UPDATE: Again having problems posting links. To read Rohwedder's blog from this summer's trip, log on here: www.sonoma.edu/ensp/rocky. I have been able to make this a live link, but hopefully a cut and paste job will do the trick.

___

Tuesday's paper will feature a story on Rocky Rohwedder and his participation in the Semester at Sea program. Rohwedder, who has taught at SSU since 1981, is a full professor in SSU's department of environmental studies and planning.

His itinerary this summer includes stops in Spain, Italy, Croatia, Turkey and Bulgaria, among others. You can follow his travels two ways. Either link to the address listed above, or read the official Semester at Sea blog here.

Rohwedder returns Aug. 25 -- three days before the start of fall classes at SSU. Whew.

There are lots of graduations going on around Sonoma County this time of year, and tons of poignant speeches and stories.

But this one caught my attention. It's the final letter from San Miguel Elementary School Principal Ron Calloway to the parents and students in the outgoing sixth grade class, of which his son Roland is a member:

Farewell

We all have moments in our lives when we need to say goodbye. As you read this letter, the school bell will have rung for the last time in 08-09 school year. The end of this year will be bittersweet. Like you, I am a parent of children at San Miguel. Once at a meeting with other educators, someone asked me what school I would recommend for their child. For me this was the easiest question to answer. It was simple "San Miguel. My son has had the unique privilege of going from Kindergarten through Sixth grade at this school. His teachers, as well as all the staff, have been monumental in developing and supporting his academic and social growth. Like all the children at this school, I know both intellectually and emotionally that he has been in the best educational setting. It is time for him to move on to another school like all the 6^th graders. With love in my heart, and a tear on my cheek, I say goodbye to all our 6^th graders, you have made me proud, especially you, Roland.

Mr. Calloway (Dad)

Kindergarteners at Santa Rosa Charter School for the Arts created a 3-D mural on the Humboldt Street campus. The official unveiling was Thursday.

According to organizers, the students drew garden images that were then enlarged and turned into plywood cutouts. The school hosted an all day garden party where parents and helpers assisted the students in creating their contributions to the mural.

"It is not a copy of work by Van Gogh or other landscape artists," kindergarten teacher Susan Larson said in a statement. "In fact, I intentionally did not show them examples of other murals. These visuals come directly from their hearts and minds."

The $1,200 cost was donated by parents and local businesses.

"Mrs. Susan Larson is the teacher and her vision really transformed that drab wall into something the kids will be proud of in years to come," said parent Mindy Wright.

Check out the photos.

A gaggle of students from five North Bay Waldorf schools gathered last week to celebrate medieval fun. And mud.

The Mayacamas Medieval Games Tournament meant mud, according to Santa Rosa Junior College journalism professor Anne Belden. Belden took the photos attached below.

Sixth graders from Sun Ridge School, Sebastopol Independent Charter, Stone Bridge School in Napa, Woodland Star Charter in Sonoma River Oak Charter of Ukiah participated in events such as javelin, archery, long jump into a mud pit, a race through a muddy valley and a tug of war -- yes, with a mud pit.

Sonoma State's 22nd annual Jack London Award for Educational Innovation was awarded to Flowery Elementary and Adele Harrison Middle School in Sonoma for their K-8 dual immersion program.

The program was honored for educating native English and Spanish speaking students to be bilingual and bi-literate. The program enables students to beome successful in an increasingly global society, according to SSU officials.

The program began with one kindergarten class of 20 students in 1990 and has expanded to include over 380 students from kindergarten to eighth grade. Many program alums are now taking advanced Spanish classes in grades 9 and 10 at Sonoma Valley High School.

The program sets the stage for students to become involved in their local and global communities, according to SSU officials.

Dual-immersion students support the Sonoma Ecology Center, Glen Oaks Ranch and Bouverie Preserve, participating in stewardship activities. Students are encouraged to engage with the world community as well. Many correspond with Spanish pen pals from countries including Costa Rica and Guatemala.

This year's other finalists were the "Spring Creek School Garden" project at Spring Creek Elementary coordinated by Carole Geier, the "Health Career Pathway" project at Casa Grande High School coordinated by Kelly Holly and the "Vineyard Academy" project at Windsor High School coordinated by Marie Ganister.

Students at Doyle Park Elementary School in Santa Rosa were treated to an afternoon of African drumming and story telling, in a year end celebration last week.

Onye Onyemaechi, a friend of Doyle Park's interim principal Steve Nielsen, has played for students at just about every school Nielsen has worked in Santa Rosa: Doyle Park, Hidden Valley, Monroe and Lincoln elementaries.

And the kids go nuts every time, Nielsen said.

"He's just a fabulous guy," he said. "It builds a sense of community and he does it through drumming and percussion. It's joyous."

Windsor Creek Elementary students spent Wednesday morning eating sno-cones and popcorn, getting their faces painted, playing carnival games and most importantly spraying principal Maureen Grafeld with slime, all because they read an amazing 45,000 books in their Reading Counts competition.

"Our students read over 45,000 books to deserve this special day," Grafeld wrote me in an email.

The goal was 20,000 books but the students turned that number on its ear.

At Windsor Creek, every time a student finishes a book, they log into a computer and complete a comprehension test to assure they are taking in what they are reading.

"We don't just do reading logs and assume the students read the books, we make sure the student read the book and understood it as well," Grafeld wrote.

And their grand prize for the feat? A principal covered in slime Wednesday morning.

"For some reason, they just LOVE to see me covered in goo!" she wrote.

Valerie Benvenuti submitted the photos.

Comstock Middle School hosted its first ever career day last week, replete with fire engines, PG&E trucks and folks in uniform.

The list of career folks that came and spoke to students on the West Steele Lane campus included Sonoma County Supervisor Efren Carrillo, police officer Amanda Donahue, a dentist, attorney, tile setter, massage therapist, chiropractor, viticulturist and others.

"At this age, it's all about awareness," said Comstock counselor Julie Natalini, the coordinator of the event.

"The more we can expose them to different types of careers and inform them on the paths to get there, the better," she said. "Different types of careers have different paths. Some careers require extensive education and some require a certificate."

The two-hour event on Friday featured a keynote address from Carrillo, after which students chose two speakers to hear based on their interests. Students have taken a series of assessments and personality checklists to help them navigate their own goals and aptitudes, Natalini said.

Natalini said she tried to get a cross section of professions and professionals to tell their story. Donahue is a product of Santa Rosa City Schools and Efren grew up in Roseland before becoming the first Latino to serve on the county Board of Supervisors.

Check out the photos.

Rancho Cotate High School juniors Sophia Grubb and Eric Lu are set to spend this summer studying, get this, properties of surface-bound plasma membrane proteins and sensor signal processing and telemetry at Sonoma State University.

Grubb and Lu were selected to work with professors Drs. Meng-Chiu Su and Mohammad Haider respectively through SSU's summer science internship program which pays interns $1,000 for their work.

What are you doing this summer?

UPDATED: SSU just sent over a photo of Reeder in his cycling kit. Check it out.

____

SSU Spanish prof and chair of the Languages Department Jeffrey Reeder has been named Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition's Commuter of the Year.

For more than a decade, Reeder has used his bike to get to the campus in Rohnert Park from his home in Santa Rosa.

Reeder has also worked cycling and bicycle commuting into his lessons as he asks students to calculate their carbon offset and figure out how much money is saved by cycling instead of driving to work, school officials said.

The Bicycle Coalition typically names its commuter of the year to coincide with Bike To Work Day which is Thursday. For more information on Bike To Work Day and a list of energizer stations all over Sonoma County, click here.

SSU hosts a Bike To Work Day energizer station at the south entrance of campus near