In recognition of national Catholic Schools Week, more than 700 students, teachers, and administrators from St. Joseph High School, St. Mary of the Assumption, St. Louis de Montfort, and La Purísima Concepción Catholic elementary schools attended an all Catholic schools mass on Jan. 30 at St. Mary of the Assumption Church in Santa Maria. Bishop […]
School Scene Articles
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Lucia Mar breaks ground on New Tech High
Officials from the Lucia Mar Unified School District joined Pacific Gas & Electric to break ground on the new Central Coast New Tech High School on Jan. 26. With construction now underway, district officials hope to open the school to about 150 students on Aug. 16. Once finished, New Tech High will occupy new and […]
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Help a local school and get the chance to make money off of cow poop
Orcutt Academy High School PTSA is offering one lucky winner the opportunity to pocket an extra $1,250: Cow Chip Bingo—and it’s not the Bingo your grandma plays on Wednesday night at Chumash Casino. People will have the chance to purchase Cow Chip Bingo plots prior to the event for $10 each. On Feb. 4 at […]
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Learn Japanese with your child
Spaces are still available for the Santa Maria Japanese Community Center’s language program. The infant and toddler playgroup meets Tuesdays from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Preschoolers ages 2 to 5 years old meet on Fridays from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m., and adults and children ages 6 and older meet on Saturdays from 9:30 a.m. to […]
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Know someone with a bright mind?
PG&E recently established the Bright Minds Scholarship program as a way to help people pursue a higher education. Approximately 10 scholarships of up to $30,000 each will be awarded, and any remaining awards will be $2,500 each. In order to apply, students must be at least 16 years old, a high school senior or graduate, […]
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Power Lunch, Book 1: First Course, recommended for all ages 9 to 13
by J. Torres and Dean Trippe
Joey has a secret, one that’s prompted several moves to new towns, new schools: He has superpowers. Sometimes. As long as he sticks to an all-white diet—milk, tofu, eggs without the yolks, unbruised bananas—he stays normal. But if he eats trail mix, he gets a burst of amazing speed. If he drinks fruit punch, his […]
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How animals spend the winter
During winter, most of us keep warm by bundling up and staying indoors. Do you ever wonder how animals spend the winter? Some animals—like geese, bats, caribou, elk, and whales—migrate to warmer weather. Whales have even been spotted traveling south this week near our coastline! Check out Santa Barbara whale-watching tours to watch the migration […]
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Spring registration is still open at Hancock
Planning to take a spring credit class at Allan Hancock College? Register online at hancockcollege.edu through Jan. 27. Classes begin the week of Jan. 23. New students and those without a user name and password must apply for admission to the college before registering for classes. Access to the online admission application is also available […]
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Santa Maria-Bonita GATE students end their winter break with a special workshop
The pounding of tribal drums resonated through the air at Tommie Kunst Junior High School on Jan. 11. Inside the school’s gymnasium, several hundred students craned their necks or stood on tiptoe to catch a glimpse of the frightening, golden-headed dragon prowling in front of the stage. The performance by Los Angeles-based Japanese Taiko drummers […]
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The Crowfield Curse, by Pat Walsh
recommended for ages 8 to 12
This wintry tale is set at Crowfield Abbey in 1347, when a young William Paynel—orphaned by a fire that mysteriously didn’t harm him and now working for the few monks who toil in the cold halls—stumbles into an unexpected world of supernatural creatures. First, he frees a “hob” from a hunter’s trap, after which he […]
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Hobnobbing with Helen
Bloom where you are planted. That’s a familiar theme often used by folksy-homesy artist Mary Englebreit. The saying certainly applies to Santa Maria’s Shirley Contreras, a well-known-about-town pillar of the Santa Maria Historical Society. She moved here from Boston in October 1991. “Since I didn’t know anyone here, I started volunteering at the [historical] museum […]
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Get money for college
According to Allan Hancock College officials, local high school seniors and their parents can eliminate some stress—and possibly lessen the financial burden of paying for college—by completing a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and applying for a Cal Grant. The FAFSA application might provide an opportunity for low-interest loans, and Cal Grants offer […]