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MONTEREY COUNTY OFFICE OF EDUCATION HEALTH FAIR
THE ANNUAL EVENT WAS A SUCCESS, THANKS TO MCOE HUMAN RESOURCES DIVISION
Monterey County Office of Education (MCOE) was proud to host its Annual Health and Wellness Fair on Thursday, September 29. MCOE is committed to the health and well-being of its employees and their family members, and was excited to be able to offer the event to local district employees as well.
Over 30 health clinics and organizations set up booths to interact with approximately 250 attendees, offering health and wellness resources, free healthy snacks, complimentary mini massages, raffle prizes, health screenings, and more.
MCOE is truly grateful for each of the community partners who made this event possible for our staff and extended educational community. These partners included California’s Valued Trust (CVT) and the Municipalities, Colleges, Schools Insurance Group (MCSIG), which provided free health screenings and flu shots. In addition, Taylor Farms, Braga Fresh, Mann Packing, Nature’s Reward, and Tanimura & Antle provided free vegetable bags, which were distributed to all attendees.
A big thank you goes out to all the attendees, and a special thank you to MCOE Assistant Superintendent of Student Services Dr. Ernesto Vela for providing live music during the fair!
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OPEN DOOR CHARTER SCHOOL
Monterey County Office of Education’s Open Door Charter School is an independent adult study program available to students aged 16 and over. It provides them the exciting opportunity to re-engage in their education, explore academic and career pathways, develop college and career readiness skills, and earn their high school diploma.
Open Door Charter School Program Highlights:
- Online coursework & independent study
- Program issued Chromebooks
- Individualized learning plans & flexible schedules
- Personalized lessons & academic supports
- Job readiness training & career placement assistance
- Career technical education & college dual enrollment
Our Open Door Charter School is recruiting new students! For more information on the program, click below for the program flyer or call the program directly at 831-783-5285.
Open Door Charter School Flyer
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EXCITING THINGS ARE HAPPENING IN MONTEREY COUNTY'S SMALL SCHOOL NETWORK!
Collaboration allows our educators to work together to meet the needs of students and families. Being able to identify and share practices that effectively address the academic, behavioral, and social-emotional needs of students is crucial to cultivating a healthy learning environment. Due to the limited staff size at small school districts, collaboration between teachers, administration, and other educational staff can be challenging.
To combat this issue, Monterey County’s small school districts have come together to form a collaborative network. The Small School Network – comprised of Chualar Union School District, Big Sur Unified School District, Mission Union School District, Lagunita Elementary School District, Bradley Union School District, Graves School District, San Lucas School District, and San Antonio Union School District – launched the focus for the new school year on September 21, 2022. Led by MCOE’s Educational Services Division, this continued collaboration allows district administrators and teachers to meet one another and engage in team-building activities to foster strong working relationships with one another. This year, the Small School Network hopes to work together to identify areas for growth in order to provide the best possible education for students. The next Small School Network will take place in November 2022.
MCOE is proud to learn and grow alongside our small districts and will continue to collaborate with one another to elevate the success of students and teachers. We are stronger together!
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SPRECKELS ANNUAL CARNIVAL
On September 30, 2022, Spreckels Elementary School held its Annual Fall Carnival! After a three-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Spreckels Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO) came together to host the event once again. This annual event has been taking place for 30 years and is a valued tradition at the school. In fact, students were so excited about this year's carnival that the school observed record-breaking crowds.
The carnival included a variety of games and activities, such as a 'cake walk', a petting zoo, hair styling booths, and a video game truck. The carnival had several food vendors (T&A Cafe, R Truck, Pizza Factory, Crumble Cookie, and Kona Ice), and even had a Farmers Market, where produce and fall pumpkins were sold.
Thank you, Spreckels PTO, for hosting this fun and inclusive event for your school and community!
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COLLEGE AWARENESS MONTH
October is College Awareness Month, which brings awareness to high school students who have multiple deadlines to adhere to when applying to colleges.
First are Early Decision (ED) deadlines, which usually occur in November. Students who apply via ED will hear back from a college sooner than their peers, as ED admission announcements are often available by December. Students applying via ED should be aware that ED acceptances are binding, meaning a student must enroll if offered admission.
Early Action (EA) is another type of application deadline that usually occurs in November or December. Students who apply via EA will hear back from a college sooner than their peers, though the admission acceptance isn't binding.
Students can also choose to apply by a school's regular decision deadline, which can be as early as November 30 but typically occurs in January. Students who apply via normal application deadlines typically hear back from schools in March or April. Regardless of what method students use to apply to colleges, understanding deadlines and being prepared is key.
At Rancho San Juan High School, within Salinas Union High School District, College Awareness Month was commemorated with a College Application Kick-Off Brunch, hosted for Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) seniors (pictured above). Is your school or district commemorating College Awareness Month? Email pictures to Sitem Aytar at saytar@montereycoe.org to be featured in our next newsletter.
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AIM IDEAS LAB
AIM Youth Mental Health invites high school students to participate in their Ideas Lab, a service learning-based Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) program.
Students will work collaboratively with other high school students in Monterey County in virtual, facilitated, small groups to learn how to conduct mental health research, collect quantitative and qualitative data, and make recommendations to address youth mental health issues.
Applicants must be high school students who live in Monterey County and are able to commit to participating in the seven-week Ideas Lab program, which includes attending weekly hour-and-a-half group meetings, conducting a peer-to-peer survey, documenting program involvement, and working collaboratively with other youth participants.
For additional information, including potential dates and times, please visit the link below:
AIM Ideas Lab Application Webpage
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UNITED WAY MONTEREY COUNTY
COLLEGE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
Every year, the federal government provides more than $150 billion in financial aid (grants, work-study, and loans) for students to attend higher education institutions. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) provides students access to financial aid and allows students and families to find a better path toward college affordability and earning a degree. Historically, about 55% of eligible Monterey County students complete the application to receive funds. A large amount of funding support remains underutilized in our community.
United Way’s Volunteer Education and College Assistance Alliance (VECAA) program aims to increase FASFA and Dream Act applications of high school students throughout Monterey County, with a priority focus on Salinas Valley first-generation college students. Community members can utilize VECAA in order to access assistance in filling out financial aid applications.
VECAA is also recruiting student volunteers to assist their peers in completing FAFSA and Dream Act applications. This is a great opportunity for our high school students to complete volunteer hours while adding to their resumes!
For more information visit the webpage below or call (831) 757-3206.
VECAA Webpage
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COMMUNITY VACCINATIONS
Free COVID-19 immunizations are available to all community members every month! Stop by the Monterey County Office of Education on the 3rd Tuesday of every month through December to vaccinate you or your child. No appointment is necessary!
For more information, click the flyers below.
English Flyer Link
Spanish Flyer Link
Monterey County Vaccines Webpage
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IMPACT MONTEREY COUNTY
Impact Monterey County (IMC) is a collaborative effort of nonprofits, businesses, public agencies, and the community working together to identify the most effective ways to improve life in our county. From now through October 15, the community is being asked to take the IMC 2022 Assessment and provide insight on how IMC can best help our community!
For more information, click the link below.
IMC Assessment Webpage
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WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! | |
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To be included in this e-newsletter and on our social media feeds, email a
photo with caption or full story to saytar@montereycoe.org.
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MONTEREY COUNTY OFFICE OF EDUCATION
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