April 2006 News Archive
Thursday, April 27, 2006
La Colina Junior High Students to Perform Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
On May 11 -13 starting at 7:00 p.m. in the auditorium, the La Colina Junior High stage will be bathed in a flash of color as 35 seventh- and eighth-graders sing and dance their way through the story of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. From its humble roots as a pop cantata written by Andrew Lloyd Weber and Tim Rice in 1967, this musical has grown by epic proportions. It has been produced in 13 countries by over 20,000 schools. The show has an audience in excess of nine million people worldwide.
The cast will captivate the audience with music from several different genres including a rousing western dance number, catchy calypso, and beret-clad French number complete with accordion accents, neon splashed go-go dancing, a lyric ballad sung behind jail bars, and a 50’s number sung by an insomniac Elvis and his gold-skirted entourage. The show is family oriented and promises to be fun-filled. Audience members of all ages will be entertained.
Tickets are on sale in the La Colina Junior High School front office or at the auditorium each night (adults, $8; student/child, $5). For more information, contact Mrs. Shannon Saleh at 967-4506, ext. 603. Proceeds cover the costs of the show and future performing arts productions.
La Colina Junior High School is located at 4025 Foothill Road, Santa Barbara, CA 93110.
Arbor Day at Adams Elementary School
At 9:30 a.m. on Friday, April 28, 2006, the children of Adams Elementary School will participate in the annual Arbor Day celebration. Adams School is located at 2701 Las Positas Road, Santa Barbara, CA.
Among the guests to be welcome by Principal Matt Zuchowicz will be Congresswoman Lois Capps, State Assemblymember Pedro Nava, Santa Barbara Mayor Marty Blum, and Santa Barbara School Districts’ Superintendent Brian Sarvis.
Arbor Day dates back to April 10, 1872, in Nebraska. Julius Sterling Morton, a journalist and politician, is credited with created the establishment of Arbor Day. During his tenure with the state’s board of agriculture, he advocated for a day dedicated to tree planting and increasing awareness of the importance of trees. Morton went on to become President Grover Cleveland’s secretary of agriculture.
Goleta Valley Junior High Students Reach State-Level of Math Counts Competition
Rebecca Chen, Richard Cheng, Nicholas Su, and Brandon Bies of Goleta Valley Junior High School recently participated in the Southern California-level Math Counts competition. Their coach was teacher Nathaniel Thompson.
The students were recognized for the academic accomplishment at the April 25, 2006, meeting of the Santa Barbara School Districts’ Board of Education.
Board of Education Recognizes Billie Maunz and the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara
At their April 25, 2006 meeting, the Board of Santa Barbara School Districts’ Board of Education recognized the work of the work of the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara and Billie Maunz, the foundation’s outgoing executive director.
The foundation was established 44 years ago. It is a private foundation funded through donations, clubs, corporations, and private foundations. Ms. Maunz has been at the helm since 1990. During the past 16 years, during her tenure, the foundation has provided awards to more than 18,000 Santa Barbara County students, totaling $49 million. That number includes this year’s record-breaking $7 million in awards. On May 24, 2006, the Scholarship Foundation’s awards ceremony will again take place at the Santa Barbara County Courthouse.
Santa Barbara High School’s Virtual Enterprise Class Nails New York Stock Market Competition; Strong Showing at International Trade Fair
Prior to spring break, 11 Santa Barbara High School Virtual Enterprise students, with teachers Lee Knodel, Joyce Adriansen, and a parent in tow, participated in two major international competitions: Virtual Stock Market Conference and the Virtual Enterprise International Trade Fair. Students Brendan Dubbles and Adam Guzman represented the D.O.N.S Net Café in winning the class competition. They were first-place winners in the April 3-7, 2006, Virtual Stock Market Conference. The first Virtual Stock Market Conference was held at Kingsborough Community College on Wednesday, April 5. Students from Hong Kong, Denmark, Austria, and other U.S. high schools and colleges presented, both online and face-to-face, their virtual stock portfolios, part of a four-month competition. During the four-month period, 84 students and 15 virtual companies made almost 1,000 transactions and traded a total value of shares of $61,157. Santa Barbara High’s students had a net gain of more than 300% on their trades. The competition and Santa Barbara High School’s win was reported on CBS Moneywatch.
Meanwhile, Brendan’s and Adam’s colleagues made a very strong showing at the ninth annual Virtual Enterprises, International Trade Fair, held at the 69th Regiment Armory in New York City. The event is a program initiative of the New York City Department of Education. Santa Barbara High’s students competed in multiple categories: web page design, catalogue design, booth display, and salesmanship. Their firm, D.O.N.S. Net Café, went up against more than 200 competitors from around the world. The D.O.N.S. Net Café took twelfth place in the best salesmanship category and thirteenth place in the best booth category. Their well-crafted product displays and presentations were compared to the displays and presentations by students from across the U.S., Canada, Austria, Romania, Hong Kong, and Bulgaria.
Virtual Enterprise is a Santa Barbara County Education Office Regional Occupational Program career preparation course. Students are able to simulate the business experience by identifying virtual and real products and services, conducting product research, developing an operational structure, financial management, and navigating the ins and outs of business operation.
The Santa Barbara High D.O.N.S. Net Café team members in New York were: Salvador Arreola, Katie Payne, Adam Guzman (chief financial officer for the D.O.N.S. Net Café), Brendan Dubbles, Ali Rezazadeh, Nancy Hernandez, Ariel Cornejo, Jose Hurtado, Brenna Low, Jorge Vera, and Karina Santillan.
The students are back on campus, working hard in preparation for the April 26-29 International Trade Fair in Chico, California. The stakes are high. The winner of the Chico competition will receive an all expenses paid trip to an International Trade Fair Competition in Shanghai, China.
Roosevelt Elementary School is a 2006 California Distinguished School
This morning, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell announced the names of 377 elementary schools selected as 2006 California Distinguished Schools. The Santa Barbara School Districts’ Roosevelt Elementary School was identified as a 2006 California Distinguished School. The award means that a school has completed a rigorous evaluation that includes academic achievement, quality of instruction, school leadership, parent involvement, and school-community partnerships.
Principal Donna Ronzone states, “The Roosevelt school community is thrilled to have its excellent instructional program recognized by the California Department of Education. When I came as a new principal two years ago, I instantly recognized that Roosevelt School was an exceptional example of public education. In the past two years, by all accountability measures Roosevelt continues to support the academic achievement of all of its students. This is due to the excellence of its staff, incredible support of its parents, and the vision of the board and district leadership.”
The California Distinguished Schools program was established in 1985. The program recognizes elementary and secondary schools in alternate years. With more than 5,000 elementary schools in California, 2,043 were eligible to apply based on federal and state accountability measures, as reflected in the schools’ Academic Performance Index and Adequate Yearly Progress scores. 997 actually filed the application.
On May 26, 2006, a team from Roosevelt will join other recipients of this prestigious award at a reception at Disneyland, where they will each receive a plaque and flag.
Roosevelt is the fourteenth school in the Santa Barbara School Districts to be recognized as exemplary and inspiring. Roosevelt brings to 19, the number of awards garnered since the program began in 1985 (some schools have been honored more than once).
Roosevelt Elementary School is located at 1990 Laguna Street, Santa Barbara, CA.
Adams Elementary School Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for New Playground on April 26, 2006
Adams Elementary School officials are proud to announce that on Wednesday, April 26, 2006, at 11:20 a.m., there will be a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the installation of the first phase of the new school playground. The new playground includes new swings, slides, and chin up bars. Due to a change in state playground regulations, the previous playground was removed during the summer of 2005. The first phase of the playground project was made possible through generous donations from the Adams Elementary School PTA as well as the local Kiwanis Club.
“We are delighted to have our first phase of our new playground completed,” said Matt Zuchowicz, principal of Adams Elementary School. He continued, “In this current climate, where childhood obesity is on the rise, it is critical that students have current equipment to play on.”
The school is actively fundraising for the next two phases, which will include additional climbing equipment, slides, overhead parallel bars, as well as surfacing and installation. The total cost of the next two phases, including rubber surfacing and installation, totals $70,000. Adams School is working with the Santa Barbara Northside Rotary, an Adams School partner for 18 years, to fundraise for the second phase of the playground, which will cost $35,000.
Adams Elementary School is located at 2701 Las Positas Road, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. For additional information, call (805) 563-2515.
Board of Education Passes Proclamation for Environmental Efforts and Sustainability
The Santa Barbara School Districts serve more than 16,000 students and 1,700 employees. Aware of the opportunity and responsibility that all individuals and agencies have to conserve and protect natural resources, the districts’ Board of Education recently unanimously passed Resolution 05/06-02, a proclamation for environmental efforts and sustainability.
In the proclamation, the board resolved to continue the districts’ commitment to five measures:
- appropriate efficient use and conservation of physical resources, such as energy and water;
- reuse and recycling of materials whenever possible;
- integrated pest management best practices to reduce/minimize the use of pesticides on district property;
- explore the use of solar and other alternative energy resources;
- storm water management to minimize discharges.
In the proclamation, the board made a commitment to continuing education on environmentally friendly alternatives for students and staff.
Impacts related to the forces of nature and the forces of man are part of the science education at the elementary and secondary levels. For example, Open Alternative students hold an annual “Day in the Park,” where students and parents visit Scofield Park and learn about the Earth, particularly the Rattlesnake Canyon area. “A Day in the Park” will take place tomorrow, April 21, and students will participate in exploratory hikes, art lessons, scavenger hunts for nature objects, storytelling, and other environmental study classes. At Monroe Elementary School, upper grade students visit an environmental center and participate in beach cleanups. At Harding Elementary School, sixth-graders cover environmental studies and the ecology and resources sections of the science standards during two major units through the year. As part of Harding’s Open Court ecology unit, students learn about natural habitats and their preservation, creating natural habitats, effects of pollution on nature, and links in the ecosystem. During Harding’s Holt science and technology unit on the Earth’s resources, students learn about minerals of the Earth, mineral mixtures, natural (renewable and nonrenewable) resources, fossil fuels, and alternative resources. According to teacher Jennifer Lindsay, preparation for a trip to Rancho Alegre Outdoor School reinforces the classroom lessons and discussions.
At the secondary level, another example of the study of renewable resources can be found in Michael Shallenberger’s industrial arts classes at La Cumbre Junior High School. This year, Mr. Shallenberger’s students are converting a golf cart; it will be powered by solar panels. Last year, his students converted the operational system of a diesel-fueled Mercedes Benz to a vegetable oil-fueled vehicle, which they dubbed MerSOYdes BEANz. The MerSOYdes BEANz was showcased at Earth Day 2005 and was the subject of a 20-minute documentary entitled “The Making of the MerSOYdes BEANz.”
Open Alternative School to Celebrate a 30-Year History of Enriching Education
Open Alternative School students, parents, alumni, and staff will celebrate the school’s 30-year history with children’s activities, food, music, prizes and a display of children’s art on Saturday, April 29, 2006, from 11:00 until 3:00 p.m. Founders of the school will be honored. The public is invited.
Event organizers have a special project planned for April 29; An evolving digital mural will be created at the celebration using paintings and drawings produced at the event. Alumni artist Jasper Jade Rivers Allen will be facilitating the project.
More than 30 years ago, a small group of teachers, parents and students worked with the Santa Barbara School Districts to create Open Alternative School (OAS), a district K-8 school of choice. The school’s leaders champion three decades of strong academics and an enrichment program that includes art, drama, music, physical education, field trips, learning in the community, an organic garden, environmental education, and a before- and after-school care program. OAS cultivates a learning environment of mutual respect and caring. According to parent Arjun Sarkar, “Our most important goal is for the child to develop a feeling of self-worth and a sense of personal values. We believe part of ‘learning’ is learning to get along with others.” Mr. Sarkar continued, “Recent studies have shown that innovative teaching methods we use work. We believe education can be an exciting adventure and feel a child’s joy in learning is the best measure of our success.”
Open Alternative School is located at 4025 Foothill Road, Santa Barbara, CA 93110, (805) 683-3127.
Time to Spring into Health: Adams Elementary School to Hold a Nutrition Decathlon
In the name of healthy eating, on April 25, approximately 400 Adams Elementary School students will toss apples, take aim at peppers, and handoff strawberries as they power up with fruits and vegetables. A fun-filled nutrition decathlon will begin at 8:30 a.m. and end at 11:30 a.m. Students will participate by grade level: grade 2 during the first hour, grades 3-4 during the second hour, and grades 5-6 during the third hour.
The Santa Barbara County Public Health Department organizes the decathlon as a way to increase children’s awareness about the importance of eating more fruits and vegetables. They stress at least 60 minutes a day of physical activity. Decathlon organizer, Jeri Waite of the health department, noted, “The new dietary recommendations suggest we find a balance between food and activity.” Six healthy recommendations provided by the health department are: move more, make half of your grains whole, vary your veggies, focus on fruit, choose calcium-rich foods, get lean with protein.
About two dozen Assistance League volunteers will be staffing the booths, organized as the Food for Thought Station, where students will answer nutrition/physical activity questions; Activity Stations, where students will participate in five different active events; and the Taste Testing Stations, where students will taste four different varieties of applies, receive a dental kit reward, and end the event. As part of their Santa Barbara Smiles program, members of the Assistance League of Santa Barbara will at the decathlon to distribute Smiles Kits. It is the League’s way of helping local children and families learn about good dental care practices and healthy eating. The kits contain toothpaste, a two-minute timer, floss, a tooth brush, and a list of tips for a healthy smile.
The commitment of Assistance League volunteers has enabled the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department to conduct two half-day decathlons this year, the first was at Cleveland Elementary School in March. The Assistance League also arranged for bottled water to be donated by Fidelity Title and apples to be donated by Trader Joe’s, Ralph’s, and Vons.
Thursday, April 13, 2006
Every 15 Minutes Program To Be Held At San Marcos High School
Provided by the California Highway Patrol
On April 17th and 18th, the California Highway Patrol will present the life-changing Every 15 Minutes program at San Marcos High School, 4750 Hollister Avenue, Santa Barbara. The Every 15 Minutes program is a two-day program focusing on high school juniors and seniors, challenging them to think about drinking, driving, personal safety, the responsibility of making mature decisions, and the impact their decisions have on family, friends, and many others. The Every 15 Minutes program was developed to prevent teen drinking and driving.
On day one (April 17th), one student will be removed from class every 15 minutes and then becomes one of the “living dead.” A uniformed officer and school counselor will enter the classroom and read each student’s obituary to those remaining in the class. Throughout the day, tombstones will be placed in a mock cemetery on campus. At 10:20 a.m., a simulated drunk driving collision will involve pre-selected students in the upper campus parking lot. Santa Barbara County Fire Department and AMR Ambulance personnel will respond to the collision scene and treat the victims, with two students being declared dead at the scene. A CalStar Life-Flight helicopter will land on the baseball field and airlift another student victim to the hospital with major injuries. One other student, designated as a drunk driver, will be arrested by a California Highway Patrol Officer for driving under the influence.
On day two (April 18th), at 10:00 a.m., junior and senior students will attend an assembly in the auditorium where a video of the preceding day’s events will be played, which will include footage of the aftermath of the collision (emergency room scene, death notifications, the courtroom conviction and sentencing of the student DUI driver). Students who participated in the program will read excerpts from letters they wrote the night before at a retreat, sharing their feelings with their friends and classmates of what it felt to die without having the chance to say good-bye. Members of the community and emergency responders will speak ad describe how they are personally affected each time they come across someone who has made a poor choice involving alcohol. Superior Court Judge Pro Tem of Alameda County, Wendy K. Jenkins will be a featured speaker and will share her personal story losing her entire family in a DUI collision, and her years prosecuting DUI cases as a Deputy District Attorney. The assembly will conclude with a call challenging everyone in attendance to make responsible decisions when alcohol is involved.
Elementary School GATE and Advanced Learning Meeting
There will be an “Elementary School GATE and Advanced Learning Information Night” on Monday, April 17 from 6:30-8:00 p.m. at Monroe Elementary School. District staff will talk about the program, GATE identification and placement, and teacher professional development. There will be open house tours at all of our elementary schools on April 24-26, from 8:45 to 11:00 a.m.
Measure V Bond Oversight Committee to Meet at Dos Pueblos High School
The Measure V Bond Oversight Committee will hold its monthly meeting in the Dos Pueblos High School library on Wednesday, April 19, beginning at 6:00 p.m.
Spring Testing
The Santa Barbara School Districts are in the final quarter of the 2005-06 school year. Soon, STAR and Advanced Placement testing will begin.
Upcoming Theater Productions
The musical Carousel will be performed at San Marcos High School on May 11, 12, 24, 25, 26, and 27 at 7:00 p.m. For more information, call (805) 967-4581.
Joseph and the Amazing Dream Coat will be performed at La Colina Junior High School on May 11-13, at 7:00 p.m. For more information, call (805) 967-4506.
New Play Equipment at Monroe Elementary School
Mayor Marty Blum to Participate in April 10 Ribbon Cutting
When Monroe Elementary School students return from spring break on April 10 and attend their usual 8:15 a.m. Monday morning assembly, they will begin their day with a ribbon cutting to celebrate their new fitness course and the installation of kindergarten playground equipment. On hand to participate in the event will be Santa Barbara Mayor Marty Blum. Once the ribbon is cut, to the cheers of students and adults in attendance, several students will inaugurate the physical fitness course. The celebration will then move to the kindergarten playground, where Monroe’s youngest learners will test out new swings, climbing bars, and turning bars.
The physical fitness course was paid for by a $10,000 donation from Monroe's PTA. The PTA also contributed $10,000 toward the kindergarten equipment.
“The new equipment demonstrates our PTA's commitment to healthy children. In addition to the benefits of physical fitness, children learn through play. Team work and cooperation take place on the playground as well as in the classroom. This investment will benefit children for years to come,” states Brent Millhollen, the school’s principal.
In the event of inclement weather, the ribbon cutting will be rescheduled for Monday, April 17, 2006.
Monroe Elementary School is located at 431 Flora Vista Drive, Santa Barbara, CA 93109.