Calistoga Joint Unified School District september 2021
Volume 5 | Issue 1
To celebrate and share the many outstanding programs, services, and activities that showcase our Wildcat family, the Calistoga Joint Unified School District Office distributes an electronic newsletter.
School is Back
in Session!
The 2021-22 school year has begun with full time in-person learning for all of our Wildcats, and we couldn't be happier about it! Students and staff alike are all full of enthusiasm and optimism as the year kicks off with athletics, field trips, and Homecoming Week fast approaching. The support of the community has been crucial in the successes the district has had thus far. We've also had a lot to celebrate! Pictured left, Lizandra Avina, junior, was selected for the College Board National Rural and Small Town Recognition Program! She has earned this recognition because of her remarkable academic achievements and outstanding performance on the PSAT. Congratulations, Lizandra! It's a great day to be a Wildcat :)
Congratulations to the Napa County Employees of the Year! Matthew Gudenius, first grade teacher, and Olga Pimentel, assistant cook.
Every Wednesday, second grade students in Mrs. Schaffer's class play math games which help them practice their basic math skills. Games are a great way to foster cooperation, encourage problem-solving, and promote skill building. It also makes school just a bit more fun :)
We added lots of new Wildcats to our staff this year, Ms. Beglin being one of them! Her kindergartners are showing off the crayon buddies they made after reading The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt. They look mighty proud of their work!
CJSHS students are busy prepping for Homecoming Week, which is October 4-8! The theme of the week is "Decades," and each grade selected a decade to represent. We are looking forward to some creative spirit week attire and festive floats!
Ms. Henry's fourth graders used beans (yes, beans!) among other supplies to create California region maps with varied terrain. The different legumes represented the four regions of California: desert, coast, mountain, and valley!
Who Am I?
Junior high students worked on an identity project that involved their English, science, and social science classes. This project was an investigation into who they are, what influences them, and how others see them. For their project, they also had to create mathematical graphs, decorate masks, write poems, and write and record a narrative video. The work was then presented at the Back to School Night event for classmates and community members to see! For more pictures and a video of the project, click here!
Staff Spotlight - New Hires!
For this opening issue of the 2021-22 school year, we wanted to highlight all of our new district employees! We are excited to have these Wildcats join our CJUSD team - welcome!
  • Molly Beglin, TK/Kindergarten Teacher
  • Larry Black, Network Systems Manager
  • Debra Carrasco, Special Education Paraprofessional
  • Sandy Frey, Special Education Teacher
  • Monica Garibay, Family and Community Liaison
  • Jessica Gonzalez, Assistant Cook
  • Jon Green, School Psychologist
  • Melanie Parola, Special Education Teacher
  • Erin Pedersen, Occupational Therapist
  • Vanessa Rodriguez, Instructional Paraprofessional
  • Noemi Vigil-Reyes, Spanish Teacher
Students in Mr. Morgan's algebra class worked on a team building activity called The Cup Challenge, where each teammate (of 4) had a string attached to a rubber band. By only pulling on their string, they had to move the red cups to reach a given design. It was a great way for the kids to get comfortable communicating and working together again!
At the beginning of each school year, CES staff promotes playground games while also teaching students safety rules during the annual Rules Rodeo! Grade levels rotate through eight different stations, such as tetherball, four square, and basketball, where they engage in play as well as learning the "ropes" of the playground.
The 2021-22 CJSHS Yearbook class has chosen an outstanding theme for this year's yearbook and the finished product is sure to be one of the best yet! The students have begun approaching local businesses to ask for sponsorship. If you happen to have an "in" at a local business, please share it with us and/or consider speaking with them about sponsoring our 2021-22 yearbook.
Mr. G's first graders have dived into their first and second Mystery Science lessons! In the first, students learned about animal adaptations and features by trying to pick up "food" with "bird beaks" they had created. In the second lesson, they learned about camouflage by trying to find hidden moths (and then creating their own).
Physics students in Mrs. Brooks' class are doing "Sound Labs" in order to understand sound energy is a mechanical wave that needs matter to move through. They are also investigating the different effects of pitch or vibrations and loudness of decibels of sound.
Mrs. Bogart's third graders each created self portraits after reading The Color of Us. The portraits were then hung up in the classroom, with a quote above reading, "We are all different, but we are all made of the same stuff."
Wildcats are Dominating the Playing Fields!
Calistoga Athletics are back and thriving as they kick off the fall season with some impressive records! Not only are there over 150 active athletes on the rosters, but the teams are showing their Wildcat Pride and bringing the competition. Football won their first game 58-0 and travel to South Fork this Saturday for their second game of the season. Seventh grade girls basketball is undefeated for the first half of their season and is looking for a championship banner. Volleyball swept Credo this past Tuesday with the JV and Varsity teams winning all five games. It has been an excellent start to the fall season, and we are looking forward to continuing these winning streaks!
In Gratitude...
The Calistoga Joint Unified School District wants to thank those who have contributed to our school community: 
  • $85,000 from the S.H. Cowell Foundation for improving learning conditions and instructional quality
  • $15,000 from the AVID Center (anonymous donation to them) to support and increase the AVID program at CJSHS
  • $2,000 from the Freed Family Fund (NVCF) to strengthen the AVID program
  • $1,000 from Soroptimist International of Calistoga to stock the CES Book Vending Machine
  • $1,000 from Erin Smith-Hagberg for the 2020-21 Superintendent's Scholarship
  • $1,000 from Cal Mart for the 2020-21 Calistoga Community Scholarship
  • $2,000 from an anonymous donor for the 2020-21 Young Women's Scholarship
  • $8,755 from the Napa Valley Education Foundation (merged with NapaLearns) for the 2020-21 Career Readiness Grant
  • $5,000 from the Calistoga Education Foundation for the CES Book Vending Machine
  • $500 from Marty Hunt for 2021-22 scholarships
  • $200 worth of musical instruments (saxophone) from Sarah Birney for the CJUSD Music Program
  • $25 from North Star towards the CJSHS Athletic Department

Recent Board of Trustees Recognition Recipient (board meeting agendas and videos can be viewed on the district website):
  • September 13, 2021: Bill Shaw and the Cal Mart team for their generous contributions that help to support our district’s students each year
Calistoga Joint Unified School District | www.calistogaschools.org