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Hundreds of students throughout the Merced City School District stay on campus after the final bell to participate in extended day programs. For some, it’s a chance to get extra help with reading or math. For others, it’s an opportunity to enrich their learning through specialized clubs, such as robotics, gardening, drama, language, or leadership.
Of course, many children are hungry by the end of the day so we have traditionally provided snacks such as crackers and cheese or cereal bars to help tide them over, but now we’re able to do even more. As of March 1st, we began providing “Super Snacks” that consist of more substantial items, including salads, sandwiches, and wraps, along with fruit, vegetables, and milk.
These Super Snacks are possible because our district was approved for a federally-funded program operated under the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), which primarily serves Residential Child Care Institutions. The program allows schools and/or school districts with high populations of low-income families to participate as well. To qualify, 50% or more of the enrolled students must be eligible for free or reduced price meals. The meals are reimbursed under the CACFP Supper Program. All students enrolled in after school programs that include educational and/or enrichment activities receive these meals free of charge, regardless of their eligibility.
Our Director of School Nutrition Services, Patty Morado, explains, “We recognized the gap between substantial meals for many of our students, and we wanted to do more to support their nutritional needs. By offering this Super Snack, we are able to help our students keep up their energy and focus throughout their extended day programs.”
Our SNS leaders collaborated with staff members in developing the Super Snacks, and they are taking student feedback into consideration as well. The goal is to offer items that are simple and healthy, yet tasty.
Ms. Morado says, “We have had a great response so far, and our students are open and direct about which items they do and don't like. We are very excited to have this opportunity to serve our students to the fullest extent.”
SNS Supervisor Mary Williams adds, “We served more than 228,000 (approximately 1,300/day) of the regular after school snacks last year, so there are a lot of children who will benefit from this expanded Super Snack program.”
If you would like to learn more about the snacks and meals served in our schools, please visit the Nutrition Services page of our website: http://www.mcsd.k12.ca.us/District/Department/4-Nutrition-Services
The Merced City School District will offer a series of family nights at the STEAM Center in May and June. These events are all free and open to the public. Please see the flyer below for all of the details:
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A full length video of our students' Spotlight performances is now available here. Thank you to Mr. Johnston for his recording the show and editing this video!
For more about Spotlight, please see the article below:
The bright lights of the historic Merced Theatre shined on students from throughout the Merced City School District during our ‘Spotlight’ variety show on February 17, 2018. This annual event gives groups from all of our 14 elementary and four middle schools a chance to perform for their parents and peers in a venue that makes them feel like superstars! It’s also an opportunity to showcase the wide range of arts education offered in our schools, which is a priority for our district leaders. They value the way arts programs promote creativity, confidence, and the ability to express oneself as part of a well-rounded curriculum. It’s why we focus on STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, math) rather than STEM.
We loved seeing our students’ excitement as they took center stage. Sheehy Elementary kicked off Act One with a musical tribute to our nation’s military branches. Then Tenaya Middle School’s performing arts club took the audience back in time with a radio-show inspired number called “Dancing through the Decades.” Up next were second graders from Stowell Elementary who performed a traditional Hmong dance. They were followed by the Wright Wildcat Band, which played a trio of songs before members of the Hoover Winter Guard wowed the crowd with their flag and dance skills. The Reyes Honor Choir then sang and signed a song called Spider’s Web, followed by the Muir Elementary Lao Dancers who told a folktale through their movements. Band students from Stefani and Rivera Elementary schools then showed their skills with a song that dates back to the 1500’s. The finale for the first half of the show was the Rivera Middle ‘School of Rock band,’ which brought down the house with Journey’s classic hit, “Don’t Stop Believin.'"
Act Two also featured a variety of talent, beginning with our elementary band made up of students from Burbank, Gracey, Fremont, Muir, and Peterson. They were followed by a high energy hip hop dance group from Givens Elementary and then the Stefani Stallions String Ensemble. The next group featured students from Franklin Elementary who programmed robots to dance to an electronic song while they played along on bucket drums. Then Burbank Elementary students took the stage to perform a scene from “Hercules the 4th Grade Hero,” which they learned as part of a collaborative program with Playhouse Merced. After that, the Fremont Honor Choir sang “Lights, Camera, Action” from its Hollywood inspired winter musical, and Chenoweth Elementary students performed a patriotic number called “All-American Me and You.” Peterson Elementary was up next with a scene from Playhouse Merced’s “Alice in Neverland.” The Cruickshank Tiger Jazz Band wrapped up the evening with a smooth and skillful rendition of “Uncle Milo’s Slide Show.”
It was a wonderful night thanks to our outstanding students and their supportive families as well as dedicated staff from MCSD and the Merced Theatre. We would like to express our sincere appreciation for everyone who made this event possible and for the teachers who provide engaging and enriching arts education for our students all year long.
Also a special thank you to: Ms. Paula Heupel, Dr. Elaine Keeley, Ms. Laurelyn Kennard, Mr. Matthew Johnston, Ms. Sara Sandrik, Mr. Troy Souther, Mr. Bob Malone, Ms. Val Gresham. Ms. Jennifer Villanueva, Ms. Kathleen Kellerman, Ms. Trish Shelby, and the Merced Theatre
Cruickshank Middle School is celebrating a remarkable achievement by three stellar students. Samuel Stalnaker, Daniel Chen, and Zachary Robinson won the annual Quiz Bowl during the California Scholarship Federation/California Junior Scholarship Federation spring conference in Hanford on March 17.
The Quiz Bowl began in 1995 and is traditionally a competition among high school teams in the Central Region, which stretches from San Joaquin County in the north to Kern County in the south. Last year was the first time the Quiz Bowl allowed any middle school teams to participate, with the understanding that they would compete against high school teams in any semi or final round. All three boys on the winning team attended last year’s conference and watched the first Cruickshank team compete, which inspired them to sign up this year.
Their adviser, Wendy May, says, “These boys held their own as random questions from literature, geography, history, math, and science were projected on a screen while the proctor read them aloud. Furthermore, there isn’t any official preparation for this event. You either know the answer or you don’t. In the end, Cruickshank beat Visalia’s El Diamante High School by one point! The boys were convinced the winning point for them was from a literature question regarding W.W. Jacob’s, The Monkey’s Paw, which they read at the beginning of the year as part of the district’s new curriculum.”
The Cruickshank students made history with their victory as the first middle school to win the Quiz Bowl. The large perpetual trophy is now displayed in the school’s front office.
Cruickshank Principal Jerod Garst says he and his entire campus are very proud of the boys and their adviser. “Sam, Daniel, Zachary, and Ms. May always go above and beyond in their academic endeavors. We are honored to have them represent Cruickshank Middle School, and we want to congratulate them on this historic achievement.”
Daniel and Zachary also received another special recognition during the conference. They both took home the Marian Huhn Memorial Award. This award recognizes outstanding 8th grade student members of CJSF for their academic excellence and service to their school and community. Fourteen applications were submitted from across the Central Region, and only five students were selected as winners, including Daniel and Zachary. Each of the five students also received a $250 award.
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Several major modernization and improvement projects were completed at campuses throughout the Merced City School District during the 2016-2017 fiscal year. During the March 13 Board of Education meeting, our Citizens Bond Oversight Committee presented the annual bond report. It includes descriptions of those projects in an easy to read format, along with some photos of the work. If you would like to view that report, please click here.
Several other projects are also on the way this year. You can read more about those below:
Projects Scheduled for 2018
Fremont Elementary Modernization, Access, and Operations Upgrades (Funded through voter-approved Measure M): This will be a major modernization/improvement project. Classrooms will be updated with efficient new air conditioning systems, interior finishes, and safety equipment. Acoustical and LED lighting upgrades, plus large magnetic display/white boards and 21st century projector systems will help make lessons more engaging. Sinks and drinking fountains will be upgraded to ADA standards. Casework, bookshelves, storage, and old flooring will be replaced. Five 1968 portables will be demolished and replaced with modern modular classrooms, and an interior courtyard area will provide needed improvements for outdoor gathering, learning, and other school activities. The project also includes re-roofing of the walkway canopies, as well as landscaping and irrigation improvements. The front entrance to Fremont, including the main office, will be relocated to the S Street side of the school (away from the busy R Street intersection), where a student loading zone and parking area will be constructed.
Tenaya Middle School & Rivera Middle School Innovation Lab/STEAM Classroom conversion (Funded through the Local Control Accountability Plan): The old wood and metal shop at Tenaya will be converted into a versatile space for STEAM-related learning experiences, as the building is no longer being utilized as it was in the past due to changes in technology and how students learn. There is additional outdoor space that can also be incorporated into the classroom environment. At Rivera, the old home economics classroom and adjacent small technology classroom will be integrated into an innovation lab and technology center. The new facility will be adjacent to the large central amphitheater, which also provides a space for outdoor STEAM experiences. Together, these two projects represent our district’s Local Control Accountability Plan commitment to 21st century learning opportunities for our students.
Hoover Middle School Student Commons Upgrade (Funded through voter-approved Measure M): This project is currently in the design development phase. It will address high use areas that need shade and infrastructure repairs where students eat lunch and should be enjoying more outdoor activities. The old ash trees in the area have either died, caused tripping hazards from roots damaging the asphalt, or become infected with mistletoe. The area is also in need of major drainage repairs. The project design includes a metal canopy shade structure with lighting for afterschool programs and safety considerations, as well as new trees and an upgraded and relocated garbage can wash station. The overall goal is to provide students with a cleaner and safer place to eat and socialize while creating an enjoyable space where teachers can conduct outdoor activities under a large shelter.
Replacement of 160 HVAC Units at Four Sites (Funded through Prop. 39, the California Clean Energy Jobs Act): Old, inefficient HVAC systems at Burbank, Gracey, Muir, and Reyes will be replaced with new rooftop systems. The heat pump units will also be replaced.
Rivera Elementary School Addition of Three Classrooms (Funded through developer fees): Three new modular classrooms will be added to the Rivera Elementary campus to support student population increases in the school boundary area. This will allow the district to accommodate more families at their home schools, minimize overflow bussing, and maintain appropriate class sizes. It should also be noted that the district’s Long Range Facilities Master plan does include the need for new school sites in the future. Therefore, the modular classrooms at Rivera will be placed in an area that minimizes the impact on playfields as they could be relocated off the site in the future.
Sheehy Elementary Student Restrooms Upgrades (Funded through voter-approved Measure M): Aging restrooms will be remodeled with updated wall and floor coverings, sinks, fixtures, plumbing, ventilation equipment, LED lighting, as well as new electric hand dryers.
In addition to all of these facilities projects, our district has a system in place for ongoing maintenance at each of our campuses. We’re excited about the work that has been completed so far and look forward to many more improvements to benefit our students, staff, and community in 2018!