2019YOUR LOCAL

GUIDEFOR A SUCCESSFUL SCHOOL YEAR

NEW TEACHERprofilesCURRICULUMupdatesBUILDINGadditions

$100

2019-2020 Sierra Sands School District Information

Child Nutrition Services 2019-2020Our online application is available to apply for free orreduced priced breakfast and lunch for your studentsthrough the internet. We ask that every Sierra Sands familycomplete this application whether or not you participate inthe breakfast or lunch program. Please complete only oneapplication per family no matter how many children anddifferent school sites they attend. Computers are availableat the school sites for those families that would like to use acomputer at school; however anyone who has access tothe internet can apply right from your home. A paperapplication is also available at your school site but thepreferred method is the online application. Parents maycomplete the online application for 2019-20 school year asearly as July 1, 2019. Simply visit: family.titank12.com tobegin the application process. While at family.titank12.com, create an account tomanage your students account throughout the year. Clickon “sign up today!” to begin the process. The web site isuser friendly and has a high level of security so yourinformation is safe. Applications submitted with an emailaddress will receive benefit information within 10 days.New this year is your interactive menu. Go tossusdcafe.com to see the menu with the nutritionalvalues. Visit the play store to download the mobile App atweb menus for school nutrition.

If you have any questions,or need assistance withyour application, pleasecontact the ChildNutrition Services officeat 760-499-1880 x2,Sue LeBlanc or yourschool site.

Site(s)

Faller

Gateway, Pierce

Las Flores, Inyokern

Mesquite, Richmond

Monroe, Murray

Burroughs

Date

Tues. 8/20

Wed. 8/21

Thurs. 8/22

Mon. 8/26

Tues. 8/27

Wed. 8/29

Time

6:30 PM

6:30 PM

6:30 PM

6:30 PM

6:30 PM

6:30 PM

Back-to-School Night Schedule2019-2020

PURPLE

ORANGE

BLUE

GREEN

RED

TURQUOISE

LATE START WEDNESDAYS SCHOOL START TIMES

Burroughs 8:10 a.m. Las Flores 8:30 a.m.

Faller 8:30 a.m. Murray 8:00 a.m.

Gateway 8:30 a.m. Pierce

Inyokern 8:45 a.m. RichmondMonroe 8:00 a.m.

9:30 a.m

9:30 a.m

Board Adopted 11-15-18*

MINIMUM DAY SCHEDULE

Elementary School Middle School High School

November 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 December 18, 19, 20 December 18, 19, 20

December 20 May 26, 27, 28 May 26, 27, 28

March 10, 11, 12, 13

May 22, 26, 27, 28

First/Last Day of Instruction

Quarter End

Trimester End

Non-school Days

Legal Holiday

Winter/Spring Recess

Inservice Days

1 2 3 4 5

July 2019 8 9 10 11 12

15 16 17 18 19

22 23 24 25 26

29 30 31

1 2

August 2019 5 6 7 8 9 August 8 - 9 - Teacher Professional

12 13 14 15 16 Development Days

19 20 21 22 23 August 13 - First Day of Instruction

26 27 28 29 30

2 3 4 5 6

September 2019 9 10 11 12 13

16 17 18 19 20

23 24 25 26 27

30

1 2 3 4 October 11 - End of 1st Quarter

October 2019 7 8 9 10 11

14 15 16 17 18 October 18 - Inservice Day - Non School Day

21 22 23 24 25

28 29 30 31

1 November 8 - End of 1st Trimester

November 2019 4 5 6 7 8

11 12 13 14 15 November 25-27 - Non School Days

18 19 20 21 22

25 26 27 28 29

2 3 4 5 6

December 2019 9 10 11 12 13

16 17 18 19 20

23 24 25 26 27 December 24, 25 - Classified Holidays

30 31

November 28-29 - Thanksgiving

November 11 - Observing Veterans Day

December 20- End of 1st Semester

December 23 - January 3 - Winter Recess

July 4 - Independence Day

September 2 - Labor Day

October 14 - Columbus Day

for Students / Non Work Day 10 Month Employees

August 7 - Optional Teacher Work Day

1 2 3

January 2020 6 7 8 9 10

13 14 15 16 17

20 21 22 23 24

27 28 29 30 31

February 2020 3 4 5 6 7 February 14 - Lincoln's Birthday

10 11 12 13 14

17 18 19 20 21 February 21 - End of 2nd Trimester

24 25 26 27 28

2 3 4 5 6

March 2020 9 10 11 12 13 March 13 - End of 3rd Quarter

16 17 18 19 20

23 24 25 26 27

30 31

1 2 3

April 2020 6 7 8 9 10

13 14 15 16 17

20 21 22 23 24

27 28 29 30

1

May 2020 4 5 6 7 8

11 12 13 14 15 May 28 - Last Day of Instruction

18 19 20 21 22

25 26 27 28 29

1 2 3 4 5

June 2020 8 9 10 11 12

15 16 17 18 19

22 23 24 25 26

29 30

May 25 - Memorial Day

April 10 - In Lieu of Admission Day

May 29 Optional Teacher Work Day

April 6 -10 - Spring Break

June 1 - Classified Mandatory Work Day

January 1 - New Year's Day

January 20 - Martin Luther King Jr Birthday

February 17 - Washington's Birthday

Academic Calendar 2019-2020

*** Inactive bus stops. For any questions or if you need service from an inactive busstop please contact the Transportation Department at 760-499-1874.

Every Wednesday is late start, morning buses will arrive 30 minutes later than thescheduled time. Except; November 20 and December 18, 2019,March 11 and April 29, 2020 no late start Wednesdays in May.

Attention All Parents of Students Riding the Bus for the 2019-20 School Year

1. The attached posted times are the estimated pick up and drop times. Adjustment to route times may be made as needed and drivers will notifystudents of impending changes. Inactive bus stops may be reinstated as needed. Please feel free to call the Transportation Office at 760-499-1874 ifyou have any questions.   

2.  If we experience delays, we will be using ParentSquare to notify you. Please make sure the school site has your correct phone/cell phone/emailaddress for proper notification. This means your student must ride the designated route in order for you to receive notification.

3.  LATE START WEDNESDAYS:  All route times listed will be delayed by thirty (30) minutes on late start Wednesdays. For example: If your normalpick up time is 6:30 AM, your late start Wednesday pick up time will be 7:00 AM. All routes will be delayed by 30 minutes.   

4.  All students must have their bus pass and be ready to show it to the bus driver by September 10, 2019. Passes will be needed for AM and PMloading onto the bus. 

View or download the PDF of the bus route schedules on our district website www.ssusd.org or our Facebook page.If you do not see a stop near you, please contact the Transportation Office at 760-499-1874.

Sierra Sands School District2019-2020 Bus Route Schedule

4 / MAKE THE GRADE 2019 Daily Independent

The Daily Independent

CONTACT USPhone: 760.375.4481Fax: 760.375.4880

EDITORIALjbarnwell@ridgecrestca.comADVERTISINGpmckay@ridgecrestca.comONLINEwww.ridgecrestca.com

Make The Grade is createdannually by GateHouse MediaLLC, The Daily Independent parent company, and is distributed with variousnewspapers across the coun-try and by King Features. Re-production in whole or in partwithout prior written permis-sion is strictly prohibited.Opinions expressed in thepublication are those of theauthors and do not necessar-ily represent those of themanagement of the publica-tion.

Cover illustration: Pixabay

©2019 GateHouse Media All rights reserved

CONTRIBUTORSJack BarnwellNatalie Dorrell

2019 - 20 SCHOOL YEAR

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BY MELISSA ERICKSONMore Content Now

Encouraging good study skills when children are young isan effective way for parents to help support their kids’ fu-ture academic success.

It’s crucial for parents to help students move beyond simplymemorizing facts from their homework to really engaging withthe material, said Dr. David Timony, an educational psychologistand chair of Delaware Valley University’s Department of Educa-tion.

“Children naturally practice, rehearse and study to developtheir skills and interests. They understand that improvement re-quires work and it’s important that we recognize that and tapinto that focus and motivation,” he said.

Young children may not be developmentally ready to see theserelationships, but parents can help them connect the dots.

“Look for improvement, point it out and celebrate growth,” Ti-mony said.

Have a conversation

Part of the conversation needs to be to frame take-home workand study skills in a positive light rather than suggesting thathomework is a hassle.

“Just like their parents, children always have something theywould rather be doing, and interrupting them to do somethingelse may be met with resistance. Helping parents and children tosee the functional value in homework is an important factor inmotivation,” Timony said.

Model the behavior

“Homework is simply one type of practice that we engage in asstudents,” he said. “If you think about it, we do all sorts of activi-ties that require practice to improve our skills. Connecting ourpractice in life to the practice of improving our academic skills isone that kids will understand if it is explained through patienceand demonstration rather than through telling, rule-making andpunishments or threats.”

Offer support

A parent has many ways to be supportive to the process ofcompleting homework.

“For younger children, it may be something simple like prox-imity — sitting down together while the child works,” Timonysaid. “They can pause every so often for a quick chat, encourage-ment or snack. It’s not necessarily one-on-one time, but thatshared parallel experience may serve to support the activity.”

Don’t be dismissive

While parents should obviously not do their child’s homework,there are other things to avoid.

“Don’t allow homework to be the wedge in your lives and yourrelationships,” Timony said. “Parents should avoid getting in be-tween the teacher and the student. You don’t want to be dismis-sive about the assignments or the teachers or show your frustra-tion. This doesn’t advance the conversation and creates conflictthat kids are not prepared to mediate.”

Be organized but flexible

Structure and organization can be helpful as long as it’s flexi-ble. Be sure to include the child in developing a plan of action.

“Too often, parents impose a structure that does not work forthe child. For example, a parent may demand the child sit at thekitchen table to do their studying but the child may prefer to siton a comfy chair or even lay on the floor to do their studying,” Ti-mony said. “Giving children choices increases their engagementand improves outcomes. That’s not to say that they will alwayshave the best ideas, but our kids deserve a conversation ratherthan an edict. Let’s explore together what works best.” ❖

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BY MELISSA ERICKSONMore Content Now

Engaged in education research and programevaluations for 35 years, Nancy Brighamknows that not all children are treated equally

in the public education system. “Poor, minority, students with disabilities and non-

English-speaking students are shortchanged byschools. These students don’t have the same experi-ences as more affluent kids do,” said Brigham, authorof “A Fragile Enterprise,” which addresses pitfalls she’sseen in the U.S. educational system and highlightsdevoted people who are making a difference in stu-dents’ lives.

Educators and administrators have knowledge andexperience, but parents may feel like beginners whenit comes to understanding what a child’s rights are,Brigham said.

“It’s easy for parents to feel intimidated. Schools area bureaucracy,” she said.

Some tips to help parents advocate for their chil-dren:

Save all paperwork

Children with special needs will usually have an in-dividualized education program, or IEP, which is astrategy for how the school will serve and meet achild’s unique needs, Brigham said. IEP meetings canbe overwhelming, but being organized can helplessen anxiety and increase a parent’s role as an advo-cate.

“Save all your paperwork. Take notes. Build a file,”she said. During IEP meetings someone on the schoolstaff should be taking notes; request those notes,Brigham said. Be sure to keep everything that is per-tinent to the education and well-being of your child.

“Paper is out. Instead, urge the school to deliver pa-perwork digitally,” she said.

Find a partner

Families who seek help often feel like there is a di-vide with parents on one side and the school on theother, Brigham said. Try to close the gap by finding apartner.

“Families have to build a relationship with theschool. More than that they have to find a partner

within the school who they can talk to and trust,”Brigham said. That person could be a teacher or ad-ministrator — someone whom you feel com-fortable talking with and emailing directly.

Ask questions

During meetings with teachers or other staff makesure your voice is heard.

“You should feel comfortable asking questions. Atthe end ask what the next step will be,” Brigham said.

Be sure to get direct email addresses for the peopleyou want to contact.

“General school (inboxes) may get 500 emails a day.If you send an email there, forget it. You may neverget a response,” Brigham said.

Meet with teachers

Parents need to be open-minded and understandthat schools are strained financially and that teachersare often dealing with many children who need spe-cial help. Make appointments with individual teach-ers to discuss your child’s IEP, their strengths andweaknesses. ❖

Tips tobe your

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Sierra Sands faces changes and challengesBY JACK BARNWELL

Community Editorjbarnwell@ridgecrestca.com

Sierra Sands Unified School District will start itsschool year off with a lot of new changes — anew superintendent and assistant superintend-

ent of human resources, new leadership at BurroughsHigh School, Murray Middle School and James Mon-roe Middle School, and a host of challenges.

It will also face changes the district continues itsrecovery effort from the July 4 and July 5 Searles Val-ley earthquakes that rattled the area and caused sig-nificant damage to dozens of structures in Ridge-crest, Trona and aboard China Lake.

Richmond Elementary aboard the naval base hasbeen closed and its operations transferred to ViewegSchool on Rowe Street, while the Adult School andnight school options at that site will be relocated toMesquite High School.

The curriculum office will be relocated to the SierraVista Shopping Center, which the district owns andalready has its copy center located there.

Murray Middle School will absorb additional stu-dents from Ridgecrest Charter School, which hasclosed and re-opened as Ridgecrest Elementary

JACK BARNWELL/DAILY INDEPENDENTStudents who last year who previously would have come through the entrance to Richmond Elementary School willnow see this sight each morning, as earthquake damage prompted Richmond’s closure with that school’s operationsmoved to the Vieweg Elementary School campus. Vieweg was closed in 1999, and in recent years had held adult edu-cation classes and night school.

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Academy of Language, Music and Science, which cov-ers kindergarten through sixth grade.

But Dave Ostash, the new superintendent, said thedistrict has already overcome the first hurdles post-earthquake and will rise to the occasion of meetingfuture challenges as it continues to serve its roughly5,000 students.

“The modernization efforts at Burroughs HighSchool and the new Murray Middle School fared ex-tremely well during the earthquakes,” Ostash said.“Murray was an almost non-impact, and with Bur-roughs there were some more isolated concerns. Weare looking closely at the Performing Arts Center tomake sure our repair efforts are complete there.”

Other school sites sustained varying degrees ofdamage. With Richmond, which is already at the endof its service life, the damage reached a level that theschool site was closed down even as the district startsthe first stage of finding a new campus site.

Gateway Elementary School also sustained waterdamage after its multipurpose room fire suppressionsystem was set off in the magnitude 7.1 earthquake onJuly 5, damaging instructional materials stored there.

“All of our efforts right now are being channeledinto making sure our schools are ready and safe to beall systems ready,” Ostash said. “It’s a whole new reali-ty. It means that there will be some things put onhold, but not pushed aside. We are growth-mindeddistrict, and we want to make sure that our schoolsand offices are made better as we go.”

Various shade structures at the other elementaryschools will also have to be repaired or removed.

“Our recovery efforts at other sites aren’t really dif-ficult,” Ostash said. “It’s just the Richmond situationis the most difficult.”

Ostash said that the district will repair and keep itsgarage, transportation department and central ware-house on base.

The district’s buildings aren’t the only thing to beshaken up over the summer. Some personnel will takeon new roles this school year.

“Three of our secondary schools have new leader-ship, but they are all experienced leaders, and it’sgood that we have the in-house talent to promotefrom,” Ostash said.

Chiefly, Murray Middle School will receive CodyPearce as its new principal after moving on from BHSas an assistant principal. Carrie Cope assumes themantle of principal at Burroughs, a step up from co-assistant principal, taking over from Bryan Auld, whowas appointed as the new assistant superintendent ofhuman resources.

John Cosner takes over James Monroe MiddleSchool from Bev Ewbank. Cosner served a year asprincipal at Pierce Elementary; before that he was as-sistant principal at Murray Middle School under thenow-retired Kirsti Smith.

Ostash replaces Ernie Bell, who retired at the endof June following a 35-year career as teacher, princi-pal and superintendent at Sierra Sands.

Growth

Overall, the district has grown over the past twoyears, reaching a student enrollment of just over5,000 students districtwide. At the same time, RandElementary in Johannesburg was closed down follow-ing the 2017-2018 school year-end because enroll-ment had decreased to a projected three students.

Students and the school’s only teacher were re-lo-cated to other sites in the district.

The district is also evaluating a new location forRichmond Elementary, which qualified for grantfunding under the Department of Defense Office of

Economic Adjustment and will be evaluating threesites.

According to Ostash, the grant will eventually cover80 percent of construction costs, with the rest comingfrom a local match. The eventual campus will relocatethe last school site within the China Lake fence line tooutside the boundaries.

As the school year approaches, Ostash said that thedistrict will be deepening the curriculum it has inplace and providing its teachers and educators withprofessional development.

“We are heavily involved in a program/partnershipwith the UCLA Curtis Center to bolster mathemat-ics,” Ostash said.

Mathematics has in the past been seen as an area ofconcern for Sierra Sands students. According to pastboard of education agenda staff reports, in 2018 stu-dents in grades 3-8 and 11 were on average 45.8points below meeting the California Assessment ofStudent Performance and Progress English stan-dards. CAASP is the state’s current standard of test-ing.

The Curtis center partnership helps Sierra Sandsaddress mathematics readiness and achievement forits students.

“There is also a premier education company wepartnered with to provide professional developmentto teachers,” Ostash said.

In addition to that, the district is also providing anin-house credential cohort in partnership with Bray-mond University.

“Some of the coursework will be taught in districtfacilities and some of it is online,” Ostash said. “It pro-vides convenience so people who don’t travel.”

The cohort program allows for Ridgecrest residentswanting to pursue a teaching career to earn theirteaching credentials.

“There are so many requirements to get a teachingcredential, that if they don’t have everything in placeto get it yet, they have that option here locally,” Ostashsaid. “That is a huge relief both on the time and fi-nancial burden of having to travel hundreds of miles.”

He said several SSUSD and community membersbenefited from a similar cohort for administrationthree years ago through Cal Lutheran University.

JACK BARNWELL/DAILY INDEPENDENTNew portable classrooms are set up at Murray MiddleSchool to accommodate an influx in middle school stu-dents from the old Ridgecrest Charter School, which hasclosed and re-opened as Ridgecrest Elementary Acad-emy of Language, Music and Science.

10 / MAKE THE GRADE 2019 Daily Independent

He said among those who graduated from the ad-ministrative are Miriam Hogg, the new chief execu-tive officer of REALMS, the successor to RidgecrestCharter School, as well as Kevin Wythe, the district’snew student services coordinator, Chris Ostermann atBurroughs High School.

“Any time you can partner up with an accreditedschool that provides the program you need here onsite, it provides a tremendous benefit to growing andmaintaining your own teachers and administratorsfrom within,” Ostash said.

He noted it can be difficult recruiting new teachers,specialists and staff in rural school districts such asSierra Sands.

“Often the way we hire new staff is that the base is amuch larger employer and so people may have a sig-nificant other who has a teacher’s credential or inter-est in completing one,” Ostash said.

Specialists such as school psychologists and speechtherapists/pathologists can be even harder to recruit,given the level of demand and supply.

He noted those positions require advanced educa-tion and specialized credentialing from California’sDepartment of Education.

“Keep in mind that if you have a Ph.D. in psycholo-gy, that does not qualify you to be a school psycholo-gist,” Ostash said. “You have to have a proper schoolcredential.”

He noted that California’s public school system isregulated in such a way that each level, from teacherto administration, have unique requirements.

Public education a great equalizer

Ostash maintains his belief the public schools are agreat equalizer in the U.S., and California in particu-lar.

“When one can get an education, then it providessome of those societal tools that get you access to op-portunities that many people might not otherwisehave: various careers and professions, various ways ofcontributing to society,” he said. “To me, it’s not abouthow much money you make or how much prestigeany one job has. What is important to me is howevery individual in our country gains the freedom andopportunity to make a meaningful contribution to so-ciety.”

He added that “anyone who is not already in themiddle class can get into the middle class through ed-ucation.”

He added California education also has what heconsiders an amazing three-tiered system.

“Not only does it have a funded transitional kinder-garten through 12th grade free education, but it alsohas a community college system, the University ofCalifornia and California State University systems,”he said. “Anyone can find their fit. I, for example, ama product of California public education: I went to apublic school district in Glendale, then a local com-munity college and then to UCLA.”

Ostash said he knew he wanted to attend UCLAfrom an early age, but its cost and the competition toget in as a freshmen were barriers. His solution: at-tend Glendale Community College and then transferto upper-division courses at UCLA.

“I don’t think every state offers that opportunity,” hesaid.

Ostash also noted that Burroughs High Schoolstands out among high schools in the state in the en-richment programs it offers students above and be-yond the traditional state-mandated curriculum.

“We have an auto shop, criminal justice, restaurantcareers, a metal, and a woodshop,” Ostash said. “Werecently surveyed parents and it was overwhelmingly

stronger for maintenance or growth and improve-ment of career technical education than academic.Obviously, everyone values academic programs, butthe parental survey data indicates if the district coulddo more, it would be more in career technical educa-tion.”

He noted Sierra Sands’ goal is to serve the commu-nity to the best of its ability program wise.

“To make our community more sustainable, themore people who come up through a system and thenbecome professionals on base or workers in our localestablishments, the better,” he said. “We are also com-peting with other communities and entities and wewant to make sure our students can compete nation-ally so they can get into the university or job or pre-ferred field they want to.”

He noted the partnership with the base, includingNaval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, hasproven an advantage. NAWCWD has in the pasthosted two science conferences for middle schoolseach year at McLean Laboratory, or host career daysat Burroughs High School.

“We have our engineering building at Burroughsthat has a tremendous quality of the equipment thathas been purchased locally, regionally or at a statelevel but with significant federal grants or donationsfrom the base,” he said. “We have students who go dowork-study programs throughout the summer; somestudents leave Burroughs or Mesquite to get academ-ic or technical training and end up coming back towork at China Lake.”

He noted the partnership with Cerro Coso Collegealso provides opportunities for students. The collegehas hosted career and college exploration programsfor middle school students and invited BHS andMesquite students to its career exploration day.

Cerro Coso also has a dual enrollment partnershipwith Sierra Sands, allowing students to take collegecourses toward a college degree while still in highschool.

“Cerro Coso College is a tremendous resource for usbecause not every community has a college,” he said.“There are several communities that have studentswho need to travel through several towns to get totheir regional community college.” ❖

CHRISTOPHER LIVINGSTON/DAILY INDEPENDENT FILE PHOTOBurroughs High School, in conjunction with a team fromLeadership Ridgecrest, held a College and Career Explo-ration Day on Wednesday, March 6, 2018, which aimedto teach the students different paths they can take afterhigh school. Programs and partnerships like College andCareer Exploration Day have allowed Sierra Sands tooffer several options for its high school students.

Daily Independent MAKE THE GRADE 2019/ 11

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New schoolyear, newREALMSof educationalchoices

BY JACK BARNWELLCommunity Editor

jbarnwell@ridgecrestca.com

As the 2019-2020 school year starts for stu-dents in the Indian Wells Valley, one school isstarting fresh as it opens up its doors on the

site of its predecessor. The Ridgecrest Elementary Academy for Lan-

guage, Music and Science starts its school year onAug. 12, in line with most of the other schools in thevalley.

Under the support of the Kern County Office ofSuperintendent of Schools, the charter school re-places Ridgecrest Charter School, months after itsrenewal petition was recommended by a state panelto be denied by the California Board of Education.

“We are excited to impact change and remain anoption for the community,” said REALMS Chief Ex-ecutive Officer Miriam Hogg. “There are some edu-cational institutions that just do not work for every-one. That’s why charters exist.”

Under REALMS, the focus will be on language,music, and STEM (science, technology, engineeringand mathematics). The school will serve transitionalkindergarten through sixth grade in a traditional ele-mentary school site.

As part of that experience, science and music willbe a huge emphasis on the K-5 grades. Sixth grade

JACK BARNWELL/DAILY INDEPENDENTSuresh Bajnath, right, will be the new principal at Ridgecrest  Elementary Academy of Language, Music, and Science,and Jennifer Zanke its new chief academic officer.

12 / MAKE THE GRADE 2019 Daily Independent

will have a separate program that willprepare students for middle school,whether they head to SSUSD’s twomiddle schools or a local privateschool.

When RCS was opened in 2001, itserviced TK-8th grade. With its clo-sure, the middle school students willtransition to either Murray MiddleSchool, James Monroe Middle School,or to private options such as ImmanuelChristian School or Saint Ann School.

“The focus in the first year for all ofour students will be early literacy,” saidHogg. “Our goal is to make sure all ofour kids are reading by third grade.”

She noted literacy by third grade isimportant for all students.

“Statistics say that if a child has notlearned how to read by the third grade,there is a likely chance of not complet-ing high school,” Hogg said. “If youdon’t complete high school, your lifesustainability decreases.”

Hogg said the first year will focuslargely on the early literacy componentand move into instrumental music inthe second year, followed by foreignlanguage in the third year.

“I would love to connect with theBurroughs robotics club because if ourkids are doing STEM, they can connectit to something else as they decidewhat they would like to have more in-terest in or study.”

REALMS will continue to supportits special needs students with its pro-grams.

“We offer special needs services hereas well, whether it’s speech or reading.We have a special education programhere using the push-in model,” shesaid. “We want our students to be in aregular environment as much as possi-ble.”

Hogg takes over the new incarnationfrom Steve Martinez, who starts thisschool year as the new superintendentof the Kernville Union School District.

With the change comes new leader-ship at the administration level. Thenew school principal is Suresh Baj-nath, its new chief academic officer isJennifer Zanke, and its new finance di-rector is Jacklyn Davis, a retired ChinaLake financial analyst.

Ridgecrest Charter School had ex-perimented with music offerings in thepast, but she said REALMS will place alarge emphasis on it as it is eased in.

“We will have music and STEM. Weare one of the only elementary schoolsto offer music and STEM to all of ourstudents at the TK-6th-grade level,”she said.

Hogg said that REALMS will be uti-lizing the Dynamic Indicators of BasicEarly Literacy Skills (or DIBELS) as itscurriculum system.

Hogg said enrollment, which is doneon a first-come, first-serve applicationbasis, is around 300 at the moment. Itsteacher staff has been completed.

Parents and supporters of RidgecrestCharter School advocated throughoutits petition renewal process and appealthat they enrolled their students be-cause they value the option for educa-tional choices.

When thepetition wasput forth to re-form asREALMS, thatcontinued as aprimary goal.

“The free-dom of being acharter schoolis that you getto be creativein the way youcan achievethose results,”Hogg said. “Ifwe were part ofthe school dis-trict, wewouldn’t beable to choose our curriculum or findresources that better fit our students’needs.”

She added that at the close of RCS“we talked about how we can trulystand apart from someone else whenyou are so small. When you live in acommunity this small, you live togeth-er and shop together.”

As a public charter school, enroll-ment is free at REALMS and open toresidents in both the IWV and SearlesValley. Hogg noted, however, thatREALMS lacks a transportation op-tion.

“But if you can find a way to get here,we are open to anyone,” Hogg said.“You don’t have to be ‘zoned’ to be partof the REALMS family.”

REALMS will also maintain thesame dress code as RCS. That includes

solid, plain collared polo shirts, buttonOxford shirt with sleeves, navy-blue,black, gray or khaki-colored uniform-style pants, shorts or skirts, as well assafe, athletic-type shoes with tractionsoles, whether Velcro or laces that tie.

Hogg said that Kern County hasbeen supportive of REALMS, with theKern County Office of the Superin-tendent of Schools supporting andsponsoring its petition.

“Superintendent Mary Barlow hasbeen a Godsend. She and her entire of-fice have been extremely supportive,”Hogg said. “They are going to sit some-one on our board from their office.Kern County has been very open toseeing what they can do to keep theoption of choices open here in Ridge-

crest.”Hogg noted

that like othercharter schoolsin California,there will besome level ofscrutiny fromthe state. Re-cently, othercharter schoolshave faced clo-sure for onereason or an-other.

“There is alot of pressurefor all charterschools to per-formed right

now,” Hogg said. “The charter schoolcommunity feels that heightened senseof threat to their existence.”

She added test scores have alwaysbeen a topic of debate in the educationworld as a whole.

“In education, there is a lot of backand forth about test scores and shouldthey be the deciding factor on how stu-dents are performing,” Hogg said. “Atone turn, we say it’s not about the testscores and we need to look at othervalid measurements; but now we’reright back to point of using the testscore to determine proficiency.”

One of the concerns Sierra SandsUnified School District board of educa-tion members had when RCS’ petitioncame up for renewal in 2018 was aca-demic success rates. SSUSD has tradi-tionally denied the RCS renewal peti-

tion every time it comes up as its rightof first refusal. After that, it was nor-mally sponsored directly by the Cali-fornia Department of Education.

While RCS has had an anomalousyear, its board president Eric Bruentold the Daily Independent in May, theschool as a whole achieved much sinceit opened in 2001.

But Bruen noted that things will bedifferent at REALMS.

“REALMS is not RCS and it will notbe RCS,” he said, adding the newschool begins with a clean slate. “It willbe a different type of campus with adifferent type of curriculum and differ-ent expectations strategically andbudgetary.”

Like Hogg, he noted REALMS’ cur-riculum won’t develop immediately.

“It’s going to take some years tobuild,” Bruen said. “When you talkabout change, you have to look at strat-egy and things aren’t going to changeovernight.”

Bruen also added in the May inter-view that without REALMS as an op-tion for the fall, RCS parents who havechildren just entering sixth gradewouldn’t have an option other thanmiddle school. He said those studentsmight not be prepared for a middleschool environment.

“REALMS ensures that parents havethat option if they want to continuetheir children in a K-6 environment,”Bruen said. “I think there is a hugeamount of maturity and growth thatoccurs between that fifth and sixthgrade and sixth- and seventh-gradetransition. We see that as an opportu-nity in making a truly unique differ-ence in what our charter program is.”

Some projects that were on thebooks at RCS, however, will have to beput on hold, since all assets were trans-ferred and REALMS is a new entity.

Those projects included the con-struction of a new gym/multi-purposeroom.

“It is on REALMS’ wish list butwhen we had to close out RCS as weknow it, access to bonds immediatelywasn’t available to us,” Hogg said. “Fi-nancial institutions would want you toensure your stability before they goforward.”

Ultimately, Hogg said, she is excitedfor the new school year and REALMSfuture. ❖

Daily Independent MAKE THE GRADE 2019/ 13

BY JACK BARWNELLCommunity Editor

jbarnwell@ridgecrestca.com

Immanuel Christian School will bestarting its new school year with alot of new things: a new principal,

new goals and a partnership with CerroCoso College for concurrent enrollment.

Juli Maikai, ICS’s new principal, start-ed in June and replaces Lisa Waddill,who retired at the end of the previousschool year.

“I taught here for eight years and amcoming back in essence,” Maikai said.“I’m very excited to return for the newschool year. We have a wonderful pro-gram.

“I have 25 years in education andtaught school for 10 years in elementary,junior high and high school,” Maikaisaid. “I worked for a number of years atCerro Coso Community College and Ihave a very long history in education.I’m very passionate about reaching allstudents on the level they are at.”

Maikai added she has an extensivebackground in special education andstrives to make sure students have allthey need to succeed.

Maikai said that as a small school, ICSoffers a lot of opportunities to its stu-dents, from kindergarten to 12th grade.

“We offer a Christian education from aBiblical world view and use a Christiancurriculum,” Maikai said. “Literature, forexample, we might have a different per-spective on it. Reading and book selec-tion is tailored to ICS’ needs and cur-riculum.”

All subjects are taught, providing stu-dents a comprehensive education, shesaid.

“Everything we do, whether it’s gram-mar, or science or history, is all from aBiblical perspective,” Maikai said. “Forexample, we teach about evolution sothat students are aware of it, but we alsoteach the Christian belief that God cre-ated the world in six days. They are get-ting a thorough and comprehensive ed-ucation.”

ICS is Western Association of Schoolsand Colleges accredited, so studentswho come here will have their coursesand transcripts transferred to any col-lege of their choice.

ICS also offers several curricular orextracurricular activities, includingSTEM (Science, Technology, Engineer-ing and Mathematics) at all grade levelsand a robotics team.

“We have a strong robotics club andstudents can take it as extra credit or asa class,” Maikai said. “We have a numberof awards and they have gone to thestate level.”

ICS has maintained a strong collegeprep program, and Maikai said that willbe expanded in the spring.

“We are going to be offering in Spring2020 concurrent enrollment with CerroCoso College,” she said. “High schoolstudents will be able to take classes atthe college and have them applied here.It helps us expand our offerings becausewe are a small school, we can partnermore classes for our students.”

She added the benefit of the partner-ship with Cerro Coso could entice grad-uates to pursue a higher degree andeventually return to a career and life inRidgecrest while giving back to the com-munity.

“What I am most looking forward tothis year is moving ICS forward,” shesaid. “They’ve already got a strong startwith the STEM and robotics. One of theways is partnering with Cerro Coso andfinding creative ways to increase our of-ferings so we have a very diverse pro-gram for our students.”

Like other schools in Ridgecrest,Maikai said ICS maintains an educa-tional partnership with the Navy at Chi-na Lake.

“It’s beneficial because we can showour students what is available in ourcommunity and maybe start throughSTEM and robotics program encouragethem to pursue a career in the future,”she said.

She said all those components come

together under ICS’ expected studentachievement outcome: AcademicAchievement, Biblical world view, andcitizenship.

“We are educating them for academicadvancement, and that’s where the col-lege comes in. Biblical world view comesin through our curriculum and ourchapel once a week,” Maikai said. “Thecitizenship component is training to berespectful to others while being of valueto our community. If we provide a goodeducation and Biblical world view andshow students how great it is to be partof the community, they will want tocome back and contribute in the future.”

As a private school, ICS does chargetuition, but Maikai said prices are deter-mined based on meetings with parents.

“We talk with them to determine whattheir vision is for their child and then Italk with them about how we can meetit,” she said. “It depends on if their childis elementary, junior high or highschool-aged. Everything is done in aneducational success consultation.”

She said that consultation allows bothher and the parents to discuss every-thing at once and lay out all the infor-mation.

One of the biggest advantages of be-ing a small school is the smaller classsizes and increased participatory oppor-tunities for students.

“You get very personalized attentionfrom the instructors and you’re not com-peting for attention with other stu-dents,” Maikai said. “It’s also easier toparticipate in activities. With largerschools, if you want to play in a sport,for example, there are multiple levels ofteams and tryouts. Because we’re small,you have a greater opportunity to partic-ipate in any of the sports we have.”

She added student camaraderie is alsostrong.

“Another benefit of a smaller schoolsize is that it fosters a family atmos-phere,” she said. “A lot of these studentsspend most of their school career andare like siblings. They can rely on oneanother and form strong, close-knit re-lationships.”

ICS maintains an athletics programthat varies depending on the interestlevel. At the moment, the school hasboys and girls basketball, baseball andsoftball, and volleyball.

Activities also include a praise andworship team, Interact Club, sponsoredby Rotary Club to help establish civic re-lationships with the community.

“We are looking at starting up a clubfor students interested in computersand technology apart from robotics,” shesaid. “We participate in science fairs,speech meets, spelling bees, math com-petitions.”

ICS also offers a full-day kindergartenprogram.

“Our kindergarten is a full-day pro-gram with enrichment programs in theafternoon,” Maikai said. “The advantageis it better prepares students for firstgrade; our curriculum tends to be verystrong and so they are more preparedfor what they see in first grade.”

Maikai said ICS also includes a com-prehensive look into its anti-bullyingprogram every year.

“We incorporate it into the beginningof the year and the chapel, and through-out the year reinforcing our policy,”Maikai said. “We have a zero-tolerancepolicy for bullying, and so right out thegate, the first thing students get is ouranti-bullying curriculum.”

Maikai noted that the end of the day,faith helps ICS stand out as a great placeto attend and work.

“I love teaching at ICS because we arefree to be who we are as Christians inthe sense that we can pray when thereare earthquakes and students areafraid,” she said. “My very first year herewas the year 9/11 happened, so we wereable to take the students together, com-fort them and remind them that God islooking over them. It’s a freeing experi-ence — people might see it as restrictivebut I see it otherwise.”

ICS starts its academic year on Aug.12. ❖

New principal, new partnerships at ICS

JACK BARNWELL/DAILY INDEPENDENT

BY JACK BARNWELLCommunity Editor

jbarnwell@ridgecrestca.com

Saint Ann School Principal Tracy Sherrick islooking to continue the work initiated over thepast few years as she settles into her new role.

Sherrick takes over from Alicia Conliffe, who leftthe area with her family following her husband Cmdr.Matt Conliffe’s retirement as executive officer ofNAWS China Lake.

“I was born and raised here in Ridgecrest, at the olddispensary at China Lake, I attended Saint Ann as achild and my two children came through Saint Ann,and I’ve taught here for 15 years,” Sherrick said.

Sherrick served as the vice-principal and the fifth-grade teacher last year and said she thoroughly en-joyed working under Conliffe.

“I hope to continue with the things that Alicia did tohelp grow the school last year,” Sherrick said. “Withher at the helm, our enrollment increased and weadopted a new science curriculum. With the help ofthe staff and the diocese, I will continue that.”

Saint Ann currently has around 130 students, butSherrick expects that enrollment to grow.

As a small Catholic school, Saint Ann School offers

K-8 education to Ridgecrest students. The school,along with Saint Ann Catholic Church, is part of theRoman Catholic Diocese of Fresno.

She noted that religion plays a strong part in lan-guage arts, including novels that shine a light onracism or ill-treatment, the significance of numbers inmathematics and the connection between science andCatholic tradition.

“We attend mass weekly, almost always on a Fridaymorning or a particular feast day or Ash Wednesday,”Sherrick said. “It’s student-led, so they will do thereadings and our music teacher will have the studentssinging.”

Sherrick said the music program under the guid-ance of Erica McArthur continues to excel.

“Last year, we moved our Christmas music program

14 / MAKE THE GRADE 2019 Daily Independent

Contact the school office for more information: (760) 375-4713

Saint Ann School Registration for 2019-2020 NOW OPENOpenings for students in grades K-8

• Christian Environment• High Academic Standards• Small Class Size• Before & After School Program• Technology, Foreign Language Lessons, Art and Music• Competitive Sports Program (Basketball & Volleyball)

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Saint Ann School continues momentum

Daily Independent MAKE THE GRADE 2019/ 15

from the parish hall to the church chapel and com-bined it with our Rosetta stone teaching,” Sherricksaid. “We sang Christmas carols in different languagesand instruments.”

Saint Ann also hosts a fine arts program during thespring, which showcases music and artistic skills ofstudents.

“Our instructors are very involved and always look-ing to stimulate the students’ creative side,” Sherricksaid.

Part of the continued curriculum will be foreignlanguage offerings initiated last year under Conliffe’stenure.

Utilizing the Rosetta Stone software, Saint AnnSchool provides four languages: German, Spanish,French and Mandarin Chinese.

“It is going well,” Sherrick said. “Last year was a trialyear to work out some bugs. Some of the schools inthe diocese offered one or two language choices, but Ibelieve we are one of the only schools to offer four.”

Sherrick said integrating languages into Saint AnnSchool curriculum offers a variety of benefits, includ-ing cultural understanding.

“A couple of times last year we would gather as lan-guage groups,” Sherrick said. “We eventually dividedour Spanish group since it is our largest group be-tween K-3 and 4-8. We would have native languagespeakers come in to practice on words, conversingand talking about the culture.”

She added the benefit of real-world exposure givesadditional layers, as opposed to working on an iPad orcomputer.

As a Catholic school, faith is woven into every ele-ment of the school’s curriculum and subject areas.

“We are trying to promote ourselves and grow our-selves,” she said. “We are involved in service projectsboth locally and around the country. We are looking ata program that will be sending our fifth-graders toEdwards Air Force Base for a STEM program.”

As part of its broadening educational opportunities,Saint Ann School started a student garden project thispast year.

“Each grade has its particular plot that is assignedto them,” Sherrick said. “Some are growing tomatoeswhile others are growing flowers. The idea is that wecould have a greenhouse here.”

Sherrick said she is looking to increase the level ofparticipation with Cerro Coso College and with engi-neers aboard China Lake, which has a solid educa-tional outreach component.

Sherrick said that, as with many other smallschools, parent involvement is crucial, both in supportof tuition and volunteering.

“They work with different fundraisers and thingsthat we need help with,” Sherrick said. “We could notexist without them.”

One example is the Star Review, a family-friendlyversion of the Chamber of Commerce’s annual Com-

munity Follies. A second one is planned for October.Sherrick said small class sizes are also an advantage

for Saint Ann School.“We typically would like to see classroom sizes at be-

tween 20 and 25 students, and as we did when I wasin school, we would probably place a cap with a wait-ing list,” Sherrick said. “If you go above 25 students,we definitely lose the benefit of small class sizes.”

Saint Ann School’s athletics programs do includemiddle school girls volleyball and boys and girls bas-ketball teams, as well as fourth/fifth-grade basketballand Junior Olympics.

She added that as a small school, students andteachers know each other better.

“It’s easier to build relationships,” Sherrick said. “It’smore like a family here, which can have its disadvan-tages of being like brothers and sisters who fight, butthere is a closeness.”

She added both of Saint Ann Church’s pastors, Rev.Father Rayanna Pudota and Rev. Father Jim Doud,who presides over Catholic services at All FaithChapel aboard China Lake, have been instrumental insupport.

“Their support and their working with the kids isalso an important part of the school and we are in-debted to them,” Sherrick said.

Saint Ann School starts its school year on Aug. 12.❖

16 / MAKE THE GRADE 2019 Daily Independent

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BY NATALIE DORRELLCerro Coso Community College

It’s that time of year again! The fallsemester is about to begin, andCerro Coso campuses are buzzing

with the excited anticipation that anew academic year brings.

“This is my favorite season, as thecampus comes to life with the rhythmof faculty, staff, and students beginninga new academic year. They are full ofpromise for the future,” said CerroCoso President Jill Board. “This year isno exception. I hope our faculty andstudents enjoyed a restful and refresh-ing summer, because the fall semesteris already shaping up to be a busy andproductive one.”

The college held a grand re-openingof the Main Building in May followinga three-year construction project thatcompletely renovated and modernizedthe original 47,000-square-foot build-ing constructed in 1973.

“It’s great to be in one central loca-tion again,” said Board.

The facility, which serves as the hubof the East side of the campus, openedlast September, only to suffer signifi-cant cosmetic damage during the re-cent 6.4 and 7.1 earthquakes that hitSearles Valley.

“This challenge has once again rev-eled the extraordinary resilience andstrength of our college,” said Board. “Ithas presented challenges, but we willrecover.”

For first-time college students, re-turning students, transfer students, orstudents about to graduate, Cerro Cosohas implemented a number of strate-

gies they can take to set themselves upfor one of the best semesters ever.

The semester will officially kick offwith Cerro Coso Rocks Your Orienta-tion, a welcome back event slated forThursday, Aug. 22, from 3 to 7 p.m. inthe courtyard between the Main Build-ing and West Wing. It’s open to thepublic, and activities will include: tacosfor schedules, counseling assistance,student IDs, games, photo booth, DJ;popcorn, ice cream social with thepresident, tours, information, work-shops, orientation, and will provide anexcellent opportunity to meet new fac-ulty and staff and to catch up withthose who have been away during thesummer. Barnes and Noble will beopen for books and supplies and every-one is encouraged to come dressed intheir finest rock star outfit. RidgecrestTransit will be providing free ridesfrom 3 to 7 p.m. For pickup times, call760-499-5040.

The summer is almost over, but thefun isn’t ending. To welcome studentsback and get them into the swing ofthings, the college is hosting this funfriendly free event thanks to the sup-port of Barnes and Noble, RidgecrestTransit, Oasis Mexican Restaurant,and the Cerro Coso Community Col-lege Foundation. Parking fees will not

be enforced during public events.Students are encouraged to down-

load the new Navigate Student App.Cerro Coso launched the app last yearto make college less complicated. Navi-gate is software designed specificallyfor Cerro Coso students to help themget ready for college, access campus re-sources quickly and easily, and buildan academic plan that best fits theirschedule. Students can also form studygroups and schedule an appointmentwith their counselor through the app.Navigate helps students stay updatedon important deadlines, events, andactivities; and allows them to exploremajors and careers; and scheduleclasses around the rest of their lives,based on preferences. The app can bedownloaded from the Google Play orApple App Store, off the Cerro Cosowebsite at cerrocoso.edu/navigate, orfrom InsideCC-Tools-Navigate Stu-dent.

“Our faculty and staff are the heart ofall that we do, and I am excited to wel-come several new faculty to the cam-pus community this fall,” said Board.“We will welcome Gaysha Smith, ArtInstructor (East Kern); TannerMcGuire, Art Instructor (IWV); Vonet-ta Mixson, Business (East Kern); andTyrone Ledford, Child Development

Instructor (IWV).”The Cerro Coso Community College

Foundation is the focus of communitysupport for Cerro Coso’s students andfaculty. Over the years, thousands ofcaring citizens, organizations, and in-dustry have given time and money tothe Foundation, thus ensuring thatquality education is available for every-one in the college’s service area. Lastyear, the Foundation launched the Cer-ro Coso Promise scholarship to ensurethat students can reduce the time andcost it requires to complete a degreewhile guaranteeing they will be fullyprepared for their next step upon grad-uation. The Cerro Coso Promise schol-arship represents the heart of whatCerro Coso Community College is allabout and creates a strong organiza-tion, more educated community, andbetter–prepared workforce.

“I am proud to report the CCCCFoundation awarded $75,000 inPromise Scholarships to CC studentslast year,” said Board.

On-campus classes for the Fall 2019semester at Cerro Coso will beginMonday, Aug. 26. Online studentsmay begin logging into classes as earlyas Saturday, Aug. 24th.

“I want to thank every member ofthe Cerro Coso community for contin-uing to distinguish this college as aplace where individual passions fuel acollective purpose,” Board said. “Be-cause of their commitment to collabo-ration, creativity, and innovation, the2018/2019 academic year was filledwith noteworthy achievements. Iknow 2019/2020 will continue thistrend.” ❖

Cerro Coso welcomes students back to campus

PHOTO COURTESY CERRO COSO COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Daily Independent MAKE THE GRADE 2019/ 17

www.VinceFong.comPaid for by Vince Fong for Assembly 2020

Wishing thestudents of the

Indian Wells Valleya successful year.

Wishing thestudents of the

Indian Wells Valleya successful year.

How long have you been an educator? How long haveyou been with Sierra Sands Unified? I started my career in education in 1994 as a teacher in-tern in San Diego. Then in 1995, I accepted a position atBurroughs High School as a science teacher, where Ihave been ever since. I was a teacher from 1995 until2014. In 2014 I became an administrator.

Why did you pursue a career in education?I pursued a career in education because I like workingwith children. I taught swim lessons and gymnasticswhen I was a teenager and throughout my college years.I enjoyed working with youth and helping them grow andlearn new skills.

What do you enjoy most about your career in Ridgecrest?It’s very rewarding watching students develop into young adults and hoping youmade a difference in their lives.

What are you looking forward to in your role as principal for the new schoolyear?As the principal I am looking forward to working with our staff, students, and par-ents in a different capacity. I plan to work on building relationships with the Bur-roughs community and serving them to the best of my ability.

What are some memorable moments from your previous position?Some of my most memorable moments as an assistant principal are based onperforming during the sports rallies. As a teacher and administrator, I also enjoy listening to former students sharetheir memories of Burroughs. It’s always great to hear the success stories of stu-dents.Homecoming activities, such as painting B-Mountain, powderpuff, float building,the Amazing Race, coronation, and the football game, are always very memorableactivities. Homecoming is an exciting time where the entire community comes to-gether and supports Burroughs and our staff and students.

What are your goals going forward as principal?Recently there have been a lot of changes in education. I want to make sure Bur-roughs is continuing to stay ahead of the changes and move forward to enhancestudents’ education. Supporting the staff by providing them with the tools andskills they need to continue preparing our students for their future, whether thestudents go directly into the workforce, go into the military, go to trade school, orgo to college, is vital to my role as principal. It is essential that I continue to keepthe four core values — tradition, pride, excellence, and integrity — in the forefrontof any decisions that are made. Finally, I want Burroughs to be a school wherestudents learn, grow, and develop into contributing members of our society.

Carrie Cope, Burroughs High SchoolGet to know our new school principals

How long have you been an educator? How long haveyou been with Sierra Sands Unified? I have been an educator for the last 8 years and all ofthose have been with Burroughs High School in theSierra Sands Unified School District. I taught PE andcoached sports for 5 years and have been an AssistantPrincipal for the last 3 years.

Why did you pursue a career in education?Besides my family, educators had the biggest influenceon my life and they still do. I got into education becauseI wanted to be able to have a similar effect on children.

What do you enjoy most about your career in Ridgecrest?I love the community in Ridgecrest. From the day I moved here, it has felt likehome. The town is so welcoming and supportive.

What are you looking forward to in your role as principal for the new schoolyear?I am looking forward to serving the staff and students at Murray Middle School.Murray is a wonderful school and I am excited to be a part of the Mustang familyand continue to transform the education of our youth.

What are some memorable moments from your previous position?All of my memorable moments are the relationships built at Burroughs HighSchool. This is both the staff and the students. It is hard to pick out one or twobecause there were so many.

What are your goals going forward as principal?My goals moving forward are to serve our staff and students to continue improv-ing the education that our students receive.

Cody Pearce, Monroe Middle School

The Daily Independent wishesall our local students goodluck in the new school year.

Daily Independent MAKE THE GRADE 2019/ 18

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How long have you been an educator? How long have you beenwith Sierra Sands Unified? I have been blessed to have all of my time in education serving myhome community through Sierra Sands Unified school district formore than 12 years.

Why did you pursue a career in education?I fell in love with teaching while actually pursuing the medical pro-fession. I was home applying to medical and graduate programs,when my former principal, Ernie Bell, asked me to both substituteand help in the math department. It was nice work, but when I reallyfound my calling is when I took over a class as a long-term substi-tute. I was talking with a group of 11th-grade students about our his-tory in context to what was happening in the world today, and the moment juststruck me with how much I loved serving our community’s children in this way.

What do you enjoy most about your career in Ridgecrest?I love that I get to serve a population I care for deeply helping our community’smost needy to help all have equal opportunity. The relationship building for ourcity’s mission serving our nation in a huge capacity has been such a balm to mysoul.

What are you looking forward to in your role as principal for the new schoolyear?I feel a sense of exhilaration just thinking about the caliber of individuals we are

pulling together this next year. The staff has already met on theirown time to help prepare for the year to come with great ideas andpositive energy. The excitement has just been palpable among thestaff with the positive changes at not only our site but throughoutthe district. We are getting an extra math teacher, art, Spanish, and anew special position to help support students with emotional andbehavioral challenges.

What are some memorable moments from your previous position?While I could not be happier to come into this role at James MonroeMiddle School, I know that I will miss many moments from beingprincipal at Pierce Elementary. A particular favorite of mine is eachtime I stepped into the Kindergarten classes I felt like a bit of a rock-

star. The children would run to throw their arms around me, and I got to showerthem with praise on their hard work and effort in being so great for their teach-ers. I hope to bring this energy, though perhaps without the kindergarten gusto,to my new work.

What are your goals going forward as principal?While there are many great traditions I hope to carry forward through sports, ac-tivities, and cultural events, I hope to bring systems in place to help maketeacher’s lives easier and students experience better. I know my predecessorshave put their blood, sweat and tears to help bring great experiences to students,and I want to infuse these noble goals with technical ingenuity and a positive ex-perience to breathe new life into a long-term dream.

19 / MAKE THE GRADE 2019 Daily Independent

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AGES 18 MOS & UP

Get to know our new school principalsShyanne Ledford, Pierce Elementary School

How long have you been an educator? How long have you beenwith Sierra Sands Unified? I began my career in education in 2002 teaching 5th grade in De-lano, CA.  I began my career in educational admin in 2010 in a Fed-eral Correctional Facility, and later became the founding  principal  ofa California charter school.  This is my first year with SSUSD.

Why did you pursue a career in education?Prior to becoming a teacher, I was a social worker in TulareCounty.  I loved my job, but I longed for a career that was moreproactive in the lives of children rather than reactive.  I became ateacher so I could have positive interactions with children overmany days across an entire school year. My goal then and now wasto be an appropriate model of triumph and lifelong learning while developingwithin them grit and skills that would transcend their current status in life.

What do you enjoy most about your career in Ridgecrest?I have lived in Ridgecrest since July 14th of this year, so I must admit I do notknow much about the city or the community just yet.  Previously I lived in Okla-homa, but I am from Bakersfield. When I decided to return to California, I beganlooking for cities near enough to Bakersfield but more communal and less fre-netic, and I found Ridgecrest.  I found the city before I found the job.  So far, I ap-

preciate the kindness of people, the closeness of the community,and of course, the scenery.

What are you looking forward to in your role as principal for thenew school year?In my role as  principal  this year I am most excited to build relation-ships with all members of the Pierce Pride, from the kids to theirfamilies to the community at large.  The Pierce Panthers are a family,and we will roar together!  I look forward to growing with the school.

What are some memorable moments from your previous position?I’ve worked with children more than fifteen years in some capacityor another, so picking memorable moments is nearly impossible.

But I can say that the most magical experiences I’ve had as an educator arewhen children come to love learning and intrinsically desire achievement.  Thereis nothing more rewarding as an educator than when a child is driven by theirown desire to succeed, especially if that child had previously lacked motivationor interest in their own development.

What are your goals going forward as principal?Building unity throughout the Pierce family, improving student outcomes, andenhancing the learning experience for all learners are goals for me this year.

Remember to get a good night’s sleep before school!

Daily Independent MAKE THE GRADE 2019/ 20

Get to know our new school principalsSarah Tate, Las Flores Elementary School

How long have you been an educator? How long haveyou been with Sierra Sands Unified? I have been an educator for 16 years. This will be my6th year with Sierra Sands.

Why did you pursue a career in education?I have wanted to be an educator my whole life. I comefrom a family of educators. Both my parents wereteachers and administrators, my grandmother was aKindergarten teacher, I have cousins who are teachers,my step daughter is a teacher. I spent my childhoodfollowing my dad around during lunch duty, highschool sporting events and school dances. This is all Ihave ever wanted.

What do you enjoy most about your career in Ridgecrest?I love the sense of family you feel here in Ridgecrest. Las Flores was very wel-coming to me 5 years ago, and when I was named principal I have never feltmore supported.

What are you looking forward to in your role as principal for the new schoolyear?I look forward to leading the staff in a positive direction and getting to know allthe students and parents here at Las Flores.

What are some memorable moments from your previous position?As the Title 1 projects teacher, I was able to have many small groups of stu-dents in my class every day. I loved the opportunity to teach and get to knowso many of the Las Flores students. I also had the opportunity to work collabo-ratively with the teachers.

What are your goals going forward as principal?It is my goal to provide a safe and positive learning environment for studentsand staff and to make parents and community members feel welcome at LasFlores.

Freshmen: Remember that badgrades now can come back to haunt

you at college application time.

Chris Ostermann, BHS assistant principalHow long have you been an educator? How long haveyou been with Sierra Sands Unified? In 1984 I accepted a teaching position with the JesuitVolunteer Corps. in Koror, Belau, an archipelago foundwithin the Federated States of Micronesia. I continuedmy teaching career as a science teacher at MurrayMiddle School from 1987 until 1995. In 1995 I took aposition as a science teacher at Burroughs HighSchool. Since 2016 I have continued to serve Bur-roughs High School and SSUSD as a TOSA within theCurriculum Office.

Why did you pursue a career in education?I had not considered education as a possibility while attending college; how-ever, I was offered a job teaching in Micronesia and early in my career I foundthe work to be very enjoyable and rewarding. My mother and grandmother alsopursued careers in education, so it was probably in my genes.

What do you enjoy most about your career in Ridgecrest?My roll as a TOSA for the Curriculum Office has provided me the opportunityto travel to other schools and work with educators throughout Kern County andthe State of California. Yet, working with Ridgecrest students, families, and ed-ucators has always been rewarding on account of the strong sense of commu-nity and pride which is not always present in other settings.

What are you looking forward to in your role as principal for the new schoolyear?In my new capacity as an assistant principal I am looking forward to expandingmy support to a larger number of students, parents and staff members.

What are some memorable moments from your previous position?Beyond the classroom, I have been very fortunate to work with students innonacademic settings as a club adviser and a track & field coach. My most re-cent role as a TOSA has allowed me to work with many outstanding fellow edu-cators. However, I have many wonderful memories from working with studentsin a laboratory setting as a science teacher.

What are your goals going forward as principal?As an assistant principal, I hope to provide support for students, parents andstaff members as we face the challenges of an evolving culture. At the sametime I hope to help our leadership team facilitate growth within staff and stu-dents as they prepare to find ways meet the needs of our contemporary soci-ety.

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Back to School Special

Get to know our new school principals

Sandra Castro, BHS assistant principalHow long have you been an educator? How long haveyou been with Sierra Sands Unified? I began my career at Westchester High School in 2008as a student teacher. Upon completing my teachingcredential in the summer of 2008, I was accepted intothe Partners in Los Angeles Catholic Education Pro-gram (PLACE Corps) through Loyola Marymount Uni-versity. PLACE Corps gave me the opportunity to teachin East Los Angeles while working on my Master’s De-gree. Following the conclusion of the program in 2010,I secured a job at Environmental Charter High Schoolin Lawndale. During this time, my fiancé moved toRidgecrest for a new job. In the summer of 2011, wemarried and I moved to Ridgecrest. I was hired on as a District Translator andpart-time Spanish teacher at Murray Middle School. I moved to Burroughs HighSchool (BHS) in 2013 as a full time Spanish teacher and have been at BHSsince. I completed a second master’s degree and finished the coursework for ad-ministration in 2013. This is my first year as an administrator.

Why did you pursue a career in education?I was that little girl that knew what she wanted to do with her life at the age offour. I was fortunate to have many influential educators in my life that helped meget to where I am now. Educators allowed me to overcome my challenges. I did-n’t know English when I started school, I grew up in a poor neighborhood, and Ihad no idea how to get to college. Fortunately, I worked hard, went to collegeand I was able to pursue my career in education.

What do you enjoy most about your career in Ridgecrest?I enjoy the community. I have been fortunate to have met students and familiesthrough my years as a translator as well as many community organizations. I re-ally like seeing the students grow, learn and mature throughout the years.

What are you looking forward to in your role as principal for the new schoolyear?I’m looking forward to seeing our teachers in action in the classroom. We have alot of great teaching.

What are some memorable moments from your previous position?I have so many! I will never forget when a student told me I reminded them ofMs. Frizzle from the Magic School Bus.

What are your goals going forward as principal?My goal is to work alongside teachers and students to help them become betterversions of themselves.

FREEPIK.COM

Your guide toelementary schoolsuccess

BY MELISSA ERICKSONMore Content Now

As a child’s first teachers, parentsplay a key part in continuing toshape their overall learning after

they enter school.“Your child will grow and change

tremendously through the elementaryschool years. Modeling a positive atti-tude towards school and learning anddeveloping the same in your childrenwill help carry them through theseyears, and far into the future,” saidSascha Mowrey, assistant professor ofearly childhood education at MissouriState University. “No two children trav-el at the same pace through childhood,so be flexible and communicate regu-

larly with your child and with schoolpersonnel.”

Being involved can help young chil-dren do well academically.

“Parents can have conversations withchildren about what they are learningat school, ask questions to encouragestudents to share their thinking andhelp make connections between schoollessons and daily life,” Mowrey said.

Continue the conversation withteachers and the school.

“This is especially important if thereare concerns. The teacher will reach outto the family, but effective communica-tion goes both directions,” Mowrey said.“Finally, parents can and should advo-cate for their own children as well as forother students at the school and in the

Daily Independent MAKE THE GRADE 2019/ 22

It’s already time to start thinking about back-to-school physicals! The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends a yearly

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community.” One of the best ways to send children to school

ready to learn is to make sure that their basic needsare met.

“Make sure each child is well-rested and has a rou-tine to start the day that ensures they feel safe, lovedand energized for the school day,” Mowrey said.

Avoid activities like television and games in themorning as children often do not want to leave theseactivities to go to school, Mowrey said.

“Talk about the day to help the children know whatto expect,” especially if there is a special class likephysical education, an event or a change to trans-portation or after-school plans, Mowrey said.

“Try establishing a routine to make sure that lunch-es/lunch money, glasses and other school needs are ina single location and do not get left behind,” she said.

For elementary school children a considerable por-tion of organization is being prepared.

“For young students that means thinking aboutwhat you will need ahead of time and making surethat you can find it. As students get older, that also in-cludes taking care of items (calendars, papers, etc.)and keeping them accessible and clean,” Mowrey said.

Establishing a simple and consistent routine andcentral location for school items will help with this.

“Parents can model gathering up all the items thechild needs, if they are very young, or talk the childthrough gathering their items and placing them in aschool bag. At the end of the school day, parents andchildren can discuss any items coming home fromschool, and plan how to take care of any action itemssuch as permission slips and gym shoes before thenext school day,” Mowrey said.

Younger students are not ready for formal tests andwill likely take very few.

“The teachers will be assessing them using observa-tion, note-taking, listening to student thinking as wellas studying the work that they create for class assign-ments,” Mowrey said. “If your child has knowledgetests, encourage them to practice in a way that is funfor them, rather than high pressure. Focus on tricky,confusing items and how the student can use strate-gies for remembering patterns and details. Usehands-on materials to engage them.” ❖

BY MELISSA ERICKSONMore Content Now

Recent outbreaks of measles, mumps andwhooping cough have ignited controversyabout childhood vaccines, but infectious dis-

ease specialists and public health doctors urge chil-dren to get vaccinated to ensure their long-termhealth.

“Back-to-school is a great time to think about vac-cinations because it’s one point when your child’s pe-diatrician is checking to see if they’re up to date,”said, Dr. Zachary Klase, assistant professor of biolog-ical sciences at University of the Sciences in Philadel-phia. Vaccines are more than just a government reg-ulation or requirement: They are an extremely effec-tive public health tool that protects the spread of dis-ease, Klase said.

The common preventable illnesses protected bychildhood vaccinations include tetanus, diphtheria,pertussis (whooping cough), polio, measles, mumps,rubella, hepatitis B and meningitis.

“Parents are faced with a complicated set of vacci-nations that children are asked to get and that makessome parents concerned, but it is much better to getthe vaccine than to get the disease,” said Dr. Paul Of-fit, director of the Vaccine Education Center andprofessor of pediatrics in the Division of InfectiousDiseases at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

Recommended schedule

Throughout childhood there are three main stageswhen a child is recommended to receive vaccina-tions: from birth to age 2, from 4 to 6 and from 11 to13, Offit said. At 16, young people should receivebooster doses of meningitis vaccine, he said.

“Every child over the age of 6 months should get aflu shot each year,” Klase said.

Additionally, preteens should get the HPV (or hu-man papillomavirus) vaccine, which protects againstcancer later in life in men and women, Offit said.

As a person ages a Td booster is recommendedevery 10 years to protect against tetanus and diph-theria, Klase said.

Check cdc.gov/vaccines/growing/immunization-schedule.html to see an easy-to-read schedule.

No matter if a child is taught healthy habits or if aschool is clean and well-maintained, children getsick. Schools are a great environment for spreadingbacteria and viruses because students are in crowdedclassrooms, sharing things and in close proximity toone another, Klase said.

Check state requirements

While the federal government recommends theimmunization schedule, it varies somewhat fromstate to state, which can cause some confusion espe-cially when a family moves, Klase said. All 50 statesrequire children attending public schools to be vacci-nated (unless they have an exemption) for DTaP(diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis), polio, MMR(measles, mumps and rubella) and chickenpox, Klasesaid. Some states require others, such as hepatitis Band meningitis vaccines, Klase said.

Thanks to modern science many people don’t un-derstand the severity of childhood illnesses that vac-cines protect against, Klase said. For example, in2017 a 6-year-old Oregon boy who was not vaccinat-ed contracted tetanus after cutting his forehead. Hespent nearly two months in the hospital, a majorityin intensive care, and the family racked up a medicalbill of over $800,000, according to a report from theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention.

While measles was practically eradicated in theUnited States, it is now back, and whooping cough isalso on the upswing, Klase said.

“Why take a chance of getting a serious illness?You can almost die — or die — from something thatis vaccine-preventable. If you have questions, talk toyour doctor. Talk to a couple of doctors. Don’t just goon the internet and do your own research,” Klasesaid. ❖

Immunizations and school

“ The leaders of tomorrow are in the classrooms today, so we are fortunate that Kern County is home to some of the brightest minds in the state. Wishing everyone a great start to the school year!”

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