The California School Library Association has selected Clara Schmiedt, Senior Director of Secondary Education for Manteca Unified, as the 2016 recipient of the Administrative Leadership Award.
Schmiedt was chosen for this honor by making influential, unique and sustained contributions to effective school library programs, furthering the integral role of the library media programs in Manteca Unified School District’s secondary schools.
chmiedt has consistently supported the improvement of high school libraries, both as a principal and as the Director of Secondary education.  She created the District Librarian position for high schools, and funded an eBook library collection and online research database for staff and students. Mrs. Schmiedt is an active member of the High School Library Planning Committee, and with her support, the committee is writing a three-year improvement plan to update the libraries to twenty-first century standards. This plan promotes literacy and learning with up-to-date resources and collaborative opportunities for students and staff through the site libraries.
Schmiedt will be presented the award at the annual CSLA Conference in San Diego on Feb.7.
 
uWESTON RANCH HOSA HONORS: Weston Ranch High School’s health science academy, be.Vital, had the largest group of competitors at the HOSA Area Leadership Conference in Stockton
 The Area Leadership Conference is a local conference in which students compete against peers in health professions events.  Students are able to compete in this local conference to better prepare for the State Leadership Conference in Anaheim  this year.
Be.Vital had a record 154 students registered to compete in 14 different events.  In sports medicine Nicholas Curtright, placed 3rd and Imran Khan placed 1st.  In Medical Photography, Erika Pongos placed 3rd and Adela Salvador placed 2nd.  In Prepared Speech, be.Vital swept the top three with Nathan Nepomuceno placing 3rd, Deepa Singh placing 2nd and Supreet Sandhu placing 1st.  In Biomedical Lab Sciences, Navtej Singh placed 3rd.  In Healthy Lifestyles, Sakala Lugo placed 3rd.  In Extemporaneous Writing, Charles Udeze placed 1st. Kaitlynn Gov placed 3rd in Extemporaneous Health Poster and 1st in Career Health Display
uBOB CAMDEN ESSAY CONTEST: Give Every Child a Chance (GECAC) is sponsoring a Robert Camden Inspirational Essay Contest. The essay contest is offered to 4th-12th grade students in Manteca Unified School District.
This year’s topic is, “If I had a super power, what would it be and how would I use it?” Essays can be typed or neatly hand written. All entries are due no later than 5 p.m. on March 18 to the Administrative office, 322 Sun West Place, Manteca. 
The school winners for 4th-6th grade will receive $25; 7th-8th will receive $50; and 9th-12th will receive $75. The district winners for 4th-6th will receive $50; 7th-8th will receive $100; 9th-12th will receive $125.
Contact Kellie Mendoza at 209.823.6222 for more info.