Weekly roundup: The Great ShakeOut, impactful arts, new state legislation, and more

The students and staff of Arroyo Elementary School in Tustin Unified dropped, covered and held on this week. And they weren’t alone.

Millions of Californians in schools, offices, hospitals and homes took part in the annual Great ShakeOut earthquake drill, which started at 10:17 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 17.

OCDE is among the agencies that participate in the international campaign each year, but it’s OK if your workplace missed it. Anytime is a good time to review safety plans with your coworkers and family members.

Image result for drop cover and hold onAccording to the Great ShakeOut website, you can reduce your chances of getting injured during a seismic event by dropping onto your hands and knees and covering your head with one arm and your hand.

If a sturdy table or desk is nearby, crawl underneath it; if there’s not a sturdy shelter nearby, move next to an interior wall away from any windows and remain in place until the shaking stops.

Experts say it’s dangerous and potentially life-threatening to stand in doorways, run outside or follow the discredited “triangle of life” theory.

You can read more at www.shakeout.org/dropcoverholdon, and don’t forget to stock those emergency supply kits.

Here are some of the top stories we’ve compiled for the week ending ending Oct. 18:

  • Orange County businesses will learn how they can help equip students for careers transformed by automation, artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies at the fifth annual OC Pathways Showcase on Dec. 3.
  • Author and performer Joy Harjo, who was recently named the 23rd Poet Laureate of the United States, has been tapped as the featured speaker at the 11th annual Creative Edge Lecture. The event, which is open to all audiences, will be held in February.
  • A law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsrom says middle schools shouldn’t start before 8 a.m. and the first high school classes have to wait until 8:30 a.m. Senate Bill 328, which was supported by the American Academy of Pediatrics and opposed by the California School Boards Association, takes effect in 2022-23.
  • The Orange County Register reports that the Anaheim Union High School District has settled a lawsuit that centered on sexual abuse by a former coach and transparency.

This is the part where we encourage you to keep up with local education news stories by bookmarking the OCDE Newsroomsubscribing for emailed updates or following us on FacebookTwitter or Instagram.