Student Life 
Hands-on science
REDLANDS - Volcanoes erupted despite wet weather at Valley Preparatory School on Wednesday.
Sixth-graders presented models of volcanoes, some of which spewed lava and magma, outside to younger students. The purpose was to accurately model types of volcanoes, and teach students to speak in public, middle school science teacher Hazel Whittaker said.
"I could teach about cinder cones, and I do, but to hear it over and over from your peers, the more it reinforces what I do in the room," said Whittaker, who has asked her sixth-grade class to make volcanoes the past four years as part of their volcanology unit.
Students used soda, canned air, dry ice and air blown through tubes to make their volcanoes erupt.
"It's fun and you get to show people things," said Reed Wilson, who made a fabric and papier-mache replica of Mount Krakatoa in Indonesia. He added red coloring to Sprite to make it erupt.
Brett Rimmer made an underwater volcano in a fish tank.
"It was trial and error," said his mother Teresa, who said they had to find a plastic composite that would stick to a plastic container and hold paint underwater.
Nesreen Elsaadi made a papier-mache cinder cone and painted the outside.
"It took about a day (for everything)," she said.
Amber Grizzle made a shield volcano red velvet cake.
"I had a little help from my mom," she said.
Head of school Michael Hughes said the activity is part
of the school's hands-on approach to learning."They'll remember this forever," he said.
Whittaker said it was not about the models.
"This is their first big presentation," she said. "They can get carried away with making it erupt - it doesn't have to erupt.
"One boy made a cross-section," she said.
Students set up their work at tables on the outdoor basketball court, and were largely spared from rain.
Another component was safety, "which is why they ask them to stand back and they wear goggles," Whittaker said. Students oohed, ahhed and cheered when volcanoes erupted.
In the past, the activity has left its mark at Valley Prep.
"See that red paint up there?" said Whittaker, pointing to a spot on a wall outside her classroom.
Later this year, when her class lessons are focused on energy and force, her class will make roller coasters, Whittaker said..
E-mail Staff Writer Joy Juedes at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
VPS Alum Paris Deesing to edit the The Lora Woodhead Steere Retrospective film at Idyllwild Arts Academy
Film editor works to honor Idyllwild arts teacher
By DIANE A. RHODES
Special to The Press-Enterprise
Students become teachers at Valley Prep
REDLANDS - The Valley Preparatory School Summer Program has turned into a reunion of sorts for four alumnae.
The former students have returned to teach summer school this year, a first in Valley Prep's history.
"We had one former student who taught last summer and one who is a teacher (during the year) but we've never had this many come back, not that I can remember," said Administrative Assistant Cindy Kooiman. "This is rare."
Some of the teachers attended the school at the same time, but none were anything more than acquaintances, they said. Nonetheless, they said coming back to their one-time school has been a great experience thus far.
"It's special going back to the place where my academic career began," said 22-year-old Matt Boyle who is teaching soccer this summer.
Brandon Meyer, who attended the school from preschool through fifth grade, is teaching three classes this summer and said the school looks different as a 24-year-old.
"When I stepped foot on the school again, when I was coming back to interview for the job, everything just seemed so much smaller," Meyer said.
Meyer said there are things have not changed - his handprint is still set in stone on a wall and a totem poll created by his art class still stands at the school's entrance.
Boyle attended Valley Prep from first through eighth grade, along with his sister, Carrie Willis. Willis is also teaching this summer, and is a full-time
teacher at the school. Meyer said he enjoyed catching up with his fourth grade teacher, who is still at the school.
"It's nice to see all my old teachers and be colleagues with them and friends with them instead of their student," he said.
Kooiman said longtime teachers appreciate it too.
"It's certainly fun for the teachers because they can reminisce with the students about campus life when they were here," Kooiman said.
Running into old teachers and mentors is not the only "interesting" thing about returning to their roots, the teachers said.
"It's different. It's weird being an authority figure there rather than a student," Boyle said.
Kami Poma, 27, will be teaching the second session of summer school and said she looks forward to returning to a school she said was a big part of her life.
"I'm really excited to go back because it's a really good environment and atmosphere," Poma said. "It's such a close knit community. It's fun to go back to our roots and pass on traditions to younger kids."
Information on Valley Prep's summer program: 909-793-3063
By Chantal M. Lovell, Staff Writer
Created: 03/11/2010 07:55:32 PM PST
REDLANDS - Three Valley Prep middle-schoolers gave kindergartners a lesson in gardening this week.
The middle school students in the Valley Preparatory School's "Going Green" class have helped the school's 20 kindergarten students create a Peter Rabbit Garden.
"We're learning about organic gardening and pesticides," said Going Green teacher Hazel Whittaker. "We've researched how to protect the plants naturally."
The school adds a new box garden to those already on the campus every year, Whittaker said. Each garden has its own theme and is tended to by students.
Students did their research prior to planting the garden, which has a Peter Rabbit statue in its center.
"We read through the Peter Rabbit book and picked the plants he liked, the ones he stole from Mr. McGregor's garden," Whittaker said. "We've planted onions, potatoes, cabbage, tomatoes, carrots, strawberries, peas, (and) lettuce."
Whittaker bought sprouted plants for her students to plant with their younger classmates after receiving a $200 grant from the Redlands Horticultural and Improvement Society in December.
"We had to cheat a little bit," Whittaker said. "Getting them from seeds, with young children, the gratification is just too long to wait (for)."
With the help of the middle schoolers, the kindergarten students prepared the soil, planted, and made place cards to identify each plant.
"Teaching the kids to plant was a lot of fun but trying to get them to pay attention to you wa(difficult)," said sixth grader Destiney Manzano.
Whittaker said the attention span of the young students was short, but the project has been educational.
"We did learn a lot," said 5-year-old Zaid Hintzman. "I learned how to plant tomatoes. I didn't actually know there was a specific way to plant them. These (peat) pots let the roots grow through and help keep the water in for a while."
The students have documented the entire process with photographs and will have a story board on display at the society's annual flower show in April. They also plan to showcase their produce there.
"Right now, it doesn't mean much to (the kindergartners) but when they can see the strawberries and actually taste them, they will fully experience the glory of it," Whittaker said.
Read more: http://www.dailybulletin.com/news/ci_14659322#ixzz0i0NPwEhX
Students Participate in World-Record Attempt
Christee Lemons, Staff Writer
Posted: 11/12/2009 06:28:16 PM PST
REDLANDS - Most people stack cups to put them away, but 73 Valley Preparatory School students, and thousands of others around the world, stack for fun and to break records.
The fourth annual "WSSA Stack Up" on Thursday aimed to get more than 250,000 people stacking cups.
The World Sport Stacking Association organizes the event to increase public participation. The first attempt, in 2006, included 81,252 people.
The event, an attempt to break the 2008 world record of 225,560 people around the world stacking in one day, was sanctioned by Guinness World Records.
Valley Prep students added to the thousands and stood, single-file, facing colorful cups in groups of 12. Tables were taped off in four boxes, and students at each quadrant waited for their turn to handle the cups.
"It's really fun," Dylan Fashempour, 9, said. "I have my own stack at home so I practice at home."
Many of Dylan's peers own their own set of stacking cups and began the activity when physical-education teacher Michelle Stevens molded it into her lesson plan two years ago.
"P.E. isn't just baseball, basketball and football," she said, adding that off-beat activities like stacking are fun and interactive for all students.
"It's a good equalizer on many different levels; it doesn't matter how good your athletic abilities are," Stevens said.
Stevens loves the activity, and because it develops skills, she lets her class study the formations for two to three weeks before the competition.
"It's a good motor-development skill," she said. "They're so into it, I don't think they realize how hard they're working."
http://www.redlandsdailyfacts.com/sanbernardinocounty/ci_13775188
Valley Prep helps Family Service of Redlands
Founded in 1898, Family Service helps low income and homeless families in Redlands and surrounding communities with basic necessities as they strive to become self-sufficient. Pre-school through eighth grade students have been learning about Family Service throughout October, and how they can make a difference in the lives of people in need.
Said one second grade girl, “I know that even if I only collect $5, that’s enough to buy a blanket for somebody who’s cold.”
Valley Preparatory School combines learning with service to build character as students pursue rigorous academics. The Valley Prep Lions take pride in knowing that their efforts this Halloween will help feed, clothe and house needy families.
For more information on Valley Preparatory School, call Michael Hughes at (909) 793-3063.
http://www.highlandnews.net/articles/2009/10/29/news/schools/doc4aea249e45d81512631461.txt
Paris Deesing Wins National Video Contest
8th grader Paris Deesing is the winner of the Center for Science in the Public Interest’s (CSPI) “Junk-Free Schools Video Contest”. The Washington DC-based organization is one of the nation’s top consumer advocates organization for nutrition, food safety, and health. The video contest encouraged school-aged kids to create a 3-minute movie about getting junk food out of schools. In the next few weeks her video will be posted on www.schoolfoods.org, and the organization also plans to circulate the video to health and nutrition advocates around the country.
To produce her film, called “Now and Then”, Paris used a simple digital camera, which can also shoot short video clips. She cast her mother, Lea, as an actress and also had Norfolk Terrier, “Pookie”, participating in one scene. Paris also appeared in the movie, although she prefers to direct. “I really like making movies. I want this to become my career when I am older”, said Paris regarding her future plans.
For high school, Paris hopes to attend the Idyllwild Arts Academy in Idyllwild, California, majoring in filmmaking and music composition.
