People are still talking about Martin Testa’s wonderful food served at St. Joseph High School’s 27th annual BASH fundraiser, “A Knight in Central Park,” held Saturday evening, March 10. I am still thinking about the ooh-la-la, NYC-theme decorations in the girls’ locker room of the school’s gym, where this splendiferous party is held each year. […]
School Scene Articles
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iPads come to St. Joe’s
Starting this month, faculty members at St. Joseph High School will integrate Apple iPad2s in their curriculums to help improve student learning, the school recently announced in a press release. Thanks to some generous donations from the public, administrators and teachers will spend the next 14 months figuring out how to use iPads in the […]
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Employment nonprofit donates to Hancock
The Santa Maria Employer Advisory Council has donated more than $3,000 to the Allan Hancock College Industrial Technology Department to purchase cutting-edge engineering software that can be used in engineering, manufacturing, automotive, and architecture courses. Representatives from Helical Products, Inc.; the Okonite Company; and the Workforce Investment Act program recently presented a check to the […]
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Sharing the gift of cycling
Members of the Tailwinds Bicycle Club of Santa Maria shared their love of cycling with students at the Bonita School on March 23 by presenting bicycles and helmets to winners of a school essay contest. Tailwinds members also spoke about the importance of bicycle safety. The club is host to the Windmill Century Ride, an […]
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Athletes like LeBron James could soon be replaced with robots like Leonidas
A team of high school engineers called the Spartatroniks from Orcutt Academy High School created a robot that has the ability to rebound like Dwight Howard and score like Kobe Bryant. And, unlike Lebron, Leonidas has already won a championship. The Spartatroniks took home first place from the Los Angeles Regional FIRST Robotics Competition in […]
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Strega Nona’s Harvest
recommended for children
Strega Nona, previously appearing in the pop-up Brava, Strega Nona!, returns with a serious green thumb. The wise woman knows her plants, and she dispenses advice to her companions, Bambalona and Big Anthony, as she carefully plans her garden with a packet of seeds saved from a previous year. Strega Nona walks her audience—including little […]
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Have lunch with grandparents
St. Joseph High School’s highly anticipated annual Grandparent Luncheon will be taking place on March 23. Alumni Director Karen Jaeckels said this event is one of her favorite to hold. “It’s so much fun catching up with grandparents and seeing them connect with their grandchildren. Many of these grandparents are parents to alumni that I […]
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Head Start Program receives a $5 million federal grant
The Community Action Commission of Santa Barbara was awarded nearly $5.2 million in funding to continue its Head Start program, which currently serves approximately 1,300 families in Santa Barbara County. The aim of the Head Start program is to provide health, nutrition, and education services to low-income families with children younger than 5. Head Start […]
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Health is what’s on the menu
In honor of National Nutrition Month, U.S. Rep. Lois Capps (D-Santa Barbara) visited Adam Elementary School on March 14 to witness first-hand what the Santa Maria-Bonita School District is doing to make school meals healthier. The district has teamed up with local growers and the federal government to implement menu changes aimed at reducing childhood […]
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Happy times at Happy Hollow Preschool Open House
Happy Hollow Preschool is holding its first-ever open house on March 31 and April 1, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., inviting parents and kids to experience the fun activities offered to young students. The preschool will display art projects and other creative works by current students, and will also have plenty of activities for […]
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St. Joe juniors visit Northern California universities
St. Joseph High School juniors took another step on the road to higher education recently as they set off on a three-day tour of Northern California universities, giving them the opportunity to experience college life first-hand. Students toured campuses, spoke to university officials, and learned about the various programs offered at each college. The tour […]
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The Son of Neptune, by Rick Riordan
recommended for ages 9 to 11
Percy Jackson is back. Most of him is, anyway. The modern demigod hero (first written about in a series of popular Greek-mythology-laced books by Rick Riordan) didn’t figure much into the first book of the author’s new series, “Heroes of Olympus,” but the second installment finds Percy fighting monsters again—though he can’t remember much about […]