Updates from the School Board

Awards of Appreciation were presented at the December 8th School Board meeting. Naylan Bender, who left the board this year, was presented with an acknowledgment for time spent on the Tehachapi School Board. Superintendent Susan Andreas-Berval praised Bender for his service from 2011 to 2015 as an advocate of the students, staff, parents and the community. She also presented Awards of Recognition and Appreciation from the Kern County Superintendent of Schools to Trustees Leonard Evansic and Carrie Austin for five years of distinguished service. Board President Mary Graham said that it has been a privilege to serve with them. She then went on to praise the entire board saying she was "proud and humbled" to serve with the entire board.

In her report to the board, Superintendent Andreas-Berval was thrilled to report that Tehachapi High School Coach Steve Denman has been inducted into the Kern County Sports Hall of Fame for 2016. She went on to report on the Oral Language Festival which was held locally on December 3rd. Local winners went on to the regional competition on December 8th at Muroc Joint Unified School District and as of meeting time, Cummings Valley School Verse Choir members Hannah Tyree, Natalie Richmond and Averee Napier will be competing at the county level in January. It was also reported that JMS will also be competing at the county level but details were unavailable at meeting time.

Golden Hills Elemantary School principal, Kendra Bailey, presented an update of her school's activities. She reported Golden Hills Elementary is enjoying a new playground which was built with money raised by their PTO and supplemented with District funds. They are continuing with the Flag Friday ceremonies which were in place last year. Since it fell on a Friday this year, the school included a special remembrance of September 11th in the flag ceremonies.