Taft City School District, 810 North Sixth St., Taft
MESSAGE FROM THE
PRINCIPAL
Dear Parents:
We have just had our Winter Ball, our
winter dance which is open to all students who have no more than three
referrals to the office, no suspensions, and who owe no money to the
school. This Winter Ball had the highest attendance we have seen at a
dance in many years! I am pleased
that so many people were able to attend, and I am happy to report there
were no incidences of misbehavior at
the dance. Everyone had a good time.
Even though there were many fancy
dresses on the girls and formal wear
on the guys, there is no expectation
for formal clothing for the students.
Students who elect to wear school
clothes or church clothes are absolutely dressed appropriately. Parents
who have questions about their student’s ability to attend the dance due
to behavior or attire should call the
office first before making clothing
purchases or beauty parlor appointments.
Third quarter is upon us, and we are in
the midst of our basketball and soccer seasons. Even though we have had
unusually cold weather this year, we
still have maintained our schedules.
Do not miss Mr. Hamilton’s article
about the fine job our athletic teams
are doing this season. Thank you to
Mr. Hamilton for the hard work he
does for our school athletic program.
A special congratulations goes out to
Alan Houk and Rhondelyn Boot who
became part of the all-county Honor
Choir and to Phillip Anaya and Kevin
Rivera who were chosen part of the
all-county Honor Band. They will be
presenting their concert Saturday,
February 24.
We are also want to
acknowledge Phillip Anaya for the fine
job he did at the Regional Spelling
Bee. Phillip will be going on to the
County Spelling Bee on February 8,
and we wish him luck.
At the time of this writing, the Drama
Club is busily preparing for their play,
“Laffin’ School”, which already will
have been presented by the time you
read this newsletter. I have watched
the practices, and I know we will
WOW! the audience on the evening of
February 2.
Last month we lost Mrs. Peavyhouse
to Taft High School. As you know,
Mrs. Peavyhouse has been a teacher in
our district for many years. She took
advantage of an offer at the High
School to teach in a program a bit different from what she had done at our
school. We will miss her. Mrs. Maria
Cruz was hired to take over Mrs.
Peavyhouse’s classes.
Please read
about Mrs. Cruz inside the PRIDE this
month.
Last week I met with our Lincoln Loggers, and they already are busily organizing the eighth grade graduation ac-
FEBRUARY/MARCH 2007
tivities which will happen at the end of
May. If you are interested in helping
with the preparations for graduation
activities, please call Vickie Howard at
Taft Primary School (765-4151), and
let her know how you can help. The
Loggers also could use donations of
candy for the upcoming Candygrams
which will be sold later on this month.
Please bring your candy donations to
the school office.
As we look forward to the rest of the
school year, it is not too early to begin
planning for State testing during the
week of April 23, three weeks after
Spring Break, which is the first week
of April.
Seventh grade students
should be especially mindful of the
STAR test, because it is one of the
biggest indicators of placement in ninth
grade classes at the High School. The
writing test will be given on March 6
and 7, 2007. Taft High School also will
be administering some different tests
to help place eighth grade students
into the correct classes for their
Freshman year in High School.
Parents of eighth graders soon will be
receiving invitations to “Preferencing”
at the High School. Preferencing conferences are held by Taft High counselors, parents, and students to set up
classes for the 2007-2008 school year
at Taft High. Do not miss your preferencing meeting!
Please take time to read about us in
this edition of the PRIDE. Once again,
we thank you for your interest in and
support of our kids.
Sincerely,
Kathy Orrin
Principal
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LINCOLN PRIDE
LINCOLN DRAMA CLUB PROUDLY PRESENTS
The Drama Club’s performance is set for Friday, February 2, 2007, at 6:00 p.m. The
students will be performing two one-act plays called Laffin’ School and Laffin’ School
Reunion. The students have worked very hard to get ready for the performance. Ms.
Hendershot says she is very proud of those students who have stuck with it until the end,
and she is sure all who attend the performance will be entertained. Mrs. Walchock
designed the costumes for the play, and Mrs. Duke has been a big help to Ms. Hendershot
by filling in as co-director.
The two plays are comedies about misfit students who have driven their regular
teacher to a nervous breakdown (Boy! Does that sound familiar?). Miss Quakenbush, a new
substitute teacher, is introduced to the students by Miss Crabapple. Miss Crabapple is a
crabby school principal. She tells Miss Quakenbush that she has very little faith that the
students will be able to pass their exit exam. However, if Miss Quackenbush can whip the
students into shape, she might secure her a permanent teaching position at the little red
school house.
In the second one-act, Miss Quackenbush must undergo an evaluation from the
district office. Mrs. Sassafras come to the class, and the students are just as wild as ever.
Will she pass her evaluation? Or, will the students send another teacher to the nut house?
Come and find out for yourself on Friday, February 2.
The following students will be performing as part of the cast or crew.
Laffin School
Miss Crabapple: Brandi Flores
Miss Quackenbush: Cheryl Burnett
Jack: Dylan Craft
Dorothy: Breanna Williams
Pasty: Julianna Yarbrough
Skippy: Rhondelyn Boot
Little Mary: Kelsey Simmons
George: Curtis Walchock
Peggy: Stacy Braden
Shirley: Mallory Falls
Fred: Matt Likens
Additional Pupil: Rebecca Kirk
Laffin School Reunion
Miss Sassafras: Nicole Frost
Miss Quackenbush: Shelby Shaffer
Little Mary: Hannah Ezell
Clydesdale: Curtis Walchock
Patsy: Stacy Braden
Skippy: Rhondelyn Boot
Bonnie: Mallory Falls
Francis: Brenda Gallo
Additional Pupil: Brenda Gallo
George: Dylan Craft
Peggy: Julianna Yarbrough
Dorothy: Jade Morse
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LINCOLN PRIDE
LINCOLN SCHOOL WELCOMES A NEW TEACHER
We are happy to welcome Mrs. Maria Cruz to our school. Mrs. Cruz is teaching the Sheltered Language Arts
classes previously taught by Mrs. Peavyhouse who went to the High School.
Mrs. Cruz comes to us from Oxnard, California, where she attended schools all the way though high school.
She began her college career at Oxnard College and finished her Bachelor’s Degree at California State University at Channel Islands. Mrs. Cruz completed her teaching credential at Cal State, Bakersfield, after moving here with her husband, Sigifredo. Mr. Cruz is a teacher at Taft High School.
Mrs. Cruz became familiar with Taft City School District as a substitute teacher, working at all of Taft’s elementary school and in Elk Hills and Maricopa. She enjoys playing volleyball in her spare time.
We are happy Mrs. Cruz has become part of our teaching staff here at Lincoln.
LINCOLN LION PRIDE BAND AND COLORGUARD
The Lincoln Band, Colorguard, and Choir are well into their winter activities. The band is preparing music for
its mini-concert, CMEA Rating Festival, and Spring Concert. The Colorguard is preparing for its upcoming
PPAACC Winterguard competition season.
On Friday, March 2, the band and colorguard will perform for parents in an informal mini-concert which will be
followed by a pasta dinner for band students and their families. The mini-concert gives the students an opportunity to perform before a familiar audience before they must perform before judges. It also is an opportunity to
assess what needs to be targeted for additional work.
The pasta dinner was inaugurated last year. It was such a great success with many parents asking to do it again
this year. Not only did parents have the opportunity to see and hear their students perform they also had time to
meet and socialize with other parents.
The colorguard will actually have its first competition on Saturday, February 24, at Foothill High School. Other
competitions will be March 10, at West High School, April 14, at North High School, and April 28, at Golden Valley High School. Their show this year will be Irving Berlin’s “Puttin’ on the Ritz”.
Either March 29 and 29, the band will be performing for judges at the CMEA Rating Festival being held at Warren Jr. High in Bakersfield. The purpose of the festival is to determine if state standards for band are being met.
The band is rated on several different aspects of performance and given an overall rating which is essentially its
“grade” for the year. This is a very important event as it is music’s equivalent to the state Star Test.
The choir is also working on music for its spring activities. It will also perform for judges at a CMEA Rating Festival on Thursday, March 22, at Frontier High School in Bakersfield. Just like the band, this will be a rating that
reflects how well the standards are being met.
All of these events will culminate in the Choir Spring Concert, May 3, and the Band Spring Concert, May 10, at
Lincoln. This will be students’ final exam and an opportunity to show off to the community.
Mrs. Mudge
Band/Choir Director
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LINCOLN PRIDE
AVID PREPARES FOR NEXT YEAR
If you are interested in AVID for the 2007-2008 school year, applications are now available in
Mr. Turner’s room (170). AVID is a wonderful program starting 27 years ago that helps highly motivated students reach their goal and dream of enrolling in a four-year university after high school. Of
all the students that are accepted into AVID for four years, almost 95% of them go on to college and
77% of them go straight into a four-year university. How do you know if you’re capable of being an
AVID student? Here are some ways you can tell:
Are you motivated?
If your answer was “yes” you might be a potential AVID student. AVID students are not afraid of doing a lot of work to reach their goals. Many of this year’s students have spent countless hours doing
extra work and preparation for their own education. This year’s 8th grade class has enrolled in an
extra math class so they can be prepared for the math they need to do in high school. That’s an extra hour a day that they volunteered to do. If you are willing to put in a lot of time studying, doing
homework, and participating in extracurricular activities, AVID may be for you.
Do you have a good GPA?
In order to get accepted into the program, students will need to have at least a 2.0 GPA. This is the
minimum GPA that a student must have to be enrolled. AVID really likes to see a 2.5 or better because that tells us that students are motivated to get their work done.
Are you well behaved in class?
Your answer will need to be “yes” in order to be considered for the AVID program. AVID students
are students that care and want to learn. Therefore, we cannot have students that will disrupt the
learning experience for the rest of the class. If you have many referrals or suspensions during the
year, you might want to work on shaping that up for your chance at a spot.
Are you in school almost every day?
The mark of a good student is often how much time they spend in class. If you are absent frequently, AVID tends to frown on that because it is hard to keep up a good GPA when students are
missing class on a regular basis. If you are in school regularly, AVID is probably a program for you.
If most of these questions sound like you, and you’re interested in AVID, this is the time to act. Applications are due on February 9 to Mr. Turner in room 170. We look forward to seeing what you’re
capable of.
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LINCOLN PRIDE
LINCOLN LION PRIDE ATHLETIC PROGRAM
This year’s winter sport season is off to a fast and furious start with the Basketball and Soccer teams having a successful start. The teams are:
8th Grade Boys:
Jacob Johnson
Daniel Ortiz
Tyler Vega
Tyler Scovel
Devin Capela
Brad Rofkahr
Coaches: Bob Scovel and Terrance Howell
Daniel Watts
Jesse Rodriguez
Brett Howard
Frederick Tuumalamalo
Blake McPherson
David Bailey
The 8th grade boys are off to a great start. The boys are 13 and 5 on the season. The boys placed 2nd at the Lincoln Jr. High Holiday Tournament and also won the consolation at Beardsley. The boys won the El Tejon Invitational and are currently 6-0 in the Bear Mtn. League.
8th Grade Girls:
Jessica Neher
Karla Lopez
Nicole Madsen
Emily Zink
Jazmine Camarillo
Brittany Dillingham
Coaches: Kenny Neher and A.J. Johnson
Vanessa Talaveras
Chelsea Dickard
Grecia Almaguer
Allison Jarvinen
The girls are 10-8 on the year. They have won the consolation in 2 tournaments and placed 4th in the Lincoln Tournament. The girls are 3-3 in the Bear Mtn. League.
7th Grade Boys:
Josh Maino
Ricky Long
Justin Miller
I
an Reimers
Trevor Walls
Tyler Hoffman
Zack Jameson
Coaches: Robin Adkins and Calvin Brannon
Joe Savaii
Tyler Adkins
Zac Powell
Jamie Gonzeles
Billy Williams
Matt Evans
The 7th grade boys are hitting their stride right now in the season. The boys won the Lincoln Jr. High Tournament and are currently 10-1 on the season having won 7
games in a row. The boys are also 6-0 in the Bear Mtn. League.
7th Grade Girls:
Misty Fuller
Lauren Melton
Tatiana Alvarez
Coach: Nicole Arnold
Taylor Kurtz
Shelly Cordova
Samantha Young
Lynda Galvan
Alexis Kirby
Kennedy Ray
Elisha Yeley
The 7th grade girls are showing improvement. They have been battling the injury bug throughout the season. The girls placed 6th in the Lincoln Junior High Tournament.
Their league record is 2-4 in the Bear Mtn. League.
6th Grade Boys:
Brandon McCostlin
Jeremy Harmer
Eli Kindred
Mitchell Emberson
Mati Faagau
Bryce Hammons
Coaches: Kirk Kindred and George Harmer
Steven Gee
Justin Gill
Johnny Barraza
Miguel Rodriguez
Matthew Strosnider
Junior Tuuamalamalo
The 6th grade boys are having a great season. The boys are 4-0 in the Bear Mtn. League and their only loss on the season was a tough buzzer beater in the Championship
game at the Lincoln Junior High Tournament. The boys will be traveling to Rio Bravo Greeley for a tournament in February.
6th Grade Girls:
Kristine Arellano
Claudia Ayala
Meghan Clark
Reyna Dagnino
Kennedy Kunce
Kayla Schuyler
Coaches: Fred Alonzo, Mike Kunce and Mickey Arnold
Suzie Arnold
Mikaela Davis
Kayla Spoonmore
Kendall Casteel
Delilah Iotano
The 6th grade girls are improving every week. The girls placed 2nd in the Lincoln Junior High School tournament. The girls are 2-2 on League play and also will travel to
Rio Bravo for a tournament in February.
Boys Soccer:
Sebastian Ramos
Jonathon Almaguer
Jose Barrera
Carlos Galvan
Ricardo Lopez
Fernando Flores
Brian Newkirk
Dalton Thornsberry
Henry Gonzalez
Coaches: Eli Baza and Valle Valdomere
Jose Prieto
Tony Ramirez
Eyvon Frausto
Andrew Arellano
Edgar Padilla
Jesse Gama
Adrian Vega
Ruben Hernandez
Nicholas Ramirez
Flavio Diaz
Kevin Rivera
Roberto Gomez
Boys soccer is doing great. The boys are 6-2 on the season with a questionable loss to McFarland and a 3rd place finish in the Lincoln Junior High Tournament. The boys
will travel to McFarland to play in the McFarland Soccer Classic on Saturday, February 3. The boys have high hopes for the league title at the end of February.
Girls
Leilani Ponce (Captain)
LeeAnn Shinn
Ana Lopez
Julia Laguna
Coach: Curt Ashmore
Kim Alita (Captain)
Kristen Coke
Stephanie Walle
Nayeli Rodela
Miriam Ruan
Claudia Cibrian
Shaela Alvarado
Pauline Roxas
Grissel Leon
Jordan Manion
Crystal Mendez
Daisey Guitron
Emiliee Hepinstall
Girls soccer is doing well. They have had a couple of tough losses in league play. They have placed 2nd in the Lincoln Junior High Tournament and
lost on penalty kicks. The girls will also travel to McFarland for the Classic on February 3.
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LINCOLN PRIDE
MENTORING FOR SUCCESS
Happy New Year! I hope everyone enjoyed the winter break as much as I did.
Since the last article, I have continued in trying to get more mentors for the program. I
have spoken to a couple of the local service clubs, the Lions and the Rotary clubs and have met
some very interesting people. At both clubs several people expressed interest in becoming a
mentor and took applications. I am looking forward to accepting new mentors for the program.
At the Rotary club, Mrs. Louise Hudgens, one of the very first mentors and her student,
Amber Castillo spoke about the mentoring program and what it meant to them personally.
Mrs. Hudgens spoke of how much she looked forward to her weekly meetings and the pleasure
she received from getting to know her student. Miss Castillo proved to be an excellent speaker
touching and very eloquent, speaking of how much her mentor meant to her and how much she
has gained from the mentoring program. I was not the only one who enjoyed listening to them
talk of their mentoring experience. A special thank you to Mrs. Taylor for inviting us to speak.
I have had several more students added to my list of children who need or want a mentor. I wish I had more mentors for the sixteen students needing one, but at this time I am completely out of mentors. This program can and does make a different in a child’s life, just a few
minutes once a week…..
Do you or do you know of someone who has a spare 45 minutes once a week, to make a
difference in a child’s life? To learn more about the Mentoring for Success program, or receive an application call 765-2127 or come by Lincoln School.
Diane Shimp
Mentoring for Success Coordinator
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LINCOLN PRIDE
SAFE SCHOOL AMBASSADODRS
-Fifteen Safe School Ambassadors and two teachers attended a refresher course at the Jefferson Media Center
on January 23. The students were excited to learn about new strategies to prevent and stop acts of cruelty.
They also learned how to help their friends make better choices about how to treat others. The following students attended the one-day training taught by Mr. Mudge.
Crystal Burch
Freddy Tuumalamalo
Josh Maino
Tony Hagopian
Jessy Gill
Luke Shelby
Chelsea McElmurry
Joe Savaii
Kallie Ward
Krystle Holder
Tyler J. Adkins
Courtney Whiffen
Brett Howard
Dalton Thornsberry
Tyler Vega
Mrs. Mudge
Thirty-five students and four teachers attended the two-day training on January 24 and 25. The trainees were
taught to notice and to stop bullying and other forms on cruelty on campus. They were also taught to help students who might feel alone and to lend further support if needed. The following students attended the two-day
training at the Jefferson Media Center.
Kayla Spoonemore
Juan Barraza
Justin Gill
Jeremy Harmer
Winter Martin
Eli Kindred
Brianna Sargent
Angel Vossen
Jaime Gonzales
Daniel Watts
Jacob Johnson
Kevin Rivers
Aliyah Johnson
Miguel Rodriguez
Mati Fa’agau
Kendall Casteel
Jessica Arguello
Savonna Bonsal
Cheyenne Morgan
Misty Fuller
Priscilla Figueroa
Brittany Macaulay
Hamzah Alrowhany
James Byers
Kayla Schuyler
Sara Jewell
Junior Tuumalamalo
Whitney Graham
Mykenna Spradlin
Hailey Cook
Elizabeth Couch
Ricky Long
Daniel Ortiz
Ramon Perales
Devin Capela
Mrs. Toro
Mrs. Duke
Mrs. White
Mrs. Capela
Returning Teachers:
Mrs. Hamilton
Mrs. Pilgrim
Mrs. Mudge
Mrs. Fickle would like to thank all who attended the Safe School Ambassador Training. It takes a lot of hard
work and dedication to belong to such a group. She would also like to thank the Jefferson staff for letting Lincoln “take-over” your school. The Media Center was awesome!!
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LINCOLN PRIDE
LINCOLN PRIDE
Lincoln Junior High School
810 North Sixth Street
Taft, California 92168
Inside This Issue
Principal’s Message
AVID Information
Athletic Program
PRSRT STD
U.S. Postage
PAID
Taft, CA 93268
PERMIT NO. 121