Focus on Education (01/19/15)

EMPIRE DISTRICT SEEKS PUBLIC INPUT

The Empire Union School District will hold public meetings to provide information on the state’s new funding formula and gather required public input on spending priorities. The meetings will be 6 to 7 p.m. Tuesday and 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. Thursday at Glick Middle School Library, 400 Frazine Road. After a brief overview, parents and community members will be invited to give their ideas about issues, programs and practices they would like considered as the district creates its spending plan for 2015-16.

TURLOCK UNIFIED BOARD TO MEET

The Turlock Unified School District board will meet at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Professional Development Center, 1100 Cahill Ave., Turlock. Trustees will discuss unspecified options to expand the district’s dual-language magnet program at Osborn Two-Way Immersion Academy, which has a lengthy waiting list. Also to be discussed is a revised salary schedule for midlevel administrators with a comparison to other districts, listing a financial impact of $187,927. It was not clear if the revisions are proposed or existing, but there will be no vote on the item Tuesday, administrators said. Find the agenda at http://goo.gl/RC75uK.

NO NAME-CALLING WEEK COUNTERS BULLYING

This is No Name-Calling Week for educators and students across the country, including Sylvan and Crossroads elementary schools in north Modesto. Inspired by “The Misfits,” a young adult novel about four friends who run for student government on a “no name-calling” platform to counteract the constant teasing in their school, this is an annual week of educational and creative activities aimed at ending name-calling and bullying at all levels of K-12 education.

CERES UNIFIED BOARD TO MEET

The Ceres Unified School District board will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday in the district board room, 2503 Lawrence St., Ceres. Trustees will be asked to approve the district taking an integral role in mentoring of its beginning teachers. The board will consider approving the hiring of Kirsten Saint as director of curriculum and instruction, and seeking bids for a districtwide Internet provider. Find the agenda at http://boardmeetings.ceres.k12.ca.us.

SCHOOL BUS DRIVER TRAINING

The Escalon Unified School District is offering a school bus driver course. The four-week course will be held from 9 a.m. to noon Tuesday through Thursday starting the last week of January at the district office, 1520 Yosemite Ave., Escalon. Applications are available at the office, open 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays. For more information, call John Lial at (209) 838-3165.

COLLEGE WORKSHOP FOR SENIORS, DREAMERS

The Associated Students of Modesto Junior College is teaming up with Students United Reaching for Equality and MJC’s International Student Program to host a workshop on how to make college a reality, with an emphasis on assisting California Dream Act students. The free event, “Dream ... Possibilities Are Endless,” will begin at 8 a.m. Jan. 31 in the Mary Stuart Rogers Student Learning Center on West Campus, 2201 Blue Gum Ave., Modesto. The workshop will include information on financial aid; Extended Opportunities, Programs and Services; California Dream Act; and the application process at MJC. Reservations are requested, (209) 575-6463.

PATTERSON MAKING HISTORY FEB. 28

The Patterson Unified School District will hold National History Day from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Feb. 28 at Creekside Middle School, 535 Peregrine Drive, Patterson. A judge’s training workshop will be 6 to 7:30 p.m. Feb. 27 at the school. The national program asks students in fourth through 12th grades to research their choice of historical topic, this year following the theme of Leadership & Legacy in History. Students complete a paper, an exhibit, a performance, a documentary or a website. They will present their projects at the history day event. For more, visit https://sites.google.com/a/patterson.k12.ca.us/nhdpusd.

This story was originally published January 18, 2015 at 5:47 PM with the headline "Focus on Education (01/19/15)."