WASC review at high school
At a recent meeting of the Sonoma Valley Unified School District trustees, Sonoma Valley High School Principal Michaela Philpot presented an overview of the steps involved in the Western Associations of Schools and Colleges (WASC) self study process, which aims to show what students know, what they are able to do and what needs to be improved in order to sustain accreditation. The next step in the process is the visit, from Feb. 24 to 27, of a committee of seven shareholders, “to validate the findings and the plan.”
“It’s been a good process,” said Philpot, “I’ve enjoyed it.” School board president Camerino Hawing said, “It’s a lot of work and it’s impressive work. It’s going to be a good challenge for everyone. It’s going to be a living document.”
Professionals help at high school
At the Sonoma Valley Unified School District board of trustees meeting last week, Lynn Wirick Ross, Program Coordinator, reported on the progress of the Teacher Support Network (TSN), a volunteer program at Sonoma Valley High School. She said it’s difficult once you get to high school; everyone wants to volunteer in the younger grades, but parents don’t want to volunteer in the high school, and besides, by the time they get to high school, kids don’t want their parents around, either. The solution her group has found has been to bring together members of the community, who happen to be accomplished in a variety of professions, to help mentor and support students and help them toward their full potential. ”We’re amazed at the quality of people who came forward wanting to volunteer,” she said.
Begun in March 2007, TSN provides approximately 20 community members who contributed more than 400 hours last semester. They assist with subjects as varied as their profiles, from a chemical engineer with a degree from Yale, Harvard and MIT, to a PhD in molecular biology, to a marketing manager, to a retired teacher. Ross said, “Many people in Sonoma care about education in our schools, despite the recent failure of the much-needed education bond. We hope to continue to develop TSN in order to add the most value for the teachers and students at Sonoma Valley High School.”
Attempted abduction foiled by babysitter
Deputies found a scary scene last Friday, when responding to a domestic disturbance call in the 100 block of Boyes Blvd. Apparently, a man had ridden a bicycle into an apartment complex, opened the back screen door to one of the apartments, and tried to abduct a three-year-old girl. The girl screamed, the baby sitter came running, and then scuffled with the suspect, Normando Ramirez, 24, of Boyes Hot Springs.
Ramirez was reported to have dragged the babysitter out of the apartment, where a neighbor rushed to help detain the suspect until the deputies arrived. The official report says that Ramirez appeared to be under the influence of narcotics at the time of the incident.
Both the child and the babysitter were emotionally shaken, but physically unharmed.
New occupational health director at SVH
The Occupational Health Department at Sonoma Valley Hospital announced its new medical director, Dr. Lee Newman. He comes to Sonoma from JobCare in Napa, bringing with him over 20 years of experience in Occupational Medicine. This graduate of Loma Linda University completed his surgical internship at Highland Hospital in Oakland.
Sonoma Valley Hospital now offers a comprehensive range of services, injury treatment and prevention programs. These include job site safety reviews, specialized testing and annual physical exams. Dr. Newman is available Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays.
