This page was last updated on December 13, 2005.
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December 2005 News Archive
Monday, December 12, 2005
Gentlemen (and Ladies), Start Your Engines: Three-School CO2 Dragster Competition at Santa Barbara Junior High School
Energy levels will be high in the hallway next to room 141 at Santa Barbara Junior High School when the advanced wood technology classes from Santa Barbara Junior High, La Cumbre Junior High, and Goleta Valley Junior High compete in the third annual CO2 dragster competition at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, December 15, 2005.
A drag strip will be set up with a timer so that each student knows how fast his/her car travels on the strip. The student-produced dragsters, propelled by a CO2 cannister, will be judged on three categories: design/craftsmanship, paint job, and speed. In addition to bragging rights, winners will be awarded first-, second-, or third-place medals in their respective category.
According to Santa Barbara Junior High teacher Steve Winger, the competition is voluntary, but the creation of the dragster is a required project for his wood technology students. “The students come up with their own designs by starting out with eight different thumbnail sketches. From those they take their three favorite designs and create a top view and a side view of each. After we go over their designs the students pick the one they want and draw it on graph paper. They then take that drawing and create their car. There are specifications they must adhere to, but by and large it is their own design.” He noted that girls are encouraged to take the wood technology class and this year there are nine girls in the advanced class.
Wood technology is taught by Steve Winger, Santa Barbara Junior High; Bill Gourley, Goleta Valley Junior High; and Mike Schallenberger, La Cumbre Junior High.
This event rotates among the three junior high schools. Next year, it will take place at Goleta Valley Junior High School.
Santa Barbara Junior High School is located at 721 E. Cota Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93103.
Santa Barbara High School Annual Concert with the A Cappella Choir and Madrigals
What better way to usher in the holidays than by attending Santa Barbara High School’s annual concert with the A Cappella Choir and Madrigals. The concert will take place on December 9, 10, and 11 at 7:00 p.m. at St. Anthony’s Chapel, 2300 Garden Street, located behind the Old Mission.
Tickets ($7) are available from choir members, at Chaucer’s Books, and at the door.
The two groups will be under the direction of Phillip McLendon.
Goleta Valley Junior High Students to Present Scientific Demonstrations for Ellwood School Kindergarteners
On Thursday, December 8, 2005, from 11:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., Brad Penkala’s eighth-grade GATE science students from Goleta Valley Junior High School will be at Ellwood School presenting scientific demonstrations to kindergarten students. The Goleta Valley Junior High students will be perfoming demonstrations on a wide variety of scientific concepts from pressure to density to the laws of motion.
This is the first outreach effort by Mr. Penkala’s class. He hopes to continue this activity in the future, perhaps expanding the outreach to more schools.
Ellwood School, in the Goleta Union School District, is located at 7686 Hollister Avenue, Goleta.
Family Astronomy Night at Santa Barbara Junior High School
Santa Barbara Junior High School eighth-grade students and their families are encouraged to participate in Astronomy Night on December 5, 2005, from 7:00-9:00 p.m. According to teacher Marily Garza, the main emphasis is to have students and their families learning together. The content of this extra-credit event is linked to the eighth-grade science standards on astronomy.
The activities will begin with a slide show presented by the Santa Barbara Astronomical Unit in the Marjorie Luke Theatre at 7:00 p.m. Following the slide show will be a telescope viewing hosted by various members of the SBAU, including the group’s president, Chuck McPartlin.
The eigth-grade science teachers at Santa Barbara Junior High School are Brian Shapiro, Guy Martin, Julie Kluss and Marilyn Garza.
Santa Barbara Junior High School is located at 721 East Cota Street, Santa Barbara, California.
Santa Barbara Botanic Garden Donates Trees of Santa Barbara to Santa Barbara School Districts’ Libraries
At a recent meeting with Santa Barbara School Districts’ Superintendent Brian Sarvis, Dr. Edward Schneider, president and CEO of the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, presented copies of Trees of Santa Barbara for use in the districts’ eight secondary schools.
Written by Robert N. Muller and J. Robert Haller, Trees of Santa Barbara describes the unique characteristics of more than 430 species of trees. The Muller and Haller edition of the book adds to the body of information developed in the 1941, 1948, and 1974 versions of the same title. In the 1941 version, written by Maunsel Van Rensselaer, 550 species and varieties were listed. The revised and republished 1948 version, 200 new species and varieties were added. The book was rewritten in 1974 by Katherine Muller, Richard E. Broder, and Will Beittel. The authors determined that many of the original species had disappeared and others had been added. During the past 31 years, approximately 100 species have been lost to drought or development and more than 40 new species have appeared.
With more than 800 photographs, and extensive descriptions of each species, Trees of Santa Barbara, a $45 publication, will be a welcome addition to school libraries.
Free Tutoring for McKinley Elementary, La Cumbre Junior High, and Santa Barbara Junior High Students
To comply with federal No Child Left Behind requirements for schools identified as Program Improvement, on Thursday, December 8, 2005, the Santa Barbara School Districts will conduct a supplementary educational services (SES) fair for students attending McKinley Elementary, Santa Barbara Junior High, and La Cumbre Junior High schools. The SES fair will provide an opportunity for parents to choose outside providers for tutoring. The tutoring services will be provided at no cost to parents. Priority will be given for low-income students.
Supplemental educational services are additional academic instruction designed to increase the academic achievement in Title I schools that have not met targets for increasing student achievement.
The December 8, 2005, SES fair will be held as follows:
McKinley students: 5:00 p.m. at McKinley Elementary School, 350 Loma Alta Drive, Santa Barbara, CA 93109
Santa Barbara Junior High students: 5:30 p.m. at the Santa Barbara School Districts’ Administration Office, 720 Santa Barbara Street, Santa Barbara, CA.
La Cumbre Junior High students: 6:30 p.m. at the Santa Barbara School Districts’ Administration Office, 720 Santa Barbara Street, Santa Barbara, CA.
For additional information, parents are encouraged to call Dr. Cynthia White at (805) 963-4338, ext. 221.