2017 Bonner Center High Schools
Buchanan High School
Clovis Unified School District1560 N. Minnewawa Ave.
Clovis, CA 93619
Principal: Mrs. Ricci Ulrich
Critical learner outcomes for all BHS graduates [include] college and career readiness, and healthy lifestyle choices and good citizenship. The development of character is foremost on the minds of staff and students at Buchanan High School. Character education...begins with our campus, the cleanliness, the dress code and the norms students and faculty set for each classroom...It is important to teach students how to read for information and form an opinion. In doing so there will be different opinions. This is the time that students can practice active listening, making persuasive arguments, as well as learning to agree to disagree in a non-confrontational manner.
In our school wide goals and initiatives, teachers across all content areas are being trained to use the Reading Apprenticeship Framework. In this framework there are four overlapping and interacting dimensions that are linked to students having metacognitive conversation. As teachers plan with the social dimension in mind, they provide a safe environment for students to share their personal relationships to reading, investigate the relationship between literacy and power, share text talk, share reading processes, problems, and solutions as well as notice appropriate ways of reading.
Discipline data is monitored daily and formally reviewed every six weeks. Our goal is to find the antecedent to poor or self-destructive behavior and support the student before they get into negative habits. BHS has a Learning Director in charge of Student Services. Three Student Relations Liaisons support Student Services working with students who are tardy, absent, in conflict with peers, in distress with family issues, and dress code violations. The Student Services staff work with a Transition Team that serves foster youth, homeless and socio-economically disadvantaged students. These two teams work hand in hand with BHS counselors and school psychologist to support students with emotional difficulties.
Also, each fourth period class sends chosen representatives to meet with the Associated Student Body Vice-President to discuss concerns or issues in the school. The representatives take
information back to class to share strategies and information to help students to be more informed.
A human relations group, Principal Advisory for Student Affairs (PASA), meets with the Principal monthly. The principal requests that some students be recommended who are not involved in a co-curricular activity, thus involving the non-involved student. Additionally, students new to the school are chosen to keep the perspective of serving all students with such a large student body. Students with learning disabilities as well as second language learners are part of the group. PASA's mission is to discuss with the principal areas of improvement for the campus. It is a solution-oriented group that works hand in hand with topics such as bullying, student relationships, social media, using technology, course offerings, teacher relationships, campus safety and cleanliness.
Clovis Unified teachers are represented by Faculty Senate. Four senators represent BHS and gather input from teachers to take to the Faculty Senate. The senators also meet with the principal monthly on the Principal Advisory Council to discuss obstacles or problems that need to be solved in the school. The group is a solution-oriented group with teachers and administration removing barriers or obstacles to a healthy teaching and learning environment.
Service-Based Leadership class focuses on a more civic minded experience where students operate The Buchanan Clothes Closet, as well as volunteer in other places like non-profit community funded businesses such as Friant Fish Hatchery, senior citizens homes, an architecture firm, Garfield Center and Medical Therapy Unit (school for medically fragile students), hospital volunteers, and the Margaree Mason Center. The Clothes Closet is our own service that provides clothing and household items to needy families all without any cost.
The Activities Department's annual Powderpuff football game a great event for juniors and seniors, but is also fundraiser for the Multiple Sclerosis Society. Every year, the participating players, cheerleaders, and coaches are encouraged to collect money from their communities and challenged to raise the most money.
Another unique event offered on campus is the Harmony Talent Show. This annual display showcases multicultural dance styles...as well as foreign language vocalists. Along with the multicultural groups, students in the Leadership class work with special needs students to participate in choreographed lip sync routines.
Energy and Environmental Research Pathway for Career Technical Education has received a grant for the second year from PG&E to participate in the Solar Suitcase Project. Kits and training are provided to the teacher so that students can build a system inside the suitcase that houses a solar panel that produces electricity. These solar systems are shipped out to third world countries to provide hospitals and schools with energy and electricity.
Clovis High School
Clovis Unified School District1055 S. Fowler Ave.
Clovis, CA 93611
Principal: Mr. Denver Stairs
Educating our youth is preparing for our future. In order to shape students into productive members of society, public schools began to formalize character education in order to improve academic success and improve behavior among the student population.
The 2016-2017 goals for character education are to increase an understanding of other viewpoints, decrease use of racial slurs, increase student involvement in their school, and encourage students to live up to the site's motto: Take care of yourself, take care of each other, and take care of Clovis High School.
It was decided that it was best to discuss the topics associated with respect, empathy, and culture in a small group setting where students can interact with the peers in a setting designed for authentic conversation, as opposed to a large assembly format typical in high school settings.
The goals laid and implemented in these family groups are measured by data produced by the attendance office, the discipline office, the data processor, and reports from students themselves...More students than ever have joined clubs this year, showing that our "family group" discussions around the importance of being involved had a positive effect on students.
Our school has established the Transitions Program, a system of support specifically designed to increase academic achievement of foster youth, low-income, and students in crisis. The Transition Program recently celebrated 38% of their students with a GPA of 3.5 or higher. This success with students behaviorally and academically, including students who have historically underperformed, indicates that the systems in place at Clovis High are supporting students in all aspects of their education, character development included.
Each club has a student representative on the Student Diversity Council. This Council has created a format for students to represent their club in a setting that establishes the expectation of respect for all students. The Diversity Council can be used as a tool to educate students about what each club represents and is a platform for clubs to work together to help create commonalities among groups on the Clovis High campus.
The staff at Clovis high School can formally address concerns related to student safety during MPAC meetings, Academic Senate, PLC Lead meetings, department meetings, or staff meetings, all held monthly on different days of the week. Additionally, the administration team has worked to develop an atmosphere of trust so teachers are welcome to address their concerns informally at their convenience by talking with a learning director or the principal directly.
This year, Clovis High has gone a step further and created a Parent Diversity Council, so that more stakeholders can be involved in conversations around respect, safety, and acceptance.
Parents have openly discussed race issues on our campus, and how staff can work to ensure students of all ethnicities feel safe on the Clovis High campus.
Teachers felt there needed to be a way for teachers to facilitate stronger relationships among students, educate students on the history of racial discrimination, and build students' connections to the Clovis High campus. The idea of campus-wide lessons was born, and administration worked during the summer to implement "family groups" and designed lessons for teachers to deliver in those groups.
Service oriented clubs include Interact, Key Club, and Peer Counseling. For example, Peer Counseling does a blanket drive to donate new blankets to babies that will spend the holiday season in the NICU. The Veteran's club organizes Cards for Our Troops...Interact and Key Club host a massive can food drive every year...
New this year to Clovis High's community service methods is a text-based notification system that sends information out to students via text messaging. Students can join by simply sending a text message. Then they receive opportunities from organizations throughout the larger community. Because students do not need to be in a certain club or class to join, this text system has the ability to reach every student on campus.
With the implementation of "family groups" this year, there are built in times for students to share and discuss these events. Students often learn of the community service opportunities from other students, and the "families" provide a vehicle for those conversations.
During the Mosaic Assembly, student groups do performances that are traditional in their culture. Similarly, Fusion Night combines sharing of the different cultures and Clovis High students' love for food. Also, Clovis High's Latino Success Conference has inspired other schools to create culture specific conferences...Clovis High has also started a Young Women's conference and a Young Men's conference in order to inspire the students to become positive citizens in the community. These events send the message that all students of all backgrounds are valued and are important, not just in the school environment, but in the community at large.
Clovis North High School
Clovis Unified School District2770 E. International Ave.
Fresno, CA 93730
Principal: Mr. Scott Dille
We cannot assume that all students learn good character at home, and we must omit no opportunity to instill it in our students, as they will go on to comprise the kind of society in which we all hope to live. We are guided by our school motto, "Unity, Courage, and Commitment." We explore our motto's meaning repeatedly, as students are invited to consider
what it means to be a unified learning community, what constitutes moral, physical, and intellectual courage, and what commitment entails.
The "Code of the North" expands on our motto. Our code builds on the six pillars of character that students learn in our feeder elementary schools' Character Counts curriculum and derives from our entire school district's mantra, Doc's Charge. Dr. Floyd Buchanan, a former superintendent, challenged our district's educators to be role models for our students. His words exhort us to teach students how to unite and...to have the commitment to persevere in challenging circumstances.
Student Services, where major disciplinary issues are handled, recently analyzed behavioral data from the last few years and reports a decrease in bullying and behavioral disruptions on our campus. This is due to adults and students working together every day to monitor behavior and attitudes.
Teachers assess character daily. After each six-week grading period, teachers focus on students who are struggling, academically and behaviorally, in a "Student Success" meeting with our Transition Team. Here, they reflect, learn, and discuss ways to help students.
Most significantly, our students monitor themselves. They feel ownership of their campus and desire to protect the rights of others. Some of our students felt that our campus needed a reminder that discrimination is unacceptable...They felt comfortable generating their own solutions to the student body's needs because they feel responsible for the climate of our school and are intrinsically motivated to make our campus a safe, welcoming place.
During Academic Senate, our Transition Team solicits ideas for addressing issues and discusses social/emotional roadblocks to student learning. With staff, they develop strategies and solutions. The team helps staff to understand underlying causes of students' issues. For example, a recent focus was "growth mindset" - what it is and how to cultivate it.
Staff members (7-12) collaborate twice weekly in Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) to focus on student learning and behavior. Monthly faculty meetings (7-12) are yet another opportunity for our administration and staff members to address issues.
Our leadership classes (7-12) are comprised of a diverse group of students who have applied and been accepted on the basis of their own merits as well as character-based teacher recommendations. They work with our Activities Directors and elected student body officers to promote unity and address issues they feel are important. Students may also apply for our Peer Counseling classes (7-12), in which they learn strategies for helping their peers, being upstanders (instead of bystanders), and promoting conflict resolution. They not only read and write about ethical topics, but take field trips and host guest speakers for the student body on issues such as stress, grief/loss, bullying, relationship problems, divorce, depression, and drugs/alcohol.
Our Transition Team (an administrator, a counselor, and 10 support staff members) is an important way our site addresses character issues. The team mentors and trains students (7-12) whom teachers (or other staff) identify as needing academic and behavioral support.
With staff supervision, students run our annual blood and canned food drives, as well as our "Coats for Kids," "Toys for Tots" and "Make a Wish" and "Red Ribbon" weeks. All of our clubs (100+, grades 7-12) are required to participate in learning via community service.
Our football team...recognized the support our marching band gives them at each football game by attending our band's competitions en masse. They cheered for our band, wore a band-themed shirt, and presented a shirt to each band member, too. Their behavior modeled unity and "together we are better" for the entire school.
Whenever adults meet with their students following a service event - in individual classrooms, at sports practices, and at club meetings - they require some form of reflection. For example, leadership students write reflective journals each time they complete a service activity; upon sharing, they collect ideas generated in order to improve their service for upcoming events and/or the following year.
We have myriad clubs that celebrate identity...and they each share music, art, dancing, and food from their cultures. The week ends with an assembly at which students hear from different community speakers about their cultures and how cultural identity connects to their work. We also host an annual poetry slam (last year's theme was "identity"), which draws a large multicultural audience and group of participants. The library, too, serves as a venue for expression.
Kings River High School
Sanger Unified School District1801 7th St.
Sanger, CA 93657
Principal: Rick Church
Many believe that the primary responsibility for character development lies at home. While this may be true, it is clear that many of our students lack this development. Given this truth, it is incumbent upon schools to dedicate focused educational practices to student character development.
In 2014, after thorough school-wide dialogue, our school shifted away from a punitive approach to discipline and incorporated a positive behavioral system highlighting our ROAR program. Kings River Monarchs are taught and rewarded for showing Respect, being an Organized student, staying Accountable, and being Responsible. Because Kings River High School is a continuation school, the ultimate goal of reinforcing these character traits is to support students in their journey to becoming more successful in their academics and behaviors, so they can pursue aspirations of returning to a comprehensive school site, or to be able to obtain a diploma through Kings River High School – both avenues of success.
Our teachers and staff members have been trained on the effective use of the ROAR program, and as a result, our suspension rate has declined 29% since 2014. In addition, through the use of our school-wide discipline data review, we frequently monitor grades and parent contact logs to ensure that appropriate measures are being taken so that no child falls through the cracks. This includes Student Study Team meeting for students who have been deemed at risk, where teachers, our guidance counselor and other relevant support staff meet with students and parents to discuss a child's complete "picture."
Due to the fact that Kings River staff members "buy-in" to the process of building positive relationships with students, instances where student behavior is not ideal are seen as opportunities to converse with students about choices and redirect behaviors before they have a negative impact on students.
Additionally, throughout the year, regular School Site Council meetings are held, which provide a forum for parents, teachers, and staff to plan future directions for student engagement and learning. Parents who aren't able to attend this meeting are encouraged to provide input through survey opportunities.
This year, one of our early character education focuses was healthy relationships and preventing domestic violence in relationships, as taught throughout the month of October. The students enjoyed a speaker from Marjaree Mason who discussed her own experience as a domestic violence survivor, and provided students with warning signs of emotional and physical abuse.
For the conclusion of October, students created and delivered Halloween goodie bags for the children in the Marjaree Mason shelter that included candy, and homemade items (keychains, pins) that they created in their Cloth class.
Additional service learning projects have been numerous and have included Letters to Soldiers, Valentines for Veterans, outreach with Sanger's assisted living facility in provision of holiday table center pieces and scarves, handmade pillows for breast cancer patients, and currently the students are creating beanies and scarves for cancer patients at Valley Children's Hospital.
Additional partnerships utilized by Kings River High School include the Sanger Unified C.O.M.P.A.S.S. parenting program that is available to all of our expectant and current teen parents. C.O.M.P.A.S.S. provides individual, weekly mentoring and character building meetings with a paraprofessional to assist students is developing the well-rounded skills that they need to be a successful parent.
The students at Kings River participated in a school wide cross-curricular civic project on the current water crisis in California. The conclusion of the project was the students presenting for community members and district personnel. The response by the panel was overwhelmingly positive and they felt like the students were able to understand multiple perspectives and opinions. The reflection piece of the project was an essay about their experience working together and also learning about a topic so important to our community.
Our classrooms have increased their student level of reflection on student learning. Students are developing their oral reflection skills through PVLEGS (poise, voice, life, eye contact, gesturing, speed) to better articulate the purpose and meanings of lessons learned, service experience, and their role in the world. With these new skills, our students are now able to describe present to groups of community members in confident learning style. Reflections are common, as teachers shift their roles to facilitators, students are taking more ownership of their learning.
The increase in our school's rigor has led to 100% of our students being eager to complete the college application process, and our school having two consecutive years (2014-2015 and 2015-2016) of Kings River graduates entering Fresno State.
Instruction about tolerance and understanding is present in all classrooms, with emphasis in history and social studies classes. These discussions have led to the opportunity of providing a field trip to visit the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles.
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