News
Press releases issued by the Sonoma County Office of Education and other news items related to Sonoma County schools are included here.
New Internet safety requirements for districts
05/15/2012 - To maintain eligibility for e-rate, districts must comply with new Child Internet Protection Act (CIPA) requirements by June 30, 2012. Specifically, each district must update its Internet safety policies to meet new requirements for educating students about appropriate online behavior. Board policies on Internet safety must specifically state that the district will:
- Educate students about Internet safety and online behavior annually
- Provide students with cyberbullying awareness and prevention education annually
- Require students and/or their parents/guardians to sign a technology use agreement
Sonoma County school districts are advised to amend their board policies by June 30 to reflect these three additional CIPA components. In addition, districts that have not held a public hearing on their Internet safety policies should also schedule a hearing so that parents can voice their concerns and provide input on this subject.
The California Department of Education has provided information and sample documents (pdf) for district use. CDE is also in the process of compiling resources for Internet safety and cyberbullying training. These resources will be available later this month.
For additional information on the CIPA requirements, contact SCOE’s Information Technology department at 524-8324 or helpdesk@scoe.org.
West Side custodian earns state award
05/09/2012 -
Robert Lownes, the custodian at West Side School in Healdsburg, has been selected as the 2012 California Classified School Employee of Year in the area of maintenance, operations, and facilities. He will be honored at a May 24 reception in Sacramento, along with five other classified school employees from other areas of the state.
Mr. Lownes has been employed at West Side School since 2007, joining the staff following his retirement as an appliance repairman. His work at this small, rural campus goes well beyond typical custodial duties to include landscape maintenance, well monitoring, creek stewardship, and fixing anything and everything. Soon after he began his employment, there was a devastating fire at the school. Robert Lownes’ optimism, skill, and can-do attitude helped the school recover and rebuild.
Principal Rhonda Bellmer says that “Mr. Lownes’ positive influence permeates every aspect of the school community.” He lives on property adjoining the school and attends every school event. He supervised an Eagle Scout project restoring the school’s outdoor classroom, serves on the school’s safety committee, and oversees the student-run recycling and composting program. To ensure student safety, he manages the traffic flow when students arrive and leave school—greeting students and helping them in and out of cars. He is a problem-solver, responding with resourcefulness and skill when faced with a broken toy, a complex maintenance project, or a student who could benefit from some special friendship and support. More ..
High school graduation calendar, 2012
05/08/2012 - Here is a listing of the 2012 high school graduation ceremonies scheduled for Sonoma County schools. Ceremonies will take place at the school site unless otherwise indicated.
Comprehensive High Schools
Analy | May 31 | 5:30pm
Casa Grande | May 25 | 4:30pm
Cloverdale | June 1 | 8:00pm
El Molino | May 31 | 6:30pm
Elsie Allen | May 25 | 5:00pm
Geyserville | May 31 | 7:00pm
Healdsburg | June 1 | 7:00pm | Healdsburg Recreation Park
Maria Carrillo | May 25 | 5:30pm
Montgomery | May 25 | 6:30pm
Petaluma | May 26 | 10:00am
Piner | May 25 | 6:30pm
Rancho Cotate | June 1 | 6:00pm
Roseland University Prep | May 30 | 6:00pm | SSU, Commencement Lawn
Santa Rosa | May 25 | 6:30pm | SRJC Bailey Field
Sonoma Valley | June 1 | 6:30pm
Technology High | June 1 | 3:00pm | SSU Person Theater
Windsor | June 2 | 5:00pm
Alternative High Schools
More ..
Celebrate Public Schools Week, May 4-11
04/27/2012 -
The public is invited to attend Sonoma County’s Public Schools Week celebrations, May 4-11, in Santa Rosa and Petaluma. The week-long event features displays of student work, student performances, and presentations showcasing innovative school programs.
Santa Rosa activities:
The Santa Rosa event takes place in Coddingtown Mall. Twenty-four Sonoma County districts are participating, representing 85 local schools.
- A wine and cheese reception will kick off Public Schools Week on May 4, from 4:00pm to 5:30pm. A $5 donation is requested. The reception takes place at the South Center Mall.
- Live student performances will be presented Friday, May 4 at 4:00pm; Sunday, May 6, from 12:00 to 6:00pm; Thursday, May 10, from 2:00 to 6:00pm; and Friday, May 11, beginning at noon. Performances take place at the South Center Mall. See the Santa Rosa Performance Schedule (pdf) for more information.
- Tables displaying school information and student work will be open from Friday, May 4, at 4:00pm, through Friday, May 11, at 4:00pm.
- Participating districts include Alexander Valley, Bellevue, Bennett Valley, Cloverdale, Cotati-Rohnert Park, Forestville, Geyserville, Harmony, Healdsburg, Kenwood, Mark West, Monte Rio, Oak Grove, Old Adobe, Piner-Olivet, Rincon Valley, Roseland, Santa Rosa City, Sebastopol, West Side, West Sonoma County Union High, Windsor, and Wright.
- Additional information is available on the Public Schools Week Facebook page or by contacting Stacie Post-Sheffer, (707) 524-2813 or spost@scoe.org
Petaluma activities:
The Petaluma event is being held in the Theater District, at the corner of Second and C Streets, in space donated by Basin Street Properties. Representatives from Petaluma area schools and districts are participating.
- Displays of student work and tables with school information will be on display from 3:00 to 8:00pm each day, May 4-11. Representative from the participating districts will also be available to talk with visitors.
- School bands and choral groups with perform at various times during the week.
The goal of Public Schools Week is to shine a spotlight on the diverse talent and accomplishments of the students and educational programs available in Sonoma County. The event is coordinated by the California Teachers Association, Sonoma County Association of School Administrators, Sonoma County Educators Council, California School Employees Association, and other education groups and associations.
300 students in Robotics Challenge on May 5
04/26/2012 -
Elementary and middle school students from grades 4 to 8 will demonstrate 21st century thinking skills and abilities when robots they’ve constructed compete in the Sonoma County Robotics Challenge. This event takes place on Saturday, May 5, from 9:00am to 2:00pm, at Elsie Allen High School, 599 Bellevue Avenue, Santa Rosa. Media representatives and members of the public are invited to see the action at this innovative annual event.
Over 300 students from 18 schools will participate. Working in teams, they will compete in six events that require skill in robot design and programming. Their robots will wrestle, race, complete a planned script of actions, follow a designated path, and act as bull dozers to move hazards out of the way. Teams will earn awards based on overall performance, team spirit, programming skill, design innovation, and grace under pressure.
Student teams prepare for the Robotics Challenge starting in February as they learn to design, construct, and program robots using Lego Mindstorm robotics kits and programming software. They apply mathematics, science and engineering skills as they problem solve, collaborate, and communicate to create their robots.
The Sonoma County Office of Education partnered with local schools and the Sonoma County Economic Development Board to create this program, which is now in its eleventh year. Since its inception, the Robotics Challenge has reached over 100 local elementary and middle schools, involving more 2,000 students and 150 teachers.
For more information, see www.scoe.org/robotics.
