by The Editors on January 25, 2008
Carlsbadistan’s Valley Middle School is teaching students all the skills they’ll need for careers in TV broadcasting thanks to teacher Doug Green’s award-winning program VMSTV.com.
The class broadcasts a closed-circuit news program periodically to 1,000 fellow students, teachers and staff members. Replays of the news programs are broadcast on the school’s Web site, so parents can view them. Individual segments also can be seen on the school’s Web site.
So far the school’s network has received a Golden Bell award from the California School Boards Association. TV (and media in general) suddenly becomes not so mysterious once 13 year olds understand that they can create it just as easily as anyone else.
[Link: San Diego Union-Tribune]
by The Editors on January 22, 2008
Carlsbadistan’s Hunter Stewart is an 8-year-old trophy kart driver who is racing to find a cure for breast cancer, according to a story in AutoWeek magazine.
He does this not simply because his 34-year-old mom, Alycia, has the insidious disease. He does this because he believes it is the right thing to do. Hunter races a Ford Ranger Trophy kart to raise money and awareness for a cure. If his first season is an indication, he might get the job done.
Hunter finished fourth in the championship “earning a ride on the top-flight Team Adrenalin Trophy truck for ’08.” Aside from all the other money he has raised Hunter donated $1,000 of his own allowance money last year to the Susan G. Komen Foundation and has been featured on the Ellen Degeneres Show. We hope the best for Hunter and his mother Alycia.
[Link: AutoWeek and Hunter Stewart Racing]
by The Editors on January 19, 2008
This morning at 8 AM more than 2,500 of Carlsbadistan’s youngest runners (aged 3 through 12) busted off the starting line in the Keebler Kids Marathon Mile at Legoland. The one-mile loop through the Legoland park as part of the weekend-long festivities of the Carlsbad Marathon. Everyone who participated got a gold medal.
Though we do not condone the seedy, underground, baby-racing scene, there was also a “diaper dash” for babies who still travel on all fours. For more on the weekend activities surrounding the Carlsbad Marathon click the link.
[Link: Carlsbad Marathon]
by The Editors on December 22, 2007
Thought we’re not big fans of Oprah Winfrey or her TV show, according to a story in the North County Times, Oprah is responsible for inspiring a Carlsbad couple to create something good for the community. Loretta and Dan Ross started The Barefoot Kids Foundation.
The Rosses didn’t have to look far to find a good cause to which to devote their extra time and money. . . “My son’s a teacher (in North County) and he said he saw many of his elementary school kids wearing their siblings’ battered shoes,” said Ross, who works full time in the elder-care field. “There are some kids who have never gone to a shoe store to get new shoes.”
The Rosses teamed up with Payless Shoe Source to provide free $25 gift cards for kids who need shoes. So far the foundation has given away “a couple hundred” cards, but the Rosses say they’d like to eventually give out thousands. And that sounds like a great idea. Click the link for more information.
[Links: North County Times and Barefoot Kids]
by The Editors on December 20, 2007
Tonight at the Village Faire Mall in the heart of Carlsbadistan, the Jefferson Elementary School fifth grade band electrified shoppers and parents with a slew of Christmas classics in their first public performance of the year. About half of the program consisted of tunes played on the recorder directed by Carlsbad Unified School District’s Teacher of the Year, Karen Stencil and the other half was symphonic band directed by Steve Ebner.
Now, if we could just get that oh-so-hooky tune Good King Wenceslas out of our heads.
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by The Editors on December 14, 2007
Larry “Is The Caller There” King will be MCing the Kids Korps SuperStar Gala 2008 at the Four Season’s Aviara on Feburary 2, 2008. According to their website, Kids Korps USA “engages young people from 5 through 18 years of age in community service projects. It is committed to ensuring that our communities grow and thrive. Kids Korps’ mission is to instill in America’s youth the spirit of giving while providing valuable education in leadership and responsibility.”
SuperStar Gala 2008” takes its inspiration from the dedication, team spirit, and hard work associated with America’s Youth Volunteer Organization. This year’s annual gala is a celebration of our volunteer superstars, nearly 6,000 strong, and hundreds who make up our sponsors and supporters, who donate their time, talent and treasure to more than 1,200 community service projects annually.
Tickets for the “start-studded” event are $275 per person for Kids Korps members, or $1000.00 for premier seating. Follow the jump for all the details.
[Link: Kids Korps SuperStar Gala]
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by The Editors on December 9, 2007
The Chickepox outbreak continues to march through Carlsbad as eight students at St. Patrick Parish School now have the spotty sickness, according to a story on Sign On San Diego.
Last month, 10 students at Calavera Hills Middle School in Carlsbad were diagnosed with the disease, as were five elementary school students in Santee. . . None of the St. Patrick students required hospitalization.
Apparenty, six of the eight had only had one of the two dose of the Chickenpox vaccine instead of two. Remember: don’t scratch those spots.
[Link: Sign On San Diego]
by The Editors on December 3, 2007
Last Friday December 1, 59 middle schools visited Legoland for the First Lego League Championship Tournament, a competition in which kids design Lego robots that must complete tasks. Our previous post didn’t not include the winners, so here they are.
The Championship Winners (who will advance onto the Championships in Atlanta in April) are the Gatorobytes from Folsom, California.
First Place: The Sandy LEGO Beachbots from San Diego.
Second Place: It’s Easy Being Green from Manhattan Beach
Third: The Lego Loonies from Lake View Terrace
Fourth: A three-way tie: Cold Fusion (San Diego), Odd Watts (San Diego) and JV Beach Bot #1 (Long Beach)
Awards were also given for:
Design: Innovative Design: The Sandy LEGO Beachbots (San Diego)
Design: Robot Dependability: Plus Rated Power (Newhall)
Design: Programming: Cold Fusion (San Diego)
Project: Quality Research: Robotrix (La Jolla)
Project: Creative Presentation: If Rotation=1 (San Diego)
Project: Innovative Solution: It’s Easy Being Green (Manhattan Beach)
Team Spirit: Team Evil Genius (Valencia)
Looks like San Diego had good representation, but the crew from the out skirts of Sacto took it all. It’s a shame: we don’t see any Carlsbad teams on this list. What up?
Steffen Holm and Francesco Macagno from Muirlands Middle School’s team Robotrix (from La Jolla). Photo by Sandy Huffaker.
by The Editors on December 2, 2007
The Carlsbad Fire Department’s classic fire truck had a special passenger this afternoon as hundreds of kids and their parents gathered for the annual Carlsbad Rotary Holiday Tree Lighting ceremony at the Village Faire in the heart of Carlsbadistan. And who was this special rider? It was Santa Claus.
Tree-lighting guests were treated to free hot apple cider, coffee and cookies, as well as a Christmas card making station for the kids. Santa actually allowed strangers to sit on his lap while elves snapped Polaroid pictures for the kids.
Before Mayor Bud Lewis officially lit the tree, the crowd enjoyed a girls choir from St. Patricks as well as several large groups of dancers including Jazzersize, Irish traditional dancing, and the ubiquitous Carlsbad High School Lancer Dancers.
We got cold and left before hearing the Mayor’s words to kick off the season, but we’re going to guess that they were wonderfully appropriate.
Jazzercisers jingle bell rocking out.
Click the link below for more photos and video of some Irish Traditional Dancers.
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by The Editors on December 2, 2007
Teams from 59 elementary and middle schools traveled to Legoland yesterday (December 1, 2007) to compete in the First Lego League Championship Tournament. The competition pits “children around the globe against one another in robotics building and programming competitions, team Hackn’Botz [from Burbank, CA] has worked on training and building its robot for the last two months.”
The students must work together to program the robot’s brain to perform different missions on a pre-made map. As an added theme and learning requirement, all the missions make a lesson in conservation and green living.
See, Legoland does occasionally give back.
Of course, none of this was free. Legoland still charges a $20 admission for team members and coaches and $25.95 for friends and family. How else are they going to pay for that new aquarium?
[Link: Burbank Leader]
Carlsbadistan’s Valley Middle School is teaching students all the skills they’ll need for careers in TV broadcasting thanks to teacher Doug Green’s award-winning program VMSTV.com. 
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