Students start school at Killybrooke

Schools came back to life Tuesday as students returned from break for Newport-Mesa Unified School District’s first day of school.

At Killybrooke Elementary School in Costa Mesa, kids wearing new backpacks streamed in. Quiet for the summer, the streets near the school on Killybrooke Lane off of Gisler Avenue again filled with cars driven by parents dropping off their little ones.

By morning, the children had already taken back the playground, as others reunited with friends and a few munched on breakfast at the dining tables.

As the clock ticked down to 8:35 a.m., families filled the blacktop for the first flag deck of the year and the first chance to see Killybrooke’s new principal at work.

“Your teachers have been working really hard to prepare a lot of things for you to learn this year,” Principal Lorie Hoggard announced at flag deck before dismissing students for class.

…Continue reading Students start school at Killybrooke

Meet the new principals of Newport-Mesa schools

Local schools welcomes some new faces this fall.

The Newport-Mesa Unified School District hired five new principals — four elementary, one middle school — to take over as their predecessors were promoted, retired or moved out of state last year.

With kids heading back to school Tuesday, here is a look at the newest heads of California Elementary, Pomona Elementary, Killybrooke Elementary, Newport Heights Elementary and Ensign Intermediate schools.

Matt Broesamle, California Elementary School

The Costa Mesa native didn’t know what he wanted to do after college.

…Continue reading Meet the new principals of Newport-Mesa schools

Irvine business searched in homicide case

Orange County investigators searched an Irvine business Friday in connection with the death of a Laguna Beach man, an official confirmed.

The homicide division of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department executed a search warrant as part of their investigation in the death of Christopher Ryan Smith.

Authorities searched a business in the 18000 block of Sky Park Drive around 11:15 a.m. Friday, a sheriff’s department official said Saturday.

…Continue reading Irvine business searched in homicide case

Sage Hill students get recognition

NEWPORT BEACH — Two Sage Hill School science classes recently attained a college graduate-level achievement — their research published by an international scientific database.

Accelerated biology teacher Tyler Zarubin’s students decoded the DNA of two species of — you guessed it — sage plants on campus and documented the plant’s genetic sequence for the gene involved in the breakdown of sugar, a particular gene that has never been researched.

“I want to teach them like a scientist, not a student,” Zarubin said.

The investigative research project was done by two of Zarubin’s junior-level classes — about 27 students — during the spring semester who finished up the work in the summer.

…Continue reading Sage Hill students get recognition

NMUSD’s API score up, but some schools have dipped

Academic test scores in Newport-Mesa Unified increased nine points to 830 of the 1,000-point scale in 2011, but nearly half of the district’s elementary schools had declines, state data released Wednesday show.

Assistant Supt. of Secondary Education Charles Hinman said it’s important to look at Academic Performance Index (API) scores from a long-term perspective and not be concerned about a one-year change.

“If you look at our API score districtwide, longitudinally, we have eight straight years of growth,” he said. “So there’s something going on right longitudinally, but every year you are going to have ups and downs to some degree.

…Continue reading NMUSD’s API score up, but some schools have dipped

Personnel Commission members needed for NMUSD

The California Schools Employees Assn. is accepting applications from anyone interested in sitting on the Newport-Mesa Unified School District’s three-person Personnel Commission.

The commission’s job is to oversee the hiring and treatment of classified employees, which include bus drivers, custodians, officer managers, teacher’s aides and lunch ladies.

Commissioners oversee the merit system for recruitment and selection, hear appeals to disciplinary action and must maintain a job classification system.

Applicants must live in Costa Mesa or Newport Beach and be registered to vote in Orange County.

The position begins Dec. 1 for a three-year term.

Applications must be received before noon Sept. 23. To apply, go to http://www.nmusd.us.

School board passes $235-million final budget [Corrected]

COSTA MESA —The Newport-Mesa Unified school board Tuesday night approved a final budget that uses $11 million in reserves so the district can remain solvent.

The trustees unanimously approved the district’s 2011-12, $235-million final budget, with Trustee Dana Black absent. The budget borrows from reserves to get by, but a district official warned that the state could force Newport-Mesa Unified to dip further into its savings later on.

---

FOR THE RECORD:
An earlier version incorrectly stated the dollar amount of Newport-Mesa Unified School District’s 2011-12 budget was incorrectly stated. The correct amount is $235 million.

---

“That’s the only way we’re going to get through his,” said Deputy Supt. and Chief Business Official Paul Reed.

…Continue reading School board passes $255-million final budget

School board to vote on budget, union contract

COSTA MESA — The Newport-Mesa Unified school board on Tuesday night is slated to vote on a final $255-million budget that maintains programs and employee salaries.

Nearly 85%, or $198.8 million, of the budget consists of employee salaries and benefits.

The two categories of employees, however, for a second year will not receive cost-of-living increases, according to budget documents.

Teacher, supervisor and administrator salaries are budgeted at nearly $102.7 million, and $43.7 million has been allocated for classified employees, a category that includes instructional aides, nurses and nutrition service workers.

…Continue reading School board to vote on budget, union contract

A quality education in any language

COSTA MESA — Local families interested in giving their children a multilingual education gathered in Costa Mesa on Saturday for the grand opening of a new private school.

Renascence School International celebrated the opening of its second location at 2987 Mesa Verde East with a Chinese lion dance, ribbon-cutting ceremony, tours of the school and a speech by the school’s founder Juliann Talkington.

“What we’re trying to do with this school is prepare kids for this new world, new reality,” she said, referring to the global community. “The whole goal of the program is to create a child with unlimited possibilities.”

Talkington opened the first Renascence School in Panama City, Fla., teaching students English, Spanish and Mandarin Chinese. The private school uses an international curriculum that combines the best from different cultures, she said.

…Continue reading A quality education in any language

Newport library opening late Monday

The Newport Beach Central Library is slated to open late Monday for building maintenance.

The central library, 1000 Avocado Ave., will open at 1 p.m. Monday for work to be completed on its water lines.

The maintenance requires the library’s water turned off and its doors shut.

The library will be open until 9 p.m. Monday.

The Balboa branch, 100 E. Balboa Blvd., and Mariners branch, 1300 Irvine Ave., will be open during their regular hours, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.