We Believe News, Volume 1, Issue 3

The Official Madera Unified Newspaper 

VOLUME 1 - ISSUE 3 

WEBELIEVENEWS.COM 11 16 18 #WEBELIEVEMUSD 

12-Year 

Plan 

In 2016, The MUSD 

Board of Trustees 

was presented with a 

12-Year Facility Plan, 

broken into three 

phases. 

8 

FOUR VERY IMPORTANT PEOPLE 

to Celebrate and Congratulate 2 

Madera 

Linkage 

Foundation 

10 

RESOURCES FOR CURRENT SENIORS: 

The Path to College 11 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Child 

Nutrition 

8 

 

2 nd Annual Winter Showcase 

Saturday, December 15, 2018 

6pm Pre-Show / 7pm Main Show 

Warnors Theatre 

1400 Fulton Street 

Fresno, CA 

 

See the work of Katie Howden and 

other visual and performing artists who Believe. 

5 

Winter Sports 

Athletes To 

Watch 

12 

Parent 

Engagement 

Leads to 

Student Success 

10 

Madera South 

High School 

Farm Harvests 

11 

English 

Language 

MASTER PLAN 

4 

Strategic Academic Planning (SAP) Days 

STRATEGIC ACADEMIC PLANNING (SAP) days are held three times a year 

with over 200 staff members which include Lead Teachers, Curriculum & 

Instruction Coaches, Vice Principals, Principals, Counselors, and other 

support staff roles. SAP teams meet for a full day to collaborate on ways 

to improve student achievement. SAP days 

are held during a time when students 

have the day off from school, protecting 

precious instructional 

minutes with students and their 

classroom teachers. 

7 

Migrant 

Education 

Educación 

Migratoria 

6 

District Update 

3 

Superintendent’s Message: 

WE BELIEVE in Madera! Here’s Proof 

Star Cortez 

2 

*******************ECRWSSEDDM**** 

LOCAL POSTAL CUSTOMER 

PRSRT STD 

ECRWSS 

U.S. POSTAGE 

PAID 

MADERA, CA 

PERMIT NO.88

2 

SUPERINTENDENT’S PAGE 

WE BELIEVE NEWS, November 16, 2018 

WE BELIEVE in Madera! 

Here’s Proof 

SUPERINTENDENT’S MESSAGE 

By Todd Lile, Madera Unified 

School District Superintendent 

ACROSS THE NATION 

we see division and dysfunction 

but here we can 

do better. WE BELIEVE 

in Madera and are committed 

to uniting our 

community by learning from the past 

and building the future. Despite serving 

nearly 21,000 students in our district, 

Madera is still a small town at 

heart. Our sense of independence and 

rugged individualism still f lourishes. 

From the very beginning, Madera was 

built by immigrants and migrants 

who toiled and scraped to survive. 

Our history is sketched by tragedy but 

colored with resilience. Madera Unified 

is determined to teach the lessons 

of our culture for years to come! 

Madera County Historical Society 

The Madera County Historical Society 

(MCHS) has been very welcoming 

and gracious about renewing a 

partnership. With so many excellent 

former educators in their ranks, the 

Historical Society is an ideal partner 

to help our students understand 

their hometown’s story. Our Madera 

Courthouse Museum is one of the 

most impressive aspects of our community 

and luckily, 3rd grade social 

studies standards conceptually focus 

on “our community.” As students see 

artifacts and learn of their hometown, 

they will feel more connected 

to stories of migration, struggle, and 

success. Students will know Madera 

has always been a special place for 

kids and families. To prove it, the 

MCHS invited teachers to an open 

house and reception on October 10th 

Star Cortez 

to re-explore the museum’s incredible 

treasures. 

During the same field trip, students 

also explored areas of curiosity 

at the Madera County Library. The 

welcoming staff has a vast array of 

titles and documents to help students 

internalize the value of literacy and 

discovery. We are excited to build a 

new relationship with such a strong 

partner. In a community without a 

bookstore, the Madera County Library 

and our school libraries have 

greater importance. A special lunch 

in the park concluded the trip before 

heading back to work on fun CA History 

projects. 

Ed Gwartnew California History 

Center 

Since 1953 (65 years) Monroe Elementary 

has proudly served its neighborhood. 

Among its most inspirational 

educators were Ed Gwartney, Sandra 

Carter, and Susan Miller. Ed Gwartney’s 

dream of students interacting 

in a living museum full of hands-on 

learning began in 1997 and closed with 

his full retirement in 2016 after serving 

over 1,000 students from around 

the Valley. 

On September 25, 2018, the MUSD 

Board of Trustees renamed the Monroe 

Children’s Museum to the “Ed 

Gwartney California History Center” 

to revive it for our 4th graders. A rededication 

of the museum is planned 

this semester to light it for the Holidays. 

This unique treasure sets us 

apart and will be a destination for other 

local districts to learn our history. 

Madera Method 

Many readers recall the Madera 

Method’s historical research projects, 

wagon trains and national accolades. 

Bill Coate always honors famous 

author Irving Stone for his collaboration 

on this dynamic student experience. 

WE BELIEVE the Madera 

Method should live on. Madera South 

High School has recently become the 

beneficiary of Coate’s collections of 

documents, papers, manuscripts and 

artifacts. Soon an entire library section 

will be open for the collection 

and archive. A UC approved course is 

being taught by Mr. Moosios for original 

research and publishing. Finally, a 

website will go live with documents, 

timelines, photographs and stories 

available to the entire community. 

Partnerships with Madera County 

Food Bank and Madera Rescue 

Mission 

The leadership of the Madera 

County Food Bank and Madera Rescue 

Mission conceived of an idea to 

mobilize the good will and civic pride 

of students. Small boxes will be given 

to each student to collect as much 

pocket change as possible for a few 

weeks. Every penny will support local 

families in need this Holiday Season. 

Families, students, and staff have always 

been incredibly generous and 

this longstanding tradition will continue 

with WE BELIEVE in Change 

for Change. We are proud to support 

the vision of Executive Directors Unger 

and McWherter to unite the community 

in the spirit of service. 

Madera County Arts Authority 

In August, the MUSD Board of 

Trustees unanimously voted to join 

the Madera City Council, and Madera 

County Board of Supervisors to 

form a Joint Powers Agreement called 

the Madera County Arts Authority. 

Currently, the board of three, led by 

We truly believe 

in valuing our 

past excellence to 

inspire the future. 

Trustee Ric Arredondo, is seeking 

to add two members — one from the 

Madera Arts Council and one from 

the unincorporated areas of the 

county. This five member board will 

begin leveraging all its resources, 

partnerships, and talent to develop 

a public arts complex large enough 

to showcase the arts, support school 

events, sponsor smaller conventions, 

and attract entertainment. With our 

projected growth in the district and 

community, this kind of complex 

could be a powerful symbol to attract 

new families, redevelop downtown, 

and prove to large audiences just how 

outstanding our arts community and 

education has become. 

This is an optimistic time in our 

history where many alumni are returning 

to their hometown to reinvest 

their careers and energy. We truly believe 

in valuing our past excellence to 

inspire the future. WE BELIEVE in 

Madera and hope you do too. 

SHORTNEWS 

There are Four Very Important People to celebrate 

and congratulate — two classified, one certificated, 

and one hybrid! All local kids! 

Travis Grif fin started her career behind 

the wheel of a bus where she was known by 

her peers for safety and care, and known by her 

kids for professionalism and “cool.” Travis has 

taken progressively more dif ficult jobs in our 

MUSD Transportation Department. The past 

few years, as our beloved Katie White nobly 

battled cancer, Travis was unflinching in her 

problem-solving and leadership. 

Travis has served the students, staf f, and 

community incredibly well as the “interim” 

director but on Tuesday night, the MUSD 

Governing Board removed the “interim” tag! 

Many teachers, support staf f, drivers, and 

administrators have stopped me to endorse 

Travis during this past year and your confidence 

in her has been validated! They always say that 

she’s tough, fair, thoughtful, dedicated, and 

humble. Indeed! 

Please welcome, Travis Grif fin as our new 

MUSD Transportation Director. I’m proud to 

have her as a member of our Cabinet! 

Lawrence Fernandez started his career 

as a much needed Gang Intervention Specialist 

in the long shadow of street and school violence, 

perfecting his craf t along the way. When 

the intervention side began to yield results 

and took kids from the gang and into school 

and work, Lawrence realized a true victory was 

possible in this battle. His prevention ef forts 

to keep kids from ever joining, have become 

legendary across the state where he’s trained 

law enforcement from MPD all the way to the 

FBI. But many don’t realize he has studied, 

taught, trained, and planned extensively 

in the post-Sandyhook era to make MUSD 

schools safer and more secure. Lawrence has 

supported our safety of ficers training, needs, 

and professionalism for years and assumed 

more responsibility each month. As a CTE/ROP 

teacher, Lawrence has inspired students for 

years and distinguished himself as one of the 

Valley’s best instructors. Again, like Travis, staf f 

has endorsed Lawrence’s work and promotion 

for many years and Tuesday, the MUSD Governing 

Board validated his ef forts by naming him 

MUSD Safety Manager. I’m proud to have him 

as a member of our Cabinet! 

Simone Montez was honored at a recent 

event as the Madera County School Employee 

of the Year! Those of you who have worked 

with Simone know of her dedication, work 

ethic, intelligence, integrity, responsibility, 

and leadership. She’s been an asset to MUSD 

for years as a paraprofessional, administrative 

assistant, and ASP (Af ter School Program) Coordinator. 

There is NOTHING she can’t do. Not 

only has she served MLK with great dignity, 

but she dignifies the community each day. 

The students are her kids for life and 

she takes it upon herself to raise them just 

that way. One student said that she saw Ms. 

Montez like an auntie whom she could look up 

to for advice and love. There was almost not a 

dry eye in the place because Simone, too, was 

overtaken by the spirit of the moment. She 

takes each student personally in every interaction 

and sees her role as the extension of the 

principal’s and school’s values. She expresses 

love and truth in equal measure, which kids 

deeply need and respect. 

The complexity of Simone’s job in the of fice 

and in ASP is well known and truly staggering! 

All inn attendance stopped during the event 

to honor her work with a standing ovation 

af ter she spoke and it was mutually from the 

heart! Martin Luther King Middle School is so 

lucky to have Simone there to meet the needs 

of staf f, students, and parents each day! 

Congratulations on a befitting honor and I’m 

so proud you’re such a quality staf f leader in 

Madera Unified School District! 

Jennifer Vukovich was honored at a 

recent event as Madera County’s Teacher of 

the Year! Isha Bains praised her saying, “If I 

can’t connect with my teacher, I can’t learn.” 

Abraham Maslow predicted this very truth 

in his Hierarchy of Needs and Jennifer proves 

the power of connections. Jennifer’s skill in 

facilitating student learning should be legendary, 

if it isn’t already in her young career. So 

of ten, I made the mistake of instructing my 

class too much and not facilitating their learning 

through exploration of a topic. For such a 

young teacher to have progressed to such a 

master’s level of facilitation is indeed rare. She 

shows the value of organization and trust. 

The students in Jennifer’s class literally Love 

Learning because they know she Loves Students. 

The expression of true af fection and 

deep belief in them is reinforced with High 

Expectations and support. Jennifer inspires 

them to speak and think like college-age juniors 

and seniors. As a coach, whose intensity 

is well known, Jennifer lives out her belief in 

continuous improvement. This belief doesn’t 

just flourish on the court. As the daughter of 

a coach and of a teacher, “good enough” is absent 

from her mentality. Jennifer’s excellence 

was honored at the event, among the most 

amazing teachers in nine districts. Madera 

High is so fortunate to have yet another proud 

Coyote alumnus serving its students for 

another generation. 

Congratulations on this important honor 

and we cannot wait to see the next level of 

Jennifer’s teacher leadership and continuous 

improvement! 

MADERA GROWS PRETTY impressive people. It just so happens that all four are MHS graduates. They prove a point we all need to internalize. MUSD kids desperately NEED HIGH EXPECTATIONS, 

support, and inspiration. When all three are present in the proper amounts, we see success and leadership emerge at levels that would make any community proud. These four service-oriented 

leaders in their fields benefited from teachers and coaches who pushed them, support staf f who loved and protected them, and a community that truly needs them now. Thanks to Travis, Lawrence, 

Simone, and Jennifer for their investment in Madera’s students and future. We’re in this together, with the four of you, and we’re so very proud! 

Editor-in-Chief 

Publisher 

Managing Editor 

Deputy Editor 

Design Director 

Contributors 

Frédéric Martin 

Babatunde Ilori 

Seleyna Mendoza 

Estrella Cortez 

Renée Martin 

Blanca Bishop 

Marty Bitter 

Rosalind Cox 

Gladys Diebert 

David Hernandez 

Babatunde Ilori 

Todd Lile 

Kristin McKenna 

Tim Riché 

Sandon Schwartz 

Laura Toney 

Marchéta Williams 

Interviewees Rosie Galvez Brian Chiarito 

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SHORTNEWS 

Hispanic Heritage Month 

Poster Contest Winners 

1 st Place Winner 

Vanessa Murillo 

2 nd Place Winner 

Itzel Parra Ferrer 

3 rd Place Winner 

Siena Garcia 

3 rd Place Winner 

Yesenia Perez 

All were 12 th graders last year 

& went to Madera High 

This publication allows Madera Unified to communicate progress of goals within the Local Control Accountability Plan 

and is funded by the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) as part of California School Funding Law. 

GO ONLINE 

DLI 

Information 

GO ONLINE 

Career 

Opportunities 

GO ONLINE 

Learn More 

About the LCAP

All Regular Board Meetings take place in the 

Madera Unified School District Boardroom 

at 1902 Howard Road, Madera, unless otherwise noted. 

PUBLIC SESSION MEETINGS begin at 6:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted on the agendas. For 

an updated list visit https://madera.novusagenda.com/agendapublic/. 

BOARD OF EDUCATION 


3 

SHORT 

NEWS 

Cohort Graduation Rates For MUSD High Schools 

97% 

Madera High 

93% 

Madera South 

Furman 

48% 

Mountain Vista High 

26% 

2018 SBAC Results 

ELA RESULTS 

MATH RESULTS 

SCHOOL NAME 

% MET & 

EXCEED 

Adams 35.32% 

Alpha 23.64% 

Berenda 37.76% 

Chavez 34.04% 

Desmond 29.34% 

Dixieland 40.66% 

Eastin-Arcola 37.12% 

ETAA (K-8) 29.18% 

Furman 6.67% 

Howard 35.28% 

Jefferson 39.57% 

King 24.38% 

La Vina 38.14% 

Lincoln 43.48% 

Madera High 47.49% 

SCHOOL NAME 

% MET & 

EXCEED 

Madera South 44.21% 

Madison 20.87% 

Millview 34.19% 

Monroe 25.98% 

Mountain Vista 18.33% 

Nishimoto 31.97% 

Parkwood 30.62% 

Pershing 46.67% 

Ripperdan 0% 

Rose 26.81% 

Sierra Vista 24.01% 

STA (K-8) 45.32% 

STCH (9-12) 58.33% 

STSA (6-8) 73.61% 

Washington 21.46% 

SCHOOL NAME 

% MET & 

EXCEED 

Adams 23.39% 

Alpha 16.92% 

Berenda 30.77% 

Chavez 27.55% 

Desmond 15.27% 

Dixieland 28.81% 

Eastin-Arcola 34.33% 

ETAA (K-8) 24.86% 

Furman 3.33% 

Howard 29.70% 

Jefferson 19.91% 

King 11.40% 

La Vina 37.63% 

Lincoln 38.18% 

Madera High 21.21% 

SCHOOL NAME 

% MET & 

EXCEED 

Madera South 10.98% 

Madison 20.25% 

Millview 30.08% 

Monroe 19.31% 

Mountain Vista 0% 

Nishimoto 26.88% 

Parkwood 24.82% 

Pershing 35.80% 

Ripperdan 0% 

Rose 27.40% 

Sierra Vista 20.66% 

STA (K-8) 30.21% 

STCH (9-12) 0% 

STSA (6-8) 54.17% 

Washington 15.09% 

BOARD GOALS 

• Culture of Excellence • Change Perception & Mindset • Clarity & Consistency 

Superintendent Lile Members of the Madera Unified Board of Education Contact 

To contact Superintendent Lile, 

please call his of fice at 

(559) 675-4500, x220. 

Members of the Madera Unified Board of Education are all available 

via e-mail and this is the best method to contact them. 

Area 1 

Ray G. Seibert 

rayseibert@maderausd.org 

Area 2 

Ed McIntyre 

edmcintyre@maderausd.org 

Area 3 

Ruben Mendoza 

rubenmendoza@maderausd.org 

Area 4 

Philip Huerta 

felipehuertajr@maderausd.org 

Area 5 

Vacant Seat 

Area 6 

Ricardo Arredondo 

ricardoarredondo@maderausd.org 

Area 7 

Brent Fernandes 

brentfernandes@maderausd.org 

BOARD OF TRUSTEES 

Gladys A. Diebert 

Senior Administrative Assistant to the 

Superintendent and Board of Trustees 

Madera Unified School District 

1902 Howard Road 

Madera CA 93637 

(559) 675-4500; ext 220 

(559) 661-7764 FAX 

gladysdiebert@maderausd.org

4 

EQUITABLE ACCESS TO RIGOROUS HIGH LEVEL PROGRAMS 


English Language 

MASTER PLAN 

INTERVIEW WITH ROSALINDA 

GALVEZ, DIRECTOR OF LANGUAGE 

& LITERACY 

By Frédéric M. Martin, Editor-in- 

Chief 

UP TO 6,000 students receive 

English Learner (EL) 

instruction at Madera Unified. 

English Learner instruction 

is required by the State of 

California and is paid for from the 

school district’s General Fund. The EL 

program is being revamped to keep 

up with new technologies, assessment 

methodologies, and teaching strategies. 

The new visionary plan features 

a detailed implementation roadmap. 

Because there are many levels of English 

learners, there is no one-size-fitsall 

in practice. To better address the 

students’ needs, the Madera Unified 

School District has established realworld 

classifications to tailor corresponding 

educational programs, 

including feasibility, benchmarks, 

and updated assessment parameters. 

MUSD encourages English Learner 

language development and cultural 

literacy, so students are not merely 

learning a language, but also aim 

to capture and understand the fundamental 

cultural components that 

make up and transform the living 

language they are studying. As Rosalinda 

Galvez, Director of Language & 

Literacy, stated during our interview, 

“We also encourage integrated instruction 

with strategies that benefit 

all the students, for students to speak 

up, and foster conversations.” The 

new assessments are no longer multiple 

choice, but rather require the students 

to write, in full sentences, and 

develop paragraph answers, to more 

fully engage them in deeper practice 

and use of the language they aim to 

master. MUSD started the process of 

revamping the program, last September, 

when it hired Francisca Sanchez, 

a well-known presenter and expert 

MUSD’s English 

Language program 

is also partnering 

with California State 

University, Fresno. 

in English Language Development, 

a consultant at Provocative Practice, 

with a proven track record in various 

Bay Area school districts, including 

San Francisco, San Jose, Hayward, 

and Oakland. Francisca is a frequent 

speaker at the National Association 

of Bilingual Educators (NABE) and 

the California Association of Bilingual 

Educators (CABE) conferences, 

where MUSD Trustees attended her 

session last year. In her practice, she 

insisted on meeting with local stakeholders, 

including School Board 

members, students, educators, community 

leaders, retired teachers, and 

business members, who participated 

in a series of evening meetings going 

over the status quo and improvement 

objectives. The EL program upgrade 

process started in September of 2017 

and the MUSD Board approval for the 

new program is imminent. 

Student data is showing that English 

Learners represent about 25 percent 

of the district’s student body. 

Teaching EL takes many forms: depending 

on the site, the student profiles, 

ages and concentration of need, 

some students receive instruction 

within their normal class setting and, 

in some cases, in a pull-out class. Regardless 

of the format, the students 

do receive forty-five minutes of English 

Learning instruction, integrated 

into their grade’s curriculum. 

In Madera, the following languages 

are frequently encountered: Spanish, 

Mixteco, as well as an increasing 

presence of Punjabi. EL students who 

start at MUSD in kindergarten have 

usually caught up with their Englishspeaking 

classmates by the time they 

get to third grade and are typically eligible 

to be re-designated as no longer 

in need of EL coursework. 

Besides the English immersion 

programs, of which the main goal is 

to transition all the EL students into 

fully able English speakers, MUSD 

has also recently launched a very well 

received Dual Language Instruction 

(DLI) program, now in its second 

year at Madison Elementary. The DLI 

program aims at full biliteracy for all 

its students, currently offered in the 

English and Spanish languages. Another, 

yet to be determined, elementary 

school will launch its own DLI 

program, eventually leading to a fully 

integrated K-12 DLI program, potentially 

also featuring an additional language, 

in the future. 

Some of the key improvements in 

the EL program include coherence in 

instruction throughout K-12 at MUSD, 

articulating a clear program that is 

focused on addressing the needs specific 

to the student body profiles as 

they come into contact with MUSD 

educators. Teaching methodologies 

are designed to be f lexible and more 

apt at properly evaluating the best 

strategies to positively impact EL student 

achievement. The instruction 

program’s performance is being assessed 

more often to provide the correct 

feedback to help prioritize and 

shape the teaching methods, steer 

educational goals and student progress, 

while also enforcing standardsbased 

performance targets, via the 

use of shared generally accepted best 

practice. The Parent Resource Centers 

that have successfully expanded 

throughout the school district, are 

also leveraged to complement EL instruction, 

by providing hands-on 

tools for English Learners’ parents to 

help guide and support their children 

in learning in either or both languages. 

EL students and their parents both 

learn to use chrome books and how to 

communicate with the teachers. The 

partnership with parents via Parent 

Resource Centers yields obvious and 

quantifiable results that substantially 

contribute to their children’s academic 

achievements. 

Madera Unified School District’s 

EL program is also partnering with 

California State University, Fresno: 

Dr. Cristina Herrera, Chair of the 

Chicano and Latin American Studies 

had recently started a course for DLI 

instructors to enhance their teaching 

skills and strategies. 

The course will span the first semester 

of this school year to prepare 

teacher-students for their Bilingual, 

Cross-Cultural, Language and Academic 

Development (BLCAD) teaching 

certification, also known as the 

Bilingual Authorization. This authorization 

is helpful for both EL and DLI 

instructors. 

SHORTNEWS 

New Administrators (Left to Right): Suzanne Dudney, Kelli Spence, Christine Riche, 

William Quaschnick, Jill Derkalousdian, Megan Imperatrice, Lori King 

New Administrators (Left To Right): Back Row: Noel Jimenez, Denise Munoz, Adalberto Hernandez, 

Mercedes Ochoa, Lisa De La Peña, Ana Carrillo, Stephanie Mcpherson; Front Row: Kelli Spence, Jill 

Derkalousdian, Megan Imperatrice, Lori King, William Quaschnick, Christine Riche, Suzanne Dudney 

Madera Unified School District 

18 

Elementary 

Schools 

3 

Middle Schools 

Schools 

4 

High 

Schools 

1 

Community Day School 

1 

Adult School 

Graduates Completing 

a Career Pathway 

265 

Students Taking College Level Courses 

248 

College and Career 

43.3% 

Graduates Meeting the 

UC / CSU Requirements 

Graduates Earning a Golden 

22.2% State Seal Merit Diploma 

70 

Graduates Earning 

a Seal of Bilteracy 

Career Technical Education Pathways 

24 

Total Students 

20,017 

Total Employees 

2,0 16 

Advanced Placement 

443 

22 

Students Currently 

Enrolled 

Students have Passed 

an AP Exam (3+)



5 

WINTER 

SHOWCASE 

KATIE HOWDEN, HOW BELIEVING 

CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE! 

By Dr. Marchéta Williams,Visual 

and Performing Arts Director 

WHENEVER I MEET 

young talented artists 

and musicians, I am always 

curious to know 

how they came to be. 

What was their motivation 

to become an artist or musician? 

From the time she was little, Katie 

Howden always enjoyed art. While 

she was involved in sports and her academics, 

when it came to art, Katie 

says, “Art was the one thing I was truly 

competitive in.” 

Thanks to a great history teacher, 

she originally thought she would 

pursue history, or try something else 

entirely. As it turns out, her teachers 

in the Arts would ultimately make the 

difference as she charted her path. 

With the creation of an AP Art course 

at Madera South, Katie’s father suggested 

that she try to take the course. 

Katie had never taken any high school 

art classes, but after showing a portfolio 

she was accepted into the course 

and ultimately completed both AP 

Studio Art and AP 2D Design earning 

5s on her AP exams. 

During that time, Katie also had 

the opportunity to take theatre with 

Ginger Latimer, Performing Arts Department 

Head at Madera South. In 

the spirit of Katie Howden, she took 

four years of Drama. As a drama student, 

Katie used her art skills to build 

sets, help with props and set design, 

and participate in drama competitions. 

“I was kind of a Queen of the 

Backstage. Backstage is often “guy 

territory” with building sets and lots 

of power tools, but they didn’t know 

how to paint them. I was able to come 

in and do a lot of things like special effects 

and custom make-up.” 

As fate would have it, Katie had 

friends who were in both drama and 

choir. “I’d always enjoyed singing, 

but to be entirely honest, I thought I 

might get a better part (in the drama 

productions) if I had choir experience.” 

Roger Harabedian, Madera 

South Choir Director, allowed her to 

audition for choir and she was selected 

for his top group, Chamber Choir. 

That was the same year the choir traveled 

to New York City. Perfect timing! 

Katie attributes her decision to ultimately 

study art to her supportive 

arts teachers, initially thinking it was 

not doable or possible to do something 

with art and make a living. “It 

was Sheila Kincade, (Department 

Head), who convinced me that I could 

do art, and it helped that my parents 

were really supportive.” When asked 

what was the turning point to choosing 

art as a major, she said, “I remember 

the moment I had to decide which 

direction I was going to pursue. AP 

US History was offered at the same 

time as AP Art. Mrs. Kincade said 

to me, ‘I really think that you could 

do this and you have what it takes.’ I 

knew in the back of my mind, it made 

perfect sense to pursue art.” 

Katie received the Smittcamp 

Scholarship, that included four years 

full tuition and housing. The scholarship 

was designed to keep talented 

college students in the Valley. “Once I 

finished my degree, I realized just how 

important that opportunity was.” Katie 

received an Art Degree from Fresno 

State in 2012. She feels lucky to be 

able to teach animation, her personal 

passion, alongside the people who 

made her “Believe” that she could do 

art. “I had always respected teachers. 

I watched my father, (former MUSD 

physics and chemistry teacher of 30 

years) change so many peoples’ lives 

through teaching. I have the chance 

now to be that person in students’ 

lives as my teachers were for me.” 

Katie is now in her third year of 

teaching. “I see just how valuable it 

is to have teachers who love to teach 

in the classroom, and the value of 

good administration to support 

them.” When asked about life lessons 

learned from her parents, she shared 

that she cannot thank her parents and 

family enough for their support. “I 

would absolutely not be here without 

them.” Katie comes from a very artistic 

family. Her father designed the 

house her parents live in today, which 

they have built as a family project for 

the last 25 years. Her brother, a mechanical 

engineer, uses his art skills 

on a regular basis in his work to better 

communicate ideas with his peers. 

And her mother continues to teach 

her creative problem solving skills to 

this day, skills Katie continues to pass 

on to her students. 

visual and performing arts 

Winter 

Showcase 

Experience 

A 

Howling Time 

Warnors Theatre 

1400 Fulton St. Fresno, CA 93721 

Saturday, December 15, 2018 

6:00 P.M. Pre-Show 7:00 P.M. Showcase 

Art, Dance, Drama and Music 

By Madera Unified School District Students 

Tickets available at the MUSD Business Office 

Call (559) 675-4415 for questions

6 



Migrant Education 

Educación Migratoria 

By Blanca Bishop, Migrant Education 

Coordinator 

MUSD MIGRANT EDUCATION 

Program is a Nationally funded 

program through Region III-Migrant 

Education adminstered by 

the Merced County Office of Education. 

Migrant Education Coordinator, 

Blanca Bishop has coordinated numerous 

supplemental services for migrant 

students in Madera Unified since 2015. 

The goal of the Migrant Education Program 

exists to ensure all migrant students reach 

challenging academic standards and graduate 

with a high-school diploma that prepares 

them for further learning and productive employment. 

To qualify for the Migrant Education Program, 

a migrant child must have moved 

within the past three years across the state or 

school district boundaries with a migrant parent 

or guardian in seek of employment in agricultural, 

Cannery, Diary, Forestry, or Fishing. 

Supplemental Services: 

Through the MUSD Migrant Education Program 

students can be provided supplemental 

education and support services during the 

regular school year and summer. Migrant children 

can close the achievement gap in education 

and develop skills and options for future. 

In addition, the program provides various 

opportunities for them to develop leadership 

skills and college and career awareness 

through educational field trips and summer 

residential opportunities. Currently, the following 

supplemental services are provided to 

our students: 

• After-school tutorial sessions 

• Saturday Math Academy 

• After-school STEM Academy 

• Pomona Ranch (K-12) After-school Enrichment 

Program at Pomona Ranch 

• Educational Enrichment sessions during 

Migrant Parent Advisory Council (MPAC) 

meetings 

• Educational Field trips to Universities and 

local Community Colleges 

• Educational Conferences, such as STEM 

Conference, Chicano Conference, and Feria 

de Educación 

• Secondary services for 9-12 migrant students 

in regards to Supplemental Advising, 

Transcript reviews, Lunch tutoring, and 

After-school Leadership workshops 

• Saturday Leadership Workshop at Fresno 

State 

• Summer Residential Programs, such as, 

Close Up in Washington, D.C.; Migrant 

Scholars at Fresno State; and STEM Academy 

at Sacramento State and Channel Islands 

• Migrant Elementary Summer school 

• Summer Home Base Instruction 

• Dental and Vision Screening 

Identification & Recruitment 

Migrant Education Liaisons work at identifying 

children in Madera Unified that may 

qualify to participate in the Migrant Education 

Program. Once the children are identified, 

a Migrant Liaison arranges a home visit 

or office visit to determine the eligibility of the 

children by asking the parents questions regarding 

their migration. If the family qualifies 

for the Migrant Program, a certificate of eligibility 

is filled out and signed by the parent/ 

guardian, as the certificate is the required to 

be completed prior to enrolling the child into 

the Migrant Education Program. 

Parent Involvement: 

The Migrant Parent Advisory Council 

(MPAC) consists of three Migrant parent officers: 

President, Vice President and Secretary 

who are nominated and elected by the parents 

of migrant children enrolled in Madera Unified. 

The MPAC takes place six times per calendar 

year to provide migrant parents the state and 

educational guidelines, social issues and educational 

services. 

The MPAC also includes guest speakers 

and / or community agencies to provide families 

with resources and education to continue to 

be involved in their child’s education. 

De Blanca Bishop, Coordinadora de 

Educación para Migrantes 

EL PROGRAMA DE Educación 

Migrante de MUSD es un programa 

nacional financiado a 

través de la Región III- Educación 

Migrante a través de la Oficina de 

Educación del Condado de Merced. 

La Coordinadora del Programa de Educación 

Migrante, Blanca Bishop ha coordinado 

numerosos servicios supleméntales para los 

estudiantes Migrantes en Distrito Escolar 

Unificado de Madera desde el año 2014. 

La meta del Programa de Educación Migrante 

es asegurarse de que todos los estudiantes 

migrantes alcancen estándares 

académicos desafiantes y se gradúen con un 

diploma que los prepare para aumentar el conocimiento 

y un empleo productivo. 

Para calificar para el Programa de Educación 

Migrante, un niño/a Migrante se debe 

haber movido dentro de los últimos tres años a 

través del estado o los límites del distrito escolar 

con un padre o guardián Migrante en busca 

de trabajo en la agricultura, conservería, lechería, 

forestal o pesca. 

Servicios Supleméntales: 

A través del Programa de Educación Migrante 

de MUSD se les puede proveer a los 

estudiantes con educación suplemental y servicios 

de apoyo durante el año escolar regular y 

de verano. Los niños migrantes pueden cerrar 

la brecha de logros en educación y desarrollar 

habilidades y opciones para el futuro. Además, 

el programa provee varias oportunidades para 

que ellos desarrollen habilidades de liderazgo 

y conocimiento de los colegios y carreras a 

través de viajes de estudios educacionales y 

oportunidades residenciales de verano. Actualmente, 

los siguientes servicios supleméntales 

son provistos a nuestros estudiantes. 

• Sesiones de tutoría después de la escuela 

• Academia de matemáticas en sábados 

• Academia STEM después de la escuela 

• Pomona Ranch (K-12) Programa de Enriquecimiento 

después de la escuela en Pomona 

Ranch 

• Sesiones de enriquecimiento durante reuniones 

del Comité Consejero de Padres 

Migrantes (MPAC) 

• Viajes de estudios educacionales a las Universidades 

y Colegios Locales de la Comunidad 

• Conferencias Educacionales, tal como conferencias 

de STEM, Chicano, y Feria de Educación 

• Servicios secundarios para estudiantes Migrantes 

concerniente a Consejos Supleméntales, 

Revisión de Archivo de Calificaciones, 

Tutoría durante el almuerzo y Talleres de 

Liderazgo Después de la Escuela 

• Talleres de Liderazgo los Sábados en Fresno 

State 

• Programas Residenciales de Verano, tales 

como, Close Up en Washington, D.C., Escolares 

Migrantes en Fresno State y Academia 

STEM en Sacramento State y Channel Islands 

• Escuela Primaria Migrante de Verano 

• Instrucción de Verano Basado en Casa 

• Examen de Visión y Dental 

Identificación & Reclutamiento: 

Las Personas de Enlace de Educación Migrante 

trabaja en identificar a los niños en 

Madera Unificado que podrían calificar para 

participar en el Programa de Educación Migrante. 

Una vez que los niños son identificados, 

una persona de enlace organiza una 

visita a casa o a la oficina para determinar la 

elegibilidad del/los niño/s al hacer preguntas 

a los padres concernientes a su migración. Si 

la familia califica para el Programa Migrante, 

un certificado de elegibilidad es completado y 

firmado por el padre/guardián, ya que se requiere 

que el certificado sea completado antes 

de inscribir al/los niño/s en el Programa de 

Educación Migrante. 

Participación de los Padres: 

El Comité Consejero de Padres Migrantes 

(MPAC) consiste de tres padres directores 

Migrantes: Presidente, Vice Presidente y 

Secretaria/o quienes son nominados y elegidos 

por los padres de los niños migrantes inscritos 

en Madera Unificado. El MPAC se lleva a cabo 

seis veces en un año calendario para proveerle 

a los padres Migrantes las guías educacionales 

estatales, asuntos sociales y servicios educacionales. 

EL MPAC también incluye un visitante 

orador y/o agencias de la comunidad para 

proveerles a las familias recursos y educación 

para continuar participando en la educación 

de sus niños. 

If you would like more information regarding the 

Migrant Education Program, please contact our 

Migrant Education Office at (559) 675-4500, Ext. 288. 

Si usted quisiera más información concerniente al Programa 

de Educación Migrante, por favor comuníquese con la 

Oficina de Educación Migrante en el (559) 675-4500, Ext 288

DATA DRIVEN PROFESSIONAL LEARNING & COLLABORATION 


SAP Days 

PLANNING MADERA UNIFIED’S 

ACADEMIC FUTURE. STRATEGIC 

ACADEMIC PLANNING 

By Babatundi Ilori, Executive 

Director of Accountability and 

Communications 

THREE DAYS OUT of 

the school year, it is not 

the students walking to 

class. Instead, over 200 

Madera Unified administrators, 

curriculum & 

instruction coaches, lead teachers, 

counselors, and other support staff 

walk the halls to get to their assigned 

classroom to discuss improving student 

achievement as they collaborate 

in Strategic Academic Planning 

(SAP). During SAP days, there is intense 

focus on evaluating a school 

site’s Strategic Academic Plan to find 

areas of growth and discuss areas of 

need by reviewing school site data 

with their respective teams. 

SAP days exemplify Madera Unified’s 

commitment to being a learning 

organization, believing in continuous 

Fishbone Diagram 

A Fishbone Diagram is a structured brainstorming tool using categories 

to explore root causes for an undesirable effect. 

improvement and having a growth 

mindset. Part of the Superintendent’s 

Executive Cabinet’s core values include 

having a Collaborative Culture. 

Strategic Academic Planning involves 

having a clear understanding of the 

current situation with data and strategically 

planning your next move so 

that you have more control over student 

outcomes. 

The implementation of SAP days 

have been a key lever allowing Madera 

Unified staff the time to collaborate 

and plan with their respective teams. 

During the SAP days, teams develop 

problem statements and determine 

the root cause for the specific problem 

they decide to focus on. SAP teams 

create fishbone diagrams or utilize 

the “5 Whys” protocol to get to the 

heart of the problem. Once the SAP 

team completes the activity, they create 

a Theory of Action (TOA) on how 

they plan to meet each of their school 

site goals. The TOA utilizes an “if” 

Categories 

Problem 

Causes 

and “then” statement to articulate the 

strategy which each SAP team plans 

to use to meet its goals. Sheryl Sisil, 

Assistant Superintendent of Educational 

Services, presented the district 

professional development TOA to all 

attendees during the SAP day. 

If District Administrators focus 

their leadership on: 

• developing a capacity for instructional 

leadership 

• promoting a teaching and learning 

agenda 

• create conditions that support and 

encourage leading 

• develop practices that are data supported 

and evidence based 

• developing equitable practices 

an d ~ if 

Site Administration focus their 

leadership on: 

Star Cortez 

• understanding instruction well 

and supporting professional development 

opportunities for their 

teachers 

• advocating for a learning agenda 

and high expectations 

• creating and implementing conditions 

that encourage learning 

• implementing a system that informs 

them of current student 

learning and progress and responding 

in a timely manner 

• fostering a belief that all students 

are capable of high levels of learning 

Teachers focus on: 

and ~ if 

• demonstrating the knowledge and 

instructional skills needed to meet 

the needs of all students 

• setting high expectations for all 

students and providing them with 

access and opportunities to achieve 

at high levels 

• collaborating with colleagues on 

curriculum, instruction, and assessment 

in meaningful ways 

• being able to assess and respond to 

the individual needs of all students 

• creating a culture of inclusivity 

and accountability using equitable 

practices 

Then 

Students will graduate with the 

greatest number of postsecondary 

choices from the widest array of options 

ensuring all students will be college 

and career ready.” As described 

above in the TOA, a major focus of 

Madera Unified is to make significant 

improvements to student achievement 

by providing staff, site leaders, 

and teachers the tools to ensure 

high quality instruction is happening 

across the district. Therefore, the professional 

development focus will be 

geared toward building capacity in 

staff to implement the district TOA. 

SAP days have been a great initiative 

for the district. One hundred 

percent of staff who attended the 

SAP day and completed the survey 

responded favorable to the following 

question, “Please rate your overall satisfaction 

with the Strategic Academic 

Planning Day.” Below are samples of 

written survey feedback from staff 

regarding the SAP day. 

• “Time with my site team to think 

about how to improve our school.” 

• “Really liked hearing about the vision 

of the district and the strong 

emphasis on expectations. Also 

enjoyed developing the action plan 

with my team” 

• “Thinking in terms of “Theory of 

Action” was wonderful for a teacher 

of geometry. We call it conditional 

statements.” 

• “District presentations were enlightening 

and provided focus and 

structure for our work, as well as a 

road map for the future.” 

• “Meeting with our team to discuss 

the strategies and tactics we will 

implement during the 2018-2019 

school year to better meet the needs 

of our students.” 

SHORT 

NEWS 

LCAP Meeting Dates 

and descriptions 

Description: LCAP Community 

Meetings are held with parents 

and community members to 

obtain their respective feedback 

on the most important state 

priorities and resources needed 

to address the state priorities. 

People in attendance discuss, prioritize 

and vote on the top areas 

toward which they would like the 

district to dedicate resources / services. 

The results are tallied at 

the end of each meeting and the 

entire group then reviews the 

results. This year, we plan to hold 

three longer meetings with more 

time to truly dive into topics and 

receive authentic feedback. The 

meetings will be held on Saturdays, 

from 8:00am – 1:00pm. 

December 1, 2018 

at Rose Elementary School 

January 19, 2019 

at Desmond Middle School 

February 9, 2019 

at Madera South High School 

·· 

Meetings are open 

to the public 

·· 

A light breakfast and 

lunch will be provided 

·· 

Interpretation services 

·· 

Childcare available 

7

8 

SAFE & HEALTHY ENVIRONMENTS FOR LEARNING & WORK 


12-Year 

“Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend 

By Sandon Schwartz, Deputy 

Superintendent 

ABRAHAM LINCOLN 

WAS not boasting of his 

tree falling skills, but actually 

making a statement 

about the importance 

of preparation and 

planning. Planning plays a critical 

role in each and every one of our lives, 

and this holds especially true for our 

school district. While many of our 

staff are given the charge to plan for 

the immediate future, many of us are 

also charged with planning for future 

decades and a generation of students 

not yet born. 

When dealing with facilities, staff 

must plan years and even a decade 

ahead of when a project actually 

needs to be constructed. This is why 

most large school districts prepare a 

Facilities Master Plan. 

In 2014, Madera Unified School District 

worked with Darden Architects 

to update our Facilities Master Plan. 

The plan identified specific site needs 

for all of our existing campuses as well 

as future new facilities the district will 

require. For the purpose of this article, 

I would like to focus on the new facilities 

and large modernization projects 

the plan has identified. 

To determine when new facilities 

will be needed, the district attempts 

to match the student capacities, at 

each of our school sites, with future 

enrollment projections. For example, 

if Monroe Elementary School can only 

hold 600 students and we project that 

in 5 years 750 students will live in the 

neighborhood, we will need to find 

somewhere for those additional 150 

students to attend school. This can be 

done by shifting school attendance 

boundaries, if space is available, at a 

neighboring school, but in most cases 

the solution will require the construction 

of a new school. 

In the late 1980s, Madera Unified 

built Alpha and Berenda Elementary 

Schools to help with a growing 

student population. At the time, the 

district had a student enrollment of 

under 14,000 students and was comprised 

of thirteen elementary schools, 

one middle school, and a single high 

school. Our elementary schools were 

beginning to see the impacts of increased 

student enrollments and a 

handful or portables were being added 

to our school sites. 

In the 1990s MUSD experienced 

an explosion in the student population 

and, by the year 2000, had grown 

to 16,000 students. The district was 

forced to continue to add portables at 

school sites to deal with this growth. 

In fact, MUSD was forced to add over 

50 portables to school sites during the 

1990s. Sites originally built to house 

500 students were cramming over 

1,000 students onto the site. It was 

during this era that the district ended 

up moving to year-round school format 

in order to support all of our students’ 

educational needs. 

In 2004, the community passed 

Measure B, a general obligation bond, 

which would help provide funding 

for Nishimoto Elementary School, 

Chavez Elementary School, Desmond 

Middle School, and a second 

construction phase at Madera South 

High School that would allow it to become 

its own stand-alone high school. 

This was followed by the passage of 

Measure U in 2006 which helped fund 

Parkwood Elementary, property for 

a future high school, and eventually 

Virginia Lee Rose Elementary School. 

With the passage of Measure G in 

2014, the district began the process of 

designing and building a new comprehensive 

high school designed to 

house 2,200 students. The process to 

construct a new school facility usually 

takes at least two and a half years 

from start to finish, and even longer 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Child Nutrition 

INTERVIEW WITH BRIAN 

CHIARITO, CHILD NUTRITION 

DIRECTOR 

By Frédéric M. Martin, Editor-in- 

Chief 

THE BUSINESS OF feeding 

students is a very busy one; 

constantly evolving requirements, 

tastes, nutrition mandates, 

parent and student feedback, 

f luctuation of local food supplies and 

economics, etc., all contribute to ever 

moving targets that end up shaping the 

product mix on the students’ plates. 

Staff gets up early every day, and food 

deliveries start before 6:00am with 

two daily batches, for breakfast and 

lunch. The child nutrition infrastructure 

is improving all the time as budgets 

allow MUSD to modernize and 

streamline storage, preparation, distribution 

and consumption f low. Every 

day, 16,000+ meals are distributed 

throughout the school district. 

The MUSD motto is “Go Fresh!”. 

As Brian Chiarito, Director, MUSD 

Child Nutrition stated: “Although we 

do keep and distribute frozen items, 

the market has been moving towards 

healthier foods, with less nitrates, less 

fillers, etc.” What do the kids see on 

the outside? We package the food and 

vegetables as one would see in retail 

environments, so the kids respond 

to the food presentation. It’s “lunch 

at school” rather than “school lunch”. 

Crowded campuses also present challenges 

at lunchtime: Madera South is 

now serving two lunches because the 

3,400+ student campus can no longer 

all be served at once. We are serving 

more children now that the lines are 

shorter, and the service has improved. 

We look forward to the new high 

school to be constructed so we can alleviate 

some of the current lunch congestion. 

We also have sporadic challenges 

from various school sites as 

special events or un-communicated 

sudden schedule changes can create 

unexpected requirements to our district 

wide finely tuned daily routines. 

Three years ago, MUSD transitioned 

into a Community Eligibility Provision 

district, a federally reimbursement 

program which makes breakfast 

and lunch available at no charge 

for all the students. MUSD’s CEP program 

eligibility is determined every 4 

years, based on the community’s lowincome 

status. 

Child nutrition services cost reduction 

ideas include price negotiations 

and benefiting from food vendors 

competitive market forces. MUSD also 

purchases local products, including 

fresh products directly from farmers 

and industrial food producers, including 

some delicious tamales from California 

companies, making sure that 

we strictly follow all the age-based US- 

DA nutritional requirements. Buying 

directly from the manufacturer rather 

than a distributor bypasses availability 

issues and reduces costs by removing 

the middle man. The school district is 

also experimenting with breakfast in 

the classroom to alleviate congestion, 

improve school attendance, and invite 

morning conversations and conviviality 

as the day gets started. Providing 

breakfast also improves the students’ 

concentration, alertness, comprehension, 

memory, and learning. Kids are 

far more likely to eat breakfast in this 

setting: our data shows that we are 

now serving breakfast to over 80% of 

the kids, whereas only 27% of the children 

bothered to eat breakfast at the 

cafeteria before we switched to breakfast 

in the classroom. 

MUSD is currently upgrading 

school site equipment as well as expanding 

its centralized storage facility. 

Food is prepared and cooked at 

a central location for all elementary 

schools, whereas middle and high 

schools have their own food processing 

facilities, which allows us to leverage 

their kitchens and only require 

the central MUSD food service warehouse 

to deliver raw materials to the 

school sites. 

The school district will eventually 

have walk-in coolers at all the school 

sites, including upgrades to existing 

coolers that may no longer satisfy capacity 

requirements. A couple of years 

ago, the central location installed a 

new freezer, that can hold 250 pallets, 

which should satisfy capacity requirements 

for the next 20 years. 

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SAFE & HEALTHY ENVIRONMENTS FOR LEARNING & WORK 


9 

Plan 

the first four sharpening the ax.” – Abraham Lincoln 

for a complex project like Matilda Torres 

High School. 

In 2016, the Board of Trustees 

asked staff to put together a timeline 

with potential funding for future new 

facilities. A facilities committee was 

organized to assist with the process. 

The committee consisted of MUSD 

Trustees, Madera City Council Members, 

Madera County Supervisors, 

and our acting Parent Advisory Committee 

President. An existing group 

of community members who were a 

part of our Superintendent’s Roundtable 

also participated in the discussions 

by providing input and feedback 

on the draft plan. 

In 2016, The MUSD Board of Trustees 

was presented with a 12-Year Facility 

Plan, broken into three phases. 

Phase 1 included the following 

projects: 

• Construction of Virginia Lee Rose 

Elementary School: a K-6 facility 

that has the capacity to house 850 

students located on Road 28 ½ between 

Sunrise and A Street. This 

school was completed in 2017 and 

fully paid for through Measure U. 

• Construction of Matilda Torres 

High School: a comprehensive 

high school that will house 2200 

students located on the corner of 

Road 26 and Martin Street. Construction 

on the project began in 

March of 2018 and will be completed 

in August of 2020. The project 

is completely funded through district 

contributions, Measure G, and 

matching funds from the State of 

California. 

• Completion of the athletic facilities 

at Madera South High School. 

Plans for an artificial turf field, a 

9‐lane all-weather track, a snack 

bar, restrooms, and seating for 

2500 spectators are currently in review 

at the Division of State Architect. 

Construction on the project is 

anticipated to start in the spring 

of 2019. The project is fully funded 

through district funds. 

• Modernization of the Career Technical 

Education Building at Madera 

High School. The shops at Madera 

High School will undergo major 

renovations and be purpose-built 

to house three CTE pathways. The 

future space will house Residential 

and Commercial Construction, Automotive 

Service and Repair, and 

Heavy Diesel Engine and Truck Repair 

programs. This project is fully 

funded through district and CTE 

Grant funding. 

• Identify and purchase land for future 

school complexes. The board 

has asked for staff to reconvene our 

site selection committee to identify 

potential sites for future schools. 

Construction of a Concurrent Enrollment 

Middle School 

Phase two of the 12-Year Facilities 

Master Plan includes the construction 

of two new schools, construction 

of a new district office, and modernization 

of Memorial Stadium. 

Phase three of the plan calls for the 

construction of a future elementary 

school. 

The 12‐Year Facility Plan is a working 

document that will be consistently 

reviewed and modified as we 

experience changes in enrollment 

projections and funding sources. 

Despite the fact that the plan could 

potentially change, it is still providing 

the district with a solid roadmap 

based on our current needs projections 

and allows staff to plan for the 

future of the Madera Unified School 

District. 

“If you fail to plan, then you 

are planning to fail.” 

– Benjamin Franklin 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Selyena Mandoza 

 

Employee Highlight Mrs. Stickler 

Matilda Torres High School Updates 

KSEE 24 Educator of the Week 

Mrs. Stickler is a great asset to 

her kindergarten team, Nishimoto 

Elementary, and the Madera community 

as a whole. She is an educator 

who teaches with her whole heart 

and truly believes all her learners 

have the ability to be successful. One 

of the qualities that stands out about 

Mrs. Stickler is her constant drive to 

continue learning and growing as an 

educator. She is continually incorporating 

new and creative strategies to 

meet the diverse needs of the learners 

in her class. Nishimoto is proud to 

have her as a Hawk. 

ONCE MATILDA TORRES High 

School’s doors open in August 

2020, it will bring much relief to 

our existing high schools’ expanding 

student population, which are 

already exceeding capacity. The 

new high school will initially accommodate 

2,200 students, but is 

master planned for future growth 

of 2,500 students. Construction 

of the new high school began this 

Chad Wallace 

past March – and the District is 

fortunate to be working with a 

strong project team, consisting of 

Darden Architects, Kitchell CEM, 

and Harris Construction. 

The team has wasted no time 

in getting construction activities 

underway and completed. 

The entire site has been graded, 

all building pads have been 

compacted, and the on-site fire 

water lines have been installed. 

All footings and slab on grade 

for Buildings A (Administration / 

Classroom building), F (Cafeteria), 

K (science / math classrooms), and 

G (Gymnasium) are completed. 

Most of these activities are hard 

to see when passing by the site, 

but one thing that stands out is 

the structural steel being erected, 

giving Building A a second floor. 

Not only is work being done 

on-site, but quite a bit of work is 

taking place of f-site, such as water 

main installation on Road 26 

and Martin Street, the reconstruction 

of Owen Street to the south 

of the school site, and streetlight 

improvements at Martin Street 

and Road 26, and Ellis Street and 

D Street. With all these improvements 

underway, the new Matilda 

Torres High School is starting to 

take shape. 

SHORTNEWS 

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10 

STRONG RELATIONSHIPS WITH FAMILIES & COMMUNITIES 


Councilman Will Oliver, Former City Administrator David Tooley, Mayor Andy Medellin, and Councilman Charles Rigby speak with 

students and answers questions about city government. 

Linkage 

Foundation 

EXPANDING PARTNERSHIPS & 

SPONSORSHIPS MORE CREATIVE 

WAYS TO BENEFIT STUDENTS 

By Tim Riché, Madera Linkage 

Foundation President 

THE LINKAGE FOUN- 

DATION is back working 

for the needs of students 

in Madera Unified. 

Our goal is to partner 

with people, clubs, and 

businesses to find ways to bridge the 

gap for our students to have access to 

a first-class education. Many times 

within education we have gaps in 

what we can spend our money on and 

the Linkage Foundation does its best 

to fill those gaps. 

The last seven months have been 

difficult for our foundation with the 

loss of Anne Lozano, our President. 

Anne was much more than that; she 

was a community leader, a friend, 

and someone who reminded us to 

serve our community and especially 

our children. Her loss helped us focus 

on what is important and compelled 

us to reformulate our vision. 

The foundation is entering into 

a new partnership with our collegeaged 

Madera Omega and high schoolaged 

Madera Leo Club. The two service 

clubs work with evening Lions 

to make Madera a better place. They 

raise thousands and buy coats, shoes, 

and socks as well as support local 

events and service projects. We are 

partnering with them to create an ongoing 

Anne Lozano scholarship that 

will be awarded to students who serve 

their community. 

We are currently in the process of 

awarding Mini Grant applications 

to Madera Unified staff. Last year 

we were able to support the fourth 

ranked high school robot in the world, 

Miss Darts 

Madtown 1323 once again made us 

proud. Two grants supported science 

in the classroom. Ms. Raygoza’s class 

at Howard learned about butterf lies 

and Ms. Boehm’s class at John Adams 

explored cell biology. Miss Dart’s class 

at Sierra Vista were given math manipulatives 

to better comprehend the 

math that they were working on using 

pencil and paper. 

Mr. Madrigal did a fantastic job 

with his students at Madera High 

School. The linkage foundation 

granted him monies and helped him 

partner with other entities to take 

his class around town using public 

transportation. His students had a 

great time learning how to get around 

Madera, learning how to effectively 

utilize those local services. 

The Linkage Foundation also supported 

the first ever Madera Leadership 

Academy. The academy is based 

on the Madera Citizens’ Academy and 

allowed our students to better understand 

how city government works 

and what it entails to run a city. The 

students spent time with Madera 

City Directors, Police and Fire Chiefs, 

and the city administrators learning 

about how to become more involved 

in their city. 

It is our hope that others will want 

to become more engaged in what the 

Linkage Foundation can do as a committee. 

We are always looking for other 

members and people that want to 

partner with us. Our foundation can 

only grow to the extent that we are 

able to expand. 

I would love to talk about any ideas 

you may have if you are interested in 

partnering with us. Feel free to contact 

me at Timriche@maderausd.org. 

4th grade used our grant money to 

purchase fraction manipulatives in 

2 forms, so the students can begin to 

understand fractions conceptually. 

Miss Darts 

Students created visual representations 

of their math problems on chrome 

books. 

Students work together on fraction 

problems. 

Miss Darts 

Miss Darts 

Miss Darts 

Miss Dart’s class used foam tiles and 

fraction strips to help them understand 

fractions. 

SHORT 

NEWS 

CTE Pathway 

Highlight: Nursing 

Careers 

MUSD HIGH SCHOOLS feature 

22 Career Pathways, for students 

to gain insights on potential careers 

and have an opportunity to 

earn college credits through Dual 

Enrollment or Industry Valued 

Certifications. 

The Nursing Pathway is 

of fered at both Madera High 

Schools. Students begin this 

pathway their freshman year 

with an introductory course 

“exploring health careers”. Their 

sophomore year builds up their 

medical language with a medical 

terminology course. This course 

allows students to get college 

credit at Madera Center. In their 

junior or senior year, students 

can take either Medical Careers, 

Sports Medicine or the Nursing 

Careers class. For Medical 

Careers, students survey all 

aspects of healthcare outside of 

direct patient care. In the sports 

medicine courses, students assist 

in treating fellow athletes. Lastly 

in the Nursing Careers class, students 

practice the skills necessary 

to be a nurse. Learning takes place 

in the classroom and in a nursing 

facility, such as Avalon or Madera 

Rehabilitation, putting in actual 

Clinical hours with patients. At 

the end of the school year students 

take the California Department 

of Public Health Certified 

Nursing Assistant exam allowing 

them to earn their Certified Nursing 

Assistant (CNA) license. Last 

year Madera Unified had a CNA 

exam 95% pass rate and over 50 

students graduated high school 

with a license. 

All the students in the Health 

Career Pathways can earn their 

First Aid and CPR certifications 

and complete the OSHA 10 for 

Medical Careers Certification. 

The Health Career pathway is one 

of the largest in Madera Unified, 

with 270 students enrolled at 

Madera High school and more 

than 520 students at Madera 

South. Madera students can earn 

real world skills and abilities 

towards a successful career af ter 

high school. 

PARENT ENGAGEMENT LEADS 

TO STUDENT SUCCESS 

By David Hernandez,Director of 

Community Service and Parent 

Resource Centers 

THE PARENT EDUCA- 

TION Initiative at Madera 

Unified School District 

is moving into a 

two-generation model 

that practices parent-focused 

and child-focused services; 

family-centered. Our school district is 

proud to provide resources that affect 

the whole family positively. 

This is truly the case of Mrs. Angelica 

Otamendi Hidalgo, a parent 

and dedicated community volunteer. 

Angelica first became involved with 

the Parent Resource Center (PRC) in 

August of 2014. She was a primary 

catalyst of the first PRC. Angelica’s 

volunteer work started with the Sierra 

Vista PRC and expanded into the Alpha 

PRC, where she volunteers to empower 

adults with low literacy skills. 

Angelica is the proud parent of 

three successful children who all attended 

kindergarten through high 

school in Madera Unified schools. Her 

oldest son Osvaldo Hidalgo Otamendi, 

MSHS Class of 2009, is a graduate student 

attending the Santa Clara University 

and currently preparing for 

his British Accredited Regency (BAR) 

Exam. Christopher Hidalgo Otamendi, 

MSHS class of 2011, is in his senior 

year at the University of California, 

Santa Cruz, pursuing a Bachelor’s in 

History with a minor in Latin American 

studies and education. Montserrat 

Hidalgo Otamendi, Class of 2020, attends 

MSHS hoping to pursue a major 

in Audiology and will be applying to 

UC Merced. Angelica is a prime example 

of being involved in her children’s 

education, creating a home environment 

that encourages and supports 

learning, with a “can-do” attitude 

that leads to her children performing 

at optimal levels in their education 

path. Research indicates that children 

with parents, who are involved with 

their education, whether in school or 

at home, do better academically. Regardless 

of income and background, 

students with involved parents are 

more likely to excel academically and 

develop better social skills. 

It is believed that when schools and 

families work effectively together, the 

learning community becomes rich 

with opportunities. There is no magic 

combination of programs, resources, 

or practices that will produce results 

every time or work in every school, 

but there are some standard strategies 

that can help create effective 

school-family partnerships. 

Over the years, Angelica has continued 

to enhance her personal leadership 

skills and has taken advantage 

of professional development opportunities. 

To date, Angelica not only 

continues to volunteer, she currently 

teaches a School Smarts-Parent Leadership 

Program through the Parent 

This model of parent, 

family, and community 

involvement in 

education correlates 

with higher academic 

performance. 

Teacher Association at various MUSD 

schools. Her strong commitment to 

parent and community engagement 

continues to brighten and nurture the 

lives of hundreds of parents and families 

across our district. 

The broader community also has 

a responsibility to assure high-quality 

education for all students. Today, 

the old model is being replaced with 

a much more inclusive approach. 

School-family partnerships now include 

mothers, fathers, step-parents, 

grandparents, foster parents, other 

relatives and caregivers, business 

leaders, and community groups, all 

helping parents like Mrs. Otamendi 

in goal-oriented activities, at all grade 

levels, linked to student achievement 

and school success. 

This model of parent, family, and 

community involvement in the education 

of our youth correlates with 

higher academic performance. When 

schools, parents, families, and communities 

work together to support 

learning, students tend to earn higher 

grades, attend school more regularly, 

stay in school longer, and enroll in 

higher-level programs.

STRONG RELATIONSHIPS WITH FAMILIES & COMMUNITIES 


11 

Resources for 

Current Seniors 

A SENIOR’S GUIDE 

THE PATH TO COLLEGE 

By Seleyna Mendoza, 

Managing Editor 

DO YOU want to 

be when you grow up?” 

We have all been asked 

“WHAT 

the perennial question 

more than once, and for most of 

us, the answer keeps changing over 

time. However, as a senior student, 

this year is your chance to finally put 

your answer into motion. This year, 

you must make important decisions 

regarding your future plans. Making 

plans can be a little scary, but if 

you apply yourself and do your research, 

you can make well-informed 

decisions that will fit your wants and 

needs, making your college experience 

smoother. 

Since it’s your last year of high 

school, you may also have the desire 

to be more social, which often conf 

licts with your busy schedule, and 

feel less driven to excel. It may be 

tempting to give up and to cut down 

on your efforts, for example, like not 

applying to a school in which you 

might do well, because you do not feel 

like completing the college application, 

or forget to submit the associated 

supplemental paperwork; but it 

is crucial to understand that your senior 

year decisions can directly affect 

the rest of your life. 

You may ask yourself: “what should 

I be doing?”. First, make sure you are 

on track to complete your A-G coursework 

to ensure you are accepted into 

four-year colleges and universities of 

your choice. The fall semester of your 

senior year is the time of the year during 

which the majority of four-year 

colleges accept applications. The California 

State University system and 

the Universities of California application 

deadlines are fast approaching 

on November 30. There are fees for 

submitting college applications, however, 

check with your academic counselor 

to learn more about fee waivers 

and to see if you qualify for them. 

This is a critical time for students 

to do their research about the colleges 

or universities they wish to 

attend. Not all colleges are created 

equal. Students should know the difference 

between private and public 

Remember, Madera 

Unified believes in you. 

institutions, as well as for-profit and 

non-profit schools. Know the difference 

between a community college 

and a vocational school. Asking these 

questions now can save you from unforeseen 

headaches and confusion. 

The more research students do ahead 

a time, the fewer surprises they will 

receive later. 

College fairs enable senior students 

to gather more information 

and ask questions that can help better 

select a college destination. Resource 

fairs are scheduled to guide seniors 

on their journey for post-secondary 

education. Ask questions that matter 

to you. For example: does the school 

feature competitive sports programs, 

clubs or social and academic groups? 

Does the university offer student 

housing? What majors are available 

at the institution? Do not be afraid to 

ask questions, this is a new journey, 

you are not expected to know everything 

on your own, in fact, asking 

pertinent questions is a college skill 

that will prove invaluable in your academic 

career. 

In the spring, students will take 

college placement tests. If you are still 

uncertain about whether you are attending 

a four-year college or a community 

college, you should consider 

taking both placement tests, so you 

can have more college options from 

which to choose. Also, all students, 

regardless of parental or guardian income 

levels, are highly encouraged to 

complete a Free Application for Federal 

Student Aid, FAFSA, application by 

March 2. Filling out a FAFSA application 

gives students the opportunity to 

get FREE money, for college, in form 

of grants, and it also provides colleges 

and universities the real world information 

they need to properly allocate 

their loans grants. 

Make sure to also research and apply 

for scholarships. Important note: 

scholarship applications are free, so 

you really should take advantage of 

those and it will be worth your time 

to research them well. You should 

never have to pay money to apply for 

a scholarship. If you come across a 

scholarship application that confuses 

you and, somehow, requires upfront 

fees, it is best to check in with your 

academic counselor and verify the validity 

of the scholarship offer. 

Application for federal programs 

like TRIO and the Educational Opportunity 

Program (EOP) should be 

looked into and applied to if they fit 

your needs. Each college or university 

has student support programs specifically 

designed to help students navigate 

college and provide useful resources 

to their members. It is highly 

recommended to routinely check-in 

with your academic counselor to ensure 

that you are completing all of 

the necessary steps to activate your 

future plans. 

Finally, follow up on your college 

applications: check with the schools 

to make sure they have received all 

your submitted information, including 

test scores, transcripts, and recommendations. 

You may be busy this 

year, gearing up for life after high 

school, but it is also important to remember 

to do well in your current 

classes. Make sure you finish the year 

strong and enjoy yourself. Remember, 

Madera Unified believes in you. 

2018-2019 

COMMUNITY COLLEGE (CC) 

& CSU / UC DATES 

2018 

10/1 Financial Aid Application 

Opens 

10/15 - 10/19 CC Application 

Workshop (Media Center) 

10/22 CSU Application 


10/30 FAFSA Night 

11/15 CSU Application 


12/3 CC Orientation 

Workshop (Medi a Center) 

12/6 & 12/7 Web Advisor Workshop 

(Media Center) 

2/4-2/5 CC Placement Testing 

& 2/7-2/8 (ELD students ony) 

2019 

3/2 Financial Aid Deadline 

3/7 & 3/8 CC Advising (East Gym) 

4/23-4/25 CC Follow-up Advising 

(Civics / Econ Classes) 

4/30-5/2 CC Registration 

(Media Center) 

5/1 Deadline to Accept UC 

and CSU Admission 

Madera South High SchoolFarm Harvests 

Students participate in the annual corn harvest at Madera South High School. 

THE MADERA SOUTH Agriculture 

Department and Madera 

FFA chapter is one of the 10 

largest chapters in the United 

States. You will frequently see 

evidence of their success around 

town, but rarely do we talk 

about the activities that happen 

daily to educate students about 

the agriculture industry through 

hands on exposure. 

The Madera Agriculture Department 

takes pride in of fering 

their students hands on learning 

opportunities in and out of the 

classroom. The Madera South 

Agriculture teachers look for 

ways to utilize the Madera South 

High School’s 20-acre school 

farm to develop supervised 

agricultural experience projects 

that allow students real world 

application of skills they learned 

in their agriculture classes. 

In the past few years the 

farm has grown from just a few 

horses to now include a flock 

of sheep, a rabbit cooperative, 

a three acre vineyard, oneacre 

of tangelo citrus and this 

summer, a one acre corn field 

was planted. These projects, 

whether they are animal projects 

or farming projects, are 

all managed by students and 

overseen by one of the eight 

agriculture teachers on campus. 

Having students manage the 

school farm is one of the unique 

things about their high school 

experience. 

While managing the many 

varied projects students are 

able to see the production of agriculture 

from seed to harvest. 

Students get a full understanding 

of the hard work and 

dedication it takes to be in the 

agriculture production industry. 

Students are responsible for all 

management practices from 

weeding, pruning, harvesting, 

and fertilizer applications. They 

are trained by the high school 

agriculture teachers and spend 

a few days harvesting the crop. 

The grapes and tangelos take 

a few days to harvest. The corn 

was harvested throughout the 

summer, with dif ferent parts of 

the field being ripe at dif ferent 

times, it was important that 

the students keep a close eye 

on when the corn was ready in 

order to have the best tasting 

corn at harvest time. 

Some of the crops are already 

sold through contracts with 

businesses in Madera, while 

others have to be marketed and 

sold by the students directly. 

Having access to such a great 

school farm laboratory has 

helped to develop students with 

a passion and knowledge of the 

agriculture industry that prepares 

them for careers outside 

of high school. 

SHORTNEWS 

Madera County Superintendent of Schools Credential Programs 

Preliminary Administrative Services Credential 

Earn Your 

OR 

Special Education Added Authorization 

Online Program: 

Early Childhood Special Education 

$2,800.00 / 9 Months 

Online 

Program 

15 Months 

$6,975 

Face to Face 

Program 

18 Months 

Orthopedic Impairment 

$ 3,300.00 / 10 Months 

Traumatic Brain Injury 

$3,300.00 / 10 Months 

Visit Us at: mcsos.org 

Credential Programs



2017-2018 

MHS & MSHS 

Basketball 

Teams 

12 

UNIFIED SPORTS ARE BACK! 

By Marty Bitter, MUSD Atheletic 

Director 

IN 2016, MADERA Unified 

piloted a program 

along with Fresno Unified 

to formulate Unified 

Sports teams. Unified 

sports is a branch of the 

Special Olympics. It is a combination 

of Unified Athletes (our special needs 

students who would not otherwise 

qualify for a current school offered 

sports team) and Unified Partners 

(our general education students) participating 

on the same team. 

The program started out small as 

our students competed in soccer and 

a few events in track and field. In fact, 

Madera South High School had the 

first Unified Shot Put team in California 

history! The 2018 school year 

brings on our second year of competitive 

Unified Sports. We now compete 

in the CMAC (County Metro Athletic 

League) which consists of Madera, 

Madera South, Bullard and Edison 

just like our regular sports teams do. 

The teams compete in the fall in Coed 

Soccer, Basketball, and Track in the 

spring. 

As our high school athletic directors 

and coaches would attest it has 

been one of the most rewarding experiences 

we have had the chance to 

be involved with. Andrea Devine the 

Athletic Director at Madera South 

calls her Unified program, “Priceless”! 

Madera High Athletic Director John 

Fernandez echoes the sentiments saying, 

“Unified sports is inspired by a 

simple principle that training together 

and playing together is a quick path 

to friendship and understanding.” 

John continued to say that at Madera 

High School, Unified sports were another 

step their school has taken to 

continue to enhance their culture and 

support the district’s vision of “We 

Believe.” Unified sports have allowed 

our special needs students to display 

their talents and develop friendships 

that have enlightened their overall 

high school experience. When these 

young men and women compete together, 

our hearts fill with joy as we 

witness the determination of our unified 

athletes and the smiles of our unified 

partners. It is moments like these 

that exemplify our Coyote P.R.I.D.E!” 

We hope to see this program continue 

and grow in the years to come! 

This vision of inclusion has the ability 

to change the culture of our campuses 

and community. We have been able 

to witness our special needs students 

become more involved on campus 

with our general education students 

as well as our general education students 

become much more tolerant of 

others around our campuses. 

I would like to encourage anyone 

in our community to come out and 

watch these wonderful athletes have 

the time of their lives playing the 

sports that they love! You will see the 

cheerleaders, inf latable tunnels, and 

painted signs encouraging these wonderful 

young students. 

SHORTNEWS 

WRESTLING 

BOYS BASKETBALL 

GIRLS BASKETBALL 

BOYS SOCCER 

GIRLS SOCCER 

MADERA HIGH SCHOOL 

Winter Sports Athletes To Watch 

John Cook: Senior HWT wrestler MHS 

John picked up the sport of wrestling last year in his junior year and 

saw great growth not only as a wrestler but also as a person. John has 

worked hard in the of f-season on the mat and in the weight room and 

his hard work is paying of f. John is currently a starter on the Coyote 

football team and ranked in the section in his wrestling weight class. 

John is a leader and is coachable. We look forward to watching John’s 

success and achievements this season. 

Christian Aguilar: 6 2″ Senior Forward 

Entering his senior year, Christian worked extremely hard over the 

summer to improve his game. He has dedicated himself to the weight 

room and taken on the challenge of guarding the perimeter players, 

which is not easy for post players. Concentrating on his perimeter 

skills and improved shooting has made him a much better overall 

player. 

Briann Houghton: 6′1″ Junior Guard/Forward; 3rd Year Varsity Player with 

a 3.79 GPA 

Bri has made great strides over the summer converting herself 

from a post player only, into a guard and becoming a dual threat who 

can score from anywhere on the floor. Her improved ball handling, 

perimeter shooting, and passing coupled with her size and athleticism 

make her a player who can score from anywhere and create shots for 

her teammates. She is definitely one to watch this upcoming season. 

Nick Gonzalez: Junior Midfielder 

As a sophomore, Nick played an important role on the varsity team. 

Over the summer, Nick has continued to improve his talents by playing 

at the highest level of club soccer. Just this past July Nick participated 

in the National Cup Final in Denver Colorado where his club team 

became runner-up to the National Champions! His current club team 

is ranked #3 nationally. Nick will bring his talents to the pitch here in 

Madera where he has the potential to be a 1st Team All CMAC player 

and lead the Coyotes to a great playof f run. 

Noemi “Mimi” Cabello: Senior Captain; 3 year varsity starter 

Mimi has stepped up and become the leader of the team. She can 

play all over the field but she is being recruited by numerous schools 

as an outside back. Mimi was an All-Madera Tribune selection last 

season and she aims to repeat that feat along with earning her way 

onto the All-CMAC first team. Her contributions on and of f the field 

will help lead our team to a successful season. 

WRESTLING 

BOYS BASKETBALL 

GIRLS BASKETBALL 

BOYS SOCCER 

GIRLS SOCCER 

MADERA SOUTH HIGH SCHOOL 

Victor Moreno: Junior 130 lb weight 

During the 2018, summer Vicente accomplished some amazing 

feats, which will bode well for him this upcoming season. He finished 

fif th in the Greco Roman State Tournament. He was a team member 

of Team Central Valley Wrestling which was the freestyle team dual 

State Champion! Vicente is the Team Captain at Madera South and 

has a great work ethic and positive attitude which makes him a mustsee 

this winter. 

Andre Johnson: 5′ 8″ Senior, Point Guard 

Andre is entering his 4th season as a varsity basketball player. He 

already has played in a Section basketball final and State playof f 

game, which gives him the much-needed experience to lead the Stallions 

this season. He has played a big role in the Stallions making deep 

runs the last two seasons. He hopes to put it all together with his final 

year and accomplishment some great things. 

Aleecia Rosel: 5′8″ Senior Guard 

Aleecia is a 4-year varsity starter on the Stallion basketball team. 

Aleecia is set to accomplish one of the rarest feats in high school 

athletics and that is she will become the first 12-sport varsity athlete 

in school history. She will have participated in 4 years of varsity sports 

and started in every single game since she has entered high school 

in the sports of volleyball, basketball, and sof tball! She is a two-time 

CMAC 2nd team all-league player who averaged 13.5 points/game last 

season. The sky is the limit and a must see! 

Christian Garcia: 6′ 1″ Senior Centerback / Center, Mid / Forward 

Christian is a 4-year varsity starter and 2-year team captain. He has 

been a two-time CMAC 2nd team all-league player and last season he 

was 1st team CMAC All-League, Central Section All-Star and Madera 

Tribune Player of the Year. Christian plays on one of the top travel 

teams in the nation and has traveled all over the world in the of f- 

season. He has been recruited by multiple colleges but is hoping to 

attend Azuza Pacific to student Physical Therapy.. 

Brianna Maciel: Freshman Center Mid/Striker 

Brianna will be starting on the varsity soccer team as a freshman. 

However, just because she is young does not limit Coach Delgadillo’s 

expectations for her. He expects her to contribute and become one of 

the leaders on his team this season. She has outstanding soccer skills, 

but her work ethic and determination are even greater. She is the 

ultimate team player and one you will want to watch this upcoming 

season.

We Believe News, Volume 1, Issue 3

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