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Every 15 Minutes
A publication of Desert Sands Unified School District March 16, 2015
Drinking while driving results in a vehicular death every 15 minutes.
Students at Palm Desert High School were reminded of this grim
statistic in a live-action representation of a two-car accident involving
high school students. Played out on the football field to a packed
stadium of juniors and seniors on a recent Thursday morning, the
scene continued the following day with a mock funeral in the gym.
The enactment will become part of a video that will eventually be
shown on public access television.
Student actors were supported by Riverside County Sheriff’s
Department and Cal Fire. First responders arrived on the scene as if
the accident were a true emergency. The interview with the driver of
the accident-causing car was played live over the intercom system
and students watched and listened to the alcohol-impaired responses.
Those in the stands watched in horror as a body, thrown from the
vehicle, was pronounced DOA and covered in a sheet. A second body
was retrieved using the “jaws of life” and transported by helicopter
for medical attention. On hand, the grim reaper and assistants stood
quietly and watched as they waited to collect victims.
The exercise takes place every two years to remind students to not
drink and drive and to be responsible behind the wheel. Principal Bob
Hicks hopes that the staged accident will continue to grown in
importance with other schools taking part in the exercise.
Covered by local
media, an editorial
on the program was
featured in The
Desert Sun and a
number of
comments can
be found on their
web site.
The Beacon is published weekly by the Desert Sands
Unified School District. Contents are the property of the
district and reprinting or reuse of the material is available
by contacting the public information office at
mary.perry@desertsands.us.
Publisher: Gary Rutherford, Ed.D.
Editor: Mary Perry
Copy Editors: Adriana Romero and
Blanche Ramirez
Photo Editor: Roger Isabell
2
Dates of Note
March 19, 20 & 21: Beauty and the Beast presented by
John Glenn Middle School. See information on page 8.
March 20: Blood drive at Indio High School.
March 20: Up with People! Indio High School at 7:00
pm on Friday, March 20. For ticket information, call
712-541-9880.
March 20: Hoover PTC Fundraiser at Chuck E.
Cheese’s begins at 3:00 pm. See information on page 11.
March 20: The Palm Desert High School Band
welcomes the Luther College Concert Band at 7:00 pm.
See page 9 for more information.
March 21: La Quinta High School Wind Symphony in
concert at La Quinta Civic Center Park at 11:30 am. See
page ?? for more information.
March 21: Indio High School Interact Club car wash.
March 22: Palm Desert High School Foundation
Golf Tournament at the Classic Club. Shotgun start at
8:00 am. For more information see page 8.
March 27: Shadow Hills High School Annual College
and Career Day from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm in the gym.
March 30: LQHS Wind Symphony performs at New
York City’s Carnegie Hall.
March: High school seniors can apply for $1,000
scholarships. To qualify, you must have a parent or
grandparent who is an educator. Call Terry Ceja at
760-360-1471 or Patsy Meister at 760-393-3690.
April 8: Texas Hold’Em Tournament to benefit the
United Way. 6:00-9:00 pm at Agua Caliente Casino.
April 15: Fundraiser at Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant
beginning at 11:00 am. Proceeds benefit the Palm Desert
High School PTO.
April 16, 17, and 18: Shadow Hills High School
presents A Midsummer Nights Dream. See page 9 for
more information.
April 23: Desert Roadrunner Division 43 welcomes Ken
Young, Riverside County Superintendent of Schools.
Presentations begin at 2:30 pm. See page 10 for more
information.
Brochure Available Contact Amistad High School for a
brochure on their auto technology program.
The pamphlet details information about the
career pathway that answers many of your
students’s questions. The brochure is hot
off the DSUSD printers.
Farming Field Trip ASES students from
Lyndon B. Johnson and
John F. Kennedy
elementary schools
recently took a first
hand look at local
produce thanks to the
kind invitation of
farmer Brett Manion.
Solo Performance Congratulations to Shadow Hills High School student
Donovan Doran who has made it into the final round for
the Southern California Vocal Association Solo Vocal
Competition. Donovan will be competing against 50
other students from around SoCal on March 21.
Donovan also competed in the Indio Sunrise 2015 Music
Competition, placing fourth, moving him into the Rotary
Regional competition on May 19. Shaun Clark joins
Donovan as participants in the March 26 California
Honor Choir performing in Pasadena later this month.
Pre-Retirement Resource Fair Desert Roadrunner Division 43 of the California Retired
Teachers Association will be holding a pre-retirement
resource fair on April 23 at 2:30 in the Riverside County
Office of Education in Indio, hosted by Kenneth Young,
Riverside County Superintendent of Schools. There will
be presentations by CalSTRS counselors and CalRTA.
Representatives include AARP, HICAP, the Office on
Aging, local senior centers, and more. Snacks will be
served and prizes awarded. For more information
contact calrta.div43@gmail.com.
In addition to The Beacon, individual schools
create their own newsletters with a wealth of
information about the happenings at each site.
Contact the school or schools to receive their
newsletters, too.
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Indio High Students Tour UC Davis
Indio High School FAA members Cera Lopez,
Alexander Paz, and Alexander Gallardo recently toured
US Davis as part of the 2015 Agricultural and
Environmental Science Field Day. They received a
personalized tour by Yousef Byzayan, an Agricultural
Ambassador, and a student majoring in International
Agricultural Development and Economics. All three
students are considering UC Davis for their post-
secondary education. They were also able to visit with
Anel Cabrera, a graduate of Indio High School's
Agricultural Program and currently on a full academic
scholarship in Animal Science.
The IHS students placed third overall as they identified
over 300 bedding, shrubs, ground cover, house plants,
trees, and horticultural tools, many of which are
unfamiliar to a desert gardener. They transplanted
seedlings, gave oral reasons and justifications on
selection of various plant materials, and judged which
plant materials would be best used in a nursery or home.
The 100 question test on horticultural science was a
great way to prepare for the state finals in May.
Paz placed fourth in presenting and communicating the
transplant of plants into a one-gallon container. Lopez
placed sixth in her oral reasons and justification of plant
selection. The team placed tenth in plant ID.
Please send Mary Perry your school newsletters!
mary.perry@desertsands.us.
Enjoy this newsletter? Share it!
New subscribers can win a Chromebook. Drawing is March 31.
www.dsusd.us
IN THE NEWS
DSUSD was featured…
March 9: Local television and newspapers covered the
first responder training exercises at Indio High School.
The media began with notices to the public advising
them of the upcoming training. Additional stories
included coverage of the actual events.
March 7: The Desert Sun ran a lengthy article titled
Fringe science fuels cancer fears regarding allegations
of a “cancer cluster” at a Desert Sands Unified
District school. Comments can be found on their
web site.
March 7: An article on the upcoming performance of
Up With People at Indio High School on March 20 was
noted in The Desert Sun.
March 7: Hard lesson should help kids avoid tragedy
was the title of a Sunday editorial in The Desert Sun. It
followed articles and television coverage of a Palm
Desert High School live-action representation of a fatal
car accident caused by a drunk driver.
March 5: The Neighbors section of The Desert Sun
included a front-page story on the reading-related
activities that took place at DSUSD schools throughout
the week. The accompanying photo was of Indio Police
Chief Richard Twiss reading to students at John Adams
Elementary School.
March 3: Local television reported on Read Across
America Day and noted the participation by community
leaders and reporters.
Cera Lopez, Alexander Paz, and Alexander Gallardo
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College Tour Indio High School AVID and
CSF students recently visited
three California colleges. The
17 juniors toured Pepperdine
University and UC Santa
Barbara before spending the
night at the Fess Parker
Resort. Justin McBride, a
graduate of Cal Poly San
Luis Obispo and now an
engineer with the school,
took students on a tour.
“This trip was amazing. I
gained a deeper understanding
of colleges, what I need to do
to get there, and the variety of
colleges. I gained a deeper
understanding when we went
through the dorms, ate in the
cafeterias, asked questions,
and received advice for applying and living in college…
I thought that all colleges were roughly the same but
there’s a great difference in atmosphere, food, living,
people, and connection.” - Cruzangel Nava
“This AVID trip was a view
-point changing experience.
I learned that the private,
UC and Cal State are very
different… I don’t quite
understand my feelings on
what to want out of a college
because I don’t really know
what I want. These three colleges were amazing and I
am happy I came to see them.” - Seiri Samaguey
Community Meetings All DSUSD schools have had, or will be having,
community meetings to review progress with LCAP
(Local Control and Accountability Plan). Schedule:
Monday, March 16 Franklin Elementary
Tuesday, March 17 Ford Elementary
Wednesday, March 18 Shadow Hills High
Wednesday, March 18 La Quinta High
Wednesday, March 18 Earhart Elementary
Wednesday, March 18 Indio High
Wednesday, March 18 Glenn Middle
Thursday, March 19 Amistad High
Thursday, March 19 Paige Middle
Tuesday, March 24 Paige Middle
Tuesday, March 24 Palm Desert High
Friday, March 27 Lincoln Elementary
Sharing in Education Students in the
Shadow Hills High
School Education
Careers Pathway
recently donned
their new purple
shirts and headed
out to Desert Ridge
Academy where
they used their
newly learned
teaching skills.
A recent trip to Amelia Earhart Elementary School
provided them with an opportunity to observe primary
grade instruction. March through May, the students will
visit DSUSD schools each Wednesday during sixth
period. The classroom experiences are a component of
grade requirements for both Introduction to Education
and Development Psychology.
Foundation’s Payroll Deduction Program (Submitted by Theresa Kachiroubas)
The Desert Sands Unified School District Educational
Foundation is a non-profit organization supporting our
“lighthouse” district. Currently, our primary funding
goal is to support classroom technology.
The foundation has hosted several activities over the
past three years to raise funds.
We have distributed letters to community businesses
and district vendors, soliciting monetary donations,
and donations in kind.
A spring mixer was hosted last spring for
Foundation supporters, including a silent auction.
Two successful Hikes 4 Education have been
organized, with extraordinary participation.
Festival of Trees and Holiday Baskets Raffle was a
huge success, with tremendous community support.
Voluntary payroll deductions help support the
Educational Foundation.
There are 29 district employees currently participating
in our voluntary payroll deduction program with
contributions ranging from $5.00 to $50.00 per month.
Employees interested in participating in the voluntary
payroll deduction program, may acquire a form from
fiscal services at the district office. Questions may be
directed to the foundation’s website at
info@DesertSandsEF.org or call (760) 609-4633.
5
From the RCOE Information Office
Local Control and Accountability Plan Electronic Template Field Test: The CDE’S Local Agency System Support
Office (LASSO) is seeking county offices of education and school districts to participate in a field test of the CDE’s
Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) electronic template. The LCAP electronic template is currently
scheduled to be available for field testing in early to mid-April 2015 as part of the 2015–16 LCAP process. The field
test will focus on the creation and editing of an LCAP, the submission of an LCAP for review and approval, and the
review and approval of the LCAP within the system. Participants in the field test will have an opportunity to provide
feedback on the functionality of the electronic template and to provide suggestions for additional functionality to be
included in future versions of the electronic template. Participants will also receive technical assistance and support
from LASSO and technology services staff throughout the field test. COEs and school districts interested in
participating in the field test of the LCAP electronic template are asked to contact LASSO staff by telephone at
916-319-0809 or by e-mail at lcff@cde.ca.gov and to provide a contact name, telephone number, and email. If you
have any questions regarding this message, please contact the Local Agency Systems Support Office by phone at
916-319-0809 or by e-mail at lcff@cde.ca.gov.
Participants will be notified on March 20 and additional information and documentation regarding the field test will be
sent out shortly thereafter.
Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) State Rollout Symposium: Science teachers can take advantage of
professional learning opportunities to prepare them for implementing California’s new science standards. Science
teachers will delve deeply into the philosophy and design of the new standards, explore available resources, and
experience sample lessons plans. There will also be opportunities for participants to talk and share ideas with other
educators from around the state. The symposia are being presented by the CDE, K-12 Alliance/WestEd, California
Science Project, California Science Teachers Association, and the Curriculum and Instruction Steering Committee.
Dates are April 17-18 in San Diego and June 1-2 in Ventura. The cost of each symposium is $200 per participant.
District teams are limited to 4-6 people. For more information and to register, visit the Next Generation Science
StandardsWeb page.
Feeding the Masses
Over 1,800 students had a surprise picnic lunch on March 9. A strange chemical odor caused administrators at
Shadow Hills High School to move the noon time meal outdoors. That meant some quick thinking and team work
as carts were rolled out and a distribution process established to provide lunch outside of the cafeteria. Fire
department authorities believe that the smell was due to an HVAC problem and the odor quickly dissipated. Very
special thanks go to the cafeteria, custodial, and security teams for making this all happen as seamlessly, and, yes,
fun as possible.
6
Glenn IB Award-Winning Teachers (By Julie Middlebrook, IBMYP Coordinator)
Two of John Glenn Middle School’s teachers, Chelly
Basto and Kim Ussery, have been chosen as the 2015
recipients of the IBMYP Teacher Training Award and
the IBMYP Exemplary Educator Award, respectively,
from California Association of World Schools (CAWS)
Each year, the CAWS offers the opportunity for
member IB World Schools to apply for approximately
$20,000 in scholarships across the four IB programmes.
Scholarships are also awarded to students and
recognition is additionally awarded to administrators
and legislators for their support of IB. CAWS has long
shown a strong commitment to supporting member
schools not only by offering scholarships, but also by
offering semi-annual seminars, roundtable
collaborations, and advocacy for IB schools at the
legislative and university levels.
Mrs. Basto and Mrs. Ussery received their awards at the
California Association of World Schools Spring
Seminar in San Diego on March 2. Mrs. Basto’s award
came with $2,500 toward teacher training and Mrs.
Ussery’s received $1,000.
Mrs. Basto is the heart and soul, hands
and feet, behind the success of the MYP
Language Acquisition subject at JGMS.
A member of the IB Leadership Team at
JGMS, her knowledge of language
acquisition in the MYP has allowed her
to support her teaching group so that
teachers and students experience the
MYP to the fullest. Mrs. Basto enjoys teaching the IB
Middle Years Programme because “it brings rigor and
purpose to a middle school foreign language program
and makes the teachers always bring back what they
[the students] are learning back to the real world. I think
the thing that excites me the most is seeing the students
actually reach these high expectations that we have set
for them…kids writing 100 or 150 words in
Spanish...having a two minute conversation in
Spanish...and being successful with it…seeing them feel
comfortable in using the language that they’re
learning…and seeing their excitement about
understanding what they’re learning.” Mrs. Basto has
chosen to share her award with her department so that
others can receive official IB-training as she has.
Mrs. Ussery, also a member of the JGMS leadership
team, is a year two (7th grade) language and literature as
well as Science teacher, and brings a creative blend of
focus from her B.S. in environmental science as well as
her M.F.A. in creative writing. She enjoys writing
engaging curriculum that challenges students to think
critically about both subjects. She strives to incorporate
global current events into her unit of inquiry and has
developed units on colony collapse disorder and single-
use plastics. With the recent uprising in Hong Kong and
the protests that were taking place, Mrs. Ussery helped
students to see the protests from the perspective of a
participant by reading newspaper accounts of both the
Hong Kong Protests and the Tiananmen Square
Massacre, then writing diary entries from both the
student and parent perspectives. Students were so
engaged that even one who was a skeptic became a fan
of the inquiry in the end.
“I feel encouraged by the IB curriculum,” she says. “It
gives me more freedom...[to design] creative projects as
the culminating task.” This year,
Mrs. Ussery is also facilitating an
interdisciplinary unit for year two
students based on global disease
that incorporates the Ebola
epidemic and exploration of the
responsibilities of the World
Health Organization in the
affected countries. In addition to
her passion for designing creative curriculum, Mrs.
Ussery founded and has continued to advise the EYE
Environmental Club at JGMS for the last ten years.
Each year, her club picks an issue and conducts a
community service learning project on it. Past projects
have included: raising awareness of the dangers of
plastic water bottles, creating a video for the United
Nation’s World Water Day, as well as creating a video
on the dangers of microbeads. This year, she has
purchased two refillable water fountains for students at
the school and has held two e-waste recycling events.
She also wrote Silent Spring, a play based on the life of
environmentalist Rachel Carson, which was performed
by the JGMS drama department.
Teacher Grant Program March 25 is the final teacher grant program of the year.
It is sponsored by CalRTA. Teachers who have
previously applied but were not selected will
automatically be placed into consideration. New
applications for the 25 $100 grants can be found at
www.facebook.com/CalRTA or www.calrta.org.
Basketball Camp Indio High School boys basketball team is hosting a
camp for students age nine and up. The camp will take
place March 30-April 1. Cost is $75 and includes daily
lunch, water, and a tee-shirt. For details: Coach Ivery at
760-775-3550 or ivery.thompson@desertsands.us.
7
UP AND MOVING Although The Beacon does not normally cover sports
news, there were a few things this week that were just
too good to not include…
Congratulations to La Quinta High School Boys
Soccer Team for your first CIF soccer championship!
The PNB Paribas Tennis Tournament each year
begins with the McEnroe Challenge for Charity event.
This year it was attended by over 8,000 people who
were welcomed by the Shadow Hills Regiment of the
Realm. Band members met John McEnroe.
And speaking of tennis...Scott Davis (tennis pro) vs
Scott Davis (principal) played a heated match at the
PNB series of pre-events. Over 700 Ford Elementary
School students attended, cheering on Mr. Castro and
Mr. Davis as they played Davis and Peanut Louis
Harper, grandslam champion and co-author of Inch and
Miles. The event is used to build on the “Pyramid of
Success” and reinforce the
ideal of “doing your personal
best”. While the score was
not provided to the editor,
both Ford players noted that
they did score points and got
some pointers.
A track meet was held at Coachella Valley High
School, open to all elementary age children. DSUSD
students came from Amelia Earhart and Ronald Reagan
elementary schools and John Glenn and Desert Ridge
middle schools. The “sports reporter” from Earhart was
kind enough to send results and photos from her school.
Winners advance to the Inland Valley Track and Field
Championships being held later this spring.
Division 2008
Kalika Macro: 200M-1st, SB throw-2nd
Division 2006
Mark Levine: 100M- 2nd, 200M- 1st
Kai Macro: 200M-2nd, 400M-1st (photo)
Larson Marlinga: LJ-1st, 100M-1st
Lane Wollen: LJ-2nd
Julian Castro: SB throw-1st
Division 2005
Nate Alvarez: 200M-2nd, 400M-3rd
Sinjin Armstrong: 400M- 2nd, SB throw-2nd
Logan DeGraeve: LJ-2nd, 800M-3rd
Division 2004
Kate Raguindin: 200M-2nd, 400M-2nd, SB throw-2nd
Kris Mineo: 200M-1st, 400M-1st
London Shupp: 200M-1st, 400M-1st, LJ-1st
8
FUNDRAISERS AND EVENTS
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FUNDRAISERS AND EVENTS
FUNDRAISERS AND EVENTS
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FUNDRAISERS AND EVENTS
11 11
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