Education Now for the week of Feb. 14

The Etiwanda School Boarded voted last week to suspend home-to-school transportation for another year.

The recommendations from district staff reads the district will continue the suspention of the transportation program "until the state budget issues provide the security to reinstate other program cuts."

"At that time the transportation program will be revied along with othe program reinstatments. Key factors that will allow for this review are transportation funding increases to more adequately suppport the actual expenses of the district and/or district fuding level increased to the 2007-08 level or above," the report reads.

Board members approved the decision at the Feb. 10 meeting. The savings to the district is about $1 million.

Due to budget cuts, the Etiwanda School District board in April approved the reduction of all busing services affecting about 2,800 students for the current school year, according to a previous article.

However, busing is available for special education students. It is also provided to students receiving busing services through the Individualized Education Program, according to a previous article.

Spellers representing 15 school districts will meet on Saturday at Mt. San Antonio College for the preliminary qualifying round of Inland Valley Regional Spelling Bee.

Returning competitor Rebecca Norden-Bright of Magnolia Elementary School in Upland will be among 59 students wanting to take home the gold.

Rebecca is only 9-years old and a fourth-grader. She is described by her teachers as a "remarkable young lady."

Last year Rebecca did very well, she was eliminated in the 10th of 14 rounds.

Only 30 contestants will go onto compete in the final championship round on Feb. 26 for the Inland Valley Region of the Scripps National Spelling Bee program.

Sponsors of the program include Merriam Webster Dictionaries, the Mt. SAC Foundation, Gordon P. and Marianne Van de Water, John and Dianne Forbing, the Walnut Friends of the Library, the California Lottery and Eileen Tillery of the New World Wine Competition.

Local legislators to participate in financial aid assistance program

As the state considers increasing community colleges fees, Mt. San Antonio College will offer free financial aid assistance to area high school seniors and their parents during its annual "Cash for College" fair.

The free event is from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb. 26, at the college's Sophia B. Clarke Theater, 1100 N. Grand Ave., Walnut.

"Financial aid is now more important to many students than ever before," said Susan Jones, Mt. SAC financial aid director in a news release. "It can mean the difference between attending or not attending college."

Mt. SAC is partnering with local high schools and legislators, including Assemblymembers Norma Torres, Roger Hernandez, and Curt Hagman, and Senators Ed Hernandez and Gloria Negrete McLeod, to sponsor the event.

Cash for College provides hands-on assistance to college-bound students and their parents in completing and filing Federal Student Aid and Cal Grant financial aid forms for the 2011-12 academic year.

The event also helps students maximize their financial aid prospects by meeting the early financial aid deadlines. The Cal Grant aid deadline is March 2. While federal aid will still be available after March 2 deadline, filing applications early is recommended, according to a news release. 

Parents and students must bring a copy of students' Social Security cards or permanent resident cards, and a 2010 federal 1040 tax return and W-2. 

If 2010 information is not available, a 2009 tax return may be used along with 2010 W-2 forms. While assistance will be provided to two cohort groups--students planning to attend Mt. SAC and those planning to attend another college--the workshop information and assistance can be used to apply to any college, not just Mt. SAC. 

Reservations are required, and a free continental breakfast and lunch will be provided. Participants will also be eligible for a $1,000 scholarship sponsored through the California Student Aid Commission. 

Reservations must be made at 909-274- 4458 or www.mtsac.edu/students/finaid/cashfair.htm .

The chancellors of the University of California and California State University systems say they don't plan to seek student fees increases this year, despite a state budget proposal that calls for deep cuts to higher education.

But UC Chancellor Mark Yudof and CSU Chancellor Charles Reed said Monday that promise won't hold if Californians don't agree to tax extensions that Gov. Jerry Brown is proposing for the June ballot.

Brown, a Democrat, wants to extend increases on income, sales and vehicle taxes for five years to help close California's $25.4 billion budget shortfall through June 2012.

He's proposed a combined $1 billion in cuts to UC and CSU, and $400 million in cuts to community colleges.

The heads of all three systems testified at a budget hearing in Sacramento on Feb. 7.

-The Associated Press

Rancho Cucamonga students are busy reaching for the stars.

Viking of the Week for Vineyard Junior High from last week are seventh-grader Madison Rodriquez and eighth-grader Karen Moussa.

This week the school's Viking of the week are seventh-grader Claudia Wang and eighth-grader Isabella Meneses.

Students of the week at 

Alta Loma Junior High School are eigth-grader Koby Pederson and seventh-grader Alicia Ellingson.

For the third time, Ekstrand Elementary School has taken state finalist in the "Imagine This" contest held by the California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom. 

Fifth grader Zebedee Soyfer's winning story is called "The Coyote, the Avocado and Sam."

"I feel great, because I never thought I would win," Zebedee said of the Walnut-based school. "This was my 4th time writing a story, but my first time entering a contest."

Six winners are chosen from a pool of third through 12th grade entrants, and the purpose of the contest is to bring agriculture education into the classroom. 

"The winners are usually all from agriculture and farming communities, so it is particularly exciting to have a winner from a more urban area," said Catherine Rojas,  Zebedee's teacher.

Through the process Zebedee learned, "that avocados have 25 percent of the daily recommended calcium in one avocado. I love avocados and thought it would be a great story to write about."

Zebedee will be honored in March at the Imagine this ceremony where he will read his story. 

His story will be published in an Imagine This book that will debut during National Agriculture Week. 

All stories published will be illustrated through a high school art contest.

Below is a list of school board meetings this week:

-Central School District Board of Trustees will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday at the district office, 10601 Church St., Suite 112, Rancho Cucamonga. Information: 909-989-8541.

-Chaffey Joint Union High School District Board of Trustees will meet at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Alta Loma High School auditorum, 8880 Base Line Road, Rancho Cucamonga. Information: 909-988-8511.

-Chino Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday at the district office, 5130 Riverside Drive, Chino. Information: 909-628-1201.

-Claremont Unified School District Board of Trustees will meet at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the district office, 170 W. San Jose Ave., Claremont. Information: 909-398-0609.

-Ontario-Montclair School District Board of Trustees will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday at Central Language Academy auditorium, 415 E. G St., Ontario. Information: 909-459-2500.