THE CHALKBOARD: Two Rock School welcomes back a special friend

Two Rock Elementary School welcomed back a special friend when retired teacher and now substitute teacher Shirley Cecil arrived to take TK teacher Mrs. Alex Steffen’s place for a few days. Steffen was once a student of Cecil’s, so the connection for current students was a fun one to make. Cecil was hired by Helen Putnam, Two Rock Union School’s principal in 1964, and retired in 2002. Cecil fondly recalls all the various grades she taught, as well as the Spring Sing-a-Long and graduation programs held at the old Two Rock Grange. “It’s always a kick hearing stories about the old days, when the US Coast Guard Base was an Army Base next door, and how vivacious Helen Putnam was as both a teacher and principal at the same time and all about Mrs. Steffen as a little kindergarten student,” reports Liz Wickersham, district secretary.

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Amy Fadeji, principal of Penngrove School, is excited to see 15 second graders who made the choice to use their recess for the next eight Wednesdays to spend time exploring and learning about math with Adrienne Olufs, Penngrove’s first grade teacher and school STEM Coach. Olufs leads students through activities on geometry and repeating patterns. A recent lesson utilized Glo Sticks, which the students were thrilled to use in this way, says Fadeji.

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Last Friday, upper elementary students at Spring Hill Academy spent the morning aboard the Schooner Alma, a 100-year-old shipping vessel that was actually used to transport goods from Petaluma to San Francisco and back again. The Alma came to Petaluma on Friday morning as part of the weekend “River Heritage Celebration” in conjunction with the San Francisco Maritime National Historic Park, and students were invited aboard for a learning excursion up and down the Petaluma river. While aboard the Alma, students learned about the history of the schooner as well as about the important role the Petaluma River played in the transportation of hay, oyster shells, grain and timber. Spring Hill Academy students also learned basic navigation techniques and how tides work and affect ships. A real highlight was when students raised and lowered the sails as well as steered the Alma down the river. The field trip aboard the Schooner Alma is part of the Spring Hill Academy upper elementary students “deep dive research project,” which is a yearlong study of all aspects of the Petaluma River, according to parent Don Lewis,

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McDowell’s Mustangs were wonderful hosts as they welcomed community guests to their school last week. Third graders attended a fire safety lesson on campus with Petaluma firefighters, and principal Lauri Anderson was proud to say her students also hosted a special assembly with the authors of the Sherlock Sam series thanks to support from Copperfield’s Books.

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Both Carpe Diem and Sonoma Mountain high schools welcomed SRJC students to their sites and were given presentations from the college students and staff on the Career Technical Education offerings available at the junior college. Students are also working with Valarie Alston on SRJC applications, financial aid, and scholarship opportunities. Other news on these campuses is Ms. Dennen’s science classes at both sites continuing to work on their restoration project in partnership with Friends of the Petaluma River. The goal of the project is to restore and reestablish native plants at Steamer Landing Park along the Petaluma River. Students will be prepping the ground in November and start planting native species in December, shares Carpe Diem and Sonoma Mountain High School principal Greg Stevenson.

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Casa Grande High is supporting students as they prepare for post-secondary education opportunities. Casa’s College and Career Center publishes a weekly College and Career Bulletin, and regularly invites representatives from colleges and universities to make presentations and meet with prospective students. English 12 teachers held a college essay writing workshop for seniors with community volunteers in attendance at the workshop to help students edit and revise their essays as another way to help navigate and prepare for the college application process. Principal Eric Backman announced the high school’s groundbreaking “Jump Start to the JC Program” is now in full swing, as more than 100 students attended an early enrollment seminar hosted by SRJC admission specialists. Backman says teachers are busy working with students to refine their college essays, and others are working to support the development of students’ senior projects as seniors approach the half-way mark of their senior year.

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(Maureen Highland is a Petaluma mother and executive director for the Petaluma Educational Foundation. She can be reached at schools@ar guscourier.com)