By Anonymous — Wednesday, November 29th, 2017
Fillmore High School AVID group took a trip to Cal State University of Northridge last week. They toured the campus and were able to get a feel for the college lifestyle. It is hoped that trips like this will encourage students to continue their education at the next level. Enlarge Photo |
By Anonymous — Wednesday, November 22nd, 2017
Pictured are some of the Fillmore High School Roboticsâ Club attended the Bakersfield Vex League Competition #3 on November 11th. Also pictured is their prototype they entered in this yearâs competition which is held from October 2017-January 2018. Enlarge Photo |
By Anonymous — Wednesday, November 22nd, 2017
For the fourth time, CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) Nursing graduates scored a 100% pass rate on the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX), the state boards that allow them to practice nursing. The latest 100% pass rate is for the 57 CSUCI Nursing graduates who took the state boards between July 1 and Sept. 30. All 57 passed on their first attempt. CSUCI Nursing graduates also managed a 100% pass rate for the 2011/12, 2013/14 and 2015/16. âWe have not fallen below the 90% ever,â said Nursing and Health Sciences Chair Lynette Landry Ph.D., R.N. âThe national pass rate was 81.4%. Iâm very excited. To me, itâs reflective of the quality of our faculty and their commitment to student success.â The average pass rate for the state of California for 2016 was 88.2%. Landry said that integral to the success of the Nursing graduates is Professor of Nursing and former Nursing Chair Karen Jensen, who retired but still teaches part time. Both Jensen and Landry credit the 100% pass rate in part to a remarkable faculty, who go above and beyond for their students, and always model professional behavior. âThere is a lot of student mentoring that goes on in the department,â Landry said. âMore so than Iâve seen in other institutions. There is a collegiality and sharing among faculty, within the department and externally.â This news is especially welcome because Nursing faculty had just streamlined the nursing program from 136 to 120 units of instruction at the direction of the Chancellorâs Office, and there was concern about how this would affect student outcomes. âThe faculty was very careful about not removing too much and still giving them a baccalaureate,â Jensen said. âThis is the first class that went through the program with 120 units.â Both believe the selection process for Nursing students is also a factor. Out of 400 to 500 candidates, just 40 are accepted. âI think we do a really good job of selecting students,â Jensen said. âIt isnât all about grade point average. With our supplemental criteria for admission, we look at whether they have done volunteer work and know about nursing, whether they are bilingual, and we do give an entrance exam.â âYou have a strongly motivated group of people who are multicultural and they support one another,â Landry said. âThey become lifelong friends.â Jensen believes the support the Nursing students give one another canât be underestimated. As an example, Jensen refers to her so-called âmiracle classâ at the Goleta campus a few years ago. âWe admitted 22, and graduated 22 on time,â Jensen said. âAnd all 22 passed the boards on their first try. Iâve been in educational administration for 30 years and had never seen that. Never. And they werenât 4.0 students, either. They simply made a pledge that no one was going to be left behind. And when anybody had trouble, they all helped. It was absolutely phenomenal.â About California State University Channel Islands |
By Anonymous — Wednesday, November 15th, 2017
Congratulations to the Fillmore High School Marching Band and Color Guard which took first place in 2017 USBands West Coast Regional Champions. It was held at LA Valley College on Saturday, November 4th. Enlarge Photo |
By Anonymous — Wednesday, November 15th, 2017
On Thursday, November 9th Fillmore High School hosted its Renaissance Rally, where it recognizes students who have achieved high GPAâs or have shown great improvement academically. Pictured above is the Fillmore High School Color Guard preforming during the rally. Photos courtesy Katrionna Furness. Enlarge Photo |
By Anonymous — Wednesday, November 8th, 2017
Thursday, November 2nd Fillmore High School hosted its 4th annual Dia De Los Muertos/Day of the Dead event in downtown Fillmore. There were crafts, art work, music, etc. All proceeds go to help fund scholarships to Fillmore High School students. Enlarge Photo |
By Anonymous — Wednesday, November 8th, 2017
Fillmore High School students are pictured in front of USCâs âTommy Trojan Statueâ. The students are belong to the EAOP (Early Academic Outreach Program). They toured UCLA and USC campuses this past Friday, November 3rd. Juniors and Seniors were able to explore and experience the college atmosphere as they toured both universities. The program has also toured UC Irvine, UCSB and Long Beach State, and plan to tour Cal State LA and Cal State Channel Islands. The tours are to inspire and encourage students to continue their education after high school. Photo courtesy Katrionna Furness. |
By Anonymous — Monday, November 6th, 2017
Her work to level the playing field for underrepresented minorities has earned CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) Professor of Mathematics Cynthia Wyels, Ph.D., a 2017 Distinguished Mentor Award from the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS). Wyels received the national honor at the 2017 National Diversity in STEM Conference in October in Salt Lake City, Utah. âThis is the most meaningful recognition I could ever imagine receiving in my professional career,â Wyels said. âThis is about people. This is about doing what I can to help people find their paths and succeed.â Wyels stressed that mentoring is a âweâ and not an âIâ activity and she could not have done as well with her students without a network of faculty, graduate students and others who rally to help her usher students of color into science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields they might never have dreamed they could master. Wyels had no idea she had been nominated by a colleague, Alejandro Alvarado, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Mathematics at Eastern Illinois University. Four other faculty members from Massachusetts, Ohio, and CSUCI supported the nomination. âHer definition of mentorship is not just advising students on research projects, or how to apply for graduate school,â Alvarado wrote in the nomination letter. âShe encompasses compassion, caring, and preparation for the next step in the career ladder. She fosters intellectual and professional development among STEM professionals at every stage of their academic careers.â Wyels is a believer in senior faculty helping newer faculty, so she mentored her junior colleagues as well. Youngstown University Associate Professor of Mathematics & Statistics Alicia Prieto Langarica said that meeting Wyels when Langarica was a junior minority mathematician was one of the best things that ever happened to her. âThe year my tenure application was approved, she invited me to spend my spring break at CSUCI, to help refocus my career and to guide me through grant applications and help me brainstorm for my sabbatical proposal,â Langarica wrote as one of many thing Wyels did to help her succeed in academia. Among many other projects, Wyels and CSUCI colleagues developed a minority-serving program called Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) to guide students into mathematics research. Letters of support from former REU students offered a glimpse into how far above and beyond Wyels went as a mentor. Alejandra Castillo, who is working for her Ph.D. in Statistics at Oregon State University, remembers meeting Wyels at a SACNAS conference in Los Angeles. âAs a undocumented student, I had already been warned that REU Programs were out of my reach due to my citizenship status,â she wrote. âDr. Wyels quickly mentioned that the Mathematics REU at CSUCI was undocumented student-friendly. She then talked about how a few of her past students, though undocumented, have continued to pursue careers in academia and industry. This entire conversation took place within the first 20 minutes after meeting Dr. Wyels and she has continued to change my life ever since.â Crystal Mackey, who is studying for a Ph.D. in Mathematics at the University of Texas at Arlington, was struggling in her graduate program. âIn the beginning of graduate school I quickly felt overwhelmed about remaining in good standing and I did not feel like I belonged in school,â Mackey said. âI was ready to leave the program. I called Dr. Wyels looking for support and she inspired me to use all my resources such as professorsâ office hours, and to continue to work hard.â Wyels said that if she has been effective as a mentor, itâs because she and her network considered their jobs to be more than advising students on math research or grad school. âYou have to look at the whole person. Itâs not just about the math,â she said. âEspecially our first generation students and underrepresented minorities. All that context can be critically important.â Wyels says she treasures all the letters, but especially the letters from former students. âWhen Iâm on my death bed reading these Iâll say âmaybe I made a little bit of a difference,ââ she said. About California State University Channel Islands |
By Anonymous — Wednesday, November 1st, 2017
On Thursday, October 26th from 5pm-8pm Kids and parents dressed in their costumes and excitedly headed down to the annual Harvest Festival at San Cayetano Elementary, which included food, games, and activities. Enlarge Photo |
By Anonymous — Wednesday, October 25th, 2017
Tuesday, October 24th Fillmore High Schoolâs ASB hosted a blood drive for anyone over the age of 16 to donate and be a hero. Photo Courtesy Katrionna Furness. Enlarge Photo |
By Anonymous — Wednesday, October 25th, 2017
Crowd pleasers like the flaming Gummi Bears, the banana piano and the self-carving pumpkin will return for the 2017 CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) Science Carnival along with dozens of brand new exhibits including a laser harp and a 3-D scanner that will allow you to be scanned and converted into an action figure. Kids pre-K through 8th grade, their families, and kids-at-heart are invited attend the free Science Carnival on Saturday Nov. 4 from 5 to 8 p.m. at a new location this year: Rio Vista Middle School at 3050 Thames River Drive in Oxnard. Kids and families can explore more than 110 hands-on projects, many of them loud, colorful or that special kind of âgrossâ that kids love, like Magnetic Goo, Ooblek, Slime, Flubber, and Liquid Nitrogen Dippinâ Dots. âWho doesnât love the slimy, yucky stuff?â said Professor of Chemistry Phil Hampton, Ph.D., who organizes the Science Carnival. âItâs fun. It occasionally explodes and catches on fire and burns with bright colors. Science can be yucky, slimy, gooey, colorful, explosive or musical.â Hampton and a handful of CSUCI student volunteers put on the first Science Carnival nine years ago, drawing a couple hundred visitors. Since then, the Carnival has grown, involving over 300 volunteers and drawing crowds of more than 2,200. Partnerships have sprung up with the Oxnard Union High School District Academies, for example, whose academy students and instructors help with the event. Hampton says the whole idea of the carnival is to show kids that science is anything but dry or boring or confined to a text book. âThe idea is to engage kids and parents in a night of hands-on science and increase their wonder and joy at science, or more broadly, STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, & math),â Hampton said. Some of the new features this year include more activities for the youngest kids, such as robotic bees that can be programmed to go through a maze, a water xylophone, magic sand that repels water, a balloon inflated with baking soda and vinegar, and an engineering project in which kids learn how to build a catapult out of a cork, spoon and rubber band. Many of these activities were created in partnership with CSUCIâs Early Childhood Education Program. Teachers and educators who teach at the early childhood, elementary, or middle school level or paraprofessionals working in after-school programs are invited to a special preview presentation just before the Science Carnival, from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Called STEM Experiences for Educators and Leaders or SEEL. The program enables teachers to examine many of the Science Carnival activities before the crowds come in, and learn how to implement similar projects in their own classrooms. Participants can collect QR codes of the activities that lead to the Science Carnival Activities website at http://scactivities.cikeys.com/activities-list/. To sign up for SEEL, visit the VC STEM website at www.VCSTEM.org and click on the registration button. Teachers can start the day at the Gold Coast Science Network conference at Oxnard College and finish the day at SEEL. About California State University Channel Islands |
By Anonymous — Monday, October 23rd, 2017
PRSA Gold Coast Chapter Funds Support Tri-County College Students
The California Gold Coast chapter of the Public Relations Society of America is offering two scholarships to recognize outstanding individual college students who are committed to studying communication or public relations in the Tri-Counties area. The group will award two $500 scholarships in early 2018. âWe believe that academic endeavors are essential for individuals to reach their full potential. For that reason, our chapter is encouraging students to attend a four-year institution and reach higher educational achievement,â said PRSA California Gold Coast Chapter President and Scholarship Committee Chair Nancy Mayerson. The chapter raised funds for the scholarships through program meeting fees and sponsorships, and hopes to grow the scholarship fund as the chapter grows. âWe believe that the heart of a successful PR career is service to oneâs community, so weâre seeking students who have both high academic achievement and a solid commitment to community service. So many worthy organizations rely on public relations and community outreach to fulfill their mission, and we want to see our young professionals helping to make a difference,â Mayerson said. Applications are being accepted through November 30th. Winners will be announced in February 2018. To be eligible for the scholarships, students must: More information and an application is available online at www.prsagoldcoast.org, on the menu bar. For more information contact Nancy Mayerson, scholarship committee chair, at nancy@mayersonmarketing.com or 805-373-1100, ext. 4. PRSA is a nonprofit organization chartered in 1947 and the worldâs largest organization of public relations professionals with more than 21,000 public relations and communications professionals across the United States. The California Gold Coast Chapter was founded in 2014 and serves Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties. For more information, visit www.prsagoldcoast.org. |
By Anonymous — Wednesday, October 11th, 2017
Part 1 of 2
The past few weekâs KNS Rockstarâs âWe Busy Anti-Bullying School Tour,â passed through San Cayetano and Rio Vista Elementary schools to motivate kids to stop bullying. âThe We Busy School Tour mission is to help kids stop bullying through music; to help them stay focus on their dreams instead hurting others or hurting themselves,â according to KNS Rockstarâs Facebook page. Photos courtesy KNS Rockstar. Enlarge Photo |
By Anonymous — Wednesday, October 11th, 2017
Part 2 of 2
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By Anonymous — Wednesday, October 11th, 2017
Sierra High Schoolâs World History Class at the Getty Museum (l-r) Nat Lomeli, Kim McMullen (counselor), Arnulfo Garibay Barragan, Jose Villa, Estevan Garcia Gomez, Will Espinoza, Juan Orozco, Viviana Garcia, Stephanie Ceja, Maria Duenas Gonzalez, Priscilla Almanza, Angie Velez, and Phyllis Morton (History Teacher). Photo Courtesy Kim McMullen. Enlarge Photo |
By Anonymous — Wednesday, October 11th, 2017
World-renowned science magician Jason Latimer will give one of his hallmark âScience of the Impossibleâ presentations during the second annual STEM-tastic! awards ceremony on Tuesday, Oct. 17 in Oxnard. Sponsored by the Ventura County STEM Network, STEM-tastic will take place from 4 to 6:30 p.m. in the Oxnard College Performing Arts Center at 4000 S. Rose Ave. in Oxnard. Schools, businesses, non-profits, military weapon centers, and other Ventura County organizations with STEM (science technology engineering math) programs will be recognized at the STEM-tastic! celebration. âThere are so many amazing STEM programs in our county,â said VC STEM Director Phil Hampton, Ph.D., a Chemistry Professor and Interim Director of Educational Partnerships at CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI). âThis event really gives us a chance to shine a light on these programs and say âHey, you can do this too!ââ Latimer, who is the third American in history to receive magicâs highest honor, the âGrand Prix World Champion of Magic,â combines science with hands-on interactive experiments designed to pique a childâs interest in physics, chemistry, psychology, mathematics and other sciences. Designed to inspire wonder and curiosity, Latimerâs show involves such illusions as levitation, invisibility, mind control, shaping water, bending light and many other âsuper powers.â VC STEM is a leadership hub for area companies, universities, government agencies, parks, schools, museums and other local organizations working to enhance STEM education for students around Ventura County. The highlight of the STEMtastic! event will be the awards ceremony. Individuals who have been key champions of high-quality STEM learning will receive STEM Champion awards. STEM Radicals awards will also be given to individuals who have had a broad impact and sustained effort at enhancing STEM education in Ventura County. The coveted awards of the evening will be the Golden Gear Awards, which will go this year to a total of twelve educational settings that have exhibited high-quality STEM programming including elementary school, middle school, early childhood, and informal education/ after school programs. Ever since its launch in 2014, the network led by CSUCI has been expanding and earning national recognition. In 2015, VC STEM was one of 27 networks to be named a âSTEM Ecosystem,â which means a mix of schools, nonprofits, businesses, and higher education in the community are committed to encouraging high-quality STEM education. And just this month, Hampton and Regan Bynder, Program Resource Director for Child Development, Inc. in Oxnard, were selected as two of 22 fellows in the inaugural class of LEAD STEM, a new national leadership development program designed to arm individuals with high level skills to help shape the future of STEM education in the U.S. LEAD STEM fellows will invest the next nine months in extensive training and education in such things as fundraising, policy change, sustainability, relationship-building and leadership. VC STEM was made possible by $275,000 in grant funding awarded between 2014 and 2017 by the Amgen Foundation, the charitable arm of the Thousand Oaks biotechnology company. To register for STEMtastic! or to get information about the VC STEM network, visit http://www.vcstem.org/. About California State University Channel Islands |
By Anonymous — Wednesday, October 4th, 2017
Hands-on Assistance with FAFSA and Dream Act applications
The Financial Aid Offices at Moorpark, Oxnard and Ventura Colleges will each host workshops to help students and parents complete the 2018/2019 FAFSA and the California Dream Act applications. Workshops will be held simultaneously on each prospective college campus Saturday, Oct. 14, 2017, 9am to 2pm. Moorpark College (7075 Campus Road, Moorpark, CA); Oxnard College (4000 South Rose Avenue, Oxnard, CA); and Ventura College (4667 Telegraph Road, Ventura, CA) will have financial aid advisors available to assist applicants in applying for money for college. Financial Aid Workshops are also planned at the Ventura College Santa Paula campus (957 Faulkner Road, 106, Santa Paula, CA), Saturday, Oct. 21, 2017, 9am to 12pm. The events are free and open to the public. Financial aid is one of several ways that students may afford college. It is important to apply early to determine your eligibility and receive the maximum amount allowable. High school students, current VCCCD students and their parents should plan to attend one of the Cash for College financial aid workshops at Moorpark, Oxnard or Ventura College. âWorking in collaboration, financial aid specialists from each college are looking forward to helping students achieve their educational goals,â stated Ventura College Financial Aid Officer Alma Rodriguez. âStudents and parents may attend workshops at any of the three colleges and apply for available funds regardless of which school they plan to attend,â said Rodriguez. Moorpark, Oxnard and Ventura College offer more than two hundred degree and certificate programs and have Transfer Guarantee Agreements with the California State Universities (CSU), the Universities of California (UC) and other private/non-profit institutions. In 2016, the colleges awarded more than 7,000 Associate Degrees and Certificates to students who completed various programs of study. Students and parents who attend the financial aid workshops should bring the following documents and be prepared to complete their application(s): Everyone is welcome. Pre-registration is encouraged. For more information, please visit www.vcccd.edu/Cash4College or contact the Financial Aid Office at Moorpark College 805.378.1462; Oxnard College 805.986.5828; or Ventura College 805.289.6369. The Ventura County Community College District is a member of the 114-campus California Community College system, and serves more than 31,000 students annually. The Districtâs three colleges- Moorpark, Oxnard, and Ventura- offer programs in general education for degrees and certificates, transfer to four-year colleges and universities, career technical education, and provide opportunities to engage in co-curricular campus activities. For more information, please visit www.vcccd.edu or follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/venturacountyccd. |
By Anonymous — Monday, October 2nd, 2017
Beginning Oct. 1, all 23 California State University (CSU) campuses, including CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) will be accepting applications for fall 2018. This is the first time all prospective students will apply online at the CSUâs new application portal: Cal State Apply. Transfer students used it earlier this year, but this is the first time it is open for all incoming freshman, transfer, graduate and international students wishing to attend a Cal State University, including CSUCI. The new, streamlined, user-friendly portal is open during the two-month priority application period, which closes on Nov. 30, 2017. âCal State Apply has been designed to improve and simplify the process for the more than 850,000 applications that are submitted online to a CSU campus every year,â said Eric Forbes, CSU's assistant vice chancellor for Student Academic Affairs/Student Academic Support. âStudents are encouraged to research and apply to more than one campus, especially if applying to impacted campuses, to increase their likelihood of admission and to apply early during the priority application period.â âCSUCI continues to be a non-impacted campus, so all students who meet the minimum CSU eligibility requirements will qualify for admissions,â said Ginger Reyes, Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs and Director of Admissions & Records. Every year, CSUCI has a record number of students apply for the fall term. This year, CSUCI will receive freshmen applications for its brand new bachelor of science degree in Mechatronics Engineering. âOur campus is strategically located on the so-called â101 Tech Corridor,â sharing the neighborhood with companies such as Amgen, Haas, Teledyne Technologies, HRL Laboratories and many others, not to mention Naval Base Ventura Countyâs Point Mugu and Port Hueneme bases,â said Professor and Chair of the Computer Science program, Michael Soltys, Ph.D. âThere is a great need and demand for engineers in the community and local industries.â In addition to allowing one submission to serve the application needs of multiple CSU campuses, Cal State Apply also: Students who apply during the priority application period will receive admission decisions beginning in February, Reyes said. For more information regarding CSUCIâs admission process, visit www.csuci.edu/admissions. About California State University Channel Islands |
By Anonymous — Wednesday, September 27th, 2017
(l-r) FHS Homecoming Grand Marshal Jennie Andrade, along with the FHS 2017 Homecoming Court Freshmen Princess & Prince Jose Scott & Leslie Ceja, 2nd Princess & Prince Abigail Bernabe & Ivan Zepeda, Queen & King Janaey Cadena & Christian Andrade, 1st Princess & Prince Alexsys Covarrubias & Michael Sanchez, Juniors Princess & Prince Julissa Martinez & Nick Villela, Sophomores Princess & Prince Alyssa Ibarra & Nick Herrera. The Fillmore Flashes hosted their 2017 Homecoming game against the Nordoff High School Rangers last week. As Fillmore traditionâs will have it this past week at Fillmore High School was filled with tons of Homecoming activities; the Homecoming Dance which was held on September 16th, Dress up days, float building took place during the week September 17th to September 20th, and the Homecoming Parade was held on Thursday, September 21st at 6:30pm and took place on Central Avenue and downtown Fillmore. This yearâs Homecoming theme was Movies. 1st Place went to the Junior class, their float theme was âJurassic World,â 2nd Place Sophmore class their float theme was âNacho Libre,â 3rd Place Senior Class their float theme was âStar Wars,â 4th Place Freshman class their float theme was âGhost Busters.â Photos courtesy Crystal Gurrola. Enlarge Photo |
By Anonymous — Wednesday, September 27th, 2017
Part 2 of 3
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