August 2018
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National Breastfeeding Month: Birth Matters August 2018
National Breastfeeding Month Birth Matters August 2018 By Laura Maxson LM Every August, the world turns its attention to protecting and promoting breastfeeding. Breastfeeding is the great equalizer. Every child, rich or poor, has access to essentially free, nutritious food that comes with unmatched immunity builders and specialized nutrients. In this modern age, the perfection and synergy of breastfeeding for mother and baby remain vital. Globally, the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) spearheads World Breastfeeding Week, August 1 – 7, each year. This worldwide network of individuals and organizations is concerned with the protection, promotion and support of breastfeeding worldwide. No matter if countries are large or small, impoverished…
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Teacher’s Blog August 2018
Teacher’s Blog August 2018 By Tiffany K. Wayne High school History and Government teacher, Mount Madonna School, Watsonville I am anticipating the start of the new school year and missing my students. The last time I saw most of them was on Friday, May 18th, our last day of academic classes. Finals exams were over but I still had one more day of classes with my 10th grade U.S. History students before they left for a week-long science trip to Catalina Island to study Oceanography. We had started the film, Selma, a few days earlier as an end-of-year movie. “That made me cry,” a student shared, wiping her eyes with…
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How to Make Ice Watercolors
How to Make Ice Watercolors By Jennifer K. Mahal Sometimes the simplest of projects can teach a scientific principle in a fun way. Ice Watercolors, for example, are an easy way to learn about matter and its states while making art. There are three basic states most matter can be seen in: liquid (like water), solid (like ice) and gas (like steam). There are a few other states, such as plasma (like lightning) and the lab-created Bose-Einstein Condensate (a super-cold clump created out of certain elements), but they are unusual. A solid has a certain size and shape, like a block of wood or a plastic toy. A liquid has…
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Five Creative Prompts to Keep Your Child Writing When School is Out
Five Creative Prompts to Keep Your Child Writing When School is Out By Robin Estrin Random Word Generator Genre: Quick fiction Materials: Online access to randomwordgenerator.com Prompt: Using the website randomwordgenerator.com, populate a list of 10 colorful nouns, verbs or adjectives. Using the list as a word bank, give your child 10-15 minutes to write a short story using all of the words. You can increase the number of words (and minutes) for more advanced writers, and decrease the numbers for less experienced writers. Don’t have internet? Manually generate your random word list by moving your finger across the pages of your child’s favorite book. Age range: Generative for writers…
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Back to School in Uganda Has a Very Different Meaning
Back to School in Uganda Has a Very Different Meaning Local Volunteers Bring Gifts and Supplies to Africa By Linda Kay When UCSC’s head men’s basketball coach, Ron DuBois, picks up his sons from an afterschool program he sometimes asks his sons, “What do we say?” Dominic, 4, and Louis , 6, reply, “Entitled to nothing, grateful for everything.” I smile. What a great mantra to teach kids at an early age. Here they are in a classroom surrounded with books, toys, games, and craft supplies. They have had a generous snack and have had the opportunity to play on a playground with grass and a play structure. “Entitled to…
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The Little School that Could Explore
The Little School that Could Explore MCP Serves Students who Have Nowhere Else to Go By Suki Wessling It’s a well-kept secret: We have a school system that serves most students quite well. We have mainstream public schools that serve students with typical needs, as well as offering support for low-achieving students with special needs. We have a network of alternative public schools that serve students in certain demographics or families with specific academic interests. We have private schools for families looking for smaller, posher, or specific types of educational opportunities. Despite the spectrum of choices, however, some students are still left looking for the right school. For a variety…
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How County Services are Funded
How County Services are Funded So That’s Where My Tax Money Goes By Zach Friend, County Supervisor The county budget can often be com- plex and I hope this provides you with a helpful overview. However, if you have any questions. I’d love to hear from you. Please feel free to call at 454-2200 The Board of Supervisors recently approved a $777 million budget. With a budget of this size it’s common to be asked why additional funds aren’t readily available for local parks, children’s cultural programs or even children’s health and welfare programs. These are fair questions. One of the best ways to understand how the county budget is…
