Photo credit Ventura County Office of Education (VCOE).

October 28, 2025
Winning Artwork Selected for Countywide Academic Competitions
The Ventura County Office of Education (VCOE) is pleased to announce the following winners of logo design contests for the 2026 Academic Decathlon, Science Fair, Battle of the Books, Batalla de los Libros, Mock Trial, and Civic Action Project. The artwork will be prominently displayed on promotional and informational materials for these high-profile competitions and will be featured on commemorative pins for each event. The winning logos were selected from 120 entries by a committee of VCOE staff members. High-resolution versions of the logos are available here.
Academic Decathlon Logo:
Layla Bloom, Grade 11
Fillmore High School
Fillmore Unified School District
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Battle of the Books Logo:
Sergio Martinez, Grade 8
Ocean View Junior High School
Ocean View School District
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Batalla de los Libros Logo:
Roxy Kowalchuk, Grade 11
Simi Valley High School
Simi Valley Unified School District
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Civic Action Project Logo winner:
Roberto Lopez, Grade 8
Ocean View Junior High School
Ocean View School District
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Mock Trial Logo winner:
Amaryllis Bartlett, Grade 12
Adolfo Camarillo High School
Oxnard Union High School District
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Science Fair Logo winner:
Karime Lopez, Grade 8
Ocean View Junior High School
Ocean View School District
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About the Ventura County Office of Education
The Ventura County Office of Education provides a broad array of fiscal, training and technology support services to local school districts, helping to maintain and improve lifelong educational opportunities for children, educators and community members. VCOE also operates schools that serve students with severe disabilities and behavioral issues, provides career education courses, and coordinates countywide academic competitions including Mock Trial and the Ventura County Science Fair. Learn more at: www.vcoe.org.

Ventura, CA – October 20, 2025 – The California Student Aid Commission (CSAC), in partnership with Ventura College and the Ventura College Foundation, kicked off the 2026-27 Statewide Financial Aid Application Cycle at a press conference held on Wednesday, October 1, 2025. This event held at Ventura College highlighted the critical role financial aid plays in allowing access and equity for students pursuing higher education across California.
“We chose to launch the 2026-27 financial aid cycle in Ventura because there is something special here,” said Dr. Daisy Gonzales, Executive Director of the California Student Aid Commission. “From being able to support a student to pursue their college dreams, to understanding that financial aid is critical to help students stay enrolled, Ventura has the opportunity to continue its growth in completed financial aid applications while supporting students through their higher education journey.”
The event underscored the essential work of Ventura College, which was selected as the site for this year’s official launch due to its leadership in college affordability and outreach and 10% increase in their 2025-26 financial aid applications. Ventura College has long been committed to ensuring students and families have the tools they need to navigate the financial aid process, and it continues to be an active force in helping local students access the financial resources they need to succeed.
“Ventura College is proud to be part of this statewide initiative and to assist students in taking the necessary steps to secure their financial future,” said Dr. Luca E. Lewis, Acting President of Ventura College. “For our students here, financial aid means everything – it’s not just about being able to pay for classes, it’s being able to pay for housing and food. By offering events like Cash for College, we help hundreds of students each year complete their financial aid applications.”
Throughout the press conference, speakers shared inspiring messages about the life-changing impact of financial aid and the importance of completing the Free Application for Student Aid (FAFSA) or the California Dream Act Application (CADAA). Ventura College hosted three Cash for College events last year with hands-on assistance in helping over 400 students and families complete their financial aid applications. This year, the college plans to hold five Cash for College events to assist at least 1,000 students in the financial aid process.
“Providing resources to students so they can access grants and apply for scholarships is a main goal for the college and the foundation,” said Anne Paul King, Executive Director of Ventura College Foundation. “Over 60 percent of our students are food insecure, 48 percent of students are first in their families to go to college, and 39 percent are housing insecure. The more students who apply for financial aid, the more they will have the opportunity to secure support for their education and achieve their dreams. For anyone wishing to support Ventura College students through scholarships and basic needs, visit our website ([https://venturacollegefoundation.org)]https://venturacollegefoundation.org).”
In addition to the press conference, a CSAC’s Annual Statewide Financial Aid Workshop took place and was attended by over 150 high school counselors, administrators and community outreach partners who received live in person financial aid training. A Cash for College event was held later that evening for students and families to get assistance on completing applications.
Financial aid applications are now open for the 2026-27 cycle, and assistance is available through the state and federal call centers. CSAC encourages all students and families to complete their financial aid applications early and to attend local workshops and events like those held at Ventura College.
For more information, go to https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa and https://dream.csac.ca.gov/.

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By Fillmore FFA Advisor Pam Klittich
For the past two weeks, Fillmore FFA has welcomed all FUSD Pre-K, Transitional Kindergarten (TK), and Kindergarten classes to the annual Fall on the Farm event at the Fillmore High School Farm. High school FFA members proudly served as guides, leading young students through hands-on learning stations and farm activities.
Students explored the pumpkin life cycle, navigated a student-built pallet maze, cast their votes in a rabbit costume contest, and enjoyed a tractor hayride around the farm. More than 400 students from Piru, Mountain Vista, Rio Vista, and San Cayetano visited and each child went home with their very own pumpkin to remember the day.
This year marked the 8th annual Fall on the Farm, a tradition cherished by both the high school members who host it and the young students who attended.
Fillmore FFA would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Ruben Jimenez for his generous donation of local pumpkins, and to all FUSD staff and supporters who helped make this year’s event possible.

Fillmore Unified and Chef Brigaid team up to revamp school meals with a “Lunch Pop-Up” event, Above is the team prepping the Mango sherbet. Courtesy https://www.blog.fillmoreusd.org/fillmore-unified-school-district-blog/mhkptap39l4wsfpryceswlepbjnthx.

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The Fillmore Unified School District is proud to spotlight the incredible work taking place in our Child Nutrition Department, where nutritious, delicious, and scratch-made meals are becoming the new standard. Through an exciting partnership with Chef Brigaid, a team of professional chefs dedicated to transforming school cafeterias, our district is re-imagining what it means to serve healthy and appealing school meals.
Chef Brigaid has been working hand-in-hand with our talented kitchen staff to provide professional training, develop flavorful and balanced menus, and shift away from prepackaged and processed foods. The focus is on fresh ingredients, thoughtful preparation, and culinary creativity—all while maintaining compliance with USDA nutritional standards.
This initiative supports several key goals. Increase student participation in the meal program, reduce outside food brought onto campus, and expose students to diverse, cross-cultural dishes that broaden their palates and sparks curiosity about food.
One recent example of this effort was a “Lunch Pop-Up” event, which showcased a vibrant, globally inspired menu of Jerk Chicken Skewers with coconut rice and black-eyed peas, macaroni salad and chutney dipping sauce, and fresh mango sorbet for dessert.
Fillmore Unified remains committed to providing our students with fresh, flavorful, and wholesome meals every day. With the continued collaboration between our Child Nutrition team and Chef Brigaid, the future of school lunch in Fillmore is looking brighter—and tastier—than ever.
National School Lunch Week is being celebrated from October 13th–17th, 2025, to promote the National School Lunch Program and the importance of healthy school meals. The annual event, created in 1962 by President John F. Kennedy, highlights how school meals are vital for children’s health, academic performance, and success. The 2025 theme is “Taste the World,” encouraging schools to celebrate global cuisine and student diversity through special menus and activities.

On Wednesday, October 22, 2025, students and staff throughout the Fillmore Unified School District celebrated Unity Day. Unity Day, celebrated each October during National Bullying Prevention Month, is a day dedicated to promoting kindness, acceptance, and inclusion. It’s a nationwide effort to show support for students who have experienced bullying and to unite communities in standing against all forms of bullying. On this day, people are encouraged to wear orange—the color of unity—to send a visible message that together, we can create safe and supportive schools and communities where every student feels valued and respected. Courtesy https://www.facebook.com/756397931999384/posts/1595164981456004 and here: https://www.facebook.com/504261341700301/posts/1373254291467664.

https://www.facebook.com/FillmoreHighSchoolAlumniAssociation

Coach Jim Fauver, and Carmen Fauver to ride in this year’s Homecoming Parade Thursday evening.

In celebrating the 50th anniversary of the first organized girls softball team at this year‘s homecoming parade, the alumni
Association has invited past teams and coaches to participate.

Coach Jim Fauver coached Varsity girls Softball from 1981-1993. He also coached JV girls softball 3 years before.

He was responsible for having the girls have their own softball field. He went to the superintendent and said it wasn’t fair
that the girls don’t have their own field and the boys had 2 so they gave them the one that’s currently there. He also had
dug outs put in.

He said he didn’t start the Cassidy league which was a girls softball league but he had one of the first teams called Elkins
EZ Riders. His daughter, Karen was on that team and they were able to be in an organized sport to ready themselves for high
school.

The parade starts at 6 PM at the corner of second Street and Central. Come out and give Coach Fauver and Carmen Fauver a big
wave.

Also participating in this year’s celebration will be Coach Eddie Ortiz, and his group of softball players from the 1990s
into the millennium.