MUSIC STUDENTS GOING TO CARNEGIE HALL!

CHS Juniors Alexia Vargas (trumpet) and Lupita Ramos (oboe) were recently selected to perform a concert in Carnegie Hall, in New York.

Thousands of outstanding high school musicians were nominated across the United States, Canada, and parts of Europe, and invited to submit a recorded audition last June.  From those recordings, two groups of approximately 100 students were formed.  Alexia was chosen to participate in the band, while Lupita was placed in the orchestra.

The Honors Performance Series at Carnegie Hall was created to challenge elite musicians from around the world to perform at their very best, with renowned conductors, in one of the most famous music centers in the world.

Alexia and Lupita will spend five days in New York, rehearsing and performing world class music, attending a Broadway show, touring Times Square, Top of the Rock, and the World Trade Center site.  Representatives from college music departments around America will be in attendance and observing the musicians.

Efren Fuentes and Thomas Critchfield, both saxophonists, were selected as First Runners-Up, and will get the opportunity to attend if any finalists cannot attend the event.

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALEXIA AND LUPITA AND ALSO TO THOMAS AND EFREN! 

2011 STATE TESTING RESULTS AND ACCOUNTABILITY STATUS

Students in grades 2 through 11 are tested annually through California’s Standardized Testing and Reporting Program (STAR) to measure their level of proficiency in Math and English Language Arts.  The results of these tests are reported for two different accountability programs; California uses the Academic Performance Index (API) and the Federal Government uses Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP).  The district receives both accountability reports and addresses requirements from both.  The API has a target of 800 or above for each subgroup and requires annual growth toward the target.  The AYP has a target that states 100% of the students in each subgroup will be proficient or above by 2013-14, and requires adopted percentage targets each year.  When a school does not meet the AYP targets in each subgroup for two consecutive years, the school is classified as a Program Improvement (PI) School and must achieve the targets for two consecutive years to exit PI status.  Currently, Burchfield Primary (PI Year 3) and Egling Middle (PI Year 5) are classified as PI schools, and this year the district was classified as PI Year 1.  Use the following link to view achievement data for 2009 through 2011 and the AYP targets for 2012.  To learn more about the district’s staff development activities and strategies to increase student achievement go to District Information tab and click on LEA Plan. 

2011 Accountability Report.pdf  

PARENT ACCESS TO GRADES ONLINE

We continue to have the process that allows parents to access their child's grades and attendance online (Aeries Browser Interface).  If you have not signed up and would like to use this service, please contact your student's school office for the step-by-step process.  We strongly encourage all parents to take advantage of this opportunity.  You can see excactly which assignments have been turned in and each part of their grade (homework, tests, quizzes, projects, etc.).

Another way to access information about your student's classes is to go to our new district website here at:  http//:colusa.k12.ca.us (click on your child's school).  Many teacher web pages are up and some are under construction.  You can email all teachers through this portal.