Sierra Middle School science teacher Allison Arnold and West High science teacher Teresa Casallas were honored April 21 as Kern County’s Teachers of the Year for 2008-09. They will represent Kern County in the California Teacher of the Year competition along with alternates Kathleen Bruce, a biology teacher at Golden Valley High, and Guadalupe Quinonez, a fourth grade dual immersion teacher at Voorhies Elementary. California Department of Education (CDE) sponsors the annual California Teacher of the Year program. Local sponsors include Chevron, California Retired Teachers Association-Kern County Division, Colombo Construction, Costco, J P Morgan Chase and Company, Kern Schools Federal Credit Union, National University and Tel-Tec Security Systems, Inc. Arnold and Casallas along with Bruce and Quinonez selections were announced at a reception hosted by the Kern County Superintendent of Schools (KCSOS) at the Kern County Museum to honor the 37 county teachers nominated for the award by their schools and districts. A committee of educators and volunteers reviewed all the applications. Recent site visits were made to the top candidates’ schools. All 37 nominees received plaques and certificates. More

During the past year, 10 Kern County children died from abuse. They ranged from a newborn to age 8. On Friday, April 24, Kern County Network for Children partners joined to recognize these children and all others who died because of child violence and abuse. Nearly 75 people watched as the Larry J. Rhoades Kern Crossroads color guard raised the Children’s Memorial Flag. The simple red flag consists of paper-doll like figures. In the center of the flag, a while chalk outline of a missing child symbolizes the thousands of children throughout the world who are lost each year to child abuse. The event was introduced by Olivia Villarereal, Youth Advocate at the Dream Center, headquarters for the Network for Children and Foster Youth Center. The event concluded with the song "Somewhere over the Rainbow," performed by Mia Michelle Bell, a student at Chipman Junior High. Children lost to abuse are remembered with a flag raising each year on the 4th Friday of April.

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