Scholar athletes at Mount Madonna
Mount Madonna School’s girls varsity volleyball team has received the Central Coast Section highest academic honor by the California Interscholastic Federation: “Best Collective Scholastic Grade Average for All Varsity Teams.”
The CIF Academic State Championships were initiated in 1996 as a way to recognize teams with the highest collective grade-point average in their respective sport.
The Mount Madonna team’s collective GPA is 3.9.
Team members are: Soma Sharan, 9th grade; Erin Mitchell and Zoe Bostick, 10th grade; Camille Schwartz, 11th grade; and Alexa Rosendale, Ashley England, Hannah Meade, Joanna Koda, Rachel Sunberg, Shelby Botula and Tessa Fischer, 12th grade.
Register now for spring classes at Gavilan College
New and continuing students can now register for spring classes at Gavilan College. Spring semester begins Jan. 30 and runs through May 23. Classes are offered days, evenings, weekends and online.
New classes for spring include French 1A, biotechnology seminar, aviation flight technology, information security, personal finance and marathon training.
Continuing students may register in person or online at www.gavilan.edu.
New students may register in person at Gavilan College locations in Gilroy, Morgan Hill or Hollister.
Gilroy:
Through Jan. 18 (Closed Dec. 22-Jan. 1): 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Wednesday-Thursday;
9 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Friday.
Jan. 22-25:
8 a.m. – 6 p.m., Tuesday-Thursday;
9 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Friday.
Jan. 29-Feb. 7:
8 a.m.-7 p.m., Monday-Thursday;
8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Friday.
Morgan Hill and Hollister:
Through Feb. 7
(Closed Dec. 22-Jan. 1, Jan. 21 and Jan. 28):
8 a.m.-8 p.m., Monday-Thursday;
8 a.m.-5 p.m., Friday.
For general information: (408) 848-4800.
For counseling: (408) 848-4723.
For financial aid: (408) 848-4727.
Class schedule and registration calendars are available at www.gavilan.edu.
Mount Madonna Participates in Recycling Program
Mount Madonna School is the first pre-K-12 school to participate in Santa Cruz County’s Waste Free Schools Program.
The program is nothing new for the school, which has taken a leading role in educating students in “green” thinking and ecological sustainability for nearly three decades.
The school already fuels its buses with biodiesel, is considering conversion to solar power, uses biodegradable cutlery and tableware in its snack bar, has a school-wide recycling program, composting and vermi-composting and recycles much of the paper generated through the school office.
“It’s time we actually formalized and institutionalized being ‘green,’ ” said Sephy Elizai, who teaches middle school service learning and Spanish at Mount Madonna. “Joining WFS is just one of many steps we are taking to be environmentally sustainable.”
Elizai, along with MMS faculty Carol Rentschler and James Rohan, are MMS liaisons to the program.
Established in 1997, the program started with just five participating elementary schools. Since that time the program has provided support and technical assistance to some 58 elementary, middle and high schools throughout the county. These participating schools, according to program coordinators, have diverted over nearly seven tons of material from local landfills and have saved local school districts more than $400,000.
Morgan Hill resident graduates
Rebecca Ann Milburn graduated from Azusa Pacific University with a bachelor of arts degree in biology on Dec. 15. Milburn was joined by more than 600 graduates at the winter commencement ceremonies. Azusa Pacific is a comprehensive, Christian, evangelical university, located 26 miles northeast of Los Angeles in the San Gabriel Valley, with seven Southern California regional centers.
‘MyVote California’ encourages teen civic engagement
To engage teen voters-to-be in the excitement of the Feb. 5 presidential primary election, Secretary of State Debra Bowen and Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell have launched “MyVote California,” a hands-on civic engagement project for high school students that will culminate in a statewide mock election in January.
Students will have access to a lively, standards-based curriculum selected by the California Campaign for the Civic Mission of Schools and the LegiSchool Project.
Students will cast their votes in a mock presidential primary election on Jan. 28 and 29, one week before California’s registered voters go to the polls. Bowen will announce the mock election results on Jan. 30.
In 2006, 545 schools statewide registered more than 235,000 students to take part in a mock election for governor and other key races.
Details: http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/studentmockelection.htm.
