Education Roundup: Vaccines for kids, Easter options and more

Reopening: This week, March 29 to April 2, Sonoma Valley High School will be having a different schedule to allow teachers to prepare for the opening of school in the hybrid model the following week. For this week only, all students are required to check in live at 9 a.m. and then will work independently for the remainder of the day. A modified schedule of in-person learning (two days a week) will be offered to high school students beginning on April 6.

Vaccine for kids: Pfizer-BioNTech says it is now testing the same vaccine that is currently authorized for ages 16 years and up in children aged 6 months to 11 years. The company is currently wrapping up a study of its two-dose inoculation in adolescents aged 12 to 15 years in the U.S. and Europe.

Vaccine requirement: Rutgers University in New Jersey has become one of the first major universities in the U.S. to require students on campus to get coronavirus vaccines before they start the fall 2021 semester.

Easter: On April 4, the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn is hosting an Easter Brunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. For reservations, call 938-9000. They are hosting a Children's Easter Egg Hunt from 9:30 a.m. for ages 7 and younger, and 10:30 a.m. for ages 8 and up. No Sonoma Plaza Easter Egg Hunt is planned this year.

Free meals: Sonoma Valley Unified School District will offer free meals for students who are not returning to campus for in-person instruction. Families can pickup the entire week’s worth of meals on Wednesdays at Altimira, Sassarini and Flowery schools from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Altimira will have an additional pickup from 4 to 5 p.m. on Wednesdays.

Friday night lights: Sonoma Valley High is more than halfway through its abbreviated five-game football season. The Dragons played their last game ever at Arnold Field last Friday night, March 26 and the night included a half-time “senior night” video presentation. You can view it online at youtube.com/watch?v=L6cfatdNd8Y.

The “second season“ of high school sports including track & field, baseball, softball, soccer, water polo, volleyball, basketball and wrestling, starts April 12.

Barbie Show: Sonoma Community Center’s Trashion Fashion events begin in early April and the very kid-friendly Barbie exhibit starts April 3. Learn more at sonomacommunitycenter.org/trashion-fashion-week-2021.

New student tours: Freshman and new student tours will take place from 10 a.m. from 1 p.m. on Wednesday, March 31 at SVHS. Students are asked to meet under the Dragon statue.

Engineering camp: Sonoma State Engineering Camp for high school students will be held July 19 to 23, virtually. Students will build their own projects around robotics, automation, sensors, computer vision and apps. All participants will receive their own electronic kits. Registration is open now at ee.sonoma.edu.

College help: The Boys and Girls Club is hosting after-school workshops to help students prepare for college. Workshops will be held on Thursdays at 3:30 p.m. beginning April 1. Visit bgcsonoma.org to learn more.

Kid fun: Jelly Belly factory tours resumed in Fairfield last week. Self-guided factory tours are now available from 9:15 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Adults $5, Children $2, free under the age of 2. The Visitor Center retail store, Chocolate Shoppe and Cafe are also open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Visit jellybelly.com/fairfield-visitors-center for details.

Legoland: Legoland California will reopen April 1 for annual pass holders and existing ticket holders who were impacted when the park closed last year. A wider reopening for the general public is planned for April 15, when the park will also open up its Sea Life aquarium and Chima Water Park. legoland.com/california.

Reopening request: With schools officially back in session, Sonoma’s school campuses, which include play structures and grass fields, are closed to the public while school is in session and students are present. The community asked not walk dogs, bring toddlers to the play areas, etc. until after students are dismissed and school is no longer in session for the day.

School calendar: The Sonoma Valley Unified School District calendar for the 2021-2022 school year is available now.

Contact Lorna at lorna.sheridan@sonomanews.com.