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Opinion
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- Written by: Becky Salato
LOWER LAKE, Calif. — In preparation for the beginning of the school year, we spiffed up our facilities, planned curriculum, purchased supplies and reconnected with our core purpose: to help students develop the skills they need to be successful in life.
We’ve got some big challenges when it comes to academics, but we have what we need to support students’ academic growth.
What keeps me up at night isn’t academics, it’s our students’ well-being. Specifically, I am worried about the impact of cell phones and vaping. Both prey on their need for social acceptance and distract students from learning–and both are highly addictive.
Smartphones
In a recent letter to all California schools, Gov. Gavin Newsom called on us to restrict smartphone use in the classroom, noting:
Excessive smartphone use among youth is linked to increased anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues. A recent Pew Research Center survey found that 72% of high school and 33% of middle school teachers report cell phone distractions as a major problem. Common Sense Media found that 97% of students use their phones during the school day for a median of 43 minutes. Combined with the U.S. Surgeon General’s warning about the risks of social media, it is urgent to provide reasonable guardrails for smartphone use in schools.
At Konocti Unified, we already have a policy limiting cell phones in the classroom (Policy 5131.8: Mobile Communication Devices). It says, “Mobile communication devices shall be turned off during instructional time.” There are a few exceptions, as in the case of an emergency or when the student has special permission, but overall, the policy responds to the fact that smartphones typically decrease students’ ability to learn.
When we began to enforce this policy more strictly last year, suggesting that students put their phones in a secure location during class time, some parents pushed back, worried their child would not be able to access their phone in the event of an emergency. After talking with our police chief and fire chief, I am more convinced than ever that the safety argument doesn’t hold water.
Both chiefs noted that during an emergency, the last thing they want students doing is focusing on their phones, responding to frantic parent requests or communicating with friends in remote locations. More than at any other time, during emergencies students should put their phones away and focus on their surroundings and the instructions of the school personnel and first responders trying to keep them safe.
I would love to ban phones from school campuses altogether. This would eliminate cyberbullying and make our campuses more welcoming for all. I recognize that bullying can happen in person and that rumors can be passed without the use of technology, but we all know how quickly and easily information flies when smartphones with access to social media are used.
More and more, studies reveal what most of us intuitively guessed: that social media can be devastating for young people. It makes it harder to build strong, interpersonal relationships, disrupts sleep, distracts from homework, creates unrealistic expectations about people’s lives and bodies, invites risky behaviors, and more.
I hope schools, families and our community can work together to limit children’s use of smartphones and social media.
Vaping
The other issue weighing heavily on my mind is vaping. Although it is illegal to sell tobacco to anyone younger than 21 because of the health hazards it poses, we’re seeing students as early as elementary school with vape pens at school, with many more in middle and high school.
Using vape pens is more addictive and damaging than many people realize. Some vape cartridges have as much nicotine as 600+ cigarettes, and students are going through a single cartridge in about two days. Vapes also deliver nicotine more efficiently than cigarettes, allowing nicotine to pass through the blood-brain barrier more easily.
Nicotine is one of the most highly addictive substances people can get their hands on, so it’s no wonder that even if students wanted to quit, they would struggle to do so. Instead, they end up on the nicotine roller coaster with emotions sailing up and then crashing down. Kids full of nicotine are more irritable, so it’s not surprising that we’ve seen a rise in arguments and other aggressive behaviors.
To make matters worse, many teens add sugary caffeinated energy drinks to the mix.
Children need to know how to care for themselves–about the impact of these substances on their physical and mental health, and they need to be protected from addictive substances that harm them. Especially when it comes to teens, they may look like adults, but many do not have the emotional maturity to make good choices. They are far more influenced by immediate gratification (yummy flavors), advertising, and social status.
If we are to tackle either smartphone use or vaping, schools, families, and our whole community needs to work together. If you feel strongly about these issues (whether you agree with me or not), I want to hear from you. I plan to create a committee of educators, parents/caregivers, and community members to figure out common-sense ways to support our students.
Please let me know if you’d like to be a part of this effort.
Becky Salato is superintendent of the Konocti Unified School District.
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- Written by: Dave Sena
A little over a year and a half ago, I wrote a letter about the dumping, littering and trespassing that occurs in the Borax Lake area along Sulphur Bank Drive in Clearlake.
A group of local volunteers had recently cleaned up over two tons of litter, tires, appliances, furniture and garbage.
Since that time, volunteers have removed many more tons of debris and a vehicle that was submerged in the lake for over 20 years.
Littering and dumping of unwanted items continues in the area. Recently another vehicle was abandoned and now sits partially submerged in Borax Lake emitting hazardous chemicals into the Lake.
Trucks and motorcycles regularly trespass onto the pristine hills in the area causing irreparable damage and erosion to the land.
We have put up signs that state the obvious: no littering, no dumping and no trespassing. The signs are largely ignored and the area continues to be treated as a vast landfill and playground for motorcycles and four wheel drive trucks. Local volunteers continue to do what they can to protect this beautiful area and keep it clean.
The history of this area dates back tens of thousands of years and includes an archeological site designated a historical landmark and owned by the Archeological Conservancy where the remains of one of the oldest known humans in North America were discovered. It is littered with trash and debris.
The city has installed a license plate camera in the area. The camera has not deterred trespassing and illegal dumping, but images from the camera are being used to prosecute trespassers.
We need help from citizens to report violators to law enforcement authorities. If you see something, say something. Together we can make a difference and preserve this historic, natural area for generations to come. Much progress has been made in recent years, but much remains to be done.
If you would like to volunteer to help protect the Borax Lake area, please contact Barbara Christwitz at Citizens Caring for Clearlake. You can reach Barbara at 707-995-0940.
Dave Sena lives in Clearlake, California.
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- Written by: Dr. Nicki Thomas
KELSEYVILLE, Calif. — Last month, we unveiled beautiful new murals on the campuses of Kelseyville High School and Kelseyville Elementary School, designed and painted by members of the KHS Native American Club in collaboration with local students and community partners. It was an amazing feat of engineering (these murals are massive), creativity and cooperation.
Artist Shane Grammer, founder of the Hope Through Art Foundation, not only worked with students to help them bring their artistic ideas to life, he also taught them the technical side of things, demonstrating how to safely use the tools and equipment required for such a big project.
Shane works as a fabricator and artist, doing work for places like Disneyland, so he knows what he’s doing.
Shane believes the transformative power of art can serve as a beacon of inspiration and healing for communities grappling with adversity. His foundation not only nurtures the creative talents within these communities, but also fosters a sense of belonging and resilience.
Between Shane and our Native American Club advisor, Katie Ray, students got a master class in how to come together for a purpose bigger than themselves.
If you don’t know Katie, you’re missing out. She is a ball of energy, determination, love and generosity. She leads by example and inspires students to go outside their comfort zone, to try new things, and to make the world a better place — starting with their own community.
Katie began working with Kelseyville Unified School District several years ago when our superintendent at the time, Dave McQueen, told all the principals we needed to listen to her and support her ideas because her goals were so aligned with ours.
Katie not only supports the Native American Club at Kelseyville High School, she also supports similar clubs at Clear Lake High and Upper Lake High, where she and several other advisors help raise funds to give students opportunities they wouldn’t have otherwise.
They take students on college tours, collaborate with local tribes to create youth events, do community service, and week after week, they create a space on campus where students can explore their social, emotional, and cultural needs.
She said, “To start our club meetings, we circle up and talk about how students are doing — mentally, emotionally, spiritually and physically. When we first started at Kelseyville, right after COVID, kids came in all covered up with hoodies and masks. They didn’t talk much. We’d ask, ‘How are you doing?’ and they’d say, ‘OK.’ Now we get in-depth answers. We can tell when there’s a lot going on, and we can help them.”
Professionally, Katie works as a victim services program manager, and she says the time she spends with students keeps her grounded.
She loves it when students bring ideas to her, so when they brought up the idea of a mural, she was all in. The project took a lot of planning and the process was really interesting.
With Shane’s guidance, students discussed and then drew their ideas. Keep in mind, these students are not artists. They drew stick figures and rough sketches. Then they planned each wall, or panel.
After that, they created a doodle wall, where they basically got to put up graffiti all over the wall. (A community member saw this and, understandably, was a little alarmed but it was all part of the process.)
The graffiti became the landmarks used to create the mural images. The students took pictures of the doodle wall and overlaid the digital images to figure out where the final art would go. If you’ve ever done art based on a grid, it’s a similar idea.
During spring break, students, their siblings, community members, and even two of our board members, Mary Beth Mosko and Casey Carlson, were out there working and painting.
Shane and another professional artist, Mammoth, did some of the detailed work in the hardest-to-reach places. Mammoth was up on two-story scaffolding, while others were on ladders, and still others were sitting or standing underneath.
Our maintenance team was on campus doing other work, and helped out, too. The whole thing was incredible. Student athletes came before their games, left to go compete, and returned afterwards to keep working on the murals. Younger siblings cleaned brushes and rollers so older students could keep painting. People worked from dawn to dusk. Supporters brought pizza and everything just kept going.
When we unveiled the mural to the community and to the students, it was wonderful to hear all the comments. It was obvious to everyone how much thought and care went into this.
Sometimes, when things feel so adversarial in the world, it’s even more important to have a project that brings people together. It’s amazing what we can accomplish when we are united in a common purpose.
Dr. Nicki Thomas is superintendent of the Kelseyville Unified School District.
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- Written by: Dr. Nicki Thomas
It’s time for parents of 4- and 5-year-olds to enroll their children in either transitional kindergarten, or TK, or kindergarten for the 2024-25 school year.
Students must turn 5 years old by Sept. 1 to enroll in kindergarten and must turn 5 between Sept. 2 and June 2 to enroll in transitional kindergarten.
To support local families with young children, many school districts host annual kindergarten registration events, where parents can come in person to complete registration forms and make sure their child has the required health vaccinations.
Kelseyville Unified School District’s TK/Kindergarten Enrollment Fair is on May 30 from 3 to 6 p.m. in the Kelseyville MUR Building located on the Kelseyville Elementary School campus.
Those who would like their child to receive vaccinations from the Lake County Public Health Department must pre-register for the event by April 26 at https://kvusd.org/district/portal/registration.
TK and kindergartners (and all students new to the district) must present the following documents to enroll: birth certificate, proof of up-to-date immunizations (visit http://shotsforschool.org/ for details), proof of address, a school entry physical examination by a licensed medical provider and an oral health exam by a licensed dental provider.
It’s a good idea to make the medical and dental appointments as early as possible, because everyone is scrambling to get them the week before school starts.
Now is also the time when families with children who want to attend a school that isn’t in their home district must request interdistrict transfers.
Unfortunately, we may not be able to accommodate all requests, especially for those from out of the district who want to attend one of our elementary schools.
Riviera Elementary currently has 300 enrolled students and Kelseyville Elementary has about 600, putting us at or over capacity. Interdistrict transfer requests are due by July 31, 2024.
I am happy to report that we have enough space for all students who live within our district boundaries, but given the addition of a new apartment complex and the number of families moving into town, our schools are filling up fast.
This means that even if a Kelseyville student has been attending an out-of-neighborhood school, there’s no guarantee their intradistrict transfer will be approved again this year. Students must request an intradistrict transfer every year before school starts. (Transfer requests are due May 31, 2024. Forms are available at kvusd.org/portal/registration.)
All transfers are approved or denied based on California Education Code and the criteria outlined in our school board policy.
Once we are sure we have enough room for all the neighborhood students who belong in a school, we look at class sizes.
If we have extra space, we evaluate applications by considering factors like whether a student is experiencing special circumstances that might be harmful or dangerous to them, as well as whether a student has a sibling or parent who works at the school they want to transfer to.
We are thrilled that so many people want their children to attend Kelseyville schools, and we don’t like turning anyone away, but we must follow the laws that govern California public schools and our own board policies.
For additional information about school enrollment at Kelseyville Unified, visit https://kvusd.org/district/portal/registration or email us at
Dr. Nicki Thomas is superintendent of the Kelseyville Unified School District.