Greetings Students and Parents:
This week I’ll be traveling with Visual and Performing Arts teachers, Jarrah Myles, Jim
White and MaryLou Lim to the Art Schools Network Conference in Denver, Colorado. We’ll
be there from Wednesday through Saturday with 300 other schools from across the United
States that have Art and Performing Arts programs. It is a chance to attend workshops,
visit schools and universities with arts programs and share resources and ideas. The Art
Schools Network actively promotes arts in the schools across the nation. We expect to
return with resources and ideas for all our arts programs.
The Inspire Gala is quickly approaching. As per previous years, it will be a rich show with
vocal and instrumental music, dance, theater, and poetry performances. Over 150 students
will be performing. Student work will also be displayed in the lobby of the CFA. We will
have performances October 29 and 30 at 7 pm.
Mark your calendars for Hamlet, November 13-16 at the CFA. Students have been
rehearsing for several weeks now, and tickets will go on sale soon for both events.
Lots of information for you this week!
Inspire’s New Website! www.inspirecusd.org Check It Out!!!
Deep thanks to Jana Gosselin for coordinating the implementation of our new web site. We
have updated much of the information on the site, have added many new features, and
know there is more accessibility for all of you! We will be actively working to fix the bugs
this week, please bear with us as we get this accomplished. Also let us know if you have
questions or suggestions.
Inspire Enters the Academic Decathlon Arena and Male Staff Start Beard Growing Contest
as a Fundraiser
If we raise $100 by the end of each week the beards will keep growing. If not, they will be
shaved and start over! There will be a collection box in the office for donations. Support
your friendly, neighborhood Academic Decathlon!
Procedures for Taking Your Student Out of School During the Day
Recently, we have had students texting their parents when they’re not feeling well and
asking them to pick them up at school. In a few instances, parents have taken their
student from campus without checking into the office. It is so important that if you come to
pick your child up, you check in and let us know. Students – please use the following steps:
1)
2)
3)
4)
Let your teacher know you’re not feeling well.
Get a note from the teacher to come to the office.
Contact your parents from the office.
Make sure we speak with your parents before we release you from school.
We appreciate all our cooperation as it helps to keep everyone informed and safe.
Butte County Office of Education’s First Annual Superintendent’s Juried High School Art
Show
Students interested in taking advantage of this exciting opportunity will need to
communicate an “intent to submit form” on-line by January 23rd, 2015. The opening
reception is Thursday, March 5, 2015 at the Butte County Office of Education Board Room
in Oroville. For more information, contact Nancy Silva, Coordinator of Visual and
Performing Arts at BCOE. nsilva@bcoe.org or 530-532-5812.
Our Lost & Found pile continues to grow
If your student has lost a jacket or sweater, hat, lunchbox, water bottle, shoe (!), binder or
any other piece of miscellaneous equipment, please encourage them to come to the office
and look in the lost and found bucket. It is overflowing! Parents, you are also welcome to
come and look through the bucket if you’d like. We’ve even got someone’s cake pan in there.
Scholarship Opportunities
1. If you are related to someone who is a wine grape grower, apply for the California
Wine Grape Growers Foundation scholarship program. You can study the subject of
your choice. For UC or CSU Four Year Programs: at least Two 4-Year $8,000
Scholarships available and for California Community Colleges: at least Four 2-Year
$2,000 Scholarships available.
You can download application at http://www.cwggf.org or see counselors for
application. Applications must be postmarked by March 27, 2015.
2. Ronald McDonald House Charities U.S. Scholarship Program. Check out
scholarship opportunities at http://www.rmhc.org or apply at
https://aim.applyists.net/RHMC by January 20, 2015
3. If you are interested in being nominated for the Leaders and Achievement
Scholarship through Comcast with a chance of earning a $1,000 scholarship, please
listen up. If you are a full-time senior with a GPA of over 2.8, plan to attend a
College, University, Vocational or Technical school in the U.S, have demonstrated
leadership abilities and shown a commitment to Community Service, then this may
be for you! You have until October 24th to bring a resume/Senior Profile that details
your leadership and community service to Ms. Kuban or Ms. Becraft. Last year over
950 scholarships were awarded. There is one nomination per school. So, again, if
you want to be considered, turn in a resume or senior profile by October 24th to the
Counselors.
PSAT
Inspire had a great turn out this past Saturday for the PSAT test. Scores will be available
in December.
Chico State will be holding their annual "Chico Preview Day" on October 25, 2014.
Prospective students will have the opportunity to participate in a campus tour, attend a
financial aid workshop, meet with admissions representatives and discuss scholarship
opportunities among other things. Great opportunity to learn about "college life"! If
interested, register at this no cost event at www.csuchico.edu/admissions.
College Information for Students Interested in STEM
Kettering University in Flint, Michigan offers a nationally ranked STEM education
founded on academically intense programs in science, technology, engineering,
mathematics and business richly integrated with applied professional cooperative and
experiential opportunities.
Students apply by using the Common Application and the Kettering University
Application. Early Action Deadline is November 15, 2014
San Jose State Invites Students to “Be a Music Major for a Day”
San Jose State University is hosting a "Be A Music Major For a Day" event
happening October 22, 2014 from 8am-4pm. Attendees will get to hear the music faculty in
recital, audit classes/lectures, participate in ensembles, learn about college application and
audition information, and have a free luncheon with our faculty.
Regardless of a student’s interest in attending San Jose State University, it is a worthwhile
event that will give students the opportunity to see what a college atmosphere looks like.
Any student in grades 9-12 or possible transfer students may attend.
Interested in attending Butte College Fall 2015?
Please participate in Reg2Go this Spring!
 Butte College Reg2Go Presentation: January 14th during Senior Advisory
 Butte College Reg2Go Assessment: February 18th 8am-12 noon at Inspire Campus
 Butte College Reg2Go Campus Tour & Course Selection: May 1st 8am -2:30pm
Students will be bused from Inspire Campus to Butte College Main Campus
Information on Enterovirus –D68
Please see the note from Eric Snedeker of CUSD.
Enterovirus – D68 is currently in Southern California and in the Bay Area.
What are the symptoms of EV-D68 infection?
 EV-D68 can cause mild to severe respiratory illness.
 Mild symptoms may include fever, runny nose, sneezing, cough, and body and
muscle aches.
 Severe symptoms may include wheezing and difficulty breathing. See EV-D68 in the
U.S., 2014 for details about infections occurring this year.
 Anyone with respiratory illness should contact their doctor if they are having
difficulty breathing or if their symptoms are getting worse.
Who is at risk?
 In general, infants, children, and teenagers are most likely to get infected with
enteroviruses and become ill. That's because they do not yet have immunity
(protection) from previous exposures to these viruses. We believe this is also true for
EV-D68. Adults can get infected with enteroviruses, but they are more likely to have
no symptoms or mild symptoms.
 Children with asthma may have a higher risk for severe respiratory illness caused
by EV-D68 infection.
How can I protect myself?
 You can help prevent yourself from getting and spreading EV-D68 and other
respiratory illnesses by following these steps:
o
o
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Wash hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds.
Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
Avoid close contact such as kissing, hugging, and sharing cups or eating
utensils with people who are sick.
Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue or shirt sleeve, not your hands.
Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces, such as toys and doorknobs,
especially if someone is sick.
Stay home when you are sick.
There are no vaccines for preventing EV-D68 infections.
Please see the following links as well:
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Web Feature, “What Parents Need to Know About Enterovirus D68”
Drop-in newsletter article (matte article), “Parents: Learn the Facts about
Enterovirus D68”
Fact sheet for parents, “What Parents Need to Know about Enterovirus D68”
General questions and answers for the public
Infographic: Keep Your Child from Getting and Spreading Enterovirus D68
Project Lead the Way’s CEO’s Vince Bertram on “A Global Model for STEM Education”
The following article was published in the Huffington Post. It speaks to the importance of
and educational environment that promotes STEM
The United States has long been a global leader in innovation and entrepreneurship. But a
2012 report from the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST)
highlighted a growing problem - we are not on track to maintain this historical
preeminence. The reason: our country's workforce skills gap.
The U.S. Department of Commerce estimates 1.2 million unfilled jobs in science,
technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields by 2018 due to a lack of qualified workers.
In our nation's elementary, middle and high schools, we aren't engaging, inspiring or
preparing enough students to solve this STEM shortage in the decades ahead. According to
the PCAST report, the U.S. needs to increase the number of students receiving
undergraduate STEM degrees by 34 percent annually over current rates to meet economic
demands. And these are just the undergraduate degrees. There are millions more jobs that
require an associate's degree or technical certification.
At the K-12 level, it is clear we are failing our students. We are not equipping them with
the knowledge and skills they need to be successful, nor are we inspiring and engaging
them in the STEM subjects. When ranked against students from other countries, our
students perform at or below average in science, reading and math. The 2012 Program for
International Student Assessment (PISA) rankings from the Organization of Economic
Cooperation and Development showed that American students scored 23rd in science
achievement and 30th in math ability out of 65 countries.
The countries that consistently perform at the top include China, Singapore, South Korea
and Japan. We must do better. We must improve our focus on teaching the STEM subjects,
but also our focus on teaching students the vital skills they need to succeed - skills such as
problem solving, critical thinking and collaboration. Math and science classes are too often
filled with memorization; as a nation, we're too often focused on teaching to a test. We must
make learning relevant for students. We must show them why they need to learn math and
science and how the subjects are relevant to everyday life.
Despite all of this, there are pockets of excellence. Last month, a delegation of science and
technology leaders from South Korea visited Los Angeles for a chance to see firsthand what
American students are doing in STEM education. The delegation included the director
general of the Federation of Busan Science and Technology (FOBST), an organization
dedicated to supporting science curriculum and education for students in Busan, South
Korea.
The organization I proudly lead, Project Lead The Way (PLTW), had the opportunity to host
the group. We took them to Da Vinci Science High School, a certified PLTW school, where
they visited with students and teachers in several of the engineering courses. The South
Korean visitors were highly impressed with the students' immersion in their learning in
just the first month of school. Students were engaged, they were working together, and they
were learning the content through their hands-on activities and projects. At the end of the
delegation's visit, they were so inspired by what they observed that they requested to
attend Project Lead the Way's teacher training program next summer.
The workforce our students will join is a global one, and other nations are busy preparing
their students to compete. Through programs like Project Lead the Way, we can ignite and
inspire students' creativity, innovation and problem-solving skills. We can show them why
subjects like math and science matter, and we can regain the excellence we've long
experienced as a nation. But we have to start in each classroom. And we have to start now.
Dr. Vince Bertram is the president and CEO of Project Lead The Way, a national nonprofit
organization dedicated to developing high-quality STEM curriculum and teacher training.
Upcoming Events
Senior Parent Night
Spirit Week
Fall GALA
Fall Rally
Fall Dance
Inspire Foundation Mtg.
Club Photos
Wed, Oct 22
Oct 27 – Oct 31
Oct 29, 30
Thurs, Oct 30
Sat, Nov 1
Monday, Nov 3
Thurs, Fri Nov 6-7
6:00 p.m.
All day
7:00 pm
1:00 pm
8:00 pm
6:00 pm
Varies
Roger Williams Theater
Inspire campus
Center for the Arts
CHS
CHS gym
IC-5
Inspire campus
Have a great week,
Eric Nilsson
Principal
STATEMENT OF NON-DISCRIMINATION: Inspire School of Arts & Sciences does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national
origin, sex, or disability. Inspire will take steps to assure that the lack of English will not be a barrier to admission and participation in school
programs. Complaints alleging noncompliance with the District’s policy of non-discrimination should be directed to Dan La Bar, Assistant
Principal, at Chico Unified School District office (1163 East Seventh Street, Chico, California, 95928; 530-891-3090). A copy of Inspire’s
non-discrimination policy is available from the Inspire Office.