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Sex ed, learning disabilities, EA/ED, Ted Talks, books

Education Roundup

Are you wondering what kind of “sex ed” students are getting in Sonoma schools? A report released recently by UCSF indicates that, although California’s public schools have made great strides in the quality of sexuality education and HIV/AIDS prevention, many districts still teach inaccurate information that fails to provide young people with required information and, by doing so, violate state law. The 2003 passage of a groundbreaking state law requires that sex education in schools be comprehensive, medically accurate and free of bias. I’m working on a story detailing what the different Sonoma schools do; let me know if you have questions or anecdotes to share.

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Altimira’s next drama production is the play “Next Victim Please” on Dec. 20 and 22 at 7 p.m. in the AMS multipurpose room. This short play is a tongue-in-cheek murder mystery comedy. Tickets are $3.

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Prestwood School is collecting clean, gently used coats, clothing and accessories both as a school fundraiser and as part of the One Warm Coat program. The coats will be given, absolutely free of charge, to local charities which will distribute the coats to those who need it. Even more, Republic of Thrift, a soon-to-be-opened thrift store, will be paying Prestwood a bulk per-pound rate for all other clothing and accessories donated. Dec. 5 to 9 you can drop your items during business hours at Parsons Lumber and Hardware, Curves, My Pal Pet Grooming or at Prestwood.

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I reached out to two Sonoma Valley High School grads, now freshmen at Davis, about the recent troubles there.  Caity Tremblay, ’11 writes:  “Davis is definitely abuzz about the pepper spray incident and the subsequent rallies. I think people are still reeling from the shock of the incident; no one expected that at Davis, and the logical reaction is outrage. I’ve had several professors talk about the protests, and it’s been on the front page of the Aggie nearly everyday for the past week, not to mention all the rallies. I was right in front of the podium at the rally on the quad, held in solidarity for the pepper spray victims; their testimonials were really powerful, but what was most impressive was the sheer number of people peacefully assembled on the quad – there must have been thousands of people there, students, faculty, community members, etc. The instance of police brutality brought more interest and support to the activists than they could’ve dreamed of. Originally their cause was to prevent/affect the Regents vote on the proposed 80 percent increase in tuition over the next few years, but with the brutality and the influx of people, their causes have multiplied. There’s been a huge outcry for Chancellor Katehi to resign because she’s the one who called the police on the protestors; personally, I don’t think her resigning would help anything, but people want to hold someone accountable.”  
KC Jeppesen, ’11, is of the mind that life goes on for most students:
“The protests and pepper spray incident have been pretty much the whole focus of the campus as of late. It seems as if everyone knows about the pepper spray incident and the aftermath of it but, at the same time, life at Davis continues to happen around these events. As much as an impact as they are having, as a student, I’m also perfectly capable of simply getting away from all of the media/protests.”

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By mid-December, local students who applied Early Action (non-binding) or Early Decision (binding) to college will hear back with the decision, several months before their peers who waited for the regular deadline. The advantage of applying early is frequently a significantly better chance of admission. American University, mentioned below, for example, typically admits 43 percent of its applicants in the regular decision pool and last year accepted 79 percent of their Early Decision applicants. Dartmouth accepted 12 percent regular decision last year, and 25 percent ED. The bump can be less significant with Early Action (EA), but Santa Clara, for example, accepted 58 percent in regular round last year and 73 percent EA. Lewis and Clark in Oregon accepted 68 percent regular and 77 percent EA. So why doesn’t everyone apply “Early?” 1. You have to be organized. 2. You have to love one school far more than the others. 3. You can’t compare financial aid packages because you see only one school’s aid offer.

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There are a handful of well-regarded colleges now that specialize in accommodating the unique needs of students with dyslexia, ADD and ADHD and ensuring that these students succeed in mainstream college classes. The top six schools cited by experts are the University of Arizona, the University of Alabama, the University of Denver, Lesley University in Boston and American University in Washington, D.C.

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Help. I know a lot of people in town, myself included, have bags of books to give away but the public library isn’t accepting donations until they are back in their regular location. Anyone planning a book sale? Let me know.

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I’m sure you’ve heard about the Ted Talks that are available on YouTube on a wide range of very cool topics by incredibly compelling speakers. Last week, San Francisco hosted a TedX night of speakers on education titled: “Everything we know about college is up for grabs, as innovators examine its shortcomings and reimagine ways in which higher learning can be delivered to make it more affordable, accessible and relevant for today’s world.” You can see these talks at www.tedxf.org. According to their web site, the San Francisco TED community (TEDxSF) seeks to highlight exceptional people and creative works, connecting people across disciplines, creating conversations and driving action through the eyes of science, business, arts, letters, music and more. They have 3,700 members in the Bay Area.  

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Is your teen causing you to tear your hair out? A friend has recommended the book “Uncommon Sense for Parents with Teenagers,” by Michael Riera. It is widely thought to be the best book out there on communicating with teens on such topics as alcohol, drugs and parties; academics; sex; eating disorders; homosexuality; and divorce. I enjoyed what one reviewer on Amazon had to say: “This book reassured me that my child wasn’t abnormal, that I was right in being confused and sometimes appalled by their behavior. And it let me take a step back and not take it so personally.” Some of Riera’s other books sound interesting as well: “Right From Wrong: Instilling A Sense Of Integrity In Your Child,” “Field Guide To The American Teenager: A Parent’s Companion” and “Surviving High School: Making the Most of the High School Years.”

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Tonight, Dec. 1, Sonoma Valley High School is hosting a Santa Rosa Junior College Information Night for parents and students at 6 p.m. in the pavilion.

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Finally, it is never too early to make New Year’s Eve plans ...   The Sonoma Mentoring Alliance is hosting their annual Puttin’ on the Glitz party at 7:30 p.m. at the Lodge at Sonoma.  Tickets are $250/person with the proceeds going to a great cause!  Go to www.sonomamentoring.org for more information.