The cloud. It’s that mysterious term that IT technicians rattle off but never really explain, the confusing technology that somehow backs up our phones, saves our endless emails, and allows for quick and easy video streaming on Netflix. Cloud computing technology–which allows businesses and individuals to deliver and receive storage, processing power, and other computing […]
School Scene Articles
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Pioneer Valley teachers learn ways to increase resilience among students
Children who experience four or more adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) before they’re 17 years old are more likely to experience unemployment and incarceration as adults, and often attain lower levels of education and low-wage jobs. That’s according to Santa Barbara County’s 2017 Children’s Scorecard, which defines an ACE as any traumatic or stressful event–ranging from […]
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Former Tommie Kunst principal working to bring new charter school to county
Just months after enduring what she called her “worst” experience in 25 years of teaching and education, which led to her recent resignation from a local junior high school, former principal Carmen Rivera is working to open a new charter school in Santa Barbara County. Although plans for the public charter school, Affinity Charter, are […]
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Local students get cost-free look at real careers during STEM Industry Days
Assembling a computer’s motherboard is just like skiing, according to computer repairman Kevin Dyson: It’s scary when you try it for the first time as an adult, but as kid, it comes easy. “When I got into this industry I was deathly afraid of opening up a computer,” Dyson told the Sun, hovering over the […]
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Hancock moves forward with Dream Center project
When Jessica Zarate moved to the U.S. from Mexico as a child, she was so young that the memory didn’t stick, and she grew up thinking she was born and raised an American. It wasn’t until high school, when Zarate’s mom first brought up college, that Zarate found out she wasn’t a documented U.S. citizen, […]
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County works to detain fewer youths
Fewer kids are being detained in local juvenile detention facilities because of several newly implemented policies that county officials say could better aid at-risk youth and their families. As part of Renew 22, a five-year countywide initiative aimed at increasing departmental efficiency, the Santa Barbara County Probation Department launched an internal investigation into its juvenile […]
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Federal funding reinstated to Community Action Partnership sex ed programs
It’s been a financially rocky year for some Community Action Partnership San Luis Obispo programs, but because of a recent federal court ruling, the nonprofit will continue offering its reproduction education courses to local schools and youth organizations. Community Action Partnership won grant funding in 2015 through the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program, which provides financial […]
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Library Shop to close after tiff with Library
It was a warm Friday afternoon just days before the 4th of July, and still customers trickled into the Library Shop on June 29, in search of the low-priced but high-quality used books the store has sold for nearly 10 years. As volunteer Beth Schneider restocked gift cards, a customer asked about the ongoing sale–bright […]
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Schools await Governor’s approval of $300 million for career tech education
Since the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District was awarded $2 million through the state’s Career Technical Education (CTE) Incentive Grant in 2016, it has transformed the way local high schools educate. The district was able to add a multitude of career-oriented courses, improve its existing pathways, and break ground on its new […]
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City redesigns Safe N’ Strong program during Buena Vista closure
It’s been more than a year since Santa Maria first sanctioned off portions of Buena Vista Park for a much needed $1.3 million rebuilding project that was first proposed in October 2016. The park, which had been expected to open sometime this spring, will sit untouched by the general public until its grand reopening party, […]
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Santa Maria-Bonita School District hosts first meeting in Mixteco
Roughly 10 percent of families with children attending schools in the Santa Maria-Bonita School District speak Mixteco as their primary language. That’s about 1,800 Santa Maria-Bonita School District students, according to Assistant Superintendent Mark Muller, who said the population of Mixteco-speaking students within the district has doubled in the last five years and more than […]
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Righetti Animal Lovers complete animal emergency training
When Genete Bowen hit and killed a loose dog with her car in early 2007, her life changed. She didn’t know how to help the dog, and quickly realized that there is no emergency number to call when an animal needs immediate medical attention—there are no animal ambulances or first responders specializing in animal care. […]
