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LAKEPORT, Calif. – Friends and families of 18 students gathered at Precious Moments Preschool last week to witness the graduation ceremony of some adorable “almost kindergartners.”
It was an evening full of fun, music, smiles and celebration.
Director Terrie Sullivan noted that this is an especially amazing group of youngsters who show great promise for bright futures.
Just last month, the students at Precious Moments collectively raised more than $3,000 to help a young family of which the mother and daughter are both fighting cancer.
The kind and generous nature of this group of kids is heartwarming.
The school also would like to send a big thank you to Lynne Brookes for designing and printing the diplomas for the last 20 years.
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NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Earlier this year, Sen. Mike McGuire (D-Healdsburg) introduced The Rural Safety and Clean Air Act (SB 523), which would invest $5 million per year to replace aging school buses in rural school districts.
Working collaboratively with the California Air Resources Board, the $5 million was approved on Thursday and will be allocated to rural school districts to replace old and polluting school buses through a grant process starting in mid-2016.
“Rural school districts have among the oldest and dirtiest burning school buses in the state and they are challenged to afford replacements which run between $150,000 to $200,000. Today’s action will put fuel efficient, cleaner burning school buses on the road which will reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions, improve air quality and health outcomes for California school kids,” McGuire said.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, more than half of today’s school buses have been in service for over a decade. These older buses emit nearly twice as much pollution per mile as a semi-truck.
In addition, buses manufactured before 1990 can send out as much as six times more particulate matter and nitrogen oxides compared to buses that have been recently manufactured.
Consequently, health risks for students, especially younger children increase significantly because their respiratory systems are still developing.
The Legislative Analyst’s Office reports that rural school districts transport a significant share of their total student population compared to larger districts. This means, per capita, rural students are exposed to higher forms of pollutants.
The California Air Resources Board has stated that bus-related exposure to exhaust fumes are due to time spent commuting on the school bus. Exhaust fumes are known to be one of the leading causes of asthma.
While small and rural school districts want to advance environmental preferred transportation alternatives, these districts are challenged to afford bus replacements because they have less discretionary funding.
In many cases, grant opportunities are focused on suburban and urban school districts. Moreover, rural transportation costs per student are typically higher due to the greater distance rural students are required to travel to and from school.
Sen. McGuire authored SB 523 – The Rural Safety and Clean Air Act – and through the California Air Resources Board action, the $5 million was approved this afternoon.
In his effort to secure these funds, McGuire authored a letter to the Air Resources Board Membership – signed by 18 state legislators in support of the allocation and worked to build a bi-partisan coalition of support around the issue that includes the Small School Districts Association, California School Board Association, California Association of School Transportation Officials, Lakeport Unified School District, American Academy of Pediatrics California, Rural County Representatives of California and the California School Employees Association, among others.
“I’m grateful to Chairman Nichols and the entire Board for approving this funding plan. Today's action will benefit our state’s air quality and the health of thousands of kids all throughout California.” McGuire said.
Co-authors on the bill include Assemblymembers Jim Wood and Bill Dodd.
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KELSEYVILLE – This year’s recipients of the J. Fletcher and Anne A. Elliott Educational Scholarship awarded on June 4 at Kelseyville High School are seniors Jason Vaughan and Luis Perez.
This year’s award is $10,000 to each recipient.
Both young men have outstanding academic and athletic high school careers. They are ranked very high in their class. And both had exemplary athletic success through their high school years with Jason playing four years of football and Luis four years of varsity soccer.
Vaughan is going to UC Merced to major in computer science, while Perez is going to UC Davis.
“This scholarship will put a real dent in my costs, so maybe I won’t have to eat Top Ramen,” Vaughan said.
Perez said, “This is a huge stress reliever and weight off my shoulders to allow me to focus on school and not having to worrying so much about having to pay for it.”
This scholarship foundation was originally established by the late Anne Elliott with the help of Rian Sommerfield at Nestegg Investment Consulting and is expected to fund future scholarships for decades to come in memory of her husband J. Fletcher.
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HIDDEN VALLEY LAKE, Calif. – Bundle of Joy Preschool Childcare, located in Hidden Valley Lake, became Northern California’s first Certified Nature Explore Classroom after receiving national certification from the Arbor Day Foundation and Dimensions Educational Research Foundation.
Bundle of Joy Preschool Childcare, owned and directed by Jean Goulart, joins a growing network of organizations and institutions that have created effective nature-based outdoor learning environments for children. This network allows for idea-sharing, peer support and continuous development.
Nature Explore Classrooms are part of the Nature Explore program, a collaborative project of the Arbor Day Foundation and Dimensions Educational Research Foundation developed in response to the growing disconnect between children and nature.
Certified Nature Explore Classrooms help fill the void by integrating research-based outdoor learning opportunities into children’s daily lives.
“Bundle of Joy Preschool Childcare has shown tremendous leadership in growing the next generation of environmental stewards,” said Susie Wirth, Nature Explore outreach director. “Their commitment to providing research-based and nature-rich learning offers a wonderful example to educators throughout the country.”
The classrooms, which are being developed across the country, offer interactive elements such as musical instruments made of natural materials, garden or pathway areas and natural materials for building and creating art.
Children who learn and grow in Certified Nature Explore Classrooms enhance concentration, develop creativity and problem-solving, relieve stress and improve skills in many areas of development.
Outdoor classrooms that are designed according to standards and principles described in Dimensions Educational Research Foundation’s Learning With Nature Idea Book are eligible to become certified Nature Explore Classrooms.
A new guidebook, “At Home With Nature: Creating Nature Explore Playscapes for Families,” helps parents bring the same research-based approach to learning in nature to their own children at home.
The first Nature Explore Classroom is located in the Tree Adventure attraction at Arbor Day Farm, the Arbor Day Foundation’s interactive conservation venue in Nebraska City, Neb. More information on the program can be found at www.natureexplore.org .
More information on Bundle of Joy Preschool Childcare may be found at http://www.natureexplore.org/certified/HiddenValleyLake_BOJ.cfm .