education

Supervisory Academy at Cabrillo

September 24, 2019 by Seb Frey

Being a successful supervisor can be a challenge: you have a lot of responsibility, and usually, very little supervisory training. The Cabrillo College Supervisory Academy is designed to deliver results in a 12-week program that helps participants develop skills and become a better supervisor. Participants may choose which modules are best for them, or attend all 12!

The Supervisory Academy develops competencies and skills that are critical to effective, clear and positive communication which build the trust that is the foundation to all successful organizations. This program will teach you how to turn those challenging and uncomfortable conversations into empowering interactions. You will learn to become resourceful and solutions oriented so that you and your team make your greatest contribution and get extraordinary results. The Supervisory Academy is dedicated to anyone who is seeking excellence on their professional path! You do not need to be a supervisor to receive value from this program, you simply need the desire to perform at your best.

In these weekly meetings, participants will…

Use essential skills that will make their jobs easier and teams more efficient
Self-assess and make effective choices about their leadership development
Build, sustain and repair trust with their teams
Set clear performance expectations
Improve communication with all levels of their organizations
Delegate, coach and develop teams
Motivate employees
Make better decisions and solve the right problems
And so much more!

“The size, industry, and profitability of an organization do not necessarily deem it successful. Successful organizations have people who feel valued and engaged in what they are creating through the organization.” – Jennifer Mount

Tuesday Morning Series:
October 1 – December 17, 2019
9:00 am – 12:00 Noon
Aptos Campus, room 1522

Click Here to Sign Up

Learn More on Cabrillo’s Web Site

Spring Break is Happening at the MOD!

March 25, 2015 by Seb Frey

Spring has sprung, and thousands of Aptos area families with children aged 2-12 will be looking for fun, exciting, yet affordable ways to enjoy their spring break. This year there’s a new option for us: Spring Break is Happening at the MOD!

The Santa Cruz Children’s Museum of Discovery (MOD) has a packed schedule for kids, with classes being held Monday through Friday at various times. Classes include Edible Art, Geometric Abstract Art, Animal Masks, Chromatography Art, Conversations in Spanish, Mad Science with Alicia, Music Together, and many many more! Click this link for the complete list of classes and class times. You can also use this link to download the class schedule.

Classes are free to MOD members, or with admission to the museum. Admission is $7 for adults, $5 for children ages 2-17, and kids under 2 get free admission.

Santa Cruz Children’s Museum of Discovery

October 14, 2014 by Seb Frey

The Santa Cruz Children’s Museum of Discovery is not actually located in Aptos – but it’s right next door in Capitola, and it’s such an amazing place that were it actually located in Aptos, it surely would be an Aptos Gem. And although it isn’t physically in Aptos, there’s no question that many Aptos children (of all ages!) are going to be spending a lot of time at the Santa Cruz Children’s Museum of Discovery.

Aptos and Santa Cruz offer natural outdoor wonders which are hard to match, especially for an area which is so close to major population centers like the San Francisco Bay Area. One thing that Santa Cruz County has lacked, however, is a great place for kids to come play, learn, explore, and grow. That has all changed with the advent of the Santa Cruz Children’s Museum of Discovery, located in the Capitola Mall, and open seven days per week.

Watch this video below to learn more about the museum from its founder, Patrice Keet.

Photos from the September 2014 Sneak Peek

Video of Laser Play Exhibit @ Sneak Peek

Mar Vista Read-a-Thon 2014

September 12, 2014 by Seb Frey

Mar Vista Elementary School is having its first-ever Read-a-Thon this year! This is a new fundraising initiative being organized by the Mar Vista Parent’s Club (the Mar Vista version of a PTA). Funds raised from the Read-a-Thon will go in large part to the Mar Vista Elementary library, which suffers from limited and outdated reading materials for Mar Vista students. The Read-a-Thon will run from November 3rd through the 14th.

As California seeks to reverse years of declines in academic performance, it has adopted the Common Core curriculum. With Common Core, academic basics such as reading and math are heavily emphasized. Mar Vista Elementary is a California Distinguished School, and aims to stay that way. It is hoped that by further encouraging students to read, academic performance will be further enhanced.

The Mar Vista Parents club is seeking local businesses who are willing to sponsor classrooms for $250 each – approximately $1 per student per day of the Read-a-Thon. Sponsoring businesses will receive:

Thanks on the Mar Vista Parent’s Club Facebook page
Logo placement on one flyer thanking everyone involved with the Read-A-Thon
Logo placement and thanks in an all-school email blast
Invitation to meet and greet with sponsored class
Placement on a banner outside the school thanking them for participation

In addition, the Mar Vista Parent’s Club is seeking “community readers” – members of the community who can come in to the school and read with the children, and perhaps spend some time talking with them about the reading material. The children would be thrilled to read with fire fighters, paramedics, life guards, law enforcement, doctors, lawyers – anyone with a good story to share and discuss!

If you have a local business and are interested in sponsoring the Read-a-Thon, or if you have a suggestion for someone who would be a good guest “community reader,” please contact Sebastian Frey via phone at (831) 704-6873.

Read-a-Thon Logo

First Day Back to School in Aptos

August 18, 2014 by Seb Frey

Today was the first day back to school for many Aptos students. For some – like my son Aiden – it was their first day of school ever. Sure, most of the kindergartners (Aiden included) had been to preschool…but today was their first “real” day of school. For me, it was the first day that I’d sent any kid to school – it was a milestone for both of us.

As with many milestones I suppose, this one is bittersweet…for me, anyway. I can’t believe that almost five and a half years have gone by since Aiden was born in dramatic fashion at Sutter Maternity Center. He and I have done so much living since then – him more than me, I think, but watching him grow has enriched my life immeasurably. As much as I’ve cherished his early years, time marches on. We can’t go backward, or stand still: our only option is to move on, and savor every moment.

My parents came down from their home in Berkeley to see their grandson off. We all walked from our house, just a couple of blocks away, over to Mar Vista Elementary. As it happens, my parents had also dropped their first child off at Mar Vista Elementary some 42 years ago, when the school was practically brand new. My dad commented that it looked pretty much the same as it did back then…although I imagine the paint wasn’t so badly flaking in the early 70’s like it is today.

Some three and a half hours after we dropped him off, school was over. My son reported that it was “awesome” but yet, also “boring.” It seems that they didn’t let him play like they did in preschool. He said they spent a lot of time reading books and working with “pattern blocks” – whatever those are. He says he’s looking forward to going back tomorrow, though – so that’s a good thing!

One of the hallmarks of Mar Vista – and all Aptos schools, I’m told – is that parents are really involved with the school. I want to do my part, too, which is why I myself am a member of the Mar Vista Parent’s Club – our version of the PTA. I’m really looking forward to helping to make our children’s Aptos school experience be the best it can be.

Cooking Channel features Cabrillo students

February 25, 2014 by Seb Frey

The Cooking Channel has a new reality TV show entitled The Freshman Class: Santa Cruz and it is featuring four students from the Cabrillo College Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management program. The series is to have an eight show run, starting on March 11 at 5 PM. You can find the broadcast on DirecTV channel 232, channel 182 on Comcast, and channel 456 on AT&T U-Verse.

See also the Register Pajaronian and Santa Cruz Sentinel reports.