SUSAN SALCIDO

Two years have passed since COVID-19 forced schools around the world to close their doors, a tectonic shift in daily life with effects still unfolding.  On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization officially declared COVID-19 a pandemic. By Friday, March 13, many schools here and beyond announced that campuses would cease in-person instruction and […]

As school begins and routines shift from summer to school mode, students, staff, and families adjust in multiple ways to help launch the year successfully. Children and family members learn bus schedules, sort out carpools, reset morning alarms, and excitedly wait to see which friends are in their classes. Teachers and staff reunite at schools […]

Looking back, 2020 was a year of downs, ups, backwards and sideways, to say the least. The year was full of reality that seemed unimaginable at this time last year. Far too many friends, family members, and neighbors lost jobs and closed businesses, and a staggering number of individuals lost their lives. The daily interactions […]

The long-awaited answer about what schools will look like in the fall was delivered on July 17 when Gov. Newsom announced all public and private schools in counties on the state’s monitoring list, which includes Santa Barbara County, must open via distance learning. This includes all public, private, and charter schools serving students from transitional […]

For as long as I can remember—from growing up in Santa Maria to leaving home to attend UC Santa Barbara to the present—there has been one particular holiday that my family has held close: New Year’s Day.  As a child, we celebrated birthdays, holidays, and other special events together, but now, as the family has […]

Starting in Guadalupe on Aug. 8 and ending in Carpinteria on Aug. 26, schools throughout Santa Barbara County are welcoming students back into their classrooms. 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 […]

Many of us have a love-hate relationship with our cell phones. We love the immediate access to information and the ability to quickly text a friend. But we dislike when we’re driving and everyone else in the car is absorbed on their devices, or when we’re talking with someone who constantly checks their phone. It […]

Thanksgiving is a particularly special holiday, due in large part to the opportunity it affords us to think of friends and families near and far. As many of us will continue to share special times together with our loved ones, it is an appropriate time to reflect on the many things for which we are […]

Eight American scientists won the Nobel Prize this year. We appreciate them for their inspiration and discoveries, and also thank the teachers they had throughout the years who encouraged their curiosity, tenacity, and brilliance. America’s dominance in Nobel Prizes is an ongoing success story, as our scientists continue to extend the reach of human knowledge. […]

More than 30 years ago, Sally Ride became the first woman astronaut to orbit the Earth. She was also the youngest, at age 32. Three years later, Judy Resnik became the second woman in space. She was also a concert pianist, an electrical engineer, and the first Jewish astronaut. Both ardently sought to be known […]

When it comes to mental health, speaking up can be an act of courage. Several prominent individuals have taken that public step and have helped young and old alike by sharing their personal challenges. It has helped catalyze a conversation about the very real mental health issues many in our community face every day. Our […]