It rained and more could be on the way! Finally! I never thought I would be so happy to wipe the rain drops off my glasses!

LCOE Annual Report

The LCOE Annual Report is available on our website. Please take a few minutes and review the report. This year's report is a little different since it includes a "Look Back" similar to last year's report and also a "Look Forward" in anticipation of all the changes occurring in education due to the Local Control Funding Formula, Common Core, SB Assessment System, and Local Control Accountability Plans. The Annual Report has been presented to the LCOE Board, Board of Supervisors and several of the District Boards. A big thank you to Shelly Mascari and Laurie Allen for putting together a very high quality user friendly Report.

Barbara McIntyre Retires

The Taylor Observatory and Science Center will not be the same without Barbara.  The last several years, Barbara (actually a retired engineer) has poured her heart and soul into making the Observatory a vibrant student centered hot spot for space and science education. Barbara has developed many programs for students and adults alike. Activities ranging from robotics, star gazing, telescope improvements, to solar panels, Barbara has done it! Thank you Barbara for all you have done for our students, staff and programs through the Taylor Observatory. Read more about Barbara's contributions below.

Thanks and have a good wet week!

Wally

The success of Caine's Arcade inspired its creators to initiate the Imagination Foundation, which launched an annual Global Cardboard Challenge: build something awesome with cardboard, recycled materials, and imagination - then invite the world to play on Oct 5th! 

Find out more at www.cardboardchallenge.com

The first Cardboard Challenge had over 270 events in 41 countries. This year, with the help of volunteer organizers around the world, they are hoping to engage 1 million kids in 70 countries in creative play. On October 5, they will host the second global "Day of Play" where people around the world come out to play, and make the day of kids everywhere. The Cardboard Challenge will continue throughout the year, and every day can be a day of play!

Could Lake County participate in the Day of Play? 

If you're interested in starting a conversation around our own Lake County cardboard challenge, email smascari@lakecoe.org.

 In 2006 Rob Verdi launched an exciting new show entitled SAXOPHOBIA which offered audiences a glimpse at some of the most unusual saxophones ever manufactured and pays tribute to legendary artists who contributed to the development of jazz and the popularity of the saxophone. Some of the instruments featured include a tiny curved soprano sax, straight tenor, C melody, connosax, slide sax, Grafton plastic alto, and a 6 1/2 ft. tall contrabass. 

SAXsational has given local high school band students the opportunity to share the stage with Rob and his rare collection of saxophones.  This guest artist program includes custom arrangements and puts students center stage. Together, Rob and talented LLHS musicians will explore a repertoire covering a half century of musical styles including toe tapping songs of the Roaring 20's, hits from the swing era, and popular jazz standards.  Throw in a little Pink Panther, Tequila, and Yakety Sax just for fun and you've got an educational, historical and entertaining presentation.

Rob Verdi holds a music education degree from Arizona State University. In 1983 he helped form the Side Street Strutters Jazz Band which continues to present formal concerts throughout the U.S. Rob performs regularly at the Disneyland Resort, is active in a variety of Los Angeles area musical projects, and conducts clinics and workshops for the Disney Magic Music Days Guest Talent program.

This concert will be on February 24 in the Lower Lake High School Gym 7:00 p.m. The evening includes a performance by the Lower Lake High School concert band and Jazz Band. Tickets are $10 for concert only, or $15 for a spaghetti dinner beginning at 5:30. For more information, contact cydney.dixon@konoctiusd.org

Update from Kandee Stolesen, the LCOE 

Move More Motivator

Dr. Jenkins, DDS, Kelsey Sterbank, RDA, and patient, Sarah Tapia (Lower Lake High School)

Exams- 10

Cleanings- 10

Fluoride Treatments- 10

Sealants- 8

Restoration Fillings- 20

Pulpotomies- 1

Oral hygiene Instruction- 14

We provided a total of $6,268 worth of free dental care.

Dr. Jenkins, DDS and patient Rodrigo Suarez (Lower Lake High School)

Yureri Zavala RDA and patient Alvaro Sepulveda (Lower Lake High School)

Patient L:izandro Corona (Lower Lake High School)

LCOE celebrates the contributions of Barbara McIntyre, retiring docent of Norton Observatory.

Barbara retired from her Chemical Engineering Career at Air Separation in November 2005. Less than a year later she was enjoying life, living on the lake in Lake County, but it wasn't long until a series of encounters brought her to the Norton Planetarium and LCOE.

Barbara grew up in Buffalo, New York, where she later attended University of New York earning a degree in Chemical Engineering.  Her work relocated her to the San Francisco Bay Area, and it gave her the opportunity to travel the world -- places like China, Korea, India, Spain, Italy, Belgium, France, and Brazil were on her itinerary. At each stop she made it a point to dip her foot in the local waters, including the Aegean Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. She regularly visited friends with property in Lake County and, in 1998, she bought property here for her future retirement. She began building her retirement home in 2005 and continued to commute until her first retirement in 2006 when she moved here permanently.

The first time Barbara went for a visit to the Taylor Observatory she drove straight to the top of Mt. Konocti looking for the building. "Surely an observatory would be at the top, right?" She eventually found the observatory on the Kelseyville Elementary School Campus and began her volunteer efforts. In 2008, she was asked to help advertise Taylor Observatory and became Docent. Shortly after, LCOE Superintendent, David Geck, asked her to serve six months as Coordinator. Barbara says, "Before I knew it, six months turned into five years!" She is now looking forward to her second retirement.

During her years as Coordinator of Taylor Observatory, Barbara melded her passion for science and children, creating a state-of-the-art Science Center. Her tremendous accomplishments include: securing a grant from NEEDS (National Engineering Education Delivery Systems) for Solar Panels; replacing the original Digitalis Education projector in 2011, procuring a 50% discount on a $50,000 projector equivalent to the projector at Lawrence Hall of Science at Berkeley; adding the High School Student Volunteer program; facilitated the addition of the SmartBoard; introduced the Robotics Program to Lake County through a workshop and held the first robotics classes at Taylor Observatory in 2012; implemented Lego Leagues which immediately filled up; began summer camps for 3-12 grade students; started an all-day science camp; created the annual Spooktacular October events; and began hosting the Rocket Club.

"Driven." That's the one word Wally Holbrook, LCOE Superintendent, used to describe Barbara. In a farewell celebration he credited Barbara with impacting the Taylor Observatory and all the students who have benefited from her expansion of the program, transforming it into a true science center. Michelle Buell, LCOE Director of Business Services, credits Barbara with single-handedly bringing the observatory back to life. Brilliant, Whirlwind, Passionate - this is how Barbara's colleagues at LCOE describe her.

Barbara says, "I am going to miss the children, but I have had a very rewarding time witnessing a passion for science growing within them.All of the LCOE support staff has been more than wonderful to me. I could not have achieved success without them, in particular Jan Bailey 1 and Juan Huerta. Without my staff (Janis Traub and Ed Giannelli) and the high school volunteers (Eduardo Allatorre, Nate and Cord Falkenberg, Paige LaVrar, Juan and Roxy Huerta, Kai Jones and Zack Bailey)  the Taylor Science Center would not exist."  

Now Barbara plans to visit her two grandsons, four granddaughters, great-granddaughter and two great-grandsons in Ontario and Nova Scotia, Canada; Buffalo, New York; and Tennessee. She is thrilled that two of her grandchildren are pursuing a passion in science. And retirement aside, she is working on a robotic's presentation with one of her great-grandsons at his school! 

Thank you, Barbara, for leaving your mark on LCOE and Lake County.  Your legacy will certainly continue in the heart of each student who is inspired by all of the amazing programs you've created at the Taylor Observatory and Science Center.

The federal Affordable Care Act requires most adults to have public or private health insurance by January 2014 or face a financial penalty. To make sure you are covered in 2014, you must get health insurance before March 31, 2014, or you must wait until the next open-enrollment period begins, in October 2014, for coverage in 2015. 

For more information, visit www.coveredca.com or call 800-300-1506.  

Clear Lake High School emerged as the winner of this year's Lake County Academic Decathlon competition on Saturday.

The team's win is its first in the brain-challenging competition in many years, according to Coach Jim Rogers.

Team members Dakota Durbin, Jose Estrada, Asia Jones, Liberty Justice, Serena Kacharos-Warren, Gabriel Kimbell-Auth, Abigail LaBar, Philip Leighton, Savannah Rasmussen and Melissa Thibeau posted the best combined score over two days of competition that began last weekend and culminated in Saturday's final day of testing at Lower Lake High School.

Clear Lake High edged out Kelseyville High School's Team A, last year's winners, with Upper Lake High School placing third.