Safety, facility upgrades improve California schools

District info

Website: www.californiak12.org.

First day: Aug. 23.

Last day: May 16.

Central office

Superintendent: Daniel Williams.

Assistant Superintendent: Matt Abernathy.

Address: 211 S. Owen St., Suite B.

Phone: 573-796-2145.

Elementary school

Principal: Jennifer Juergensmeyer.

Assistant Principal: David Austin.

Address: 101 S. Owen St.

Phone: 573-796-2161.

Middle school

Principal: Derek Scroggins.

Assistant Principal: Kenny Goans.

Address: 211 S. Owen St.

Phone: 573-796-2146.

High school

Principal: Jeff West.

Assistant Principal: Tim Beydler.

Address: 1501 W. Buchanan.

Phone: 573-796-4911.

Registration

California Middle School registration was split by grades and held last week. If you did not register, contact Marcia Bibb, counselor, at [email protected] or 573-796-2146.

California High School registration was held Aug. 8 and Thursday. Contact the high school office at 573-796-4911 if you missed registration.

School supplies

California Elementary School students do not need to purchase supplies, as the school will be providing supplies for $15 per student with the help of the School Needs Committee, business donations and community sponsors. Students will need to purchase a backpack and plastic water bottle with lid.

All California Middle School students, 5th through 8th grades, will need an inexpensive pair of earbuds or headphones. The library will sell earbuds for $1.

6th through 8th grade students enrolled in physical education (PE) will need a T-shirt, shorts, tennis shoes, socks, towels, soap and deodorant. Girls may purchase hair ties.

Music Connections (6th grade) and Pinto Express (7th and 8th grade) students will need a half-inch black three-ring binder, a box of Kleenex tissues and a pencil. 7th-grade Pinto Express students for Rooney's reading class will also need a two-pocket folder. All music students should have a No. 2 pencil, and eighth-grade guitar students should have a three-hole-punched folder.

California Middle School band students in 6th through 8th grades will need the following, depending on their type of instrument: Woodwinds -- Swabs and cork grease. Clarinets and saxophones -- Reeds. Brass -- Mouthpiece brush and valve/slide oil. Percussion -- Sticks or mallets. Students will also purchase a method book for $10-20, depending on instrument. Fifth-grade band students do not need band supplies.

California Middle School art students will need colored pencils for homework, glue sticks and eight-count markers (boys should purchase fine-tip markers, girls should purchase broad-tip markers).

5th grade students will need: Two packs of Ticonderoga No. 2 pencils, six folders with pockets (to fit into three-ring binder), a zippered three-ring binder or accordion organizer, five composition notebooks, one highlighter, one heavy-duty pencil bag and a 1-inch binder for math. Students will also be responsible for purchasing the following classroom supplies: 10-pack Crayola markers, a pack of Crayola colored pencils, two rolls of paper towels, two sanitizing wipes, one pair of scissors, 12 glue sticks and two large boxes of Kleenex. Although 5th grade students will not be changing for PE, they will still need tennis shoes.

6th grade students will need: One pack of wide-ruled loose leaf paper, a basic calculator (no scientific or graphing calculators), a two-pocket folder, a three-ring zippered binder with accordion pockets or dividers, two large Kleenex boxes, one heavy-duty pencil bag, two packs of Ticonderoga No. 2 pencils, four composition notebooks, and two colored ink pens. Students with a last name starting with A-M will need to purchase hand sanitizer, and students with a last name starting with N-Z will need to purchase a four-pack of various colored highlighters.

7th grade students will need: One accordion-style organizer with closure, a pack of pencils, a heavy-duty pencil bag, a pack of index cards, a three-subject spiral notebook, a plastic two-pocket folder with prongs, a multi-pack of highlighters, a Texas Instruments TI-30XIIs scientific calculator, four composition notebooks, a dry-erase marker eraser, a pack of colored pencils and a three pack of Kleenex tissues. Students with a last name starting with A-M will need to purchase a large bottle of hand sanitizer, and students with a last name starting with N-Z will need to purchase two packs of college-ruled lined paper.

8th grade students will need: Two packs of No. 2 pencils, a college-bound spiral notebook (single subject), two packs of college-ruled loose leaf paper, three boxes of Kleenex tissues, two red pens, a 1-inch three-ring binder, a Texas Instruments TI-30XIIs scientific calculator and a four-pack of assorted highlighters. Students with a last name starting with A-M will need to purchase a ten pack of markers and 12-ounce bottle of hand sanitizer, and students with a last name starting with N-Z will need to purchase a 12 pack of colored pencils and a container of sanitizing wipes.

District calendar

Aug. 17; Open houses (elementary school: 4-7 p.m., middle school: 5-7 p.m.).

Aug. 23; First day of school.

Sept. 4; No school -- Labor Day.

Sept. 29; Early dismissal -- Homecoming.

Oct. 9; No school -- professional development.

Oct. 24; Parent-teacher conferences.

Oct. 26; Parent-teacher conferences.

Oct. 27; No school.

Nov. 22-24; No school -- fall break.

Dec. 21; Early dismissal -- winter break begins.

Dec. 22-Jan. 2; No school -- winter break.

Jan. 15; No school -- Martin Luther King Jr., day.

Feb. 16; No school -- professional development.

Feb. 19; No school -- President's Day.

March 15; No school -- professional development.

March 27-April 1; No school -- spring break.

April 26; No school -- professional development.

May 16; Early dismissal -- last day of school.

May 19; High school graduation.

Safety upgrades

California R-I made a slew of safety upgrades throughout the district during the summer.

The largest upgrade was the district-wide installation of a SafeDefend system, which can be utilized in emergency situations such as an active shooter or intruder incident. In the case of such an incident, staff members can use their fingerprint to activate the system from any of the fingerprint scanners located in classrooms, hallways and other parts of the schools. Once activated, law enforcement -- from the California Police Department to the Missouri Highway Patrol -- will be instantly notified of the incident. Meanwhile, safes in every classroom containing defensive measures, first aid items and other tools will unlock.

At California Elementary School, a new secure-entry vestibule -- located to the right of the former main entrance -- will be used to welcome parents and guests during the school day. The vestibule limits visitors' access to the building, as it will feature electronically-controlled doors for admitting guests. Most business, such as dropping off or picking up students, or dropping off items for students, can be conducted entirely in the vestibule.

The district removed a concrete island in the front elementary/middle school parking lot, adding parking spots and enhancing safety. California R-I Superintendent Daniel Williams said removing the island and its sidewalk will ensure pedestrians don't cross into the path of traffic entering or exiting the lot. The district also paved its lot near the downtown Central Bank location for even more parking.

The upgrades help minimize the impact of the district's transition from two school resource officers to one. Williams said the district is collaborating with the Moniteau County Sheriff's Office and California Police Department to increase law enforcement presence at the buildings, especially during drop-off and pick-up times. He added law enforcement who patrol the buildings can receive a free meal as an incentive for the service.

Facility upgrades

Comfort at California Elementary School was also addressed over the summer, with a new heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system being installed in the school's 2004 wing -- serving 1st and 2nd grade classrooms. Each room will now have its own zone with the new system, giving staff more control over the temperature in their rooms.

The California High School gymnasium floor was also refreshed with new graphics. Charles Luebbert Hardwood Flooring also refinished gymnasium floors at the elementary and middle schools.

The district also partnered with the City of California to rehabilitate Old Riley Field, which will be utilized for the new girls soccer program debuting in the spring. The field is also used for middle school and youth football programs.

Williams said the district is working on a potential future bond measure that could replace HVAC systems at California Middle School, renovate the roof at the elementary/middle school campus and add an auxiliary gymnasium at the high school.

New staff

There are also many new faces throughout the district.

Mike Beeman is serving as California High School's new activities director. Beeman said he previously coached and taught in the Versailles, Belle, Vienna and Tipton school districts, coaching boys basketball, baseball, track and volleyball. He also previously served as an activities director at Belle.

Other new staff include: Ashley Anderson, middle school physical education (PE) teacher, middle school technology teacher, high school head softball coach and middle school head track coach; Kayla Arnold, high school assistant girls soccer coach (non-faculty); Kevin Carr, high school marketing teacher, DECA sponsor and high school head girls basketball coach; Noah Evers, middle school PE teacher, middle school health teacher, eighth-grade boys basketball coach, middle school assistant football coach and middle school assistant track coach; Dayton Felber, seventh-grade social studies/history teacher, middle school assistant football coach and middle school assistant wrestling coach; William Figgins, middle school special education teacher; Molly Forsythe, high school cheerleading coach (non-faculty); Vicki Gerling, cook; Kenneth Grubb, high school PE teacher, high school weightlifting coach and high school head football coach; Kacey Hagerman, cook; Penny Harris, elementary school administrative assistant; Rebekah Hendrickson, high school counselor, ACT co-administrator and district test coordinator; Kayla Horne, second-grade teacher; Logan Kliethermes, kindergarten teacher; Kelly Leffert, first-grade teacher; Paige Miller, pre-kindergarten teacher; Sandra Peters, elementary and middle school English as Second Language (ESL) teacher; Lydia Rohrbach, cook; Anny Roll, high school head girls soccer coach (non-faculty); Wendi Scheer, fourth-grade teacher; Camryn Schlup, high school assistant softball coach; Grace Schupp, pre-kindergarten teacher; Amy Scroggins, eighth-grade science teacher; Terian Tipton, third-grade teacher; Divina Villanueva, seventh-grade science teacher; Robert Warbritton, eighth-grade social studies/history teacher, middle school head football coach and middle school head wrestling coach; and Jacob Wickham, high school special programs, high school assistant girls basketball coach and middle school assistant football coach.

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