Education

College of the Canyons graduate Jessie Warme has been named a recipient of the 2014 Phi Theta Kappa Hites Transfer Scholarship, joining a select group of just 10 community college students from across the nation to receive this prestigious award.
The Hites Transfer Scholarship Program is made possible by support from the Hites Family Community College Scholarship Foundation and the Phi Theta Kappa Foundation, and is meant to recognize the outstanding academic achievement of Phi Theta Kappa members.

This fall, 16 graduates from the College of the Canyons and William S. Hart Union High School District’s Upward Bound program will begin their first semester of college after completing the college preparatory program that helps empower students to graduate from high school and pursue their education at a college or university.
The COC Upward Bound program is the result of a five-year, roughly $1.25 million grant awarded to the college by the U.S. Department of Education meant to assist high school students that have the academic potential to succeed, but who need enrichment and encouragement in order to prepare for and ultimately be successful in college.

There are many reasons that a student may be struggling.  Most parents think that it is a lack of focus and effort but for a large number of students, about 10 percent of the population, we see them struggling in one area more than any other. For example, the student has no problem getting ‘A’s in English but hates math and makes every excuse to justify their dislike for the subject something else may be the cause.

Mark your calendars for Saturday, October 18 as the West Ranch High School Band, and Band Boosters, present the 6th Annual Wildcat Classic.  The Wildcat Classic is a Southern California School Band & Orchestra Association (SCSBOA) Marching Band Competition. This will be the first opportunity of...

Gardening with young children is very enriching!
Gardening gives children an opportunity to work together, interact and be in a natural environment. It is “work” and when children are working it is very important to let them do it themselves, it empowers them. Gardening fosters nurturing; children learn the importance of taking care of living things and natural resources.
Gardening activities make for great conversations, following step-by-step directions, and extended learning.

Sending your child to school is one of the most important steps on the road to adulthood. It can be the most terrifying, the most heart wrenching, and also the most amazingly gratifying experience for parents. This is true whether it’s a transition to high school, junior high, kindergarten, or pre-school. But let’s face it, pre-school is the hardest because it’s the first time we really have to let go.
So what can you do as a parent to make sure when you leave your child for the first time, it’s a positive experience?

Growing up, my focus was on getting into a terrific college, somewhere my parents could be proud of, a place I can feel at home and know I had worked as hard as possible so I could get accepted. My days were busy with classes, clubs, tutoring, marching band, and homework. My schedule felt nonstop, even on the weekends. I spent seven days out of the week trying to catch up, rather than stay ahead. I felt that I was chasing a never-ending cycle of homework, projects, and presentations. Eventually, my sleep schedule became an unknown creature. The stress began to build. I didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t stop what I was doing because I didn’t have the luxury of being ahead of the school work. I was behind.

Parents have been complaining for years. What about? Despite mountains of daily homework and endless testing, their children struggle to master core subjects. Meanwhile colleges must offer basic skills classes. Why? Because too many students are not ready for courses that need higher math and English skills.
Meanwhile, tutors who have earned math and science degrees abroad decry the lack of basic skills. It’s a hinder to teaching students advanced lessons. In some cases, critical knowledge is still lacking among those who enter such fields after graduation. This results in the production of inferior products.

Are you a high school or college student who wants to take part of a great, free, opportunity?  Liberty Tax is now are currently offering a tax school for young individuals who are interested in learning about tax preparation, the new laws, and becoming a California Certified Tax Preparer. 

Managing challenges and adapting to change are some of the best tools for life we can teach our children. By successfully managing tough situations early on, our children will be more resilient in the future. Adversity is a natural part of life and can range from mild to severe. As parents we often hope and work to keep the adversity our children face to a minimum. However, being able to do so is imperative for successful growth and development. The National Association of School Psychologists support fostering resiliency and offer some ways for parents to do this:

According to an article printed in the San Francisco Chronicle, titled “Stanford Study Links Art Classes to Academic Achievement,” (researched by Stanford professor Shirley Brice Heath who is also a senior scholar at the Carnegie foundation for the Advancement of Teaching) students who participate in after-school art programs are “more likely to win academic awards and achievements.”  The article also stated that research has shown that children who partake in the arts, tend to use, and therefore develop, more advanced linguistic and cognitive thinking skills.  This includes long-term planning, as well as critiquing and focused attention, which has both social and academic benefits.

As families begin the quest for the right education for their student, they often make the assumption that kindergarten is merely a transitional year before their “real” education begins.  They suspect that very little happens in the classroom academically in Kindergarten, and that it makes no difference to the rest of their education.  If you are a parent considering private education for your child, it might seem to make more sense (especially in these trying economic times) to save the cost of paying private tuition for one year and then transfer their student in when it starts to matter.

Emmy recipient and local ARTree Community Arts Founder and President, Bob Hernandez joined the talented staff at SCCS as the new art teacher in August 2014.
“I am excited to be the new art teacher at SCCS,” said Hernandez. “Everything I’ve done in my career has led me to this point in my life. The Lord has prepared me for this position.”

SCV homeschooling parents are deeply invested in their children’s academic, emotional and spiritual growth, participating hands on to ensure that their kid gets everything they need to thrive.
But sometimes it can be hard work - not to mention an energy drain on the primary parent educator.

In our increasingly competitive and ever-evolving society, strong foundations and effective preparation are the keys to success.  This is true in business, finance, government, and most especially in education.  As technological advances move us forward at a rapidly increasing pace, our schools are tasked with preparing students today for jobs that don’t even exist yet!  How can that be done?
As surprising as it may sound, it starts with great preschools.  Why?  Foundation and preparation. 

For many parents, the decision to have their child tutored is precipitated by a parent/teacher conference or a report card. Poor grades or problems in the classroom are certainly indicators that a child is struggling academically, but there are often more subtle signs that parents can detect. And in education, as in healthcare, intervention at the first sign of trouble can prevent a deeper crisis.
Indicators that tutoring may benefit your child:

Through several communications tools, including ConnectEd phone and email system, website posts, Infinite Campus, eNotify emails, Facebook, Twitter and the just launched SchoolWay mobile app, the District is reaching out and sharing information through technology and social media like never before. The Hart School District serves nearly 23,000 students in 16 schools in grades seven through 12.

In an effort to increase access to educational opportunities, College of the Canyons will address the growing demands for class sections by offering students a wide array of late-start classes during the fall 2014 semester.
The more than 140 additional sections being offered address a variety of student needs, ranging from core math and science requirements to electives and Career Technical Education classes.