Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Category Archives: Youth Activities

Summer Youth Activities

Why is the Rancho Santiago College District spending $57K to find a new Chancellor?

Posted on by Posted in Education, Latinos, Santa Ana, Youth Activities 12 Comments

Rancho Santiago Community College Board

The Rancho Santiago Community College Trustees want to spend $57K to find their next Chancellor

(From left to right): Clerk Brian E. Conley, M.A.; John R. Hanna; Mark McLoughlin; Lisa Woolery, APR, M.A.; President R. David Chapel, Ed.D.; Phillip E. Yarbrough; Vice President Lawrence R. “Larry” Labrado and Student Trustee Gloria Holguin.

The Rancho Santiago Community College District’s Board of Trustees is selecting an executive search firm to assist in the recruitment and selection process of a new chancellor.

The outrageous part is that they are planning to spend over $57,000 to find a new chancellor and it seems that the district has forgotten their own budget crisis. Continue reading→

Senator Correa to host Pathways to Higher Education Conference on Nov. 21

Posted on by Posted in Education, Lou Correa, Youth Activities Leave a comment

Senator Correa Pathways to Higher Education Conference 2009

State Senator Lou Correa is conducting a free conference for current high school students and their parents.  The Pathways to Higher Education Conference will take place on Saturday, Nov. 21, 2009, from 9 am to 1 pm, at Coastline Community College, located at 12901 Euclid St., in Garden Grove.  Registration and Breakfast begin at 8:30 am.

The program includes a legislative update and informative workshops on how to prepare for college, leadership skills building, money management and financial aid, Cal Grants, community activism and much more! Continue reading→

Santa Ana Veterans Day Memorial & Flag Retirement Ceremony

Posted on by Posted in Civic Affairs, Education, Santa Ana, Veterans, Youth Activities 1 Comment

Boy Scouts, Veterans Day

UPDATE: For 2010 Veterans Day events click here.

Veterans Day Memorial & Flag Retirement Ceremony

Boys Scouts of America, Troop 28 of Santa Ana, would like to welcome you to our Annual Veteran’s Day Memorial this November 11, 2009. Our Boy Scouts will also lead a Flag Retirement Ceremony. Bring your tattered American flag for a proper retirement if you wish.

When: Wednesday, November 11, at 6:30 PM
Where: Santiago Park in Santa Ana – meet at the fire ring near the Lawn Bowling Courts.
Bring: A bench pad or small blanket if you wish to seat on the concrete amphitheater or you may also bring folding lawn chairs and seat at the back.

Directions: From 17th St. > go north on Main St.> pass Discovery Science Center and turn right on E. Memory Ln.> turn another right on the 2nd traffic signals into the park’s creek parking lot.
Questions: email John Vasquez, johnvasquez@juno.com

Also:

Nova Academy’s 2009 Career Day featured Assemblyman Jose Solorio

Posted on by Posted in Education, Jose Solorio, Santa Ana, Youth Activities Leave a comment

Eastman and Solorio

 Dennis Eastman, Nova Academy principal and Assemblyman Jose Solorio

Santa Ana’s Nova Academy held a very successful Career Day on Oct. 27.  Assemblyman Jose Solorio stopped by to make opening remarks.  Then the students heard from numerous professionals in breakout sessions leading up to lunch.

Nova’s students are on a dual educational path that includes both college and high school simultaneously. The idea behind their Career Day was to help them to prepare a career by listening, first hand, to individuals with experience in that career field.

Speakers included doctors, lawyers, a forensic lab specialist, and other area professionals.  Below are a few pictures from the event: Continue reading→

Santa Ana Girls Softball spring season registration begins Nov. 5

Posted on by Posted in Santa Ana, Sports, Youth Activities 2 Comments

Santa Ana Girls Softball

Santa Ana Girls Softball League

*Home of the 2009 10U C State Champions*

2010 Spring Season Registration Recreational and Instructional Softball

Girls Ages 4-16 and Boys Ages 4.  No Experience Needed.

Thursdays Nov. 5th,12th, 19th from 6pm-8pm at Round Table Pizza on Bristol and Segerstrom Continue reading→

Bowers Museum presents a Day of the Dead Festival

Posted on by Posted in Arts and Culture, Latinos, Santa Ana, Youth Activities 2 Comments

Bowers Museum

This Sunday, November 1, the Bowers Museum will be presenting a “Day of the Dead” Festival, starting at 12 noon.  Here is their schedule of events:

MEXICAN DAY OF THE DEAD FAMILY FESTIVAL
12:00 PM
Revel in one of Mexico’s oldest traditions by honoring the spirits of our lost loved ones as they come back to earth on this special day. Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is a celebration of life through music, dance, food, and art.

NORMA KERSHAW AUDITORIUM
11:00 – 11:20; 3:15 – 3:35
FILM: Flickering Lights: Days of the Dead – A visual journey into the history and celebration of the Mexican Days of the Dead.

1:30 – 3:00
FILM: Macario directed by Roberto Gavaldón – This classic Mexican movie depicts a man’s struggle over his own needs and the needs of his family during the Dia de los Muertos holiday. (English sub-titles) Continue reading→

Santa Ana’s Chavez High School earns Golden Bell Award

Posted on by Posted in Education, Latinos, Santa Ana, Youth Activities Leave a comment

Chavez High School

“Six Orange County school districts have won the prestigious 2009 Golden Bell Award, sponsored by the California School Boards Association,” according to the O.C. Register.

Santa Ana Unified School District: Chavez High School won for its Positive Results in Daily Effort program that improved student attendance, reduced drop-out rates and encouraged student punctuality, accountability and determination.

Congratulations to everyone at Chavez High School, particularly Principal Margarita Rosette and her teachers! Continue reading→

The Art Institute of O.C. wants to give away two major scholarships

Posted on by Posted in Arts and Culture, Education, Fashion, Santa Ana, Youth Activities Leave a comment

Art Institute Logo

Do you know any high school students who have a passion for fashion?  The Art Institute of Orange County, located at 3601 West Sunflower Avenue in Santa Ana, is going to give a way two full scholarships – and a load of other prizes.

Here is their official information about this contest:

Recognition is a beautiful thing…and so is an exciting future in the fashion industry. You can find both at The Art Institutes Passion for Fashion Competition 2010. Now open for entries, this competition challenges high school seniors to create the best original design in two categories: fashion design and fashion marketing, merchandising or retail management. The excellent part? Two grand prize winners will have the opportunity to earn a full tuition scholarship to study fashion at an Art Institutes school, as well as tour Seventeen magazine’s offices, have lunch with a style pro, indulge in a $500 shopping spree, attend New York City Fashion Week — and blog about the experience on Seventeen.com. Continue reading→

Santa Ana High School Chemistry teacher speaks out again about dangerous overcrowding

Posted on by Posted in Education, Public Safety, Santa Ana, Youth Activities 1 Comment

Santa Ana High School chemistry teacher Gary Reynolds spoke again to the SAUSD school board last week, on Oct. 13, about the response of Asso. Superintendent Juan Lopez to the accusation of dangerous overcrowding of science labs.

Reynolds waited four hours to speak, at around 10 pm, when most folks had gone home, but his comments were recorded and put up on YouTube. (You can see the video above).

That is board member Rob Richardson in the background trying to get Reynolds to stop as he was concluding.

O.C. Register reporter Fermin Leal picked up on Reynold’s earlier talks about this issue, at previous school board meetings, and apparently contacted Juan Lopez, who gave the same response to Leal that Reynolds later called irrational, “If it’s not illegal, it must be safe.”

Here are a few excerpts from Leal’s article: Continue reading→

16th Annual SAUSD Parent Conference and Youth Expo Set For October 11

Posted on by Posted in Education, Santa Ana, Youth Activities Leave a comment

SAUSD Parent Conference

The Santa Ana Unified School District is holding their “16th Annual Parent Conference” this Sunday, October 11, from 9 am to 3 pm, at  Godinez Fundamental High School.  A City of Santa Ana sponsored Youth EXPO will concurrently be taking place at the adjacent Centennial Park.

Click here to read about the Santa Ana Youth Expo.

Here is the SAUSD’s press release regarding this event:

 16th Annual SAUSD Parent Conference and Youth Expo Set For October 11

The Combination Event Brings Together More Than 100 Agencies to Benefit Families Continue reading→

Santa Ana residents get in free at the Discovery Science Center today

Posted on by Posted in Education, Entertainment, Santa Ana, Youth Activities 2 Comments

Santa Ana residents can visit the Taco Bell Discovery Science Center for free today.!

Their new exhibit is Head to Toe: All About Your Body. The human body is a fascinating and complex machine, with each of its many parts fulfilling a unique and interesting function. Head To Toe explores five body topics: skeletons, organs, the senses, general health and general body facts.

They are located at 2500 N. Main St., in Santa Ana. You may call them at (714) 542-2823. Hours are 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. daily. Continue reading→

Are Santa Ana high school chemistry classes dangerously overcrowded?

Posted on by Posted in Education, Public Safety, Santa Ana, Youth Activities 2 Comments

SAUSD Science Teacher Gary Reynolds speaks out about dangerous overcrowding in chemistry classes at School Board meeting on Sep. 8

“A Santa Ana High School science teacher is claiming chemistry classes at the campus are crowded beyond state regulations, causing unsafe conditions for students,” according to the O.C. Register.

Gary Reynolds, who has taught physics, chemistry and other science classes at Santa Ana High for 22 years, filed a “report of concern” with the school district alleging an “existing unsafe situation in our high school chemistry classes.”

I know Mr. Reynolds – he is a great teacher and as solid a citizen as you could ever hope to find.  He told me in an email that he wanted to give the district the chance to correct the overcrowding in chemistry classes – but their response was not what he was looking for. 

Juan Lopez, associate superintendent of human resources for Santa Ana Unified, said the state Science Safety Handbook provides guidelines for class sizes, but does not set down legal requirements. Continue reading→

Can Latino and Vietnamese students get along?

Posted on by Posted in Education, Latinos, Restaurants, Santa Ana, Vietnamese, Youth Activities 8 Comments

Mexicans love pho

One thing Latino and Vietnamese residents can agree on – Pho is delicious!

“Lan Quoc Nguyen, the Vice-President of Board of the Garden Grove Unified School District, in an interview published on a Vietnamese newspaper proclaimed that other ethnicities are wary of classes with a lot of Asian students in it because they can’t compete,” according to the Bolsavik blog.

Wow!  Where do we even begin with that sentiment?

My son Joey goes to Godinez High School, in Santa Ana, where he is an honors student.  He is taking Advanced Placement classes that will earn him college credit.  I have met many of his peers.  Most of them are Latinos.  But my son’s girlfriend is Vietnamese – and yes she is brilliant.  She speaks three languages and teaches piano lessons. 

As for my son, he plays the guitar and pitches for his high school baseball team.  And no, he is not wary of Asians.  Nor have I seen any animosity between the different races in his AP classes.  Continue reading→

Pico-Lowell Community Fair on Oct. 3, in Santa Ana

Posted on by Posted in Civic Affairs, Entertainment, Latinos, Lou Correa, Neighborhood Associations, Youth Activities Leave a comment

Pico Lowell Community Fair

The Pico-Lowell Neighborhood association, in partnership with the Boys and Girls Club of Santa Ana, Community Services Programs, Inc., CHOC, Pio Pico and Lowell Elementary Schools, Parent Teacher Association (PTA), SAPD, OC Human Relations, Senator Lou Correa, Think Together, Latino Health Access, 7-11 stores, Starbright, and US Youth Soccer invite you to a community forum scheduled on Oct. 3,  from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm at the Santa Ana Boys and Girls Club and community resource fair from 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm on Highland St. between Flower and Shelton in Santa Ana.

The event theme, “Connecting our Voices and Strengths for a Safe Community – Conectando nuestras voces y fortalezas para una comunidad segura” focuses on building cohesion among residents, community health and safety partners and neighbor-serving organizations. Click here for more information. Continue reading→

Concert for the kids at the O.C. Pavilion in Santa Ana, on Oct. 3

Posted on by Posted in Arts and Culture, Charities, Entertainment, Orange County, Santa Ana, Youth Activities Leave a comment

Roosters Foundation

“Concert for the Kids,” presented by the Roosters Foundation of Orange County will take place at the OC Pavilion and Ambrosia Restaurant.

The evening includes a Reception, tantalizing auctions, hosted dinner at the Ambrosia Restaurant for up to 150 and Appetizers & drinks, for more than 350 additional guests. All of this includes a fabulous show.

This year’s concert will headline Jana Nordstrom with the British band, Infinity Rising, which served as the private band aboard the Yacht, Britannia for Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II. Surely they have a few royal tidbits to share as a part of their cabaret, “The Greatest Songs of the 20th Century”. The opening act of the Mike McCaffrey Trio will perform “The Songs and Stories of Frank Sinatra and Nat “King” Cole”. “Expect to experience unavoidable smiles, tears, and wonderful memories,” said Mike McCaffrey.

The synergy created by charities working together at an event like this is highly rewarding for all and our event’s sphere of influence goes far beyond Roosters, the charity boards & constituents and is a rallying point for the entire Orange County community. Continue reading→