February 1999 News Archive
Friday, February 26, 1999
Spring Open House at Santa Barbara High School
On Wednesday, March 10, 1999, at 6:00 p.m., Santa Barbara High School will conduct their annual Spring Open House. This is an opportunity for future high school students, their parents, and interested members of the community to tour the campus and learn about the school and its programs.
Tours of the campus will take place from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. The tours are hosted by students. Clubs, student organizations, sports teams, teachers, administrators and counselors and representatives from the Multi-Media Academy will be on hand to answer questions from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the main hall of the school. A question-and-answer session, featuring Principal J.R. Richards and other administrative staff, will take place in the auditorium from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
For additional information about the Open House, contact Diana Shields at Santa Barbara High School, 966-9101, extension 280.
Franklin Primary School Rolls Out the Red Carpet for Royal Readers
It’s hard to tell who has a better time, the crowned and berobed guest reader or the children of Franklin Primary School who are eager to share their love of literature. Developed by Franklin Primary’s Open Court reading coach, Caroline Walker, the Royal Readers program is an effort to promote confidence in young readers, grades 1-3, and provide community leaders as reading models. According to Walker, "Teachers always struggle to provide ways to motivate their students to read every night at home with their parents and this program was a natural way to get them excited about reading." Walker continued, "This program has grown from a tiny idea to a wonderful, fulfilling experience for all children, parents, teachers and adults in our community."
Franklin Primary’s Royal Readers program was established in October 1998. All indications are that the program is engaging young readers and, at the same time, providing an opportunity for the Open Court reading coach to work with parents, who share the Royal Reader experience with their child, on ways to encourage reading at home.
The Royal Readers program is rooted in ceremony. The adult guest reader, draped in a long red cape, is greeted at the library door by eager Franklin students. The reader is "crowned" prior to being escorted down a red carpet and seated at the royal throne. For about 20 minutes, the reader has the rapt attention of young learners. Then, designated Junior Royal Readers (students who have shown great improvement in English reading) turn the tables and read to the adult guest. Afterward, the adult reader has the privilege of presenting certificates to each Junior Royal Reader.
Adult guests have included Dan Mitchensen, KEYT meteorologist; Dr. David Medina, local pediatrician; Board of Education members Claire VanBlaricum, Fred Rifkin, and Dr. Robert Pohl; Superintendent Michael Caston; Camilla Cohee, education reporter for the Santa Barbara News-Press; and Gerardo Ayala. Mayor Harriet Miller plans to visit in April.
Caroline Walker is currently planning to share this idea with other schools in the region in the form of a Santa Barbara County Schools Impact II Disseminator Grant.
Santa Barbara Community Academy is Set to Begin
The Santa Barbara Community Academy will soon be ready to accept students for the 1999-2000 school year. The Academy will serve students in grade K-3 and will be open to all families in the Santa Barbara Elementary School District.
On February 18, 1999, registration forms will be available at all District elementary schools and the District Administration Center. The registration period is February 22-March 5, 1999. Registration forms must be turned in to District Administration Center, 720 Santa Barbara Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101 by 5:00 p.m. on March 5, 1999 (or postmarked by March 5, 1999). A lottery will be conducted if the Academy is oversubscribed. All applicants will be notified of their enrollment status on or about March 19, 1999.
According to the Academy’s principal, Tim Quiroz, the foundation of the Academy curricula is Core Knowledge. Core Knowledge is content material, sequenced in each subject and grade, from preschool through 8th grade. For example, in American History, students in kindergarten deal with the topics of Native Americans, Columbus, pilgrims, past and present presidents. In first grade, children are building upon what was learned in kindergarten with "new" topics that support the overarching subject of American History. In first grade, children will study the Maya, Inca, and Aztec civilizations; American Revolution; and the exploration of the American West. In second grade, the topics which support American History include American Government: The Constitution; War of 1812; Westward Expansion; Civil War; Immigration and Citizenship; and Civil Rights.
Core Knowledge is one component of the Academy’s commitment to innovative practices. The Academy is designed to enhance student learning through:
Curriculum that supports academic excellence (Core Knowledge, Saxon Math, second language acquisition, Open Court, and arts instruction);
- mandatory uniforms;
- high academic standards;
- after school program;
- year-round, single-track instruction;
- parent involvement.
Parents who would like to know more about the program are invited to attend Academy Information Night on Thursday, February 25, 1999. The meeting will begin at 7:00 p.m. and will take place in the First Floor Conference Room, Administration Center of the Santa Barbara School Districts, 720 Santa Barbara Street.
Harding Elementary School is Marking the Days
Harding Elementary School, located at 1625 Robbins Street, has lots to celebrate during the month of February:
February 16, 1999: 100 Days. Kindergarten students will have the experience of learning what 100 items look like as they celebrate 100 Days. The event, intended to mark the passage of 100 school days, helps children conceptualize numbers. Included in this year’s celebration, each student will bring 100 edible items and students will work in groups to create a 100-piece band, frost 100 cupcakes, place 100 stickies on hats, and enjoy 100 balloons. The 100 Days celebration will begin at 10:00 a.m.
February 19, 1999: Read-In Day. A schoolwide read-in will start at 1:00 p.m. For one hour, guests from throughout the community will take part in Read-In Day. Firemen, actors (Joseph Bottoms and actors from the Ensemble Theater Company), government leaders (Lois Capps), a Board of Education representative (Fred Rifkin), grandparents, former teachers, and others will "adopt" a classroom and talk to students about how reading is important to their jobs and their lives. Before the guests leave the classroom, they will read their favorite children’s story.
February 23,1999: Founders Day. Harding asks the community’s help in identifying and inviting graduates from years past to participate in the school’s 70th anniversary. There will be a 7:00 pm Founders Day reception in the Harding auditorium. The program will include musical performances, a presentation of community service awards, and a kickoff of the school’s upcoming Tile Project (6" x 6" tiles will be created for a future campus mural).
District Offers Pre-Kindergarten Summer School
For the second year, the Santa Barbara Elementary School District is offering a Pre-Kindergarten Summer School program. This year, the pre-kindergarten program operates from July 12-August 13, 1999. Registration for the Pre-Kindergarten Summer School program, as well as registration for kindergarten for the 1999-2000 school year, begins March 15 and continues through March 26, 1999. (Cleveland, a year round school, will conduct registration from February 22 through March 26, 1999). The summer school program will again focus on English conversation for incoming kindergarten students. This commitment to pre-kindergarten summer school is one of several important support components of the District’s English Acquisition Plan.
Parents are encouraged to register their child if he/she needs help with English speaking skills. All children who speak a second language will take a language assessment prior to summer school.
Before registering for the Pre-Kindergarten Summer School program, parents must go to their designated school site and complete the fall 1999 kindergarten registration forms. Parents will need to provide three items: proof of residence, such as a utility bill; the child’s immunization records; and legal proof of the child’s age, such as a birth certificate. This birth certificate must verify that the child will be five years old on or before December 2, 1999.
When registering their child for summer school, parents will be asked to indicate the school site they wish their child to attend during the summer session. The summer program will be conducted at all District elementary schools except Roosevelt. (Roosevelt Elementary School’s students will again join the students at Peabody Charter School for both District-sponsored and Gevirtz summer school.) Additionally, a morning and afternoon session of the summer program will be offered at Las Flores State Preschool, located at Haley and Bath Streets. Any child in the District may attend the Pre-Kindergarten Summer School program at the Las Flores site.
The four-hour summer program will begin at 8:00 a.m. at some school sites and 9:00 a.m. at other school sites. For specific information, contact any elementary school in the Santa Barbara School District or call the District Administration Center (963-4331) for the phone number of an elementary school site near you.
Kindergarten Registration Set To Begin In The Santa Barbara Elementary School District
Kindergarten registration for most schools in the Santa Barbara Elementary School District begins March 15 and continues through March 26, 1999. Children who are five years old on or before December 2, 1999, are eligible for kindergarten. (Cleveland, a year round school, will conduct registration from February 22 through March 26, 1999).
Parents must register their child for kindergarten for the 1999-2000 school year at their designated District elementary school. They will need to provide three items: proof of residence, such as a utility bill; legal proof of the child’s age, such as a birth certificate; and the child’s immunization records.
For more information, contact any elementary school in the Santa Barbara School District or call the District Administration Center (963-4331) for the phone number of an elementary school site near you.
Parent Survey
This spring, the Santa Barbara School Districts will distribute a districtwide parent survey. The purpose of the survey is to gather information on how the delivery of education is perceived by parents. The information will be useful at the site and District levels. The results will also be valuable to the Strategic Planning Task Force, scheduled to reconvene this spring, and the Board of Education.
The Districts’ offices of Research and Development, Public Information, Information Technology Services, and Educational Services have examined numerous surveys from other school districts and have shaped one that will address Santa Barbara School Districts’ needs.
The parent survey questions focus on facility maintenance, school leadership, staff/teacher accessibility, discipline, opportunities to learn, safety, school climate, standards, and assessments. There will be additional questions for San Marcos High School parents regarding satisfaction with the school’s block schedule. The parent survey will be available in English and Spanish.
A parent survey has not been undertaken in the Santa Barbara School Districts in recent years. A parent survey is an valuable tool for self study and the Districts look forward to seeing the results of this effort.
Service Recognition
During the period July 1-December 31, 1998 the following classified employees of the Santa Barbara School Districts reached milestone career increments:
20 Years of Service
Olga Altomare
Sharon Henning
Maria Julca
15 Years of Service
Carlos Acosta
JoAnn Knight
Judy McClain
10 Years of Service
Luis Aguirre
Joseph Caldwell
Bruce Chavez
K.C. Clough
Betsy Davis
Juan Escobar
Eva Escoto
Ruben Garcia
Beebe Longstreet
Stanley Mize
Ruben Salazar
Rosalie Salvador
Mary Solis
Library Improvement Plans
California’s 1998-99 budget will, for the first time in many years, commit generous resources to school libraries. The state’s allocation of $158 million will result in $28 per student for resources such as books, periodicals, and computer hardware and software. In order to obtain these funds, school districts must develop a districtwide library plan.
On December 9th, Anita Linn (representing the elementary library media centers) and Pat Hartzell (representing the secondary library media centers) presented their respective Library Improvement Plan to the Board of Education. The districtwide plans were approved as presented.
The objectives of the elementary and secondary plans are to improve literacy, encourage reading, provide both physical and intellectual access to information, and build the range of resources needed to serve various learning styles and methods. In order to reach those objectives, the libraries will continue to focus on improving the student:book ratio; increasing the number of reference and non-fiction materials that support the curriculum; identifying facility and technology needs; Library Media Teacher inservice and training needs; and the development of a K-12 library curriculum.