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Volunteers needed, educational iPad apps, holiday events, Quarryhill & Di Rosa

Education Roundup

Interested in getting into the classrooms at Sonoma High? The Teacher’s Support Network has an immediate need for eight to 10 volunteers to help Sonoma Valley High School students with their senior project research papers, during weekdays from 11:35 a.m. to 12:25 p.m. (except Wednesdays) from right now until the Christmas holiday and beyond. This is a great chance to get involved with TSN at Sonoma High on a flexible schedule. Volunteers can work as many or as few days as desired, and will work one-on-one with students during their English classes. In May, volunteers will also be needed as usual to help judge the senior projects, but this is a chance to help out during the research and writing process. Please contact TSN head Sallie Moore today at sallie@svtsn.org with your availability.

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The website Edudemic.com ran a great story recently called, “65+ iPad Apps Perfect for Elementary School,” (most available for the iPhone as well). Some of my favorites: Keynote (for presentations), Pages (create, edit and view documents), Discover Education (educational videos), CK12.org (free online textbooks), Reading Trainer (speed reading), Mathboard (teaching math), Geo Play 2 and Geomaster (geography) and dozens more to try.

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At Prestwood, 31 students gave speeches last week and the following students were elected as the school’s Student Council officers: Mia Benstead, Jack Boydell, Pablo Rubio-Avalos and Ava Rognlien.

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The Boys & Girls Club’s annual Christmas Tree Lighting and Open House is Saturday, Dec. 3 from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Maxwell Clubhouse. They will be lighting their giant tree, provided by Nyberg’s Christmas tree lot, and their choir will sing carols. There will be holiday refreshments and arts and crafts activities for kids, including cookie decoration. The club’s climbing wall will also be available for guests to take on the challenge.

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The Boys & Girls Club also invites the public to its annual Youth of the Year celebration on Thursday, Dec. 8, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Maxwell Clubhouse. Youth of the Year is an initiative designed to promote and recognize teens who have developed sound character, leadership abilities and the willingness to give back to their community. I’m excited to be serving as a judge this year.

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Hanna Boys Center is having its 62nd annual Holiday Open House and Christmas Bazaar on Sunday, Dec. 4, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Guests are invited to tour the campus and there will be refreshments, crafts, caroling and more.

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Presentation School is gearing up for its annual Holiday Home Tour on Dec. 9, and tickets are available online at www.presentationschool.com. This year the houses are all in Old Sonoma. The ticket price of $70 includes the tour, transportation, a seated lunch at the Lodge and shopping at the Holiday Boutique.

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It is a busy month at Sonoma Charter School. The school is gearing up to host its annual Scholastic Book Fair from Nov. 28 to Dec. 2. They urge the public to stop by on Thursday night, Dec. 1, for their great Holiday Craft Fair from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. … Sonoma Charter is also raising money for its annual overnight field trips by selling beautiful organic Christmas wreaths in the Safeway parking lot on Dec. 3, 4, 10 and 11 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. … Finally, the public is also invited to attend and support their Kick-A-Thon at Sonoma Taekwondo on Dec. 10 at 9 a.m., and participating students will raise money through tax-deductible pledges. Call 935-7118 for more info.

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Sassarini is also selling beautiful, fresh holiday wreaths to offset budget cuts and buy needed supplies. The wreaths are made especially for the school by one of the school district’s employees. Each wreath comes complete with pine cones and a large red bow. They are available in three sizes, from $20 to $50. The decorative greenery can be ordered at the school.

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Adele Harrison is hosting a Holiday Craft Fair and viewing of student science projects on Dec. 7 from 4 to 8 p.m. in the multipurpose room.

In the El Verano newsletter, principal Maite Iturri recently mentioned what she looks for, in terms of the best types of instruction, when entering a classroom. She noted: opportunities for students to respond; teachers frequently checking to make sure that students understand; whether student talking/doing predominates; higher order thinking/questioning; and a safe classroom culture. I love it when best practices are specifically articulated like that.

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Now in the 25th year of operation, Quarryhill Botanical Garden in Glen Ellen is one of the pre-eminent Asian botanical gardens globally, featuring one of the largest collections of documented, wild-collected Asian plants in the world. Its programs include conservation, expeditions, education and scientific research. It welcome visitors, including class trips, and are open for both self-guided and docent-led tours and events year-round. You can visit its website at www.quarryhillbg.org/. Or call 996-3166 for reservations. 


At the other end of town, Di Rosa’s 2011-2012 school program is under way. Free tours are available to school groups on Wednesdays and Thursdays and can be customized to suit specific curriculums or themes. The di Rosa Preserve has the largest collection of contemporary Bay Area art in the world. With almost 2,000 works in all media, students are exposed to sculpture, drawing, painting, photography, video, and conceptual art. Educators and students love the spacious and scenic grounds and inspiring art galleries. To book a school tour, contact Johanna Pearson at 226-5991, ext. 25 or by filling out the school tour request form online at www.dirosaart.org.

Is your child an aspiring musician? www.smartmusic.com provides unlimited access to the world’s largest accompaniment library for all ages and skill levels. A friend of mine says her kids finally love practicing. As music appears on the screen, they play or sing along with accompaniment and get an immediate assessment, displaying the notes that students performed correctly (green) and incorrectly (red). Students record and listen to each performance to hear how they really sound and how their part fits within the whole. They can send a recording to their teacher who can assess, score and track progress over time. How cool is that? Not free, but at $36/year, less than the cost of a single private lesson.

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With higher and higher tuition costs making headlines, I wasn’t surprised to learn that teachers and students at Sonoma State have been picketing to draw attention to skyrocketing student fees and larger classes. Students are angry that tuition is now close to $3,500 a semester, almost double the cost 10 years ago. Students also complain that fewer faculty means fewer and bigger classes and it is taking longer to graduate.

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Students (and grown-ups) can use free online college courses to supplement their education and learn more about fields of interest. Perhaps the most comprehensive site to explore is www.ocwconsortium.org/courses.

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I love it when schools organize field trips for grade school students to tour colleges. If your school does this, please let me know.

CORRECTION: I was sent the wrong date … the Ed Foundation’s Corner Store Lids Craft Faire Benefit is Saturday, Dec. 3 from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.