We sit down with past Top Teacher winners to find out what they’ve been up to since their big win. Elizabeth Zoellner Top Teacher 2022 Background: Zoellner is currently teaching a combination class with kindergarten and first grade. When winning the award, she was teaching first grade. She has spent her entire 27-year teaching career […]
CSI for STEM
Local schools find an innovative way to teach STEM through crime scene investigation and forensics programs. There’s just something about crime scene investigation that captivates people. Judging from the number of TV shows and films that incorporate CSI and forensics, it should be of no surprise that even schools and educational programs are using it […]
Trash Talk
A group of Anaheim elementary students are learning the value of garbage — and composting. Thursday mornings are busy — even before school starts at Adelaide Price Elementary. The Recycling Club line up in their green shirts, standing with a pair of large yellow trashcans and a banner that reads: Recycle Thursday! Help heal the […]
The Mental Health Struggle Is Real
Orange County educators discuss how the pandemic has affected their students’ mental health and what they’re doing about it. The pandemic has left its mark on pretty much every field, including, of course, the school system. Being confined to the home without much social interaction has impacted many students within both public and private school […]
Open House Dialogue
Orange County educators offer their insights about the best questions for parents to ask at open house. Open house can be stressful for teachers and parents. Coming into your child’s classroom, you may not know what to expect or know much about who your child’s teacher will be. You want to make sure your child […]
Q&A with Orange County Superintendent of Schools Al Mijares
The superintendent talks mental health, resources and the school year ahead. The new school year is upon us. How do you see the 2022/23 school year playing out? I think the last few years have presented us with valuable lessons about making predictions. Yet it is noteworthy that this will be the first new school […]
Campus After COVID
As the pandemic evolves, schools and families take a look at what a post-COVID campus looks like. As the 2021-22 school year ends, most students were able to go to prom, graduate on stage, throw their caps up and hug their friends. This school year, dances were held, homecoming queens were crowned, and parents were […]
Experts Point Towards Success in an Online Learning Environment
Gone Virtual: Orange County distance learning experts share advice for helping students thrive. Gov. Gavin Newsom had not yet finished his July 17 briefing when Corinne Mosqueda, a teacher in the Fullerton School District, got the first text message. Newsom’s announcement that counties on California’s COVID-19 watch list — including Orange County — would not […]
Solutions to Summer and Pandemic Learning Loss for Students
Though the pandemic, distance learning, and summer break may all contribute to more brain drain for students this year, there are simple things parents can do to help. The summer struggle is real. While summer vacation is typically a time for students to kick back at home, the extended break can also lead to regression […]
The New Back-to-School Normal
The fall school year will be like no other. What can families expect from OC public schools for the 2020-21 school year? Back to school is typically a time of preparing and planning. This academic year was unexpectedly interrupted when COVID-19 pushed Southern California schools into distance learning indefinitely. Now educators and parents alike are […]