Farm to table, garden to classroom at Adele Harrison Middle School

While concerns about childhood screen time may keep parents awake at night, Adele Harrison Middle School Garden and Culinary Arts instructor Yannick Phillips has witnessed firsthand how eager many kids are to unplug on their own, opting to go outside to sow seeds, prep beds,... Continue

Under the Sun: Mary Favaro, dreaming big for Sonoma schools

The Sun sat down with the new executive director of Sonoma Valley Education Foundation, Mary Favaro. When did you start as Executive Director of the Education Foundation? March 11. It’s been a full learning curve. Not only learning what the Ed Foundation does, but understanding... Continue

The trail blazers: local eco-pioneers lead the way

By Jonah Raskin Last October’s firestorms stunned Sonoma Valley citizens, though once the smoke cleared and embers were extinguished, families and friends ventured out to see the spectacle of blooming flowers and green trees. Richard Dale, the executive director for 26 years at the Sonoma... Continue

A ‘Little’ goes a long way

When it needed to be relocated from public land, a Little Free Library got a little help from the Sonoma Community Center. After offering suggestions on possible new locations around town, the Center’s staff thought more about it and wondered, relates staffer Josh Cutler, why... Continue

Disagreements, polite (school district) and otherwise (hillside homes)

The hiring of Socorro Shiels as the new superintendent of the Sonoma Valley Unified School District, already approved by a unanimous vote, will be formalized at the April 17 board meeting. Britta Johnson, president of SVUSD Board of Trustees, says Sheils, among other attributes, “has... Continue

Senior Projects keep High Schoolers busy

Completing a Senior Project is a ritual, and a graduation requirement, for every senior at Sonoma Valley High School. As part of the semester-long assignment, students are expected to write a related research paper and present a public presentation about the project. So how’s it... Continue

A graduate’s message to her Class of 2015

Jade Garcia, one of Creekside High School’s two Students of the Year, delivered this speech to her graduating class: “High School. It comes to us all eventually. And all of us experience it differently. I came to Creekside absolutely terrified. (Although I was relieved to... Continue

A promising start for The Class of 2019

John Kelly | Special to the Sun As a birthday gift to myself this year I spoke at “Career Day” at Adele Harrison Middle School in Sonoma. I always find it rewarding to talk with students about their plans for the future. But this year,... Continue

Extra effort for earthquake relief

[caption id="attachment_51110" align="aligncenter" width="420"] Estelle Wood, age 2, washes a bike, one of many activities that helped the students of Sonoma’s Moldovan Academy raise $1,283.83 for earthquake relief in Nepal.[/caption] Sonoma's Moldovan Academy children raised $1,283.83 for earthquake relief in Nepal. The school donated an additional... Continue

Pipeline to bring recycled water to school playing fields

The Sonoma Valley County Sanitation District plans to construct a pipeline to provide recycled water to to irrigate playing fields at Sonoma Valley High, Adele Harrison Middle and Prestwood Elementary schools. The recycled water will also be used to irrigate Sonoma Valley Oaks Park on... Continue