Letters to the Editor

Op-Ed: The Governor's Budget Proposal — A Realistic Approach

Mary Jane Burke, Marin County Superintendent of Schools, urges support of Governor Brown's budget initiative for a statewide tax increase, expected to be placed on the November ballot.

By Mary Jane Burke Gov. Jerry Brown's message at the release of his May Revision of the State Budget on May 14 was succinct and brief: “I am doing the best I can with what I have.” To his credit, the governor is doing something that many of his predecessors and other elected leaders did not do; he is leveling with the people of California and proposing a way out of the fiscal morass that has plagued us for many years. He is proposing a tax initiative that, coupled with substantial cuts, will ultimately bring us as a state to a point where we will be living within our means. The measure will enact temporary income tax increases on high-income earners. It will raise income taxes by up to three percent on the wealthiest Californians for seven…

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Dine, Shop & Donate

5K Event for Kayla and More School Fundraisers

Mark your calendars for June 16 to take part in the 5K for Kayla Rose Dehnert. And how about trying Muscio's while giving back to School Fuel?

The girl many of us have never met turned 8 not that long ago. Kayla Rose Dehnert celebrated her birthday at St. Jude's Children Research Hospital in Memphis, where she has spent most of her time the past six months as she undergoes treatment for brain cancer. Maybe you've read about her here on the Patch. Or maybe you've seen posters of her in storefront windows. Or maybe you've followed her progress on mother Annie's blog. She's fighting to recover, and her family and friends and classmates and neighbors and strangers have all joined together to do what they can. Fundraising to ensure Kayla's family can worry about her getting better rather than worrying about how to pay the bills has taken many forms. There have been the Dine & Donate …

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Teen Suspected of Racial Threats

Woman says boy threatened her life as she walked past his house.

A Novato teen was booked into Marin County Juvenile Hall on Wednesday after a woman walking by his house said she was called derogatory names that pertained to her race, police said. Officers responded at 9:10 a.m. to the first block of Carmel Drive after a report of a woman who was threatened. The woman, who told officers she does not know the subject, said the boy said he would kill her, said Novato police Sgt. Eric Riddell. The suspect, 17, was eventually contacted and arrested. He faces a felony charge of making criminal threats.

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Jerome J Ghigliotti Jr

9:18 am on Friday, May 18, 2012

Because 71% of Novato voters failed to cast a ballot in the last city council election, and the city council, ABAG, Assemblywoman Torres, and Jerry Brown believe that they know what is best for you and have imposed their "social engineering" mandates upon YOU.   more ›

Transitional Kindergarten Signups Under Way

Voluntary program is part of a statewide phase-in for younger kids to prepare them for regular kintergarden.

The Novato Unified School District is offering transitional kindergarten at each elementary school beginning in the 2012-13 school year. Children whose birthday falls between Nov. 2 and Dec. 2 qualify for the free and voluntary program and be taught by credentialed teachers. Transitional kindergarteh is part of a statewide reform triggered by Senate Bill 1381 that will shift the kindergarten entry date over the next three school years and offer transitional programs for all California kids affected by the change. Registration is being taken at neighborhood elementary schools. For more information, check the PDF at right or contact your local school.

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Novato High Students Earn Prestigious Awards

Chuxi Pan is headed first alternate for a national science camp, and Laila Smith is one of 20 kids nationwide to be named Presidential Scholar of the Arts.

Chuxi Pan and Laila Smith are among the students doing Novato High School proud — as well as our entire city. The California Department of Education announced this week that Pan has been selected as the first alternate to attend the prestigious 2012 National Youth Science Camp, a residential program that honors and challenges two graduating high school students from each state. The CDE selected four California students, two as delegates and two as alternates. The alternates serve if the delegates are unable to participate. All four students were selected because of their superior academic proficiency in math and the sciences, leadership abilities, and social maturity. Smith, a jazz singer at the Marin School of the Arts, was among 141 high…

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Patty Maher

1:29 pm on Friday, May 11, 2012

Congratulations to both of these young women! They are definitely doing Novato High proud.   more ›

San Marin Special Education to Miss a Special Teacher

Carol England, who has taught in Novato schools since 1993, is eager to spend more time with her grandchildren when she retires in a few weeks.

An old African proverb says, “It takes a village to raise a child.” And it is true.  So, when a teacher announces retirement, the village feels a sense of loss. That is how the Novato Unified School District has felt ever since Carol England, a teacher at San Marin High School, announced her retirement as of the end of this school year. England is a special education teacher at San Marin and has been in the district since 1993. She began teaching general education in 1964 and then took a break to raise her daughter. When she went back to being a teacher she began teaching at a school for troubled boys in the East Bay.   England, like many teachers, says she finds much joy in teaching her students. When asked what she hoped she had …

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Brent Ainsworth

4:57 pm on Friday, May 11, 2012

Fantastic comments. What a great tribute. Megan Caldwell, thanks so much for writing the story for Novato Patch!   more ›

School Fuel's Tour of Novato Brought Smiles to All

Hundreds turn out to raise money for the nonprofit that supports our public schools. You can upload your own photos here.

Congratulations to all of the walkers and riders who participated in School Fuel's Tour of Novato on Saturday. The weather was fantastic! The new location — downtown Novato on the blocked-off Sherman Avenue and the Novato City Green — was perfect to showcase all the businesses, clubs and local school talent participating in the FunFair.  The event raised $73,462 as of Saturday. Didn't have a chance to donate? It is not too late, the website will be accepting donations until May 30. Thanks, Robin Diederich, for sharing the photos with Novato Patch!

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Dine, Shop & Donate

Last Chance: 2012 Tour of Novato

There's still time to take part in the annual cycling fundraiser for public schools as well as the FunFair.

When one of my sons was about 3 years old, he would repeatedly ask for another piggy-back ride or another go at being swung by his arms around and around or yet another chance at being flung high up in the air (and subsequently caught). “Again! Again!” he’d scream. “One last time,” we’d say. And then, “This is the very last time.” Followed by, “This is the very, very last time.” Ultimately, we’d end up some time later with “This is the very, very, very last, last time.” This is the very, very, very last, last time I’ll write about how you’re still able to take part in the Tour of Novato and FunFair on Saturday, May 5. You know what it’s all about: you register to ride or walk, and then you ride or walk. If you’re not much of a cyclist or a…

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Patty Maher

2:43 pm on Thursday, May 3, 2012

This just in from a P.V. "spy": We are having a blast with Tour of Novato at Pleasant Valley -- our principal and office manager are neck and neck and in an all out sprint to beat each other on donations. Lots of fun emails and sponsor comments going around! We are trying to rally and be the first place school (currently #2). We have the most riders (29) and trying to raise $10k.   more ›

Feedback Forum

Alcohol at the Prom: Do You Support Zero-Tolerance Enforcement?

A bus driver who transported 35 student leaders from Dixon to a prom found a bottle containing alcohol on the bus, prompting the kids to be banned from the dance. If that happened in Novato, would you support the school administration?

There's a wild story developing up in Dixon, one that you'll probably hear and see on radio and TV news in the coming days (although our Patch buddy Carlos Villatoro is all over it already). You might be interested here in Novato because we're heading into prom season at our high schools. Thirty-five students from Dixon High's leadership class were banned from their junior prom when someone allegedly left a bottle of vitamin water containing alcohol on the bus that took them to the dance. The students — some of whom had participated in an Every 15 Minutes Program last week warning them of about the dangers of drinking and driving — were stuck outside the venue when they were blocked from attending the event they had planned. The students …

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