Norma Navarro and Ana M. Ramirez have over 40 years of

experience between them as home educators with the Early

Childhood Education Program (ECE). Last month, the pair invited

the parents and children they serve to a socialization meeting at the

Teviston Child Development Center. The educators played a game

of “I Spy,” showing parents how their children could have fun

identifying ordinary objects around the house. Later, Ana and

Norma conducted a fire safety lesson and demonstrated the “stop,

drop and roll” technique.

The socialization meetings, which cover topics of interest to parents,

are held twice each month. “Moms often feel isolated at home,” said

Ms. Ramirez. “These meetings and the field trips we take each year

help to connect them to their community and other parents.”

Among the places home educators routinely visit with parents as part

of their annual field trips are the library, where they are encouraged

to get a library card, and the school where their child will attend.

The Home Base Program provides an option for Head Start parents

who prefer to have a home educator come to their home and work

one-on-one with parent and child. Read more at www.tcoe.org/NewsGallery.

Hundreds of preschool children prepare for school through Home Base Program

Home educators and parents support learning

T H E N E W S L E T T E R o f T H E T U L A R E C O U N T Y O F F I C E o f E D U C A T I O N

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(photo above) Home educator Ana M. Ramirez presents a lesson to parents and children at the Teviston Child Development Center. (lower photo) Parents in the Home Base program receive instructional support from home educators to serve as their child’s first teacher.

November 2014

October is the month that schools across the nation celebrate

CHARACTER COUNTS! and the good character students display

on a daily basis. In Tulare County, which hosts one of the nation’s

largest celebrations, the month culminates with the presentation of

the Provident-Salierno Family Foundation Awards. On October 26

and 28, family members gathered to celebrate 68 top students as they

received special recognition for their good character.

For the third consecutive year, the Tulare County CHARACTER

COUNTS! office reviewed Kids of Character nominations received

from schools and citizens throughout the county to select the

honorees and finalists for each of the Pillars of Character –

Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring and

Citizenship. This year, the office received more than 6,500 student

nominations from 143 Tulare County schools. At the awards

celebration, the honorees and finalists for each pillar were given cash

awards presented by Tony and Mary Salierno on behalf of the

foundation they created.

“There are great

stories of student

character all

around us,” said

Tulare County

Superintendent of

Schools Jim

Vidak. Read more at www.tcoe.org/ NewsGallery.

Students provide heartwarming evidence that CHARACTER COUNTS! in Tulare County

Third annual Provident-Salierno Awards held

(upper left) Chloe Quintana greets her friend Ryan Valdez as Woodlake Unified Superintendent Drew Sorensen (l) and Brian Hollingshead, Tulare City School District, look on. Chloe, a third-grade student at Cutler Elementary, was a top honoree for the Pillar of Respect for seeing that Ryan is included and treated with respect by his classmates. (middle left) Attendees at the Provident-Salierno Family Foundation Awards enjoyed a video the Redwood High School freshman football team made for Mt. Whitney freshman Josh Villarreal, who is battling cancer. (middle right) Tony and Mary Salierno congratulate Kings River Union School student Jairo Aguilar, a finalist for the Pillar of Trustworthiness. (lower left) Shawnee James shakes hands with nominators as her friend Adriana Aleman looks on. Shawnee, a freshman at Porterville High School and a finalist for the Pillar of Caring, has supported Adriana for years as she has fought to regain her mobility after being afflicted with meningitis as a kindergartner.

Three artists create pieces at annual Taste the Arts festival for TCOE program.

CHOICES becomes inspiration for urban art

According to a recent statewide survey, Tulare County

students who are receiving nutrition education lessons are

getting the message and making positive food and physical

activity choices. The TCOE Nutrition Education and Obesity

Prevention (NEOP) prorgram, which was formerly known as

the Network for a Healthy California, implemented its Harvest

of the Month (HOTM) curriculum in seven third-grade

classrooms during the 2013-14 school year.

To evaluate the program, students were administered a survey

before the first lesson and again

after the ninth and final session.

Four classrooms not receiving

the HOTM curriculum were

also surveyed. While the results

from the non-HOTM schools

remained consistent in the pre-

and post-surveys, the results

from the schools receiving the

curriculum were remarkable. In

every category – outdoor

activity, consumption of soft

drinks, healthy beverages (water

and milk) and fruits and veggies

– students in the HOTM

classrooms reported dramatic positive increases. To read more, visit www.tcoe.org/NewsGallery.

Reported increases in healthy eating and physical activity delight state officials

Tulare County students score high on survey

While thousands of people visited the Taste the Arts festival last month,

milling among the booths and participating in hands-on arts activities,

three urban artists worked quietly on large paintings in a corner of an old

Visalia lumberyard. Using spray paint to create their pieces, the artists

developed three distinct and vibrant works of art over the course of the

festival. The talented trio attended the Taste the Arts festival as part of the

annual Step Up Urban Art Program. Each year, three to four urban artists

from around California are invited to participate in the competition and

create a piece that represents the spirit of one of Tulare County’s youth-

serving organizations. Read more at www.tcoe.org/NewsGallery.

(photo above) Third-grade Tulare County students that received Harvest of the Month (HOTM) curriculum in their classrooms report that they eat more fruits and vegetables, drink less soda, and participate in more physical activity than students who did not receive the HOTM lessons. (right photo) Alex Shew recently joined the Nutrition Education and Obesity Prevention program as a dietician.

In the annual Step Up Urban Art Program, artist "Mute" created this winning piece to depict the work of the CHOICES Prevention Programs.

Read more at www.tcoe.org

(Over 700 young women in grades 4-10 attended the 15th Annual Expanding Your Horizons Conference held Saturday, October 25 at College of the Sequoias in Visalia. The conference is designed to introduce attendees to career possibilities in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Following a keynote address, this year delivered by Monache High School senior Madison Meredith and Tulare-based civil and agricultural engineer Tina Macedo, young women selected from dozens of breakout sessions on topics ranging rocketry to building bridges. (photo 1) Cloe Terrill, a fifth-grade student from Jefferson Elementary in Lindsay, is shown in the “Fun with Physics” session using a spinning color wheel to show how math and physics work together. (photo 2) Middle school students are invited to show off their robotic design and programming skills at the First Annual Robotics Exhibition. The event will be held Wednesday, December 10 from 9:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. at TCOE’s Liberty Center and feature a series of robotic challenges. To register or for more information, contact Doug Cairns at (559) 651-3045. (photo 3) This month, the Theatre Company is set to perform four shows of the popular Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Phantom of the Opera. Cameron Haley, a senior at VTEC High School in Visalia will star as the phantom and Kaley McConnaughey, a sophomore at Redwood High School, will play Christine, his love interest and protégé. As an added treat, the production will feature preshow selections from the popular Disney movie Frozen. Visit www.tcoe.org/TheatreCo for a schedule of performances and ticket options. (photo 4) On October 28, 350 educators and community members gathered at the Visalia Convention Center to honor the nominees, finalists and winners in the 20th Annual Excellence in Education Awards program. Winners in the three competition categories included (l-r): School Employee of the Year Ruben Alvarez, worked-based coordinator with the Porterville Unified School District; Teacher of the Year Anne Clifford, teacher of the severely handicapped for the Tulare County Office of Education's Community Based Instruction Classroom #1 in Tulare; and Administrator of the Year Dr. John Snavely, superintendent of the Porterville Unified School District. Finalists and nominees were also honored, including TCOE’s Jody Arriaga, a finalist in the school employee of the year category. Mrs. Arriaga is an accounts payable supervisor with TCOE’s internal business office. (photo 5) On October 16, Tulare County Superintendent of Schools Jim Vidak was honored by the ProYouth organization with their Second Annual Legacy Award. The award was given to recognize Mr. Vidak for his 52-year career in education and for his support of their organization. As part of the ceremony, Mr. Vidak received a painting from members of the Tulare County Board of Education.

spot l ight

Read more at www.tcoe.org

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For more events, programs and meetings, visit our online calendar at www.tcoe.org/CalendarOfEvents

upcomingevents

Birding 101 @ Circle J (open to the public)8:00 a.m., Circle J-Norris Ranch, SpringvilleFor reservations, call Nancy Bruce at (559) 539-2263

Peña Planetarium Public Shows 7:00 p.m., 2500 W. Burrel Ave., VisaliaFor show and ticket information, call (559) 737-6334

Student Art ExhibitionEducation Center, 2637 W. Burrel, VisaliaFor information, call Brian Roberts at (559) 651-1482

Fall Institute (for Tulare County school board members, school administrators, County Committee on School District Organization members)5:00 p.m., Visalia Holiday Inn, 9000 W. Airport Dr.For information, call Marlene Moreno at (559) 733-6302

Field Science Weekend (for high school students and their teachers)

8:00 a.m. Saturday through 4:00 p.m. Sunday,

Circle J-Norris Ranch, Springville

For reservations, call Nancy Bruce at (559) 539-2263

Administrative Services Credential Program

Information Meeting

Tier I Meeting, Nov. 18, 6:00 - 7:30 p.m., Board Room

Tier II Meeting, Nov. 19, 6:00 - 7:30 p.m.,

Teleconference Room, 2637 W. Burrel Ave., Visalia

For information, call Donna Glassman-Sommer at

(559) 730-9956.

Theatre Company Fall Musical: The Phantom of the Opera with pre-show selections from Disney's FrozenNov. 20, 21 & 22, 6:45 p.m. preshow, 7:00 p.m. production

Nov. 22, 1:45 p.m. pre-show, 2:00 p.m. production

L. J. Williams Theatre, 1001 Main St., Visalia

General admission tickets: $10; Reserved seating: $20

For information, call Brian Roberts at (559) 651-1482

CyberQuest (grades 4-12)

8:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m., Visalia Convention Center

For information, call Will Kimbley at (559) 651-3008

Annual Kids’ Festival

9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., Visalia Convention Center

For more information, visit www.kidsfestival2014.com

Administrative Services Credential Program Information Meeting

Tier I Meeting, Dec. 4, 6:00 - 7:30 p.m., Education Ctr.

Tier II Meeting, Dec. 10, 6:00 - 7:30 p.m., Board Rm. Tier I Meeting, Dec. 17, 6:00 - 7:30 p.m., Teleconference Rm.

2637 W. Burrel Ave., Visalia

For information, call Donna Glassman-Sommer at (559) 730-9956.

Robotics Exhibition - Middle School (grades 4-8)9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m., TCOE Liberty Center,

Multipurpose Room, 11535 Avenue 264, VisaliaFor information, call Doug Cairns at (559) 651-3045

SCICON & Circle J Christmas Bird Count(open to the public)8:00am, Circle J-Norris Ranch, Springville

For reservations, contact Nancy Bruce at circlej@ocsnet.net or call (559) 539-2263.

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Tulare County Board of Education

News Gallery CommitteeEditor: Robert Herman, Public Information OfficerContributors: Marlene Moreno, Jennifer Fisher, Lorena White, Shelly

DiCenzo, Paula Terrill, Nicole Zweifel, Charlotte Garcia, Kate

Stover, Connie Smith, Linda Lanting and Robyn Cooper.

The News Gallery is published monthly with the exception of double issues printed for July/August and December/January. If you would

like to receive The News Gallery, visit www.tcoe.org/GetTheGallery

or contact Jennifer Fisher at (559) 733-6172, or at jenniferf@tcoe.org.

Educational Resource Services (ERS) is bringing 2010 National Teacher of the Year Sarah Brown Wessling to Tulare County in February as part of its Literacy Series. On February 24, Ms. Wessling will work in both a high school and elementary school setting while being filmed for a new Teaching Channel program. The following day (February 25), teachers, administrators and academic coaches are invited to hear her speak at a conference being held at the Visalia Holiday Inn. The ERS Literacy Series will also feature Carol Jago on December 1 and Dr. Douglas Fisher on April 14. The opportunity to see and learn from these speakers is supported by the Tulare County Office of Education and the Tulare-Kings Linked Learning Consortium. For registration information, visit commoncore.tcoe.org/ela.

This month, the CHOICES Prevention Programs will begin offering student mental health programs on four campuses in the Tulare Joint Union High School District (TJUHSD). The student mental health programs are being offered as part of a new five-year, federally- funded School Climate Transformation Grant (SCTG). The program is designed to help make schools safer and improve mental health services for students and young adults. CHOICES will support and provide technical assistance to TJUHSD campuses implementing programs such as Youth Mental Health First Aid, Reconnecting Youth (RY), Coping and Support Training (CAST), and Parent Institute of Quality Education’s (PIQE) parenting program. For information on the SCTG program, contact Adam Valencia at (559) 651-0155. The Tulare County Inclusion Collaborative is holding its annual Inclusion Collaborative Training breakfast on November 14. The training will take place from 8:00 to 11:30 a.m. in the Elderwood Room of TCOE’s 7000 Doe Avenue complex. Attendees will discuss the updated School Readiness Improvement Program and help plan a “provider fair” where parents can learn more about the resources that are available in the county. Please RSVP by November 1 to Lorena Lopez at llopez@cc.tcoe.org.

Tulare County Superintendent of Schools Jim VidakPresident: Joe Enea, Trustee Area No. 5

Vice President: Chris Reed, Trustee Area No. 6; Trustees: Celia Maldonado-Arroyo, Trustee Area No. 1; Debby Holguin, Trustee

Area No. 2; Tom Link, Trustee Area No. 3; Judy Coble, Trustee

Area No. 4; and Patricia Hillman, Trustee Area No. 7

gal lerynotes