Hart District Named for Mix It Up Model Schools
The Hart District, which had 15 schools participating in Mix It Up Day last year, has been designated as Mix It Up Model Schools by Teaching Tolerance–the only school district in the country to achieve that distinction. The district programs are featured on the Tolerance.org Web site in the hope that other schools and districts will learn from the local success and work to create inclusive school communities through Mix It Up. Teaching Tolerance is an arm of the Southern Poverty Law Center, one of the leading civil rights advocacy organizations in America today. Mix It Up Day calls for schools to sponsor lunchtime activities that encourage students to reach beyond their usual clique of friends and embrace the diversity of each local campus. The district’s story is featured here.
School Opens for 23,000 Students
More than 23,000 students returned to Hart District classrooms on Aug. 12, with only a few minor distractions–not-quite-finished classrooms, heavy traffic on access roads and drop-off zones, and students searching for classrooms on unfamiliar campuses. There were 23,358 students enrolled on the Friday before school opened, up 61 students from the same day in 2009. The number is expected to drop in the next few weeks as students who fail to appear are dropped from school rosters. Parents will have their own back-to-school welcome at official Back to School Night programs running from Aug. 19 to Sept. 29 on various campuses.
Golden Oak Adds New Adult Classes
Walk-in registration is underway at Golden Oak Adult School, which is kicking off the fall semester with some exciting new course offerings. New classes include ceramics, Making Money Online, Culinary Arts for the Community and Gardening in the Santa Clarita Valley. Golden Oak continues to serve as the Hart District’s adult learning center, offering English as a Second Language, GED/test preparation and high school diploma classes. The full fall line-up with pricing, meeting times and registration deadlines is available here.
ASB Officers Attend Leadership Camp
Associated Student Body officers from Sierra Vista, Rancho Pico and Rio Norte junior high schools attended a Leadership Camp this summer on the University of California Santa Barbara campus, sponsored by the California Association of Directors of Activities (CADA) and the California Association of Student Leaders (CASL). The students learned tips and techniques to create and maintain a successful ASB on campus. They also participated in several events at the camp that focused on personal growth. ASB organizations on all Hart District campuses are in charge of special events and spirit-building activities for students.
Yearbook Class Looking Forward to New Year
Back to School offered a wealth of material to students in the yearbook class at Rio Norte Junior High School, who were out and about taking photos of their classmates enjoying the first day of school. The day brought groans from students unaccustomed to waking up early and facing homework assignments, even on the first day of school. On the other hand, students found back-to-school a fresh start and a chance to see friends again, meet new teachers and learn something new. Those are the aspects of ordinary little things yearbook staffers are attempting to capture in their photos as they develop a book with the theme of “Ohana,” the Hawaiian term for “family.” Students are designing the yearbook with the feel of a family album, filled with the details that make each family unique.
Sierra Vista ASB Launches New Year
Officers from the Associated Student Body at Sierra Vista Junior High School welcomed the new school year by creating a leadership workshop for all of the school’s ASB representatives. Students participated in team building activities and learned different personal skills such as public speaking and recognizing multiple intelligences in students on campus. The group got a head start on advertising the school’s upcoming magazine drive and cookie dough fund-raisers through posters, announcements and skits.
