To the Editor:
[Editor’s note: The main issue in the following letter has been resolved and Ms. Arnett asked that this statement be added on: “Mr. Sweeney has now contacted me and has talked to Mr. Wilbur about removing my son from this class. But there's still a lot of issues this School District needs to deal with.”]
This is in regards to the article on school bullying. I would like to say that what Mr. Wilbur told the parents for the most part is totally untrue. Yes if another student is doing the bullying the school jumps all over it, but when it involves a teacher they do nothing. I called Mr. Wilbur on March 4th regarding an Algebra teacher constantly harassing my son. She has ripped up his personal property and everyday she is making snotty remarks to him. When he got injured in P.E the Doctor had his knee in a brace and he couldn't bend his leg. This teacher kept yelling over and over for him to put his leg under his desk and then almost knocked him out of his chair when she attempted to pull his chair forward, all because she does not like him. And now that she handed my son his score for the High School exit exam and he passed, she has had even a bigger attitude toward him. She even made a comment when she found out that my sons Birthday is on Easter Sunday, which I don't feel is appropriate to repeat. I told Mr. Wilbur that I wanted my son removed from her class. Mr. Wilbur changed the subject to my sons grades and said he would have the Counselor call my son in and discuss everything. On March 9th the Counselor called me at work to discuss my sons grades, I asked how did this turn into a discussion about my sons grades, when the reason I called the school to begin with was about this teacher harassing my son. The Counselor started sticking up for the teacher and said that Mr. Wilbur has sat in on her class and sees nothing wrong. Well duh! of course she is going to be on her best behavior when the Principal is in there. She than said that she was going to speak to Mr. Wilbur, when she called back she said Mr. Wilbur would not remove my son from this teachers class. After loosing my temper with the Counselor, I informed her that I would be contacting Mr. Sweeny. I emailed Mr. Sweeny after getting off the phone. To this day I have not heard back from him on this matter. I feel that I as a parent have the right to ask for my child to be removed from any class that I feel someone is bullying him or her, even if that person is the teacher. This in not the first time that I have had trouble with the High School teachers and the way they talk to the kids they don't like. My son just informed me that a girl in his Algebra class who didn't get harassed by this teacher was able to transfer out last week, so why does my son have to stay in this class, because the teachers and the staff don't like him. I am so tired of hearing that they want parents to be involved more, but the truth is that they don't want to hear from us at all. Last year Mrs. G one of the vice principals got mad at me when I called her out on the way she was treating my son and she rudely hung up on me. Mr. T the other vice Principal walks around after school with Officer V. and sees my son and his friends and ask the officer if he wants to search any of them, what is this all about, kids can't meet up with each other after school without being harassed. Because if they are going to search my son after school is out, they better have a really good reason other than a bunch of friends standing around talking. I am not the only parent fed up with the schools in this town. I have three kids in three different schools in this town and I know which teachers I don't want around my children. There are a lot of really good teachers such as Mr. Olsen, Mr. Moss, Mr. Godfrey, Mr. Moore, Mr. Cummings, Ms. Merril and Ms. Shrock that my children have had. I use to be able to pick their teachers at San Cayetano, but for the past two years they haven't allowed me to do that and I haven't liked my youngest sons teachers that they gave him. I was able to transfer him last year before the school year started only because the Principal was standing right there and I told her no way did I want her to be my sons teacher, she was my daughters teacher and she doesn't like parents involved in anything so they put my son with a new teacher Mr. Raymond who I didn't know at the time and he turned out to be a very nice teacher. But this year I was unable to transfer him because he is in the Gate program. After having my other two go through the schools, I know what teachers are good with the kids and which ones I would rather not have around them. The school district really needs to do something at the way these teachers speak to the kids, I know there are a lot of unruly kids, but grabbing a kid by the arm and yelling at him and humiliating him in the lunch line is totally unacceptable, because when I saw that, I just thought to myself, that teacher is so lucky that that was not my child. One of the biggest problems is that this is such a small town and the board members, teachers and staff are to close to each other to discipline staff members because they are all friends with each other. I know people on the Board and the school staff, but when it comes to my kids I am going to speak up about what is going on in these schools and I hope that other parents start speaking up as well. I won't lie for my kids and if one of my kids ditches, doesn't do there home work and they get a detention than that is what they deserve, but they don't need to sit in a class and be yelled at and harassed from the time they walk in. I was sitting at work today thinking about how my kids are in the care of these schools everyday, all day and when I call about a concern of how my child is being treated nothing gets done, they always put the blame on the kid and cover for each other, this is just not right.
Diane Arnett

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To the Editor:
Carl’s Jr. is donating 25% of what we spend to help us, so mark your calendars!
Fillmore Middle School’s AVID program is hosting a fundraiser at Carl’s Jr. on April 29th from 11:30 am – 2:30 pm. Carl’s Jr will donate 25% of the profits earned that day if presented with a flyer at the time of purchase. The Fillmore Gazette has graciously offered to run the flyer in the paper April 21st and April 28th. Please cut out the flyer and help our FMS AVID program succeed. Monies earned will benefit materials and fieldtrips for our AVID students. Thank you for your support!
Heather Atwood
FMS AVID Coordinator

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To The Editor:
I would like to take the opportunity to thank all of those who contributed to the success of Fillmore High School's thirteenth annual arts show "Drawn Into the Arts". It takes a lot of people and a lot of hard work, dedication and talent to coordinate an event such as this. Thank you to Fillmore Lions Club, Fillmore Women’s Service Club, Soroptimist International of Fillmore, and Fillmore High School ASB for your donations which help to make this event possible. Thank you to Jessica Mendez and to Lucy Quezada-Romero for your donations and for being a patron of this event. Thank you to the Administration at Fillmore High School for your ongoing commitment to this event, and to Principal John Wilber who has seen to it that we get what we need to keep the show going year after year… To the staff and teachers at FHS who supported the student’s efforts and allowed students to take part in hanging the show…To the custodial staff- Baldo, and Tony -thanks for helping with breaking down the show. Special thanks to Greg Godfrey and the fantastic members of the Fillmore High School Concert Band and the Fillmore High School Jazz Band who played at the event- the musical concert helped to make the evening a resounding success… To Mary Ellen Wortham and FHS photo department and Mr. Henry Beltran and the woodshop classes for your artwork. … To Josh Overton, the drama department and the poetry club for their outstanding performances. Thank you to the parents and the community who attended the show and helped to make this a special night for the students. Last, but not least, to all the student artists, photographers, actors, poets, and musicians who put in numerous hours preparing for this event, hosting and cleaning up after a long day and night- especially my Art students and former students who came back to help- thank you- without you there couldn't be a show. I am very proud of all of you.
Rosalind Mitzenmacher
Fillmore High School Art Department

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To the Editor:
The Fillmore Senior Center appreciates the coverage of our senior activities and the “senior column” in each week in the Gazette.
As all of the Fillmore citizens know, funding in our City (and state) is being cut, and priorities must be considered. The majority of our Fillmore-Piru seniors are on a fixed income, and they are no longer physically capable of, or having the option of, taking the extra part-time job to earn “additional income” necessary for survival. Our Fillmore Sr. Center provides hot meals, information, social and physical activities, in a caring family-style environment. We need your support and commitment to continue providing these services to the senior community.
We are asking for your support for our senior center in any way possible: monetary donations (in care of City Hall); excess produce or non-perishable items can be dropped off at the senior center; or good condition office supplies )copy paper, pens, scratch pads, file folders, etc). All of this would be helpful and appreciated. We are a licensed non-profit organization so this would be tax a tax deduction for you. If you have comments or suggestions please e-mail them to fillmoresrcenter@sbcglobal.net and put Attn: Donna in the subject line.
We can always use smiling warm bodies to help us on our “brown bag” and “commodity” days or, if you just happen to have a little time to spare, we can use you on the “host/hostess” desk to greet our daily patrons.
And, last but not least, for all of you who have donated produce, items, time or just moral support…you have made a huge difference. Our center is like the “Little Engine That Could” and has made remarkable progress; which we couldn’t have done without all of you. Thanks so much.
Donna Voelker
President, Fillmore Senior Center Board of Directors

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To the Editor:
Once again Congratulations are to be lavished on the Vision 2020's Civic Pride Group for putting on the best Flower Show ever! Lots of hard work by many volunteers led in part by Linda Nunes and Joanne King's leadership and involvement put together a thoroughly enjoyable flower show. In spite of our cold winter, the gardeners brought out beautiful displays and bouquets of many varieties of plants for all the good citizens of Fillmore to enjoy. Conspicuous by their absence were members from our city council and our local media. The local turnout was high and the entries were almost doubled from last year. Many thanks and Congratulations to the Civic Pride Committee - Well done!
Judy Dressler
Fillmore