California's Children

LAUSD board unanimously says "yes" to classroom breakfasts

 UPDATE, May 15, 2013: The Los Angeles Unified School District board voted unanimously at its meeting yesterday to keep breakfast in the classroom -- a political wrangle between the teachers' union and the service employees' union that district superintendent had told the board to solve, specifically and intentionally, and not as part of a larger packaged of programs. 

 Speaking to the press, board member Steve Zimmer said, “We know we cannot turn away and pretend for a moment longer that [hunger] is someone else’s problem. This is not instead of education. This is education.”

McClatchy HS debate team first public hs in CA to win nat'l debate tournament

May 7, 2013: John Spurlock and Keenan Harris, at left, of Sacramento's C. K. McClatchy High School's  debate team won the policy debate (also known as team debate) trophy at the national Tournament of Champions at the University of Kentucky in Lexington on April 27-29 defeating 71 other teams from high schools around the nation, competing in eleven two-hour debate rounds over three days. Policy debate, one of several categories at the tournament, is considered the most difficult and the win is the top honor.

The two-man team is the first team from a California public high school to win the tournment in its 42-year history. (A private school, Oakland's College Prep, won ten years ago.) Spurlock was also named "top speaker" at the event.

Policy debate requires students to research and argue a single subject over a year of research and study. This year’s topic was “Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially increase its transportation infrastructure investment in the United States.” Debate is not funded in public schools; it is an after-school program that relies on parent and community donations.

Both boys have received debate scholarships for next year's matriculation into college: Spurlock at UC Berkeley, and Harris at Wake Forest (North Carolina).

 "The magnitude of this win cannot be overstated," said McClatchy debate coach Seth Blackmon, at left.

According to the Capitol Valley Forensic League (affiliated with the California High School Speech Association), "Blackmon began coaching forensics as a blood sport at...McClatchy High School in 2010.  Like many [debate coaches], he hails from the ranks of high school debaters-turned lawyers-turned forensic coaches in our league.  He excels at wrangling correct debate paneling from reticent computers, coaxing results from defunct printers, and explaining to students why interrupting every debate round at the tournament is an ineffective strategy."

"We were competing against schools that have budgets upwards or in excess of six figures, Blackmon says,"C.K. McClatchy's debate budget is at best four figures..."I couldn't be more proud of these young men. They outworked the competition, including schools with numerous paid coaches..."

Spurlock, 17, told the Sacramento Bee, "Because a lot of the private academies that we were competing against can have upwards of 10 coaches who will all be helping to prepare them, we figured to get a leg up on the competition we would have to start early in November."

The policy debate topic for school year '13-'14 has not yet been selected. The topic will focus on an international issue and the five resolutions from which one will be selected can be read here.

First 5 California on Earth Day: 10 tips for kids to get green

April 22, 2013: Today's a good day to remind our kids to be good stewards of the planet, says Camille Maben, executive director of First 5 California, who suggests:

1) Get Your Hands Dirty: Even in a small space, potted plants can brighten up a room and help clean the air in your home. Although it may take longer than one day to see results, planting fruits, vegetables, flowers or herbs thrill children, and teaches them patience and how we all can contribute to the natural beauty of the world.

2) Pick up Trash: Help beautify your local parks and playgrounds...Afterwards, celebrate your hard work with a picnic...

3) Swap Your Car for the Bike: ...go on a bike ride or pack up a stroller with essentials and walk. 

4) Go Take a Hike: Even in the most urban areas, natural beauty can be found ... point out birds, insects and plants... nurturing a love and appreciation of the natural world.

5) Teach Recycling: Teach little ones the value of recycling—newspapers, magazines, cans and junk mail are just a start. ...

6) No Gushing While Brushing: Teach children to turn off the water while brushing their teeth during the two-minute brushing time dentists recommend.

7) Lighten Up on Energy: Let a toddler/preschooler practice turning off the lights whenever you leave a room. Help them open curtains and blinds to let in natural light..

8) Fresh is Best: Show a child how to pick out ripe seasonal fruits and vegetables...Letting a small child smell and feel the produce is also a great sensory activity ...

9) Use a Reusable Bag:  On market trips, let children carry their backpack or bring reusable bags...perhaps ones they've decorated themselves for this purpose.

10) Trash into Treasure: Save empty food containers for craft projects... Egg cartons can be used as paint palettes, milk cartons as planters or bird feeders and boxes have infinite possibilities.

Grass Valley Charter students save "the park, our classroom"

April 3, 2013: Over the last two years, students from Grass Valley Charter School (Nevada County) banded together to save the South Yuba River State Park, and now, there's a documentary that tells their story. The school often used the park as an outdoor classroom, even adopting the motto, "Nature is our teacher and the park, our classroom."

    According to Kent Jones for MSNBC's The Maddow Blog, the kids put together a Mobile Media Action Team, and met with John Laird, California's Secretary for Natural Resources. They explained to Laird why they thought South Yuba Park should not be included in the state's budget-cutting state-park-closure list, gathering in the process over supporting 10,000 signatures. In short, ...because of their efforts, the community managed to find a way to keep the park open...

 

 

 Written by Taylor McCulloch.

What works: Gritty City Rep Youth Theatre

December 9, 2012: Gritty City Rep's first show of the season, "Anon(ymous)," by Naomi Iizuka (center, of photo, in white), opened last night at the Berkeley City Club Theatre (tickets available on-line here). The show, directed by Lindsay Krumbein, who is also the executive artistic director of the rep, runs this weekend and next (510-575-9247). Krumbein teaches theatre at Oakland Technical High School and is the East Bay Youth Coordinator for the San Francisco Playhouse. 

Gritty City Youth Theatre, a 501 (c) (3) nonprofitgives young people in Oakland "access to performing artws programs that nuirture, stimulate & transform," and, according to its website, "We create unique spaces where young adults feel inspired to risk and explore, development leadership, confidence, and empathy for their human family through the production of powerful theatre." The website also mentions that the December 6 opening night was "a huge hit!"

In May, Gritty City Rep will present its second show of the season, Shakespeare's "The Tempest," at Oakland's Vagabond Ballroom.

Gritty City was formed in TKTKT by TKTKTKT; it has received small grants from the Ara and Edma Dumanian Foundation, a  philanthropy in Palo Alto; and from the Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream Foundation.