BCSD

Over 600 district students were featured at this year's BCSD Junior High/Middle School Honor Concert and Honor Art Exhibition held at the Rabobank Convention Center.

The concert featured performances by the district's Festival Orchestra under the direction of Ed Hughes, the Honor Orchestra directed by Albert Jeung, Honor Band directed by Gayle Bentley, and the Honor Choir under the direction of Christopher Borges.

To read more and see pictures of the Concert and Art Exhibition, click here.

This past March, like every March for the last 22 years, Chipman Junior High hosted the BCSD Math Bowl.

BCSD students had the opportunity to put their math skills to the test, competing individually and as teams in categories such as dynamic duo, fantastic flash, power relay, thinker, and traditional relay among others.

To read more and see pictures from this years Math Bowl, click here.

Talented students from across the district showcased their musical, thespian, and gymnastic abilities recently during three theatrical productions.  Mt. Vernon School with The Wizard of Oz, Noble Elementary with Aladdin, and Owen's Intermediate with The Jungle Book.

To read more and see pictures from the shows, click here.

Munsey Elementary recently received a donation of $3,215 from AltaOne Federal Credit Union's Bakersfield branch. The money is going to the 'Reach New Heights in Reading' program which will allow Munsey Elementary to purchase 643 books, one book per student at the school.

To read more, click here.

Schools all across the district celebrated Dr. Seuss' Birthday during this year's Read Across America.

To read more and see pictures of celebrity readers, click here.

Franklin Elementary's after school program entertained the student body this past February 21st, performing the play 'Inventive Mind' based on Benjamin Franklin's biography and directed by Pat Kerley.

To read more and see pictures from the play, click here.

After 5 years of attending Garza Elementary, Jennifer Camacena can now make it down to the lower playground without assistance.  On Friday, February 15th Russell Gayer, Dean at Garza Elementary, Jennifer's mother Galista, and some of Jennifer's classmates had a ribbon cutting ceremony to officially open Garza's stunning new 383 ft. wheelchair ramp.

To see pictures from the grand opening, click here.

On Wednesday, February 13th, students and parents filled the Ed Center, walking through the hallways proudly identifying and snapping pictures of their students art during the 2008 Art Gallery Winter Exhibition. Students from kindergarten through eighth grade created a beautiful array of art varying from landscapes and portraits to abstracts.

To read more and see pictures of the student's art, click here.

On Friday, February 8th, a select group of students from Washington Middle School were treated to a day full of math, science and technological fun.

Viva Technology Day integrates competitive engineering and science based exercises with success stories from minority and women scientists and engineers to promote careers in science, technology, engineering and math.  It also focuses on the many different careers that actually use math and science every day.

To read more and see pictures, click here.

This past January 30th, the annual BCSD Henry Greve Speech Contest was held in the Education Center's Board Room.

To find out who won and to see pictures of the winners, click here.

San Diego State University’s National Center for Urban School Transformation has announced twenty finalists for the Excellence in Urban Education Award; and BCSD's Franklin Elementary is one of them.

The representatives from the National Center for Urban School Transformation visited Franklin this past Monday, January 28th.

To read more, click here.

This year's BCSD Spelling Bee was held on January 15th and 16th in the Board Room of the Education Center.  A total of 29 students divided into 2 regions participated this year. It was a tough and interesting competition with words like 'kremlin', 'chutney', 'umlaut', 'banzai', 'haversack', and 'nachtmusik'.

To view a list of the winners and their pictures, click here.

Recently, the award winning television program 'Kids Count', which is sponsored by the Department of Child Support Services Kern County, was taping one of their most recent episodes at William Penn Elementary.

For more information and to see pictures of the taping, click here.

You can watch the episode of 'Kids Count' taped at William Penn Elementary on Saturday, January 26th, 2008 at 11:00am on KGET Channel 17, Cable Channel 3.

The Bakersfield Californian's second annual "My First Library" book drive collected more than 5,000 children's books, which were donated to BCSD students.

To read more and see pictures, click here.

During this Holiday Season students all across the district brought some Holiday cheer to less fortunate members of our community.

For more, click here.

College Heights Elementary and Jefferson School celebrated Thanksgiving week with their annual Turkey Trots.

To view more pictures, click here.

The BCSD Oral Language Festival provides an opportunity for students to enjoy interpretations of literary works through reading, writing, listening and speaking. Students choose from a broad selection of titles, which can be either serious or humorous.  First through fourth place winners will go on to compete at the Kern County Oral Language Festival at Standard Middle School on February 23, 2008.

For a list of Elementary winners, click here.

For a list of Junior High winners, click here.

Awarded in the Fine Arts category, the Juliet Thorner Magnet School Creative and Performing Arts Program operates under the direction of Margaret Gallegos, principal and Sharon Roxburgh, Magnet Specialist.  Mrs. Gallegos was present to receive the highly respected Golden Bell Award at a special ceremony during the California School Board Association's (CSBA) Awards Luncheon at the San Diego Marriot Hotel & Marina, on Saturday, December 1st, 2007.  The event was held in conjunction with the CSBA's Annual Education Conference.

To read more, click here.

At this years Veteran's Day Parade all 8 of our Junior High/Middle school marching bands unveiled their brand new band uniforms, as well as many of the new musical instruments purchased this past summer.



To read more, click here.

The Horace Mann Elementary School Pre-K students, under the direction of Katherine Jordan, won the Grand Marshall's Award at this years Annual Veteran's Day Parade held in downtown Bakersfield on Saturday, November 10th.


For more, click here.

Williams Elementary, The Home Depot, and organizers from the nonprofit organization, KaBOOM!  joined forces to build a state-of-the-art, 2,500 square foot playground in one day.  The playground will provide a safe, fun environment for the children in the community.



For more, click here.

Schools around the district took time during Red Ribbon Week to impress on their students the importance of keeping their minds and bodies free from the destructive influence of drugs, alcohol and tobacco. Visitors ranging from Board Members and the Superintendent to McGruff the Crime Dog and the Bakersfield Chief of Police spoke to students stressing the importance of keeping themselves free harmful and addictive substances.



For more, click here.

Students, teachers and parents from Eissler and Nichols schools spent two weeks in October raising funds to help the Kern County Library’s Northeast Branch recover from recent vandalism.

To read more, click here.

School is back in session and BCSD is looking forward to great results from the dedicated efforts of teachers and staff throughout the district.

For more click here.

Flanked by Arden L. Bement, Jr.- Director of the National Science Foundation on the right and John H. Marburger, III - Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy for the Executive Office of the President on the left, our own Tapp Hancock is awarded the 2006 Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching.

To read more, click here.

Jefferson School recently hosted their Second Annual Father-Daughter Dance. The event encourages dads to become involved in the educational process. At the event, fathers and daughters danced, ate dinner, and heard Patricia “Patty” Garcia explain why her father is the best. Patty took first place in the school’s writing contest, where daughters answered the question, why my father is the best?

To read Patricia’s explanation click here.

Did you know that Owens Primary has 13 sets of twins? That’s right, 13 sets! Some identical and others are fraternal twins, and two sets from the same family. One set of twins said, “I like being a twin; we can swap places every once in a while.”

To see pictures of all 13 sets of twins, click here.

Students at Washington Jr High experienced Viva Technology day. Viva Technology is a program designed to expose students to careers dealing with math, science, and technology. During this event students engineered balloon powered cars, heard the story of an engineer, and were called doctors for the day. The program is sponsored by Chevron and HENAAC Inc.

To read more about the program click here.

Congratulations to the Chipman Math Team who competed in the Math Counts competition.  Brad Knabe, Victoria Nakagawa, Alex Meza, and Gage Marchini competed as individuals.  David Wright, Robyn Kurczodyna, Eryn Worthing, and Haley Davis competed as both individuals and as a team.  Chipman received the following awards:
 
**3rd Place in the team competition
 
**1st Place overall-Robyn Kurczodyna
 
Great job!!

BCSD Winter Art Exhibition was a great success! Students and parents walked through the hallways proudly identifying and taking pictures of their student’s art. Students in kindergarten through eighth grades created a beautiful array of art pieces from abstracts to landscapes. These student artworks will be displayed from February through May at the Education Center located at 1300 Baker Street.

The Gallery was established at the Education Center in 1996 to encourage and reinforce quality art instruction in the classroom. To see all of the student art, click here.

Thanks to Kern County Dental Society volunteers, children at Fremont Elementary received oral health check ups and education on brushing and flossing. The event was part of “Give Kids a SMILE Day.” After the check ups each child received a new toothbrush and toothpaste.

Thank you Kern County Dental Society!

Sean Smith, a student at Owens Intermediate was featured on Channel 17 News, “Stop Our Speeders”. As a science project, Sean recorded the speed of cars on different streets around Bakersfield. He found that most people were BUSTED! 83% of the cars sampled were speeding. Great job Sean!

To view Sean interview with Katie Harlan, click here.

On Saturday, March 3, 2007, BCSD will be holding a Teacher Job Fair at Stiern Middle School in the Multipurpose Room, 2551 Morning Drive. Doors will be open at 7:30 a.m. for the registration of candidates, and interviews will be held from 8:20 a.m.- 12:30 p.m.

Job Fair participants will receive first consideration for 2007-2008 positions, and BCSD site administrators will interview fully credentialed candidates, who provide a resume. Candidates in a teaching program must complete it by August 2007. For more information on the job fair, please click here.

We would like to congratulate our 2007 BCSD Spelling Bee Winners!
 
Region I
1st Place:  Alex Meza, Chipman Jr. High
2nd Place:  Dulce Angulo, Frank West Elementary
3rd Place (tied):  Heather Dewaal, Owens Intermediate
                          Timothy Tolbert, Voorhies Elementary
                          Celeste Torres, Chavez Elementary 

Region II - (Picture on right side)
1st Place:  Gabrielle Garcia, Thorner Elementary
2nd Place:  Sahar Ali, Washington Middle School
3rd Place:  Janet Herrera, Horace Mann Elementary
 
The 1st and 2nd place winners in each region will go on to compete at the County Spelling Bee event on February 8, 2007.  Good luck winners!

Students at Longfellow had an outstanding visitor on their campus, James Weddle, a Longfellow alumnus.  Mr. Weddle attended Longfellow in the 1940’s.  He talked to the students about his experiences walking to school, his 6th grade teacher, and recited a poem that he learned in the 6th grade.  The amazing thing was that he was able to recite the poem from memory.

To top off the visit, Mr. Weddle donated $1,000 to buy poetry books in honor of his 6th grade teacher, Mrs. Hattie Hoy.  Thank you, Mr. Weddle, for your generous donation!

The Bakersfield City School District Board of Trustees is now accepting applications for candidates to fill the vacancy left by departing board member, Ken Weir.  At a special meeting held January 9, 2007, the board approved the process whereby a candidate will be appointed and serve a provisional term of two years as provided in California Education Code section 5091.  For more information click here.

Do the Math is continuing the year of helping students solve and understand math concepts.  The program airs every Tuesday and Wednesday from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. on Bright House channel 15, and Suddenlink Communications channel 20.  The program helps students understand math concepts by working out problems step by step. 

Free math help is available by calling tutors, during the hours of 3:30-5:30 pm on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, at  636-HELP (636-4357) or toll free 1-866-636-6284.  For more information, click here.

The Fall Art Exhibition was a great success! Parents and guests had the opportunity to see more than 70 pieces of art beautifying our walls and allowing the viewers a window into the imagination of our students. Students in kindergarten through eighth grades created a beautiful array of art pieces from abstracts to landscapes. The Gallery was established at the Education Center in 1996 to encourage and reinforce quality art instruction in the classroom. To view the student art, please click here.

Tickets are now on sale at the Grant Writers/ Community Partnerships office, at the Education Center, 1300 Baker St., 93305. All proceeds from the Teddy Bear Picnic go directly into the classrooms. Your ticket purchases and donations make a difference.

Donations of Baskets and Teddy Bears
It would be great to have all donations by November 30th.  We will be emailing more information on the Teddy Bear/Basket Viewing Social as the date approaches.  You are all invited.  

Tickets are now on Sale!  $25 per person
You can pick your table and seat from the seating chart in the Grant Writer/Community Partnership office at time of purchase.


For more information visit bcsd.com/commpartnerships/ or contact Lisa Hart, 631-4893.

Randall Ranes, Administrator of Student Services, has received his second Administrator of the Year Award for his exceptional leadership in the areas of student discipline, records, and attendance. Mr. Ranes has been part of the BCSD team since 1986 and has implemented numerous programs benefiting our students. Congratulations Randy!

To read an article, published by the Association of California School Administrators, featuring Mr. Ranes click here.

As part of National Family Week, November 12-18, the Kern County Family Week Committee is sponsoring the tenth annual CREATIVE EXPRESSION CONTEST for all students in grades 1 through 12. This year’s theme is: “What My Family Means to Me.” Each student who participates must have the completed entry form attached to their entry.

ENTRY DEADLINE: Monday, October 23, 2006.
Entries can be dropped off at the Grant Writer's Office, or mailed to CREATIVE EXPRESSION CONTEST 405 Galaxy Ave. Bakersfield, CA 93308

The entries will be evaluated by a panel of judges from the community. Gift certificates will be awarded to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners in each category for
each grade 1-12.

For additional information please click here.

On Friday, September 1, the Bakersfield College football team showed drills and skills to interested 4th and 5th grade students from Williams Elementary. 

As part of their season opening, players and coaches interacted with students and shared secrets to success both on and off the football field. To top off the afternoon, the BC athletic department gave students at Williams, 1000 tickets for the first BC home game on Saturday, Sept. 2.  Good luck Renegades! To view more pictures of the event, click here or to view video of the event click here.

Students at Wayside started the year with new tricycles donated by KUZZ listeners and businessman, Tim Gurley. The donation came after a partnership was developed between the school and the business. Thank you for your donation.

To view the video of the delivery click here.

Your student’s education is the key for their future. To assure that your student is ready to undergo the learning experience, here are some helpful tips:

• Make sure your student eats a healthy breakfast every morning.
• Make sure that they sleep 8-10 hours a night.
• Limit their TV watching to an hour a night, and substitute the extra time reading a good story. 
  

Schools will be open for registration, starting August 14, 2006. Here are some helpful links:

School Uniforms—is your student required to wear a uniform? If so, what colors? To find out click here!

School Bus & Bell Schedule—some routes have change, for the most updated routes click here!

Immunizations Requirements & Registration Information—to avoid countless trips to the school, click here.

The BCSD Education Foundation offers many grant opportunities for educators who want to develop innovative projects for the classroom. For more information on how you can apply for a grant, click here.

Congratulation to the following educators on receiving the following grants;

Project Puppy Love- Pauly, Robin Slocum
Flash II - Owens Primary, Joyce Victor, Karen Howard, Jessica Ercoli
Digital Kindergarten Yearbook- McKinley, Karen Nguyen, Paula Lane
Standard S.U.C.C.E.S.S. - Munsey, Heather Randolph, Barbara Elrod
Increasing Fluency and Comprehension- Evergreen, Stephanie Schuster, Carol Sayer
Bee Books "Bring Everything Everyday"- Frank West, Terri Forster

In May, two Chipman Junior High students, Gloria Lara and Berenice Ortiz, participated in the 4th Annual Migrant Speech and Debate Tournament in Ventura, California. The students took first and second place and received an all expense paid trip to Sacramento on Friday, June 9th and 10th. The students, along with their teacher, Roxi Romo, will be meeting with various legislators and dignitaries.  Congratulations students on a job well done!

Stand Strong Academy and Mentoring Program was launched as a partnership, along with the BCSD and Stand Strong Foundation, Inc. The foundation was established in 2005 primarily to develop and implement programs for minority and disadvantage youth in California. Focusing on promoting, demonstrating, and teaching the following core values: Service, Truth, Achievement, Nobility, Determination (S.T.A.N.D), Sponsorship, Trustworthiness, Respect, Optimism, Neatness, and Generosity (S.T.R.O.N.G.).

At the end of the program students were recognized for commitment, achievement, citizenship, and the best school attendance. In addition, two students were selected for the following awards: 
 
Stand Strong Pioneer of the year—Adrian Mercado (far left)

Stand Strong Leadership Award—David Little (right)

To view more pictures of the event, click here.

Owens Intermediate had a very special visitor, former student Eloy Villanueva. Eloy was part of the GATE program and is now studying mechanical engineering at Harvard University.  Eloy shared his experiences as a student in the Owens GATE program and his current experiences as a student at Harvard University. Thank you for stopping by, Eloy!

3rd graders from Fremont Elementary were invited to participate in the first annual B.I.G., Bakersfield Intergenerational Games, at CSUB. Students interacted with nurses, athletes, and senior citizens to learn health, nutrition, and exercise. 

During the day, CSUB Nurses helped students take their own blood pressure and explained what the results meant. In another station, basketball and soccer players worked with students on stretching techniques and discussed the importance of team work. Also, seniors from the community read to students about nutrition, working cooperatively, and sports.    

To view more pictures of the event, click here. 

Principal, Nancy Olcott, promised to kiss a pig if her students read enough books, and guess what? Students at Pioneer School read 4,225 books in just one month! Wow! What an accomplishment.  

To view more pictures of the event, click here.

BCSD has another accomplishment to be proud of, Freight Train Running: A Biography of Buck Owens, a book created by BCSD employees, on their own time, author, Linda Stacey; illustrator, Angela Gia; and designer, Karlene Copenhaver. The book will be on sale Wednesday, March 15, 2005 at the following locations: Russo’s Books, The Crystal Palace, Barnes & Noble, and Borders. 

For more on the story, click here.

On Friday, March 24, 2006, Pioneer Elementary, kicked off Recycling Campaign 2006. Students, teachers, and staff recycled paper for a week and displayed what they collected in a mountain of paper. Student representatives discussed the importance of recycling and how it will help their environment.

To view more pictures of the event, click here.

Thorner Elementary School kicked-off the 2006 Kern County Telephone Book Recycling Program from a hot air balloon 50 feet in the air. Thorner was selected to kick-off the program because they recycle more telephone books than any other school in the United States. Last year, the students collected over 26 tons of phone books. At 3.4 lbs per book that’s 15,294 phone books saved from the landfill; another way to look at it, 19 phone books were recycled per student.

To read more on Thorner's participation in the 2006 Kern County Telephone Book Recycling Program, click here.

Guadalupe Chavez, BCSD Parent, has been selected as this year’s California's Migrant Parent of the Year.  Mrs. Chavez donated countless hours and participated in numerous committees within the district, including School Council at Ramón Garza Elementary, Booster Club at Sierra Middle School, and the Regional Advisory Committee for Migrant Education Region 21.

Congratulations Mrs. Chavez!

Volunteers from McKinley Environmental Magnet School, the local community, and The Home Depot joined forces with the nonprofit organization KaBOOM! to build a state-of-the-art 2,500 sq. ft. playground. The playground was built in one day and will provide a safe and fun environment for the children in the community.

Thank you KaBoom! & Home Depot

Crowds of parents and BCSD supporters filled the Rabobank Convention Center, Monday night, to celebrate the 50th Annual Junior High/Middle School Honor Concert and Honor Art Exhibition.  Visual & Performing Arts Coordinator, Michael Stone, and BCSD Superintendent, Dr. Jean Fuller, were on hand to present Bill Burton a special award for starting the program 50 years ago.  

To view the presentation, Click here.

Former Casa Loma student Joey Porter certainly knew how to set goals.  It was in the 4th grade that he announced he was going to become a professional football player, and through a lot of hard work that included academic studies, he made it to the big leagues.

As part of the Pittsburgh Steelers, he helped his team reach victory at this year’s Super Bowl.  

The City of Bakersfield held a big celebration on his behalf  on February 20, and Casa Loma Principal Gwen Johnson and Porter’s 3rd grade teacher Mayola Beverly were on hand for the event.

BCSD Communications videographer Paul Linfesty was also on hand to capture the ceremony.  Click here to view the video.

On Saturday, March 4, 2006, BCSD will be holding a Teacher Job Fair at Stiern Middle School in the Multipurpose Room, 2551 Morning Drive. Doors will be open at 7:45 a.m. for the registration of candidates, and interviews will be held from 8:00 a.m.- 10:00 a.m.

Job Fair participants will receive first consideration for 2006-2007 positions, and BCSD site administrators will interview fully credentialed candidates, who provide a resume. Candidates in a teaching program must complete it by August 2006. For more information on the job fair, please click here.

It’s that time of year, when visibility can be dangerously low due to fog. Under these conditions, the district may call a two hour delay that only applies to the bus schedules.  All our schools remain open at their regular times where teachers and staff will be on campus.

If a student does not ride the bus and a fog delay is issued, the student is still expected to be at school at the regular time, unless the parent or guardian feels that it is unsafe to travel.

Ways to find out if there is a fog delay:
Watch local TV stations
Listen to the radio
Visit the Kern County Schools AlertLine http://alertline.kern.org/

Do the Math has started its fourth season of helping students solve and understand math concepts. The program airs every Tuesday and Wednesday from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. on Bright House channel 15, and Cox Cable channel 20.  The program helps students understand math concepts by working out problems step by step with the student.  

Free math help is available by calling the show, during the hours of 3:30-6:00 pm on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, at 631-HELP (636-4357) or toll free 1-866-636-6284.

Students or parents are encouraged to call the help line when:

• Having a difficult time with a homework problem
• Studying for a test and not understanding the concepts being tested
• Needing math information

Thanks to all of your help, the Teddy Bear Picnic was a great success. Over 60 teddy bears were donated by businesses, teachers, and BCSD Departments for the auction which raised over $21,000. The annual event helps to keep many innovative classroom programs active, including the Chess Grant and the FLASH program which give students the opportunity to learn and develop critical thinking skills. 

To view a short video of the event please click here.

Volunteers are essential in making the Camp KEEP BBQ at CALM a successful, fund-raising event for the KEEP Foundation. We would sincerely appreciate the donation of your time to help staff with this exciting event on Saturday, October 15, 2005. Anyone completing a 2½ hour volunteer shift will receive a lunch voucher ticket. For more information, contact Lorrie Kilby 636-4629.

To view event flyer please click here or View detailed volunteer job descriptions

On Friday, September 16, Chavez Elementary School, in conjunction with the Kern County Heritage Commission, hosted an entertaining morning in commemoration of Constitution Day. The event was filled with patriotic songs like The Presidents Song, Salute to the U.S. Constitution, and Fifty Nifty United States, performed by students ranging from first to fourth grade. 

Some of the guests of honor included Harvey Hall, Mayor of Bakersfield, Zack Scrivner, Senior Field Representative for Kevin McCarthy, Jacquie Sullivan, City Council Member, Josh Martinez, District Representative for Senator Roy Ashburn, Eduardo Herrera, BCSD Education Foundation and others. The morning started with a flag ceremony and salute directed by the Girl Scouts, followed by student performances and distinguished guest speakers. Also present was the Bakersfield Symphony Orchestra Brass Quartet accompanying the program with beautiful patriotic music.

Mayor Harvey Hall of Bakersfield proclaimed September 17, as Constitution Day. To view the proclamation, click here.

As part of National Family Week, November 13-19, the Kern County Family Week Committee is sponsoring the ninth annual CREATIVE EXPRESSION CONTEST for all students in grades 1 through 12. This year’s theme is: “What My Family Means to Me.” Each student who participates must have the completed entry form attached to their entry.

ENTRY DEADLINE: Monday, October 24, 2005.

The entries will be evaluated by a panel of judges from the community. Four Grand Prize winners will be selected, along with a first, second, and third place winner in each category for each grade.

For additional information please click here.

Parents registering students for the first time must provide the school with the following documents: birth certificate, up to date immunization record, proof of address-this may be any document mailed to the address provided (i.e. phone bill, rental agreement), and a physical for students entering kindergarten and  first grade.

The Bakersfield City School District will provide free and reduced price meals for children under the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program. On the first day of school, application forms will be distributed to all parents/guardians with a letter informing them of the availability of free and reduced price meals.


To apply for free and reduced price meals, households must fill out the application and return it to school. Applications may be submitted and verified at any time during the school year. The information parents/guardians provide on the application will be used for the purpose of determining eligibility and verification of data.

 
To print the application for National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program, please click here!

State Senator Roy Ashburn presented a State Senate resolution honoring Tapp Hanncock, a teacher at Wayside Elementary, for developing the Han-5 mathematics system..

The Han-5 system is a learning tool that utilizes the hands of the students to help them remember math facts through nine different number patterns. After students practice the system they are able to drop their hands and mentally recall the math facts presented.

Books, books, lots of books! Novels, fiction, drama, we were looking for books! Thanks to the generosity of community members and district staff  we collected over 1,500 books to support the Family Literacy Project. 

  Over 1,100 Middle/Junior High school students and parents attended this year’s event on Saturday, April 9, 2005, 8:30 to 3:00 p.m., at California State University, Bakersfield.  Participants received information on Financial Aid, the admission requirements for the different colleges and Universities, and received a campus tour.

For more information on College: Making It Happen, click here.

More than thirty parents, as well as some students, participated in the Parent University graduation ceremony on Saturday, January 22, at the Bakersfield City School District Professional Development Center. Graduating parent Amalia Marin had only wonderful things to say about the program. “It impacted my family within a week. I could see a drastic change with my kids, and it motivated me to continue going to the classes.”

The Parent University second session is scheduled to begin in February 2005 for BCSD parents. The classes provide concrete strategies that help parents communicate better with their children, increase their children’s self-esteem and improve their children’s academic achievement for future success in the job market. Each class meets once a week and runs from as short as six weeks to as long as twelve weeks. The classes are free of charge, and childcare is provided for children between the ages of 3 and 11. For more information or to register, please call 631-4763.

Community Involvement is practiced at many District schools via canned-food drives for those less fortunate to raising funds for the California Living Museum.  Students learn the importance of community whether it’s local or stretches across the globe to help others in need.
Students and staff at Stiern Middle School have opened their hearts to the victims of the recent tsunami disaster through a fundraiser coined “What It Means to Give.”  The fundraiser will run from Thursday, January 6, through the completion of a $1,500 quest.  Students are asking for a $1 donation in return for a yellow, green and blue braided strand of yarn – yellow for hope, blue for peace, and green for renewal.  Stiern Middle School’s students will have the opportunity to purchase the braids from their student store between 11:00 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. each day. 

The Bakersfield City School District Educational Foundation Teddy Bear Picnic 2004 was “beary” successful with the largest turnout ever in nine years.  Over 300 guests at the Holiday Inn Select on Thursday, December 9, joined the Foundation in its quest to raise funds for grants that directly benefit students in the District.  The formation of bears standing alone, two by two, or placed in baskets with other items prompted a steady stream of silent bidders circling around the tables.  Please click here to see the list of sponsors who so generously contributed to the event.

Parents and community members had the opportunity to visit the Bakersfield City School District Education Center, 1300 Baker Street, on Tuesday, November 16, during their second open house celebrating American Education Week. This year’s AEW theme was "Celebrating the American Dream" sponsored by the National Education Association. BCSD Education Center departments had displays in the Boardroom lobby showcasing their behind-the-scenes tasks that support the district’s Strategic Plan. Both English and Spanish tour guides escorted visitors through the building that houses more than 200 employees. In addition to the open house, the Title I Parent Involvement Department sponsored a field trip and tour to California State University, Bakersfield, on Wednesday, November 17. On Thursday, November 18, there were several more activities at the BCSD Education Center. Parents had the opportunity to hear Guest Speaker Armando Vazquez, KCSOS administrator for East Kern, visit the Instructional Materials Center Open House and attend workshops later in the evening.

Oh, what a night! Thursday, October 21, at John’s Incredible Pizza was an awesome success with more than 1,500 BCSD employees and family members in attendance during employee appreciation night. By 7:00 o’clock the entrance had a long line of folks waiting to get inside. John’s Incredible staff came to the rescue – they took trays of drinks, breadsticks and even small ice cream cones to appease the crowd. And incredible as it may seem, the crowd didn’t seem to mind the wait. Everyone was chatting and laughing with others in the BCSD family.

Franklin School Principal Carla Tafoya only knew that mum was the word when she was first told that Christine Wood would be the recipient of $25,000 - a Milken Family Foundation National Educator Award that recipients may spend however they choose.  Secrecy at Franklin School on Friday, October 8 was the order of the day.  Christine Wood, Franklin school first-grade teacher, was not to know the real reason for the assembly.

 “Pomp and Circumstance” was elevated at Downtown School on September 29 during the school’s California Distinguished Flag Ceremony.  Bakersfield High School Air Force Junior ROTC carried the Distinguished Flag along with the United States and California flags across the campus while staff, students, parents and community members stood in attention.  Bakersfield High School Marching Band played to the crowd’s emotion as the special celebration began with a welcome by Downtown School Principal Sandra Rouse.

 School staffs are officially welcoming parents and students during 'Back to School Night' at each of the District's 42 schools scheduled at various times in September and October. 

'Back to School Night' provides parents the opportunity to ask questions and gather school information that will help ensure a successful 2004-05 school year.

'Back to School Night' dates and times for each school are as follows:

Congratulations to Tapp Hancock, BCSD kindergarten teacher at Wayside School. She was recently named one of four state finalists in a national teaching competition for kindergarten through grade twelve teachers. She was selected by a national panel for the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. Ms. Hancock will be competing against finalists from across the country and only two will be chosen ? one math and one science teacher.

Downtown Elementary and Thorner Magnet School have been named California Distinguished Schools for 2004. The prestigious award is considered the state's predominant recognition of a school's total educational program, including high expectations for all its students, the implementation of state-adopted standards, and visionary and collaborative leadership.

"It's a great learning experience!" That's what Amber Thomas had to say about summer camp. "It gives kids something to do." Mrs. Thomas' daughter, Skylar, attended first-grade summer camp at College Heights School. But according to three fifth-grade students in Ms. Alvarado's summer camp classroom, it was more. The fifth-grade girls had bonded with each other, as well as with their teacher.