A trio of educational leaders from Orange County has earned statewide honors through the Association of California School Administrators’ annual awards program.

Each year, ACSA announces winners in numerous job-alike categories and presents five special awards. Nominations are reviewed by the association’s awards committee, and recipients are approved by the board.

This year’s honorees include:

Felix Avila, assistant superintendent of human resources for the Ocean View School District

Avila was recognized as ACSA’s Personnel/Human Resources Administrator of the Year for 2019 based on his outstanding contributions in the areas of labor relations and negotiations.

Ocean View Assistant Superintendent Felix Avila is ACSA’s Personnel/Human Resources Administrator of the Year.

As assistant superintendent of human resources, he serves as chief negotiator with the Ocean View Teachers Association and the California School Employees Association, Local Chapter 375.

“Mr. Avila demonstrates an ongoing commitment to negotiating in the best interest of students and staff,” Ocean View Superintendent Dr. Carol Hansen said. “He serves as a stabilizing presence, providing compassionate leadership and an ability to foster collaborative relationships in Ocean View.”

Deputy Superintendent Dr. Michael Conroy submitted the nomination package, which included letters of support from school board President Gina Clayton-Tarvin and Ocean View Teachers Association Bargaining Chair Bryan Leipper.

“I am humbled and honored by this recognition,” Avila said. “For me, the negotiations process is all about valuing your peers and building consistency and trusting relationships, both at the bargaining table and away from it. Ultimately, we are all working on behalf of our students.”

Dr. Grant Litfin, assistant superintendent of administrative services in the Tustin Unified School District

Litfin, who has worked in public education for 18 years – including the past seven in Tustin Unified — earned Career Technical Education Administrator of the Year honors.

Dr. Grant Litfin, left, is congratulated by TUSD Superintendent Dr. Gregory Franklin.

“Grant is an outstanding educational leader who is making a tremendous difference in Tustin Unified schools by expanding STEM and CTE opportunities for all students,” Superintendent Dr. Gregory Franklin said. “I’m proud of Grant and his achievements and dedication to public education.”

Overseeing the district’s IT department along with Career Technical Education (CTE) and Enrollment/Transfers, Litfin has established business partnerships, including Tustin Toyota’s “Drive for Perfect Attendance Program” for high school seniors, and he has coordinated CTE Pathway courses and TUSD’s annual College Night and Career Fair.

Since he joined the district, TUSD has added a CTE program to all six middle schools, started a K-12 robotics league, expanded computer science programs and high school engineering programs, and implemented a high school career pathway program culminating in a capstone class and recognition at graduation.

“I’m honored to receive this recognition,” Litfin said, “and I’m even more excited that the amazing Career Technical Education programs our teachers have built are being recognized at the county and state levels.”

Jason Ross, assistant principal at Edison High School in the Huntington Beach Union High School District

Jason Ross, who has worked in the Huntington Beach district for nearly two decades, was named ACSA’s Secondary Co-Administrator of the Year.

Jason Ross

Ross started his career teaching English at Huntington Beach High before moving to Valley Vista High School, where he supported students in the alternate program. As assistant principal, he overseen activities, supervision, guidance and curriculum.

“I’m honored to be able serve such an incredible community,” he said, “and I’m humbled by this recognition. I have been fortunate to be a student, teacher and administrator in HBUHSD, and I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else. I am so proud of the work that our teachers and support staff do every day for kids and I’m grateful to them for the opportunity to lead.”

Ross received his bachelor’s degree in English Literature from Cal State Long Beach and his master’s degree in educational administration from National University.

Established in 1971, ACSA is considered the largest umbrella organization in the U.S. for school leaders, serving more than 17,000 California educators. The organization annually spotlights administrators for their achievements and dedication to public education and has a seperate program that honors students for overcoming odds and achieving success.

This year’s Administrators of the Year will be formally recognized in November at the association’s Leadership Summit. A complete list of winners can be found on ACSA’s website.

The Orange County Board of Education on Wednesday honored six dedicated school professionals as the Orange County Classified School Employees of the Year.

The six county finalists were selected from among 64 nominations based on their work performance, leadership, commitment and involvement with their schools and communities. Each is now eligible to compete for state-level honors.

The 2019 Orange County Classified School Employees of the Year are: Maria Mejia, a bilingual instructional aide from the Garden Grove Unified School District; Noah Valadez, a maintenance worker from the Ocean View School District; Deborah Watkins, a cook in the Westminster School District; Kelly Prouty, a secretary at Edison High School in the Huntington Beach Union High School District; Gabriel Ramirez, a bus driver in the Los Alamitos Unified School District; and Anna López, a community liaison at the Fullerton Joint Union High School District.

From left, Maria Mejia, Noah Valadez, Deborah Watkins, Gabriel Ramirez, Anna Lopez and Kelly Prouty are the 2019 Orange County School Employees of the Year:

The California Department of Education established the CSEY program in 2008 to recognize exemplary public school employees who serve students in preschool through grade 12. Sixty-four nominations were reviewed by an OCDE judging panel and finalists were selected based on work performance, leadership and commitment to school/community involvement and going above and beyond.

“The common thread seen with all of our finalists is that they do their work with enthusiasm and integrity,” said Nicole Savio-Newfield, administrator in OCDE’s Educational Services division. “They are extremely productive and technically proficient, and they are leaders in their schools and communities.”

Trustees presented each with a special certificate and a $500 check from SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union.

Here is a short bio on each of the six honorees:

Maria Mejia, Garden Grove Unified School District

Maria is a bilingual instructional aide who has been with the district for 29 years. She works in a kindergarten class where she helps with everything from instruction to classroom management. Maria says the active environment helps to keep her young and alert. She feels blessed to work with caring teachers and families. She always tells the kids, “We’re not just preparing you for first grade; we’re preparing you for life.” Other than academics, the top three things she aims to instill are to be honest, to be organized and to be a good person who is ready to serve.

Noah Valadez, Ocean View School District

Noah works in the district’s maintenance department and has been with the district for 30 years. Noah is responsible for fixing everything from floor to ceiling and beyond – including playground repairs. He shared that one of his favorite things to fix is broken swings because he loves to see how happy the kids are when they can get back on and fly again. He takes great pride in his work and it shows. He has a strong sense of ownership and responsibility for keeping staff and students safe.

Deborah Watkins, Westminster School District

Debbie is one of the main cooks in the district’s central kitchen. She has been with the district for 24 years. Debbie starts her day bright and early at 5:30 a.m. with a smiling face and a can-do attitude. The kitchen prepares and delivers over 6,000 meals per day. In addition to her regular duties, Debbie prepares meals for 50 students who have food allergies or special diets. Her meticulous system for knowing what each student needs and her attention to detail have contributed to the safety and health of children for 24 years.

Kelly Prouty, Huntington Beach Union High School District

Kelly is the secretary at Edison High School and has been with the district for 14 years. She is responsible for managing the office of a bustling school with 2,500 students and 250 staff members. Kelly is known for being a problem-solver who is never afraid to jump in and help. Her main role is to support the principal, which means she is involved in every aspect of the school from attendance and budgets to safety and supervision. She is the go-to person for everyone on campus. Her principal shared that Kelly is a true leader who makes everyone feel like they are the most important person.

Gabriel Ramirez, Los Alamitos Unified School District

Gabe is a bus driver who serves students from preschool all the way up to the adult transition program. He cares deeply about his students, and goes above and beyond to make sure they feel welcomed and valued every time they enter his bus. Gabe shared that his favorite part of his job is being with the kids. He has been on the same route for 25 years and he loves seeing the students grow up. He tries to make their bus rides memorable by asking about their lives and sharing funny stories. Gabe loves to laugh and said that the kids make him laugh every day.

Anna López, Fullerton Joint Union High School District

Anna is the district’s community liaison. In this role, she ensures that students and families have the resources they need to be successful. Her work involves foster youth and homeless services, parent education, family engagement and support for English language learners. Anna is passionate about making sure that parents are included, informed and involved. Anna loves her job every day and is grateful to give back to the community.

What started as a Special Olympics Unified Sports program at Trabuco Hills High has scaled up districtwide.

As the Orange County Register reported this week, the Saddleback Valley Unified School District recently brought together more than 250 student-athletes with and without intellectual and physical disabilities to participate in flag football games, cheer, soccer matches and track events.

It was all part of Unified Sports, a Special Olympics initiative that encourages athletes to learn sports, refine their athletic skills, experience inclusion and form new friendships.

Trabuco Hills High became the first Unified Champion School in Orange County in 2015. But other SVUSD campuses have since launched similar programs, and April 4 marked the first time a Special Olympics Unified Sports event was held districtwide.

“The unified movement kind of goes from ‘We’re buddies’ to ‘We’re classmates’ to ‘We’re teammates and we’re friends,’” special education teacher Kara Johnson told the Register.

Here are some more stories from the week ending April 12:

• The OC Fair’s three-day Imaginology festival kicks off Friday, April 12 in Costa Mesa and continues through the weekend. The event features hands-on STEM activities, workshops and competitions for kids and teens — and will introduce an eSports Playground this year.

• Two student teams are sharing a giant, high-altitude balloon to help answer scientific questions — like if wireless charging works at 100,000 feet and whether liquids such as antifreeze and kerosene will freeze at such a height.

• A team from Estancia High bested squads from nine area high schools at the Southern California Building Industry Association’s annual “Design/Build” competition, which challenged students to construct a tilt-roof garden shed with a Dutch door, window, vent and flower box.

• John Albert, principal of California Elementary School in Orange Unified, was named an Apple Distinguished Educator for its 25th anniversary class of 2019, joining more than 2,400 ADEs in 45 countries. The program was created by Apple in 1994 to recognize educators who use the company’s technology to “transform teaching and learning.”

• Thousands of California students in low-income communities are learning computer coding after school through the Kids Code program, which is funded through $15 million in grants.

• A pair of teams from OCDE’s Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program won their divisions in the national Battle of the Books reading competition hosted by Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C.

• CSU leaders are considering requiring a fourth year of high school math for freshmen applicants. Administrators say the additional course could be calculus, statistics, computer science or personal finance.

• Too many students graduate without a basic foundation of financial literacy, says a state lawmaker who’s introduced a bill that would require high school economics courses to include sections on budgeting, credit and managing debt.

• Students from the Fullerton School District showcased robotics, gave TED Talks, participated in an eSports tournament and staged a film festival during the annual FSD Fest on April 5 and 6. The Register has a gallery of photos.

• Charter school advocates packed a Capitol hearing to challenge a set of Assembly bills that would hand over greater control of charters to local school districts and place a statewide cap on their total number.

• Students from Esencia Elementary School in Rancho Mission Viejo raised rainbow trout for 10 weeks and released them into Trabuco Creek as part of the Trout in the Classroom program.

• And finally, a trio of educational leaders from Huntington Beach and Tustin has earned statewide honors through the Association of California School Administrators’ annual awards program.

This is the part where we encourage you to keep up with local education news stories by bookmarking the OCDE Newsroom, subscribing for emailed updates or following us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

County Superintendent Dr. Al Mijares addresses the Orange County Civic Learning Partnership on April 11. Justice officials, educators and other partners are collaborating to provide students with a comprehensive knowledge of government and experience tackling real-world issues.

Joshua Suh of Cypress High School talked about studying the effects of eutrophication on waterways as part of a civic learning project in his AP government class.

Rose Chhabria, who attends Brywood Elementary School in Irvine, referenced her research on a California senator.

And Jasmine Chhabria of Northwood High reprised her award-winning National History Day presentation on Sylvia Mendez, whose family successfully challenged school segregation in Westminster in the 1940s.

Suffice to say, there are plenty of civics success stories in Orange County schools, which recently won 17 of 92 Civic Learning Awards in a program co-sponsored by California’s chief justice and the state superintendent of public instruction. But a new initiative led by OCDE is seeking to deepen students’ Constitutional knowledge and amplify civic engagement in local schools and communities.

Justice officials, educators, business partners and community leaders gathered in Costa Mesa on Thursday, April 11 to celebrate the launch of the Orange County Civic Learning Partnership, aimed at equipping the next generation with the rights and responsibilities that are foundational to American democracy.

“This is very important to us, what we are doing here in terms of civics,” Orange County Superintendent Dr. Al Mijares told the 50 or so local leaders who gathered in the OCDE Board Room. “It is not just a subject that we’re looking at from a distance. It is essential. It is critical, especially in a day and age when we find that people don’t want to talk with one another anymore, and we’ve drawn lines as Americans.”

Inspired to collaborate

Other speakers included Orange County Superior Court Judge Linda Marks and Richard Porras, regional vice president for external affairs at AT&T and a High School Inc. Foundation board member. Both were part of a small group that brainstormed the partnership after hearing U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy speak at a civic learning summit in Sacramento in 2017.

Two years later, their goal is for Orange County students to graduate with an enhanced understanding of how their government works, along with experience addressing real-world issues and confidence in their ability to improve society. Officials also see potential to benefit college and career readiness and school climates.

Orange County Superintendent Dr. Al Mijares, left, leads a panel discussion with Jasmine Chhabria of Northwood High School, Rose Chhabria of Brywood Elementary School and Joshua Suh of Cypress High. (Photos by Paul Gibson)

“I hope by your attendance today that you will be inspired to collaborate,” Judge Marks said. “Without sharing information like this within our community, we really don’t know what each of us is doing to help and promote. … It’s just a question of imagination with regard to how we can bring civics education into the classroom and really assist the students in being great citizens who understand our democracy.”

Marks said the initial collaboration has already resulted in a teachers’ law school program and a recurring courthouse field trip for students at Mendez Fundamental Intermediate School in Santa Ana.

Porras said businesses needed to be involved with the effort to share the kinds of skills that benefit employers. He told the audience he personally had a lot to learn about government as he ascended the ranks at AT&T.

“I know you’re always trying to do everything for our kids,” Porras said. “So I’m really hoping that we can take off from today and really do a lot of things that will prepare these kids, because there are a lot of jobs out there, but the less prepared they are, we’re not going to pick them up.”

A force to reckon with

Midway through the meeting, Mijares engaged three students in a panel discussion about their experiences with civic learning. Each offered compelling insight on what civic learning has meant to them.

“All of these little laws, little rules, that change my perspective about how intricate and how beautiful our government is, because it’s withstood so many storms,” Northwood’s Jasmine Chhabria said. “But these laws, these little tiny rules that unfortunately not many students even know about, are really holding it together and allowing students to empathize with each other, because when they are given this liberty, this freedom, they really can connect and really have bright futures together.”

OCDE Chief Academic Officer Jeff Hittenberger later led a group exercise designed to identify the county’s top civic learning priorities. Participants stressed the importance of empathy, the humanities and helping students navigate social media.

Former Juvenile Court Presiding Judge Maria D. Hernandez wrapped up the event, calling on educators and justice officials to “kind of stir that pot” by sharing what they’ve learned with their colleagues and looking for opportunities to get young people involved. She added that the group would convene again.

“We need to not duplicate services,” Hernandez said. “We need not to silo anymore. We need to take what we have, and what we have in this room is a force to reckon with, so we need to build on it.”

Hittenberger confirmed more information would follow and said the department was planning “a major convening” on civic learning set to take place in early 2020.

“We want to have students involved, teachers involved, people across sectors involved,” Hittenberger said. “So what we’ll do is invite you back in September to regroup and to say, ‘Here’s what’s coming and how can we all be part of making it happen.’”

Students from across Orange County will exhibit more than 200 STEM-based designs demonstrating creativity and innovation at next month’s ocMaker Challenge.

Free and open to the public, the event will feature projects aimed at solving real-world problems or needs — all built by teams from local middle and high schools. Exhibits will be publicly showcased and judged Friday, May 10 at Chapman University’s Hutton Sports Center in Orange.

“The ocMaker Challenge is really about leveraging the design-thinking process, which uses creativity, critical thinking and a focus on the end-user’s experience to solve problems,” said OCDE Chief Academic Officer Jeff Hittenberger. “Research indicates these traits will be essential for future workers as automation and artificial intelligence continue to encroach on more routine tasks.”

Organizers of this year’s ocMaker Challenge have also partnered with Chapman’s newly opened Keck Center for Science and Engineering to host a free presentation and documentary screening of “Dream Big: Engineering Our World.” Program times are 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. on May 10. The Keck Center will be open for self-guided tours that day, offering hands-on STEM experiences, interactive robotics activities, 3D printing demonstrations and esports, which will be in the Hutton Sports Center.

Integrating STEM technologies with art and design, ocMaker Challenge teams begin as early as October, collaborating, designing and building prototypes with varying degrees of difficulty. Student projects will be judged on a criteria that includes originality and functionality.

The top teams will win cash prizes during an awards ceremony on Saturday, May 11 that will spotlight such categories as “Most Innovative” and “Most Socially Conscious Product.” And a new category, the “App Augmented Product,” will recognize products that have been enhanced by the integration of student-coded smartphone apps.

The ocMaker Challenge is organized by the Orange County Department of Education’s Career Education Unit and promoted by CTEoc/Vital Link, with cash prizes provided by such sponsors as Airwolf 3D, MatterHackers, the Anaheim Ducks and California Community Colleges. For more information, check out the video below, call 714-966-3531 or visit ocmakerchallenge.com.

According to the most recent Orange County Conditions of Children report, 1 in 4 students feels chronically sad or hopeless, and many say they’re stressed and anxious while at school.

To build resilience among youth, and to help students understand the sources and physiology of stress, OCDE has introduced a new program that combines mindfulness, yoga movement and specific social-emotional learning skills focused on self-awareness and self-management.

OCDE Program Specialist Christy Curtis leads students through Mindful Moving practices in a series of videos.

It’s called Mindful Moving, and the goal is to simultaneously improve students’ physical and mental health, both of which have a direct bearing on academic performance, says OCDE Health and Wellness Coordinator Chris Corliss.

“When implemented with fidelity, patience and compassion, Mindful Moving’s three-step process of ‘Breathe. Move. Be.’ uses yoga movement to improve physical fitness and literacy, mindful breathing to calm thinking and emotions, and self-guided meditations to encourage social-emotional growth,” he says.

There are three versions of Mindful Moving — K-6 Classroom, K-8 Playground and Secondary Physical Education. Each is based on a standards-aligned curriculum of 10 to 12 lessons, utilizing the Universal Design for Learning framework along with streaming audio and videos that are designed to be fun and kid-friendly, featuring OCDE Program Specialist Christy Curtis.

“Incorporating all three Mindful Moving tools into your school program can improve student physical, mental and emotional health and transform school culture and climate,” Corliss says.

To learn more, check out the video feature above. To find out how to bring Mindful Moving to your school, contact Chris Corliss at ccorliss@ocde.us or 714-966-4355.

Students at a Huntington Beach classroom recently spent part of a day nervously watching a clock ticking in the corner of a projection screen.

The Daily Pilot reported this week on the scene at Brethren Christian School, where speakers counted down the minutes, relaying to viewers the status of the unmanned Cygnus NG-11 cargo vessel preparing to launch from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport in Virginia.

The vessel contained a science project designed by the school’s students that’s heading to the International Space Station.

Members of the engineering club at the private school have been working on the project since the beginning of the school year, according to the Daily Pilot.

The experiment includes two tests. One is based on a crystal oscillator, which uses a vibrating crystal to create an electrical signal with an exact frequency. It will monitor that frequency to see how a clock is affected by the elements of space.

Additionally, the experiment will seek to re-prove Albert Einstein’s theory of relative time in space, comparing the performance of two identical clocks, one in space and one on Earth.

“The hope is that (it’s) gonna work,” sophomore Paige Coultrup told the Daily Pilot. “Even if it doesn’t work, we’re still gonna gather data so we can do it better in the future and gather more data. That’s the point of scientific experiments.”

Here are some more education articles from across the region for the week ending April 19.

• A California legislator wants to ban inexperienced teachers in programs such as Teach for America from working in predominantly low-income schools, saying they lack the preparation to work effectively with the neediest students.

• Congresswoman Katie Porter spent a day this week discussing immigration, child abuse, gun violence and the environment, issues that were brought up by by eighth graders at Jeffrey Trail Middle School in Porter’s hometown of Irvine during a school visit.

• Congressional Art Competition for high school students comes to 48th District and Newport gallery.

• An EdSource analysis of teacher salaries and rents reveals just how crushing California’s housing crisis has become for many teachers.

• A Sage Hill School student has founded a club to encourage male peers to join the conversation about ‘rape culture’ and the male role in it.

• OCDE has introduced a new program that combines mindfulness, yoga movement and specific social-emotional learning skills focused on self-awareness and self-management.

• Four Orange County districts have been recognized among the Best Communities for Music Education by the NAMM Foundation, which also presented awards to three local campuses.

• Students from across Orange County will exhibit more than 200 STEM-based designs demonstrating creativity and innovation at next month’s ocMaker Challenge.

• Educators, business partners and community leaders gathered recently to celebrate the launch of the Orange County Civic Learning Partnership, aimed at equipping the next generation with the rights and responsibilities that are foundational to American democracy.

This is the part where we encourage you to keep up with local education news stories by bookmarking the OCDE Newsroom, subscribing for emailed updates or following us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

Troy High in Fullerton placed first in the high school division of the Southern California State Science Olympiad Tournament, earning a second straight trip to the national competition.

For the second straight year, a pair of Orange County schools will represent California at the Science Olympiad National Tournament.

Troy High in the Fullerton Joint Union High School District repeated as champs of the high school division at the Southern California State Science Olympiad Tournament, which was held April 6 at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, and Kraemer Middle School in the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District earned top honors in its division.

Kraemer Middle School students celebrate winning their division at the Southern California State Science Olympiad Tournament on April 6.

Next comes the national showdown at Cornell University in New York on May 31 and June 1.

“I am extremely proud of the students on our Science Olympiad team,” Kraemer Principal Keith Carmona said. “Their level of perseverance and diligence in working towards this is unparalleled.”

Science Olympiads are like academic track meets, presenting a series of 23 STEM-related team events covering various disciplines including earth science, chemistry, genetics, anatomy, physics, geology, mechanical engineering and technology. Teams compete in middle and high school divisions.

Some events challenge students to learn content and demonstrate it through traditional tests. Others ask students to design and build objects — like hovercrafts or towers — that are tested on the day of competition. Above all, individual achievements take a backseat to team success.

OCDE organizes and runs the regional program, which advances teams to the state tournament. From there, only one team per division qualifies for the national tournament.

For more information on Science Olympiad programs, visit www.soinc.org.

This literally was rocket science.

A team of students from OCDE’s home school program has been named a national finalist in the Team America Rocketry Challenge, billed as the largest rocket contest in the world.

The annual competition gives STEM-savvy middle and high schoolers the chance to design, build and launch model rockets, providing hands-on opportunities to tackle real-world engineering challenges.

A team from OCDE’s Community Home Education Program, or CHEP, has earned its way to the Team America Rocketry Challenge Final Fly-Off at Great Meadows in The Plains, Virginia.

This year, 830 teams from across the country competed, and about 100 of them earned a spot on the list of national finalists.

The squad from OCDE’s Community Home Education Program, or CHEP, was among them, securing a bid to the Team America Rocketry Challenge Final Fly-Off on May 18 at Great Meadows in The Plains, Virginia. There, “Team Rocket DC and Beyond” and other finalists will compete for a national title, more than $100,000 in cash and prizes, and the right to represent the U.S. at the International Rocketry Challenge in Paris.

So how complex was this year’s competition? Consider that each team was tasked with blasting a capsule containing three raw eggs to an altitude of 856 feet — and returning it all safely to the ground, in two stages, with the eggs intact.

“The most challenging aspect for many teams was having to have two parachutes on the payload stage and one parachute on the engine stage, and not have them tangle,” said CHEP teacher and team advisor Kristyn Kazmark.

Established by OCDE in 1988, CHEP bundles an array of resources designed to help parents who choose to educate their children at home. Along with providing curriculum and support through its team of certificated educators, the state-funded program also offers tutoring, lesson plans, assessment tools and social activities to students from transitional kindergarten through the eighth grade.

This was the third time CHEP students have competed in the contest known as TARC. Kazmark says interest is high enough that CHEP now offers a Team America Rocket Challenge class that was developed in conjunction with the Department of Defense’s Starbase youth program, which emphasizes STEM learning.

“Our students have been meeting weekly, as well as on their own time, to design and build rockets using a (computer-aided design) program called Rocksim,” she said.

The Team America Rocketry Challenge, billed as the largest rocket competition in the world, was established to promote science, technology, engineering and math, collectively known as STEM. (Photo from the Team America Rocketry Challenge website)

CHEP’s Team Rocket DC and Beyond features team captain Regina Rodeghiero (seventh grade), Page Jones (ninth grade), Patrick Mallies (eighth grade), Franklin Nguyen (eighth grade), Emily Rodeghiero (seventh grade), Carter Chi (seventh grade), Dalton Chi (sixth grade), Logan Tjahjadi Crawford (sixth grade), David Duong (seventh grade) and Timothy Louie (sixth grade), along with Kazmark and Starbase teacher and mentor Tim Ziesmer​.

“I’m really proud of the students and their dedication all year,” CHEP Principal Machele Kilgore told the OCDE Newsroom. “They had to be in the top 100 out of 800 teams in the nation.”

“The requirements were very difficult this year with separating stages, three eggs, three parachutes that can’t tangle and flying 856 feet in 43 seconds,” Kilgore added. “The weather made it difficult also, but we have very good flight scores. I’m very happy for them and proud of them.”

Sponsored by the Aerospace Industries Association, the National Association of Rocketry and more than 20 aerospace industry partners, the Team America Rocketry Challenge encourages students to study science, technology, engineering and math, collectively known as STEM. Other partners include NASA, the Department of Defense, the American Association of Physics Teachers and The Mars Generation.

For more information on OCDE’s Community Home Education Program, visit the CHEP website.

For more on the Team America Rocketry Challenge, visit rocketcontest.org or check out this brief video.

“Society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.” — Anonymous Greek Proverb

In the early ’70s, Jeanne Carter turned an acre of unused land into an oasis of naturalism and conservation education.

Located at El Modena High School, in the heart of Orange County, the El Modena Nature Center and Native Plant Garden is still going strong nearly a half a century later, boasting a living catalogue of native plants, a “rock walk” featuring a variety of geological specimens, and a modest Information Gallery.

This rare blossom stands as a fun and free field trip location for students throughout the week, but it’s also open to the public every second Saturday.

Community support is needed so this serene sanctuary can continue to flourish, offering students unique hands-on experiences that help cultivate a love of nature.

Learn more by watching our video feature above.

Technology can provide children with new opportunities to learn and connect that can help them improve their quality of life and allow them to better contribute to society.

But technology, especially social media and other online tools, has the potential to harm students by putting them at risk for predators, cyberbullying and inappropriate content that many parents today never worried about when they were children a generation ago.

The Ocean View School District hosted a workshop Monday to help parents learn about the emerging trends in social media — and how to teach children to be safe and responsible while using electronic devices. The workshop included a presentation by Danny Carrillo, project assistant for OCDE’s bullying prevention program.

Danny Carrillo, project assistant for OCDE’s bullying prevention program

For parents who haven’t attended such a workshop, Carrillo, who regularly visits campuses to provide support and insight on the latest online trends, has offered six tips to the OCDE Newsroom aimed at helping navigate them through some of the perils students face today.

1. Educate yourself

Parents may often feel overwhelmed with the volume of new apps, web sites and other online material constantly being churned out.

Carrillo said parents should take a few minutes every so often and search through Google, other search engines, and news and tech sites to see what the most popular apps are at that time, and how they work. Parents should also understand that devices such as video game consoles can be used to access apps and websites available on phones and laptops.

Parents should also ask their children what apps they have on their phones, and what apps they use the most. Opening up such conversations with children lets them know a parent has some knowledge of the latest technology, and might make children feel more comfortable sharing with parents their online habits.

2. Ask your children a lot of questions

Once parents start conversations with their children, they should keep the dialogue going, Carrillo said. It’s important for parents to ask questions that can include: “What kind of exchanges are you having online? Have you met people online? Have you run into any trouble online? How do you deal with those obstacles or troubles when you encounter them?”

“It’s really about getting a sense about how they are navigating through their activities online,” he said. “Again, it helps them understand that you’re involved in knowing about what they do online.”

3. Resist the urge to take away the phone

Research shows that many parents will use a remedy of taking away a child’s technology when the child gets in trouble, Carrillo said. The same research also shows that most children say that they will not tell their parents they have trouble online because of fear their parents will take their devices away, he said.

“It’s almost like they’re willing to put up with some degree of suffering before they go to a parent and let them know, at which point it’s a real problem,” Carrillo said.

A better option would be to tell the child that they trust her to come forward with any problems, with the understanding that it won’t result in the phone or device being taken away, he said. “It’s about keeping the conversation lines open,” he said.

4. Monitor online activity

Along with communicating with a child, parents should take it upon themselves to do some level of monitoring online activity. This can range from examining search histories and checking their child’s phone to see what apps they have, to using monitoring software. There is no specific set of guidelines for all parents, but they should have some ability to check for themselves what their children are doing online or on their devices, Carrillo said.

Parents can review phone bills to see what numbers they are texting and how often, or whom they are calling. Most phones also allow the account holder to check to see what apps are used the most in terms of screen time and data usage.

Relatively inexpensive software, such as Net Nanny and Web Watcher, can also be installed on devices and computers to track usage or block content, Carrillo said.

5. Set up rules for usage

Having clear rules for when, where and how long a child can have access to their phone or other devices can also prove beneficial, Carrillo said.

Establish rules such as where in the house your child can take his device, whether the child can take the phone or laptop into his room by himself, whether the child can keep the phone when he goes to bed, or what the guidelines are for usage time during dinner and other family activities.

“Having these agreements in place before problems can arise is obviously more helpful,” he said. “These are also not just safety issues, they are issues of engagement within the household.”

Carrillo said that consequences for violating these rules should also be laid out at the same time. Carrillo added that as children become older, parents should adjust some of these rules accordingly.

“Obviously what might be more appropriate for an older teen in terms of usage time and content won’t be as appropriate for a younger child,” he said.

6. Understand how easily children can access bad content

It can only take a few clicks for a 5-year-old on YouTube to jump from a child-safe video to something completely inappropriate, Carrillo said.

“Much of the time, children themselves aren’t looking to navigate to sites that can contain sensitive material,” Carrillo said. “But they can type in a vague search word, or click on some ambiguous links, and they can end up somewhere that’s not only inappropriate, but could potentially cause them harm.”

Once a child is connected, that child is essentially exposed to the world, Carrillo said. “That’s the biggest piece I always try to emphasize with parents, and why it’s so important for them to stay on top of their children’s use of technology and devices.”

Carrillo offered some resources online to help parents find more useful information. HealthyChildren.org has a media usage plan for children based on age ranges. CommonSense.org has resources to help parents deal with cyberbullying, sexting, video games involving violent content, appropriate screen time and other issues.

Who are the 2020 Orange County Teachers of the Year?

You’re about to find out. And so are they.

Over the next several hours, six local educators will learn they’ve been selected to receive the county’s top honor for teachers during surprise visits from Orange County Superintendent Dr. Al Mijares.

A big yellow school bus dubbed the “Prize Patrol” will transport Dr. Mijares to each stop, along with camera crews, reporters, sponsors and a handful of OCDE representatives.

The OCDE Newsroom will also be along for the ride, so be sure to hit “refresh” on this page for updates and live video announcements. Or “like” OCDE’s Facebook page and follow us there.

All six Orange County Teachers of the Year will receive a special trophy from Dr. Mijares and a tote bag with prizes from SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union, the program’s premier sponsor.

In the fall, the finalists will be formally honored at a dinner gala at the Disneyland Hotel, where they’ll receive cash awards from the Orange County Teachers of the Year Award Foundation, established by the William, Jeff and Jennifer Gross Family Foundation.

Follow the announcements live on this post, or on social media today using hashtags #OCTeachersoftheYear #OCTOY2020.

Gavin Ehlers, Marina High School, Huntington Beach Union High School District

Ehlers has spent his entire career teaching science at Marina High School, joining the staff in 2007-08. He’s taught AP biology for the last eight years and accelerated biology for six years while serving as the science department coordinator. He has also taught chemistry, biology and life science at Marina.

With Ehlers at the helm, AP biology enrollment has spiked from 35 students to more than 100, and he has never had a pass rate under 80 percent. Yet he takes the most pride in having a 100 percent participation rate on the College Board’s AP exam every year he’s taught the course.

In a lively classroom packed with items contributed by students, Ehlers employs storytelling to connect on a personal level, he seeks feedback, and he encourages his class to take ownership of their learning. A debate-style forum even allows students to defend their responses on tests and quizzes.

“Most students say they learn more on these days than any other through having the opportunity to display their understanding of the content while identifying and clarifying misconceptions,” he says.

Outside the classroom, Ehlers attends numerous Marina High events, leads ecological trips to Costa Rica, arranges tours to local scientific facilities, organizes blood drives and other community events, and visits local middle schools to talk to parents and students about transitioning to high school.

“I have never met a teacher, not even a professor, that loves their job as much as Mr. Ehlers loves his,” said a former student. “He teaches with passion, courage and energy that just goes unmatched.”

Melinda Moen, Western High School, Anaheim Union High School District

Moen has taught art at Western High for the past 14 years. Throughout her career, she has worked to help students understand that artistic talent isn’t just something someone is born with, but also a skill one can learn. And a canvas doesn’t just have to be a clean, white frame in front of them, but it can also be the world around them.

At Western high, her students regularly use the campus itself as their canvas. They often transform bland walls into colorful murals. One recent project, the “Post-it Note Art Show,” involved students creating images on the paper squares and plastering them all over the school. More than 450 students participated, converting Western High into a one-of-a-kind art gallery.

As part of the school’s annual chalk art event, her students took to black tops and sidewalks to draw projects that celebrate diversity by showcasing art from different cultures.

Moen regularly encourages students to use their artwork to celebrate their individualism, dreams and passions. She often sees students who appear shy, lonely or disconnected find their voice and come alive through their artwork.

The teacher has also learned to incorporate social media into art education. She often spotlights her student’s work on Instagram. In 2017, Art of Education’s online magazine listed her as “Best Teacher to Follow on Instagram.

“A reason her class is so engaging is because it focuses on connecting with students,” said Joseph Carmona, Anaheim Union’s director of special programs.

“One of her strongest characteristics is that she focuses on social justice and civic engagement. Her classroom challenges students to reflect about issues they face in the community and society as a whole,” he said.

Melissa Brennan, Maxwell Elementary School, Magnolia School District

Brennan, who started with the Magnolia School District in 2003, works as a special day class teacher at Maxwell Elementary School, serving students in transitional kindergarten through first grade.

Championing social-emotional learning and inclusion, she has mainstreamed hundreds of students in general education classrooms and helped a number of them transition out of special education services.

“When students are taught alongside each other regardless of ability level, amazing things happen,” she said. “They are able to recognize and appreciate the things they have in common such as loving ‘Pete the Cat’ books, while at the same time respecting each other’s differences, such as having a different way of speaking, walking or even thinking.”

Brennan knows first-hand that every child can learn and achieve. But, she says, only when children feel cared for can they experience academic and social success.

She recalls one student who, in addition to being diagnosed with autism, was physically and verbally abusive as a preschooler. Brennan discovered he was also brilliant, so she challenged him in reading, writing and math, and she taught him the right way to receive attention using praise and consistent classroom management. Two years later, he is the top reader in his general education first-grade class.

In addition to her classroom work, Brennan serves as Talent Show coordinator and Red Ribbon Week chair, and she’s a member of the school’s Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) team.

“Given all her accomplishments, you would never hear it from her,” said Cathery Yeh, assistant professor of teacher education at Chapman University. “She puts her students in the limelight and reminds us daily how talented, capable and creative all students are.”

Aline Gregorio, Associate Professor of Geography at Fullerton College

Gregorio’s goal has always been to help her students better understand the world in which they live. In her roll teaching geography at Fullerton College for the past three years, she has challenged students with real-world lessons that study global poverty, migration, food and housing insecurity, and climate change.

Gregorio, a native of Brazil, said she uses her geography courses to convey to students how the lives of people across the world are shaped by their own unique experiences. Her classes include guest speakers, film screenings and field research aimed at getting students out of their comfort zones.

Her students are encouraged to think critically by giving oral presentation that focus on topics such as the lack of access to clean water in some regions, the root causes of migration, and the ongoing depletion of natural resources.

On campus, Gregorio is a leading voice for environmental and social initiatives that are focused on encouraging young adults to become more active in tackling issues our society faces today, her students have said. She has helped organize Fullerton College’s annual Earth Day Symposium, and she urges students to participate in coastal clean-up events.

“In her short tenure at Fullerton College, Professor Gregorio’s influence has been remarkable and impactful to students and the campus community alike,” said Jorge Gamboa, the college’s dean of social sciences. “Her lessons help students gain a greater understanding of how policies impact access to critical resources for impoverished and underserved communities.”

De’Anna Moore, Crescent Elementary School, Orange Unified School District

Moore has taught for 16 years at various grade levels at Crescent Elementary, and has been a fourth-grade teacher since 2015. Moore has always believed that part of her role as an educator is to help students become responsible citizens. Academics are important, but so is social-emotional growth. That’s why she works to instill in her students a sense of moral obligation to make the world a better place. And it starts in her classroom.

Each day she encourages her students to find classmates who might need a little extra help with their schoolwork, a hand organizing their desk, or who could use some cheering up to brighten their day. Additionally, students regularly are asked to volunteer outside the classroom.

They work with a nearby second-grade class as “reading buddies” for the younger students. Moore also leads them in fundraising efforts such as Hats Off for Cancer and the Pennies for Patients drive benefiting the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Moore says she relies on her previous military experience in the U.S. Army Reserve to help her become a more effective leader in the classroom. She works each day to pass on these skills to her students, teaching them the importance of effective communication, critical thinking, creative problem-solving, collaboration and other valuable skills.

“Mrs. Moore serves as a model for her students that we are lifelong learners and should work hard to be the best that we can be,” said Crescent Principal Shele Tamaki. “She constantly encourages her students to help others, and is well known for giving of her own time before and after school.”

Mandy Kelly, Trabuco Mesa Elementary School, Saddleback Valley Unified School District

Kelly has taught sixth grade at Trabuco Mesa Elementary School since 2016. She originally joined the staff as a kindergarten teacher in 2013 and served as a fourth-grade teacher from 2014 through 2016.

A lifelong learner, Kelly continuously seeks out opportunities for professional development in such areas as technology, engagement and project-based learning. She also leads training sessions and participates in numerous summer committees, helping design curriculum focused on math development, English language arts sequencing, engagement strategies, Next Generation Science Standards and other subjects.

Embracing new concepts for teaching and learning, Kelly has pursued virtual reality headsets and flexible seating for students. Yet she views relationship-building as foundational to her work.

“We share stories about our lives, show pictures of our families, and share our goals, fears and aspirations,” she says. “It is not referred to as my classroom, but our classroom.”

That kind of empowerment was central to her students turning a kindness campaign into a global movement. Kelly and her class of “SAKtivists” — the first three letters stand for “Student Acts of Kindness” —  issue weekly video challenges that have been accepted by more than 150 classes in dozens of states and a handful of countries.

“In my opinion, Mrs. Kelly is the quintessential 21st-century teacher,” said colleague Kathy Adair, who teaches fourth-graders at Trabuco Mesa. “She represents the best of us as we seek new ways to use technological resources and brain-based research to engage children in the learning process.”

More than 500 educators, community leaders, students and others gathered Thursday to discuss how to better support at-risk men and boys, especially Latino and black youth.

The “Know My Name Face and Story: Saving Our Most Vulnerable Youth” conference brought together experts from throughout the region to promote a conversation about how to address issues facing these student groups, and more importantly, what resources are available, or can be created to help these students succeed.

“The subject we are going to address today, I consider it to be the most critical problem facing public education,” Orange County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Al Mijares told the audience.  “Obviously we need your help.”

Dr. Shaun Harper, researcher and professor at University of Southern California.

The daylong forum, hosted by the Orange County Department of Education, featured research and insight from renowned academic experts followed by in-depth breakout sessions designed to promote equity, access and opportunity for all students. Speakers included Pedro Noguera, Ph.D., founder for the Center for the Transformation of Schools at UCLA; Shaun Harper, Ph.D., professor and executive director of the Race and Equity Center at USC; and Victor Rios, Ph.D., professor of sociology at UC Santa Barbara.

Harper told the audience that it’s now time to change the narrative that black youth are more likely than peers not to attend college, dropout of school and become incarcerated. Instead, Harper said, we should focus on the success stories of black youth, and what’s working to provide them more opportunities. Shifting this way of thinking will encourage a growth mindset by more proactively meet the needs of this population, Harper said.

Harper stressed how racial equity work should be led by people from all races, not just by people of color, and how mentors for at-risk students should also come from across the racial spectrum.

Dr. Pedro Noguera, professor and researcher at UCLA

Noguera talked about how interventions for boys of color often focus on punitive practices (suspensions, expulsions, etc.), instead of interventions that look to find the root causes of the negative behavior.

“Who do we punish the most in our schools? Almost always those with the greatest needs,” he said. “All we need to do is look at their background and see the victimization they experience.”

Noguera offered some examples of what schools can do to more proactively support at-risk students. They include diverting high quality teachers to work with students who need the most help, he said.  Many times, a school’s best teachers work only with the highest achieving students.

He added that building other support systems that improve health and safety, creating partnerships with colleges and universities and starting academic intervention at earlier ages are also necessary.

OCDE has long prioritized educating the whole child in inclusive learning environments that promote excellence, equity and access. In 2016, the department was tapped by the state to help school systems implement the California Multi-Tiered System of Support framework, which aligns new and existing strategies to meet students’ academic, behavioral and social-emotional needs.

Students trained through Katella High School’s Building Industry Technology Academy, or BITA, are finding work in the construction sector straight out of high school, helping fill a shortage of skilled workers.

The program has taught scores of students how to hammer, saw, build walls and install wiring and plumbing. The Orange County Register this week profiled the program, especially how it’s giving students career options that don’t require college or pricey college loans.

BITA is now a statewide program, with classes in 29 California high schools, according to the Register.

“Our goal is to get the kids … interested in the construction industry,” Jill Herman, director of the BITA program, run by the California Homebuilding Foundation, told the Register. “And hopefully get into the construction industry.”

Homebuilders see the labor shortage as their top problem this year, according to a recent National Association of Home Builders survey.

Adding to the industry’s problems has been a shift in many of the nation’s high schools toward college preparation and away from career technical education, according to the Register. Because of cultural preferences for white-collar jobs, parents and educators push students to college. Many see construction work as low-paying and subject to booms and busts that cause poor job security.

But the BITA program is helping change that perception among students and parents.

Rather than graduate from college with $60,000 to $120,000 in debt, why not work construction after high school to pay for college down the road, several industry leaders said at the NAHB’s annual conference in Las Vegas.

Here are some other education articles for the region for the week ending May 3.

• The Orange County Department of Education named six educators as 2020 Orange County Teachers of the Year this week. Recipients learned of the honor during surprise classroom visits that included OC Superintendent of Schools Dr. Al Mijares, media and sponsors.

• More than 500 educators, community leaders, students and others gathered Thursday to discuss how to better support at-risk men and boys, especially Latino and black youth.

• An annual blue ribbon commission report proposed strategies for increasing access for low-income families to early childhood education programs.

• More than 1,000 OC high school seniors celebrated their college plans with Michelle Obama, as the former first lady’s words of encouragement were beamed to UC Irvine from a similar event being held at the same time at UCLA.

• A cook from the Westminster School District’s central kitchen has been named one of six California Classified School Employees of the Year.

• Results from the 2018 National Assessment of Educational Progress Technology and Engineering Literacy exam revealed that girls outscored boys in technology and engineering.

• Teachers are continuing to fall behind other college graduates in the wages they earn, contributing to the difficulties many school districts in California and the nation face in filling positions in key subject areas, according to a new analysis.

• Students from Costa Mesa Middle and High School in the Newport-Mesa Unified School District practiced kindness with one another during the second annual Let’s Be Kind Day.

This is the part where we encourage you to keep up with local education news stories by bookmarking the OCDE Newsroom, subscribing for emailed updates or following us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

When Samueli Academy launched six years ago with its first class of 120 freshmen, the campus consisted of portable classrooms on a mostly empty lot where Santa Ana Hospital once stood.

By year three, the public charter high school had its own state-of-the-art academic building — and even greater ambitions for the seven-acre site.

Those plans are now a step closer to being realized. On Thursday, Samueli officials held a groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate the start of construction on three new buildings that will substantially expand the school’s footprint along North Fairview Street — and its capacity to serve disadvantaged students throughout Orange County.

The new additions, depicted in a striking rendering of a fully realized Samueli Academy, include a building that will allow the school to accommodate seventh- and eighth-graders, a Student Innovation Center with a cafeteria and student union, and, marking a first for the county, an on-campus residence for foster youth and other students who lack stable housing.

“For years, we’ve all envisioned a completely built-up campus for our students,” Executive Director Anthony Saba said, “and with these three next buildings, we’ll be very close to our goal. Hopefully you got a chance to see the (rendering) on the front here. This campus, we’re using every square inch of it, and it’s going to be amazing.”

Suffice to say, Samueli Academy has come a long way from the concept that was conceived about 10 years ago under the leadership of philanthropists and Orangewood Foundation board members Susan Samueli and Sandi Jackson. The two women were concerned then about the high school graduation rates in some Orange County communities — and particularly among foster youth.

The academy, considered a program of the Orangewood Foundation, opened in August 2013 after receiving its charter from the Orange County Department of Education. While it specifically targets foster youth and students from low-income families, it serves about 500 students from a variety of backgrounds, offering engineering and design pathways.

On Thursday, Saba proudly rattled off some impressive facts and figures about the school, noting its 98 percent graduation rate, its 100 percent graduation rate among foster youth and the fact that 96 percent of its graduates enroll in college.

“We’ve sent 250 graduating seniors to community colleges, the military, to universities near and far,” Saba said. “We’ve guided children, who didn’t think they would graduate from high school, to successfully graduate, and now go on to college.”

And there was another accolade that he was able to add to his remarks at the last minute. Samueli Academy was just named among the Best High Schools in the country by U.S. News & World Report, ranking No. 101 in California and No. 721 nationally.

Now new facilities are coming to complete the campus. Built in partnership with HomeAid Orange County and Lennar, they’re expected to open their doors to students in the fall of 2020.

Orangewood Foundation CEO Chris Simonsen said the road to get to this point has been long and challenging, twisting and turning through site plans, reviews, legislation, approvals and refinements dating back to 2011. But this was a moment to celebrate.

“You are sitting on the very spot where some of our foster youth students will be living in less than a year and a half,” Simonsen said.

Carol Garcia, who graduated from Samueli in 2017, was one of three current and former students to speak at the ceremony. She said she only wished the on-campus housing had been an option when she attended.

“It’s hard to think about school when you’re always struggling to find where you’re going to be staying at,” she said. “The residential (building) will benefit every foster youth, find them a place to stay, to get help, and to be stress-free.”

Oxford Academy in Anaheim Union High School District ranked as the second best high school in California in the recently released U.S. News 2019 Best High Schools ranking.

Oxford, a magnet school in Cypress, ranked 19th overall nationally. It’s the second straight year Oxford ranked 2nd in California. The magnet did climb 17 spots in the overall national ranking, up from 36th place last year.

“Oxford Academy runs an intensive honors curriculum that requires students to take a minimum of four Advanced Placement courses to graduate. Ninth- and 10th-grade students can choose from four career pathways to supplement their core courses: biomedical science, engineering, business/entrepreneurship, and software systems and development,” according to U.S. News.

Orange County School of the Arts, a charter school in Santa Ana, was the second highest rated county school, placing No. 34 statewide and 271st nationally.

Here are is the full list of local schools placing in the top 100 statewide:

• Oxford Academy in Anaheim Union High School District; No. 2 statewide, No. 19 nationally

• Orange County School of the Arts, a charter school in Santa Ana; No. 34 statewide and No. 271 nationally

• Troy High School in Fullerton Joint Union High School District; No. 35 statewide, No. 278 nationally

• Northwood High in Irvine Unified School District, No. 50 statewide, No. 401 nationally

• La Quinta High in Garden Grove Unified School District; No. 54 statewide, No. 415 nationally

• Corona del Mar High in Newport-Mesa Unified School District; No. 63 statewide, No. 453 nationally

• University High in Irvine Unified School District; No. 64 statewide, No. 468 nationally

• Beckman High in Tustin Unified School District; No. 81 statewide, No. 571 nationally

Samueli Academy in Santa Ana, a charter operated by the Orange County Department of Education, ranked No. 101 statewide and No. 721 overall.

The U.S. News ranking measures campuses on data including enrollment, graduation rates, diversity, participation in free and reduced-price lunch programs and the results of state assessments, as well as Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate test data.

Avika Patel’s list of accolades is quite impressive, especially for a high school junior. The Woodbridge High student has been recognized by national programs that include Forbes 30 Under 30 Fellow, Mars Generation 24 Under 24, NCWIT Aspirations in Computing National Awardee and others.

Avika has earned the recognition as much for her academic achievement in science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, as she has for community service, especially for projects that have helped introduce STEM to other students, particularly girls, an often underrepresented group in STEM careers.

Recently, Avika helped organize a seven-week program to teach middle and high school girls computer science. With assistance from a team of students from Woodbridge High School Girls Who Code, Computer Science Honor Society, and UCI Women in Information and Computer Science, she was able to bring the program to 75 girls, introducing them to block coding, robotics, app development and web design.

“I am a big advocate for bridging the gender gap in technology and hope these workshops can do just that,” Avika said.

One workshop taught Sphero robotics and introduced the girls to key concepts of speed, rotation and direction while they worked together to complete a maze. Another lesson featured game design with Scratch and hand-made controllers through Makey Makey. The girls got to be creative in their games and included various features like sounds, background and characters.

Other workshops introduced the girls to web development through HTML and CSS. Using text-based coding for the first time, the students designed their own websites and personalized them using CSS features.

The girls also learned used a simple block-based coding platform to create interesting mobile applications and test them out on iPads. The final day of the program featured a tour of Google Irvine, where students were able to listen to a panel of Google software engineers and learn more about software careers as females in tech.

“I hope that the girls use the skills they learned to create technology to help their communities, as well as spread the news to other girls and encourage them to learn computer science,” Avika said.

The California Board of Education approved a new optional framework for health education this week, offering guidance to help K-12 teachers deliver lessons tied to the state’s health content standards.

As EdSource reported, frameworks are in place for a number of subjects, including English, math, science and history. They are not curriculums and are considered voluntary resources for schools and districts.

The Health Education Curriculum Framework for California Public Schools represents the first update on the subject since 1994 and includes recommendations for physical, mental, emotional and social health, along with sex education guidance in alignment with the 2016 California Healthy Youth Act.

The document was adopted Wednesday after state board members heard from nearly 200 public speakers, many of whom opposed the sex ed component. EdSource said the final version of the framework did not include as resources some of the recommended books that generated the most opposition.

“Life has become exponentially more complex in the last few decades,” board President Linda Darling-Hammond said in a statement. “The Health Curriculum Framework—developed by educators for educators — gives district administrators and educators the guidance and resources they need to develop curriculum and instruction that can help students adopt healthy behaviors that support their physical and mental well-being and navigate through the sometimes complicated situations that will come their way. Equally important, the framework can help make classrooms safer learning environments free from bullying and harassment.”

And here are some other stories we’ve been tracking this week:

• Saying later start times would improve students’ academic performance and mental health, some California lawmakers are once again proposing a bill that would prevent K-12 schools from ringing the first bell earlier than 8:30 a.m.

• Escorted by patrol cars and officers on bicycles, students at Kaiser Elementary in the Newport-Mesa Unified School District rode their bikes to school and later learned bicycle safety tips as part of the second annual Bike Rodeo.

• OCDE’s lead language interpreter and translator has been featured in the latest issue of the ATA Chronicle, a national publication produced by the American Translators Association.

• A student from Woodbridge High School in Irvine helped organize a seven-week program to introduce middle and high school girls to computer science subjects, including block coding, robotics, app development and web design.

• Officials with Samueli Academy, a public charter high school authorized by OCDE, held a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the start of construction on three new buildings that will substantially expand the school’s footprint along North Fairview Street — and its capacity to serve disadvantaged students throughout Orange County.

• Eight OC campuses have placed in the top 100 statewide on U.S. News & World Report’s latest “Best High Schools” ranking. Oxford Academy in the Anaheim Union High School District was tops locally, ranking as the second best high school in California.

• The state Board of Education approved the California Computer Science Strategic Implementation Plan, which offers districts strategies for increasing the number of computer science classes, training educators and ensuring student access.

• Students at Olinda Elementary in the Brea Olinda Unified School District invented a computerized vest that allows them to better communicate with peers who are nonverbal or have other communicative disorders. OCDE’s Media Services team put together a brief video feature on the “Vest Buddy.”

• A program intended to promote healthy and active lifestyles concluded Saturday with thousands of children completing the final lap of this year’s Kids Run the OC. The event at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa was held in conjunction with the annual OC Marathon and Half Marathon.

• Newport-Mesa Unified officials said they were investigating “overtly racist” messages shared in a private Instagram group chat that included students from a local high school.

• The Anaheim Union High School District has started a $48 million renovation of Dale Junior High School that will bring to the campus science and technology labs, a new library, a band building, a gymnasium, drought-friendly landscaping and security fencing.
• The Orange County Register reports that the Santa Ana Unified School District has sent invoices totaling $40 million to five charter schools, saying an audit found underpayment for special education services.

• Federal data indicates the student-to-counselor ratio has dropped to its lowest rate in 30 years. Today’s national average is about one counselor for every 455 students, but the American School Counselor Association believes counselors should serve about half as many students.

This is the part where we encourage you to keep up with local education news stories by bookmarking the OCDE Newsroom, subscribing for emailed updates or following us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

For Maverick Malfavon, months of research, writing and preparation came down to just 10 minutes.

That’s how much time the eighth-grader from Santiago Elementary School in Santa Ana had to deliver a performance on the little known court case of Castañeda v. Pickard during this weekend’s National History Day-California competition in Rocklin.

Santiago Elementary student Maverick Malfavon, left, took first place for his individual performance in the junior division at this year’s National History Day-California competition. Supported by his teacher, Erik Peterson, Maverick researched a little known court case that had national implications for English language learners.

Maverick was ready, having thoroughly analyzed the story of Roy C. Castañeda and his eight-year legal battle against the Raymondville Independent School District on behalf of English language learners. The 13-year-old’s stand-out portrayal earned first place in his division, and that means he’ll get to do it again at next month’s National History Day finals in Maryland.

“It’s going to be even more stressful at the national competition because the competitors will be even more fierce with their projects,” he said, “but I know it will be an amazing experience.”

Maverick isn’t the only local student headed to the national showdown. Eight projects from Irvine schools — including five alone from Sierra Vista Middle School — and one from San Clemente High will also make the cross-country trip, accompanied by the students who created them.

Founded in 1974, National History Day challenges students in grades four through 12 to conduct extensive research before creating elaborate historical projects, including original websites, papers, documentaries, performances and exhibits.

Participants work individually or in teams and submit their work for judging at district, county, state and national competitions. About 600,000 young historians take part each year, creating projects based on an annual theme. This year’s theme was “Triumph and Tragedy in History.”

OCDE hosted the National History Day-Orange County competition in March, drawing nearly 500 students from 34 schools and a dozen districts. The top submissions then advanced to the state finals, which were held May 10-12 at William Jessup University.

Now 21 OC students are headed to the national contest June 9-13, including Maverick. And he’s eager to continue sharing the legacy of Roy C. Castañeda, who helped install a three-pronged test to evaluate whether schools are appropriately meeting the needs of English learners.

“This is one of the most important cases on language equity,” he told the OCDE Newsroom. “It’s very little known, which made my research harder. But people should know about this because it has had a national impact.”

Below is a rundown of the projects that will represent Orange County at the culminating event — and the students who made them. For a comprehensive list of state winners, visit the National History Day-California website.

Orange County Junior Champions (Grades 6-8)

Individual Documentary
“The Ban of DDT: Triumph for Environment, Tragedy for Humans”
Aditya Hari
Sierra Vista Middle School, Irvine Unified School District

Group Documentary
“The Legacy of the Tragic Wonder Drug: Thalidomide”
Caleb Empig, Jonathan Kang, Justin Lee and Anthony Foo
Sierra Vista Middle School, Irvine Unified School District

Group Exhibit
“Panama Canal: Dividing a Land to Unite a World, Triumphs and Tragedies”
Harrison Cho and Joshua Ikehara
Sierra Vista Middle School, Irvine Unified School District

Historical Paper
“The Effect of Brown v. Board of Education on African-American Teachers”
Natalie Miller
Lakeside Middle School, Irvine Unified School District

Individual Performance
“The Triumph of Castañeda v. Pickard and the Tragedies that English Language Learners Still Face Today”
Maverick Malfavon
Santiago Elementary School, Santa Ana Unified School District

Group Performance
“The Triumph and Tragedy of the Transcontinental Railroad”
Cindy Ding, Olivia Cai, Sunny Wang, Rachel Huh and Rachel How
Sierra Vista Middle School, Irvine Unified School District

Group Website
“Czechoslovakia, 1938: Triumph and Tragedy in a Final Stride for Peace”
Ramon Jiang, Ethan Chen and Zhongwen Zhang
Sierra Vista Middle School, Irvine Unified School District

Orange County Seniors Champions (Grades 9-12)

Individual Exhibit
“Yellowstone: The Tragedy of Native Americans and Triumph of Environmental Conservation”
Emily Zhang
University High School, Irvine Unified School District

Individual Website
“Atoms for Peace: Triumph of Scientific Diplomacy”
James Koga
University High School, Irvine Unified School District

Group Website
“Brown v. Board of Education: A National Triumph and Neglected Tragedy”
Sophia Burick and Kate McKernan
San Clemente High School, Capistrano Unified School District

Special Awards Winners

Catalina Pacheco Memorial Award
Cindy Ding, Olivia Cai, Sunny Wang, Rachel Huh and Rachel How
Sierra Vista Middle School, Irvine Unified School District

Naval Maritime History Award
Christy Han
Sierra Vista Middle School, Irvine Unified School District

Turning Points in History Award
Sol Choi
University High School, Irvine Unified School District

William E. Geary Memorial Award for Military History
Christy Han
Sierra Vista Middle School, Irvine Unified School District

Five school-level Peer Assistance Leadership programs, or PAL, and two advisors were honored by the Orange County Department of Education for working to create  and enhance youth engagement in campuses and communities.

The PAL program is known for the development of youth leaders who outreach on school campuses through new student transition, conflict management, peer helping, tutoring, and prevention activities. PAL students are committed to creating a safe and supportive school environment.

2019 PAL Program Honorees:

El Modena High School, Orange Unified School District: The PAL class and club at El Modena High School includes over 60 students dedicated to serving their school and community. This group of peer leaders hosts several events throughout the year designed to support all students, including targeted activities serving students with special needs. They work closely with the Associated Student Body to host a two-day summer camp for incoming freshmen and a “Welcome Back Luncheon” for students returning to the school mid-year. This student driven group works collaboratively with other groups on campus to engage their peers in environmental issues, to host a night celebrating El Modena musicians and artists, and to promote mental health awareness. The El Modena PAL group makes their community and school better through their heartfelt actions.

Pioneer Middle School, Tustin Unified School District: The Pioneer PAL program strives to create impactful projects that positively benefit the school and community.  The forty students in this PAL class plan, implement, and evaluate their projects with the support of their PAL advisor. In an effort to support building a positive school climate, they host a month-long kindness challenge, serve as “Secret PALs” to show ongoing appreciation for schools staff, and host teacher vs. student activities and sporting events. Every Monday, they walk to Peters Canyon Elementary School to provide tutoring to students in grades 1-3. They also conduct several community service activities including “Cookies for Cops,” caroling for seniors, and donating to several charity drives. To get the word out about their service projects, the PAL students create a monthly newsletter, which they present to the Parent and Teachers Association (PTA) and at monthly school board meetings. Pioneer PALs believe it is better to give than to receive and will do whatever it takes to help their school and community.

Talbert Middle School, Fountain Valley School District: The PAL students at Talbert Middle School work with their student body to promote a positive climate by being willing to put themselves out there for anyone who needs them. Talbert PAL peer leaders provide one-on-one mentoring and tutors on campus. They provide teacher support and host monthly “Lunch on the Lawn” engagement activities for 6th grade students. To promote positive behavior, the PAL program conducts ongoing kindness activities including a school wide poem contest.  This PAL group supports healthy lifestyles by educating their peers about the dangers of drugs and alcohol use and encouraging them to make healthy choices. Talbert PAL peer leaders are known for their kindness and they love giving back to their school community.

Laurel Elementary Magnet School of Innovation and Career Exploration, Brea Olinda Unified School District: The PAL peer leaders at Laurel Elementary Magnet School have been a positive force on their campus this year. Laurel Magnet PAL students work in teams that focus on activities that engage their peers and help create a positive school climate.  The PAL teams lead recess games, read to kindergarten classes, assist the principal, and support classes on campus. Laurel Magnet PAL students are trained to foster personal relationships between peers and the rest of the campus. They are an integral part of implementing their schools’ Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports program. The Laurel Magnet PAL program takes pride in what they offer their campus community.

Las Flores Elementary School, Capistrano Unified School District: The PAL group at Las Flores Elementary School is comprised of 31 students. These active peer leaders plan activities to engage their peers and promote positive behavior on their campus. PAL students organize games and activities at recess, serve as new student mentors, are morning ushers for lower grade students, and help coordinate Kindness Week. The PAL students foster a sense of unity by coordinating school wide service projects, such as blankets for an animal shelter, socks for the homeless, and donation drives. Las Flores PAL students strive to encourage kindness, sensitivity, and selflessness.

2019 PAL Advisor Honorees:

Dawn Floyd, Gilbert Elementary School, Garden Grove Unified School District: Floyd inspires and directs her students to be leaders, learn about the value of community service, and give them the confidence to grow and teach others. She works tirelessly with students, staff, and parents to ensure that each project is meaningful and student centered.  She is devoted to the success and growth of the PAL program at Gilbert Elementary School and is constantly reflecting on how to improve the program.

Debbie Mulligan, Tustin Memorial Academy, Tustin Unified School District: Mulligan leads a highly motivated group of 40 active PAL members. She excels at making sure each PAL student feels involved and empowered to make an impact through PAL at their school and within their community. Debbie is dedicated to her students to give them the desire to chase their passions. She listens to their ideas, and looks for ways they can have an impact through peer support, service learning, and conflict resolution. Mulligan gives students a reason to believe in themselves and a purpose in supporting those around them.

For more information, contact Elke Petras, Coordinator, Youth Development Programs, at epetras@ocde.us or visit www.ocde.us/pal.