Education

This summer you want your child to enjoy the best of what summer has to offer and when making summer plans, remember that research tells us that you should add some academics into this schedule. Most students lose 20 percent of their skills over the summer and start out the next school year in catch up mode. Set aside time for learning to make a critical difference. Summer isn’t just a time to think about outdoor activities, sports, or camp, it is also a great time to introduce new concepts and drive fluency of basic concepts in a relaxed, fun, no risk atmosphere without the pressure of everyday schoolwork and grades.

Imagine training an athlete for nine months, getting them to the perfect level of conditioning... then telling them to take three months off and do nothing! Now, imagine getting them back on the field of competition at the end of those three months and expecting them to perform at their training peak. While every good coach will build varying levels of intensity into their training programs, none would ever recommend extended periods in which not even minimal skills are practiced.

This world is a challenging place for everyone; each individual needs special care and support to fulfill their potential. The needs of early adolescents are especially distinctive. During this time marked by so much change, tweens and teens need a safe place to grow and thrive. When it comes to middle school education, an academically-challenging curriculum fused with a nurturing environment can serve as a springboard for a lifetime of success in school, careers and healthy relationships, in addition to overall well-being.

The William S. Hart Union School District’s Regional Occupation Program (ROP) honored Brian Kasman as the ROP Outstanding Student of the Year, as well as 31 other students Wednesday evening at the annual ROP Outstanding Student Recognition event held at La Mesa Junior High School.

Having a child is a significant life-changing event that re-shapes our daily interactions, friendships, routines, and expectations. Like any pivotal event, it can leave us with a flurry of emotions, both positive and negative, with which we must come to terms. Having sufficient support is a fundamental means of coping with the stresses, trials, and tribulations of being a new parent.

Students are typing and texting more frequently and writing less in school and studies show it is hampering their brain development.
With the proliferation of keyboards both large and small, students, and adults for that matter, are not doing much actual writing anymore. Study after study show that writing by hand is vital for brain development and cognition, helping children hone fine motor skills and learn to express and generate ideas. Yet the time spent teaching penmanship in most schools has diminished to nearly nothing. Here is how the brain and penmanship interact:

We would like to share some of our highlights!
Bridgeport: California Distinguished School; California honored award winning PTA; FIBO visual arts program for all grades; beginning and advanced concert band programs; Student leadership programs including Peer Mentors (working with students with moderate to severe disabilities); Playground Partners (Upper grade students partnered with primary students who need support on the playground); Go Green Club (Students teaching others how to be environmentally conscientious); Student Council; Student Valets; Student Newspaper.
Cedarcreek: California Distinguished School; Partnership with COC Performing Arts Center (Teaching Artists); Cougar Mega Mile Fitness Club; Bucket-filler School; Cougar Club; professional and collaborative staff.

Sulphur Springs School District (SSSD) dedicates more than $17 million for construction projects at Valley View Community School. A new Annex building for severely-disabled and medically fragile students, new library and general education classrooms will be constructed starting May 2015.

Canyon Springs and Mint Canyon State Preschools provide a hands-on quality program for low-income families residing within the Sulphur Springs School District.  Our low student to teacher ratio offers many opportunities for one-on-one interaction during the three-hour school day.

California Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson has announced Saugus High School is being recognized as a California Gold Ribbon School for 2015.
According to the California Department of Education, of the 10,366 public schools in the state, only 373 are being recognized with California’s highest distinction.

Summer is just around the corner, which means kids are itching to be done with school. Research shows that kids lose the connection to what they learned during the school year in the summer. Yet, it is difficult to quantify what exactly the impact of that will be in the future. 

Thirty four business leaders from across the Santa Clarita Valley came to Golden Valley High School Thursday night for the William S. Hart Union School District Regional Occupational Program (ROP) “Interview Night.”
The top 70 students, nominated by each ROP teacher, were interviewed by a panel of leaders in one of eight career pathways: Arts, Media and Entertainment; Engineering, Transportation and Building Trades; Fashion and Interior Design; Health Science Practitioner; Health Science Support; Manufacturing and Product Development; Marketing, Sales and Service; and Public Service.

Have you ever thought of new ways to promote reading for your kindergartener? Perhaps you have heard about reading centers, these help small groups of kindergarteners to practice hands on literacy activities like looking at and discussing books, playing literacy games, such as missing letter games, alphabet and sight word games.

The end of the school year is coming fast and for adolescents that can mean a lot of stress in the form of finals, SAT exams, finances, prom, work, or transitioning to high school or college.  Some of these things may seem small to adults, but to a teen they can be a big deal. Learning how to overcome these stressors will help them to strengthen their problem-solving skills, learn coping strategies, increase their ability to think critically, and better their relationship with you.

It takes a village to raise a child. We can’t expect teachers to be the only ones educating our children. Research proves that when mom and dad become involved in their kid’s school life, grades, behavior and emotional well-being improve. So, if you want to make the teacher’s job a little easier, check out these 10 things teachers want from parents.
Read to Your Child

Are you thinking about childcare for your precious infant or toddler? Mixed emotions often go through parents’ minds as they weigh the options of what is the best choice for their family. Choosing a childcare center that understands your needs will make a difference in your day, and also in your child’s day.

Most parents remember summers being about vacations, swimming, sports and lots of hanging out with friends. Summer schedules for most families are just as complex as during the school year, if not more.  We now want our kids to keep their skills, get ahead, and use their time wisely to help them excel in the future.

Joint attention is the ability to coordinate attention between an object and a person in a social context. For example, when given a new toy, a baby looks at the toy and turns and looks toward his mother to show her the toy. Typically present by 12 to 14 months of age, this is an important building block for language development, play, imitation, social behavior and executive functioning. It is also a crucial missing piece for children on the Autism spectrum.