Everett Alvarez students advance to statewide Cyberpatriot competition

The computer science team of Everett Alvarez High School is participating in the top tier of the state round of CyberPatriot-X. It's believed to be the only one in Monterey County which made it this far in the competition.

The team is led by Chief Warrant Officer Edward Lawson and coached by math teacher James Clayton. Student members are Lenny Aleman, Ricardo Alvarez, Jose Lopez, Jasmine Montith, Xavier Avila and team captain Darren Osais. The team's performance earned it a spot on the state round, which concludes on Sunday.

“The team is currently in the middle of the state competition as I type,” Clayton wrote in an email. “Darren is working on Ubuntu 14, Jasmine is on Windows 2008 Server, Lenny and Xavier are on Windows 10 and Jose and Ricardo are working on the Cisco Quiz and Packet Tracer. It's a six hour marathon of fixing computer vulnerabilities. It's pretty exciting when they repair a vulnerability, a bell goes off indicating points being scored.”

The CyberPatriot National Youth Cyber Education Program was established by the Air Force Association to inspire students to pursue careers in cyber security and other careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. The main competition challenges teams of two to six students across the United States, Canada and Department of Defense teams abroad to find cybersecurity vulnerabilities in simulated scenarios.

The Everett Alvarez team also has a friendly competition with other Monterey County teams, and for the second year in a row it's kept the ceremonial throphy that commemorates besting them all.

Good luck on the competition, guys and gal. Break a leg!

How the California School Dashboard works

I love writing. It is my passion and my joy, but it's also my darling, and as a wise person once said, your darlings will be your demise. Or something like that.

When it comes to explaining complicated stuff, writing is often the least appropriate medium, and when it comes to the California School Dashboard is definitely not advisable. The Dashboard, with all its colors and student subgroups and priority areas make for a dry, boring, unhelpful story. So I decided to do a video about it, in the hopes that parents and the public in general will get a sense of what this is about. Check it out! Let me know what you think.

Salinas gets $135,000 grant to improve pedestrian safety

The Monterey County Health Department has been awarded $130,000 from the California Office of Traffic Safety to bring pedestrian safety education to schools in Salinas. The grant will benefit three elementary schools in East Salinas – Bardin Elementary, Cesar E. Chavez, and Dr. Oscar F. Loya Elementary.

Safe Travels Via Salinas, as the program is called, aims to encourage more students to walk or bike to school. Walking to school is an activity that benefits parents and students by including physical activity and getting to know other parents. Safe Travels also aims to reduce pedestrian injuries in the City of Salinas, which had a total of 50 between October 2016 and September 2017.

Safe Travels will bring bike safety education directly to the students through assemblies and bike rodeos. Topics will include watching out for unsafe drivers, bike safety, and helmet usage.

The grant will allow for children to practice their bicycle skills within a bike rodeo brought to their school. Students will work with pretend traffic situations, such as cars backing up in driveways and distracted drivers, learning to recognize the problems and how to protect themselves.

Special walk to school events will be held throughout the year to encourage students and parents to walk instead of drive to school. Stay tuned for dates!

Pebble Beach at Stanford helping children in need

Emma Morgan of Pebble Beach helped organize a charity run that took place Oct. 15 and raises $40,000 to benefit foster youth in California. The race is a 32-year tradition of the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority at Stanford University.

The race is called ThetaBreakers and benefits Child Advocates of Silicon Valley. The nonprofit agency recruits, trains and supports Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASAs) to work one-on-one with foster children in Santa Clara County. This year, Child Advocates hopes to serve 920 foster children with a CASA volunteer. For the past 32 years, the Stanford Thetas have supported Child Advocates to impact the lives of foster children.

“The Stanford students organizing this run change lives,” said in a statement Karen Scussel, executive director of Child Advocates of Silicon Valley. “The Thetas are an organization of women committed to spreading the widest influence for good and they’ve been wonderful supporters of Child Advocates through their fundraisers and countless volunteer hours. As state funding for CASA programs declines, we are extremely thankful for the Theta’s unwavering support to help us provide a CASA for our community’s most vulnerable children."

Credit: Tyler Sabree Cloyd

Want to run for the NMCUSD board? You still have a chance

The write-in candidate filing period for trustee area two of the North Monterey County Unified School District ends at 5 p.m. on October 24.

To qualify, candidates must meet the requirements of office and file nomination forms. Write-in candidates will file at the Monterey County Elections Office located at 1441 Schilling Place – North Building, Salinas, CA 93901. There are no filing fees or candidate statements and the write-in candidate’s name will not appear on the ballot.

For more information please call 831-796-1499.

Chartwell School gets interim head of school

Kate Mulligan has been appointed interim head of school at Chartwell School, a private, K-12 institution designed for students diagnosed with language-based learning differences such as dyslexia.

In the announcement, trustees say Mulligan has demonstrated a lifelong commitment to education, teaching, learning, and children.

Most recently Mulligan was the head of school of Westside School in Seattle, Wash. She holds a BA in English from Dartmouth College, and an Ed.M. in Teaching Curriculum and Learning Environments from Harvard University.

"I look forward to working in partnership with our very talented division heads and dedicated teachers and staff to do the amazing and transformative work with children that was envisioned by our founders," Mulligan said.

Chartwell programs include self-advocacy skills training, art, music, sports, and technology. Chartwell’s social/emotional program is effective at addressing students’ anxiety and frustration due to classroom struggles brought about by learning differences.

"During my first month at Chartwell, I have been impressed by the level of caring and commitment in this community,"  Mulligan said. "Current and past parents alike have expressed tremendous gratitude to Chartwell for 'saving the lives' of their children."

To learn more about Chartwell School, click here.

"Start Smart" to be offered in Monterey

"Start Smart," a driving safety class for teens, will be offered from 6 to 8 p.m. Sept. 27 in Monterey.

Designed by the California Highway Patrol, "Start Smart" is a free, two-hour class for current and prospective drivers ages 15-19 to promote safe driving habits. In a typical class, CHP officers speak directly to the newly licensed driver and their parents/guardians and discuss topics such as collision avoidance techniques along with collision causing elements such as excessive speed, DUI, and distracted driving. Start Smart makes teens and parents aware of the responsibilities they face and teaches what precautions to take to stay safe; such as the importance of seat belt unsafe, passengers in the vehicle and what to do when involved in a collision.

For more information about Start Smart, click here.

In the past, CHP’s local representatives have only hosted the classes in Salinas. But next month, they’ll expand to host a class at Capital Insurance Group, 2300 Garden Rd., in Monterey. The insurance company is offering a modest discount for students who take the class and keep a 3.0 GPA or higher.

For more information or to save a spot, call  (831) 770-8038.

Stuff the Bus is wrapping up -- help students in need

Summer vacation is wrapping up, and with it, the chance to help students needing school supplies.

If you haven't heard about the "Stuff the Bus" campaign, you can find more information here. In a nutshell, the campaign seeks to give needy children the supplies needed to get them ready for school. You can donate money or supplies at local banks that have the little bus station on the lobby.

And here's another way you can help. Volunteers are needed to sort through supplies and assemble backpacks next week. Teams will be meeting four days: Wed. through Sat. Aug. 2 to 5, at the Monterey County Office of Education, 901 Blanco Cir. Salinas. Sorting teams will meet from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wed. through Friday and stuffing teams will meet from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday.

For more information, visit the United Way page here.

Summer internship for youth! Learn about county government.

The first Young Supervisors Program for local high school and first year college students will be taking place from July 3 to July 28. The program will be held at the Monterey County Board of Supervisors Government Building, and it's sponsored by Supervisor Luis Alejo.

This program focuses on developing leadership skills and empowering the leaders of tomorrow by exposing them to important community issues. Students will learn about the importance of civic participation, the press, community service, the legislative process and local issues facing Monterey County. Students meet from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays, with the exception of one Tuesday throughout the course of the program.

The Young Supervisors Program is offered at no cost and it's open to high school and first year college students, who reside in Monterey County. At the end of the program, participants will be able to more effectively communicate with others, have a background in community service and organization while illustrating an understanding of the legislative process and the workings of a county supervisor. Students that complete the program will receive a special recognition certificate and a letter of recommendation from Supervisor Alejo..

Deadline to apply is June 28. Application form is available here or at the Supervisors District Office located at: 168 W. Alisal Street. Second Floor, Salinas, CA 93901 or by email at mckeithens@co.monterey.ca.us.

For more information contact Shane Mckeithen, Young Supervisors Program Director at (831) 755-5011 or via email at mckeithens@co.monterey.ca.us.

Salinas youth: learn about your local government

Young people in Salinas are invited to learn about the local government, careers in government, and how to advocate for positive change.

They can do that through the City's first Youth and Government Institute, which will meet at Salinas City Hall July 5-21 between 9 a.m.-1 p.m. weekdays.

Among other activities, participants will be able to:

Meet the mayor, City Council members, department directors, and staff
Attend a City Council meeting and conduct their own mock City Council meeting
Complete a service project
Do some things just for fun.
The benefits of the program include:
Useful knowledge for being an involved citizen, and for careers in government, the law, and business.
Valuable experience to list on a college application or resume
Opportunities to apply for voting membership on City commissions or committees.
A stipend will be paid after the completion of all sessions, and food and transportation will be provided. Salinas residents aged 14-18 are eligible to apply.

The Youth and Government Institute will be taught by the City's Neighborhood Services Coordinator, Ana Ambriz, and Vivian Salinas, a City recreation coordinator.

The deadline for applications is June 22. Applications are available for download on the City's website here.

More information is available from Ana Ambriz at anaa@ci.salinas.ca.us or (831) 758-7166.

Pacific Grove trustees to fill board vacancy on Thursday

Trustees with the Pacific Grove Unified School District will take a public vote at 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 25, to select the candidate that will fill an existing vacancy.

The candidates were interviewed on May 16. They are: retired educator Cristy Dawson, business owner Stephen Thomas, financial advisor Henry Nigos, retired educator and police officer Joseph Amelio, and public accountant Josey Schenkoske. To find their applications, visit the district's website here.

The appointed trustee will serve the remainder of a term which ends Dec. 2018. An election for the next four-year term will be held November 2018.

*UPDATE: An earlier version of this blog misidentified the occupation of Cristy Dawson.

CSUMB students wins $2,000 film commission's scholarship

Briana Gonzales, a student at the Cinematic Arts and Technology program at California State University, Monterey Bay, was named the 2017 winner of a $2,000 scholarship in the Monterey County Film Commission’s Director Emeritus Richard Tyler Film Student Scholarship Award Program. She is a Seaside resident, originally from Porterville, Calif.

Gonzales is set on pursuing a filmmaking career, and is focused on stop-motion animation which she feels offers opportunities to be creative and innovative. “It is rigorous work, but rewarding when I see my set and characters come to life,” Gonzales said in a statement.

“This award will allow me to invest in equipment and create a more intricate production set and well-constructed characters which would in turn show off my skills to studios and film festivals and help further my career in the art that is stop-motion animation,” Gonzales said.

The Monterey County Film Commission film student scholarship program was created in 2008 to provide financial aid and incentive to students of film as well as beginning filmmakers who reside in Monterey County or those enrolled in a college or university in the county. The fund was established as a permanent endowment with the Community Foundation for Monterey County.

Contributions to the film commission’s Director Emeritus Richard Tyler Film Student Scholarship Award Program were made by the Craig and Paula Tigerman family, in-kind support from the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, and numerous local donors.

Donations are welcomed for next year’s program, according to Jeff Clark, film student scholarship committee chairperson and chair of the board of the Monterey County Film Commission. For more information call 831-646-0910 or email info@filmmonterey.org.

Hartnell to showcase its arts programs during hARTnell Experience

The arts will take center stage from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, May 21, during the hARTnell Experience in the Visual and Preforming Arts Buildings J and K at 411 Central Avenue in Salinas, CA.

Visitors will have an opportunity to explore visual arts, music, and theatre offering on main campus in a family-friendly event with a multitude of hands-on activities.  Hartnell faculty and students will guide visitors through the various demonstrations as they explore offerings at the college.

Highlights of the hARTnell Experience include the STEM Art Lab with 3D printer, video, and green screen; ceramics and sculpture demonstrations; teachings in piano lessons, recorder and creating a ring-tone; plus judging an audition, writing a scene or taking a backstage tour.

This event is open to the public and no RSVP is necessary. Parking is complimentary on Sundays. For more information, contact Ashton Clarke at aclarke@hartnell.edu.

Mathematics top honor goes to York School student

SALINAS >> Monterey Peninsula private and charter schools are heavily represented among the winners of the 49th annual Mathetics competition, which took place Saturday at Hartnell College.

The day's top honors went to Emma Cushing of The York School as the top scoring student in the advanced calculus exam. The highest scoring advanced calculus team went to students from Santa Catalina Upper school Audrey Bennett, Jayne Oentoro and Chloe Zhao, who received the Robert B. Balles Scholarship.

Students also competed in Common Core Standards Math 5, 6, 7, and 8, Math 1, 2, 3, math analysis/pre-calculus, calculus AB, BC, and statistics AP. Common Core Standards Math blend arithmetic, algebra and trigonometry. Math 1 is generally offered to high school freshman.

Calculus second top scorer was Teyam Birgani of Salinas High School, and third Jeffrey Jiang of Carmel High School. In calculus AB, first place went to Filip Zacek of Carmel High School, second to Henry Loh of Pacific Grove High School, and third to Kevin Barbard of The York School.

In math analysis/pre-calculus, first place went to Oscar Chen of Stevenson School, second place to Tristen Laney of the York School, and third place to Joanna Lin of Santa Catalina Upper School.

Mathletics is a math contest held each May to encourage excellence in math and recognize the achievements of individual students and the schools they represent. First, second, and third place winners in each level received gift cards, gift certificates and an Olympic-sized first, second or third place medal. Nearly 300 upper elementary, middle and high school students from Monterey County public and private schools participated in the event.

The Monterey County Office of Education and California State University, Monterey Bay Mathematics Department sponsor the event. For a complete list of winners, click here.

Monterey area girls chosen for AAUW science camp

Brenda Ortiz Cardenas from Los Arboles Middle School in Marina, Anna Chassion from Buena Vista Middle School in Las Palmas, and Olivia Pearman from Pacific Grove Middle School will be attending this summer's STEM Camp Grace Hopper at Stanford University, courtesy of the Monterey Peninsula Branch of American Association of University Women.

Seventy-one girls were nominated by their math or science teachers, 34 girls applied, ten girls were interviewed and these 3 girls were chosen for the camp, said Marilyn Erickson, Tech Trek Coordinator of the AAUW Monterey Peninsula Branch.

"AAUW branches raise the funds for each camper, $1,000 for each girl. This year we raised the $3,000 by member donation and by a grant from the Yellow Brick Road Benefit Shop in Carmel," Erickson said.  "Our 3 girls will join 75 other girls from Northern California to live at Stanford University for a week, living in a dorm, eating in the student dining hall, and attending classes at the university."


The girls select their core classes of Forensic Science, Marine Biology, Engineering/Motion, Cyber Security, 3D Math, or Applied Inventor/Coding. The camp was started in 1998 at Stanford with AAUW sponsorship. A 7th grade girl can only go to this camp if chosen by her AAUW branch and paid for by the AAUW Branch.

Carmel High School students deliver groceries to Big Sur families

A group of Carmel High students, teachers and administrations trekked across the woods to deliver groceries to 11 families stranded on the south side of Pfeiffer Canyon this week.

According to Health Teacher Leigh Cambra, student Chantal Gonzalez went around to her neighbors in Post Ranch to see what they needed. With a grocery list for 11 families in hand, a group went grocery shopping, bagged the goods, and trekked hiked in the woods to deliver the bounty. Joining Cambra and Spanish Teacher Bridget Randazzo were students Caroline Mierzwa, Diego Cabrera, Diego Salinas, Katya Fredericksen, Hailey Rowe, Coral Barrett, Alex Myers, Julia Kurz, Nick Haws, and staff members Diana Vita, Patrica Hunt, Shannon Rains, and Tammy Waldman.

 "It ended up bring the perfect amount of people for the amount of food we had," Cambra wrote.

"Now, we kept hearing about a trail. Caroline warned that it was steep and slippery after the rains. I guess, in my mind, I kept thinking 'it’s just a trail connecting two sides of Big Sur.' Well, I was wrong. There is a path that’s maybe a quarter of a mile and then you get to this new trail. The trail itself is a half mile that zig zags up the side of a hill, elevating 500 feet. We were carrying gallons of milk, beans, rice, eggs, diapers, juice, and more. We ended up meeting the families at the post office and they were very happy to have the fresh food.

"The walk back is mostly downhill and pretty fun. But what you start reflecting along the way back is that we have students having to walk that everyday to get to a bus (and then that long bus ride). I don’t know if I would want to come to school very often if that’s what I had to do."

Cambra and her Big Sur team are planning another delivery soon. Stay tuned.

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Ahad Anwar keeps getting kudos

Last week, I wrote a profile of Ahad Anwar, a Pakistani teen studying in Monterey High School. The young man is very dedicated to promoting a good image for his country, something that leaves most who met him with a good impression. If you miss the story, you can find it here.

It turns out, he's made good impressions even when he doesn't meet people personally. Scott Webb, a career advisor at MIIS, read the article and sent this anecdote:

"About a week ago my wife Andrea lost her driver's license around the edge of DLI at Pacific and Scott. We were going to report it, but Ahad sent the license and letter below.

"I thought you'd like to see it and know. He is a great example for his country and proof that there are good people everywhere."

Scott gave me permission to publish this, so there you have it. Ahad, thanks for being such a cool kid and such a fine human being.

Congressman Panetta announces 2017 Congressional Art Competition

Congressman Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.) announced Tuesday the annual Congressional Art Competition for high school students. High schools throughout California’s 20th Congressional District are invited to participate by submitting up to five pieces of original student artwork. Exceptions will be made for schools that have 7th through 12th grades on one campus. All submissions are due by May 1, 2017.

The winning entry will be displayed in the corridors of the Capitol in Washington, DC. The winner and a family member will also be invited to attend a special ceremony with other young artists from around the country in Washington, DC at the end of June.

The Congressional Art Competition encourages and recognizes the rich artistic talents of young Americans. Students are allowed to submit various styles and types of art, ranging from paintings and drawings to photography and mixed media pieces. The winners will be determined using criteria based on originality, skill of execution, excellence in use of materials and conceptual strength of the project.

For further questions and full details, click here, or contact Bertha Munoz, congressional aide, at 831-424-2229 or email at bertha.munoz@mail.house.gov.

Luke and Victoria Phillips, recipients of 2017 MPC President's Award

Luke and Victoria Phillips will be honored on April 28 for their contributions to the Monterey Peninsula College and the community at large.

Luke and Victoria grew up in the Monterey Peninsula and graduated Monterey Peninsula College. Luke was a prominent athlete and co-captain of the college's first football team in 1947, and later became the first football coach, according to the Monterey Peninsula College Foundation. After retirement from coaching football, he spent 14 years coaching golf teams. He retired in 1999 and has been inducted in several halls of fame, honored in various committees, and helped raised over $150,000 in scholarships for students.

Victoria received a degree from MPC in secretarial sciences and worked for 43 years on campus as secretary to the registrar then as administrative assistant to the dean of instruction. She dedicated the last 23 years of her career as executive assistant to the superintendent/president and the governing board. She has raised about $200,000 for scholarships for students.

Victoria and Luke have been married for 40 years, have six children, 14 grandchildren, and 23 grandchildren.

The couple will be recognized during the 11th Annual President’s Address to the Community from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The event will take place at the Monterey Marriott, 350 Calle Principal, Monterey, CA 93940.

Cost: $60.00 individual Tickets, $800 Table of 10 seats Sponsorship.

For more information or to purchase tickets, click here or call (831) 646-4120

Help Mary Chapa Academy win a garden grant

Mary Chapa Academy is asking community community members to vote for its application for a "Seeds of Change" grant, which  would help them to grow their gardening program. From now through April 19, the community can vote to support their local gardening and farming programs by visiting the Seeds of Change™ website here and voting once per day. You can find Greenfield's Garden by searching for Greenfield, Mary Chapa Academy, or MCA Garden.

Seeds of Change™ is awarding $310,000 in total grants to 24 garden projects around the country.

After voting closes on April 19 at 11:59 p.m. EDT, the top 50 organizations with the most votes will move on to the final judging phase. Around May 8, Seeds of Change™ will announce 24 grant recipients: 12 school garden recipients and 12 community garden recipients. Of these grant recipients, (2) two school gardens will receive $25,000, two (2) community gardens will receive $30,000 and ten (10) school gardens and ten (10) community gardens will receive $10,000.

For more information about Seeds of Change™ or the Seeds of Change™ Grant Program, visit www.seedsofchangegrant.com.

Vote early and often!