Monday, May 14, 2012
If voters shoot down a November initiative to temporarily raise taxes, school districts statewide would face $5.5 billion in cuts, about $700 million worse than what the governor estimated in January.
Gov. Jerry Brown continues to lay his hopes for state fiscal soundness on a November tax initiative, but if it doesn’t pass, schools will face additional cuts that could chop three weeks off the next school year. On Monday, Brown revised the 2012-13 budget he first released in January. Called the May revise, his new figures reflect tax revenues that have fallen far short of earlier predictions. “It’s a difficult budget,” Brown acknowledged in a press conference. If voters approve his temporary tax hike measure, Brown’s revised budget would actually increase funding for schools by $15 billion in four years, or $2,500 per student. Brown called the tax initiative reasonable. “I think it’s fair, and I think it provides a reliable source of …
Corona del Mar and Newport Harbor High Schools are listed among the top-performing schools in the state and across the country.
Two high schools in Newport Beach have the prestige of being ranked among the best schools in the nation, according to the U.S. News & World Report. Corona del Mar High School was listed 32nd in California and 158th in the nation and Newport Harbor High School at 138th in the state and 745th in the nation, the report showed. "It is the commitment of everyone; teachers, parents, staff, administrators, students, and the Board of Education to continually strive for improvement in education that allows our schools to reach to the top of recognition," Robert Barbot, interim superintendent of the Newport-Mesa Unified School District, told Patch. The online news publication released its annual list of the "Best High Schools" in the nation last …
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
A special group at the school focuses on promoting anti-bullying among students.
Online harassment affects nearly 13 million kids every year and students in Newport Beach are no exception to the potential dangers. Responding to the threats of the Internet, members of Corona del Mar High School's Human Relations Council (HRC) discussed its mission at a recent screening of the documentary "Bully" in Newport Beach. "We don't have much of a problem with physical bullying [at CDMHS], mostly verbal," Mason Lyle, an HRC member, said. "We really want to try to dissolve some of that hatred that happens in schools." Jerry Weichman, a licensed clinical psychologist and expert on bullying from Hoag Hospital, says cyberbullying is the most popular form of bullying thanks to social media platforms including Facebook and Formspring…
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Say "thank you" today to the bus drivers who transport your precious cargo everyday.
Sitting behind the wheel of a school bus isn't the easiest job, especially when you are shuttling around a group of amped up kids. Today school bus drivers across the country - and throughout Newport Beach - are being honored in different ways so they know they are appreciated. Laura Boss, spokeswoman for the Newport-Mesa Unified School District, says school bus drivers are an integral part of the district's operations. "They are responsible for transporting precious cargo every day, safely to and from school. In many cases, they will be the first contact a student has in their day. They help set the tone for that students day," Boss said. "Have you been on a school bus lately? The level of concentration that is required is amazing. To …
Parents say an open-door policy should be intact when the new superintendent takes the reigns of the Newport-Mesa Unified School District.
Parents from across the Newport-Mesa Unified School District have spent the last several weeks expressing what types of attributes they want to see in the new superintendent. On Thursday it was Newport Coast Elementary's turn to chime in on the selection process. Nora Roque, the district's director of classified personnel, took center stage at the meeting and encouraged the group of parents and community members to openly state their opinions regarding the qualities they would like to see in the new superintendent. “It’s really important to us that all of this is visible to everyone, that this is really transparent,” Roque said. “It’s important that everyone can see everything that’s happening as much as possible. It’s really critical. All…
Saturday, April 21, 2012
The nighttime curfew is intended to prevent crime and keep minors safe.
Police were on the lookout during spring break for kids who were out after curfew but no citations were issued. Police spokeswoman Kathy Lowe said the curfew is enforced to keep kids safe throughout their vacation and was in response to a recent increase in theft-related crimes committed throughout the city during nighttime hours by juveniles. "No arrests or citations were issued during the curfew enforcement period," she said. The nighttime curfew prohibits minors from loitering in public streets, alleys and other public places between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. The curfew is also intended to keep kids from becoming crime victims themselves. Get more information on the city's curfew ordinance here.
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
The Orange County preacher and his wife are leasing out their South Laguna home for a hefty rate.
Would Jesus crash here? Famed Orange County tele-preacher Robert A. Schuller (whose white-haired same-named dad is even more famous, having built the Crystal Cathedral and all) and his wife, Donna, are offering up their plush Three Arch Bay home on Stonington Road in South Laguna for a cool $700 a night—or $5,000 a week—per couple, according to this listing on airbnb.com. But you won't have the place all to yourself—sorry, party rockers, no keggers. The catch is that it's part of a "spiritual retreat" the Schullers are offering. They'll be rooming in the four-bedroom, four-bathroom crib right there with you, offering "two hours of private counseling per day" as part of the package. (Actually, they will let you have the keys to the place …
Monday, April 9, 2012
California researchers develop model of how dementia spreads
Filmmaker James Cameron proclaimed that he had opened a “new frontier” when he reached the Mariana Trench’s Challenger Deep last month, 200 miles below the surface of the ocean. Quietly and with less fanfare, California researchers have unlocked an important discovery about the human frontier of the brain, detecting new information about how dementia spreads. Scientists at the University of California, San Francisco concluded that Alzheimer’s disease, as well as other forms of dementia, may move directly between connected neurons in the brain. The degree of connectedness between a nerve region in the brain and a disease “hot spot,” or epicenter, appears to have the strongest influence on how the degeneration of neurons occurs in people …
Saturday, April 7, 2012
Students and their parents worked on improving math skills through computer interaction, puzzles and a game of Bingo.
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Saturday, April 7
Our Lady Queen of Angels Catholic School in Newport Beach recently hosted its first March Math Madness. The Family Math Night was created so families could spend time together while strengthening the school’s math computation skills. Parents and students in grades 4-6 had the opportunity to experience three math stations. Participants first completed First in Math© problems in the computer lab, used algebraic thinking while solving Marcy Cook© puzzles and problem solved while playing a friendly game of Bingo. The night was successful thanks to following faculty and staff: Ms. Matias, Mrs. Wilcox, Mrs. Bannon, Mrs. Donovan, Mr. Sumner, Mrs. Palmer, Mrs. Sharkey, Mrs. McCracken, Mr. Nguyen, Coach K., Coach Del Mundo, Mrs. Houck, Mrs. Kang…
Thursday, April 5, 2012
The state is seeking to stop Orange County from withholding $73.5 million in funding from K-12 and community college districts.
The state of California has sued Orange County for withholding property tax money it was going to give local schools. Late last year, the county Board of Supervisors voted to withhold $73.5 million from school districts throughout the county, basically telling them not to worry about it, the state would make them whole eventually. For Capistrano Unified School District, the move put nearly $19 million in funding on hold to take out more short-term financing to stay afloat. The county had been haggling with the state for years over property tax and vehicle license fees funds. In looking for a way to make up a $49.5-million budget hole and stave off layoffs scheduled for December, the county supervisors found their answer in the schools’ …
Yeparoo
10:46 pm on Thursday, May 17, 2012
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