Crib to College 2018 - An Educational Guide to your Child's Success

CRIB to COLLEGE From the moment a child is born, parents and caregivers want to make sure that child is happy, healthy and on the road to success. In this edition of our annual educational guide, Crib to College, we’ve put together a selection of articles geared to help South Orange County parents navigate their child’s early years, adolescence and ascension into adulthood.

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or starters, we’ll give parents information on some fun South Orange County day trips as well as activities that won’t break the bank. We will also provide important information on preschool, private school and facilities for children with special needs. We’ll also delve into the future with articles on what teens and their parents should know as the teens go after their first part-time jobs and as they prepare for college and vocational training. We hope that parents raising children in the tri-city area of San Clemente, Dana Point and San Juan Capistrano find this guide helpful and informative as they try to give their youngsters the best life possible.

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Find ing

t i F t h g i The R

Choosing the right school is vital to a child’s emotional, academic growth classroom or on the playground; any group o-op, home-based, Montessori, dualactivity is building up those social skills. language or faith-based preschools, Kids learn so much from watching other there are a lot of early-childhood kids and teachers. It’s natural that kids are education options available. Coupled different when their parents are around. with schedules (part-time, full-time When they are gone, kids start coming out and extended care), cost and location, there of their shells and making friends. It’s great are a lot of factors to consider when picking to start to see them grow like that. a preschool for your little one.

While it’s great to have a plethora of opIs it normal for my child to struggle settions, choosing the right learning setting for tling into preschool? your child and family can feel like a If your child isn’t doing well daunting task. Much like selectafter a few weeks, then there ing the safest, positively reviewed could be something wrong. But car seat to protect your precious every kid is different. Some jump cargo, choosing a preschool is one right in, others can have a hard of the most important decisions week here and there. If children parents will have to make. are happy where they are, then We caught up with Heidi Pitkin, they are going to learn and grow a mother of five and 17-year owner … and that is what we want.

HEIDI PITKIN and operator of San Clemente Preschool, to talk about finding the right Can you tell us more about San Clemente preschool fit to make a child’s first out-ofPreschool? the-home, structured educational experience We are a family-centered school and a positive one in which youngsters can grow treat everyone like a family. We schedule emotionally and academically. a lot of events for both our students and our families. Emotionally and academically, What advice do you have for parents lookwe focus on the individual needs of our ing for the right preschool setting? students … preparing them to confidently Tour a lot of different schools. See where enter kindergarten. you get the best feeling and find the best fit, making sure you feel comfortable and where How do you ensure your students are your child could feel comfortable, too. Look ready to enter kindergarten? at the subjects they are teaching and the From language and reading, science goals they have. Sometimes you just know. and sensory play, art and music, social If it is right, it is the best thing in the world. studies, building blocks and construction, You can have the best day knowing that you physical development and dramatic play, don’t have to worry. every single month, every classroom gives students the opportunity to grow. We asHow important is interaction with other sess kids at the beginning, middle and end kids for my child’s development? of the year to see how they are meeting The social part is one of the most importheir goals. All in preparation for their next tant parts of preschool, whether it’s in the level of learning.

BY ANDREA PAPAGIANIS-CAMACHO

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Special Places

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for

Special Needs

Beach Kids Therapy Center

BY ALEX GROVES

Raising children can be hard enough, but parents with special-needs children face a variety of challenges, including making sure children are receiving the help required, are getting educated in the best possible way and are enjoying a high quality standard of life in spite of their disabilities. South Orange County has a number of organizations designed to not only help children with the disabilities they may be living with, but make sure they’re having fun in the process. Whether that’s riding horses at the Shea Center’s beautiful 8-acre facility, enjoying extracurricular activities at R H Dana Exceptional Needs Facility, or participating in one of the specially-planned classes at Beach Kids Therapy Center, there’s a lot to do in this corner of the county.

J.F. Shea Therapeutic Riding Center

R H Dana Exceptional Needs Facility

Beach Kids Therapy Center

The J.F. Shea Therapeutic Riding Center in San Juan Capistrano offers a variety of equine-assisted therapy and activities. The center helps people of all ages, but the majority of their clients are youngsters. Shea has programs geared toward more than 75 physical, emotional, social and cognitive challenges for people with disabilities.

Hippotherapy can be beneficial to people with such conditions as developmental delay, cerebral palsy, autism spectrum disorder and functional curvature of the spine, among other conditions.

The movement of the horse can help give riders better balance, core stabilization and postural control.

Riders who previously had difficulty walking have been able to walk more easily after horse-riding sessions.

During the summer months, Shea offers its own summer camp in which children with and without disabilities get a five-day introduction to horseback riding and a chance to appreciate and care for horses.

J.F. Shea Therapeutic Riding Center is located at 26284 Oso Road in San Juan Capistrano. For more information on their programs and services, call 949.240.8441 or visit www.sheacenter.org.

R H Dana Exceptional Needs Facility, which serves special-needs children from birth through fifth grade, has occupational and physical therapists as well as experts in adapted physical education, vision, audiology, mobility and health services.

Those experts work with teachers and other staff to make sure students with specific disabilities have their needs met.

At the school, which shares a campus with R H Dana Elementary School, students receive a general education curriculum and are able to participate in extracurricular and nonacademic activities with nondisabled children when appropriate.

The school helps to make sure a student’s needs are met by using adaptive equipment as well as communication devices and techniques.

Enrollment is based on eligibility for special education and recommendations from Capistrano Unified School District’s Individualized Education Program.

R H Dana Exceptional Needs Facility is located at 24242 La Cresta Drive, Dana Point. For more information, call 949.234.5505 or visit rhdenf-capousd-ca. schoolloop.com.

Beach Kids Therapy Center, which has locations in San Clemente and Laguna Hills, offers occupational therapy, physical therapy and speech therapy for youngsters.

One of the things the center does is bring parents and siblings of patients in to participate in the therapy sessions, said Social Media and Marketing Manager Aubrey Ashford.

She said that’s important because it can help children when they have to do the same kind of exercises at home.

“That way, it’s all uniform and we’re helping them to achieve their highest potential,” Ashford said.

The center regularly holds events. On Oct. 21 they held a free karate class for children with special needs.

Next month the center will be rolling out a program called “Teenship,” which will provide social groups and activities to older children.

Beach Kids Therapy Center is located at 970 Calle Amanecer, Suite A, in San Clemente and 26081 Merit Circle, Suite 107, in Laguna Hills. For more information on their programs and services, call 949.498.5100 or visit www.beachkidstherapy.com.

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BY ERIC HEINZ

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f you’re thinking about enrolling your child at a private school in South Orange County—but are hesitant about the price tag—there are some outlets to help with financial burden.

San Clemente Christian School, for example, has an annual tuition of $5,500 plus $550 in fees annually for its youngest students and kindergarten, whereas upper school (past fifth grade) costs $8,000 a year plus $900 in supplies fees.

The school has a system called FACTS, which uses a formula to calculate available assistance based on what a family can afford.

“Each school gives (financial aid) differently,” said Dr. Nicky Magnuson, head of schools at San Clemente Christian School, “but FACTS can put in desired amounts and considers things like how often you vacation.”

The process is pretty rigorous as far as checking to see who is financially in need of assistance, having to scour tax returns and other factors, but Magnuson said they also help children in the community who evidently will need help affording tuition.

“We have a lot of word-of-mouth referrals, and there were students who struggled at public school (who enrolled in San Clemente Christian), and we find ways to figure out to pay for things,” she said.

A common theme of financial assistance for private K-12 schools in South Orange County is using a company to calculate the

Paying for K-12 Private Education

Financial assistance is available for independent schools

financial assistance needs, and most require a meeting with counselors to discuss a budgetary plan with the applicant.

Under these models, it’s critical that families seeking financial aid review their tax filings and proof of income to most accurately reflect the need based on the formulas used by the companies.

St. Margaret’s Episcopal School in San Juan Capistrano uses School and Student

Services (SSS) to help calculate financial assistance needs and cooperates with the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C. that offers resources for schools outside public districts.

According to the school’s website, nearly $3 million was awarded to families in the 2018-19 school year. St. Margaret’s upper school tuition this school year exceeded

$33,000.

There are some other ways to go about finding financial aid. Under the Trump administration’s 2017 tax reform package, people can now use education savings plans (or 529 plans), up to $10,000 per beneficiary, to be used for tuition at private or public or faith-based K-12 schools. The plans were originally designed to help people save for higher education.

Prior to 2018, state governments were able to decide whether they would allow such plans to be federally tax-deductible for contributions to private schools, although California is not one of the states that recognizes this in its state tax deductions.

The drawback to cashing the 529 plan is that the compounding interest for saving for college would be lost the more the plan is expended. For K-12 education, it can only be used for tuition.

“It’s important to remember that these state tax breaks are only available when the funds are withdrawn to pay for expenses that the state considers qualified, which may or may not include K-12 tuition,” according to SavingforCollege.com. “States are currently reviewing the impact of the federal tax change to determine whether updates to state legislation are required.

If none of those options foot the bill, the NAIS offers various resources on its website, www.parents.nais.org/afford/aboutfinancial-aid/, which includes links to merit scholarships, grants, tuition loans and more.

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Explorations

into the

Future

From advisement meetings to extracurricular activities, Capistrano Unified School District is working to help students achieve college and career goals

BY ALEX GROVES

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igh School is an exciting, fun time for students as they gain more independence and continue their march toward adulthood. It’s also the final step before they go to college or begin a career, so preparation is key.

At Capistrano Unified School District (CUSD), students are plotting out the next phase of their lives in a variety of ways.

They’re consulting with academic advisers, attending college fairs and taking classes to figure out where they want to go and who they want to be in life.

Picket Fence Media spoke with Josh Hill, assistant superintendent over secondary education at CUSD, about that process and what the district is doing to help students figure it all out.

ACADEMIC ADVISERS Hill said academic advisers are a student’s “most important point of contact.”

They typically meet with students at least once a year to discuss college planning, career planning and what classes students need to take.

The once-a-year meetings are a great way for the academic advisers to gauge how the students are doing and whether they’re on track to meet their goals, Hill said.

Though they meet with each student at least once a year, the advisers can certainly be available more often if they’re needed to resolve issues, address questions or deal with any kind of special situation that arises.

FUTUREOLOGY Capistrano Unified School District has a special program called “Futureology,” which is designed to give students an additional level of support.

The program is staffed by a coordinator and three counselors.

They meet with families one-on-one and also hold larger group meetings at schools to talk about different topics such as college admissions, financial aid, and SAT and ACT testing.

Futureology provides online resources for families as well. Their website is full of information on many of the same topics they discuss at meetings. There’s also a place where families can schedule a one-on-one meeting.

Parents get a crash course on how to use

the Futureology website early in the school year.

“Every school sends a newsletter, typically every week, and early in the school year we send out information to families with all sorts of resources that are online for parents to access if they don’t have the time or they want to do it on their own,” Hill said.

YEARLY COLLEGE FAIR Once a year the school district hosts a college fair at one of its school sites. This year, the fair was held Oct. 8 at San Juan Hills High School and it featured representatives from 150 colleges, universities, technical and art schools, and military academies.

Students got to meet those representatives. They got to attend presentations put on by the representatives as well as Futureology staff members.

Some of the topics covered included filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) in order to receive financial aid, crafting an effective college essay and reducing anxiety during college admissions.

Hill said Futureology staff were on hand to answer any questions parents and students had between the pre-arranged presentations.

COLLEGE CAREER PLANNING COURSE Students can do a deep dive into college and career options over the course of an entire semester through CUSD’S College Career Planning Course.

The class used to be a graduation requirement but is now an elective. However, many high school freshmen still take the class.

The class teaches its students technology skills, PC-based note taking and research skills, and goal-setting and planning skills.

“In that class, they will complete career interest surveys, they’ll do personality tests, they’ll identify the colleges that they might have interest in that offer programs that they might be interested in taking because it will lead to whatever career they want,” Hill said.

COLLEGE & CAREER ADVANTAGE CUSD partners with Laguna Beach Unified School District for College & Career

Advantage, a Career Technical Education Program.

The program offers students the chance to learn about such career pathways as manufacturing and product development; engineering and architecture; and agriculture and natural resources.

“We have dozens of classes where students get actual hands-on experience from industry-qualified, experienced professionals, both understanding and learning the craft that they’re studying but also being exposed to careers within that field,” Hill said. “That’s a required component of all of our CTE Classes.”

High schools in both districts offer CTE classes; some happen during the school day and some after school lets out. Students can

take the classes at their own school and do not have to go to other schools in the area.

Many of the classes are articulated, which means the students taking them can use the classes to earn high school graduation credit or even community college credit. Some of the classes can be transferred when a student goes to a CSU or UC school.

For more information on the program and its offerings, visit the CCA website at www. ccadvantage.org

OTHER ACTIVITIES Options such as academic advisement, the college fair, and college career-planning courses are district-wide programs, while area schools often coordinate their own events to get students excited about the future.

For example, San Juan Hills High School (SJHHS) recently was a stop on the Road Trip Nation Best Fit College Best Fit Careers Tour.

When the program came to SJHHS on Oct. 2, there were guest speakers covering such topics as college application, admissions and different career options. There was also time for a question and answer session.

Road Trip Nation is a PBS career-exploration and educational program that seeks to help students find their “best fit” colleges and careers. Road Trip Nation began in 2001 as a way for three friends to explore different career options as they traveled the country.

In the 17 years since it started, the program has turned into more of an interactive experience that engages students and provides them with helpful information to make the best choices for their futures.

In a news release, officials from the high school said they found the opportunity to participate in the program exciting, because it fell in line with their school-wide goal of increasing student involvement in activities, A-G courses, AP courses and career pathways.

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Day Tripping

Looking for a change of pace?

These four Orange County attractions prove fun for any age Discovery Cube Orange County. Photo: Courtesy

0-5 YEARS OLD

5-10 YEARS OLD

10-14 YEARS OLD

14-18 YEARS OLD

Irvine Park Railroad and Zoo

Pacific Marine Mammal Center

Discovery Cube Orange County

Knott’s Berry Farm

The Irvine Park Railroad located in Irvine Regional Park is a fun-for-all-ages ride and gateway to many of the attractions located in the park.

The railroad itself is a one-third scale train that carries passengers on a scenic view of Irvine Regional Park and the foothills of Orange.

The railroad also hosts several seasonal events throughout the year, such as the popular Pumpkin Patch through September and October, a train ride to meet Santa Claus through December and the Easter Eggstravaganza through April.

The train is open seven days a week, weather permitting, and children 12 months or younger ride free. Admission for all others is $5.

Located right next to the railroad is the Orange County Zoo, which features more local or “regular” animals than you would find at the traditional zoo. There are exhibits for black bears, mountain lions, eagles, hawks, owls, porcupines, coyotes and more.

They also feature a petting zoo where children can interact with goats, sheep, pigs, doves, chickens and pheasants.

The zoo is also open seven days a week, and children 2 years old and younger are free. Admission for all others is $2.

You wouldn’t expect one of your best opportunities to observe and learn about seals and sea lions to be halfway up Laguna Canyon, but tucked away in the canyon is the Pacific Marine Mammal Center.

The center takes in injured seals and sea lions along the Orange County coast and cares them back to health for release.

At peak times during the summer, there may be up to 100 seals or sea lions at the center.

There are free public tours to view and learn about the animals, but the center also presents group tours, classes, school programs and a Marine Science Kids Club.

In the summer months, the center also puts on Camp Pinniped for 8- to 12-year olds.

With the summer camp, children get to see how they care for, feed and help the animals. Children get to watch and do simulations of the duties on their own, but they do not get to touch the animals.

Admission is free, but donations to the center are accepted.

If nature is your theme for this day, there are other nature centers in Laguna Canyon such as Laguna Coast Wilderness Park and the Nix Nature Center where you can explore the canyon and surrounding hills learn about local animals and plants.

Unmistakably located off the 5 freeway in Santa Ana, recognized instantly by the giant cube out front, the Discovery Cube, formerly known as the Discovery Science Center, is in its 20th year of operation of providing fun and interactive looks at science.

The Cube offers 10 ongoing exhibits as well as special event exhibits for limited times.

The current special exhibit is based on the Disney Junior show The Lion Guard and runs through mid-January. Kids can learn about the African Savanna and the animals that live there, as well as hands on activities to learn about teamwork and leadership.

In the ongoing exhibits, you can interact with a cloud ring, climb the rock wall and experience an earthquake and hurricane winds. You can also learn about space and space exploration at the planetary research station and mission control.

There’s also the Science of Hockey exhibit presented by the Anaheim Ducks where you can learn about physics while shooting on a virtual goaltender or taking shots as a goalie from a virtual shooter.

Admission for children 2 years old and younger is free, kids 3 to 14 years old are $14.95 and adults are $19.95.

There are plenty of amusement parks and learning experiences to be had in Southern California, but none of them gives you the bang for your buck like Knott’s Berry Farm.

Tickets can be purchased online for as low as $48 for a daily ticket or $95 for a yearly season pass, both prices exponentially lower than the competition.

For learning, kids can learn about the Old West and the early days of California. Explore the Calico Ghost Town and learn from and observe the town blacksmith. You can also pan for gold like early California settlers.

You can get a dose of learning and entertainment from the Mystery Lodge and learn about the culture and stories of western Native Americans presented in show style.

You don’t have to stray far from the Calico Ghost Town for entertainment with the Wild West Stunt Show and the Calico Saloon.

Of course, you can explore the rest of the park and enjoy run-ins with Snoopy, Charlie Brown and the Peanuts gang as well as riding thrilling roller coasters like Ghostrider, Silver Bullet, Montezuma’s Revenge, Xcelerator and the brand new Hangtime.

Don’t forget to take a drop from the classic Supreme Scream.

Fun for all ages with some education sprinkled in.

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Changing with the Times

Pam Roy of Square One Pathways discusses alternatives to the four-year-track

Groms Online

San Juan Capistrano teen builds social media network for children

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BY ERIC HEINZ

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hildren are going to be exposed to social media at some point in their lives, but there are areas of modern interaction that can be perilous for families.

In order to address this problem, Zach Marks and his father, Daren, decided to create a Facebook-like social media realm for children in kindergar-ten through eighth grade.

That’s when they came up with Grom Social, which its owners say is safe and constantly monitored.

“It’s a way to help kids better prepare for the world, a place where they can feel comfortable,” said Zach, who is now 17 years old. “We spent so much time completing the parent oversight part.”

Kids are allowed to post their own photos and other media, pending approval and examination, or they can create an avatar.

Grom Social promotes online stewardship and etiquette and is declared a bully-free zone. It acts similar to Facebook.

and develop focus before investing the time ana Point resident Pam Roy decided and money in college to ensure that a) the to take action after reading a report degree is needed, b) the value is worth it, that 70 percent of people in the and c) the degree can be completed in 4 United States believe there are opyears or less,” Roy reasoned. portunities in the workforce outside Within the last decade, Roy reasons a of the standard four-year academic college radically and rapidly changing economy has experience, as well as learning that more created “new collar” fields that only need than 50 percent of college freshmen since short-term training for very specific, in2016 will drop out before graduation demand skills. The opening of new training That is why Roy started Square One centers (from boot camps to tech schools to Pathways, a program to prepare MOOCs) has greatly expanded and align high-school students for the opportunities available to the main options at their disstudents to test out and explore posal, in addition to opening www. areas of interest at a lower cost pamroyblog.com, where she has of both time and money. become known as a leading expert For those students not sure in parenting education and career which direction to go, a gap year, planning. apprenticeship or corporate PAM ROY “Although my writing can be training program may better suit viewed as such, I’m not anti-college,” Roy them. said. “I am ‘anti’ the cost (debt) and time it “Let’s take the shortest term and least takes to get a degree compared to outcomes expensive option to figure out your interests for most students and ‘anti’ that all students and programs,” Roy suggested. “Let’s find a are channeled into a sameness model certificate program while you are working. defined by a GPA and the SAT/ACT. I believe What good is that extra million dollars if you that a college degree is just one pathway aren’t healthy and well? We are moving into available today and requires a focus and a collaborative society, the skill sets our kids maturity found in a minority of high school need is changing and collaborative, but they students.” (Studies showed only about are in a place that is teaching conformity. one-third of 10-12th graders are engaged We need to be adaptive.” in school and ACT estimates only 1 in 3 are Pam Roy writes about parenting, educaprepared for college.) tion and career planning on www.pamroyRoy’s “Lifelong Learning” blog argues blog.com. She is the founder of Square One that an outdated and exhaustive education Pathways, dedicated to helping high school program our children are receiving in K-12 is students and young adults find a higher only targeted toward college acceptance. education pathway or career training that “We now need to help students mature optimizes their time and resources.

BY DANIEL RITZ

“If someone tries to set up an account and they’re not a child, and someone asks another child personal information, we will step in,” Darren said.

In order to make an account, a child must have their parent’s permission and Grom Social calls the parent to verify the account.

The company also created and facilitates an app for parents called MamaBear that allows parents to track their child’s online activity.

On the website, children can get help with all kinds of homework as well.

More information can be found on the Grom Social website, www.gromsocial.com.

CRIB to COLLEGE Special Advertising Section

Great Opportunities Local schools and exclusive programs St. Mary’s School

Mathnasium

At St. Mary’s, we start from a simple premise: by nurturing world-sized hearts and educating world-class minds, our students will make an impact on the world.

Now in its 25th year, St. Mary’s is the only accredited International Baccalaureate (IB) World School in Orange County for Early Preschool through Grade 8.

A Reimagined Campus Teaching techniques must be adaptive and flexible, and our newly opened “reimagined” campus was designed with these thoughts in mind. Education is changing, and we are paying attention. Our new home enhances our innovative curriculum and reflects an interactive and hands-on environment.

The St. Mary’s Difference The St. Mary’s community is as diverse as it is united. Our student body represents 12 different countries and 24 languages.

Our teaching reflects our commitment to multiculturalism. We offer three foreign languages—French, Spanish and Mandarin.

Young scholars begin speaking Spanish as early as age 4.

A Standard of Academic Excellence St. Mary’s challenges students to ask “what” and “why” in their quest to deeply understand that they are a part of the answer to “how.” We ignite students’ natural curiosity, stimulating them both intellectually and creatively. Our students are prepared for whatever rigorous high school and college curriculum lies ahead.

A Culture of Compassion Developing students’ character is as critical as developing their minds. St. Mary’s cultivates a campus of inclusivity and compassion.By embracing every faith, culture and point of view, our students benefit from a vibrant and open-minded environment. Our philosophy of inclusivity expands hearts as well as minds.

St. Mary’s students are academically challenged, internationally aware and instinctively compassionate. Come see for yourself at our Admission Open House on November 8.

FIVE SIGNS THAT YOUR CHILD IS STRUGGLING WITH MATH First Step to Solving the Problem Is Identifying It. New math ideas are coming at students every day. Math topics taught in class build on concepts taught in years prior; kids fall behind in math because they lack the prerequisite skills.

If a child is having a hard time keeping up in math, act early.

Five telltale signs that suggest a child is struggling with math: • Math grades are lagging, but student has good grades in other subjects.

• Student demonstrates negative sentiments/low self-esteem regarding math, and expresses boredom or makes comments like, “I’m no good at math.”

• Missing key milestones. Addition/ subtraction should be mastered by the end of 2nd or 3rd grade, multiplication and division by the end of 3rd–4th grade, fluency with fractions at the end of 5th– 6th grade.

• Physical signs like counting on fingers suggest poor retention of number facts.

• Comments from the child’s teacher about “not working up to his or her full potential.”

If a child shows any of these signs, there are things parents can do before the situation deteriorates. Seeking help from the student’s teacher is an obvious first choice. Offering to help more closely with homework is another. And, of course, enrolling in an after-school math program like Mathnasium that specializes in strengthening foundational knowledge while providing homework support is another option that brings professional help and expertise.

Learn how Mathnasium can help your child. Call one of our Learning Centers today!

7 Pursuit, Aliso Viejo, 949.448.9027, www.smaa.org

Mathnasum of Dana Point – (949) 240-6284 Mathnasium of Ladera Ranch – (949) 429-3020 Mathnasium of San Clemente – (949) 481-6284

Santa Margarita Catholic High School

Wellness & Prevention Center

With academic tracks tailored to meet the needs of varied learners; more than 85 clubs and activities; competitive, characterbuilding athletics; and an award-winning arts program—all in a nurturing, Christcentered environment—Santa Margarita students are empowered to grow spiritually, intellectually, socially and morally.

Santa Margarita has the distinction of being the county’s only Catholic International Baccalaureate high school and is ranked as the top Catholic high school in Southern California by The Washington Post. Recognized as a Microsoft Showcase School, the school’s one-to-one tablet PC program provides an immersive educational experience preparing students for college and beyond. With a 14:1 student-to-teacher ratio, students receive individualized attention allowing them to reach their full potential.

The Class of 2018 earned $57.8 million in scholarship offers with 99 percent of the class attending college. Tuition assistance is available with one in four students receiving need-based aid. Visit Santa Margarita’s beautiful 42-acre campus at 22062 Antonio Parkway, Rancho Santa Margarita.

Info: www.smhs.org.

Education: We educate students, parents and community members on the health and wellness challenges that typical teens face on a regular basis, including substance use, nutrition and exercise, body image, and mental health diagnoses such as depression, anxiety, and substance abuse. We educate through classroom instruction, community forums, electronic newsletters, classes for parents and teachers, and social media posts.

Mental Health Counseling: We have a team of mental health professionals. Upon intake, our team will assess, diagnose, and provide short-term, solution-focused therapy for students. We also refer students and families to other community resources as needed for additional services, physical health evaluations, and more intensive mental health treatment.

Community Engagement: The W&PC believes in the value of engaging students’ broader communities in prevention and health.

We are the lead agency in a federally funded Drug Free Communities Coalition, whose goal is to implement a ten-year strategic plan to strengthen the community in efforts to help youth lead healthy, drug-free lives.

Bella Collina San Clemente

College Ready

Bella Collina San Clemente is a private, family-friendly golf club where there are no strangers, just friends you haven’t met yet.

The scenic 27-hole golf course, designed by legendary tournament champion Gary Player, also offers an active social calendar, where members enjoy wine dinners, concerts, kid-friendly events, festive holiday celebrations and much more. In addition to single and family golf memberships, Bella Collina San Clemente offers junior golf memberships for children and social memberships for non-golfers. Whether you’re looking to create lasting memories with your family or a place to unwind from the daily grind, Bella Collina San Clemente is the perfect family getaway in your own backyard.

200 Avenida La Pata, San Clemente, 949.333.4830, www.bellacollinasanclemente.com.

info@www.wpc-oc.org, www.wpc-oc.org

College Ready’s mission is to educate one million students that they do not need to go into debt to get a college degree. What students do not know is costing families hundreds of thousands of dollars in loan debt. We offer a proven strategy of how to find the best fit college while graduating without debt. We are a team of professionals driven to help your student succeed both in college and in life. We plan individually with students and their families to build the perfect college match as well as financial fit. Our focus is your student and what he or she aspires to achieve. We are Certified College Counselors from UCSD and come with over 10 years of experience helping students get into the perfect college or university. We enjoy working with students starting their freshmen thru senior year in high school, college-transfer students, and VAPA students and scholar athletes. Every student who hires College Ready has the opportunity to create their own Passion Project and make a difference in the lives of others.

Our goal is to help your student be the best they can be while graduating debt free!

Shellee Howard: collegereadyplan@gmail.com, www.collegereadyplan.com.

CRIB to COLLEGE

First Job

101

Part-time jobs help students learn interpersonal skills, responsibility

BY ALEX GROVES

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common undertaking for high schoolaged teenagers is having a part-time job; they’ll spend their afternoons and weekends serving coffee, flipping burgers and sweeping up movie theater popcorn.

However, having a job when you’re a teen is a bit more complicated than it may initially appear. There are some things teenagers, who are also students, need to do before they can land that first part-time job and some considerations they need to bear in mind after getting it.

The California Department of Industrial Relations says that in most circumstances, students under 18 who want to work need to obtain a work permit. The permits can usually be picked up from a designated person at the teen’s school.

Josh Hill, an Assistant Superintendent for Capistrano Unified School District, said students with jobs are limited to four-hour shifts on weekdays and eight-hour shifts on weekends. During the summer months when there is no school, minor employees can work up to eight hours a day.

Hill said that because schools issue the permits, they have the right to revoke them if a student’s grades start to decline or they start to have attendance problems, but generally the school district is supportive of a student’s efforts to work.

“We encourage students to work because there are many, many skills, especially soft skills that you learn in that setting that really can only be learned in that setting,” Hill said. “Schools provide a lot of opportunities for students to learn a lot of things, but on-the-job training is really second to none in terms of preparing a student for an actual job someday.”

What are some of the skills students take away from those part-time jobs?

“How to interact with people, even people who aren’t being nice to you,” Hill said. “How to still be polite and pleasant; how to be on time; how to be responsible;

how to complete your work, even when no one’s looking over your shoulder … Some of these lessons we don’t directly teach in our classes, and these are things you do actually learn though, when you’re getting paid by somebody to do a job.”

He said another important thing learned from having a part-time job is the reality of having money and spending it. He said parttime jobs can be a great way for students to learn the value of money and the importance of being fiscally responsible.

Hill said one common issue he comes across is students who want to do everything—they want to play sports, they want to take all AP classes and they want to have a job—but he said sometimes school administrators have to encourage students to take on a little less.

“There are just so many things that you can do and all of it is good and all of it looks good, but unfortunately you can’t do all of it,” he said. “So helping them kind of decide where they should prioritize and kind of invest their time.”

As students get older, they can have a little more control over their schedules, Hill said.

“Our district has a policy that allows students who are in 11th or 12th grade to only take five classes on campus,” he said. “So that gives students … a little bit more time in their schedule to get a job if they want that opportunity or to pursue other extracurricular interests that they might have.”

Hill said that he does worry about the availability of jobs as well as emerging technologies that may replace the need for employees.

“There’s a part of me that hopes that as a society we continue to value opportunities for students to have these kinds of entrylevel opportunities while they’re in high school,” he said. “As everything becomes automated, and there’s a computer welcoming you at McDonalds, then a student isn’t getting the opportunity to learn lessons that they might not learn elsewhere.”