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To Punish or Not to Punish?
How could we possibly raise children without punishment? How will they know the difference between right and wrong? I think when people picture an absence of punishment they are actually picturing an absence of discipline. Discipline is different than punishment, though. Discipline comes from the word disciple, which implies teaching and learning. Punishment is punitive in nature and it often comes out of our own anger and need to release that anger. Learning new skills (such as learning the difference between right and wrong) can’t come from punishment because punishment creates an atmosphere that is threatening and often disrespectful. This is not an atmosphere that is conducive to learning. As…
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Iconic Attraction Returns Soon to the Boardwalk
Something has been missing at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk for too long, an attraction that is a staple at any seaside amusement park: a Ferris wheel. Thankfully, that’s about to change. Plans are in the works to install a new Ferris wheel at the Boardwalk, more than five years after it removed its classic ride due to decades of wear and tear and salty air. This Ferris wheel, approved by Santa Cruz city planners in August, will stand 68 feet tall, roughly the same size as the previous one, and feature 15 gondolas that can sit up to four adults or six children at a time, according to the…
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Skipping Grades, Relevance of College and Homework Research
Editor’s Note: The following questions were submitted by Growing Up in Santa Cruz to Santa Cruz County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Faris Sabbah, based on common questions we’ve received from our readers. If you have questions about a topic impacting TK-12 education, please submit them to [email protected] with “Ask the Superintendent” in the subject line for a chance to have them addressed in a future column How do you know whether your child should skip a grade or stay back?This question really depends on the age of your child, the school district’s specific policies, and your child’s academic and social-emotional preparation. But in general, skipping a grade – also called…
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A Brave Space for All
By Sion Erkiletian, Juniper, and Daphne The Queer, Trans & Allied Student Summit of the Central Coast has a special place in my heart because of how much fun I had when I attended last year. It was a very powerful experience, and I made lifelong friends that will forever be in my heart. When I first got to the summit, I was immediately given a warm welcome by friendly attendees, kind volunteers, and I realized I wasn’t alone. I observed delighted youth from different counties participating in activities, and it felt impactful to be in a space so unapologetically queer. My name is Sion Erkiletian, and I am a…
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Top University and College Options in California
California is home to many higher education institutions. A 2022 Statista report indicates that it had 384 institutions in 2021, the most of any state that year. California also has the most college students, with 2,637,722 enrolled in 2022. This is mainly attributed to the number of universities in the state and the high-quality education they offer. Given this, high school seniors and soon-to-be university students may be attracted to studying in California. Still, they must first decide what type of institution to attend and which one. To this end, this article lists the top private universities and colleges, state universities, universities of California, and community colleges to consider. Private…
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Everyone is a Winner When Kids Have the Supplies They Need to Start School
There’s nothing better for kids than the first day of school. It’s like the first day of the baseball season: everybody’s a winner. They’ve got the shiny new backpack, be it Spiderman, Roblox or Barbie (probably not Oppenheimer). There are the fresh new pencils, crayons, notebooks, book covers. And there are endless possibilities. They strut into the classroom that first day so proud and colorful. But what if your kid can’t afford all that new stuff? How would that feel? It’s too sad to even think about. Luckily, people in Santa Cruz have taken up the challenge to help the 2,000 or so students who are unhoused or living in…
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Santa Cruz Turns Out to Stuff the Bus
When word got out that hundreds—no, thousands—of students didn’t have the money for school supplies, Santa Cruz residents, businesses and charity groups got in gear. They came up with a program called “Stuff the Bus,” which literally filled a giant yellow school bus with backpacks stuffed with the needed supplies, including pens, pencils, notebooks, crayons, erasers, glue, highlighters, staplers and index cards. The good news is that the project has gathered some 2,000 backpacks so far. The bad news is that so many kids truly need them and they are struggling through homelessness and poverty. Among the groups sponsoring the program, which got going some 14 years ago, are United…
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Ramifications of Affirmative Action Ban in College
Who benefits from Affirmative Action? Affirmative action policies were designed to address historical and ongoing inequalities by providing preferential opportunities to Black and Hispanic students that have been marginalized or disadvantaged. These policies were aimed to promote diversity, inclusion, and equal representation in education. Who is targeted by Affirmative Action? Critics of affirmative action argue that it is unfair to Asians and Whites who may be denied admission to as a result of these policies. They believe that affirmative action can result in reverse discrimination by favoring individuals based on their race or gender, rather than their individual merit. It undermines the principles of fairness and equality; students should be…
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Something You Never Get Over
In early July, I interviewed Dr. Gail Newel, who was retiring from her position as County Health Officer, about her career. We talked about how Santa Cruz had just logged its first official death from “tranq,” an animal sedative called Xylazine that is extremely dangerous for humans. I knew we’d talk about the opioid epidemic and I suspected what she would say about the causes. But one statement she made brought me up short: Santa Cruz has a bigger problem than most counties in the state and it stems in part from our local culture. “We have a pretty active glorification of drug culture [in Santa Cruz],” Newel said. “I’m…
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Mama Bear Self Care Back to School
It’s that time of year when we are hitting the stores to get our kids school supplies and enjoy the last few weeks of summer. This is also the time when we may feel a bit sad that the summer is coming to an end as we’ve just been getting into the flow of the non-scheduled routines. Or maybe you are reading this so excited to get back to your kids’ school routine – either way, there is a transition coming up and I want to share a big tip on preparing for this change as a parent to keep it smooth for our kids. Everyone talks about the village…
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At 93, Owen Hand is the Golden Conqueror of the Courts
Owen Hand, 93 years young, steps off the court victorious. He’s just won three sets of tennis against competitors 30 years his junior. Celebrated by a chorus of congratulatory calls from players and friends across the Tennis Club of Rio Del Mar’s courts, Owen bashfully jests to me how his on court running really isn’t quite what it used to be. Born on July 4th, 1930, Owen always had athleticism coursing through his veins. “I was always the first kid playing at the park and the last kid to go home… I played any sport I could but baseball was really my thing.” His passion and skill for baseball lured…
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Riding High in Rough Seas
Bianca Dootson is a 22 year old full-time student and professional longboarder who, despite her relatively short time on the waves, is swiftly riding her board to competitive heights. Unlike many of her peers who were surfing since infancy, Bianca didn’t come from a surfing family. Despite growing up around the ocean in Monterey and Santa Cruz, she only discovered her love for the sport at eleven years old, after taking a lesson while on vacation in Hawaii. “Generally, if your parents are surfers, you start surfing before you can even walk. I started a lot later than a lot of the kids… So I surfed twice as much and…
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Coloring Contest
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Coloring Contest Winners
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Best of 2023
We asked you to share your favorite places to take your kids and places you enjoy as a family. We wanted to know what businesses you consider the Best in Santa Cruz, and man, did you ever respond! Thanks to everyone who answered our survey. Camps Day Camps Kennolyn Day Camps kennolyncamps.com Runners up Henry Cowell Girl Scout Day Camp Farm Discovery at Live Oak Residential Camp Kennolyn kennolyncamps.com Runners up Mount Hermon Mission Springs Dining Bakery Gayle’s Bakery & Rosticceria 504 Bay Avenue, Capitola 831.462.1200 gaylesbakery.com/ Runners up Companion Bakeshop The Buttery Coffee Shop Verve Coffee Vervecoffee.com 4 Santa Cruz locations Runners up Lula Carpenter’s Cat & Cloud Breakfast…
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Building a Foundation for Resilience
These days you might find Ginhee Rancourt, 38, owner of Young Art in Santa Clara, jetting around the world bringing art lessons for free to kids in developing nations. Or maybe you saw her win this year’s Minority Women Lead award for entrepreneurs or YWCA Silicon Valley’s Tribute to Women Award. But that’s not where she expected to be at 16 when her youngest sibling was born and she was planning a career in ballet. And her successes are definitely not what she wants you to take away from this story.Ginhee founded Young Art as a for-profit art studio in 2013 in Oregon, and she opened studios in California soon…
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Don’t Forget to Breathe
Summer is a time families can enjoy quality time together; BBQ’s, adventures and it can also come with a lot of stress for busy working parents trying to juggle it all. Which means we can be wrapped in chaos and forget to take a moment to breathe…and enjoy all the fun! Most of us on average spend over six hours per day on technology devices. In order to lead by example, we parents need to work on limiting our screen time so we can support our kids doing the same. In addition to that, focus on one of the simplest ways we can calm our stress. What if there was…
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Students Receive Scholarships
Santa Cruz Community Credit Union is thrilled to announce the winners of its three inaugural scholarship recipients for 2023. Each scholarship is for $1,000 and was available to graduating seniors in the Pajaro Valley School District.The following are the recipients of the SCCCU scholarships: “This is the first of many years that Santa Cruz Community Credit Union will provide scholarships to exceptional graduating seniors in our community. We were privileged to attend the three ceremonies and present these outstanding students with a scholarship to help them further their educational journey,” stated Beth Carr, President/CEO of SCCCU. The Credit Union scholarships were awarded to deserving students who did not have a…
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Why Are Students Taking So Many AP Classes?
Parents and students mistakenly believe that taking AP classes is equivalent to taking college courses, and that taking a full load of them will improve their chances of getting into selective colleges. People hear rumors and spread inaccurate information. Here is the real scoop on AP courses and how to get into top colleges: Problem with AP Courses:AP Classes are NOT college-level:Some students believe that by taking AP classes in high school they will be able to skip the same subject introductory courses in college. While this may sound good, AP classes only cover about a third or a half of what is taught in college classes. When entering freshmen…
