February 2000 News Archive

Wednesday, February 23, 2000

Agricultural Techniques for the Red Planet – DPHS Student Will Share His Ideas at the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference

Dos Pueblos High School senior Daniel Kliman is a young man with a mission – a mission to Mars. Fascinated by the challenges posed in feeding the first colonists of the Red Planet, Daniel is on a quest to develop agricultural techniques that will successfully allow astronauts to grow a healthy food supply, using biological organisms as an alternative to traditional chemical fertilizers.

Based on original research he has been working on since the fall of 1998, with the assistance of a professor from the University of California-Santa Barbara and a geologist from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Daniel has prepared an abstract that will be presented at the 31st Lunar and Planetary Science Conference in Houston, Texas. The conference will take place on March 13-17, 2000. The abstract is titled "Martian Soil Plant Growth Experiment: The Effects of Adding Nitrogen, Bacteria, and Fungi to Enhance Plant Growth." Information about Daniel’s experiment will be part of a March 16th poster session showcasing multiple areas of scientific research. It will be included in the astrobiology section of display posters. His abstract will be published on a CD containing abstracts from Lunar and Planetary Science XXXI.

Daniel traces the beginning of this project to his experience two years ago as a member of the Future Scientists and Engineers of America. His scientific curiosity was piqued and led him to communicate with JPL scientist Dr. R.C. Anderson. Shortly thereafter, he established contact with UCSB’s Dr. James Cooper, assistant professor of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology and director of UCSB’s Interdepartmental Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Program. Daniel gratefully cites their encouragement and guidance as a source of inspiration throughout his research. According to Dr. Cooper, "Daniel’s work is unique on a number of levels. It’s not often that high school students have the motivation to pursue a research project in a University of California laboratory. From my experience in working with college students, a student generally looks to their professors for research ideas. In Daniel’s case, he had identified a potential problem facing a manned mission to Mars – namely, how can we grow food crops on Mars without carrying hundreds of tons of fertilizer – and he wanted to do research aimed at using biology to find a viable solution. This speaks highly of his initiative, focus and creativity. I am looking forward to seeing Daniel’s continued commitment and contributions to research in this field."

Certainly, the first obstacle in researching successful agricultural techniques on Mars would be the challenge of locating Martian soil. With the aid of his professors, during the spring of 1999, Daniel was able to secure 110 pounds of JSC Mars-1 simulated Martian soil. It was acquired from the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. The soil originated in a particular location in Hawaii and is then chemically treated to simulate soil on Mars.

After a series of pilot experiments, during the fall of 1999, in a UCSB biology laboratory, Daniel began his main experiment on the methods needed to enhance plant growth. His hypothesis was based on the supposition that chemical fertilizers from Earth would be too costly and cumbersome to transport to Mars. Thus, his focus was on the utilization of biological organisms to create a nurturing environment conducive to plant growth.

With parental support and encouragement, Daniel pursued his academic endeavor. He moved out of his bedroom and, for two months, the room became his Martian "greenhouse." Using 24 clay pots, simulated soil, and beans as the object of his study, Daniel developed eight different study groups. After the two-month growth period, Daniel cut down the bean plants in order to complete chemical analyses in the lab. His abstract is a report of those findings.

Daniel’s commitment to Martian matters is not limited to personal research. Last summer, learning that NASA faced budget cuts that would likely curtail future missions to Mars, he created a petition to enlist public support for NASA’s Mars exploration program. The petition calls for a global commitment to placing humans on Mars by the the year 2015. Known as the Mars Petition, it was embraced by space enthusiasts and placed on the worldwide Web in early December. It can be found on the Think Mars, the Mars Society, and other space-related Internet sites. As of mid-February, the Mars Petition had received 23,459 electronic signatures.

Daniel is currently enlisting support for the Mars Petition from former astronauts. He has asked for their help in drawing national attention to the petition by appearing before junior high and high school students, gathering petition signatures and sharing information on planetary science.

In addition to advocating for exploration of the Red Planet, Daniel’s "free time" has been devoted to the Dos Pueblos Mock Trial Team, an experience that he clearly enjoys. He is interested in politics and, during the past four years, has served as an intern in the office of Congresswoman Lois Capps.

As Daniel completes his senior year at Dos Pueblos High School, he awaits word from several public and private colleges that are currently considering his application. Brown University, Stanford, and Washington University at St. Louis are among his top choices. He plans to major in planetary science with the hope of one day working as a planetary scientist for NASA, ultimately becoming a scientist-astronaut on one of the Mars missions. With clear objectives and obvious determination, there is no doubt in the minds of those who know Daniel that he will reach his goals. Principal David Cash needs no convincing, "Daniel is an incredible student and I know we will be hearing more about him in the years ahead. Dos Pueblos High School is very proud of him. Having his abstract accepted by the Lunar and Planetary Institute is nothing short of phenomenal."

Thursday, February 17, 2000

Early Years, a Child Development Program, Provides New Services and Revitalized Facilities for Very Young Children

Responding to the need for more quality child care for younger children, the Santa Barbara School Districts’ Child Development Program reorganized their Children’s Centers this year. Formerly, all Children’s Centers served 2 1/2 to 5 year olds. With the new design of Early Years at Santa Barbara High School, 2 to 3 year olds now have a program tailored to their unique needs.

Using State funds, the new Early Years staff recently redesigned and refurbished the entire center. Staff and parents worked together to repaint the rooms. The Santa Barbara School Districts’ Facilities Department helped in remodeling the bathroom as well as lowering sinks, drinking fountains and benches for smaller children.

Staff received toddler training this past summer and many continue with classes in the Infant Toddler Program at Santa Barbara City College. Early Years has a ratio of five children to each primary caregiver, providing nurturing relationships with young families.

Assisting the Early Years staff in creating a vision for this new program were staff members from Discoveries, University of California at Santa Barbara, Cottage Hospital Child Care, and Santa Barbara City College.

Early Years is one of several Child Development Programs that address the needs of approximately 1,000 local families:

Children’s Centers provide full day publicly subsidized child care to 150 families who qualify;
PACE Centers provide 31 subsidized pregnant minor and teen mothers with the opportunity to continue their education while their infants and toddlers are provided with day care on the high school site;
School Age Child Care provides 450 families with after school child care at nine elementary school sites and before school child care at two elementary sites. In the summer it provides full day programs;
State Preschools provide a subsidized half-day program of instruction, health checks, and a nutritious meal to over 270 children in the District’s eight State Preschool sites.

The Child Development Program is administered by Maureen Earls.

Monday, February 14, 2000

Inspired by Dr. King, Monroe Elementary Staff and Students Accept the Kindness and Justice Challenge

On January 3rd, while reading an Ann Landers column in the local paper, Monroe Elementary School special resource teacher Judith McDermott recognized a good idea when she saw it. Martin Luther King III, son of the famed civil rights leader, had written to Ann Landers about a national "Do Something Kindness and Justice Challenge." He outlined a unique two-week project where, "By taking action to improve our communities and nation, we will help make my father’s dream a reality." Beginning on Martin Luther King Day, students in grades K-12 were encouraged to honor the memory of Dr. King by performing and documenting Acts of Kindness that help others or Acts of Justice that result in standing up for what is right.

Between January 18 through January 28, Monroe students and staff tallied their acts of respect, honesty, fairness, non-violence, responsibility, caring/compassion, and service to the community. Their school-wide effort resulted in 1,851 documented acts of kindness during the two-week period. (California students logged in 90,189 good deeds and, nationally, 1,213,747 positive behaviors were tallied.)

Then, on February 1st, students of all grades levels gathered at an early morning, outdoor assembly to celebrate their commitment to kindness and justice. Third-grade student Marley Taylor recited a segment of Martin Luther King’s "I Have A Dream" speech. Second grade students in Miss Ryan’s class talked about their Open Court reading program’s connection to the kindness theme. Before posting each classroom’s pledge to kindness and justice on a school fence, Principal Stan Zaletel read Monroe Elementary School’s "Unanimous Declaration" and encouraged students to continue showing their positive behaviors throughout the year.

Monroe’s "Unanimous Declaration"

In order to improve the world around me in both large and small ways, I pledge to:

act with caring kindness
act fairly
act respectfully
act honestly
act non-violently
act responsibly
demonstrate moral courage
serve my community, my friends, my family and my school
celebrate the benefits of a kind and just world.

Thursday, February 10, 2000

Academic Decathlon Team from Dos Pueblos High School Takes First Place in the County Competition

The Academic Decathlon team from Dos Pueblos High School will compete in the California Academic Decathlon State Finals on March 17-19, 2000 at the Los Angeles Airport Marriott Hotel, Loyola Marymount University and Westchester High School. The eight-member team won their county level Academic Decathlon on February 3 and 5, 2000. Team members are: Charles Bathel, Justin Sharp, Elizabeth Kelly, Clara Sherley-Appel, Namrita Singh, Sarah Hasch, Brandon Sloane, and Tiffany Yuen. The team will now compete against 43 teams from throughout California. In April, the California State Championship team will compete in the United State Academic Decathlon in San Antonio, Texas.

Each team member participates in ten grueling events in the Academic Decathlon, including economics, mathematics, music, art, language and literature, and social science. In addition, the students perform prepared and impromptu speeches, write essays on a given topic, and are interviewed by a panel of judges. The final event, the Super Quiz, an academic relay, will be held in the Gersten Pavilion, Loyola Marymount University. This year’s Super Quiz topic is "A Sustainable Earth."

The team coaches are Stephanie Frey and Susan Necessary.

Friday, February 4, 2000

New/Revised Reorganization Proposal to be Presented to the Santa Barbara School Districts’ Board of Education

As a means of stemming the current Santa Barbara Elementary District budget deficit of $700,000, newly appointed superintendent Dr. Deborah Flores announced additional reorganization plans for reducing that deficit. The list of considerations released today follows a January 12, 2000 proposal to recoup the Average Daily Attendance (ADA) for 6th grade students attending La Cumbre Middle School and a January 26, 2000 proposal to restructure or eliminate several existing positions at the District Administration Center.

The new/revised proposal will be presented at the Wednesday, February 9, 2000, regularly scheduled Board of Education meeting. At the Board meeting, proposed changes to reduce the deficit will be outlined in the Staff Report. No action is expected to be taken at the February 9th meeting as this Conference item is for discussion only. (Conference items may recognize people and programs, provide reports, request operational actions, discuss proposals or make recommendations. The Board may comment, provide direction or take action on these items.) The proposal is as follows:

Eliminate Cleveland Elementary School’s 20:1 class size in grades 4-6 (Overall Savings: $167,826). This change will result in Cleveland Elementary School having the same teacher-to-student ratio as other elementary schools in the District. Currently, class sizes at those grade levels averages 27:1.
Reduce the hours of the Santa Barbara Community Academy principal to half time (Overall Savings: $44,065). The Santa Barbara Community Academy is in its first year of operation, serving 135 students in grades K-3. The Academy will add grade 4 next year, which will increase total enrollment to approximately 180 students. With the proposed reduction of hours, Principal Tim Quiroz, who believes strongly in the Academy model, will spend half of his work day as a classroom teacher. The Academy enrollment will continue to increase as each subsequent grade level is added. If this proposal is accepted by the Board of Education, the reduction of the principal’s hours will be reevaluated for the following school year.
Reorganize Franklin Elementary School’s administration. Change the administration structure from two principals to an arrangement of one principal and one assistant principal (Overall Savings: $20,865). The administrative changes at Franklin Elementary School are part of a planning process that began last year. The objective is to return the school to a single K-6 school by September 2000. On July 1, 1999, with the departure of then-Principal Sally Kingston, who was appointed to the principalship of Roosevelt Elementary School, Viola Garcia accepted the post of interim principal of Franklin Primary School during this planning year only. Franklin Primary School serves approximately 500 students in grades K-3. In accordance with the original agreement, at the end of the current school year Mrs. Garcia will return to her second-grade classroom. Valery Rivera, principal of Franklin Intermediate School has requested a leave of absence to accompany her husband, a UCSB professor, who will be on sabbatical. Franklin Intermediate School serves approximately 323 students in grades 4-6. The search for a new principal at Franklin has already begun.
Eliminate Family Service Agency (FSA) Home/School Liaison counselors (Overall Savings: $86,417). Currently, Home/School Liaison counselors provide 12.5 hours per week of counseling/case management services at each elementary school.

Total Overall Savings of the Proposals Listed Above = $319, 173

Additionally, the following changes have been made to the January 26, 2000 list of proposed reorganization changes in the District Administration Center:

Eliminate the positions of Coordinator of Public Information and Coordinator of Special Projects. A new position of Coordinator/Liaison for Special Projects and Communication will be created and will include the essential duties of the two positions (Overall Savings: $59,343). Barbara Keyani, the Coordinator of Public Information, will be recommended for the new position of Coordinator/Liaison for Special Projects and Communication. Carole Cowan, the Coordinator of Special Projects, will be assigned to another position in the District.
In order to provide support to the High School District during the SASI XP computer software transition, the effective date of the previously reported elimination of one of the Programmer/Analysts positions will be moved to December 31, 2000.

The revised and complete list of proposed District Administration changes, to go into effect July 1, 2000, unless otherwise noted, is as follows:

Eliminate the position of Deputy Superintendent (Overall Savings: $119, 159).
Eliminate the position of Director-Instructional Support Services (Overall Savings: $104,438).
Eliminate the position of Coordinator of Public Information and eliminate the position of Coordinator of Special Projects. A new position of Coordinator/Liaison for Special Projects and Communication will be added. The overall savings reflect this addition. (Overall Savings: $59,343).
Eliminate two positions of Programmer/Analyst (one effective 7/1/00 and one effective 12/31/00). A new position of Database Manager will be added. The overall savings reflect this addition. (Overall Savings: $37,322).
Eliminate staff secretary in the Office of the Superintendent (employee is retiring) (Overall Savings: $42,162).
Reduce hours, secretary in the Office of Instructional Support Services (Overall Savings: $11,058).

Total Savings of the Changes Listed Above = $373,482

The implementation of these District Office recommendations will require a reorganization of duties. Some tasks currently performed will be eliminated and others will be assigned to existing staff.

The Board will make the final determination on the proposed reorganization plan. If implemented as presented, the Santa Barbara Elementary School District 2000-2001 budget will realize a savings of $849,352, based on the following:

Recoup the 6th grade ADA at La Cumbre Middle School (Overall Savings: $420,000)
Portion of the overall savings of the District Office reorganization (Elementary and High School Districts) that is assigned to the Santa Barbara Elementary School District (Overall Savings: $110,179)
Eliminate Cleveland’s 20:1 student:teacher ratio in grades 4-6 (Overall Savings: $167,826)
Reorganize Franklin Elementary School’s administrative team (Overall Savings: $20,865)
Eliminate Family Service Agency Home/School Liaison counselors (Overall Savings: $86,417)

Total Overall Savings to the Elementary District = $849,352

Protecting the fiscal integrity of the Elementary District, while maintaining a sound educational program, requires that every facet of the current $36 million Elementary District budget be examined. A preliminary District budget is expected to be completed in April. An approved, balanced budget must be adopted by the Board of Education by June 30, 2000.