Las Lomas High students face anniversary of tragedy with grace

Last year, students at Las  Lomas High lost two great friends, Matt Miller and Gavin Powell, who died Feb. 19 while attempting to raft Walnut Creek's urban waterways. I covered the accident and the community's mourning for Walnut Creek Patch. It was a difficult story to cover. Matt and Gavin were two amazing young men, smart, athletic, talented and leading lives of integrity. Their deaths hurt so many people around town.

Still, their fellow classmates handled the tragedy with such grace, organizing a candlelight vigil and participating in the two memorial services for each of the boys. Now, these young people are gathering money to build an outdoor education memorial outside the Las Lomas library. The design of the memorial will incorporate Gavin's surfboard and a geometry project by Matt Miller.

Over the past few months, students have raised $1300 by working with Girl Scout Troop 30848 to sell roses and singing grams. On Thursday, a rally took place at the school, where students were invited to paint rocks to be placed in the Matt and Gavin Memorial Garden.

On Friday, Feb. 24, the senior class, with whom Matt and Gavin would have graduated this spring, will host a funk dance fundraiser. The party is scheduled for 4 to 8 p.m. in the small gym.There will be food, a silent auction and a tile fundraiser in which people can paint a tile.
If you have something you'd like to donate for the silent auction, please email the senior officers at outdoormemorial@yahoo.com. Donations may be made out to Las Lomas High School with "Outdoor Classroom Memorial" written in the memo line, and sent to Las Lomas High, 1460 S. Main St., Walnut Creek, CA 94596.

Parents: are you allowing your kids to rent hotel rooms for prom night?

The Senior Ball is coming up at Las Lomas High School this Saturday, and the principal is urging parents to not allow their kids to rent hotel rooms for pre- and after-prom festivities.

The Las Lomas prom will take place at the Merchant's Exchange Building in downtown San Francisco. Northgate High just had its senior ball Saturday night at the Palace Hotel, also in downtown San Francisco.

I have heard that students often book rooms for prom night at a hotel in Walnut Creek, and this can be an issue for local police. As for the upcoming Las Lomas senior ball, Principal Pat Lickiss says in an e-mail notice to parents: "Once again this year I have heard that some parents are allowing students to rent hotel rooms. I would urge parents not to do this but instead have parent supervised pre- and post-ball gathering in homes."

So, parents: What do you think of this practice, allowing your kids to rent hotel rooms for their prom night all-nighters? Do you let your kids do it? If you do, and you think you have a good reason, please share your experience. If you're a student, and you think it's a bad idea or a good idea, I'd be interested in hearing why.

New principal appointed for Las Lomas High School

An assistant principal from a Pleasanton middle school has been appointed to replace Pat Lickiss as principal of Las Lomas High School.  John Stockton, the superintendent of the Acalanes Union High School District, said Thursday that the district's governing board has appointed Matthew Campbell to replace Lickiss, a 37-year veteran of the district who is retiring at the end of this school year.  Campbell, whose starting date will be July 1, currently serves as an assistant middle school principal in the Pleasanton school district, Stockton said. Before that, he was an assistant principal for four years at Pleasanton's Foothill High School. He began his education career as a social studies teacher in the Pleasanton school district.  Campbell graduated from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, received his master's of arts degree from Lesley College in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and is currently pursuing his doctorate at Saint Mary's College.  Says Stockton: "The Acalanes Union High School District is pleased to welcome Matt to our community and feels confident he possesses the professional skills and personal qualities necessary for the positive engagement of our community. Mr. Campbell is dedicated to building upon the great successes Las Lomas High School has experienced during Pat Lickiss' years of service." A reception will be held at Las Lomas before the end of this school year to welcome Campbell. "Prior to the start of the new school year, Matt looks forward to meeting as many friends of Las Lomas High School as possible," Stockton says.

Another Iron Horse Trail attack involving a Walnut Creek student

These notices come in about middle and high school students being confronted by suspicious characters or robbed on the Iron Horse Trail in and around downtown Walnut Creek. ... And my immediate thought is: The Iron Horse Trail sounds like a dangerous place for my sixth grader to be walking. 

Here's news about the latest incident. Actually, it involved a Las Lomas High freshman who was robbed of his IPod and earphones while walking to school Friday morning along the trail near Safeway.  

Las Lomas High Principal Pat Lickiss alerted parents at his school that: 

Earlier [Friday], it was reported to our offices that a student had been approached while walking to school and jumped from behind by a man demanding his money. ... A student reported to his English teacher, that on his way to school this morning on the trail by Safeway a heavy set Hispanic man about 5 foot 7 inches with a black hood, bandana over his mouth, and wearing dark blue jeans jumped him from behind demanding his money. The man did get his earphones and IPod. The student said there were no injuries or weapons and he "used what he learned in PE class to get away." 

I realize that we all need to put these incidents into perspective and not leap into panic mode. We need to think of the statistics and probability. I'm sure that the vast majority of us--young and old--are safe while walking, running, or cycling along various stretches of the Iron Horse Trail at different times of day. I'm sure that this sort of incident isn't all that common--despite the fact that it receives attention from school officials and a blogger like me. 

With regard to the Iron Horse Trail, I've gone running along different parts of it early in the morning and at night, after dark. I'm not going to stop doing that because of reports of this kind of crime. I'm not afraid, though I'm always on alert and wary. 


On the other hand, I will let my son know.  Actually, he and his friends at WCI don't use the Iron Horse Trail much at all. It's just the thing he crosses every morning and afternoon while coming and going from school. 


Walnut Creek Intermediate School Principal Kevin Collins is letting parents know because "many WCI students use the trail to get to and from school, and we are asking for parents to again discuss personal safety with their children." 

Warning about new social networking site where Walnut Creek kids are bullying and harassing each other

We already--or should already--know about Facebook, Twitter, texting, sexting. Now, Walnut Creek school officials are alerting parents to another online networking site with a strong potential for abuse and causing harm.

It's called formspring.me. Walnut Creek Intermediate Principal Kevin Collins says formspring.me is becoming an increasingly popular place for middle and high school students to network and socialize, and to also say things to one another that are obscene, demeaning, and harassing.

"We have seen postings from current and former students that include horrible language, boasts about unsafe behaviors, and threats to other students," Collins says.  He adds that the postings on formspring.me has caused some issues between WCI students, but he believes it is more widely used among high school students.

According it its Wikipedia site, formspring.me launched on November 25, 2009 and has already become a hit--and a source of controversy. Last month, an argument over formspring.me led to fight breaking out in a high school in Pennsylvania. Insulting comments posted about a 17-year-old Long Island girl may have led to her suicide in late March (Alexis Pilkington, at right, received many vicious taunts on social networking sites, notably formspring.me, prior to her death, news reports say).

"Unlike some other sites, its business model is not easy to discern," Colins said. "The other key feature is that there does not seem to be any ability to filter or report abuse on the site."

Its business model, such as it is, is a Question and Answer form. That is, friends--and enemies--post questions or comments to people's formspring pages. The owner of the page--or user of the service--answers back. 

That lack of filter, or of self-restraint, seems pretty evident among these selections of exchanges that took place on the formspring page of a Walnut Creek girl, a student at one of our high schools.

Here is a series of Q and A's posted in the past couple days her page. The "Q" is the "guest" or "reader" posting the question to the user of the page; the "A" is the user's response.

Q: go back to your moms vachina

A: no thaaanks:)


Q: ok, here he here he...ur a lesbian motherf-----. i f----- hate your [deleted; racial epithet] ass. my asss you dont comment on random peoples pics...no one likes you PERIOD
A: wtf, why you stalking me nd watching every move i make on facebook? thats just creepy

Q: don't "what tha f---" me bitch. i straight up said it. you obviously know that you have flirted with someone's man. you little ugly bitch needs to back the f--- off because NO ONE respects a home-wrecker.

A: calm yur ass budd, i said what tha f--- cuz i didnt know what home wrecker meant. nd if youu think im flirting with yur man, which im probably not, then tell me somehow who youu are so i can stop "flirting" with yur boyfriend


Q: BACK THE F---- OFF OF MY BOYFRIEND!!

A; whoaa, s--- im not doin anything with anybody. im juss talkin, nd yur probably juss takin it tha wrong way :)

According to formspring.me's terms of service, users must be at least 13 years old. The terms also tell prospective users: "You understand that in using the formspring.me service you may encounter content that may be deemed objectionable, obscene or in poor taste, which content may or may not be identified as having explicit language. The formspring.me service allows for anonymous content which formspring.me does not monitor. You agree to use the formspring.me service at your own risk and that formspring.me shall have no liability to you for content that you may find objectionable, obscene or in poor taste."

Users must agree to not engage in any illegal activity--and to not "transmit any pornographic, obscene, offensive, threatening, harassing, libelous, hate-oriented, harmful, defamatory, racist, illegal or otherwise objectionable material or content." 

Hmm. It looks like some of these Walnut Creek students have possibly violated the formspring.me's terms of service.  Oh, but maybe they are just joking around with each other, and this is just how teens hassle one another, but in a friendly way. Is that possible?

Before I close, check out this exchange between a male Walnut Creek student and one of his readers/friends/enemies/hookups:

Q: "You're a f------ a------ and you're full of s---. You're desperate as f--- and you'll hook up with any bitch that wants to give you head. F--- you.

A: um im sorry ur a stupid bitch and u expect me not to flirt with other girls when u r like hooking up with other guys. your f------ crazy, strait crazy. u cant expect me to not when ur getting around so stfu u f------ hypocrite and i wont hook up with annny bitch, only fine ones :

Racial tensions at a San Ramon high school: do they exist on Walnut Creek campuses?

Maybe we don't live all live in post-racial harmony after all.  

That's becoming evident in our state and national arena.  Just yesterday, State Senator Leland Yee of San Francisco told reporters  he had received racist-tinged death threats since demanding greater transparency over Sarah Palin's June visit to Cal State Stanislaus. One fax he received contained an image of an American-flag-adorned truck dragging a noose.

But what about post-racial harmony in our safe, happy suburbs?

More information emerged this week about racial slurs and a noose-hanging incident at a San Ramon skate park that triggered at least one fight at California High School last week. 

A reporter with the news website, San Ramon Patch, interviewed students at the skate park who said that two white boys and a white girl initiated a dispute with racial slurs aimed a group of black girls. "Witnesses said the boys left the park and returned a short time later hanging a noose from their car window and shouting 'white power,'" the story said.

That incident apparently triggered a fight on the California High campus two days later involving an African American girl who was being attacked by two other girls. When Principal Mark Corti and other adults tried to break up the fight, the girl, a former Cal High student who recently transferred to a continuation high school, struck the principal. School officials describe it as a "glancing blow."

Maybe such racial tensions are not unique to San Ramon--or to its public school campuses. 

Back in October, I reported that police were investigating a number of racist incidents in Walnut Creek and other surrounding cities. These included an employee at a North Main Street Midas auto service who said he endured repeated racial slurs, racist graffiti scrawled in a restroom at Miramonte High School in Orinda,  and a teenager in Martinez harassing an African-American family at a park near the town's marina and shouting "white power!"

I don't remember things like this happening in Walnut Creek when I was growing up, or while attending middle or high school. Either I didn't hear about them or us white kids didn't have many non-white kids to have tensions with. In flipping through the pages of my high school year books from (dating myself!) the early 1980s, I don't see many non-white faces. I remember going to school with a few Hispanic and Asian kids but I don't remember any African-American classmates. I didn't get to know anyone African-American until I went to college outside Chicago. 

While student demographic information for when I was in high school is not easily available, I would venture to say that our Walnut Creek public school campuses are more diverse today than back then. Sure, our campuses and communities are not "diverse" by Oakland, Berkeley, and San Francisco standards, but they are certainly less white than when I was a student here.

Las Lomas High, which my son will attend in a couple years, is 69 percent white, 10 percent Asian, 7 percent Hispanic, and 3 percent African-American 

Northgate High is 68 percent white; 18 percent Asian, 8 percent HIspanic; and  2 percent African-American.

Let's say, for the sake of argument, that Walnut Creek's campuses are more diverse than they were 20, 30 years ago. Does it follow that kids today are more tolerant? From what I've observed of my son and his friends, they seem to be more tolerant. Do kids of different races and ethnic backgrounds mix in easy harmony in the cafeteria, off campus? Or do they self-segregate?

Maybe the kids--generally and with a few exceptions--are all right. Maybe it's the adults around these few exceptions who have the problem and who are advocating the idea that it's okay to yell things like "white power" and to hang nooses out of their cars while driving past community parks. 

Are you Team Las Lomas, Northgate, or Acalanes?

Sure, it’s Super Bowl weekend, and maybe a lot of people’s attention is focused on Sunday’s showdown between the New Orleans Saints and the Indianapolis Colts.

But listen up! Some of our best and brightest East Bay teens will be vying for a major championship themselves the day before: the team that wins Contra Costa County’s 2010 Academic Decathlon. Some 150 ninth through 12th graders will compete this weekend to represent Contra Costa County at the California Academic Decathlon, to be held in Sacramento, March 12-15. This year's Nation Academic Decathlon will be held April 21-24, in Omaha, Nebraska.

The county’s decathlon, which has taken place over two Saturdays, will conclude this Saturday. Directed by the Contra Costa County Office of Education (CCCOE) , the Academic Decathlon provides an opportunity for ninth-12th grade high school students to compete as individuals and teams in a series of 10 academic tests and demonstrations that include: art, economics, language and literature, mathematics, music, science, essay, interview, and speech (prepared and impromptu). Close to 150 students have been studying and preparing for this event with their coaches since September. This year, the theme of the decathlon, including the Super Quiz Topic, is the French Revolution.

According to Jonathan Lance, who is with the Contra Costa County Office of Education, there will be a maximum of three students in each of the following divisions: Honors (3.75-4.00 GPA), Scholastic (3.00-3.74 GPA) and Varsity (2.99 GPA and below).

I’m in awe of kids these days who excel in various ways: sports, arts, academics. I know it can be fashionable to grumble about how “kids these days" are spoiled brats with way too much personal freedom, as well as disposable income to spend on video games, mobile devices, and drugs.

I’m sure that’s the case for some kids. But I also come across 15-, 16-, and 17-year-olds who definitely have their s--- together better than I did at that age. They are polite, motivated, curious, passionate, idealistic. They have grand ideas about changing the world, and they already have their blueprints in place for making that happen. And, frankly, I think they are under so much more pressure to fit into some kind of 21st century definition of “success.”

I want to give a shout out to the various teams competing this Saturday in the finals of the county’s 2010 Academic Decathlon. Besides Las Lomas, Northgate and Acalanes, which are attended by Walnut Creek students, the other teams vying for the championship are: American (Fremont), Antioch, California (San Ramon), Campolindo (Moraga), Freedom (Oakley), Miramonte (Orinda), and Pittsburg.

Lance says that more than 1 million students have participated in the United States Academic Decathlon since 1968. It has become known as the first and most comprehensive program to promote and recognize academic achievement for all students.

Saturday’s event will take place 8 a.m. to 4 p.m in the gym at Los Medanos Colleg, 2700 E. Leland Rd., Pittsburg. The SuperQuiz begins about 2:30 p.m., finishing around 3:45 p.m.

The Academic Decathlon Awards Ceremony will take place Wednesday, February 10, 6:30 p.m. at the Contra Costa County Office of Education (Stewart Building), 77 Santa Barbara Rd., Pleasant Hill.

For more information about the Academic Decathlon, contact Karen Rice, Event Coordinator, CCCOE, 925-942-3400, or krice@cccoe.k12.ca.us.

Guv's vow for "no new cuts" means $4.8 million loss and 50 possible lay-offs in Acalanes district

John Stockton, the superintendent of the Acalanes Union High District, which includes Las Lomas and Acalanes high schools, disputed Governor Arnold Schwarzeneggers' claim last week to not reduce public education spending anymore.

However, Stockton says, the budget the governor released January 8 includes $2.4 billion in new education cuts statewide. The district is holding a series of public meetings, which finish up today, to explain how these cuts will impact just this one district. That impact could mean laying off 50 teachers and other staff positions, including 11 English teachers, 3 math teachers, 11 social science teachers, and 11 counselors.

Here's a notice that Stockton sent out to the community.

On Wednesday, January 6, California's Governor expressed his intention not to reduce spending to public education. However, the budget he released on January 8 includes approximately $2.4 billion in new education cuts statewide. The Acalanes Union High School District's share of the reduction is $1.4 million. With $3.4 million in cuts already planned for the district budget due to the 2009-2010 state shortfall, AUHSD must now prepare for a total of $4.8 million in reductions for 2010-2011 to remain solvent.

At the January 13 AUHSD Governing Board meeting, a list of approximately 50 teacher and support positions was reviewed for personnel release action. Unfortunately, funding reductions of this magnitude will impact all programs. The scope of the instructional program must contract to fit the available funds.

On January 21, sessions will be held at 7 am and 4:30 pm. All meetings will be held at the AUHSD Office at 1212 Pleasant Hill Road in Lafayette.

These information sessions have a variety of goals.

--Review the financial status of the district

--Explain layoff procedures to the community

--Allow educational community members to express program priorities should revenues to the district increase

--Inform educational community members of organized efforts to increase revenue to the instructional program

With over 50 positions at risk of layoff, no programs can be removed from the list of reductions. During the last three years, district and classified positions have been trimmed. The new budget cuts force course offering reductions to be a primary consideration. The Governing Board and district staff know these cuts will be painful, but must reduce staff to match revenues.

These are very trying times for our educational community. Lack of state funding could transform the foundational mission of AUHSD. The district and parent organizations will be providing regular updates regarding efforts to maintain the historically high quality associated with an Acalanes Union High School District education.

For up-to-date information regarding district budget issues, please refer to AUHSD website Budget and Negotiations Updates.

Walnut Creek will probably lose Del Oro, its longtime alternative high school

Del Oro, the 43-year-old alternative public high school that has served Walnut Creek and Lamorinda students "whose needs are not being met by comprehensive high schools" will possibly be closed, due to really scary budget news likely to come down from Sacramento in the coming weeks.

The Acalanes Union High School District staff has recommended that its board, at its meeting January 13, consider closing Del Oro High School, which currently has around 60 students.

I've been told by school administrators that it costs a lot of money to run a smaller, alternative high school. And even the Acalanes district, with its strong history of community support in the form of parcel taxes and generous parent fundraising, is facing some very tough choices. The district also covers Walnut Creek's downtown campus, Las Lomas High School, as well as Acalanes in Lafayette, Campolindo in Moraga and Miramonte in Orinda.

At that same meeting, the board will also discuss a likely shortfall of more than $5 million in the district's budget over the next two years and the possible layoffs of 16 teachers. 

 

The district must include a plan for achieving budget cuts," Superintendent John Stockton said in an e-mail sent out to parents before the holiday break. "In addition to the $2.6 million cut for 2010-2011, an additional $2.6 million in budget reductions will be necessary in 2011-2012. The bulk of these budget reductions require personnel releases."

With these budget cuts looming, the district will hold a series of parent meetings on January 20 and 21, to explain the challenges coming.

As for Del Oro? From what I've heard from administrators, it sounds like those students will end up returning to the regular high schools. And that could mean students, who have a difficult time fitting into a regular high school--especially high-achieving schools like those in the Acalanes district--and who are falling off track to graduate, might wind up struggling a lot more.

Just last February, Del Oro was named by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell as one of California's 14 Model Continuation High Schools "for their programs designed to help struggling students stay in school."

According to the state Deparment of Education, California created the concept of continuation high schools more than 90 years ago. "These schools focus on school-to-career education, individualized instructional strategies, intensive guidance and counseling, and flexible school schedules. Continuation high schools serve students aged 16 years or older who lack sufficient school credits and are at risk of not graduating. More than 71,000 students in the state attended 523 continuation high schools in 2007-08, the latest data available.

Del Oro says its mission has been "to provide an opportunity for all students to develop intellectual, social, physical and psychological skills necessary for life-long learning and success in a technological, global society."

Its course of study has offered "an individualized approach to the basic programs in English, math, science, social science, physical education, along with supplemental coursework in personal development, life skills, and work experience skills."

"Whether your goal is to return to the comprehensive program or receive a diploma from Del Oro, we are here to assist you in accomplishing your goal," the school says on its website.

Las Lomas High principal to retire

Las Lomas High School Principal Patrick Lickiss has said that he will retire at the end of this school year in June, after a 37-year career in the Acalanes district and 17 years as principal at Walnut Creek’s downtown high school.

In a letter to the community, the 59-year-old Lickiss thanked the district, where he has worked his entire career in education, and said he has “mixed” feelings about leaving.

“It is rare that a person can go to work each day knowing that they have a wonderful and fulfilling career," he wrote. "I am one of those people who can say that they have the perfect job."