EGUSD Communications Department receives national award 

The Elk Grove Unified School District's Communications Department has earned the Gold Medallion Award from the National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA) for its marketing and communications campaign to educate staff and students about EGUSD's Energy Conservation Program.   

NSPRA's Gold Medallion Award is the top national competition recognizing superior educational public relations programs. The EGUSD Communications Department is one of five winners representing exemplary public relations programs from throughout the United States and Canada.

EGUSD's Communications Department captured the Gold Medallion award for marketing the EGUSD Energy Conservation Program, which helps save money on energy costs and redirects those dollars back into programs and services for students.  The program is designed to educate staff and students about energy conservation by promoting positive energy savings habits.

The Energy Conservation Program was started to assist the district in saving money through reducing energy use. A $1 million savings goal was set for the 2010-2011 school year. The Communications Department worked extensively with representatives from the Facilities and Planning Department and members of the Energy Conservation Committee on the Energy Conservation Program. This committee was comprised of representatives from employee associations, school sites, maintenance and operations, communications, parents and SMUD. At this point the program is on target to surpass the $1 million goal.

For more information about the NSPRA Gold Medallion Award program, click here.

Prairie Elementary School holds
1^st Annual Solar Cook-Out

On June 16, the blacktop area at Prairie Elementary School was transformed into a solar cooking kitchen as Skye Smith's first grade students and Nancy Ludu's fifth grade students took on the roles of chefs in Prairie's first-ever Solar Cook-Out. 

In February 2011, Prairie received an $800 grant through the City of Sacramento Solar America Communities program. The program helps fund projects that have a solar and renewable energy focus to help promote the health, safety, and welfare of the residents of Sacramento. 

"Nancy's students conducted research about the advantages of solar energy and the benefits of solar cooking, especially in a city like Sacramento," said Fawzia Keval, principal at Prairie.  "They learned how to make Solar Cook-its - their solar ovens - with the help or Dr. Robert Metcalf, a professor of microbiology at California State University, Sacramento.  After Nancy and Skye's classes finished cooking, many students from other classes came out to enjoy the food as well." 

The menu featured a variety of items, including:  Meateorite Meatballs, Shooting Star Fish, Solar Spuds, Rocket Rice, Solar Flare Carrots, Save our Tree Broccoli, Heart and Sol Bread Pudding and Fun in the Sun Cake.

"This is such a cool thing because we don't have to use any electricity to cook these meals and it saves money on our electrical bills, said Diana Acosta, a fifth grade student at Prairie.  "The other awesome thing about these is that they are portable.  I am going to take it to Mexico with me this summer so my grandma can use this to cook instead of burning wood."

Smith was especially happy to see how much the students enjoyed cooking on the Cook-its. 

"We're never too young to start developing our environmental conscience," said Smith.  "When our students own the possibility of using alternative energy - such as solar power - by making a tool like the Solar Cook-it ovens, that's a powerful lesson.  They actually used this new tool to cook an entire meal and then were able to eat and share the product of their own efforts with the whole school."

Samuel Jackman Middle School students learn about the dangers of cyberbullying    

Technology has changed the face of bullying forever. With the invention of the Internet and social networking websites, a new form of harassing others has emerged - cyberbullying.

Students attending the Samuel Jackman Middle School Be REAL (Rising Experts Advocates & Leaders) Leadership Summer Program had the chance to learn about the dangers of cyberbullying firsthand through a special workshop presented by Gail Desler and Kathleen Watt of EGUSD's Technology Services Department on June 15.

The workshop covered the comparisons and differences of traditional bullying versus cyberbullying.  The presentation included six videos, a writing prompt, breakout sessions to discuss scenarios and a true or false quiz.  Students had the chance to get involved in the workshop by discussing ways to prevent cyberbullying, what to do if you or someone you know is being cyberbullied and the three roles of cyberbullying - the bully, the target (victim) and bystander.

Students also discussed the importance of going from being a bystander to an upstander, taking action, confronting the bully in a safe manner and not participating in the bullying by not joining in.  Being the 'hero in the hallway' was the recurring theme throughout the presentation.

"Unfortunately, advances in technology have created this new form of bullying," said Watt.  "Students today can not only encounter bullies on the playground, but on the Internet as well.  By understanding the reality of cyberbullying and its potential danger, our students can become upstanders instead of bystanders.  It's our job as parents and educators to give our kids the right tools needed to start the shift."

For more information about the dangers of cyberbullying and other Internet safety information, visit the EGUSD Internet Safety webpage.