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Focus on Success
December 2009 Vol 1, No. 1  
 Partnering and Promoting Education
In This Issue
High School Students on Eco Company TV
Chrysalis Center
ROP Annual Fashion Show
All Succeed with Access to Preschool
Inside Education
School Leadership Team Training
Project Impact
SCCOE Links
SCCOE
The Santa Cruz County Office of Education serves the community, districts, and schools to provide high quality access to education, from preschool to higher education. 
Santa Cruz County Board of Education 
The Santa Cruz County Board of Education is comprised of seven trustees each of whom represents a designated trustee area within the County.
 
Mr. Jack Dilles
Mr. Aaron Hinde
Mr. Arnold Levine
Mrs. Kathy Mann
Mr. Vic Marani
Mr. Dana M. Sales
Mr. George "Bud" Winslow

Santa Cruz County Office of Education
400 Encinal Street
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
(831) 466-5600
(831) 466-5607 (FAX)

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Superintendent's Message

Welcome to the first Santa Cruz County Office of Education eNewsletter. We have transitioned to the electronic format for a number of reasons. As we enter a new decade, providing a 21st century education to our students requires that, as a 'business', we communicate with you, our customers, in a timely and efficient manner. An eNewsletter also provides us with another opportunity to 'go green', a responsibility we at the SCCOE take seriously. Most importantly, it is incumbent upon us to keep you informed of the essential programs and services the SCCOE provides to students, parents and the community.

 

This Newsletter highlights some of the new programs and services that we have implemented this year. We will continue to keep you informed as we pursue innovative ways to sustain current programs and to create new opportunities to advance education in Santa Cruz County.

 

Happy Holidays!

 
Michael C. Watkins
Santa Cruz County Superintendent of Schools
 
Read past messages from the Superintendent.
High School Students on Eco Company  

Students from Natural Bridges High testing water at Antonelli's Pond
See students from Natural Bridges High School, a joint program of SCCOE's Alternative Education and Regional Occupational Program (ROP), featured on the Eco Company (a national tv show and web site), which explores what it means to "go green" as a teen.

Check it out
here!

Learn more about
Natural Bridges High School/Career Training Center.
Chrysalis Center equipmentChrysalis Center
SCCOE opens new center for children with special needs 
 
Autism affects 1 in 91 children in the US.

That staggering statistic was released this month by researchers from the American Academy of Pediatrics which surveyed more than 78,000 parents with children between the ages of 3 and 17, and asked if they had ever been told by a health care provider that their child had autism, Asperger's syndrome or another autism spectrum disorder (ASD). That's an estimated 673,000 children or approximately 1% of all children in the U.S. in that age group.

To meet the growing needs of Santa Cruz County children suffering from ASD and their families, the County Office of Education opened the newly built Chrysalis Center.
 
Learn more here.
Regional Occupational Program
Annual Retail Merchandising Class Fashion Show 
 
Regional Occupational Programs Fashion ShowIt takes a myriad of skills and talent to organize, produce and stage a successful fashion show. Students enrolled in a number of the Regional Occupational Program (ROP) career paths did exactly that this year as they presented the annual Retail Merchandising Class fashion show in the Henry Mello Center on the campus of Watsonville High School. 

 
Find out more, and watch a slideshow from the Fashion Show.
SCCOE and TICALAll Succeed with Access to Preschool Plan 
 
Over 100 early childhood educators, teachers, school administrators, service providers and community members collaborated to create this blueprint. We are grateful to the David and Lucile Packard Foundation for providing the resources that enabled our community to conduct the research and hold the critical discussions that were necessary to produce a meaningful and comprehensive document. As Superintendent, I remain steadfast in my commitment to work together to ensure that all children receive a quality early education that prepares them to succeed in school and life.
 
Inside Education:
Community participation program
 
SCCOE and TICALCounty Superintendent of Schools Michael Watkins, supported by district superintendents and administrators and COE staff, has initiated a new program called Inside Education. The mission of the program is to build public awareness and support for public education by providing hands-on experience in educational settings. A series of intensive half-day seminars will educate participants on issues and opportunities, successful programs offered, challenges, and the business of educating and preparing students for the 21st century.

Learn more about
Inside Education
.
School Leadership Team Training
 
TSchool Leadership Team Trainingeams of educators from all over Santa Cruz, Monterey, and San Benito Counties have come together in one room to participate in a series of workshops sponsored by the Santa Cruz County Office of Education and centered around The Art and Science of Teaching, by Dr. Robert Marzano. Dr. Marzano advocates a model for ensuring quality teaching that balances the necessity of research-based data with the equally vital need to understand the strengths and weaknesses of individual students. 
 
Project Impact:
A Positive Impact on Teacher Interns
 
Project Impact studentsProject IMPACT is a district intern program sponsored and coordinated by the Santa Cruz County Office of Education (SCCOE) that prepares teachers to become credentialed in special education.
 
Learn more about Project Impact. 


The Santa Cruz County Office of Education publishes news to the community several times a year, highlighting programs that support student achievement.