VUSD summer Lunch Program

SOS!! State of Emergency Called for Public Schools!!!

State of Emergency Called for Public Schools

What You Can Do NOW

by Adonai Mack, ACSA Legislative Advocate

As we prepare for the governor's release of his May Budget Revision, school leaders must prepare themselves for a variety of outcomes. School leaders must express outrage and concern over any possible budget reductions for public education. It is a time for action and advocacy. To this end, ACSA is joining forces with other education, labor and community groups to declare a Public School State of Emergency to bring attention to the need for lawmakers to pass the revenue extensions proposed by Governor Jerry Brown.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE AND FIND OUT WHAT YOU CAN DO NOW!!! 

Want a free round-trip ride to Sacramento so you can rally for public education? Sign up here, the bus leaves Vaca High next Friday at 3:45!

 

GO HERE!!!!



VUSD Teaching By Example! Work Experience Program Success

Just click on the picture above to read about local businesses that support our students!

Solano Community College is Holding a CAREER EDUCTION FAIR!!!

Solano Community College is inviting students and the general public toa Career Education Fair on Sunday, May 1, from 10am -3pm at the Fairfield Campus, 4000 Suisun Valley Road. More than 30 engaging career-building presentations, displays and hands-on activities are planned to intrigue attendees. Staff will also be available to answer questions and help with applying/enrolling online, seeking financial aid, and discovering individual career interests. Come and explore the career education and training available at Solano Community College. Up-to-the minute additions to the Fair activities and presentations are listed at http://www.scc-careertech.com

We invite further questions, and would appreciate advance notice in
order to accommodate any large group participation or requests.

Please feel free to contact us with any questions.

See you at the Career Education Fair!

Julia May
Tech Prep Coordinator
Solano Community College
707-864-7000 ext. 4658

 

March Newsletter is here FINALLY!

Be sure to join our mailing list so that you can receive our Newsletters!!  If you would like to have this months newsletter please use this QR CODE to view it.

WHAT IS A QR CODE?

WIKIPEDIA:  A QR code (short for Quick Response) is a specific matrix barcode (or two-dimensional code), readable by dedicated QR barcode readers and camera phones. The code consists of black modules arranged in a square pattern on a white background. The information encoded can be text, URL or other data.

Common in Japan, where it was created by Toyota subsidiary Denso-Wave in 1994, the QR code is one of the most popular types of two-dimensional barcodes. QR is the abbreviation for Quick Response, as the creator intended the code to allow its contents to be decoded at high speed.[1]

The technology has seen a large uptake in Japan and South Korea. However, in the west there has been a considerably slower adoption of QR Codes.  You can check out this link to find out more about QR CODES.

HOW DO YOU VIEW A QR CODE?
 
Using your smartphone, download the QR APP, it is free for most, then take a picture of OUR QR Code and it will decode it for you.  In all reality this will only take about 2 minutes the first time and less each time after that!!

It's almost that time again!!! Are you signed up yet?

Join Us

Please join us for our 8th annual event at beautiful hills and lake at Lagoon Valley Regional Park. Whether you are competing seriously or walking leisurely, Loop the Lagoon is a great way to get involved in a healthy activity for a worthy cause.


When:
Saturday, April 30, 2011 @ 8:30 AM

Where:
Lagoon Valley Regional Park
4681 Pena Adobe Road
Vacaville CA 95696

How To Register:- Online through, April 27, just follow this link:  Loop The Lagoon!

"Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does." ~William James

Have YOU used a barcode like this before? Follow the instructions below...

January Newsletter has arrived! Did you get it?

Sign up above to receive your copy of the latest NEWS!

Thank YOU for your participation - ACSA Awards Anounced - 5 Winners - SOS was one of them!

The local Solano County ACSA Charter executive committee met this morning and selected the Administrators of the Year along with the Media Coverage and Partners in Education 2011 award winners.

For those not familiar “ACSA” it is the Association of California School Administrators—membership around 15,000.

AND THE WINNERS ARE...

Shereene Wilkerson – Central Office Administrator

Ed Santopadre – Secondary Principal

John Alongi – Secondary Co-Administrator

VPEF – Partners in Education

SOS – Outstanding Media Coverage of Public Education

Continuing to support 2010-2011!

In an effort to continue to Support Our Schools, we have started a newsletter. Be sure to sign up for the newsletter so that you will know what is going on with our schools and with the BUDGET CRISIS!

There is a link on the top of this page, all you have to do is enter your email address and we will keep you posted.

Sincerely,
VUSD

THANK YOU from SOS! FINAL - Budget was approved ~ $8 million in cuts

Well, this is it! Since the last weekend of May, the final weekend of our SOS Fundraising Campaign there has been a whirlwind of action.....As of now we raised about $36,380, but many of the businesses have taken the last few weeks to finish up their accounting's so that they can make their donations (we hope to know the final number soon).

I know there hasn't been any posts since the last week of May (Memorial Weekend), as I am sure that you know the last weeks of school are CRAZY and with the SOS Fundraiser ending, school ending, graduations, and....well....EVERYTHING that hits all at once....this blog had to take a brief pause.

I hope to give you the FINAL number after it comes in, along with the decision on how the money will be spent. The VUSD School Board will ultimately make that decision, but I know there was a recommendation given to the School Board to disperse the money as a per student amount back to each school. It was the most fair way that we (the SOS Committee) could think of and it was a way to make sure that the money benefited EACH student.

Last night the Vacaville Unified School District OKs $8.6M in cuts, this article explains how some of the cuts are layed out. It is terribly sad to know that we had to cut 8.6 MILLION DOLLARS out of our budget for next year!! We as parents, would like to have raised the full amount for the cuts, but WE are pleased to have been able to raise the amount that we raised....THANKS TO ALL OF YOU WHO SUPPORTED OUR STUDENTS!!

We tried to make a difference and I believe we did.....not just by raising the money, but by raising awareness about the financial crisis that our EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM IS IN, and also helping our schools work as a UNITED TEAM....check out this article by the Reporter yesterday. Relationships built through this process will last well beyond the fundraiser.

*****

Since the Fundraiser is over and there isn't any thing else to write about....I would like to take this opportunity to give a HUGE THANK YOU!!!!!! It is impossible to thank everyone who contributed to supporting our students, mostly because many of the donations are anonymous or done through texting or online, BUT please know that we are VERY GRATEFUL TO EVERYONE who supported our students. Here is a list of people who worked on the campaign, either attending the meetings and planning events or working behind the scenes running things, and businesses that supported our students, and we would like to offer them a big THANK YOU as well...

Alex Hall,Angela Higdon,Baabz Scott,Barry Rico,Brigitte Aton,Chris Strong,Christa Poe,Dave McCallum,Dawn French,Deb McGuire, VPEF,Deryl Clark,Dianna Villa,Ed Santapadre,Heidi Benson,Holly Valentine,Ivy Green,Janice Smith,Jared Austin,Jeff Adcock,Julie O’Dell,Julie Kim,Kristina McKenzie,Kristina Fisher,Krysi Marchand,Lee Majors,Louise Tyrrell,Mary Feaster,Mary Ruth Quintana,Patty Gauci,Perla Rosenberg,PJ Goodson,Randi Fien,Rebecca Duvall,Robin Mitchell,Sabrina Valdivia,Sally Bernard,Shannon Nadasdy,Shannon Nielson,Sheri Mendes,Simone Martin,Susan Benavides,Terri Simpson,Vicki Dunham, Melda Roark, Cindy Williamson

AAA, Genentech, Avon – Tracy Spears,Vista Group,Emma Close to Home,Backyard BBQ,Graphic Expressions, Ryan Bates Photography,Murrillo’s,Chevy’s,Jamba Juice,Moose Lodge, Mary’s Pizza Shack,Nugget,Ace Hardware,Vacaville City Employees Association, VPEF, Girl Scout Troop #20086 (Angela Higdon),Parkside Dental,Les Schwab, Chamber of Commerce, Food Fair

7 Days Left!! Give Now or Hold Your Peace!

There isn't much time left! THIS IS THE FINAL WEEK!!!

Today is the Backyard BBQ Fiesta Day Kick-Off BBQ! 5:30pm-8pm at the Creekwalk Plaza in Downtown Vacaville. Tickets are $10 (in advance at the Fiesta Days office) and $15 at the BBQ! Teddy with Backyard BBQ will be donating 10% of his sales to the SOS, just mention SOS!!! There will also be Live Music by 48 Straight! Come on out and have fun with us.

If you are looking for something a little more relaxed, tonight is also CHEVY'S Dinner Night! BE SURE TO TAKE THIS FLIER WITH YOU! They will not donate to SOS with out it!!!

DON'T FORGET.....

Nugget is matching donations.
AAA will donate for you, just get a free quote or plan your vacation.


**We need you to join us in the parade! WE NEED MARCHERS!!

Picks & Pecks Editorial: Give now or hold your peace
Published by The Reporter
Posted: 05/22/2010 01:01:56 AM PDT

It's time for Vacaville residents who say they care about having a decent school system to put their money where their mouth is. Next week is the final fund-raising push for the Support Our Students campaign. It's goal is to collect $1 million for the Vacaville Unified School District, which is having to make $8 million worth of budget cuts next school year -- on top of $17 million worth of reductions it's already undergone. So far, only $30,000 has been raised, but organizers are still hopeful, since a slew of fund-raisers are being held in coming days. And remember, anyone who can't make it to one of the events can always text in a $10 donation via their cell phone by calling 25383. A pick.

10 Days Left!! Have YOU donated yet??

Last night was a BLAST! The dinner at the Moose Lodge was fun, filling and we MADE a little money as well!!! The dinner raised about $1,000!! NOT BAD for a dinner that was planned in about a week and held during one of the busiest weeks of the month!!!

It is so nice to see everyone come out and celebrate our kids. A BIG THANK YOU to everyone who came out and donated!

TODAY IS JAMBA JUICE DAY. Go to either Vacaville location and MENTION SOS...they will donate to the SOS Fundraiser for you!!

We are also marching in the Fiesta Day Parade this year!!! If you would like to march with us in the parade send us a message. We would love to have as many of our supporters join us as possible, especially the KIDS!

There are ONLY 10 days left to DONATE! If you haven't donated yet, PLEASE donate today! Our Students will thank you!


Donate On-line: www.VacavilleUSD.org
OR
Text: SOS to 25383 to donate $10
OR
Mail Check:
SOS/VUSD Budget Crisis Fund
751 School Street
Vacaville, CA 95688

SIMPLY Amazing! Rally at park was GREAT....12 Days Left!

When you plan a public event, you hope for certain things to happen. You hope people will actually show up! You hope that they will stick around.....and have FUN....You hope that people actually care about what "your message" is. WELL, yesterday, I think we accomplished ALL of that. The rally had about 150 people, old and young! We even had quite a few high school kids come out, which added to the entertainment.

We had beach balls! Have you ever given a kid a beach ball and watched them figure out a way to play with it? SO FUN TO WATCH....the little kids kick it around and toss it up (add in the little bit of wind we had yesterday and there was a ton of running around too!)....the big kids hit it up in the air and kept it from hitting the ground. It was a great icebreaker.

Then the 50/50 raffle started. Melda in her sandwich sign and her tag-a-longs, weaved her way in and out of the crowd asking for donations. Not really expecting much, but giving people a chance to walk away with half of whatever was raised. The teenagers were excited to find out that they had a chance to win $50 once the pot had reached $100. As the pot went up the excitement rose, until finally reaching $237! What a simple way for people to be involved in the fundraising we are doing.

There were great speakers that helped show the power of what we are doing. It is nice when you are "just a parent" trying to make a difference and you get to see your efforts become noticed by people like the MAYOR!

I can't wait until our next event on Thursday Night! It is going to be so much fun and it will give us a chance to come together with another group of people and share the importance of what the SOS is trying to do. Just in case you are asking yourself "what is happening on Thursday" here are the details:

Thursday Night
Moose Lodge Dinner
$20 / ticket and ($13 of that will be donated to SOS!)
Contact: Alex Hall 483-6487
There will be a spaghetti dinner, raffle prizes, music, good company and a GREAT cause. Oh yea, there will also be drinks available too!
SO, come out and join us! It will be a great time.


Here is a GREAT article written by Ryan Chalk with the Reporter - SOS rallies for schools in Vacaville - The Reporter

Come Rally With Us! SAY NO MORE CUTS...13 Days Left!

Rain or shine, WE will be uniting today to RALLY around our students and Say "NO" More Cuts! Wear your SOS shirt and join us at Andrews Park at 5:30pm and bring the whole family! There will be guest speakers, entertainment and music!

This is a great time to come out and ask questions, make donations and meet some of the dedicated and passionate members of the SOS Committee!

This is also our opportunity to show that it is NOT OK to take any more money away from our students!

I hope to see you there!

14 DAYS Left! PLEASE help!!

This is it, the final days of our fundraising campaign! If you haven't already donated PLEASE donate today. Even if you donated last month and have the ability to donate again, PLEASE do so.

If you don't have the money to donate, you can CALL AAA and get a FREE quote and they will donate for you, just mention SOS.

If you plan on eating out this week, take a look at the local businesses that are willing to donate a portion of their proceeds to the SOS Campaign. Mary's Pizza Shack, Murrillo's, Chevy's, Backyard BBQ, and the DINNER NIGHT at the Moose Lodge. All you really have to do is print out one of the fliers and take it with you. THEY WILL DO THE REST!

Tomorrow is the RALLY and SOCIAL Media Blitz! It is going to be a fun day. The BLITZ is being done by the VUSD Students and all of our friends on Facebook and Twitter. It’s all about the kids! The student leaders at Vacaville High School are asking everyone to pick an event being held this week that they would like to attend and have them invite as many of their friends as they can via their choice of social media.....texting, fb, twitter, myspace, a phone call or even an actual written note. If they want to join our Facebook vusd sos fan page they will be able to share the message with a click. It's that easy! The RALLY will be from 5:30-7pm at Andrews Park and we hope to have a ton of people there!!! WEAR YOUR SOS SHIRT AND JOIN US! BRING THE KIDS!

TO PRINT YOUR FLIERS GO HERE The fliers are in the middle of the page!

Social Media Blitz for the S.O.S. on May 18th

VUSD High School Students Plan a Social Media Blitz for the S.O.S. on May 18th

It’s all about the kids! The student leaders at Vacaville High School are asking everyone to pick an event (from the attached flyer) that they would like to attend and have them invite as many of their friends as they can via their choice of social media.....texting, fb, twitter, myspace, a phone call or even an actual written note. If they want to join our Facebook vusd sos fan page they will be able to share the message with a click. It's that easy!

VHS Principal, Ed Santapadre, responded with the following;

“I met with our Student Council group today and they were pretty excited about it. I think they’ll take the events and facebook them everywhere. I gave them compliments that we were too old to get it out there correctly.”

Like it or Not, social media is here to stay and as frustrating as it may be for teachers and administrators, its how we decide to respond that could make a difference on how the technology is used by students in the future. “Teaching By Example” is the tagline and is a core value for the VUSD. Cell phones are not allowed during class time, however students are allowed access during breaks and will do so on one day next week, please call Vaca High School (707)453-6011 or PJ Goodson 707-451-6422 x303 or go to www.VacavilleUSD.org for more information.

About S.O.S. (Support Or Students); a grassroots campaign developed and designed to bring awareness to the extreme crisis the Vacaville School District budget is in. Consisting of all of the schools PTA’s, PTO’s, PTC’s, school administrators, VPEF, community leaders, parents, residents of Vacaville, and the marketing expertise and support of Vacaville’s Landmark Image, S.O.S. has become one of the City’s leading awareness/fundraising campaigns. To see different ways to donate to S.O.S. visit the districts website at www.vacavilleusd.org.

UPDATED May Events!!!! 18 Days Left....

BUSY Week Next Week!! There are SO many great ways to help Support Our Students next week. Check out ALL of the events we have planned for you....




YOU can make a difference!!

ONE Person Can Make a Difference...

Introduction
By Dove of Oneness. Excerpt from her Dove Report of January 17, 2004.

Hello Dear Friends and White Knights,

(...)

As inspiration for all of us to realize that EACH of us can do things to help improve our world, I’m sharing stories that prove ONE PERSON can make important differences. I’ve read that the current history books given to students have purposely been revised to talk about “movements” but leave out the names of the individual people whose actions began the “movements”. For example, Gandhi made peaceful protest and peaceful civil disobedience a valuable process of peaceful change. Susan B. Anthony rose to the challenge as a famous leader of the battle to obtain women’s right to vote in the U.S. The Illuminati owners of text book publishers do not want students to realize that important improvements can begin with ONE PERSON; this is why the text books have been rewritten to discuss movements and not individuals.

....

Each of us has within us the ability to make an important difference! If you doubt you can do it, just read the story HERE and remember that one librarian led the charge to defeat a powerful and wrong-thinking media conglomerate.

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed individuals can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." ~Margaret Mead

20 Days Left....Local Businesses Support Our Students!!!

MAY EVENTS!!!

Sat. May 15 – Cultural Diversity Fair at Cultural Center.
Contact: PJ Goodson 451-6422 x303 Deb McGuire



Mon. May 17 – Mary Pizza Shack - Dinner 5:30 til closing. Put on by Vacaville City Employees Association
Contact: David Jacobson 449-5183



Tues. May 18 – SOS Rally at Andrews Park, 5:30 to 7 p.m.
Contact: John Aycock 453-6100 Alex Hall 483-6407


Tues. May 18 – Kickoff Nugget Matching Donation
Contact: Lee Majors 455-1534

Wed. May 19 – Murillos Dine-out
Contact: Angela Higdon 333-3341


Thur. May 20 – Moose Lodge Dinner @ 5pm Social Hour, Dinner at 6pm
Contact: Alex Hall 483-6407


May 21st - Jamba Juice donates 10% of Proceeds from both VV locations
Contact: Brigitte Aton 631-3350


Sat. May 29 – Fiesta Days Parade
Contact: Angela Higdon 333-3341


OnGoing Events:….Must mention SOS campaign

AAA – Call or visit to get a quote donates $5.00 each, any agent 451-7127
Genentech – Employee Giving Station for Employees - Matching Funds
Avon - Tracy Speers is Donating 80% of profit www.youravon.com/tspeers
Vista Group – Connie Rose – Stab in Grab BBQ tool - (707)448-0173
Emma Close to Home Magazine – 707-447-6677- 50% donation for each subscription
Backyard BBQ – Teddy Rojas 707-685-7403 – 10% of proceeds on May 24th for Fiesta Day Kickoff & any event held before May 31st. Must mention SOS.