to experience pandemic influenza or another such disaster, it might be necessary to distribute medications to many citizens quickly.

Dr. Claudia Jonah, Kern County Health Officer, explained, “The time to practice dispensing large amounts of medication is now, before we have a disaster. It’s also important for all people in Bakersfield to receive a flu shot. Roughly 36,000 Americans die each year from complications of flu. Getting a shot is the best protection.”

Mass vaccination exercises help the Public Health Department and partnering agencies prepare for emergencies by testing their ability to vaccinate thousands of people within a few hours. During the October 30 exercise, visitors will be able to obtain flu shots at two locations in Bakersfield:

Bakersfield College’s southeast parking lot adjacent to Memorial Stadium off Mt. Vernon
CSUB’s parking lot E, off Camino Media, near the Icardo Center

Student nurses from both institutions will administer the shots to individuals in vehicles, which mimics the actual vaccination process during an emergency. The entire process will be closely monitored to help public agencies better work together. More than 3,400 vaccines will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis and are free to the community.

Children 17 or younger must be accompanied by an adult. Minimum age to receive a vaccination is two years old.

Influenza is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses. It can cause mild to severe illness and results in 25-50 million infections and 36,000 deaths in the United States each year.

Influenza symptoms include fever (usually high), headache, extreme fatigue, sore throat, muscle aches, dry cough, runny or stuffy nose, and occasionally stomach symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea.

The influenza virus is spread through coughing or sneezing and by touching a hard surface with the virus on it and then touching your nose or mouth. The best way to prevent the flu is to get vaccinated each year.

You cannot catch the flu from the vaccination. The vaccination uses a dead virus and cannot cause you to get the flu. The vaccine usually becomes effective two weeks after being administered; therefore, the best time to be vaccinated is October to November. However, it can still be beneficial to get the vaccine even later as typical flu season runs from mid-December through March.

Though all persons over 6 months of age should get a flu shot each year, those most at risk for influenza disease complications are: those in nursing home; individuals over 50 years of age; persons with chronic diseases of the heart, lung, and kidneys, or who have diabetes, asthma, immunosuppression, or severe forms of anemia; women who may be pregnant during flu season; children and teens on long-term aspirin therapy. Children six months through five years of age should receive the flu vaccine due to the increased probability of severe illness in this age group. Daycare situations make these children especially vulnerable. Health care workers are also at greater risk for passing influenza infection on to high-risk individuals and should be vaccinated.

An influenza vaccination offers 70 percent to 90 percent protection against infection and can decrease the severity and side effects if you do get sick.

Collaborating agencies are Bakersfield College, CSUB, Kern County Department of Public Health, Kern Medical Reserve Corps, Salvation Army, Bakersfield Fire Department, Kern Medical Center, local Community Emergency Response Teams, Hall Ambulance and the Bakersfield Police Department.

Root on the Renegades with a Trip on the BC Rooter Bus!

Travel in style with the rowdiest bunch of football fans around and cheer on the Bakersfield College Renegades football team!

Bakersfield College’s Alumni Association will be sponsoring a bus trip to the final football game of the regular season against College of the Canyons on Saturday, November 14. Game time is 7 p.m., and the bus will leave from Bakersfield College’s Haley and Panorama parking lot at 4:30 p.m. and return immediately following the game.

Cost for the bus trip is $25 per person and does not include food or beverages. Riders may feel free to bring their own refreshments. Seats are available for 55 passengers, but are open on a first come, first served basis.

Call the Bakersfield College Alumni Association office at 395-4619 or alumna Sally Hill at 322-3175 to RSVP. You can also reserve your spot by taking your $25 to the Bakersfield College Foundation Office at Bakersfield College in the Administration Building, office A-19.

“Attacking the Cure” with BC Volleyball

In an effort to raise awareness and money for the world’s most common cause of cancer death in women, Bakersfield College’s volleyball team presents their second annual “Attacking the Cure” campaign Friday night as the Renegades prepare to host College of the Canyons.

The campaign will help to raise money for breast cancer awareness through the Kern County branch of the American Cancer Society. Donations will be accepted throughout the month of October, which has been designated Breast Cancer Awareness Month, with the proceeds of the campaign going directly to the American Cancer Society.

Players from both Bakersfield College and College of the Canyons will recognize the event by wearing pink. Bakersfield College will warm up for the game in pink shirts, and then wear pink socks and ribbons during play. Representatives from the American Cancer Society will be on hand to accept donations, distribute information and communicate about the disease.

The “Attacking the Cure” campaign was started by Bakersfield College head coach Carl Ferreira, who recognized that one in eight of the players on his team would be affected by the disease in their lifetime.

“Collegiate women’s volleyball has adopted breast cancer research as their charity of choice this year,” explained Ferreira. “While there are a couple of national programs in place, our student athletes felt it was important to support local women in their fight and we are working directly with the local American Cancer Society.”

The team is accepting flat donations or pledges “per kill” – which the team averages 40 of per night.

The Bakersfield College versus College of the Canyons volleyball game is Friday, October 30 at 7 p.m. in the Gil Bishop Athletics Center at Bakersfield College. Entry to the game is free and no donation is necessary.

According to the American Cancer Society:

1 in 8 women, or 12.6 percent, will get breast cancer in her lifetime.
Breast cancer risk increases with age and every woman is at risk.
Every 13 minutes a woman dies of breast cancer.
Seventy-seven percent of women with breast cancer are over 50.
More than 1.7 million women who have had breast cancer are still alive in the United States.
Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in women between the ages of 15 and 54, and the second cause of cancer death in women 55 to 74.
Seventy-one percent of black women diagnosed with breast cancer experience a five-year survival rate, while 86 percent of white women experience five-year survival.
The first sign of breast cancer usually shows up on a woman's mammogram before it can be felt or any other symptoms are present.
Risks for breast cancer include a family history, atypical hyperplasia, delaying pregnancy until after age 30 or never becoming pregnant, early menstruation (before age 12), late menopause (after age 55), current use or use in the last 10 years of oral contraceptives and daily consumption of alcohol.
Early detection of breast cancer, through monthly breast self-exam and particularly yearly mammography after age 40, offers the best chance for survival.
Ninety-six percent of women who find and treat breast cancer early will be cancer-free after five years.
More than 80 percent of breast lumps are not cancerous, but benign such as fibrocystic breast disease.
Oral contraceptives may cause a slight increase in breast cancer risk; however 10 years after discontinuing use of oral contraceptives the risk is the same as for women who never used the pill.
Estrogen replacement therapy for more than five years slightly increases breast cancer risk; however the increased risk appears to disappear five to 10 years after discontinuing the use of estrogen replacement therapy.
Breast self-exams should begin by age 20.