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Samer Dhillon
Amazing 20-year-old Inderkum grad
gives back to school with
scholarships
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Less than three years after graduating from Inderkum High School, Sam Dhillon is only 20 years old but already he:
- owns an investment firm
- plays basketball for the University of Southern California
- is studying for a medical career
- researches Alzheimer's disease
- is co-founder of a mobile health clinic.
Now, Dhillon wants to give back to his alma mater: He's offering two $1,000 scholarships to Tiger athletes through a nonprofit organization he created, "Deep Roots," named in memory of his deep roots in Sacramento. Application forms are available
here.
"I never forget where I came from," Dhillon said.
Dhillon also counts his years at Inderkum as invaluable. He was Student Body president and graduated as valedictorian, with a 4.5 grade point average. A 6-foot-8 basketball standout, Dhillon averaged 13.6 points per game and served as team captain his senior year, according to a biography posted by the University of Southern California.
Inderkum enhanced his ethic of hard work, taught him leadership skills, provided a solid academic foundation, and gave him confidence in approaching and reaching out to others, Dhillon said.
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Yuri Penermon gets 'pied'
in cancer-fight fundraiser
Natomas High School Principal Yuri Penermon gets "creamed" with a pie in the face by student body president Danisha Gipson as part of a campus fundraiser that generated $500 for cancer research and patient care.
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State Civics Award for Natomas High School
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Student-helping-student project promotes civic engagement
A student-helping-student project last year not only was fun, it was educational and played a key role in Natomas High winning a state civics award this month.
Natomas High was one of 78 California schools selected for an "Award of Merit" in the state's annual Civic Learning Award program, designed to celebrate exceptional student engagement in that subject. Winners were announced by state Chief Justice Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye and Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson.
Natomas High's major civic engagement last year was "Invitational Field Day" in which more than 180 Nighthawk senior social science students, drama students, and student leaders volunteered to help special-needs students from Natomas Unified and other districts participate in athletic events ranging from running to wheelchair races to Frisbee toss.
"The unique civic engagement aspect of the event was to provide regular education students with the experience of working with (special-needs) students in a way they never have before," said Janet Mann, an American Government teacher spearheading Natomas High's civic engagement efforts. Invitational Field Day, held at the Nighthawk campus last spring, was coordinated by NUSD teachers Kim Taxara and Stacy Kalfsbeek-Hickel.
During the Invitational Field Day, Nighthawk students cheered on their special-needs buddies, played games with them, had lunch with them, and did whatever necessary to help them compete and enjoy the festivities. Student volunteers served more than 500 hours that day.
Read the full story here.
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Supt. Chris Evans applauds Field Day collaboration
The state civics learning award won by Natomas High School this month is a testament to NUSD's talented workforce and the good we can do for students, schools, families and our community through collaboration by certificated and classified staff, Supt. Chris Evans said in a message to NUSD staff.
The superintendent added the following:
The keystone event leading to Natomas High's state civics honor was last spring's "Invitational Field Day" for special-needs students that was made possible through teamwork by student volunteers, teachers, administrators and classified staff.
"Invitational Field Day" at Natomas High was a friendly, athletic competition for 100 to 200 special-needs students who participated in events ranging from running and long jump to Frisbee toss, softball throw or wheelchair races. Other Nighthawk students volunteered as "buddies" to cheer and assist the special-needs competitors.
Certificated staff played key roles in organizing the feel-good event and ensuring that special-need
participants were paired with a Nighthawk "buddy." Classified staff were instrumental, too, in ways ranging from set-up by custodial staff to the preparation of lunches by Nutrition Services, busing of participants from other NUSD campuses, and participation by Special Education instructional aides and campus safety specialists.
Everybody won at Invitational Field Day -- ribbons were awarded to all participants. Special-needs students enjoyed a happy day of fun and friendship. Regular education students gained by participating in real-world civics through service to others. Natomas Unified and its staff benefited, too, by creating a community event that left a legacy of goodwill and special memories.
This year's "Invitational Field Day" is set for April 29 at Natomas High.
Thank you, staff, for collaborating again to make it happen.
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Fight poverty by reading books?
Yes! ...Here's how:
Two Rivers Elementary School library technician Jessica Esperanza launched a campaign in which students solicited penny-per-page sponsors for every book they read last month, with proceeds going to Heifer International to buy farm animals for poverty-stricken families worldwide.
The kids raised $982, helped families less fortunate, and gained academically by reading so much.
If you're counting, that's a win-win-win.
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Tahir Bradford Succeeding
Despite Life's Obstacles
Natomas Middle School's Tahir Bradford, 14, has attended multiple schools in his life, including several within the same year. He lacks consistent transportation to school. He has faced family challenges. Nothing has been easy. Yet he keeps pushing forward.
Tahir is passing all his classes, and teachers describe him as smart, talented, mature, goal-oriented, and a leader in the classroom.
The Association of California School Administrators honored the 8th-grader this month as one of its regional nominees in the "Every Student Succeeding" program.
Awesome accomplishment, Tahir!
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Super volunteer Carole August:
'I just love seeing the kids learn'
Carole August doesn't want to leave the 3rd grade.
That's where you'll find her, year after year.
August is a Bannon Creek Elementary School volunteer who thinks 3rd grade is pivotal to a child's academic success, so she is committed to helping struggling students boost their reading skills.
"I want to do something worthwhile, something satisfying," she said of her senior years. "I just love seeing the kids learn."
What advice would she give to a potential school volunteer?
"Just dive right in!" she said.
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Programs, notes & opportunities
Reaching Out to You
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Natomas Schools Foundation
Scholarship: D
eadline April 4
The Natomas Schools Foundation has extended its deadline for accepting scholarship applications to 4:30 p.m. Monday, April 4. The original deadline was March 31.
NSF will award at least $6,000 in academic scholarships this year -- three for $1,000 apiece and six for $500 apiece -- to high school and post-high school students to defray educational expenses at an accredited two- or four-year college or university, or trade school.
Winners must live -- or have resided -- within NUSD boundaries. They also must attend -- or have attended -- high school within the District. Applicants must have a cumulative grade point average of 2.5 or higher and have served 50 hours, within the past two years, of formal employment or volunteer service. The latter can include community assistance or participation in a school club or organization.
Applications, available here, can be dropped off at the NUSD Ed Center, 1901 Arena Blvd., when it reopens April 4 after Spring Recess. Completed forms also can be mailed to: Natomas Schools Foundation, Attn: NSF Scholarship Committee, c/o School Leadership and Support, 1901 Arena Blvd., Sacramento, Ca., 95834.
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Trustee Lisa Kaplan helps students
with
computer scholarship program
For the third consecutive year, NUSD Trustee Lisa Kaplan is reaching out to help two local high school students who don't have a lot of money but are determined to succeed in school and in life.
Kaplan, through the "Closing the Digital Divide" scholarship program, will provide at least two Chromebook computers for distribution to high school students in need, defined as qualifying for free lunches, foster youth, or homeless youth.
Chromebook winners also must have a minimum 2.5 grade point average and be enrolled at Natomas, Inderkum or Discovery high schools. Candidates will be evaluated on the basis of financial need, academic performance, leadership potential, and courage in overcoming adversity. Applications, available here, must be submitted by April 15.
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Cesar Chavez Youth Leadership Conference -- April 9
Middle and high school students can get expert help in planning for college and career by attending the Cesar Chavez Youth Leadership Conference from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 9, at UC Davis. The free event will include a college resource fair, financial aid information, community resources and live entertainment. Free breakfast and lunch will be served. Activities throughout the day will honor the life and legacy of Cesar Chavez. More information is
available here.
Middle and high school students who lack transportation to the event should register at their school and ask their parent to call NUSD's Lisset Mijares at (916) 893-3234.
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Earn Community College Credit While in High School
High school students can earn college credit at American River, Cosumnes River, Folsom Lake or Sacramento City colleges through an Advanced Education program offered by the Los Rios Community College District.
Participating students may take up to two courses per semester or during the summer session. The normal fee of $46 per unit will be waived for California residents and for certain non-residents.
Participating students must be between 16 and 18 years old OR have completed the 10th grade by the first day of the college class. They also must be enrolled in a public or private high school and have a grade point average of 2.7 or higher.
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Scoring big points with Mom
Awwwwww ....
If you're a parent, this crayon drawing is sure to hit home.
Here was a 1st-grader's response when a class at H. Allen Hight Elementary was asked to describe one way they treat others as they want to be treated ... :o)
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How do you Capture a Leprechaun?
How do you capture a leprechaun? ... Natomas Park Elementary School kindergarteners in teacher Linda Pugh's class tackled that engineering challenge head-on using plenty of imagination to concoct traps for snaring one of the mischievous little creatures on St. Patrick's Day. The kids' creations are displayed here ... (But don't tell a leprechaun, OK?)
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College and Career Readiness
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To spread the word about NUSD efforts to promote college and career readiness, the District has launched on Facebook and Twitter a series of graphic snapshots spotlighting achievement, program improvements, or other district-wide data.
Here is a sampling of the "Did you Know?" snippets.
To follow the series, please "Like" NUSD's Facebook page and follow the District on Twitter -- @NatomasUSD. Thank you.
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Rosa Torres: Reaches out to English Learners
after being one herself
Rosa Torres gives her cellphone number to parents of her 2nd-graders.
"You can text me, you can call me any time," the American Lakes Elementary School teacher tells them. "I want them to know I'm not just a teacher, I'm a human being like they are."
Torres remembers well the difference one person can make in a child's life.
When Torres was about 6 years old, her family immigrated to American from Mexico and she struggled to keep up in school because she did not speak English. An aide at her Courtland school, Ms. Cruz, reached out with individual attention that kept her afloat in class.
Decades later, Torres has not forgotten her roots and plays a key role at American Lakes in helping Spanish-speaking families who struggle with English.
"Ms. Torres teaches from the heart," Principal Suzen Holtemann said. "She doesn't give up when students struggle, and she believes and expects that all students can and will achieve."
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Classified
LGA's David Scheuermann
-- aka 'The Scheuerminator
His nickname is 'The Scheuerminator.'
No matter how hard the task, he gets 'er done.
David Scheuermann, an instructional assistant at Leroy Greene Academy, was a divisional winner this year in Natomas Unified's "Classified Employee of the Year" program.
Principal Leslie Sargent said students and staff at LGA consider him a "second teacher" in classrooms. He brings a positive attitude, a smile, and students know that he'll do whatever it takes to support their learning, she said.
"Mr. Scheuermann consistently goes above and beyond to ensure high levels of learning for all LGA students through his positive and encouraging nature, and his ability to make connections with our Lion students," Sargent said.
Perhaps the seeds of Scheuermann's career as an instructional assistant were laid years ago when he was a volunteer, after-school mentor at the Bannon Creek campus where his son attended elementary school.
"I've always liked to see the lightbulb go off, when someone 'gets it," Scheuermann said of the learning process. "It's a really good feeling.
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Pi Day a 'Smashing Success'
at Natomas Gateways
Natomas Gateways Principal Lore Carrillo got pied -- or "pi'd" -- five times as part of a Math Club fundraiser celebrating Pi Day this month.
Club Supervisor Jorie Fields held math-related activities for an entire week in honor of Pi Day, which spotlights the symbol representing the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter.
Pi is a math constant, meaning it will be the same regardless the size of the circle -- or cream pie -- you're measuring ... As Carrillo discovered, pi can be tasty, too.
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Bannon Creek 'Art Night'
is family fun for all
Everyone goes home a winner.
That's the idea behind Art Night, a longtime tradition at Bannon Creek Elementary School.
Almost every month, students and parents come to the campus for a night session of creating art, learning new techniques, appreciating creativity, spending time together, and mingling with other families who share a common interest.
"The kids seem to really enjoy making art, it allows them to be creative," said Teri Slingerland, a Bannon Creek speech therapist who oversees the sessions, often with retired school psychology Jerry Kuzla.
Principal Amreek Singh added that Art Night is educational but with a casual, all-in-fun flair. "There's no pressure," he said. "You don't have to be an artist. There's no judging. You just come and do the art."
Read the full story here.
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Pilot project in food scrap recycling a hit
I
n its first six weeks, American Lakes Elementary School's cafeteria recycling program diverted nearly 13,000 pounds of food -- 6.5 tons -- from the landfill. Food scraps will be turned into clean- burning fuel for waste-disposal trucks. Meanwhile, students learned about helping the environment. American Lakes is so proud that it has posted this "Keep Up the Great Work" poster in its cafeteria. Terrific start to an excellent program that is targeted to expand district-wide.
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'Celebration of the Arts in Honor of Cesar Chavez'
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Civil rights activist
honored at Inderkum
Cesar Chavez's legacy was honored last Friday (March 25) with music, dance, performance and fashion in a community celebration at Inderkum High School.
March 31 marks the birthday of Chavez, a farm worker, labor leader and civil rights activist who co-founded the union that became United Farm Workers (UFW.)
Natomas residents of all ages attended Friday's festivities at Inderkum, which raised funds for the school's Safe and Sober Grad Night and for scholarships. Photos from the festivities are posted below.
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