Ventura County Math Week: April 25-29

Math Week uses stories, puzzles and games to teach math concepts in an engaging and entertaining way. Everything is available in English and Spanish on a wonderful new Ventura County Math Week website.

We’re encouraging teachers to use these resources in class and families to use them at home to help students build a love and appreciation of math. To access all of the Math Week activities and information, visit www.mindresearch.org/ventura-math-week.

Environmental Education Exhibition

The Ventura County Office of Education will be shining the spotlight on environmental education at an upcoming exhibition in Santa Paula.

Local educators will have the chance to discover a huge variety of resources to help them teach students about vital issues surrounding our environment. They will also get to meet community partners and hear from a panel of educators who launched environmental sustainability strategies at their schools.

The exhibition takes place on Monday, May 9, from 4:30 to 6:00 PM at the Santa Paula Agriculture Museum. The flyer with all the details is available here, and free registration is at bit.ly/vcoeEEexhibition.

Dual Language Immersion Programs

The ability to speak more than one language is an invaluable skill that can open doors both personally and professionally. There are schools throughout Ventura County that do an amazing job teaching this skill using “Dual Language Immersion” programs or DLI.

Some of the students in these programs are native English speakers, and others are still learning English. They all receive instruction in both English and Spanish. Students end up becoming proficient in both languages, and studies show they outperform their peers who have not participated in DLI.

The demand for DLI is growing so rapidly that many schools have had to create waiting lists as they work to grow capacity. The drive to expand DLI in California could get a big boost from Senate Bill 952, proposed legislation now under consideration at the State Capitol. Introduced by local State Senator Monique Limón, this law would provide grants to schools that want to start or expand their DLI programs.

Learn more in this column by Dr. César Morales, Ventura County Superintendent of Schools.

State Delays Student Vaccine Mandate

On April 14, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) announced that a statewide requirement for K-12 students to be vaccinated against COVID-19 will be delayed at least until the 2023-24 school year.

California had initially intended to require student vaccinations for the 2022-23 school year, but that was contingent on the FDA fully approving the vaccine for most students. Since it’s not known when the FDA will grant full approval, CDPH says health officials and schools will need more time for successful implementation of new vaccine requirements.

The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is fully approved by the FDA for students ages 16 and older. It is also available to children ages five and older under the FDA’s Emergency Use Authorization process. CDPH continues to recommend that all eligible Californians be vaccinated.

“The COVID-19 vaccine remains a vital tool in the ongoing effort to keep schools open and students in class,” said Dr. César Morales, Ventura County Superintendent of Schools. “Being vaccinated dramatically reduces the chances of serious illness from a COVID-19 infection, and I urge everyone who is able to be vaccinated to do so.”

Special Populations Student Forum

High school students in the Migrant Education, Homeless Education, and Foster Youth Services programs are invited to an upcoming forum. They’ll be able to access a variety of resources about college registration, financial aid and career exploration. It takes place in person on Saturday, April 30, at the Ventura County Office of Education in Camarillo. Free registration is available here.

Teacher of the Year Nominations Due May 6

Ventura County is home to many outstanding teachers, but only one will be named the 2022 Ventura County Teacher of the Year. Districts and schools that would like to nominate a teacher have until May 6 to submit their applications. Complete information about the application process is available here.

Upcoming VCOE Workshops

The Ventura County Office of Education and its partners present a wide variety of workshops and trainings for educators and community members. You can browse the full calendar of events at vcoe.k12oms.org.

Make a Difference

with a Career in Education

If you want to put your skills to use to make a difference in the lives of students, a career at the Ventura County Office of Education could be a perfect fit. Find all of our current openings and apply online at www.vcoe.org/jobs. You can also sign up to receive our job alerts by email by clicking here.