SUMMER OF '09 ARCHIVES: Passion for People

This was an article about a Benicia High School student who got to go to a nursing camp. I don't have a whole lot to say on this one except I later got a very nice letter from North Bay Healthcare thanking me for writing the article. I think this was written during my first week, but I can't confirm the dates for any of these articles.

Benicia High students donate hair to benefit cancer victims

(Originally published in the 4/22/16 edition)

   On Thursday, the Multi Purpose Room at Benicia High School became a miniature barbershop where girls could get haircuts for a good cause. The Make the Cut event was part of hair care company Pantene’s Beautiful Lengths campaign in which eight inches of hair would be donated to the company to made into wigs for cancer victims.

   The event was the brainchild of junior Clare Rodgers, who had donated hair twice before and lost someone close to her to cancer.

   “My good friend Mille Duvall passed away from cancer and lost her hair,” she said.

   Rodgers began promoting the event on social media and put fliers around campus. She ended up getting seven participants, which was more than she expected.

   “I was expecting five people, so when we got seven, that was really awesome,” she said. “It’s great to see people support their friends.”

   Additionally, Rodgers sent out an email to Class of 2013 alumna Samantha Cruz, who works at Peter Thomas Hair in Berkeley. Cruz then brought along her co-worker Terra Allen to assist with the haircutting.

   “I have done cuts for people donating hair before but not as a whole event,” Allen said. “I thought it would be a really good opportunity to help others.”

   One of the participants was sophomore Lily Chase whose mother Theresa was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2008. Theresa was the first person to get her hair cut.

   “I’m glad my mom was able to get the first cut so I could show respect to her and her fight,” Lily said.

   Other participants were happy to help in any way they could.

   “I’d been growing my hair out for a long time with the intention of really growing it out,” sophomore Morgan Bundy said. “I wanted to do something good instead of just cut it.”

   Everyone agreed that donating hair was a strong way to provide support for the many people who have experienced such a widespread disease.

   “There are a lot of people who have been touched by cancer,” Allen said. “I recently found out my grandmother has two months to live, so I wanted to help out. It’s a very good cause.”

   To learn more about the campaign, visit pantene.com and click on the “Beautiful Lengths” tab. 

Photo by Nick Sestanovich

Terra Allen cuts sophomore Lily Chase's hair at Benicia High School's Make the Cut event, in which students donated 8 inches of hair to Pantene, which then makes the hair into a wig for cancer victims. Chase's mother Theresa was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and was the first to have her hair cut that day.

Benicia High revisits Dr. Seuss for spring musical

(Originally published in the 4/20/16 edition. The discount ticket price and phone number for additional information have been corrected.)

   Dr. Seuss needs no introduction. The famed author has done as much to shape the last five or six generations of children as any of their parents. Of course, his success is not limited to just books. His works have also inspired countless animated TV specials, movies, children's edutainment shows and even a theme park in Orlando.

   With all the media that he has inspired, it only makes sense that Dr. Seuss’ works would inspire a Broadway musical, which they did with “Seussical” in 2000. One rendition can be seen over the next two weekends as the newest Benicia High School Panther Production.

   “Seussical” is this semester’s spring musical at Benicia High. However, it is not the first time this play has been performed at the school, as it was also the spring musical  back in 2007. 

   “It’s the only play or musical that I’ve ever repeated in 17 years,” director Christine Mani said. “I decided to do it again because it perfectly fit the actors we have on hand. We have a lot of performers who are ready to push to the next level and have a part with a name.”

   However, this will not be the same “Seussical” that audiences saw in 2007. This version is more modern, with visual references to cellphones, video games and reality TV, although the script itself is largely the same.

   “We have it set in the very modern day, what would happen if Dr. Seuss wrote his books now and the technology we have available for us,” Mani said. “It’s still definitely a show that’s OK for kids, but it has a lot of references and enjoyment for the more mature humor.”

   The story centers around Horton, played by Hamish Dinsdale. The curious elephant discovers a speck of dust on which the inhabitants of a planet called Whoogle live. One of the citizens is a beta tester named Jojo (Pilar Gonzales) who tries to invent a new phone app but is punished for his individualism-- i.e., thinking too many “thinks.” In the meantime, Horton has to guard an egg left by vain reality TV star Mayzie La Bird (Maya Singh Sharkey). 

   As one can tell by the synopsis, the story is largely based on “Horton Hears a Who” and “Horton Hatches the Egg,” but the musical is filled to the brim with references and characters from other Dr. Seuss stories from “The Cat in the Hat” to “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” to “Gertrude McFuzz.” According to Mani, seeing these characters again, even in a new setting, will remind audiences of just how timeless Seuss’ works are.

   “It really is an honest story,” she said. “On the surface level, Dr. Seuss books seem very child-like, but they always have a very strong message behind them that doesn’t hit you over the head. It’s just one of those things that makes you say ‘Oh yeah’ and just agree with it.”

   “It does have those child-like elements in it that remind you of your youth,” she added.

   In addition to the hard work of the cast, director and set designers, the play will also utilize the talents of vocal director Vivian McLaughlin choreographers Staci Arriaga and Kevin Gruwell, and a live orchestra that performs backstage. The collaborative efforts of all will result in a show that everybody should go to- even if your name happens to be Marvin K. Mooney.

   “It’s colorful characters, lots of wonderful music, the dancing is superb, the singing is just fantastic and the story is relatable for people of all ages,” Mani said. “Even if people have seen it, it’s definitely a different ‘Seussical’ than anyone’s seen before.”

   “Seussical” will be performed on Friday, April 22 and 29 and Saturday, April 23 and 30 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, April 24 and May 1 at 2 p.m. All shows will be held in the school’s Performing Arts Building, located at 1101 Military West. Tickets are $14 for adults and $8 for students. There will be a $2 discount for tickets purchased in advance. Tickets can be purchased at the door or at BeniciaHighPerformingArts.org. For more information, call the school at 747-8325. 

(All photos by Nick Sestanovich)

Mayzie La Bird, played by Maya Singh Sharkey, holds the egg that Horton the Elephant, played by Hamish Hinsdale, sat on for 51 weeks.

Mayzie (Left) relaxes in Palm Beach with her assistant Renee the Beautician (Sydney Chow), leaving Horton to hatch the egg she laid.

   

   

   

   

Rookies to cook ribs to benefit Benicia High's athletic department

(Originally published in the 4/8/16 edition)

Saturday, April 24 will be a day to honor Benicia High School's extracurricular programs. From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., a classic car show will be held along First Street to benefit the BHS Panther Marching Band. As patrons gaze at the wonder of a 1968 Buick, Rookies Sports Bar and Grill will be hosting its Rib Cook-Off to raise money for Benicia High's athletic department.

   Rookies has been hosting its annual Rib Cook-Off for five years now. Bar manager Alex Storelee says her father, Rookies owner Rob, probably came up with the idea when the bar received a new smoker grill.

   "He decided a cookoff would be a good way to raise money for our schools," she said.

   Interested participants will be part of a team, who will have to pay a $50 entry fee.  Each team will receive two racks of traditional St. Louis pork ribs. Entrants will provide their own supplies and equipment, such as tables, chairs and cooking utilities. The teams will unload their vehicles and supplies as early as 6 a.m., as cars will not be allowed in the cooking area after 8 a.m.

   The teams are allowed to use whatever spices or sauces they want, but the ribs may only be cooked over charcoal or wood. Propane and bottled gas is prohibited.

   The judging will begin at 2 p.m. sharp. 

   "It will be a blind taste test judged on things like taste, tenderness and flavor," Storelee said. 

   There will be first, second and third place awards for winners.

   Additionally, there will be barbecue plate specials featuring meats cooked on the big red smoker that inspired the cookoff to begin with. There will also be a sports memorabilia raffle featuring items from Bay Area sports teams. Entrants can win paraphernalia associated with teams like the San Francisco Giants and Golden State Warriors, including a signed photograph of Stephen Curry.

   "It's a fun day for everyone of all ages," Storelee said. "It's a way to support our local high school sports program as well as our local business."

   The cookoff will be held from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, April 24 at Rookies, located at 321 First St. Stop by Rookies to pick up your entry form or look in the Herald for Rookies advertisements. All teams will need to send at least one representative to attend a kick-off meeting at Rookies, 6 p.m., on Friday, April 22. For more information about this event, contact the bar at 746-7665 or visit its Facebook page at Facebook.com/rookiesbenicia.

Grad Night fundraiser to be held at Panda Express

 (Originally published in the 4/7/16 edition)

   Chinese restaurant chain Panda Express will be hosting a fundraiser for Benicia High School's Grad Night tomorrow at its Benicia location.

   Grad Night is held the night of Benicia High's senior class graduation as a way for recent grads to have a fun, safe evening following their big milestone. The night will feature food, games and other activites and will be held Saturday, June 11 from 9 p.m. to approximately 3 a.m.

   However, funds are needed to put Grad Night on, so Panda Express will be holding a fundraiser tomorrow from noon to 10 p.m. The proceeds from all menu items purchased during this time will go toward Grad Night.

   Panda Express is located at 804 Southampton Road. For more information, contact the restaurant at 745-3763. Additional Grad Night fundraisers will be held at Kinders BBQ, Wednesday, April 20; Round Table Pizza, Tuesday, May 3; and Panda Express again Friday, May 20.

Former Benicia High athlete and teacher authors book about undefeated team

(Originally published in the 3/29/16 edition)

   For many athletes, playing on high school sports teams is where their dreams begin to come into fruition. They play their hearts out in front of large crowds, and if they play well they become hometown heroes. It is the springboard to getting drafted into college teams, then the major leagues and possibly a shot at a championship.

   It is this early excitement that author James Garrett captures in his newest book, “One Great Season 9-0!”

   Garrett, a 1961 graduate of Benicia High School who also taught history, science and philosophy there for 27 years, has published three books: “Benicia and Letters of Love,” “The Mansion Stories” and “Chief Salt.” For his fourth book, Garrett chose to tell the story of an undefeated football team from a small town high school in the early ‘60s. It is a subject Garrett knows plenty about. After all, he played for the Panthers when he attended Benicia High. 

   “I think the novel could be called historical fiction,” Garrett said. “For example, the first line in a paragraph may be exactly historically correct, and the remainder of the paragraph be totally from my imagination. I took thoughts of when I played football at Benicia High School, and changed, mixed and re-arranged things to tell the story. Everyone in the novel is a composite of people I have known.”

   “One Great Season 9-0!” tells the story of the fictional Homestead High School Mavericks varsity football team who manage to notch a perfect nine-game season in the fall of 1960. This captures the attention of a retired former sports editor for the Heritage News who writes a series of six articles about the undefeated team.

   The book is 96 pages long and is stylized to resemble a collection of newspaper clippings.

   “like that unique touch and connection,” Garrett said. “It gives the book a scrapbook feeling, part of the going back in time. It is part of my attempt at preserving (and) recreating history, not living in the past.”

   Fittingly, the book is dedicated to Bob Silva, a former sports editor and editor-in-chief of the Benicia Herald.

   As with his previous books, Garrett and his wife Roberta opted to have the book put out by online self-publishing company Outskirts Press Publishing rather than the traditional route.

   “A few years back I stopped dealing with the regular publishing process because my books would not be allowed to be published as I wished,” he said. “I wanted the freedom of creativity. ”

   Garrett is proud of all the work that went into the book, especially his capturing of an era.

   “I'm proud of the fact I believe I have allowed people to return to another place in time which they either personally experienced, regret not being part of or of which they have nostalgic thoughts,” he said. “Creating a season of nine games as realistically as possible, including statistics, is something that gives me a sense of accomplishment.”

   Garrett says his book is sure to instill feelings of warmth to people who can connect to small town athletics. 

   “Many people across the United States enjoy high school football,” he said. “Many relate to another time, a simpler time. Many of those people reside here in Benicia. They played on Sanborn Field, the inspirational site of the fictional Homestead Field. If not, maybe their predecessors, or later their children did.”

   “I hope the readers take away a warm feeling from their reading of the book and that they return to it from time-to-time,” he said.

   “One Great season 9-0!” is available for purchase at OutskirtsPress.net/OneGreatSeason9_0. Physical copies can be purchased from Amazon and BarnesAndNoble.com, and an e-book can be downloaded from OutskirtsPress.net. 

School board discusses processes to renovate Benicia High School stadium

(Originally published in the 3/20/16 edition)

   The Governing Board of the Benicia Unified School District continued the discussion from its March 3 meeting on the process of procuring a contractor to construct Benicia High School’s new stadium at Thursday’s meeting.

   Benicia High’s stadium renovation project was one of the largest projects that was part of the Measure S bond, which was approved by Benicia voters in June 2014. At the last meeting, Patrick Wilson of School and College Legal Services of California in Santa Rosa argued the merits of a lease-leaseback process, in which a district leases the site to a qualified contractor instead of advertising for bidders, and the site is leased back to the district after construction is completed. 

   At Thursday’s meeting, Loren Sokup, an associate general counsel with School and College Legal Services presented the pros and cons of both the general bidding process and the lease-leaseback process. She began by noting that both methods share common elements, including the Division of the State Architect having to approve construction plans and the contractor paying prevailing wages.

   She then discussed the pros and cons of a general bidding process. On the positive side, a bidding process would likely lead to more competition and better pricing due to advertising and would decrease the likelihood of favoritism. However, the district would have to award the project to the lowest bidder even if a superior contractor is available, Sokup said.

   “Price is the primary driver in this, and the district is subject and locked in to those restrictions,” she said. 

   Under a lease-leaseback process, the district would be able to have a highly qualified contractor who will construct the project in a timely manner. On the other hand, Sokup noted, the process of sole sourcing can be abused, the pricing may be higher and has not necessarily been vetted by a competitive bid process and the contractor may want to delay the start of work for at least 60 days afterward to rely on validation procedure.

   Additionally, Sokup noted that the lease-leaseback process has become more controversial in the wake of Davis v. Fresno Unified School District, in which Fresno Unified misused the process for a variety of projects. Among other things, it was determined that the district had violated conflict of interest laws by granting the project to a construction firm that had previously assisted with consultation on the project.

   Sokup also noted that a pre-qualification process is mandatory for lease-leaseback and required for most bidding projects. Among the subects addressed in the process include whether or not the contractor’s license has ever been revoked or suspended, prior experience with K-12 stadium projects and the provision of audited financial states. 

   Trustee Stacy Holguin asked if there was a time frame difference in carrying out the two processes.

   “With regard to the bidding, there is a required advertising period,” Sokup responded. “With lease-leaseback, it tends to be a shorter time period. That being said, contractors are wanting to wait and start work after 60 days after the contract is awarded.”

   Holguin then noted that lease-leaseback is frequently used at the community college level and asked why it was so controversial at the K-12 level. Sokup noted that it was actually more controversial at the community college level because community college districts haven’t been verified while there is a verification process at the K-12 level.

   Superintendent Charles Young said the board would be moving forward with the bidding process.

   “With the issues of the legal process around lease-leaseback, the 60-day timeframe just pushes us out even further,” he said. “We’ve talked about this quite a bit, and we would like to go ahead with the bidding process.” 

   Trustee Diane Ferrucci concurred with Young’s reasoning.

   “The more I’m reading about lease-leaseback in light of all the recent legislation, it concerns me that they keep saying the district is going to have a really difficult time meeting the level of requirements in order to participate in that lease-leaseback,” she said. “I really prefer going this way with some really clear expectations and requirements.”

   In other business, educational services coordinator Jan Rogenski discussed the rigorous Reading and Writing Project that had been implemented at the elementary schools. Brian Douglas of Mary Farmar Elementary, Kathy Crozier of Matthew Turner Elementary and Deborah Campbell of Joe Henderson Elementary discussed what their students were learning under this program, and some of their students even got to present some of the reports they had written.     Additionally, Young formally announced Brianna Kleinschmidt as Benicia High’s new principal. 

Loren Sokup discusses the differences between lease-leaseback and general bidding. (Photo by Nick Sestanovich)

Brianna Kleinschmidt named as new Benicia High School principal

(Originally published in the 3/18/16 edition)

   Benicia Unified School District Superintendent Charles Young announced Wednesday that Benicia High School vice principal Brianna Kleinschmidt would be promoted to the school’s principal position. 

   Kleinschmidt takes the reins of Mark Corti who had filled in as interim principal following the resignation of Damon Wright in June 2015, after Wright accepted a position as principal of American Canyon High School. 

   Kleinschmidt graduated from Benicia High in 1997 and received her bachelor’s degree in English language and literature from the University of California, Santa Barbara and her master’s degree in the same field at San Francisco State University. Additionally, she picked up both her teaching credential and administrative credential at Brandman University. 

   She also spent a few years as an event planner with her own catering business in Sacramento but saw a need to pursue her passion.

   “I found I wanted to get back into the area that I studied and get into something that would make more of a difference,” she said. 

   Kleinschmidt returned to her high school alma mater in 2011 to become a teacher in the school’s English department. For the next three years, she taught freshmen, juniors and seniors in a variety of courses, including an expository reading and writing class which prepared high school students for college-level language arts work. In addition, she was the adviser of the yearbook class in 2013 and 2014. Both editions of the Pride yearbook, including the 2014 book which was the first “augmented reality” yearbook in Northern California, picked up awards. 

   Kleinschmidt was promoted to vice principal in 2014, a position she held for the next two years. In that time, she served as the Advanced Placement coordinator, the AVID program site coordinator, an administrator for the EcH2O Academy and was active in organizing the Every 15 Minutes program.

   When a principal position opened up, Kleinschmidt expressed interest.

   “I saw a real need for not just a principal but a principal that would provide some stability of leadership and be here for a long time because I know there’s been some turnover at the principal position,” she said. “I really wanted to continue to help Benicia High School grow and move in the direction that we’re headed in now and do so in a way that we would continue for many years to come.”

   Kleinschmidt says she will continue to work on the school’s current goals, including working with the Schedule Advisory Committee toward making a recommendation for a new bell schedule, changing graduation requirements to increase the number of graduates eligible for UC enrollment and overseeing the stadium renovation project. She also wants to help improve faculty leadership and building relationships with local businesses and alumni.

   “I would love to grow those connections with other businesses in Benicia so we can bring in opportunities for our students whether that’s internships bringing in guest speakers and bringing in opportunities for different classes that maybe we haven’t had in the past to really set our students up for success,” she said. 

   Kleinschmidt believes education will provide students with opportunities that otherwise would not be available to them.

   “I think we’re at a point of shifting away from asking students what they want to be when they grow up and instead helping them focus on what problems they want to solve because a lot of times we are preparing students for jobs that don’t exist yet, and so we need to provide them with a huge range of skills,” she said. “Education is growing and evolving in order to better equip our students for their path to success.”

   Kleinschmidt’s role as principal begins today. Vice principals Sean Thompson and Kathrine Cole and dean of students Stacy Starkweather will be assisting with the transition. Corti will be talking to Young to determine his role in the transition, and Kleinschmidt will also be performing her previous vice principal duties until a permanent replacement is hired. 

   “I’m excited for the opportunity, and I look forward to working with staff and the community to make Benicia High School the best that it can be,” she said. “It’s a great school already, and we just want to continue on that path.”

   

Schedule Advisory Committee holds community forum at Benicia High School

(Originally published in the 3/13/16 edition)

    Benicia High School’s Schedule Advisory Committee hosted a community forum Thursday to address questions and concerns about a new schedule that would be implemented in the 2017-2018 school year.

   The Schedule Advisory Committee was created in November, 2015 when Charles Young, superintendent of Benicia Unified School District, was looking to satisfy a goal from the previous Western Association of Schools and Colleges visit. 

   “When I was hired as superintendent, one of the things I noticed in going through documents was that there was a WASC goal in taking a look at schedules and seeing what we can do to increase staff collaboration and meet student needs better,” Young told the audience. “That’s why we put this committee together.”

   The committee- which is comprised of two administrators, six teachers, four students and six parents- looks at data and receives community input to determine which schedules would help decrease stress and anxiety related to the school’s current schedule, best provides opportunities for personalized student support and allows teachers to have dedicated time to collaborate and develop professionally. 

   Currently, Benicia High has a non-rotating six period schedule that runs from 8 a.m. to 3:05 p.m. with the option for students to take an additional early bird class at 7 a.m. Possible changes to the schedule would include a later start time or a rotating block schedule, but English teacher and committee member Morgan Hill noted the committee will not be making a decision on which type of schedule to use and could only make recommendations. 

   “Hopefully after this community forum, we’ll take into consideration everything that you guys have said and take that with us as we move into that decision toward a recommendation process,” she said. 

   To give community members an idea into the complex process that goes into developing a new schedule, a presentation was given by Eric Mapes, the assistant principal of Piedmont High School and Millennium High School in Piedmont. From 1996 to 2014, the school used a 7-day rotating schedule.

   “It was actually a pilot,” Mapes said. “The teachers said it would only be used for one year, and it lasted for 17 years.” 

   The schedule also included staff collaboration days where staff met every seven days and tutorial days where students could go into the office and get help for an hour. Both meetings were scheduled for the end of the day, and there were only 19 staff collaboration and tutorial days each year, which Mapes noted did not allow for much time for students and teachers to connect. 

   A recommendation committee was formed in October 2013 following a site council meeting in September where parents asked about extracurricular activities and sleep. The committee consisted of administrators, certificated and classified staff and an Association of Piedmont Teachers executive board member but not parents or students. The goals included increasing tutorial time and teacher collaboration, providing student support opportunities and protecting their sleep schedules. 

   In the 2014-2015 school year, Piedmont High adopted an alternating 5-day bell schedule where the classes met in 90-minute blocks on rotating days with tutorial and staff collaborations moved toward the beginning of the day and a mandatory tutorial day once a month. However, Mapes noted that people found Mondays to be too long, passing periods too short and students disliked the mandatory tutorials. In 2015-2016, the school adopted a new schedule where the end of Tuesdays through Fridays were increased by five minutes.

   “Students say they’re coming to school more refreshed and connect better with teachers,” Mapes said. 

   Ken Yale, the committee’s facilitator and a founding principal of Millennium High School when it underwent its first schedule change in 1996, said the group was not advocating for a particular type of schedule.

   “If you ask national experts, they will tell you there is no such thing as a perfect schedule,” he said. “A schedule works to the extent that it reflects what the particular outcomes are. Schools have different values and different demographics.”

   English teacher and committee member Kim Thompson said that while there is not enough quantitative data to determine if schedule changes have made major improvements, schools have benefited from them.

   “When they revisited schools that had made the shift and asked them how people are feeling about the shift, none of the schools would go back to their old schedule and all reported being happier and feeling less stressed from students and teachers across the board,” she said. 

   The committee will prepare a written report in April and present a recommendation to the Governing Board in May. For more information, email scheduleadvisorycommittee@gmail.com. 

   

School board questions process to renovate stadium

(Originally published in the 3/6/16 edition)

    The Governing Board of the Benicia Unified School District heard a discussion on the progress of Benicia High School’s renovated stadium and questioned the approach the project was using. 

   The stadium, which was financed through Measure S, will feature a new all-weather track, a renovated entryway, upgraded lighting and bleachers that can seat up to 3,300 people. Patrick Wilson of School and College Legal Services of California in Santa Rosa explained that the district is planning to use a lease-leaseback process to construct the stadium.

   In a lease-leaseback project, school districts are authorized to circumvent the process of advertising for bidders and instead leases the site to a contractor. After construction is done, the site is leased back to the district. 

   “One thing that lease-leaseback allows you to do is pick the contractor who has special qualifications that meet the need for your project,” Wilson said. “You reserve lease-leaseback for exceptional projects, and the general rule is you’re going to bid your painting and paving projects and the more generic projects. But for a project like this that is complicated and involves track and field and stadium development and school buildings that are associated with that on a short timeline, you’ll want to have a general contractor who has done this kind of project before and has good recommendations.” 

   However, lease-leaseback has seen controversy. Last year, Fresno Unified School District went to court over its alleged misuse of the lease-leaseback method. The district had used lease-leaseback for a variety of projects, including the construction of Rutherford B. Gaston Middle School. The 5th District Court of Appeal ruled that the contract was leaseback in name only and the district violated conflict of interest laws by awarding the project to Harris Construction who had previously done consultation on the process, according to The Fresno Bee.

   However, Wilson said they will not repeat Fresno’s mistakes. 

   “Fresno Unified got into trouble, partly because they were using lease-leaseback for almost everything, and they were sole-sourcing it,” he said. “They weren’t casting the net wide and trying to allow qualified contractors to compete against one another. They tended to overly focus on one contractor who seemed to do all their work.”

   “We’re trying to avoid those pitfalls and help you get your stadium project off the ground,” he added. 

   The board trustees were quick to ask questions about the process.

   “If we state what we’re looking for, why wouldn’t qualified contractors apply to the job in the first place?” Trustee Andre Stewart asked. 

   “When you go out to bid, which is the general method of selecting contractors, you basically have to pick the low bidder regardless of whether you think they’re as qualified as you’d like them to be or not,” Wilson responded. “The way that we structure lease-leaseback is you reach out to four or five contractors, all of whom you think are highly experienced, and you get them to compete against one another. You whittle the pool down to one or two, and the board decides who you want to proceed with.” 

   Trustee Peter Morgan raised issues over the political impacts of lease-leaseback.

   “The lease-leaseback approach, used improperly, can circumvent a lot of the controls that are intended to ensure that taxpayers’ dollars are used most effectively,” he said.

   Morgan requested a written report detailing why lease-leaseback makes sense for the district and what the issues were in the Fresno case.

   “Fresno Unified forgot that bidding is the general rule, and lease-leaseback’s an exception that should be used for exceptional cases,” Wilson responded. “They started using it in all instances, and they had no element of competition. In virtually every lease-leaseback I’ve worked on, we do have competition.” 

   In other business, the board approved a new facilities master plan, and Superintendent Charles Young highlighted the process of implementing a new bell schedule. A special meeting will be held in Room L-3 at Benicia High School at 7 p.m., Thursday, March 10 where high schools from Albany and Piedmont will talk to parents about how their schedule changes worked for them. 

Roxanne Egan, Measure S bond director, briefly talks about the stadium renovation before handing the microphone to Patrick Wilson. (Photo by Nick Sestanovich)

School board to hear update on stadium renovation project

(Originally published in the 3/1/16 edition)

   The Governing Board of the Benicia Unified School District will listen to a status update on Benicia High School’s new stadium at Thursday’s meeting.

   The stadium is one of the largest projects to be financed through Measure S, an initiative approved by Benicia voters in 2014 to provide $49.6 million in bond funding to be spent on facilities at district schools. 

   The renovated athletic facility will still be used primarily for football and soccer as well as track and field, pole vaulting and discus throwing. It will also retain the existing scoreboard, but it will have a new 8-lane all-weather track, upgraded lighting, bleachers that would fit up to 3,300 people and a redesigned entryway. 

   The project is awaiting approval from the Division of State Architecture. If approved, construction will begin when summer break starts in June and is projected to be completed in October. 

   Bond Director Roxanne Egan will give a presentation on where the status of the project lies at this point in time. According to a report by Egan, the district is still looking for contractors.

   “The district’s standard practice when constructing school buildings is to use the traditional low bid process which allows any licensed contractor to bid on the work,” she wrote. “However, there are other legal methods of construction delivery that sometimes are a better fit.”

   Egan cited a “lease leaseback” method, which authorizes a district to lease a school site to a contractor for a nominal amount. After the contractor builds the project, it leases it back to the district for 40 years, at which point ownership returns to the district. This process is done without competitive bidding. 

   “The stadium project involves multiple complex construction challenges which must be completed on a tight schedule,” Egan wrote. “The lease leaseback method will allow the district to select from a list of preferred contractors who have previously performed similar stadium projects for public school districts.” 

   Egan also noted that staff is working with legal counsel to make sure all construction documents meet legal requirements. 

   In other business, the board will consider the criteria for determining the order of seniority for employees who have the same date when they began working in the district. Chief Business Official Tim Rahill will also be reviewing the 2015/16 Second Interim Financial Report.

   The board will meet at 7 p.m., Thursday, in the Benicia Unified School District Board Room at the district building on 350 East K Street. There will be an earlier closed session at 6 p.m.

Benicia High School spring dance show puts fame under microscope

(Originally published in the 2/28/16 edition)

   As the late David Bowie once remarked “Fame puts you where things are hollow.” It is hard to resist the temptation of fame, but living the glamorous life has its downsides, especially when it comes to starting on the path down the rabbit hole of fame. This topic is the subject of Benicia High School’s spring dance show “Everybody Wants to Rule the World.” 

   As Benicia High’s newest addition to the dance department, director and choreographer Marisol Almaguer said she wanted to do a story about royalty but was not sure how to approach it. 

   “I thought of celebrity royalty,” she said. “It was an idea I got from my sister whose daughter is a dancer, and we came up with ‘Everybody Wants to Rule the World.’ I developed a story of two girls who wanted freedom.”

   The show is a coming of age story about two girls named Lila and Scarlett who are triple threats. They are both very talented singers, dancers and actresses and want to become successful, a thought that is shared by their parents. However, as they grow older, their managers start sending them in different directions. Lila is more naturally liked by the public which annoys the more driven Scarlett who wants the public’s adoration.

   Almaguer says a big challenge has been putting the show on in a short amount of time. 

   “In February, we had four less student days,” she said. “That was a real challenge because that was four less days of getting the production together.”

   However, Almaguer is impressed with the students she is working with.

   “I have never worked with a group this big,” she said. “To put a whole class of dancers together where I’m letting these girls where I’m letting these girls explore dances they’ve never done before is something I’m very proud of. They’re excelling in it, they’re doing well and they’re open to it.”

   This especially excites Almaguer who does not see herself as a technique dancer.

   “Even though I’ve been in dance and have choreographed dance since 2004, I don’t have the technique that they have,” she said. “For them to take my piece and make it look so amazing is a huge accomplishment.” 

   In addition to the main plot, Benicia High’s dancers will be performing to more than 20 songs— over an hour’s worth. The track listing ranges from Major Lazer and DJ Snake’s EDM hit “Lean On”— which Almaguer says  will be performed with Latin and hip-hop dances as well as a little bit of bellydancing— to R&B singer The Weeknd’s “Devil May Cry.” The production will also showcase songs from New Zealand alternative pop singer Lorde, including her brooding cover of Tears for Fears’ “Everybody Wants to Rule the World”— the inspiration for the show’s title— and Kanye West’s remix of her song “Yellow Flicker Beat.” 

   Almaguer believes the show will provide a lot of entertainment as well as a strong message to audiences about what is more important than fame.

   “It’s a phenomenal effort from these students,” she said. “They did an extraordinary job with the music, and they worked closely more than in other years.”

   “It’s gonna be very entertaining,” she added. “There’s gonna be a whole lot of passion in the dances and a lot of fun. “

   “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” will be performed at 6 p.m., Thursday, March 10 and 7 p.m. Friday, March 11 and Saturday, March 12. All shows will be held in the Benicia High Performing Arts Building, located at 1101 Military West. Admission is $8 for students and children and $14 for adults, with a $2 discount for tickets purchased online. Tickets can be purchased at BeniciaHighPerformingArts.org. For more information, contact BHS Performing Arts at (707) 751-2338. 

   

Benicia and Liberty High discuss WASC updates at school board meeting

(Originally published in the 2/7/16 edition)

    The Governing Board of the Benicia Unified School District heard reports from Liberty High School and Benicia High School regarding the institutions’ Western Association of Schools and Colleges visits at its meeting Thursday.

   WASC is an academic body responsible for the accreditation of K-12 schools and universities in California and Hawaii, the territories of Guam and American Samoa, and even extending toward Tokyo. Accreditation signifies that a school has met the standards set by the state.

   Liberty completed its WASC visit earlier in the year, and Benicia High completed its mid-cycle report in preparation for WASC visits on March 7 and 8. 

   JoAnn Severson, the principal of Liberty High, was the first to present. She noted that back in the 2012-2013 school year, Liberty underwent its first full self-study. Afterwards, the school was granted a six-year accreditation term. 

   “Mid-cycle, they come back and visit us, and that’s what just happened,” she said. 

   Liberty had its WASC visit in October, and the school will be accredited through 2019. 

   “It’s a great accomplishment for your small school down the hall, and we’re very proud of the work,” Severson said. 

  She then outlined the school’s WASC goals, which were to increase student learning as demonstrated by course completion and graduation rates, to empower students to successfully transition to college or into a career and to continue to foster a positive environment that addresses individual student needs and supports success for all students. 

   She also noted that staff was lauded for addressing all recommendations from its previous visit, improving its communication with Benicia High and making it easier for students who wish to return to Benicia High to be able to do so. 

   “It’s just so fantastic that we have this sort of alternative for our kids,” Severson said. “It’s something to really celebrate.”

   Severson also brought up recommendations from WASC staff, including continuing to increase the transition between Liberty and Benicia High and considering to increase its counseling services. For the first recommendation, Severson noted that the two schools had a joint meeting in November led by Special Services Director Carolyn Patton.

   “We talked about kids that wanted to come to Liberty, and we talked about kids that wanted to go back to Benicia High School, and that worked really well,” Severson said. “We have another one coming up in the springtime to talk about our next school year.”

   For the second recommendation, Severson mentioned that the school has a counseling intern who has been holding a girls’ group every Friday and the implementation of Teen Talk, a confidential group where kids can talk to each other.

   Severson then highlighted some ongoing work at Liberty, including the restoration of the Liberty greenhouse on J Street and a recent cookoff by the Solano County Association of Realtors where the profits were given to Liberty. The grant will allow the school to create a female vocal group as an expansion of Liberty’s partnership with the choral group VOENA. Severson said that almost all the female students are interested.

   “I have a piano,” she said. “We’re set to go!”

   Next to present was Benicia High social science teacher and dean of students Stacy Starkweather, who has co-coordinated the WASC committee with social science department colleague Sadie O’Neill. The school has completed its mid-cycle report ahead of its upcoming WASC visits, which are a followup to its 2013 visit. 

   Interim Principal Mark Corti praised Starkweather for his leadership during the process. 

   “Things that leaders have initiated, along with Stacy’s leadership, are leading Benicia High School into a great place,” he said. “This report will lead Benicia High School into the future.” 

   Starkweather began talking about the contents of the five-chapter report. The first chapter deals with updated community demographics and data. Among the data points reflected were the increase in advanced placement participation, strong CAASPP scores and proficiency in science scores. 

   “That doesn’t mean that we don’t need to continue to develop stronger programs,” Starkweather said. “We’re still creating successful opportunities for our students, and that’s what our report is about.” 

   Chapter 2 deals with significant changes and developments, including changes to leadership and staffing. Starkweather noted that since the last WASC visit, the district has had a new superintendent, the school a new administration and more than 30 faculty members have changed in the past three years out of 75.

   “What that has done is it’s created this really dynamic atmosphere where new ideas are coming in, new teachings going on and a shift to student-centered learning,” he said. “I have to commend the fact that this year, the VPs and everybody at that school did an amazing job getting that school open successfully in the fall in a middle of a paint job and a shifting leadership.”

  Chapter 3 outlines ongoing school improvements. It describes the yearly steps in collecting data and gives over focus group meetings, home group meetings and staff meetings. Chapter 4 focuses on critical areas for followup and Chapter 5 outlines continuing work to do. 

   “We’re not ready to present the results yet,” Starkweather said. “This is what we’re presenting to them, and I’m looking forward to coming back with our results from the report.” 

   Trustee Stacy Holguin commented that she had read the full report.

   “I really appreciated how in-depth the background was and the presentation of the steps,” she said.

   In other business, the board honored the district’s teachers of the year and classified personnel of the year from each school, including the BUSD Teacher of the Year Kim Thompson from Benicia High and BUSD Classified Personnel of the year Kristen Jovino from Benicia Middle School. 

Schedule Advisory Committee recommends new schedule at Benicia High School

(Originally published in the 2/5/16 edition)

   On a regular day of school, Benicia High School students wake up early in the morning to be in class at 8 a.m. Those who take “early bird” classes have to be in the door at 7. The day ends at 3:05, and students who do not have extracurricular activities try to finish the reading and homework they have for that night, giving them just barely enough time to do the things they want before they go to bed and repeat the same routine the next day.

   This schedule has been seen as a source of frustration for many Benicia High students and their parents, which has led to the creation of the Schedule Advisory Committee. The group’s goal is to develop a recommendation for a new bell schedule.

   According to Shirin Samiljan, an SAC member and parent of two Benicia High Schoolers, Benicia Unified School District Superintendent Charles Young and Benicia High administrators invited members of the community to participate in SAC. The committee is made up of students, parents, teachers and administrators. Among those serving on the council are new BUSD trustee Stacy Holguin, vice principals Kathrine Cole and Sean Thompson, and teachers Morgan Hill, Carleen Maselli, Matt O’Reilly, Kathryn Osmer, Stacy Starkweather and Kim Thompson.

   “We have been meeting and working, looking at data and talking to students and teachers since November of 2015,” Samiljan said. “We need to make a recommendation in May of 2016. Implementation will be fall of 2017.”

   Samiljan feels the current schedule creates a lot of stress for students.

   “It is hard for a university-bound student to cram in all their classes, participate in extracurriculars, have any time for themselves and get enough sleep,” she said. “We are one of the last few schools in the area who still use a traditional non-rotating schedule. Research shows that teenagers need more than 8 hours of sleep every night.”

   Community members agree. A petition was set up on change.org by BUSD substitute teacher Annette Balter requesting a later start time for Benicia High. As of press time, the petition has reached 215 signatures. 

   Samiljan also believes that if classes meet fewer times a week for longer periods of time, there will be more opportunities to support students and “more time for teachers to collaborate across departments, have student-focused meetings and to have department meetings.” 

   However, SAC has not yet determined a specific schedule for students. 

   “There are so many options that at this point, we as a committee have not yet sat down with sample schedules,” Samiljan said. “Department heads are talking to teachers, getting their input and we as a committee are prioritizing our desired outcomes.”

   One possibility is a block schedule where certain classes would meet on certain days- e.g., Monday/Wednesday/Friday and Tuesday/Thursday- for extended periods of time, not unlike college schedules. However, Samiljan said nothing is set in stone.

   “At this point we have not looked at any schedule in particular,” she said. “We are not starting with a schedule and trying to come up with ideas for why that one schedule will meet these requirements. Instead, we are looking at the requirements and sorting those, and then we will determine which schedule is closest.”

   According to Samiljan, the meetings are always on point.

   “We never go late, and we always stick to the agenda,” she said. “In fact, I've never before participated in any committee that is this focused and well-run.”

   Samiljan says SAC will be inviting schools that have adopted schedule changes to come to Benicia to participate in a public forum. The date has not yet been announced, but Samiljan says it will likely be between Tuesday, March 8 and Wednesday, March 16. For more information on the committee, email scheduleadvisorycommittee@gmail.com or visit the group’s Facebook page at Facebook.com/groupsBenicia.SAC.