Page 8 - Dinuba Sentinel 12-14-17 E-edition

A8| Thursday, December 14, 2017 Community School board outlines high school plans
The Dinuba Sentinel
By Keven J. Geaney
Project overview
The Dinuba Unified School District is planning a new high school designed with a master planned capacity of 3,000 students in grades 9 through 12. Phase One of the project will be designed for approximately 2,646 students in 98 teaching stations.
The entire site is currently 76 acres of undeveloped agricultural land. The design team will be master planning 66 acres of the site with a remaining 10 acres for future development. The site currently has an old farm house called the Burum House on the property. An inspection of the home revealed the building materials contained extensive asbestos and lead within the home, and significant termite damage and dry rot. This information led the District to determine that restoration of the home would not be financially feasible and therefore it will be demolished.
The new high school will include innovative, adaptable, programmatic elements which support the process of learning. Facilities will accommodate the needs of 21st-Century students with collaborative learning experiences supported with flexible and innovative spaces for today and for the future.
The Dinuba Unified School District, along with SIM-PBK [architect firm], embarked on a planning process that engaged multiple stakeholders in designing the new 21st century high school that will provide a state-of-the-art facility to enhance the educational needs of the students and be a source of pride for the community despite facing the challenges of a District under financial hardship, and the budget restriction challenges they have to overcome.
City Planning meeting
City officials stated that Kamm Avenue to the north needs to be widened to a 110- foot wide arterial.
On both sides of Alta and Kamm Avenue curb and gutter improvements will be required. Street lights will also be
required.
Alta Irrigation stated that the
current 24-inch underground pipe, just south of Kamm, that runs along the north side of the property, will have to be upgraded to urban use. The Kamm Avenue crossing of the ditch needs to be upgraded/ reconstructed. The main ditch needs to be piped with 72-inch pipeline with access ports. The cost for the upgrades is at least $500,000.
The Burum House, which sits on the property, is not historically registered but the Historic Preservation Committee has an interest in keeping the house. Peggy Garispe, Chief Business Official for Dinuba Unified, pointed out that to refurbish the house would be very expensive.
Student workshop
Twenty-four leadership students met last year with the architect team to discuss what they would want at a high school. The students want an area that has increased WiFi speed to get access; an area that is quiet for students to use as a place for studying; conference rooms that are available to students to use and reserve them in advance; an area available to meet after school and open later in the evening; access to an online library system; food court area; being able to have all the sports on campus; workshop classes on campus; larger space in the clinical nursing classroom for equipment; film production class on campus; an area for other teams like dance and cheer to use to practice when the weather isn't good; having rooms together and sound proof so they don't have to travel all over campus and they don't disturb other classes; storage space for classes like video production, drama, band, choir, etc.; crosswalks at Alta and Kamm Avenues; outside seating available to the students; need for shade; smaller tables for students to sit at in the student union; no rocks in the walkways because students will throw them; students like the area between the buildings that allow for areas to hang out; ag
department need for land to compete against other schools; a amphitheater for lunch activities like homecoming and class competitions; NJROTC would need an area; students
mentioned that they want an area to have meetings or a spot to reserve; students also mentioned needing a student store.
Pizza sales at Sierra Vista
Sierra Vista Continuation High School teacher Ryan Coats and two seniors, Lucy Uribe and Isaac Cortez, gave a report on the student service learning project the school has had since 2007.
Coats stated that since he started the pizza sales service project in 2007 they have had 26 pizza sales. He usually averages around 40 Sierra Vista students and 10-15 Ronald Reagan students helping out during the year.
“That's 65 percent of the student population working on pizza sales, which I think is great,” Coats said. “We also have 90-95 percent staff participation.”
Coats stated that the pizza sales help pay for different activities at the school. He also mentioned that it gives the school positive exposure and the students learn a variety of skills. He added that it's all volunteer for the students.
Lucy came to the podium and stated that she came to Sierra Vista as a sophomore because of poor attendance and behavior issues. Since taking part in the service learning project she has improved her communication and teamwork skills. Last year she received the pillar of accountability award.
Cortez stated that when he started at Dinuba High he was always in trouble and didn't care about school. When he came to Sierra Vista the pizza sales project helped him with communication skills and helped change his attitude. He is now planning on joining the military after graduation.
Board member Mary Villarreal told the students that they are learning a lot of valuable skills. She also mentioned that she graduated from Sierra Vista High School.
“I applaud you for doing it [pizza sales] because you don't have to,” Villarreal said. “Not only are you getting communication skills, but you're also getting customer service skills and a lot of other things. I do appreciate all of you. Sierra Vista is close to my heart and I congratulate all of you.”
Editor@thedinubasentinel.com
A 70-page educational specifications document for the new Dinuba High School was presented to the Dinuba Unified School Board members at last Thursday's meeting. The board members were asked to read it and possibly adopt it by the Jan. 11, 2018 school board meeting.
“It [document] will tell you what people thought of some of the designs, what they felt was important, what they felt should be changed, and that is all part of what you have to do to build a new school,” Jack Schreuder, Director of Facilities, said. “Read and review it over the holidays and by the next board meeting hopefully you [board] will approve it. A lot of players were involved in this process to build the new high school.”
Board member Bev Keel- Worrell, who was earlier sworn in as the new board president, said, “I will be sure to read this over the holidays. A lot of work was put into this and a lot of input from people.”
Schreuder stated that they had 29 meetings since Oct. 3, 2016. Meetings were held with city of Dinuba Planning, Dinuba Unified's Visioning Team, District administration and staff, city police and fire departments, Dinuba City Council, students and teachers.
The document opened up with the headline: Establishing a planning process for a successful high school project. It then asked “What is an Educational Specification?”
An educational specification establishes the groundwork for the project and lays out the important information that is needed to design the project. Educational specifications are interrelated statements that communicate [or specify] to the architect, the public, and other interested parties what educators believe is required for a proposed educational facility to support a specific educational program. The initial result is a program document that defines educational goals and priorities from extensive discussions with administrators, teachers, parents, staff and students.
Alyiha Diaz | Dinuba Unified GATE photographer
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Gladiator Award for his youth football team. The award is given to a player who helps encourage fellow teammates when they are feeling down. He received the award during a banquet on Dec. 6. He was also the team captain this year for the Gladiators. He played at the offensive and defensive lineman positions and also was a running back.
“I enjoy helping people and I always have a smile on my face,” Juan said.
Juan is also busy being
a big brother to Roosevelt Elementary School second- grader Katrina Frausto as part of the Big Brothers/Sisters program.
The eighth-grader not only draws and helps others, he has been involved in band the last three years playing the alto saxophone and excels in
academics with a 3.5 grade point average [GPA] this semester. His overall GPA is over 3.0.
Outside of school Juan is busy volunteering at his church and helping with fundraisers for the Gladiators program. He helped collect and distribute clothes and food to needy families through his church. He also led fundraisers for the Gladiators, including getting
a television donated from Ed Dena's Auto Center for a raffle.
Last year, while playing for the Gladiators, Juan was chosen to play for the Central Valley All-Stars youth football team. His all-star team played in a tournament in Sacramento in December [2016] against teams from Oregon, Washington
and San Diego. Juan was
an offensive and defensive lineman.
Come try our
Mr. Frederick.
Mr. Frederick, a sixth grade
teacher, wants his students to accomplish wiring their own circuit successfully by the end of this module. Mr. Frederick asked a question that stumped most of the GATE students. He had asked, “What is a switch?” Many students tried to make an educated guess, but were incorrect. After a few minutes, he gave them the answer to the question. “Something that disconnects and connects the
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Sugan Virgen, Gabriela Ochoa and Ana Rodriguez complete a task from their J. Snap Circuit Kit. They Successfully launch A propeller from the circuit board.
Circuit training
electricity flow through a circuit.” Students were all working in groups. I interviewed one group of sixth grade girls who were working on a project on their Jr. Snap Circuit Kit. The objective of their task was to correctly assemble the circuit board so the motor would launch a propeller into the air. Ana Rodríguez, a member of the group shared, “An electric circuit is a pathway made of wires that electrons can
flow through.”
Using Google Slides, other
groups were labeling parts of a circuit. Once they were done, they moved onto their Jr. Snap Circuit Kits and began their first project on the circuit board.
Whenever you turn on a light or turn on an engine, you’ll know that circuits are being used and a part of our everyday life. Students at Grand View Elementary have been studying them for the past few months and might be able to teach you about them in the future.
Andrea Parra is a Jefferson School sixth-grader and a student in the Dinuba Unified GATE program.
Andrea Parra
GATE students at Grand View Elementary have been spending their Wednesday afternoons studying
and creating circuits with their teacher,
By Andrea Parra
Dinuba Unified GATE reporter
C
when charging our phone, it may be when turning on a light.
ircuits. We use them at some point throughout our day. If it's not
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