At a glance Sanger Students Off to a Great Start!

Sanger High Athletics Highlights
VAPA Schedule
Superintendent’s Message
Site and Employee Profile
Bullying and Teasing
Student Transfers
October Sports Schedule
New Employees
SUSD
At a glance
October 2015
Dream Big, Work Hard and Believe! ✳ Never Give Up!
Foundation for Sanger Schools - Sanger Unified School District - 1905 7th Street - Sanger, CA 93657 - (559) 524-6521 ✳ Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, SchoolWay App, and at www.sanger.k12.ca.us
Sanger Students Off to
a Great Start!
Used with permission from the Sanger Herald
Published on Thursday, September 10, 2015
Herald staff report
The California Department of Education has just released results of its new tests based on Common Core standards for English and Math, and Sanger Unified School District
results appear to have outperformed many schools in the region.
"That's a good start," said Sanger superintendent of schools Matt Navo.
Sanger schools overall showed that 44 percent of students met or exceeded standards in English language arts and literacy category — matching the overall statewide figure — and 35 percent met or exceeded math standards. Sanger beat the statewide results by two percentage points. The results were broken down by grade in which the tests
were taken — third through eighth and 11th.
The tests have been dubbed the Smarter Balanced Summative Assessments. Here's how they
are described by state officials: "An academic checkup, tests are an important part of California’s
THIS IS JUST ONE MEASURE OF OUR STUDENTS.
plan for high-quality teaching and learning, which seeks to help all students graduate prepared
IT'S A HARDER TEST, AND WE'RE GOING TO USE
for college-level coursework and a 21st-century career."
IT TO GET BETTER AT WHAT WE DO WHEN IT
State School Superintendent Tom Torlakson told the Fresno Bee on Wednesday that California
has an achievement gap among English learners and low-income students.
COMES TO EDUCATING OUR KIDS.
Sanger's 11th grade students were particularly strong in English language arts and literacy
Matt Navo, Superintendent
with 57 percent meeting or exceeding standards. However, their performance on math showed
only 26 percent meeting or exceeding standards.
"Comparing the results to previous years is like comparing apples and oranges," said Navo.
"Unlike in the past, the district is less focused on mastering test scores and more focused on what students need to graduate.
This is just one measure of our students. It’s a harder test, and we’re going to use it to get better at what we do when it comes to educating our kids,” said Navo.
“But it’s not the test that drives us anymore. It’s the vision – what we want students to be able to do when they leave here. We don’t ever want to get to a place where we’re
trying to master this test again.”
The summative assessments replace the Standardized Testing and Reporting, or STAR, assessments.
Here is how other districts fared:
Clovis Unified— English 60 percent, math 50 percent
Fresno Unified — English 27 percent, math 18 percent
Kings Canyon Unified — English 37 percent, math 21 percent
Visalia Unified — English 42 percent, math 29 percent
Madera Unified — English 25 percent, math 16 percent
Standardized test results have been released by the State for the district as a whole.
Individual student scores have NOT been released yet. Student scores will be sent home as soon as received.
Message from Superintendent Matt Navo
Never Give Up!
It's the destination that makes the journey worthwhile. Our journey toward
improvement as a district has been worth it. The joy in our journey is that we
continue to grow as a district. More importantly, every year we get better and
better at providing a quality education full of options and opportunities for
all our students.
As a result of our continued improvement we have a
number of creative and innovative projects across the district. Below are just a few items that I thought might be
worth mentioning:
• Teaching and learning: Our Teachers Leading Teacher’s
conference around professional development this year was
a great kickoff for our teachers to learn from each other, and
take back best practices and innovative teaching concepts.
• Increasing preschool: Collaboration time and extending
hours for preschool staff as well as expanding afternoon
preschool at Lone Star has enabled us to serve over 400
students, which is almost half our kinder enrollment.
• 1:1 9th-12th iPad and 1:1 6th-8th iPad rollout: This is
a huge undertaking and extremely innovative thinking around the way we approach teaching and learning.
• Educational leadership: Our work with experts in the field of collaboration and
facilitation, as well as our New Leaders Academy for building capacity of potential
future teacher and administrative leaders, has definitely set us apart from others
with regard to building capacity of teams.
• Data and infrastructure: Our new dashboard is putting a whole new lens on how
we look at student results.
• Special education inclusion focus: This has allowed us to become a leader across the state in strategies that support students
with disabilities in the classroom.
• Community school concept: This has enabled us to serve
our communities with access to a literacy/technology center in
the evening and the ability to access social emotional supports
during the day.
Along with many new and innovative projects, we received our
new California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) data for the district. This was disseminated to all
school sites for public view last month. Our schools have not received student score reports yet. Our message has always been
that this is newer, harder, and will help us get better. There’s lots of work ahead, but
we believe we are the best at getting better and “Never Giving Up!”
Every Child, Every Day, Whatever it Takes!
Above: Sanger High cheerleaders, band, representatives of student government, and other students. Photo taken at the morning rally on Friday, August 28.
The rally motivated the students for the game against Redwood that night, which was broadcast on Channel 47.
Photo courtesy of Jon Delano
High school sports in full swing!
Upcoming VAPA events
Sanger High School fall sports are underway! Football, water polo, cross country,
girls volleyball, girls tennis, and girls golf are off to strong starts and we're looking
forward to the start of league play.
This month the football team will travel to Reedley for the annual rivalry game and
host Madera South for the yearly homecoming game. The football team will also host
Edison and travel to Madera and Bullard.
Both boys and girls water polo teams have had great starts to their seasons and will
begin league play in October, facing the likes of Edison, Bullard, and Madera schools.
The cross country program hosted its annual Sanger Invitational and is gearing up
for some strong invitational meets in Monterey, Clovis, and Madera.
The girls volleyball team had a strong showing at the Las Vegas Invitational and San
Luis Obispo Invitational and is beginning league play this month.
The girls golf team hosted its fifth annual Sanger Invitational and prepared for the
league championship and Central Area tournament.
The girls tennis team had a strong non-league season and is now in the middle of
league play in preparation for the league championship tournament.
We are proud of our programs and hope that you can make it out to some of our
events to show your support for our Apaches!
• October 7 - Wednesday: Sanger High School Marching Band and Colorguard perform in the Big Fresno Fair
Parade.
• October 10 - Saturday: Sanger High School Marching
Band and Colorguard compete in the WBA competition
at Washington Union High School.
• October 15 - Thursday: Sanger High School Choir
Concert at 7:00pm in the Sanger High MPR.
• October 16 - Friday: All middle school band students
perform at halftime with Sanger High School at the Edison game at 7:30pm in Tom Flores Stadium.
• October 24 - Saturday: Sanger High School Marching Band and Colorguard
compete in the Sierra Cup Classic at CSU Fresno.
• October 31 - Saturday: Sanger High School student photography display in
the Arts Alive! Gallery at WAMS from 1pm-3pm.
• October 31 – Saturday: Sanger High School Marching Band and Colorguard
compete in the Selma Band Review.
Contributed by Brian Penner
Contributed by Jennifer Determan-Lewis
Bullying and teasing: not a rite of passage
Contributed by Kimberly Salomonson
Sanger Unified believes bullying has a negative effect on a school’s social environment, creates a climate of fear among students, inhibits ability to learn, and leads to
other antisocial behavior. Through education, firm expectations, and quick action we continue to message that bullying behavior is not tolerated. This month we define
bullying. It is important to know that our school district uses the definition as set forth by the California Department of Education (CDE).
So….What is School Bullying?
• Bullying is exposing a person to abusive actions repeatedly over time. Being aware of children's teasing and acknowledging injured feelings are
always important. Bullying becomes a concern when hurtful or aggressive behavior toward an individual or group appears to be unprovoked, intentional, and (usually) repeated.
• Bullying is a form of violence. It involves a real or perceived imbalance of power, with the more powerful child or group attacking those who are
less powerful. Bullying may be physical (hitting, kicking, spitting, pushing), verbal (taunting, malicious teasing, name calling, threatening), or emotional (spreading rumors, manipulating social relationships, extorting, or intimidating). Bullying can occur face to face or in the online world.
• Bullying is also one or more acts by a pupil or group of pupils directed against another pupil that constitutes sexual harassment, hate violence, or
severe or pervasive intentional harassment, threats, or intimidation that is disruptive, causes disorder, and invades the rights of others by creating an
intimidating or hostile educational environment, and includes acts that are committed personally or by means of an electronic act, as defined.
An "electronic act" is defined as transmission of a communication including, but not limited to, a message, text, sound or image by means of an electronic device including, but not limited to, a telephone, wireless telephone or other wireless communication device, computer, or pager.
We hope these definitions will help future conversations about bullying.
The nuts and bolts of district transfers
Contributed by Dennis Wiechmann
Our success in the areas of student achievement, school climate, and closing the achievement gap have garnered not only
national attention, but also the attention of Central Valley parents and guardians looking for a school district that truly is on
the cutting edge, has a small community feel, and has a demonstrated track record of educating the whole child. This desire has
translated into parents/guardians utilizing our district process to allow their children to attend one of our schools.
There are two transfer processes outlined in the Education Code, the Sanger Unified Board Policy, and the Administrative
Regulations. These processes are called inter-district transfer (IDTER) and intra-district transfer (IDTRA). The IDTER process
is used when a parent/guardian is requesting their child attend a Sanger Unified school but they live in another district. The IDTRA process is used when a student lives
in our district but wants to attend a school other than their home school. Once the process is completed the parents/guardians can then enroll their children, providing
that school has space.
When a grade level becomes full or impacted, the district must legally reduce the number of students (TK-3 = 25, grades 4-6 = 34). Once a grade level is impacted, the
process for reducing the number of students is initiated. Policies dictate that the actual resident of a school has the right to attend that school and will be the last removed.
The procedures for selecting transferees to relieve overcrowding is based upon a combination of criteria, some of which are the following:
• The Administration explores the possibility of volunteers in securing transferees first
• Inter-district transfer students - students who are attending but reside outside the district boundaries
• Intra-district transfer students - students who are attending at a site other than their home school but reside in our district
• Residency established via employment within our district boundaries
• Last enrolled resident of the school - residents who live within school boundaries are moved out based upon enrollment date. The last enrolled student would be the
first student to be bused to another school. A resident of that school can only be bused for one year due to impaction and cannot be bused again.
As a district we understand the difficulty and hardship that is created when removing a student from the school they may have been attending for several years. This is
by far the most difficult time of the year for many parents and administrators. We have made it a priority to be as open and honest as possible about this process.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding this process, please don’t hesitate to contact the Child and Welfare office at 559/524-6630.
Every Child, Every Day, Whatever it Takes!
Schedule of the Sanger High School Apaches
DayDateSportPlaying AgainstLocationLevelTime
Thursday
Thursday
Thursday
Thursday
Thursday
Friday
Friday
Friday
Saturday
Saturday
Saturday
Saturday
Tuesday
Tuesday
Tuesday
Tuesday
Tuesday
Tuesday
Thursday
Thursday
Thursday
Thursday
Thursday
Thursday
Friday
Friday
Saturday
Saturday
Tuesday
Tuesday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Thursday
Thursday
Friday
Friday
Friday
Saturday
Saturday
Tuesday
Tuesday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Thursday
Thursday
Friday
Friday
Tuesday
Tuesday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Wednesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Thursday
Friday
Friday
Friday
Friday
Saturday
Saturday
Saturday
Saturday
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
10/01/15
10/01/15
Girls
10/01/15
Boys
10/01/15
Girls
10/01/15
Girls
10/02/15
10/02/15
Boys
10/02/15
Girls
10/03/15
Girls
10/03/15
Boys
10/03/15
Girls
10/03/15
10/06/15
Girls 10/06/15
Boys
10/06/15
Girls
10/06/15
10/06/15
Girls
10/06/15
Girls
10/08/15
10/08/15
Girls
10/08/15
Boys
10/08/15
Girls
10/08/15
Girls
10/08/15
Girls
10/09/15
10/09/15
Girls
10/10/15
10/10/15
Girls
10/13/15
Girls
10/13/15
Girls
10/13/15
Girls
10/14/15
Girls 10/14/15
Boys
10/15/15
10/15/15
Girls
10/15/15
Girls
10/16/15
10/16/15
Girls
10/16/15
Girls
10/17/15
Girls
10/17/15
10/20/15
Girls
10/20/15
10/20/15
Girls 10/21/15
Girls 10/21/15
Boys
10/22/15
10/22/15
Girls
10/22/15
Girls
10/23/15
10/23/15
10/27/15
Girls
10/27/15
10/27/15
Girls
10/28/15
Girls 10/28/15
Boys
10/28/15
Girls
10/29/15
10/29/15
Girls
10/30/15
10/30/15
Girls
10/30/15
Boys
10/30/15
Girls
10/31/15
Girls
10/31/15
Boys
10/31/15
Girls
10/31/15
Football
Water Polo
Water Polo
Golf
Tennis
Football
Water Polo
Volleyball
Volleyball
Water Polo
Volleyball
Cross Country
Water Polo
Water Polo
Volleyball
Cross Country
Golf
Tennis
Football
Water Polo
Water Polo
Volleyball
Golf
Tennis
Football
Water Polo
Cross Country
Water Polo
Golf
Volleyball
Tennis
Water Polo
Water Polo
Football
Volleyball
Tennis
Football
Water Polo
Tennis
Water Polo
Cross Country
Volleyball
Cross Country
Golf
Water Polo
Water Polo
Football
Volleyball
Tennis
Football
Cross Country
Volleyball
Cross Country
Golf
Water Polo
Water Polo
Tennis
Football
Volleyball
Football
Tennis
Water Polo
Water Polo
Tennis
Water Polo
Water Polo
Cross Country
Reedley
Reedley
Madera
Sanger
Madera
Sanger
CMAC 9 Hole Tournament #4
Madera Country Club
Edison
Edison
Reedley
Reedley
Clovis JV Tournament
Clovis
Hard Driven Tournament
Clovis North
Clovis West F/JV Tournament
Clovis West
Clovis JV Tournament
Clovis
Hard Driven Tournament
Clovis North
Brugg Invitational
Atascadero
Bullard
Bullard Bullard
Bullard Madera South
Sanger
Practice
Woodward Park
Edison
Sherwood Forest
Madera
Sanger
Madera South
Sanger
SJM
Sanger
SJM
Sanger
Edison
Sanger
CMAC 9 Hole Championships
Riverside Country Club
Bullard
Bullard
Madera South (Homecoming)
Sanger
Clovis East JV Tournament
Clovis East
Clovis Invitational
Woodward Park
Clovis East JV Tournament
Clovis East
CMAC 18 Hole Area Qualifier Madera Country Club
Madera
Madera
SJM
Sanger
Madera South
Sanger
Madera South
Sanger
Edison
Sanger
Bullard
Sanger
CMAC Individual Championships
TBA
Edison
Sanger
Western States Tournament
TBA
CMAC Individual Championships
TBA
Western States Tournament
TBA
Monterey Bay Invitational
Toro Park (Monterey)
SJM
SJM
Practice
Woodward Park
CIF Central Area Individual Championships - Location TBA
Edison
Sanger
Edison
Sanger
Madera
Madera
Madera South
Madera South
CIF Central Section Team Playoffs
TBA
Madera
Madera
Clovis North Twilight Invitational
Clovis North Edison
Edison
Practice
Woodward Park
CIF Central Section Team Championships - Location TBA
Madera
Madera
Madera
Madera
CIF Central Section Team Playoffs
TBA
Bullard
McLane
Madera
Sanger
Bullard
Bullard
CIF Central Area Individual Championships - Location TBA
Sunnyside JV Tournament
Sunnyside
Fresno High JV Tournament
Fresno
CIF Central Area Individual Championships - Location TBA
Sunnyside JV Tournament
Sunnyside
Fresno High JV Tournament
Fresno
John Seamans Invitational
Kingsburg Gun Club
Community Day School - Eric Rodriguez, Campus Safety Officer
Pupil Services - Alma Aguirre, Counselor
Sanger Adult School – Annette Torres, Independent Study Teacher
Sanger High - Alejandro Garcia, Custodian; Jessica Witrago, Student/Parent Advocate Coordinator
Transportation - Larry Gonzalez, bus driver; Michael Alonzo, Bus Driver
WAMS - Jenny Meyer, SDC Teacher; Shapree Smith, Student/Parent Advocate Coordinator
Wilson Preschool - Sonia Gutierrez, Early Childhood Teacher
Every Child, Every Day, Whatever it Takes!
F
JV/Var
JV/Var
Var
JV/Var
JV/Var
JV
Var
F/JV
JV
Var
Var
JV/Var
JV/Var
F/JV/Var
Fr-So/Var
Var
JV/Var
F
JV/Var
JV/Var
F/JV/Var
Var
JV/Var
JV/Var
JV
Fr-So/Var
JV
Var
F/JV/Var
JV/Var
JV/Var
JV/Var
F
F/JV/Var
Var
JV/Var
Var
Var
Var
Var
F/JV/Var
Fr-So/Var
Var
JV/Var
JV/Var
F
F/JV/Var
Var
JV/Var
Fr-So/Var
F/JV/Var
Fr-So/Var
Var
JV/Var
JV/Var
Var
JV/Var
F/JV/Var
F
Var
JV
JV
Var
JV
JV
Fr-So/Var
5:30pm
4:30/6:30pm
3:30/5:30pm
2:00pm
3:00pm
5:00/7:30pm
TBA
TBA
TBA
TBA
TBA
8:00am
4:30/6:30pm
3:30/5:30pm
3:45/4:45/6:00pm
4:00pm
2:00pm
3:00pm
5:30pm
4:30/6:30pm
3:30/5:30pm
3:45/4:45/6:00pm
2:00pm
3:00pm
4:30/7:30pm
TBA
TBA
TBA
11:00am
3:45/4:45/6:00pm
3:00pm
4:30/6:30pm
3:30/5:30pm
5:30pm
3:45/4:45/6:00pm
TBA
5:00/7:30pm
TBA
TBA
TBA
8:00am
3:45/4:45/6:00pm
4:00pm
TBA
4:30/6:30pm
3:30/5:30pm
5:30pm
3:45/4:45/6:00pm
TBA
5:00/7:30pm
6:00pm
3:45/4:45/6:00pm
4:00pm
TBA
4:30/6:30pm
3:30/5:30pm
TBA
4:30/7:00pm
3:45/4:45/6:00pm
3:00pm
TBA
TBA
TBA
TBA
TBA
TBA
8:00am
Elementary sites
90-minute early release
every Wednesday
High schools and middle
school
90-minute late start
every Thursday
No early release or late
start the week before
Winter and Easter break,
nor the last week of
school.
School Highlight: John S. Wash Elementary
Who was John S. Wash?
As the new principal of John S. Wash Elementary, I am looking forward to an
exciting new school year ahead. We were hard at work this summer preparing our
classrooms for our students and staff. We added a brand new HVAC system to our
middle wing, added new playground equipment to our playgrounds, equipped
each classroom with Air Server, and welcomed our kindergarteners with a kickoff
celebration in July. We will continue our dedicated work with the support of our
expert teachers and community that have been the backbone of our school’s rich
heritage for so many years.
So, looking ahead, what can we expect for this year? To stay strong, first we
will continue grass roots Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) that focus on
teacher collaboration through data analysis, lesson design, best practices, and formative assessment.
Second, we will drill deeper into our curricular units that support
the California State Standards to help build critical thinking and problem solving skills. One way our school will address this is through early literacy. With the extra support of our Literacy Specialist Teacher,
Kindergarten through 2nd grade will receive extra support this year in
the area of reading and writing.
Finally, we will begin to incorporate more technology into our curriculum to keep our students motivated and engaged. Already teachers are utilizing district-issued iPads as teaching tools. We are also
putting technology in the hands of our students each week to enhance
lessons within curricular units.
It’s no secret that John S. Wash Elementary is growing. This year we welcomed
521 students back to school! With enrollments surging, we will begin construction
on a new wing that will open up more classrooms to our students this fall. We will
also explore opportunities in science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics (STEAM) as a way to ready our students for 21st Century skills by aligning our
clubs and activities with WAMS and Sanger High School. By working in tandem
with the middle school and high school, our community will
gain a larger appreciation of what Sanger Unified has to offer at
WAMS and Sanger High. With that said, we will begin to make
changes now to ensure a strong future!
Many of us are familiar with the common names for elementary schools throughout the nation: Washington, Jackson, Jefferson, Madison, Reagan, and Wilson. It’s a
way to honor our presidents. But why is there a school in our district named John
S. Wash? Who was he?
John Samuel Wash was born in 1862 in the state of Missouri. He attended the
University of Missouri and received a degree in law; however, after a short time
he discovered he didn’t like that vocation. So he traveled to California in 1890 and
began teaching near Coalinga.
In 1892 he started teaching at the second Lone Star school site, which was located at Clovis and North Avenue. Next he taught at the Prairie School near Del Rey. In
1908 he became the principal of Highland School until 1915 when he
became the principal of Lone Star School, which was across the street
from its present location.
Mr. Wash was a bachelor and during all the years he taught and
served as principal at Lone Star, he lived across the road in a small cabin. He also ranched all of his life. He was not only concerned with the
welfare of his students in the classroom, but had a deep concern for the
teachers, the students out of the classroom, as well as all the people in
the area. The whole community was his family.
While teaching children was his first love, he also conducted summer school for teachers. His skill as a teacher became widely known.
His individual method of teaching gained publicity and several articles
were written in educational journals. He was invited to teach at Columbia University in New York and at the University of California at Berkeley, as well as
many other places, but turned them down in favor of staying at Lone Star working
with the children in the community.
In the spring of 1938, at the age of 76, Mr. Wash retired from teaching. He planned
to work on his ranch, but died before the beginning of the next school year.
The Lone Star Union School District, as it was known then, realized the need for
another elementary school in 1961. Thirteen acres of land were purchased in the
Sunnyside area of south Fresno for the new campus. Eight modern classrooms
with offices for the administration were built at a cost of $253.000. Special features noted at that time were “excellent lighting and glare-proof windows with
wide roof overhangs to shade the windows.” In 1976, a multipurpose room was
added.
The Board of Education felt no memorial could be more fitting for such an
outstanding man than to have his name live
on as the name of a school...John S. Wash Elementary. On May 23, 1962, the school was
dedicated as a tribute to a man who had
gained great respect and acclaim throughout
the area. Most of the school board members
who chose the name were former students of
Mr. Wash. His nephew, Robert M. Wash, was
one of the speakers at the dedication.
The Lone Star Union District joined with
other districts in 1965 to form Sanger Unified School District.
Contributed by Amy Tarantino Jones
Research contributed by Melody Flores
Employee Profile - Amy Tarantino Jones
”She is a dynamic and trusted leader who always puts kids first.
Her team at WAMS saw her as approachable, resourceful, and easy to talk to.” Jamie Nino, Principal
Contributed by Nadine Sheppard
“She has a very positive empowering personality. Whether alongside kids, parents, or colleagues,
she has a contagious ‘can do’ spirit! This is not a woman who strolls!.” Hillary Cloud, STEM Specialist
With comments like these, you might come to the conclusion that Amy Jones has been a long-time principal, skillfully honing her vocation over the years. But not only is
she the new principal at John S. Wash Elementary, this is her first time as a principal anywhere! Her journey to this position started far differently than how it ended.
Born in California’s Fort Ord, a former US army post on Monterey Bay, Amy’s great-grandparents and extended family settled in Monterey during the sardine runs in the
1920’s. The men fished commercially and the women worked in the canneries, known today as Cannery Row. Her parents, grandparents, sister, and extended family still live
in that area. Her younger brother lives with his family in Seattle.
She recalls always working, even as a young teen. She went from working at summer camps to working at country club swimming pools. As a college student she waited
tables and learned the art of customer service. Although she always wanted to be a businesswoman, that’s not where her path led. “I never really thought about teaching
until an opportunity to be a teacher’s aide became available at a great little school in San Diego.” She attended San Diego State University, received her Bachelor's Degree
through National University, majoring in Liberal Arts, and later Fresno State University, obtaining her MBA in Educational Leadership.
When asked how her interest in our district started, she remembers: “We were building a home in Quail Lake when we learned that the school was in the Sanger Unified
School District. I did my homework on the district and the charter school and was impressed. I later taught 8th Grade ELA and History at Quail Lake where I thrived for five
years. I then moved on to be a CSP at WAMS and then vice principal.”
Now that she is the new principal at John Wash, she discusses the challenges she has faced so far. “The greatest challenge for sure has been the overcrowding issue. It's
such a great place for kids, but unfortunately I have to transfer students out, which makes for an unhappy situation. Next year we will have a brand new wing, so I am looking
forward to keeping all of my Tigers at John Wash!”
Focusing on the future at John Wash, she would like to see integration of more technology as a way to motivate and engage the students within lessons. “We've already
equipped our teachers with iPads and Air Server to utilize as a teaching tool. Now I want them to work together to try new apps that will actually help them become more
efficient in formative assessment and help keep lessons moving.” She is very interested in working closely with the middle and high schools. “I want to bridge science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM) through shared clubs/activities that will pull our Sunnyside community into Sanger. I don't want to lose students to Clovis and
Fresno without giving our families the opportunity to see for themselves what WAMS and SHS have to offer.” She has very specific ideas on how to do that and will put forth
a proposal this year.
She also has definite ideas of how she wants her team of teachers and other staff members to relate to the students. “First and foremost, I want my teachers to show
kindness, warmth, and compassion to all of our students. I want school to be a safe haven, where students look forward to arriving every day because learning is both fun
and challenging. No matter how difficult circumstances are in our students' lives, teachers will continue to inspire them to work hard and achieve no matter what, to never
give up. As teachers go about their daily duties, I want them to remember that we are teaching and modeling strong character for a strong future.”
Her ideas probably have to do with her early experiences at school. “I remember my teachers...the ones who inspired me to come out of my shell. My 4th grade teacher
taught me perseverance. She had faith in me when I didn't believe in myself. She didn't let me fail. My 8th grade teacher made learning fun because she was personable and
real. When she was with us each day, we somehow knew she cared by the little things she did for us every day. I want teachers like that at John Wash...teachers who do the
little things that make a difference every day.”
When asked how she is faring so far as a new principal, she responds: “I can't really articulate how much I appreciate the support in this district. I knew Sanger was special
when I became a part of the family eight years ago. The level of support is unprecedented.”
On a personal note she calls her spouse Jay “my best friend.” They have three children. Natalie, 15, a sophomore
in high school, plays varsity tennis and is involved with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Caiden, 13, is in 8th
grade and loves baseball and plays tennis for his varsity middle school team. Adam, 11, is a 6th grader and runs
cross-country, plays baseball and basketball, and runs track. “Much of our time is spent traveling to watch the kids
play sports.”
She is avid about Mexican food, preferring Haciendita for sit-down meals and Crystal Bakery any chance she gets
into Sanger. She also likes DiCiccos.
You might be surprised to know that Amy loves to dance! “My kids make fun of me when we are at weddings or
festivities because, quite honestly, I'm horrible! But I love music, and I really want rhythm. Actually I'm a homebody.
People think I am naturally social, but it doesn't actually come that easy! I do love to read historical novels and docudramas when I have the time. It drives my boys crazy!”
When she has a chance to get away from it all, she loves the beach......anywhere! She has visited the Mexican
Riviera, Hawaii, and many of the beaches in Southern California. She is hoping to visit the South Pacific and the
Amy, Natalie, Caiden, Adam, and Jay
Mediterranean too.
We're all wishing her well in her new position and know that the John Wash families are rooting for her too!
Every Child, Every Day, Whatever it Takes!