COUNTY

Libraries offer homework help

Branches of the Santa Cruz Public Libraries offer free homework
assistance.

Help is available from 2-4 p.m. Tuesdays at the Boulder Creek
Branch, 13390 W. Park Ave.; 3:30-5:30 p.m. Tuesdays at the
Branciforte Branch, 230 Gault St., Santa Cruz; 3:30-5:30 p.m.
Mondays at the Garfield Park, branch, 705 Woodrow Ave., Santa
Cruz; and from 3-5 p.m. Tuesdays at the Live Oak branch, 2380
Portola Drive, Santa Cruz.

Certified teachers provide the homework help as part of the
partnership with the county Office of Education. There is at
least one bilingual tutor at each location, and no appointment
is necessary.

For more information, contact Sandi Imperio at 477-7700, ext.
7665.

LIVE OAK

Tierra Pacifica hosts info nights

Tierra Pacifica Charter School is hosting information nights
6:30-8 p.m. Monday and Feb. 22 for prospective families at its
Live Oak campus, 986 Bostwick Lane.

For information and to reserve a space for free child care,
call Kitty Hansen at 462-9404 ext. 0. Also visit the school's
website at http://www.tierrapacifica.org.

The deadline for applications to be included in the lottery for
2012-13 enrollment is 3 p.m. on March 15.

SAN LORENZO VALLEY

Association gets new president

The Santa Cruz County School Boards

Association has a new president.

The association voted George Wylie, San Lorenzo Valley Unified
School District trustee, to the post at its Jan. 19 meeting.

Wylie replaces Judy McGooden, the Soquel Union Elementary
School District trustee who served as the association's
president for the past two years.

SANTA CRUZ

School to host information night

Coastal Community Preschool is hosting a Kindergarten
Information Night 5:45-7 p.m. Tuesday for families researching
the educational options available for kindergarten age children
in Santa Cruz.

Representatives from local private and public schools will be
on hand to answer questions about programs, enrollment process
and readiness.

The meeting will be at Coastal Community Preschool's campus, at
900 High St. in Santa Cruz. The school is behind First
Congregational Church.

For information, call the Coastal Community Preschool office at
462-5437 or send an email to info@coastalcommunitypreschool.org.

MOUNT MADONNA

Students learn by doing

Mount Madonna School students are practicing learning a second
language through the Total Physical Response Storytelling
method, which integrates physical actions and cues with
vocabulary, speaking and listening skills.

This method helps students who learn best by "doing" use a
combination of physical activity and speaking out loud to
increase their comprehension when learning a new language.

SANTA CRUZ

Get to know Spring Hill

Spring Hill School is gearing up for the first of a series of
three informational evenings, titled "Know Your School," at
6:30 p.m. Tuesday, 250 California St., Santa Cruz.

The first presentation will be to discuss the "Mission and
Philosophy of Spring Hill."

For information, call 427-2641.

LIVE OAK

IHOP fundraiser to aid school

International House of Pancakes will help Green Acres School
raise funds for classroom materials.

From 7 p.m. until closing time on Wednesday, 20 percent of
purchases will be donated to the school.

This is an ongoing fundraiser, with IHOP accepting donations
the first Wednesday of each month.

Participating customers simply have to mention Green Acres
School to contribute. For information, call 475-0111 ext. 204.

SANTA CRUZ

Family math night a success

Math magic tricks, a fraction race and estimating the number of
M&Ms in a jar were just a few highlights of Spring
Hill's recent Family Math Night event.

The annual event drew families from the school and the
community, as well as visitors looking to learn more about the
school's award winning program. The event's goal is to help
families realize that math is fun.

LIVE OAK

Good Shepherd hosts open house

Good Shepherd Catholic School's open house is planned for
5:30-7:30 p.m. Wednesday at its 2727 Mattison Lane campus in
Live Oak.

Parents of prospective students will be offered a tour of the
school, visit classrooms, view the all-school art exhibit in
the gym, and ask questions of the current faculty and parents.

For information, go to http://www.gsschool.org or call
476-4000.

SANTA CRUZ

Store to help schools go solar

New Leaf Community Markets' customers are helping bring solar
power to local schools with the purchase of $2 "Solar for
Schools" certificates sold at store registers.

The first school to benefit from this program is Bonny Doon
Elementary, where solar panel installation is to wrap up this
spring using local companies and installers.

All the money raised through the sale of the certificates goes
to the Monterey Bay Fund.

APTOS

Retired teachers group to meet

The California Retired Teachers Association of Santa Cruz
County will host Mas Hashimoto, a renowned historian of
Japanese American experiences during World War II, at
itsmeeting Wednesday.

Hashimoto will present, "Lessons in Loyalty" during the 11:30
a.m. to 2 p.m. event at Seascape Golf Club.

Lunch reservations are $14. Mail payments to G. Hastings, 6013
Thurber Lane, Santa Cruz, 95060.

CORRALITOS

Salesian accepting applications

Salesian Elementary and Junior High School is accepting
applications for the 2012-2013 school year. The K-8 school is
hosting an Open House 5:30-7 p.m. Thursday at its campus, 605
Enos Lane in Corralitos.

For information or to schedule a tour on another date, call
728-5518. Learn more about the school online at salesianschool.org.

WATSONVILLE

Moreland accepting applications

Moreland Notre Dame School is accepting applications for the
2012-13 school year.

An open house will be held 5:30-7 p.m. Thursday, and school
tours will be 10:45 a.m. to noon Feb. 14 and 23, as well as
March 14 for potential families to check out the campus, 133
Brennan St., Watsonville.

For information, call 728-2051 or go to http://www.mndschool.org.

APTOS

School hosts open house

Aptos High School invites parents of prospective students to
attend an "Eigth Grade Parent Night/Open House" 6-8 p.m.
Thursday at the school, 100 Mariner Way.

Prospective students may attend but this event is designed for
parents and members of the community.

For information, call Melani Davis at 688-6565 ext. 230.

SOQUEL

Career Center reopens

Soquel High School's Career Center in room 101 is open again
and open for business.

The center provides information about universities and colleges
here and afar, military options, financial aid, career choices,
Regional Occupation Program opportunities and Career Technical
Education information.

A celebration was held Jan. 13.

SANTA CRUZ

Enrichment courses to start

Monarch Community School will begin offering hour-long "Friday
Courses" on Friday.

Taught by parents, community members, teachers and students,
the Friday afternoon courses are an integral part of the
school's alternative, hands-on curriculum.

The courses are offered each semester to mixed-age groups of
students. The courses offered were selected by the students
through a ballot system.

For information, go to http://www.monarch.santacruz.k12.ca.us/.

SANTA CRUZ

Sale, e-waste event slated

The Westlake Elementary School PTA is holding its annual
rummage sale from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, in the school's
multipurpose room at 1000 High St., Santa Cruz.

Proceeds will help support school programs.

Meanwhile, donated E-waste will be processed by GreenMouse
Recycling.

SANTA CRUZ

School hosts info meeting

Pacific Collegiate School, a public charter school for grades
7-12, is hosting an information meeting 9-11 a.m. Saturday for
families interested in applying to the school's entrance
lottery on Feb. 23.

The meeting will take place in the gymnasium, at 255 Swift St.,
Santa Cruz.

Applications are due by Feb. 17.

For information and to apply, go to http://www.pacificcollegiate.com/
and click on the "Admissions" tab.

LIVE OAK

Students prepare for science fair

Middle School Students at Good Shepherd Catholic School will
fine tuning their projects as they gear up for the science
fair.

Students will enter their projects in the fair Feb. 7.

The public will be able to view the projects 10 a.m. to noon
Feb. 8 in the school gym, 2727 Mattison Lane in Live Oak.

For information, go to http://www.gsschool.org.

SANTA CRUZ

School holds open house

Santa Cruz Children's School is hosting an open house 4-5 p.m.
Feb. 7 at its 366 Gault St. campus in Santa Cruz's Seabright
neighborhood.

The event provides prospective parents with an opportunity o
meet the kindergarten teacher and tour the school. For
information, call 429-8444 or go to http://www.scchildrensschool.com.

CAPITOLA

3PENS fundraiser at Shadowbrook

Dining out at Shadowbrook Restaurant the evening of Feb. 7 will
support programs offered by Santa Cruz's three Parent Education
Nursery Schools, also known as 3PENS.

From 5-8:45 p.m. that day, diners can mention 3PENS and have 30
percent of their purchase be donated to the group.

To make a reservation, call Shadowbrook at 475-1511.

LIVE OAK

Bezos Scholars candidates named

Cypress High School has nominated Marcus Mathews and Zachary
Elliot, both juniors, as Bezos Scholars candidates.

The scholars are paired with an educator from their school and
join 12 other high school students from around the country for
a year-long leadership development program hosted by the Aspen
Institute.

The group of Bezos Scholars will travel to the Aspen Ideas
Festival, a gathering of thinkers and change agents from around
the world for an all-expenses-paid week of seminars and
informal meetings with international leaders, journalists, arts
and entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds.

To submit an item for Education Digest, email educationdigest@santacruzsentinel.com.
The deadline for Sunday's paper is noon Wednesday. If you would
like to attach a photo for consideration, please include a
caption and a photo credit. Questions, call education team
leader Donald Fukui at 706-3252.

Read more here:
Education Digest: Jan. 29, 2012