education | Santa Ynez Valley Star https://santaynezvalleystar.com The only source for all news about the Santa Ynez Valley - local fresh news and lifestyle Mon, 03 Apr 2023 08:33:14 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.4 https://santaynezvalleystar.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/cropped-SYVS-Circle-Logo-32x32.jpg education | Santa Ynez Valley Star https://santaynezvalleystar.com 32 32 195921705 Ivan Guerrero Named February Elks Student of the Month https://santaynezvalleystar.com/ivan-guerrero-named-february-elks-student-of-the-month/ Mon, 03 Apr 2023 17:00:00 +0000 https://santaynezvalleystar.com/?p=17701 Santa Ynez High senior aspires to serve in a police K-9 unit Staff Report The Santa Ynez Valley Elks, a local community organization, has joined forces with Santa Ynez High School to recognize Ivan Guerrero as their outstanding February Student of the Month. Ivan’s remarkable achievements and dedication to his academics, sports, and community service […]

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Santa Ynez High senior aspires to serve in a police K-9 unit

Staff Report

The Santa Ynez Valley Elks, a local community organization, has joined forces with Santa Ynez High School to recognize Ivan Guerrero as their outstanding February Student of the Month. Ivan’s remarkable achievements and dedication to his academics, sports, and community service make him a deserving recipient of this prestigious award.

Throughout his high school career, Ivan has been a talented soccer player and has even earned the title of captain for the varsity soccer team this year. Additionally, Ivan is also a talented golfer and is on the high school golf team. Despite his busy schedule, Ivan still finds time to give back to his community by volunteering at the local Thanksgiving Food Bank. He also works at the Los Olivos Cafe, showing his dedication to balancing both his personal and professional responsibilities.

Ivan’s academic achievements are equally impressive, as he maintains a high GPA of 3.6 while juggling all of his extracurricular activities. He has ambitious plans for the future, including attending Santa Barbara City College to pursue a degree in criminal justice. His ultimate goal is to become a police officer and serve in the K-9 unit, making a positive impact in his community.

The Elks are proud to honor Ivan as their February Student of the Month and awarded him with a check for $100 during a March Elks Lodge meeting. Congratulations to Ivan on his remarkable accomplishments and for being a role model for others to follow. The Santa Ynez Valley Elks and Santa Ynez High School are honored to recognize such a deserving and accomplished young individual.

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Public Health considering waivers for K-6 school reopening https://santaynezvalleystar.com/public-health-considering-waivers-for-k-6-school-reopening/ Tue, 18 Aug 2020 22:29:12 +0000 https://santaynezvalleystar.com/?p=14139 By Raiza Giorgi publisher@santaynezvalleystar.com   Santa Barbara County Public Health Officer Dr. Henning Ansorg said he was excited to see the trend of cases coming downward after the fiasco of underreported cases to the State. Public health officials have a disclaimer on their status report dashboard while they waited for the state to clear a […]

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By Raiza Giorgi

publisher@santaynezvalleystar.com

 

Santa Barbara County Public Health Officer Dr. Henning Ansorg said he was excited to see the trend of cases coming downward after the fiasco of underreported cases to the State. Public health officials have a disclaimer on their status report dashboard while they waited for the state to clear a backlog of underreported cases. 

After working for two weeks straight to ensure that the case count matched the State records, Ansorg added he feels confident in starting to accept waivers for K-6th instruction at schools. 

“Kids especially in the smaller ages and grades need to have in-person learning. The schools are being given strict guidelines in this application for the waiver which will need to have support from staff and parents,” Ansorg said. 

Reopening waivers will have to submit evidence they consulted with labor and parent organizations, as well as development plans for reopening including daily health screenings, face screenings of either a mask or a face shield with cloth underneath for students third grade and above and cleaning routines, Ansorg explained. 

Ansorg also clarified school staff will have to do routine screenings, roughly once every two months to pick up any incedental positives. The county will support the teachers and staff as they are classified essential workers and provide webinars and how to do contact tracing if there is a positive staff or student. 

The case count for the county is trending downward and to come off the state’s monitoring list, the county will have to show only 450 cases in a two-week period. That number is derived from only 100 cases per 100,000 people in the county, of which Santa Barbara has 450,000 residents. 

“I saw that Santa Cruz and San Diego Counties just came off the monitoring list, so if they can do it I am confident we can get there soon as well,” Ansorg said. 

In the Santa Ynez Valley, the COVID-19 cases have remained low since reporting started in mid- March. There have only been 87 positive cases and currently there are two active cases as of Tuesday, Aug. 18. Active cases meaning those individuals are currently in the two-week recovery period from being identified as positive. 

The application will be available to districts on Friday, and letters will be sent to all school district superintendents to let them know of the waiver, Ansorg said. 

The waiver will take up to 14 days to decide and the districts will have to make their reopening plans made available on their websites for the public to view. 

Santa Ynez Charter School said their district has the waiver on the board’s agenda for their meeting next Tuesday, Aug. 25, and will have to check with their staff and parents. 

Solvang Elementary Superintendent Dr. Steve Seaford sent a ParentSquare message to parents on Tuesday saying he wasn’t wanting to move forward at this time. 

“Given previous stakeholder input and discussions, about a return to campus, I know there are mixed feelings about this. Please know that we have a plan to transition to a hybrid instructional model. However, given waiver requirements, we aren’t prepared to put that plan in place right now. Waiver requirements put the burden of COVID-19 testing and contact-tracing on the teachers and district. Consequently, I feel like the state and county public health departments’ plans, in effect, seek to deputize schools to do the work they have been hard pressed to do themselves. If the state and county are able to provide testing and contact-tracing resources to us, we would seriously consider a waiver and refine plans to implement a hybrid instructional model,” Seaford wrote. 

Santa Ynez Valley Christian Academy will be applying for the waiver as soon as possible, according to school staff. 

When asked some parents said they are wanting to get their kids back to class. 

“I am confident in the safety of all if Los Olivos School opens. The administrators, teachers and foundation have been extremely prudent and thoughtful in their planning for reopening,” said Charlotte Dicke, who has a child at Los Olivos School District. 

Buellton parents Jenny Thompson said she is also wanting her kids to get back to class as well. 

The teachers would have to get regular COVID-19 tests, that wasn’t known how often though, and kids would only have to take the test if there is an outbreak identified, Ansorg added. 

“We need to balance the needs of the kids in school and physical safety,” Ansorg said. 

Ansorg as always is urging everyone to continue following public health recommendations of wearing face coverings, maintaining physical distance from others, and avoiding gatherings and crowds. 

The Star has reached out to several other local valley districts and private schools to see if they will be applying. Check back for updates to this story when we get more information. 

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Scholarship Foundation earns eighth consecutive 4-Star rating https://santaynezvalleystar.com/scholarship-foundation-earns-eighth-consecutive-4-star-rating/ Mon, 17 Aug 2020 07:11:36 +0000 https://santaynezvalleystar.com/?p=14095 Staff Report   The Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara has received its eighth consecutive four-star rating from nonprofit evaluator Charity Navigator. The rating – Charity Navigator’s highest – indicates superior financial efficiency and transparency in Scholarship Foundation operations. The foundation has received 17 four-star ratings in 18 years.    “Attaining a four-star rating verifies that the […]

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Staff Report

 

The Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara has received its eighth consecutive four-star rating from nonprofit evaluator Charity Navigator. The rating – Charity Navigator’s highest – indicates superior financial efficiency and transparency in Scholarship Foundation operations. The foundation has received 17 four-star ratings in 18 years.   

“Attaining a four-star rating verifies that the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara exceeds industry standards and outperforms most charities in your area of work,” wrote Charity Navigator President and CEO Michael Thatcher. “Only 5 percent of the charities we evaluate have received at least eight consecutive four-star evaluations, indicating that the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara outperforms most other charities in America. This exceptional designation from Charity Navigator sets the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara apart from its peers and demonstrates to the public its trustworthiness.

The nation’s leading charity evaluator, Charity Navigator assesses organizations each year on the basis of financial health, governance, ethical practices and openness.

“Since its founding, the Scholarship Foundation has rigorously adhered to the highest standards regarding fiscal responsibility and accountability,” said Foundation President and CEO Barbara Robertson. “We are pleased to receive recognition for our efforts in these important areas, and thank Charity Navigator for this honor.” 

The Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara is the nation’s largest community-based provider of college scholarships, having cumulatively awarded nearly $130 million to more than 53,000 county students since its founding in 1962. A nonprofit organization, the Scholarship Foundation also provides free financial aid advising services. For additional information, visit www.sbscholarship.org.

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PG&E Opens Program for STEM Scholarships of up to $10,000 https://santaynezvalleystar.com/pge-opens-program-for-stem-scholarships-of-up-to-10000/ Tue, 30 Jun 2020 21:24:00 +0000 https://santaynezvalleystar.com/?p=13761 Staff Report Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) and The PG&E Corporation Foundation (The Foundation) are inviting applications to the Better Together STEM Scholarship Program. The Foundation will provide funding for a total of $250,000 to students pursuing a degree in Science, Technology, Engineering or Math (STEM) disciplines. The Program will award 20 scholarships of […]

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Staff Report

Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) and The PG&E Corporation Foundation (The Foundation) are inviting applications to the Better Together STEM Scholarship Program. The Foundation will provide funding for a total of $250,000 to students pursuing a degree in Science, Technology, Engineering or Math (STEM) disciplines. The Program will award 20 scholarships of $10,000 each and 20 scholarships of $2,500 each.

“PG&E and The PG&E Corporation Foundation are committed to helping students interested in being part of California’s clean energy future, giving them opportunities to learn and succeed in higher education, and achieve their dreams,” said Stephanie Isaacson, Executive Director of The PG&E Corporation Foundation.

Applications are open to graduating high school seniors, current college students, veterans and adults returning to school who are PG&E customers at the time of application. Applicants must plan to enroll in full-time undergraduate study for the entire 2020-2021 academic year and be seeking their first undergraduate degree at an accredited four-year institution in California.

Scholarships will be awarded based on academic achievement, demonstrated participation and leadership in school and community activities, and financial need.

Interested applicants can learn more and apply here. Application deadline is July 10, 2020. Awards will be announced in August.

Since 2012, the Better Together STEM Scholarship Program has awarded more than $6 million to accomplished students based on a combined demonstration of community leadership, personal triumph, financial need and academic achievement.

In addition to the Better Together STEM Scholarship Program, PG&E’s 10 employee resource groups (ERGs) and two engineering networking groups (ENGs) award scholarships to help offset the cost of higher education. The funds are raised totally through employee donations, employee fundraising events and Campaign for the Community, the company’s employee giving program. Since 1989, more than $4.5 million ERG scholarships have been received by thousands of recipients.

About PG&E

Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is one of the largest combined natural gas and electric energy companies in the United States. Based in San Francisco, with more than 23,000 employees, the company delivers some of the nation’s cleanest energy to 16 million people in Northern and Central California. For more information, visit www.pge.com and www.pge.com/news.

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OP ED: Tracy Roberts: Face masks hinder ability to teach https://santaynezvalleystar.com/op-ed-tracy-roberts-face-masks-hinder-ability-to-teach/ Tue, 16 Jun 2020 07:35:47 +0000 https://santaynezvalleystar.com/?p=13650 When I see, hear and read about plans to reopen our schools across the country, I am often left dumbfounded. As a teacher of preschool and elementary-age children for almost 25 years, I cannot fathom teaching children in a mask, much less teaching a child who is wearing a mask. When social distancing is discussed […]

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When I see, hear and read about plans to reopen our schools across the country, I am often left dumbfounded.

As a teacher of preschool and elementary-age children for almost 25 years, I cannot fathom teaching children in a mask, much less teaching a child who is wearing a mask. When social distancing is discussed and plans are shared for how to achieve it, my stomach turns, just as I know it does for many other parents and teachers in this world right now. How do I know? Because my phone is ringing off the hook with those seeking alternative education models to what they fear will be the “new normal” when their child returns to the classroom.

I have been a teacher for nearly three decades and own a school in the Santa Ynez Valley. I’ve witnessed firsthand the incredible responsibilities that come with educating children. School, at any age, is not only about learning the classroom work at hand. A teacher’s relationship with children cannot happen at a 6-foot distance. Students cannot read a teacher’s non-verbal cues when his/her face is covered by a mask. A face shield is another barrier to educating. The teacher/child relationship in the best scenario cannot be exclusively about academics.

Children only learn when they feel safe. And they learn best when they feel loved. All of us, but especially children, need human touch and contact to thrive in the classroom and in life

My classroom experiences affirm a very simple fact: Children, especially those at a younger, developmental age, cannot and will not social distance. As soon as an adult’s back is turned, they’ll jump all over each other and want to play. The only way to prevent that very basic human instinct from happening is to use fear. And that fear will only work with the already anxious ones. What happens to the mental health of children when we use fear as a motivator? The answer is played out daily on the social media posts and pages of adults. We all are familiar with the concept of fight, flight, or freeze. Children, our greatest responsibilities and our future, never will succeed in that kind of atmosphere.

I can’t breathe well when wearing a mask and cannot easily recognize my friends. I have felt isolated and dehumanized by the mask mandates. Now, we want to demand the same of young children whose lung capacity is much smaller and who depend on facial cues for information about safety and sanity?

From the time they are born, children read social cues to learn about the world around them. They immediately can surmise, Is this situation safe? What is sadness? The teacher gets angry when I do that. It all comes from facial expressions. We are asking our teachers — whose job is already incredibly hard in good times — to add another barrier to achieve the same standards. Entire days will be spent enforcing social distancing mandates and using fear and punishments to keep students in compliance. Learning will be jeopardized. Relationships cannot be built. Mental health matters — I would say even more than physical health at this young, formative age.

As a society, we consistently make mental health a secondary priority. We are talking about the next generation of children whose childhood could be potentially built around this “new normal.” The masks may begin to fade away in the coming months to years, but the fear we instilled in them about germs and touch today will quite possibly last a lifetime.

This is a recipe for children hating school and feeling as if the basic human need to touch on both a mental and physical level is potentially hazardous. How will they even build their immune systems with a no-touch, sanitized world? As a trained educator incredibly lucky enough to be in the lives of these little humans, I object! Reading public health documents on reopening schools makes me ponder this important question: Have they ever met children?

  • Tracy Roberts has a master’s degree in Child Development and Family Studies as well as two other post-graduate trainings in education. She is the Founder/Director/Teacher of Acorn Village Forest School in the Santa Ynez Valley. You can reach her at www.acornvillage.org

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LoyalTeach helps students achieve their highest potential https://santaynezvalleystar.com/loyalteach-helps-students-achieve-their-highest-potential/ Tue, 21 Jan 2020 08:58:34 +0000 https://santaynezvalleystar.com/?p=12094 By Pamela Dozois news@santaynezvalleystar.com Ian Cummings has a passion for the underserved, the knowledge to make a difference in the lives of students, and the tenacity and resolve to make it happen. He is the founding director of LoyalTeach, a program that helps students achieve their highest academic goals. He is a tutor, a college […]

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By Pamela Dozois

news@santaynezvalleystar.com

Ian Cummings has a passion for the underserved, the knowledge to make a difference in the lives of students, and the tenacity and resolve to make it happen.

He is the founding director of LoyalTeach, a program that helps students achieve their highest academic goals. He is a tutor, a college counselor, and educational consultant. 

Cummings taught at Midland School for 22 years and quit in 2014 without a plan for his future. 

“I didn’t know what I was going to do next but I began to read about something called ‘Under Matching’ in college admissions. Under Matching describes the tendency of low income, high achieving high school students to aim low in their college applications. They tend not to apply to highly selective colleges that are looking for students of their caliber,” explained Cummings.

“I am a fiscally sponsored project of a 501c3, the Social Good Fund, based in Richmond, Calif. The money I receive from the clients goes into the project out of which I am paid,” said Cummings.

The vast majority of college access organizations are concentrated in about 15 urban areas, he said, and students outside those areas are being underserved.

Pictured are Lizbeth Botello of Los Alamos and Ian Cummings at her graduation from Righetti High School in 2018. Lizbeth is now a sophomore at Cal Poly Pomona.

“I thought there must be a need in North Santa Barbara County for someone to provide college counseling to low income students,” said Cummings.

“I started working with students in the fall of 2016. I provide private college counseling and tutoring services. Wealthy people pay $75 per hour for a tutor or $200 an hour for a college counselor. Low to middle income families can’t afford that. I charge on a sliding scale. Some people pay only $5 per hour. After they receive 20 hours of service it becomes free. A family who pays $5 a session is guaranteed not to have to pay for more than $100 in total and the service may go on for years.

“I work with people of all income levels but because I also have a contract with Peoples’ Self Help Housing (PSHH) I also work with their residents and other local families in Santa Maria Valley. PSHH sponsors the students by paying for the service. I don’t deny anyone the service.”

“At Peoples’ Self Help Housing our goal is to support our students from kindergarten to and through college and career. Ian is definitely helping our students prepare for college in a strategic way, leading to more options for educational equity. We are so excited to have Ian on our College Club team,” said Alejandra Mahoney, director of education for Peoples’ Self Help Housing.

Cummings is also connected to a private family foundation, which wishes to remain anonymous. Cummings explained that the foundation generally sponsors two students a year, providing full “last dollar” funding for these students. In essence this means that the foundation covers all the students’ last expenses. They wait for all the financial aid to come in for the student from various sources and then cover all the remaining expenses and existing loans, enabling the students to have a free education.

“I’ve connected two students with this family’s foundation, one of whom is a resident of Los Alamos who is in her second year at Cal Poly Pomona,” said Cummings. “I helped her while she was attending Righetti High School, working with her during her senior year, helping her with the process of applying to college. She had been accepted to Cal Poly Pomona but financial aid couldn’t meet her family’s needs. She was bound and determined to go to Cal Poly and the foundation has committed to giving her about $20,000 a year for four years to cover all her educational expenses after financial aid and other scholarships. She has to graduate in four years, maintain a 3.0 GPA, and not take out any loans – in essence she is going to college for free.”

Cummings first intention was to focus his work in the Santa Ynez Valley but it turned out that he found more receptivity to the work in Santa Maria. He has students from Carpinteria to Guadalupe, but most are in Santa Maria and Los Alamos areas. 

“The primary work we do is one-on-one direct service, in the home, with the student and the family there. It’s a level of individual attention and individualized service the low income students don’t usually have access to,” he explained. “We have students we have been working with for three years – we have students we work with on a weekly basis – for an hour typically. We support our students not just to college but through college.”

“Most of my kids have had a strong sense of what they want to do in life,” said Cummings. “Almost all of our students are from immigrant families, not by design. That’s just what happens if you seek to work with low income families in this area.”

“My colleague is Eduardo Pena and he lives in Solvang. He took on six students three years ago and continues to work with four of them,” said Cummings.

“My hope is to expand the program but my biggest issue is can I raise enough money to do that. I’ve been basically a one-man-operation for the past three years and would like to expand. At some point this project needs to support one or more full-time employees because right now I am the only employee and I’m not full time, although I work a full-time schedule,” explained Cummings. “The need is out there – but I need to take the next step to bring in more revenue in order to help more students.”

Most of the support Cummings has comes from private contributions and he has also done some grant writing. The challenge for him is that he’s the service provider and the administrator of the project and the project is growing so he’s spending more time providing services which leaves less time for fundraising.

“We started with two students and are now working with 42 students,” said Cummings. “We’ve made a difference in the lives of many of my students, like guiding them to college funding they didn’t know they were eligible for; kids in college have applied for and received college credit that they had earned through Advance Placement exams taken in high school; I know kids who are attending the college they’re at because of us, whether it is the University of Rochester or Cal State Channel Islands. I have two students who would not have met the requirement for Cal State admission without us. One student just attended the summer program Adventure Risk Challenge; other students have taken Advance Placement or Honors classes because of us.

“Students who attend Allan Hancock can obtain a ‘Transfer Admission Guarantee’ which says if you earn a 3.4 GPA at Hancock you are guaranteed admission into the UC System as a transfer, but you have to apply,” Cummings said. “I had a student who knew about the TAG program and qualified but she didn’t apply because she just didn’t believe that it could apply to her – just others.

“We do not provide college funding but do help out with unexpected expenses with ‘Educational Justice Grants’ for unexpected or unfair expenses that burden the student’s possible advancement, undermining our mission. We are changing people’s lives,” said Cummings.

“This is the best thing I have done in my life. I was really proud to be a part of Midland School for as long as I was, but I feel I have now found my calling and this is all I want to do,” Cummings said.

Cummings still lives at Midland, as his wife Lynda continues to work there as college counselor. They have a son, Sean, who works for the Land Trust for Santa Barbara County and a daughter, Emily, who is a freshman at Pomona College.

For more information or to donate, visit loyalteach.org, email loyalteach@loyalteach.org or call 805-316-4942.

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Dunn School to host open house Jan. 11 https://santaynezvalleystar.com/dunn-school-to-host-open-house-jan-11/ Tue, 07 Jan 2020 08:02:37 +0000 https://santaynezvalleystar.com/?p=11913 Staff Report   Dunn School in Los Olivos is hosting open houses for families with students who are considering applying to Dunn Middle School.  Each program lasts approximately two hours and includes information on admissions and financial aid, a conversation with teachers, and a tour of the campus. This year’s open houses are scheduled for 2 […]

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Staff Report

 

Dunn School in Los Olivos is hosting open houses for families with students who are considering applying to Dunn Middle School. 

Each program lasts approximately two hours and includes information on admissions and financial aid, a conversation with teachers, and a tour of the campus. This year’s open houses are scheduled for 2 p.m. on Jan. 11 for the Middle School, with the Diagnostic Test and Interview day for Middle School applicants at 9 a.m. March 7. 

For nearly 60 years, Dunn has stayed true to its mission to educate the whole student. To accomplish this, the entire school community is committed to understanding and living by several core values: Emotional Wellness, Physical Readiness, Intellectual Growth, Social Responsibility, and Moral Courage.

Academics are carefully balanced with a focus on emotional development, physical activity, social responsibility, and moral courage.

For more information or to RSVP, email admissions@dunnschool.org or call 805-686-0650.

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Transfer day and college night at AHC https://santaynezvalleystar.com/transfer-day-and-college-night-at-ahc/ Tue, 29 Oct 2019 00:25:22 +0000 https://santaynezvalleystar.com/?p=11265 Staff Report Students, parents and community members who want to learn more about transferring to a four-year university will get the chance to meet with representatives from more than 40 universities at Allan Hancock College during University Transfer Day and College Night on Oct. 29. At both events, students will have the opportunity to meet […]

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Staff Report

Students, parents and community members who want to learn more about transferring to a four-year university will get the chance to meet with representatives from more than 40 universities at Allan Hancock College during University Transfer Day and College Night on Oct. 29.

At both events, students will have the opportunity to meet and speak with representatives from California State Universities, Universities of California and private and independent colleges and universities. University Transfer Day and College Night are free and open to the public.

University Transfer Day will take place from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in The Commons, located at the center of the Santa Maria campus.

“Transfer Day is the perfect opportunity for Hancock students to gather information, ask questions and get answers from a variety of university representatives. It is the one time every year that we have most of our UC and CSU campuses available for students in one place, as well as many out-of-state and private universities,” said Hancock Counselor Ashley Brackett. “This is a great once-a-year opportunity, and we want our students to take advantage of it.”

College Night, which is similar to Transfer Day but focused on high school students, their parents,  and community members, will be held on the Santa Maria campus in the Joe White Memorial Gymnasium from 5-7 p.m. Attendees can enter to win a raffle, and dinner will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis starting at 4:30 p.m.

“College Night is an excellent opportunity for local high school students and their families to get more information about how they can prepare to apply and attend Allan Hancock College or a university,” said Brackett. “Even though College Night is put on mainly for our community, our local Hancock students are welcome to attend as well.”

College Night will also feature informative workshops for students, parents and community members. The “You Can Afford College” workshops will take place from 5-6 p.m. in English and from 6-7 p.m. in Spanish. These workshops will discuss the cost of attending college and how to utilize financial aid to help cover costs. The “Transfer Basics” workshops will take place from 5:30-6 p.m. in English and from 6-6:30 p.m. in Spanish. These workshops will help attendees learn about the process and requirements for transferring from a community college to a four-year institution.

For more information about both events, contact the University Transfer Center at 1-805-922-6966 ext. 3363.

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New school year is a fresh start for everyone https://santaynezvalleystar.com/new-school-year-is-a-fresh-start-for-everyone/ Tue, 17 Sep 2019 15:21:22 +0000 https://santaynezvalleystar.com/?p=10751 By Dr. Susan Salcido SB County Superintendent of Schools Starting in Guadalupe on Aug. 8 and ending in Carpinteria on Aug. 26, schools throughout Santa Barbara County have welcomed students back into their classrooms for another year. The beginning of the school year can signal optimism, wonder, and a fresh start for students, families, and […]

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By Dr. Susan Salcido

SB County Superintendent of Schools

Starting in Guadalupe on Aug. 8 and ending in Carpinteria on Aug. 26, schools throughout Santa Barbara County have welcomed students back into their classrooms for another year. The beginning of the school year can signal optimism, wonder, and a fresh start for students, families, and the entire education community.

This year, the start of school may even bring needed comfort as it reminds us that despite tumultuous and challenging events in our nation, there is a rhythm to the year upon which we can rely. The beginning of the academic year arrives just like clockwork and provides continuity and sense of promise for all of us.

Classroom walls get redecorated to feature new student artwork, cafeterias are stocked with nutritious food for our children’s meals, and boxes that are piled in offices during the summer months are emptied and put away to signal that students are arriving.

Our children are greeted by principals, teachers, school secretaries, custodians, bus drivers, crossing guards, support staff, parent volunteers and fellow students, all crackling with the almost electric first-day-of-school excitement. It is a tribute to our professionalism, our resilience, and the optimistic human spirit.

Educators and school staff make these openings appear seamless and effortless but, of course, they are not. Starting a new school year requires a great deal of preparation, elbow grease and skill.

While the summer break offers a time of renewal and refreshment, we also know that the vast majority of administrators, teachers and staff members spent time planning for and working on the coming school year so that all will go as smoothly as possible for students and parents.

This summer, in fact, many educators throughout our county attended conferences, studied, refined, planned and deepened their knowledge about content and instructional approaches, and connected with professionals about impactful ways to support students.

For the students who will reap the benefits of these efforts, excitement is no doubt building for the new school year, but it is also quite normal for them to have some trepidation.

Michele Frantz, the 2020 Santa Barbara County Teacher of the Year, from Joe Nightingale School in Orcutt, has this advice for students: “Know that it is normal to feel both excited and nervous about returning to school. Remember that you are one of a kind and have special gifts and qualities that only you can bring to your classroom, so just be you!”

That’s great advice for parents to share with their children as the school year gets into full swing. Here are some other tips from experts that have proven helpful:

  • Make extra time for your children, especially as they go through the transition to a new year with new teachers and new friends. Listen to their questions and concerns. Stress your love and support to help ease their worries. Talking together about school can strengthen your family bonds and ease any anxiety your children may be feeling.
  • Try to structure time so that the morning is calm. You can work backward from the time your children need to be at school, figuring out how long it will take to get dressed, eat breakfast, and travel to school. Build in time for unexpected delays.
  • Make an after-school game plan. How will your children get home? Will there be after-school programs, sports practices, or music lessons? Where and when will your children do their homework?

Parents can be assured that all our dedicated and skilled school professionals have a common goal of supporting their children. Going back to school is a ritual that we’ve all gone through in our own childhoods, and it will continue for generations to come.

I hope the new school year will be productive, fun, full of joy, wonder and new learning for your children and for every member of our school community.

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Partners in Education welcomes new leadership and new board members https://santaynezvalleystar.com/partners-in-education-welcomes-new-leadership-and-new-board-members/ Tue, 03 Sep 2019 15:39:21 +0000 https://santaynezvalleystar.com/?p=10476 Staff Report July 1 marked new additions and new roles for the Partners in Education board of directors, including Dr. Susan Salcido, Santa Barbara County Superintendent of Schools, taking the helm as board president. Longtime board member and founder of D.D. Ford Construction, Doug Ford, will serve as the board’s vice president. Salcido attended UCSB, where […]

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Staff Report

July 1 marked new additions and new roles for the Partners in Education board of directors, including Dr. Susan Salcido, Santa Barbara County Superintendent of Schools, taking the helm as board president.

Longtime board member and founder of D.D. Ford Construction, Doug Ford, will serve as the board’s vice president.

Salcido attended UCSB, where she majored in English and later earned her master’s degree in education. She began teaching at Dos Pueblos High School and subsequently served as assistant principal of San Marcos High School and principal of Santa Barbara Junior High School, before joining the Santa Barbara County Education Office.

 She completed the USC doctoral program at the Rossier School of Education, where she focused on organizational change, leadership, and student equity. Salcido joined the Partners’ board in 2017.

“Partners in Education is a vital part of our community, providing volunteers and career readiness training for our youth. I am honored to serve as this year’s board president as we continue to guide the programs and services Partners offers in Santa Barbara County,” Salcido said.

Doug Ford
Santa Barbara County Education Office

Ford majored in industrial arts with an emphasis in fine woodworking at Cal State Long Beach before starting one of Santa Barbara’s premier construction companies. He began participating in Partners’ Career Days nearly 10 years ago and is also the vice president of the TRADART Foundation, which is committed to job preparation programs for youth and the advancement of craftmanship training.

Jesus Terrazas is a brand new member of the board and an alum of Partners’ Internship Program. His internship took place at D.D. Ford Construction. Terrazas and his family also received a computer through Partners in Education’s Computer for Families program nearly 15 years ago.

Jesus Terrazas
Santa Barbara County Education Office

“Partners in Education is a wonderful organization that offers incredible support and opportunities to local students and their families. Being a recipient of its programs’ benefits, I am now thrilled to be involved as a member of the board,” Terrazas said.

He works as a manager at Merryl Brown Events and has a bachelor of arts degree in communication from UCSB.

Also new to the board, Dr. Jeffrey Milem is dean and professor at UCSB’s Gevirtz School of Education.

Jeffrey Milem
Santa Barbara County Education Office

Each year, Partners in Education coordinates thousands of volunteers —mostly professionals from local businesses — to participate in guest speaking, career days, mock job interviews, résumé coaching, and even classroom or afterschool tutoring.

The organization was formed by local business and education leaders in 1977 and is administered by the Santa Barbara County Education Office. More than 276,000 volunteer hours have been contributed at K-12 campuses and youth-serving nonprofits across Santa Barbara County; more than 12,300 computers have been delivered to families in need; and more than 660 high school students have received paid job-readiness training and internship experience in the workplace.

For more information, visit partners.sbceo.org.

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