March 31

Atwater FFA Wins Modesto Junior College Contest

The Atwater High School FFA Dairy Products team earned top honors as the high team overall at the 55th annual Modesto Junior College FFA Field Day on Saturday, March 29th. Twenty-three high school teams competed in the Milk Quality & Dairy Products contest where students are scored and evaluated on a written test pertaining to the milk and dairy industry, cheese identification, real vs artificial dairy products identification, and milk scoring.

“We had a good day,” said senior team member Katheline Reyes, “however we recognize there are many quality schools gearing towards the championships, so we need to continue working towards our individual and team goals.” Additional team members included Lauren Navarro, Kristelle Choquette, Mai Kia Vang, Kia Vue, and Collette Wilcox.

The Atwater FFA Nursery and Landscape judging team earned their highest placing of the year with a 3rd place overall finish. Students take part in plant identification, plant evaluation, tool identification, transplanting practical, and a written exam on the horticulture industry. Students who competed in the competition were Maria Flores, Laura Gonzalez, Christina Willman, Lilly Reyes, Terilyn Bettencourt, Stefani Dias, and Amanda Solis.

Over 1800 high school students attended the MJC FFA Field Day to compete and demonstrate their knowledge and skills in various agriculture fields. Grant Rose, Mason Rose, and Anthony Valencia competed in the Land judging contest where they evaluated and identified various soil samples. Jose Vargas, Guadalupe Ayala, Stephanie Quintana, and Dustin Wilson participated in the Best Informed Greenhand contest where they were tested on their knowledge of the FFA. Carl Villagrana, Brandon Speed, and Eduardo Hurtado participated in the Small Engines contest with tool/part identification, problem solving and troubleshooting.

Atwater FFA’s next contest is scheduled on April 12th at Reedley and Consumnes River College followed by Fresno State on April 19th.

The students are challenged with high expectations and it requires dedication and commitment to develop their skills to the level of state competition. “We have some tremendous students who are eager to learn and we’re excited with the success and direction they and our program are going!” said Gossman.

The Fresno State FFA Field Day this Saturday, April 16th is the final preparation for Atwater FFA students to compete before the state finals in May.

The 2008 Atwater FFA Milk Quality and Dairy Products Team: Kia Vue, Lauren Navarro, Kristelle Choquette, Collette Wilcox, Katheline Reyes, and Mai Kia Vang.

The 2008 Atwater FFA Nursery and Landscape Team: Maria Flores, Laura Gonzalez, Christina Willman, Lilly Reyes, Teriliyn Bettencourt, Stefani Dias, and Amanda Solis.

For more information on agricultural education and the FFA, please log onto the Atwater FFA website at www.AtwaterFFA.org.

Written by: Lauren Navarro, Atwater FFA Reporter

Photo Credit: Dave Gossman
Instructor / FFA Advisor

March 31

Atwater FFA Student Earn State’s Highest Degree

2008 Atwater FFA State Degree recipients (left to right): Jose Cardona, Jorge Pulido, Kaylyn Schiber, Lauren Thomas, Brenae Royal, Brock Pisacco, Lacey Wilcox, Bryce Dibble, Brogin Wagner, Katheline Reyes, Jake Biraldi, Ali Copleland, Hector Ayala, and Kristelle Choquette.

March 11

Rodeo Queen Contest Seeking Candidates

MERCED – If you excel in horsemanship, are good at public speaking, have a nice personality and good appearance and think you would be the ideal person to promote the sport of rodeo, the Merced Rodeo Committee wants you.
The Merced Rodeo Committee is looking for young women to participate in the 2008 Merced County Fair Rodeo Queen contest. To be eligible, young women must be 14 to 22 years old as of July 1, 2008 and have never been married. The competition is open to residents of Merced, Madera, Mariposa and Stanislaus counties.
Committee organizers stress this competition is not a beauty contest. Contestants will be judged on horsemanship, personality, public speaking, appearance and promotion of the sport of rodeo. The winner will receive prizes including a saddle, crown, custom sash and belt buckle.
The application deadline is May 9. A contest orientation date will soon be announced. Those interested in applying for the queen contest should contact Amanda Jensen at (559) 665-3056 or mercedrodeo@yahoo.com
The contest schedule includes an on stage performance, June 25, at the Merced County Fairgrounds, a horsemanship competition on July 13 at the Merced Horsemen’s Arena, participation in the annual Friends Helping Friends event at the fair on July 18 and the queen will be announced and crowned at the fair’s rodeo, July 19.
Cinda Mattrocce, a Madera High School graduate, is the 2007 Merced County Fair Rodeo Queen. Cinda is the daughter of David and Nancy Mattrocce of Madera. She won the competition’s "On Stage Performance Award."

The first runner-up is Michelle Tipton, a Reedley College student. She is the daughter of Geoff and Tammy Tipton of Raymond. Michelle won the "Personal Interview Award" and the "Sponsorship Award."

The 2008 Merced County Fair is July 15-20. The fair theme is "Come Rock With The Flock," a celebration of sheep, one of the county's top agricultural products.

For information, call the fair office at 722-1507 or email to Info@MercedCountyFair.com or fax at 722-3773. Visit the 2008 Merced County Fair’s award-winning website, www.MercedCountyFair.com

March 11

Atwater FFA Wins Chico State Judging Contests

The Atwater FFA Light Horse and Dairy Products judging teams won 1st place overall at the 2008 Chico State FFA Field Day on Saturday, February 10th. Over 1200 FFA students representing over __ high school programs throughout central and northern California competed in various agricultural Career Development Events (CDE). The Atwater FFA Light Horse judging team was lead by Danielle Battisti who earned 1st high individual overall. The Atwater FFA Dairy Products team was lead by Lauren Navarro and Kristelle Choquette who placed 1st and 2nd overall individually.

Members of the 1st Place Atwater FFA Light Horse Judging Team Kaylyn Schiber, Briana Hamamoto, Danielle Battisti, Sasha DelMuro, and Jose Cardona

Members of the 1st Place Atwater FFA Dairy Products Team Lauren Navarro, Kathy Reyes, Kristelle Choquette, Collette Wilcox, Kia Vue, Amanda Sevilla, and Mai Kia Vang

Atwater FFA sent 33 students overall with the Small Engines and Ag Mechanics teams placing 6th overall and the Best Informed Greenhand (BIG) placing in the top ten. “Our students put forth a top effort and represented themselves, our school, and our community with pride,” said FFA advisor Beth Knapp. The next state sponsored contest will be hosted by Merced College on Saturday, March 15th.

Atwater High School Students who participated included: Light Horse Judging Team – Briana Hamamoto, Danielle Battisti, Jose Cardona, Kaylyn Schiber, and Sasha DelMuro; Dairy Products Team – Collette Wilcox, Katheline Reyes, Kristelle Choquette, Laren Navarro, Amanda Sevilla, Kia Vue, and Mai Kia Yang; Small Engines Team – Billy Thomas, Brandon Speed, Carl Villagrana, Eduardo Hurtado, and Robert Cordon; Agriculture Mechanics Team – Hector Ayala, Joel Armos, Joseph DuPerran, Christian Foltz, Damien Diaz, Richard Ornales, Zach Hall, and Luis Cruz-Pereda; Nursery Landscape Team – Christina Willman, Laura Gonzalez, Lilly Reyes, and Terilyn Bettencourt; Best Informed Greenhand – Dustin Wilson, Jose Vargas, Guadalupe Ayala, and Stephanie Quintana.

Members of the Atwater FFA Best Informed Greenhand, Small Engines, Agriculture Mechanics, Nursery / Landscape, Dairy Products, and Light Horse judging teams.

For more information on this contest and Atwater FFA, log onto www.AtwaterFFA.org

Written by: Lauren Navarro, Atwater FFA Reporter

Photo Credit: Dave Gossman
Instructor / FFA Advisor

March 11

Atwater FFA Earns Honors at UC Davis Field Day

Forty-eight Atwater High School agriculture students representing various agriculture Career Development Events (CDE) joined over 2500 high school students throughout California at the UC Davis Field Day on Saturday, March 1st. The Atwater FFA Dairy Products team earned a first place finish with Kathey Reyes and Lauren Navarro placing in the Top 5 individually. The Ornamental Horticulture team placed 2nd overall in only the team’s second year of competing in this event. The Land and Best Informed Greenhand teams earned a 4th place overall finish and the Light Horse Judging team finished in the Top 10. Strong efforts were made with the Agriculture Mechanics team with Hector Ayala placing in the Top 10 individually and the Small Engines team placing 12th overall in their first year of competition.

Members of the Nursery / Landscape Team - Stefani Diaz, Laura Gonzalez, Terilyn Bettencourt, Lilly reyes, Christina Willman, Amanda Solis, and Maria Flores

The UC Davis Field Day kicks off the FFA judging season as students compete and demonstrate their skills and knowledge in a variety of agriculture related fields. Other contests will be held at Chico State University, Merced College, Modesto Junior College, Cosumnes River College, Reedley College, and Fresno State University. On May 3rd, Cal Poly State University, San Luis Obispo will hold the State Finals with the winning teams will represent California at the national level in Indianapolis, Indiana next fall. “It’s a tremendous opportunity for our students to compete on a state level and visit various colleges and universities to explore their options to further their education after high school,” said Knapp.

Ag Mechanics competitors take part in demonstrating their skills in wood, electrical, plumbing, and metal fabrication / welding. Small Engines competitors take past in a variety of engine problem solving, parts identification, a written test on engine theory, and a “hands-on” engine troubleshooting. Dairy Products competitors have to evaluate various samples of milk, identify various cheese samples, differentiate between real & imitation dairy products, and complete a thorough written exam on the milk and dairy foods industry. Land Judging assesses and evaluates various soil samples and completes a challenging exam on soils and earth science.

Members of the Best Informed Greenhand Team - Stephanie Quintana, Austin Davis, Dustin Wilson, Jose Vargas, Guadalupe Ayala, and Alejandra Guzman

Members of the Small Engines Team - Billy Thomas, Eduardo Hurtado, Robert Cordon, Carl Villagrana, and Brandon Speed

Students in Nursery / Landscape (Ornamental Horticulture) have to evaluate trees, shrubs, and flats while giving oral reasons to a judge in validating their placing. In addition, students demonstrate their transplanting skills, take a written exam on plant science and horticulture, and are responsible for the proper identification of over 300 plant, flower, and nursery tools and resources. The Light Horse competition involved evaluating various classes of horses and demonstrating their public speaking and critical thinking skills with oral reasons to a judge on why they placed a class a certain way. Public speaking and knowledge exam competitions were also enhanced with BIG (Best Informed Greenhand), FFA Creed, and the Job Interview competitions.

This was the first contest for many students as they experienced the competitiveness and knowledge level of other students throughout the state. “Our goal is to keep students enthused about their career and educational interests as well as challenging them to expand their knowledge and skills,” said Gossman. “The hands-on learning opportunities these contests provide the students are invaluable for promoting and extending the student’s interests in higher education and career objectives.”

Members of the Land Team - Mason Rose, Grant Rose, and Catherine Payton

Atwater FFA members who participated at the UC Davis Field Day include Light Horse Judging Team: Briana Hamamoto, Kaylyn Schiber, Jose Cardona, Nikki Schiber, Sasha Del Muro, and Emily Swan; Best Informed Greenhand – Stephaine Quintana, Austin Davis, Dustin Wilson, Jose Vargas, Guadalupe Ayala, and Alejandra Guzman; Creed – Jose Vargas and Stephanie Quintana; Land – Grant Rose, Mason Rose, and Catherine Payton; Ag Mechanics – Hector Ayala, Joseph DuPerron, Luis Cruz-Pereda, and Joel Armas; Nursery and Landscape – Terilyn Bettencourt, Stefani Dias, Maria Flores, Christina Willman, Lily Reyes, Amanda Solis, and Laura Gonzalez; Milk Quality and Dairy Foods – Katheline Reyes, Lauren Navarro, Jenna Shelton, Kristelle Choquette, Collette Wilcox, Amanda Sevilla, Mai Kia Vang, Kia Vue, and Devin Dennis; Small Engines- Billy Thomas, Carl Villagrana, Eduardo Hurtado, Robert Cordon, and Brandon Speed.

For more information on this contest and Atwater FFA, log onto www.AtwaterFFA.org

Written by: Lauren Navarro, Atwater FFA Reporter

Photo Credit: Dave Gossman
Instructor / FFA Advisor

Dale King and Tiffani Perez pose for a picture during the "chicken and the egg" portion of the relay.

The Atwater FFA kicked off the activities with a linguica BBQ on campus for the high school staff and students. SaveMart provided the tasty ingredients as over 150 lbs of linguica was sold. “The community support for our program is tremendous,” said FFA advisor and Sam Meredith.

2008 AHS Ag Olympic medal winners (left to right) Kathy Reyes, Matt Horta, Olivia Suguira, Mrs. Edwards, Mr. Braga, Christin Carey, Alex Canela, and Lacey Wilcox.

Hank FM's Christen Carey poses with Brenae Royal, Goerge Strait, Kristelle Choquette, and Dale Earnhardt Jr during a morning radio show promoting National FFA Week.

For many years, FFA has been positively influencing the young people of this community by developing their potential growth through agricultural education and hands-on experience. For more photographs and information on this event and the Atwater FFA, please log on to www.AtwaterFFA.org.

March 4, 2008

Terri Clark To Play Merced County Fair

MERCED – Terri Clark, one of country music’s rising stars, is coming to the 2008 Merced County Fair.
She will perform Saturday, July 19 in the Merced County Fair’s Outdoor Theatre.
The fair recently announced Craig Morgan, whose current smash hit “International Harvester,” is riding high on the Billboard Top 20 country singles music charts, will open the fair on Tuesday, July 15. The fair’s other headline acts include The Guess Who and their classic rock hits, Thursday, July 17 and The Spinners’ classic R & B sound, Friday, July 18. The fair’s remaining headline entertainment acts will be announced soon. The fair is July 15-20.
As always, all fair headline acts are free with the price of admission. The 2008 Fair theme is "Come Rock With The Flock," a celebration of sheep, one of the county's top agricultural products.
Terri Clark has sold more than four million albums and has several Top 10 hits to her credit and she is emerging as a big voice on the country music landscape. She’s a dynamic, no-holds-barred live performer and one of the rare female country artists capable of throwing down some impressive guitar work.

Terri Clark

Twenty-five Atwater High School agriculture students joined over 550 high school students throughout Central and Northern California at the Arbuckle FFA Field Day on February 2nd. The Field Day marks the beginning of the FFA judging season where thousands of students throughout California compete in various agriculture skill contests. Contests are held at major community colleges and universities up and down the state of California.

Brandon Speed, Billy Thomas, and Robert Cordon work on their engine during the troubleshooting category of the contest.

9th graders Stephanie Quintana and Christina Willman earned 1st place team overall in FFA Creed public speaking contest. Stephanie placed 1st first high individual overall with Christina Willman placing 5th high individual overall “This was a tremendous opportunity for our students to gain experience and demonstrate their skills is a variety of events that promote and develop self confidence, educational enhancement, and career skills,” said FFA advisor Diane Prescott, “We’re all very proud of our students and take pride in their representation of our school and community.”

The Atwater FFA Light Horse team made an impressive showing to start the year with senior Jose Cardona earning 4th high individual overall to help Atwater FFA to a 2nd place overall team finish. Sasha DelMuro, Brianna Hamamoto, and Nikki Schiber combined their skills in horse confirmation and evaluation, halter confirmation, and oral reasons. “We have a group of dedicated, committed, and determined students who are eager to learn and develop their evaluation and public speaking skills,” said coach and FFA advisor Beth Knapp, “This is a great start to a very busy and competitive judging season.”

Kathy Reyes, Jenna Shelton, and Lauren Navarro represented Atwater FFA in the Job Interview contest with the team placing 2nd overall. Students demonstrated their skills in writing a cover letter, resume, and job application. Each student took part in an interview which was evaluated by a panel of professional agriculture industry representatives.

Atwater FFA Ag Mechanics team member Joel Armas demonstrates his skill in oxy-acetylene torch cutting.

The members of the Atwater FFA Ag Mechanics Team demonstrated their woodworking, electrical, oxy-fuel welding & cutting skills, tool identification, and a written exam on all aspects of agriculture mechanics. “We have a young, enthusiastic, and dedicated team that is developing their skills for future success,” says coach and FFA advisor Sam Meredith. Members of the Ag Mechanics team include Hector Ayala, Damien Diaz, Christian Foltz, Joseph Duperron, Joel Armas, Zachary Hall, Mason Rose, and Richard Ornealas.

The Atwater FFA “BIG” team, also known as Best Informed Greenhand, competed. Jose Vargas, Guadalupe Ayala, Alejandra Guzman, and Stephanie Quintana took part in this contest. Alejandra Guzman earned 8th High Individual overall at the contest.

Atwater FFA brought back to the competitions a Small Engines team where students take part in an engine theory exam, parts identification, skills demonstration, and an engine troubleshooting practical. Billy Thomas placed 8th overall. “This was a terrific opportunity for our team to get their feet wet and experience a competition”, said coach and FFA advisor Dave Gossman, “I’m proud of the team’s efforts and we look forward to building our skills towards the state finals in April.” Other Small Engine team members include Carl Villagrana, Robert Cordon, and Brandon Speed.

This was the first contest of the year for FFA programs throughout the state of California. The primary judging season begins March 1st at UC Davis followed by Chico State University, Cosumnes River College, Reedley College, Merced College, Modesto Junior College, Fresno State, and the 2008 FFA State Finals at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.

Top Left
1st high individual in the Creed competition Stephanie Quintana and 5th overall Christina Willman earned the 1st high team overall.

Top Right
Billy Thomas earned 8th high individual overall in his very first
Small Engines contest.

Bottom Left
Jenna Shelton, Lauren Navarro, and Kathy Reyes earned 2nd high team overall.

Bottom Right
Atwater FFA Light Horse judging team Sasha DelMuro, Briana Hamamoto, Nikki Schiber, and Jose Cardona placed 2nd high team overall.

Written by: Lauren Navarro, Atwater FFA Reporter

Photo Credit: Dave Gossman
Instructor / FFA Advisor

Nearly 800 local eighth grade students representing Mitchell Senior, Winton Middle, Peggy Heller, St Anthony’s, Ballico-Cressey, and McSwain Elementary School received an early high school experience as Atwater High School opened its campus for a very special open house tour. The purpose of this tour was to provide students the opportunity to see the various elective classes and explore the campus as they prepare to register for classes.

Norma Anguiano and Deyanira meet a Jersey calf during the 8th grade tour at Atwater High School.

This was the fourth year in a row Atwater High School implemented this tour with the hopes of better serving next year’s freshman class. Students and teachers from the various schools were very impressed as they had the opportunity to visit the high school teachers, classrooms, facilities and elective programs. “This was a team effort.” said high school Principal Dr. Linda Lucas, “The local middle and elementary schools, transportation departments, and high school staff really put forth an enthusiastic effort for the students. Everyone did a first class job!”

Bianca Vasquez, Emily Rogers, Richie Thacker, Sarah Rogers, and David Schatter pose in front of a John Deere tractor.

Nearly 800 students from Mitchell Senior, St. Anthonys, Peggy heller, and Winton Middle school visited the AHS campus.

One highlight of the tour was the Agriculture Department. The activities held during the tour provided the students with the opportunity to see livestock and demonstration displays of electrical, small engine, welding, animal science and horticulture projects. “Our program continues to grow, however we are just one of many opportunities for students.” said Beth Knapp, Agriculture Department Instructor, “We are proud to be associated with other strong AHS programs such as Music, Band, Athletics, Home Economics, Drama, Art, and Business. These courses enhance a student’s opportunity towards higher education, personal growth and career success.”

Mik Hafford and Antonio Espinoza pose with their horticulture plant during the tour.

Eighth grade students will be enrolling and registering for their 2008-2009 freshman school year in the coming weeks. “Life is full of opportunities.” said Atwater Agriculture Instructor Sam Meredith, “We hope students take advantage of the opportunities Atwater High School has to offer towards their future success.”

For more information and additional photos of this event, please log onto www.AtwaterFFA.org

Written by: Lauren Navarro, Atwater FFA Reporter

Photo Credit: Dave Gossman
Instructor / FFA Advisor

The students sit in on a sea lion training demonstration and take part in a question and answer trainer session.

Araceli Hernandez, Sophie Stuhlman, and Lee Xiong take time to give the giraffes their "greens".

Courteney Guiterrez feeds on of the park's giraffes during a visit in the hoof stock area.

The overall experience gave the students an opportunity to look at the park from a career point a view and focus their attention and curiosity on the job/career descriptions, responsibilities, education background, and experiences each staff member encompasses. Students learned that there are many roads available in attaining a career of interest, however each road had a similar vehicle of travel. That “vehicle” is education. “I tell my students that the more education they attain the more choices they’ll have in selecting/obtaining a career.” said Gossman,“ A student’s agricultural and FFA experience provides a solid foundation towards careers we learned about at Discovery Kingdom.”

“The entire Six Flags Discovery Kingdom staff went above and beyond in making a positive impact on our students,” said Gossman, “As a former employee and trainer, I truly appreciate their time and efforts as I know from seeing the faces and expressions on our kids that they created a lifelong memorable experience for them.”

The field trip was funded through a special grant with Merced County Office of Education’s ROP program. For more information on Atwater FFA and the Atwater High School Agriculture Program, please log onto their website at www.atwaterffa.org