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Daily education news and conversation

‘Trashtastic’ homemade/recycled boat event is this Saturday

Thursday, at 6:23 by

Reminder: The Trashtastic Boatacular fest is this Saturday in Santa Rosa. We ran a story last month about the efforts by Comstock and Santa Rosa middle school students to create floatable vessels to enter in the “competition.”  To read that story, click here http://bit.ly/11nGUmk The event, which includes a potluck picnic, is open to the public and will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Nagasawa Community Park on Fountaingrove Lake. The boat race is scheduled for 2 p.m. For… Read More »

Santa Rosa Middle’s Torres is student of the month

Wednesday, at 6:01 by

Santa Rosa Middle School eighth grader Luis Torres is Santa Rosa City Schools student of the month for May. Torres is described as a student with a positive attitude who can be counted on to do the right thing in all situations. “Luis is the type of student who reminds us all of how fortunate we are to do what we do,” said music teacher Mark Wardlaw. “Whatever lesson is being taught, Luis can be counted on to be fully… Read More »

Think your boat can beat the Crusaders’ vessel?

Thursday, at 11:22 by

Intrigued by the story that ran in today’s Press Democrat about Comstock Middle School and Santa Rosa Middle School students building boats out of recycled materials to compete in the upcoming “Trashtastic Boatacular”? Well the event is open to the public and organizers are still taking eager participants. The event is May 11 at Nagasawa Community Park on Fountaingrove Lake. For more information, see their Facebook page http://on.fb.me/11HrfOZ or call organizer (and make and art teacher) Dawn Thomas at 245-4735.… Read More »

SchoolsPlus ups its annual contribution to Santa Rosa schools

Thursday, at 10:34 by

SchoolsPlus is at it again. The nonprofit that has been supporting athletics and arts in all Santa Rosa City Schools middle and high schools for more than two decades has upped their annual contribution to each campus, according to the group’s leaders. This year, all five comprehensive high schools will get $20,000 (up from $12,500 last year) and middle schools as well as Ridgway High will receive $10,000 (up from $6,250 last year). The money is to be split evenly… Read More »

Which school has the best attendance rate? The worst? (And why it matters)

Wednesday, at 6:07 by

Santa Rosa City Schools has released its annual attendance rates for 2011-12, tallied by school. Here is are the average rates of absenteeism (ranked highest to lowest) on each campus: ELEMENTARY SCHOOL Brook Hill, 5 percent Steele Lane, 4.94 percent Doyle Park, 4.71 percent Monroe, 4.57 percent Lincoln, 4.24 percent Biella, 3.91 percent Burbank, 3.46 percent Hidden Valley Satellite, 3.37 percent Helen Lehman, 3.31 percent Hidden Valley, 3.28 percent Proctor Terrace, 3.17 percent   MIDDLE SCHOOL Cook Middle School, 6.79… Read More »

SRCS sports report: Money spent and participation disparities

Tuesday, at 12:59 by

The annual sports report is out. Santa Rosa City Schools has released its competitive athletic unaudited fiscal analysis for 2011-12. The report details what the district’s general fund pays to support athletic programs at middle and high schools and separates funds that are received and expended via student body accounts or donations. That number grew by $42,185 last year from a total of $566,535 in 2010-11. The total general fund contribution to high school athletics was $811,549 and $227,763 for… Read More »

Acrobats wow at SR Middle’s multicultural fair

Monday, at 10:16 by

    Santa Rosa Middle School celebrated the final day of their week-long multicultural celebration with a fair in the gym Friday night. On stage a mariachi band played, Chinese acrobats wowed and Hawaiian dancers did their thing while students and parents served a wide array of foods including tamales, Chinese orange chicken, churros, bratwurst and sauerkraut, snow cones, chicken skewers, pizza and sushi. Hundreds of people packed into the Cougar’s gym for the annual event. To read more about… Read More »

Cougars’ multicultural week ends in fair Friday

Tuesday, at 2:03 by

  Santa Rosa Middle School is in the middle of their fifth annual Multicultural Week on the E Street campus. Teachers can sign up to bring their classes to an array of talks, performances and gatherings all week. Topics include talks from Japanese-American citizens, African dance, a talk from a Holocaust survivor, Chinese yo-yo experts and fire dancers. The week culminates in an evening of eating and performances in the Cougar’s gym that is open to the public. On Friday… Read More »

Santa Rosa’s Vanessa Mondragon is student of the month

Wednesday, at 6:01 by

Santa Rosa Middle School’s Vanessa Mondragon is Santa Rosa City Schools’ middle school student of the month for November. Described by her math teacher as a determined students, Mondragon does not give up with she is unclear on algebraic concepts, instead she continues to ask for help until she has it nailed. She is also regularly willing to help her fellow students understand the subject. In line with that, Mondragon says she wants to be a math teacher when she… Read More »

SR’s Olson takes 2nd in National History Day competition

Friday, at 10:15 by

Stacey Olson, who just wrapped up her seventh grade year at Santa Rosa Middle School, earned a second place finish at the National History Day National competition at the University of Maryland this week. The competition was began Sunday and concluded Thursday.       Olson earned $500 for her finish. Olson won the California competition in the junior paper division for her piece “The Camp David Accords: A Triumph of Diplomacy.” Last year Olson, then a sixth grader at… Read More »