Unwrapped: Mixed reactions to new lunch

On July 1, new U.S. Department of Agriculture regulations kicked in changing what kids eat nationwide. The federal regulations, spearheaded by first lady Michelle Obama as part of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, limit the average weekly maximum number of calories in a lunch meal to 850 in high school, 700 in middle…

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Fuel Your School energizes classroom at Peres Elementary

Linda Townsend-Bryson shows students materials

About 30 2nd graders marveled at their teacher, Linda Townsend-Bryson as she pulled a new microscope out of its box to show them. “Whoa,” said the Peres Elementary students in unison as Townsend-Bryson explained that the microscope came with prepared slides containing samples of carrot root, onion skin and cucumber. The three boxes full of…

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ACLU sues School District over alleged inadequacies

The West Contra Costa Unified School District’s Community Day School Program will start school in a new location at the Richmond Police Activities League this fall, a little more than a month after an ACLU-led lawsuit challenged the District’s funding and handling of the school. But the move didn’t placate critics, who argue the District…

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College program assists high school dropouts

Contra Costa College has received a $325,000 grant from the Gateway to College National Network to implement a small learning community model for high school dropouts. Designed for young adults between the of ages 16 and 21 who have dropped out of high school or are behind in credits and unlikely to graduate, the program…

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Chevron announces $1 million in grants

Chevron announced $1 million in grants for six local initiatives in job training and science education on Monday. Recipients include the West Contra Costa Unified School District and Contra Costa College. “[We’re] happy to contribute a total of $1 million – that’s easy to say, $1 million,” said refinery General Manager Nigel Hearne at a…

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Ivy League Connection gives local youth an academic edge

Ivy League schools are known worldwide for their prestige, academic rigor and exclusive admissions. The Ivy League Connection funds trips to Ivy League summer enrichment programs to create that college-going academic culture in Richmond. Last Thursday, the ILC hosted a private dinner with Elizabeth Hart, the director of minority outreach at Brown University. “If we’re…

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District encourages parental involvement in education at conference this Saturday

With all that goes on in the adult world, relating to a miniature version of one’s self is a lot harder than the uninitiated might think. Something as simple as helping a 9-year-old with a writing assignment can be daunting after a day’s work; the “simple” one-sentence instruction often reads as if it were some kind of esoteric answer to the meaning of life. Even relating to educators, especially one who spends the day explaining long division, can be challenging…

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