Vacaville Unified School District

The Vacaville Unified School District will live stream ceremonies at the Tom Zunino Stadium and the Wildcat Stadium.

Callison Elementary School has recently announced the recipient of the 2022-23 Student of the Year Award. Mr. Connolly Morris was honored with the award, which is given annually to a student who demonstrates outstanding academic performance, leadership skills, and a high level of character.

Callison Elementary School is proud to announce Mrs. Tatiana Maynard as the 2022-23 Volunteer of the Year Award recipient! Tatiana is an exceptional woman who has dedicated her time, skills, and expertise to our school community for the past five years. She started as a weekly volunteer in her son's classroom, where she quickly became a valuable asset to teachers and students. Tatiana's kindness, compassion, and willingness to go above and beyond have made her a beloved member of the Callison family.

The Vacaville Public Education Foundation (VPEF) has awarded Edwin Markham Elementary a generous grant of $20K for Outdoor Environmental Camp!

Willis Jepson Middle School is proud to recognize two exceptional individuals who contributed significantly to the school's vibrant dance program. Tess Johnson and Katherine Valencia have been selected as the school's 2023 Outstanding Volunteers.

Willis Jepson Middle School is thrilled to celebrate Safyre-Rose Franklin, one of our brightest stars, as an Outstanding Student. Safyre-Rose is a model student who has taken full advantage of the many opportunities at our school.

Willis Jepson Middle School is honored to recognize Ainsley Banuelos as an Outstanding Student. Ainsley is a shining example of positivity, enthusiasm, and determination, and she significantly impacts our school community daily.

Shelley Dally's lifelong dedication to the Vacaville School District is truly remarkable. Her journey began over 40 years ago as a student teacher eager to make a difference in the lives of young learners. Over the years, she became a beloved school principal who created two successful programs that still thrive today.

Vaca Pena Middle School proudly announces that Olivia Miyashiro has been named the Student of the Year. Olivia is an outstanding student who exemplifies the qualities of a Panther to the highest degree. She is friendly and approachable and always makes others feel welcome on campus. Olivia is a dedicated scholar, enrolled in three honors classes - English XL, History XL, and Integrated Math 1 - and maintains a perfect 4.0 GPA. She is an active member of the symphonic band, WEB, and student council. She is involved in extracurricular activities that positively impact our school and community. Olivia's character is a model for others to follow. She is respectful, responsible, compassionate, and always puts safety first. She is a shining example of what it means to be a Panther, and the school district is grateful to have her as a student.

Ontario Archie has had an exceptional year at Vaca Pena Middle School, becoming the face of the school through his energy and enthusiasm. Ontario is an outstanding all-around student, but his talent shines in his Yearbook class. Ontario is a natural leader in his class, inspiring his peers to work hard and achieve their best. He puts a great deal of time and effort into his work at Vaca Pena, always willing to lend a helping hand to his classmates and teachers. Ontario's contributions to the Panther Newscast as the main anchor have been particularly noteworthy. His dedication and enthusiasm have been instrumental in the program's success, and he is recognized by everyone in school for his hard work and commitment. Through his efforts on the newscast, Ontario has positively impacted the school's culture, and he truly deserves recognition for his achievements. Vaca Pena Middle School has significantly benefited from Ontario's presence this year, and he will be greatly missed next year. However, we have no doubt that he will continue succeeding in all his future endeavors, and we look forward to seeing all he will achieve.

Vaca Peña Middle School is fortunate to have parents willing to go above and beyond to support their children and all students at the school. Mrs. Wanda Butters is one such parent who has been an unwavering supporter of Vaca Peña since 2017 when her oldest son transitioned to middle school. As her youngest son prepares to leave middle school and move on to Will C. Wood High School, we want to take a moment to recognize all Mrs. Butters has done for our school community. Mrs. Butters has been a fixture at football games, basketball games, concerts, and everything in between. This past year, she took on the role of Treasurer of the Music Boosters. She led the charge to ensure that traditions continued and new opportunities were explored to enhance our music program. Mrs. Butters has been instrumental in ensuring that current and future musicians have a stellar program to be proud of. Despite her efforts, Mrs. Butters is not one to seek the spotlight, preferring instead to work behind the scenes. However, her contributions have been noticed. We are grateful for her tireless efforts and dedication to making Vaca Peña a better school. As Mrs. Butters finishes her middle school career, we want to publicly thank her for all she has done for our school community over the past 7 years. We are so lucky to have had her support and leadership at Vaca Peña Middle School.

Anita Kelly is the Vacaville Unified School District Classified Employee of the Year! She serves Jepson Middle School and our community with grace and dedication through various essential roles. During her many years of service in the Jepson Counseling Office, Anita has developed a wide range of skills and expertise that we rely on daily. Because of her impressive institutional memory and talents, Anita helps us respond effectively when challenging circumstances arise. Her contributions are essential to keeping our school running smoothly. Anita goes above and beyond to assist others. Jepson teachers go to Anita with questions about our students to be better informed and serve our students and their parents more effectively. Anita welcomes new students and their parents to our school with a broad smile and warm heart. Her role in translating for our Spanish-speaking students and parents helps our school community feel valued and connected. Her consistent and compassionate work supporting Foster Youth and students who are homeless is inspiring. Anita checks in with students and their families and regularly monitors their grades and progress. Last year she supported the management of the virtual speech program to ensure that students could access the program and be successful. She maintains a binder of essential information for staff who provide virtual speech this year. Anita manages data effectively, and we can count on her to provide us with important information, including attendance and grades, to inform our leadership and intervention work. Anita Kelly is an essential and reliable part of our Counseling Department and supports our counselors very well. She is a very welcoming face of Jepson Middle School. Students and parents who visit the Counseling office with various needs, sometimes of a sensitive and emotional nature, know they will be met by a compassionate and friendly person in Anita. Because of her many talents and areas of expertise, strong interpersonal skills, and many years of dedicated service at Jepson Middle School, Anita Kelly is well-deserving of Classified Employee of the Year.

The Vacaville Unified School District is thrilled to announce Buchanan Miles as the 2022-23 Teacher of the Year! Mr. Miles has been a Hemlock teacher for 21 years and has taught grades kindergarten, four, five, and six in that impressively long tenure. He is a selfless teacher dedicated to the school and his students. Buchanan is among the first few teachers who arrive on campus each day and one of the last to leave each night. He is also seen on weekends helping on campus and preparing for the week. Building relationships with families and students is something Mr. Miles prioritizes, and it shows in his classroom and on campus. Besides being an excellent, well-organized teacher, he makes a BIG impact in creating a positive school culture. For the harvest festival at Hemlock, he is known for his creative and spooky haunted house with a line that stretches around his building! He uses the proceeds from his haunted house to take his students on field trips each year. This year they have already been to the CA Academy of Sciences. Additionally, he plans, organizes, and runs Hemlock's student council. Each year he helps students apply to run, supports them in campaigning, and hosts speeches for candidates to share their vision for our school with the student body. He believes that students should be leaders too! Mr. Miles knows how important it is to show care for others, whether they are attending Hemlock or all grown up. He runs sunshine on campus and sends love and care to staff when they need it most. One of the many things he does is plan the staff's monthly luncheons that are sumptuous and enjoyed by all. These events keep the Hemlock staff close-knit and improve the overall school climate. Mr. Mile's commitment to our students and community extends beyond Hemlock. After serving in the military, he became a teacher. He continued to serve as a reservist while teaching for the first few years of his tenure with VUSD. He also has a background in the performing arts and has shared that love with students over the years. He continues to share his expertise through coaching color guard. He is currently the color guard coach for Vacaville High School and three other high schools in the surrounding area. This year, the Vaca High Color Guard team won the bronze medal at the National Color Guard Competition. Teachers of Mr. Mile's caliber are exceptional and should be treasured. He deserves the honor of Vacaville Unified School District's Teacher of the Year for 2022 -23!

Vacaville Unified School District Hires Assistant Superintendent of Student Services and Support Vacaville, CA - The Vacaville Unified School District is excited to announce the appointment of Ramiro Barron as the District’s new Assistant Superintendent of Student Services and Supports, effective July 1, 2023. Ramiro is filling a position left vacant due to Ed Santopadre’s appointment of Superintendent for the next school year. Mr. Barron’s contract was approved during the December 15 Regular Board Meeting. Mr. Barron brings a wealth of experience in the field of education. He served as the Director of Student Welfare and Attendance, Eugine Padan Elementary Principal, Edwin Markham Elementary Assistant Principal, and Elementary School Teacher. Mr. Barron’s 16 years of experience in Vacaville Unified and collaboration with community partners have helped him develop strong relationships and build community-wide support for the goals and vision of VUSD. “I am honored to be asked to serve as Assistant Superintendent for Vacaville Unified School District. I’m looking forward to building on our successes and meeting the needs of our District moving forward. It is an honor to continue to support students, staff, and families of Vacaville.” said Barron. “I am pleased to welcome Ramiro Barron to the VUSD executive team,” said Ed Santopadre. “His student-first mindset is an integral part of the work we do in this District every day. His in-depth knowledge, extensive experience, and strong work ethic makes him a highly regarded educational leader, especially with his leadership in equity will serve as a tremendous asset for everyone in our district.” Mr. Barron received a Bachelor of Arts from UC Davis . He currently holds an Administrative Credential and Multiple Subject Teaching Credential.

We get to talk about one of our fantastic parent volunteers, Lacie Lopez. I’ve known Lacie since I first arrived at Alamo 11 years ago. Her scoreboard at Alamo is 12 years down, with four more to go. This is the time when the staff of Alamo thanked Lacie for keeping us employed all these years. Our PTO is an amazing group of parents that carry on traditions from the 60s and 70s and introduce new traditions. I’d love to tell you about these fantastic people, but Lacie, as the PTO president, represents them tonight. This is Lacie’s 4th year as Alamo PTO president. Even though she tries to pass this position on to another parent each year, we know how amazing she is, and we keep talking her into “just one more year!” We suspect Lacie has a life outside of Alamo, but there is no proof. Fun fact, she lives across the street from a school in Vacaville, which only proves that she has had outstanding taste in her educational choices for 16 years. However, she is also a huge Dodgers fan, so she could be better and has room to grow. We want to thank her children for allowing their mother to hang out at Alamo, Ozzie from Alamo, Zoie from Jepson, and Gracie, a senior at Vaca High. Thankfully Jepson and Vaca High haven’t poached her, and we hope you will keep her our secret. We also need to thank her husband, Sam. Our PTO does many events, and Lacie is at every single one, so a big thank you to Sam for sharing her with us, even if he is also a Dodger fan. Thank you, Lacie, for 12 incredible years, and we look forward to 4 more wonderful years, probably as President, since your only weakness seems to be finding someone to take that position.

Maddie White is the kind of student every teacher dreams about having. When I asked her former teachers to describe her, they used words like shining, delightful, diligent, kind, inclusive, and extraordinary. When I asked classmates the same question, they said caring, thoughtful, selfless, intelligent, creative, brave, funny, spunky, tall, generous, a little bit intimidating, and unique. I have been lucky enough to be Maddie’s teacher twice now, once in third and now in sixth, and I can attest to the fact that she is all those things and so much more. Maddie is a one-of-a-kind student who never hesitates to help others. She is willing to help others in the classroom and has become one of the “go-to tutors.” When I asked Maddie what she most wanted people to know about her, she was helpful. She has a big heart for serving others and is generous with her time, attention, and talents. An Alamo student since kindergarten, she goes out of her way to help others, no matter who is in need and the task. She is incredibly bright but is humble about it. She does not brag or boast about her grades but quietly and diligently goes about each day, always trying to give her best. She contributes to class conversations and discussions and never leaves her teacher hanging with no volunteers to call on. Even though she is an excellent reader and has met her AR goal every time Maddie has had one, she loves math most of all because it is fun, and she knows she is good at it. Not only does Maddie currently play the violin, but she has been playing volleyball since third grade. Her favorite part of volleyball is serving because she likes feeling powerful. This is her favorite of all her hobbies, including reading, coloring, and sewing boo-boo packs to sell at craft fairs. When she becomes an adult, Maddie hopes to become a NASA engineer. In that position, she would like to help design the next generation of rovers to explore other planets. She isn’t yet sure where she would like to go to college but hopes to find a school to help her achieve this goal. I cannot think of a better choice to represent Alamo School as an outstanding sixth grader. We are fortunate as a school and district to have Maddie White as an Eagle. Congratulations Maddie!

The Vacaville Unified School District Board of Education recognized Stefanie Perrault as Orchard’s 2022-2023 volunteer of the year. Stefanie Perrault is an indispensable part of our PTC and school community. Stefanie joined our board as a Parliamentarian and her steady presence keeps us in line. In addition to joining the board, she has gone on to take on much more. As a fifth-grade parent, she is helping organize our sixth-grade science camp trip this year in preparation for leading the planning next year. She is thoughtfully finding ways to support our new 4th-grade field trip to Coloma. She always looks for opportunities to make our school a better place -- from researching grant opportunities to running a photo booth at our school carnival.

Andres Pareja is an “Old Timer” at Orchard Elementary School. This means that he has attended Orchard for every grade since kindergarten. Over the years at Orchard he has shown to be truly an ideal student. If you speak his name out loud several teachers will turn and say, “Isn’t he simply a delight to teach.” Past and present teachers all agree that Andres is a great role model who consistently demonstrates qualities of maturity, leadership, insightfulness and integrity. Andres is an exceptional student. He carries out any given task with enthusiasm. He loves to learn new concepts and tackles any challenge whole-heartedly. His generous and patient spirit enables him to share his knowledge with classmates and with our third grade little buddies. Andres is humble, happy, and helpful. He is very humorous, but always knows when it is appropriate to tell a joke or make someone laugh. He never disrupts learning in the classroom, only enhances it. His extra curricular activities include playing the trumpet and working with technology. He is always a Novel Knowledge participant and his team of 5th graders achieved first place at Orchard last year. Andres likes all sports, but especially basketball. His kind and accepting ways have created many opportunities for friendships because he is so respectful of others. His strong sense-of-self has helped him endure his strides for excellence in how he lives his life. We are proud to include Andres Pareja as an Orchard Owl Student of The Year and know there are great successes in his future.

Career and Technical Education (CTE) is intended to prepare students for high-skill, high-wage, in-demand employment. All students benefit from career connected learning that emphasizes real-world skills within a selected career focus. Students gain practical knowledge while discovering and preparing for success in potential careers.

Nolan Kenion has been at Fairmont since Kindergarten! Not only is he strong in academics, but also he is great at showing his Fairmont Falcon Wings! He is a student who provides excellent leadership to everyone he is involved with. Nolan always works hard in all he does; he is excellent at including others in all recess games and on projects in the classroom, never giving up until he reaches his intended goal! For example, making a difference by helping make soccer at recess fair and fun! In addition, Nolan is always willing to show kindness by helping students with math problems and assisting them however possible! He is a leader at our school and will also be in the future!

Jerry Parrish is a retired Chief from Travis Air Force base. He served 33 years. He was also a self-employed General Contractor and recently retired from that. He has been married to his wife for 50 years, and they enjoy traveling together. They have three grown & married children (their daughter Heather works for VUSD @ Fairmont). They have eight grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Their grandchildren have enjoyed many stories that their Papa (Jerry) has shared with them over the years about his adventures while growing up in Fort Worth, Texas. Jerry has worked since he was 13 years old and wanted to spend some of his free time helping students. He has volunteered for Fairfield Suisun Unified School District by doing campus cleanup at Fairfield High School. In addition to Jerry reading to our Fairmont students in the Library and classrooms, Jerry reads with 1st-grade students at Markham Elementary. Jerry enjoys reading to students and helping them improve their reading skills by reading to him. He is excellent at engaging students in discussions about what is being read and their thoughts about the story.

Assembly Member Lori Wilson stopped by Markham Elementary to try out the scratch-made lunch. Calzones, bolognese pasta, fresh fruit, and broccolini were all on the menu. Board Member Michael Kitzes, Superintendent Jane Shamieh, and her executive cabinet joined Asm. Wilson, on her visit and had a great conversation about school facilities and funding for state-of-the-art kitchens.

We had a great turnout of students, families, and community members at the Steve Green Memorial Gymnasium Ribbon Cutting this past Thursday. As everyone walked on campus, they could hear the drum line from the parking lot and see the cheerleaders with their pom poms and spirited dancing. VHS Link Crew was scattered around campus, offering directions to those looking for the ceremony.

The Vacaville Unified School District Board of Trustees is pleased to announce that Ed Santopadre is the next Superintendent of the Vacaville Unified School District. Contract negotiations finished on October 6, 2022 and Mr. Santopadres’ tenure will start July 1, 2023. Mr. Santopadre succeeds Dr. Jane Shamieh who will retire on June 30, 2023 after eight years of exemplary service as the District’s Superintendent.

Measure A Goal: Improve the quality of education in Vacaville USD public schools and ensure all students have access to safe, modern school facilities. Better schools help build stronger communities and support local property values.

The Vacaville Unified School District was thrilled to celebrate graduating students with in-person ceremonies June 1-4, 2022. Please enjoy this collection of photos from the ceremonies.