More than 400 players, including students from Laguna Beach area elementary, middle and high schools, competed in an annual dodgeball tournament this week to help raise money for local schools.
The Orange County Register reported that the the popular event involved 55 teams. It was organized by SchoolPower, a parent volunteer-based, nonprofit education foundation that raises money for Laguna Beach public schools.
The Register reported that the raucous competition held at the Laguna Beach High School gym included six teams of fourth- and fifth-graders from El Morro Elementary and Top of the World Elementary schools; 28 teams from Thurston Middle School; and 11 adult teams, including two teams of students from Laguna Beach High School. Teams were made up of six to eight players.
Teams are sponsored by the community. Champions were crowned in three divisions, each team awarded $500 to go to the school program of their choice.
The total amount raised for this year is still being tallied, but last year’s tournament raised more than $14,000.
“We do a number of bigger fundraisers throughout the year. Dodgeball is one way people in the community can get to know SchoolPower,” Sarah Durand, executive director of the foundation told the Register.
Funds raised by SchoolPower have been used to support music and art classes in grades K-8 and STEM programs, among other initiatives.
Here are other news articles from across the region for the week ending Oct. 19.
- OCDE Supt. Dr. Al Mijares says that as we approach another holiday season, it’s important to remind young people of their power to make a difference in this world through acts of kindness.
- Scores of students, teachers and other school staff dropped, covered and held Thursday as part of the Great California ShakeOut.
- As part of a growing statewide effort to have more students take the SAT and PSAT, the Orange Unified School District provided the exams at no cost to about 8,000 students earlier this month.
- The Huntington Beach City School District is studying the potential sale of three school sites, drawing some backlash at Tuesday’s board meeting.
- According to experts, 80 percent of all learning occurs visually, meaning children with poor vision are at a major disadvantage.
- Parents, students, educators and community members throughout OC are invited on Oct. 24 to attend “What Your Teens Don’t Want You To Know” – a panel discussion that will explore trends in unhealthy adolescent relationships, including red flags to watch for and available resources.
- The College Board, the nonprofit that administers the SAT and Advanced Placement tests, is launching a $25 million scholarship program intended to help students at the bottom of the class as much it does the valedictorians.
- Do security cameras make students feel safer? Yes and no, according to a new study by researchers at Arizona State University.
This is the part where we encourage you to keep up with local education news stories by bookmarking the OCDE Newsroom, subscribing for emailed updates or following us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.