#EducationMatters

All California teachers must clear their teaching credential by completing a two-year Induction Program with an accredited school district. The Induction Program provides each teacher candidate with a coach that is an experienced, fully California credentialed teacher. The coach and candidate meet four hours a month for a total of 40 hours a school year to go through a set curriculum, broken up into six cycles that focus on helping the candidate implement best teaching strategies into their classroom. The Plumas Unified School District pays for the new teacher Induction Program, providing the curriculum and coach compensation for each candidate.

Published on 11-8-17
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With the new Digital Academy course at Quincy High, the number of elective offerings skyrockets from six choices to hundreds. Over the last few years, Terrie Redkey, the CTE and Business and Finance Teacher at Quincy High School, has wanted to increase students’ access to a wider range of skills and careers using an online learning platform. She shared, “In this small rural school online learning is the solution. In this current world of technology, our students deserve more options that meet their individual career interests and goals, through student-designed learning, without the addition of sections and faculty.” Terrie Redkey’s vision came to fruition this year with a pilot program up and running at Quincy High, and currently in development at Greenville and Portola High.

Published on 10-26-17
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For 30 years the 6th-grade outdoor education program has acted like a spark to ignite students’ interest and connection to the natural world around them. Yet, as a stand-alone program isolated to 6th grade, much of the momentum built throughout the year can be lost. The memories and experiences stick with students for a lifetime, but ultimately without a continued focus, a passion for natural science and the specificities can decline. The just completed pilot, Taylorsville Camp Wild, for 7th-grade students continues the outdoor education legacy and builds on the momentum created the year prior. As Rob Wade explained, “6th grade is about introducing students to concepts and forging a connection to their home- to the rivers, forests, and mountains. Seventh grade is about stewardship of these natural resources and working to better care for our homeland while going further and deeper into our scientific discoveries and understanding”.

Published on 10-05-17
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Thirty years have passed since Joe Hagwood, Warren Grandall, John Gallagher, and Jim Schaber, with the help of Cindy Phelps and Evelyn Whisman, collaborated to create what we know now as the Feather River Outdoor School (FREd), located at the UC Berkeley Forestry Camp, in Meadow Valley.

Published on 9-28-17.
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This year marks the fourth year of Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) Framework in Plumas Unified. PBIS is a proactive approach to establishing the behavioral supports and social culture needed for all students in a school to achieve social, emotional, behavioral, and academic success. PBIS is a framework, not a curriculum or program, which means it can be applied differently to fit each school’s needs. The Portola Student Services Coordinator Shannon Harston compared it to a parenting book. Harston stated, “similar to how parents adopt various practices from a parenting book, schools are in essence homes that can use the PBIS framework differently for their individual needs.

Published on 9-07-17
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With summer coming to a close, students say goodbye to the end of carefree days, parents rejoice at the return of the routine, and teachers prepare to educate and inspire incoming and returning students. Each new school year brings excitement, anticipation, and expectation. This year the class of 2018 embarks on their last year of secondary education, the incoming kindergartners welcome their first, and everyone moves one step further in both academic and personal growth. Our theme for this school year is “Together is Better.” Superintendent Terry Oestreich explains, “As we embark upon a new school year, we are excited to fulfill our Governing Board’s mission to collectively inspire every child in every classroom every day. Our district wide training “Eliminating Barriers to Learning” provided our team with the opportunity to explore strategies expanding access to learning while reinforcing the many assets we already have in place to ensure student success. The chosen theme is our commitment to honor relationships with all our stakeholders as we open the doors to the 2017-18 school year.”

Published 8-24-17
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A Plumas Unified graduation requirement and an unparalleled opportunity to explore or redefine a potential career path- the senior project- is the quintessential culminating project of students’ 13 years of education. It gives seniors the opportunity and motivation to pursue and explore their passions, define future careers or interests, and polish and expand skills needed for college and employment. While it is a substantial amount of work and many students are relieved when it is all over, the opportunity the senior project provides to propel students outside of their comfort zones and build their confidence and capabilities is well worth the work.

Published 6-7-17
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In January 2016, California implemented a new law, the California Healthy Youth act, which updates the state’s requirements for sexual health education in public schools. According to the new law, students must receive comprehensive sexual health and HIV prevention education at least once in middle school and at least once in high school. Instruction must be age appropriate and medically accurate, which means that the information must be accepted by organizations like the American Academy of Pediatrics. It must also be appropriate for students with disabilities, students who are English language learners, and for students of all races, ethnic and cultural backgrounds, genders and sexual orientations. Endorsing religious doctrine is not allowed. While information will be provided on the value of delaying sexual activity and that abstinence is the only certain way to prevent unintended pregnancy, HIV, and other STIs, “abstinence-only” sex education is not permitted in California public schools.

Published 5-10-17
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Local high school students recently took to the field to learn about fire’s effect on our landscape. The eighth trip to monitor the 2007 Moonlight Fire’s burn footprint took place on Wednesday, April 19.

Plumas Unified School District, Plumas National Forest, and Sierra Institute for Community and Environment collaborated to collect and record information about post-fire ecosystem regeneration. Looked at wholly, these periodic snapshots paint a fascinating and evolving image of the land—all based on research from our own local youth. This year, Plumas County Community School students joined the returning Greenville High School cohort to form the monitoring group.



Published on 5-3-17
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