Growing More Than Plants—In West Sacramento, behind the old Hollywood Hardware building on Merkley Avenue, there’s a farm. The Washington Unified School District (WUSD) leases the 1-acre plot to the Center for Land-Based Learning, and Fiery Ginger Farm subleases it from the center to grow their fall and winter crops here. 

Students from the WUSD’s Transition to Adult Living (TAL) work at the farm four days a week and on Tuesdays take the bus to Davis, where Fiery Ginger Farm leases another plot at The Cannery. The program assists young adults with developmental disabilities transition from student life to independent living. Community work settings like Fiery Ginger Farm, teach the students hands-on, employment-related skills. Read more in the December issue of Inside East Sacramento. 

College Gear Day—in an effort to promote a college and career environment, we are asking all district employees and TK-12 students to wear college gear on the first Wednesday of each month. The first official district-wide day was on Wednesday, December 6, 2017.

In the spirit of fun competition, schools with the highest percentage of students and staff wearing gear will win the coveted College Gear Day Trophy! Schools will hold the trophy for the entire month and then pass it along to the next school that wins the following month.

Congratulations to our first ever College Gear Day trophy recipient, the Washington Middle College High School Panthers!

Shop with a Cop—on Saturday, December 16th, our friends at the West Sacramento Police Department hosted a Shop with a Cop event providing a fun filled day for a number of children in need throughout West Sacramento while creating positive relationships with law enforcement. This unique shopping experience assists children and can deter them from making negative choices. The participating children were identified by schools, churches, youth organizations, and social services agencies.

Children spent the morning with uniformed police officers participating in a law enforcement procession to the West Sacramento Walmart where each child was treated to a $200 shopping trip. Many thanks to the West Sacramento Police Department and all the partnering organizations for creating this opportunity for our children. 

Riverbank Receives Barona Education Grant—At the December 14th School Board meeting we recognized Riverbank Elementary which was endorsed by California State Assemblymember Kevin McCarty to participate in the 2017 Barona Education Grant Program.

As a result, Riverbank Elementary was selected out of this year’s pool of applicants to receive a $5,000 grant to assist in the purchase of supplies and materials to benefit student learning.

The Barona Band of Mission Indians is proud to help make a difference for schools throughout California via the Grant Program. Through the endorsement of a community’s locally-elected state representatives, schools in that area can apply for Barona educational funding to purchase much-needed supplies.

Applications for the grant may be submitted by the locally-elected state official on the school’s behalf, or the school may submit the application directly as long as it is accompanied by an endorsement letter by a State Executive Office holder, Senator or Assembly member.