Inside the gym at Lindsay High School on Saturday,

March 14, students earnestly presented their science fair

projects to judges just as Tulare County students had done

for the past 30 years. Outside the quiet gym, the campus

was abuzz with science activities. Students were

programming robots, learning about computer coding,

marveling at the Tulare County Sheriff’s remote-

controlled bomb retrieval vehicle, building track cars and

having fun. This year, the Tulare County Science &

Engineering Fair was reimagined by the Educational

Resource Services staff as the STEM Expo – an engaging,

nonstop learning experience. STEM is an educational

approach that integrates science, technology, engineering

and mathematics in a hands-on way.

In addition to the bomb retrieval vehicle, the Tulare

County Sheriff’s Office also brought its new mobile crime

lab to show students the science behind crime

investigations. Students were fascinated with the

technology within the vehicle to help investigators quickly

collect and analyze crime scene evidence. Read more at tcoe.org/NewsGallery.

Science Fair reimagined as celebration of science, technology, engineering & mathematics

New STEM Expo, a non-stop learning experience

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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(upper photo) Students at the first annual STEM Expo enjoyed plenty of hands-on activities, including robotics programming. (lower photo) Ryan Ruesch of Westfield Elementary in Porterville reviews his award-winning project, “DIY Fuel Cells,” with judges during the science fair portion of STEM Expo.

April 2015

ERS collection recatalogued for improved access, services added

Library & Media Center see useage rates tripleThis past year has seen a

number of updates and

improvements to the services

offered at Educational

Resource Services’ Library

and Multimedia Center. The

center supports teachers and

students with a robust

collection of digital, print,

and multimedia resources,

along with training on

accessing and using the

materials and building digital

literacy skills.

To facilitate the

improvements, Library

Media Supervisor Shelley

Chappell reports that the staff

recataloged the entire

collection in order to

increase accessibility and

search capabilities. “With the

library’s One Search feature,

users can now locate books,

videos, websites and

databases with a single search term,” she said. The entire library staff also became trainers, traveling throughout the

service area to demonstrate how to use these resources. Overall usage statistics have more than tripled because of this

focus on supporting teachers.

Also this year, the “Check This Out” subscription was introduced for teachers at contracting schools. This free service

allows teachers to request materials online to be tailored to either a theme, reading level, genre, material type or subject

area. Each month, the library team will put together a customized set of materials. Books, art, prints, videos, kits, and

realia, along with lesson plans and digital resources are bundled and sent directly to the school, then picked up when it’s

time for the next delivery. Currently, over 100 Tulare and Kings County teachers are “Check This Out” subscribers

receiving monthly kits.

The online Library and Multimedia Portal for digital resources features high-quality databases, ebooks and streaming

video for research and educational support. These include Discovery Education, Education City, ProQuest SIRS

Discoverer and eLibrary, Tumble Books and Tumble Readables, Teaching Books and World Book.

For more information on how your school can take advantage of these resources, please contact Shelley Chappell,

Library Media Supervisor, at (559) 651-3042 or shelleyc@ers.tcoe.org.

One of the new services that grew out of the update to Educational Resource Services’ Library and Multimedia Center was the “Check This Out” service. Teachers in contracting schools can request materials online to be tailored to either a theme, reading level, genre, material type or subject area. Each month, the library team puts together books, prints, videos, and realia, along with lesson plans and digital resources for delivery to the school.

April 2015

Popular children’s storybook characters come to life in spring musical

Theatre Company heads to The Woods

Beginning this month, middle and high

school teachers will have the opportunity to

learn a piece of World War II history from a

man and woman who experienced it

themselves. Saburo and Marion Masada were

among the 110,000 Japanese Americans

interned in U.S. camps during World War II.

The Masadas will be part of a history/social

science training offered through a program

entitled Legacy Voices: The World War II Japanese

American Experience. The Tulare County Office

of Education is a partner with the National

Parks Service, the San Joaquin County Office

of Education and the Fred T. Korematsu

Institute in presenting three free workshops on

April 11, June 13 and July 30.

Read more at tcoe.org/NewsGallery.

Read more at www.tcoe.org

Living history training on the WWII internments offered to Tulare County teachers

Japanese Americans tell their stories

The Theatre Company is preparing its spring

musical – a production full of familiar children’s

storybook characters. Beginning April 30,

audiences can enjoy “two productions in one”

with first- through sixth-grade students

performing the adorable Winnie the Pooh Kids,

while middle and high school students present Into

the Woods. Over 110 students have spent the

semester rehearsing for the production.

Production director Charlotte Garcia Da Rosa

reports that Winnie the Pooh Kids was written by

the same composers who wrote the music for

Frozen. “It’s a wonderful musical and we are

fortunate to have phenomenally talented young

leading actors playing the beloved animal friends

of Christopher Robin.”

“The challenge for students in Into the Woods was to

re-imagine famous fairy tale characters as real life

people with real life problems,” said Ms. Garcia

Da Rosa. Read more at tcoe.org/NewsGallery.

Marion Masada (left) and Saburo Masada (right) will be presenters in the Legacy Voices: The World War II Japanese American Experience teacher trainings on the U.S. internment program.

(l-r) Familiar storybook characters sharing the stage in the Theatre Company’s spring production include Jack (from Jack and the Beanstalk), played by Andrew Cantelmi of Green Acres Middle School; Cinderella, played by Kaley McConnaughey of Redwood High School; Tigger, played by Tessa Hemphill of Hurley Elementary School; and Pooh, played by Anu Perry of Eleanor Roosevelt Community Learning Center.

spot l ight

Read more at www.tcoe.org

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(photo 1) Last month, 34 middle and high school teams participated in the annual Science Olympiad for a chance to represent Tulare County at the NorCal Science Olympiad competition April 18 at California State University, Stanislaus. The middle school teams that qualified for the state competition include Palo Verde Union School (Tulare), Green Acres Middle School (Visalia), St. Aloysius School (Tulare) and Live Oak Middle School (Tulare). The high school teams advancing to NorCal include Exeter Union High School, University Preparatory High School (Visalia), Tulare Western High School and Tulare Union High School. (photo 1) Tulare Western’s Kassie Reynolds and Jakeb Light built a mechanical time-keeping device for the “It’s About Time” competition segment. The CHOICES Prevention Programs’ Anti-Tobacco Challenge Bowl was held March 3 with a record number 29 sixth-grade teams competing. Students prepared for the competition by studying a curriculum which, in addition to tobacco facts, this year included a greater number of facts about the dangers of marijuana use. Perennial champions from Kohn Elementary in Tulare returned to capture the top two trophies, with first place going to Kohn Team A. (photo 2) The winning team included (l-r) Seth Borba, Gwendalynn Peck, Aaron Bales, Emma Woodward and Christopher Wilson. The team’s coach was Jennifer Orr. (photo 3) Tulare County Superintendent of Schools Jim Vidak proudly poses with students from his high school alma mater, Orosi High School. The school had the most winners in the annual Farm Bureau Student Art Calendar contest. Pictured (l-r) are Karina Arenivaz (11th grade), Janette Madrigal (11th grade), Jessica Ostrea (12th grade), Jim Vidak, Cutler-Orosi Superintendent Yolanda Valdez, Francisco Fernandez (12th grade), Orosi High School art teacher Elise Whited, and Gabriella Adame (11th grade). Copies of the calendar are available at the front desk of TCOE’s Burrel Avenue office while supplies last. This year, 670 seventh- and eighth-grade students from public and private schools in Tulare and Kings Counties competed in the annual Math Super Bowl. (photo 4) Pictured are members of the seventh-grade Sundale Union School team working together on the Team Bowl portion of the competition. The team, which included Chastine Grant, Jaci Maze, Sarah Mancebo, Jacob Fernandes and Paige Cross, earned a superior ribbon for their efforts. For a complete list of competition winners in the three event categories, visit tcoe.org/MathSuperBowl. (photo 5) CHARACTER COUNTS! and CHOICES Prevention Programs Project Coordinator Kathleen Green-Martins was chosen as the state Association of California School Administrators (ACSA) Confidential Employee of the Year in the organization’s annual Administrator of the Year Awards competition. Mrs. Green-Martins will be honored at ACSA’s Leadership Summit in Sacramento on November 4.

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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, Shelley Chappell, Sara Torabi, Kate Stover,

Charlotte Garcia Da Rosa, Nicole Zweifel and Vicky Contreras.

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.

The 23rd Annual Support Staff Conference is scheduled for Friday, May 8. The conference celebrates the role of school support staff members in shaping the good character of students and coworkers. As an added feature this year, attendees have the opportunity to nominate a colleague for the first Champions for Character Award. At the conference, six individuals will be recognized for exemplifying one of the six CHARACTER COUNTS! Pillars of Character. Nominations will be accepted until April 10. To register for the conference and to make a nomination, visit tcoe.org/Support.

Student-athletes who will be 2015 graduates of a Tulare County high school are invited to apply for the annual Pursuing Victory With Honor (PVWH) Scholarship. The PVWH Scholarship will provide up to four seniors with $500 in support as they attend an accredited college/ university as a full-time student during the 2015-16 academic year. Applications are due April 17. For information, visit tcoe.org/pvwhscholarship, or call Kelley Petty at (559) 740-4303. Last month, the Professional Latin American Association of Kings County presented TCOE’s Deputy Superintendent Dr. Guadalupe Solis with its Educational Leadership Award. Dr. Solis is a member of the Lemoore Union High School Board of Trustees. The PLAA is an organization dedicated to raising scholarship funds for Kings County students and serving as mentors for the county’s youth.

The CHOICES Prevention Programs has partnered with the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office and other local law enforcement agencies on a new three-year, $2.1 million grant entitled Closing the Circle (CTC) to Reduce Crime and Delinquency. Other partners in the grant include the Tulare County Public Defender’s Office, Exeter Police Department, Farmersville Police Department, and ProYouth HEART. CTC has two components: prevention and education which is geared toward youth, and crime suppression which focuses on young adults. Read more at tcoe.org/NewsGallery.

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

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

upcomingevents

IMPACT Intern Program Info. Meeting6:00-7:30 p.m., Board Rm., 2637 W. Burrel Ave., VisaliaFor information, call Marvin Lopez at (559) 624-1035

University Preparatory High School Info. Night6:00 p.m., COS Visalia campus, Room Yokut 9For information, call Eric Thiessen at (559) 730-2529

Science Olympiad - Division A (grades 3-6)8:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m., El Diamante High School, 5100 W. Whitendale Ave., VisaliaFor information, call Michelle French at (559) 651-3003

SCICON BBQ & Wildf lower Festival11:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m., SCICON Campus, SpringvilleFor information, call Dianne Shew at (559) 539-2642

Robotics Exhibition - High School (grades 9-12)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

Administrative Services Credential Program (Tier I) Info. Meeting6:00-7:30 p.m., Teleconference Rm., 2637 W. Burrel Ave., VisaliaFor information, call Donna Glassman-Sommer or Jesse Coronado at (559) 730-9956

Special Education Induction Clear Program Info. Meeting4:30-6:00 p.m., Educational Enrichment Center, 2500 W. Burrel Ave., VisaliaFor information, call Norma Lovelace at (559) 740-4409

Día de los Niños/ Día de los Libros (grades K-12)1:00 - 4:00 pm, Manuel Hernandez Community Center, 247 W. Ferguson Ave., VisaliaFor information, call Shelley Chappell at (559) 651-3042

Tulare County Technology Challenge (TC²)(grades 7-12)7000 Doe Avenue, VisaliaFor information, call Will Kimbley at (559) 651-3008

Administrative Services Credential Program (Tier II) Info. Meeting6:00-7:30 p.m., Teleconference Rm., 2637 W. Burrel Ave., VisaliaFor information, call Donna Glassman-Sommer or Jesse Coronado at (559) 730-9956

Arbor Day (grades 3-5)9:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m., Mooney Grove Park, VisaliaFor information, call Jared Marr at (559) 651-3047

Theatre Company Spring MusicalSelections from Into the Woods Jr. and Winnie the Pooh KidsRotary Theater, 330 S. Dollner St., VisaliaEvening shows: April 30, May 1 & 2, 7:00 p.m.

Matinee: May 2, 2:00 p.m.

General admission tickets: $10

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

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