Heading off to college

Seven Salinas students received scholarships from Mi Pueblo, the supermarket chain of the yummi nopalitos. They students were feted at the Salinas store last week, and they even had cake!
The awardees were: Carla Contreras, Baldemar Herrera and Nathalie Martinez of Everett Alvarez High School, and Andrea Rivas, Jessica Rodriguez,
Sintia Solis, and Sandra Zuniga of Alisal High School.

The money was collected through a three-week drive that asked customers to support education. A total of $127,000 was raised in all the Mi Pueblo stores.

The Salinas youngsters may be heading to college in the fall, but there's another group of tiny scholars who've already spent almost three weeks there.
About 250 Migrant Junior Otters, students in the fourth through 10th grade in Monterey County migrant education programs, began their month-long college experience July 6 at CSUMB. They've been taking language arts and math classes in the morning. In the afternoons, they're involved in theater, music, dance and video editing, taught by the renown Teatro Campesino. On July 30 they will stage a performance.
This year, the Migrant Junior Otters were recognized at the 2010 National Migrant Education Conference as an outstanding example of a collaborative effort.

Best of the best

For the third year in a row, Carmel High was ranked among the 1,600 best high schools in the United States by Newsweek magazine. The rankings are based on the total number of Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate or Cambridge (AICE) tests given at a school each year and divide by the number of seniors graduating in May or June. For this year's rankings, the magazine used the 2009 numbers.
Carmel placed 554. Go Padres!

In Salinas, an opportunity for at-risk youth to learn new skills and on-the-job training. Space is still available for The Rancho Cielo Drummond Culinary Academy, a program that gives students the opportunity to finish high school while receiving culinary instruction. Students will have the opportunity to complete a 200 hrs internship program at local restaurants. The program will offer job placement and referral services for graduates. For more information, click here.

Summer travel!

Andrew Clark, a junior at Stevenson School, is heading to the the National Rifle Association's annual National Youth Education Summit (Y.E.S.). -- all expenses paid!!!! Y.E.S. is a 7-day educational experience in Washington, D.C. for outstanding high school sophomores and juniors. While in the nation's capital, Andrew will learn the significance of the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights while developing an understanding of government and the importance of actively participating in it.
Andrew is founder of the Stevenson Hunting and Shooting Club, plays varsity Lacrosse and Football for the Stevenson Pirates and was recently selected as one of only 8 juniors at Stevenson School to be elected to the Cum Laude Society for academic excellence.
Hopefully the heat will have let up by the time Andrew makes it to the east coast. Have fun and congratulations!!!

And speaking of travel, York School teacher Kevin Brookhouser as an attendee at the next Google Teacher Academy, which will take place in London on July 29.
Last year, Brookhouser was named Teacher of the Future by The National Association of Independent Schools -- no kidding! After the free training in England, Brookhouser will become a Google Certified Teacher, which means he will be in the up-and-out of innovative technologies.
Brookhouser is thrilled -- of course -- to be among those selected. And he'll be blogging about his experience at iteachithink.com. The blog's not up yet, but then again, he still have a couple of weeks to prepare!