Did you know…For the first time in U.S. history, the American government sent a woman to space. California’s Sally Kristen Ride became the world’s third spacewoman on June 18,1983, when she flew aboard the shuttle Challenger. It was a momentous win for the United States. The Encine-born Ride once said, “I didn’t come into the space program to be the first woman in space, I came in to get a chance to fly as soon as I could”. Before Sally Ride became an astronaut she had been a tennis player. She was the first of two daughters born to Dale B. Ride and his wife, Joyce.

Leaders

Did you know…Under the leadership of the governor Edmund G. “Pat” Brown, California became one of the world’s most industrialized regions. From 1959 to 1967, his regional plan combined a high-tech modern economy with a human development strategy (focused on improved education, employment, and water system). Later on, it also earned one of America’s highest per capita incomes. Today California has one of the world’s largest well-educated workforces.

Well-Known Women

Did you know…This state has notable women: Sally Ride ( astronaut ), Joan Didion ( author ), Dianne Feinstein ( politician ), Amy Tan ( author ), Barbara Boxer ( politician ), Janet Evans ( Olympic champ ), Liza Minnelli ( actress ), Isadora Duncan ( dancer ), Carla Anderson Hills ( politician ), and Jodie Foster (performer).

World-Famous Athletes

California’s Mark Spitz is one of the world’s highest profile athletes. Indeed, in 1972, he secured his place in Olympic history when he became the first athlete (male or female) to win 7 swimming gold medals in a single Summer Olympics. In the 100m and 200m freestyle, Spitz defeated Australia’s Mike Wenden, the 1968 Olympic champ. Since then, it was a momentous win for America and California. Apart from that, Spitz previously had won five gold medals at the 1967 Pan American Games in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. In 2008, Maryland’s Michael Phelps, with 8 golds, was the only athlete to break Spitz’s record. Mark Andrew Spitz was born on February 10, 1950 in Modesto, CA.

History

Did you know…On September 9, 1850, California became an official state in the U.S.

Cinematography

Did you know… Respected across the globe as a multifaceted actress, Diane Keaton, in April 1978, won a prize as Best Actress from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for her performance in “Annie Hall”. Keaton has over 30 years of experience as an actress. She was born in Los Angeles (CA) on January 5, 1946.

Geography

Did you know… The state of California has an area of 158,869 square miles. It about the size of Greece (50,900 sq. mi.), Hungary (35,900 sq. mi.), Ireland (27,100 sq. mi.), Jamaica (4,200 sq. mi.), and South Korea (38,000 sq. mi.) combined.

Academy Awards

Los Angeles is home to the Academy Awards Ceremony.

Olympic Games

Did you know…For the first time since 1932, the 1984 Summer Olympic Games were held in Los Angeles. Over 6,800 athletes from 140 countries and territories participated in the Games.

Noted Personalities

Did you know… Californian-born Hope Namgyal became Queen of Sikkim (a kingdom until 1975 when it was annexed by India) in the 1960s. Her husband was the absolute monarch of Sikkim, a country in the Himalaya Mountains. This country had been closed to the outside world for several decades. She hails from San Francisco, CA.

National Historic Sites

Did you know…The American state holds four famous national historic sites:

-Eugene O’Neill (playwright’s home, Danville)

-Fort Point (fortification, San Francisco)

-John Muir (environmentalist’s home, Martinez)

-Manzanar (a former internment camp, Lone Pine)

Soccer

Did you know… The American state hosted the FIFA World Championships. The 15th Men’s World Cup was held in Pasadena in June/July 1994; an event that was the envy of the rest of the world. In the late 1980s, the Californian city triumphed over competing bids from Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Rabat (Morocco) and Santiago (Chile). During World Cup, the host country caused an upset in the first round of the tournament by beating Colombia (one of the heavy-favorites), and placed 14th, outpacing Switzerland, Russia, and Greece. Five years later, on July 10, 1999, Pasadena hosted the Women’s World Tournament, where America finished first. Before 1994, the United States had never hosted the FIFA Championships.

Sacramento

Did you know…Sacramento, a city steeped in history, is the capital city of California

Science & Ecology

Did you know… The San Francisco-born Dian Fossey, who had a reputation as the world’s leading researcher on gorillas, went to live in Rwanda ( Africa ). With the support of the Rwandan government, she worked at Karisoke Research Center. In the early 1980s, she set up the Digit Foundation ( today the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund), whose principal aim is to lend financial assistance to save gorillas in Rwanda.

Education

Some of the world’s best scientists, including several Nobel Prizes (among them Daniel McFadden in 2000) come from the University of California at Berkeley.

Tourist Attractions

Did you know…The Yosemite National Park is the most famous of California’s national parks. It is the home to the country’s highest waterfall.

Sports

Did you know…Between 1951 and 1953, Maureen Connolly, also known as “Little Mo”, won nine grand slam events. According to an American magazine she is ” an all-round player with a strong forehand stroke and terrific ability to concentrate…” She was born on September 17, 1934, in San Diego, CA.

Alejandro Guevara Onofre: He is a freelance writer. Alejandro is of Italian, African and Peruvian ancestry. He has published more than seventy-five research paper in English, and more than twenty in Spanish, concerning the world issues, olympic sports, countries, and tourism. His next essay is called “The Dictator and Alicia Alonso”. He is an expert on foreign affairs. Alejandro is the first author who has published a world-book encyclopedia in Latin America.

He admires Frida Kahlo (Mexican painter), Jos?amarra (former president of the Bolivian Olympic Committee ,1970- 1982), Hillary Clinton (ex-First Lady of the USA), and Jimmy Carter (former President of the USA). Alejandro said: “The person who I admire the most is Jos?amarra . He devoted his professional and personal life to sport. Jos?layed an important role in the promotion of Olympism in Bolivia -it is one of the Third World`s poorest countries- and Latin America. His biography is interesting”. The sportspeople he most admire is Olympic volleyball player Flo Hyman. “This African-American sportswoman is my idol… “

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The Spanish explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo reached San Diego Bay in 1542, and claimed the area for Spain. From 1565, Spanish traders are known to have made visits to the area, and the English explorer, Sir Francis Drake visited the region in 1579. Spain began to colonize the territory beginning in 1769, with the establishment of fortresses (presidios) and missions.

When Mexico became independent from Spain as a result of the Mexican War of Independence (1810 to 1821), the territory became part of Mexico. Following a brief revolt by US settlers (the Bear Revolt – from which California gets its flag) in 1846, California first became an independent republic, and then soon after was annexed by the United States.

In 1849, gold was discovered in the region, a huge number of immigrants arrived. California was admitted as the 31st state of the Union on September 9th, 1850. Following the establishment of transcontinental railroads and highways, migration to California continued and accelerated, a pattern that has to the present day, making the state into the most populous in the Union.

California played a relatively minor role in the American Civil War (1861 to 1865). While it is true that the state was home to some Confederate sympathizers, they were not allowed to organize and their newspapers were closed, and hence the state remained peaceful. The main involvement of California during the war, was that California Column, a force of 2,000 Union volunteers who marched across New Mexico and Arizona (at that time both part of the New Mexico Territory) into western Texas, engaged in some skirmishes with the Confederates, and spent most of the war fighting Apaches.

In the 20th century, California continued to grow both in population and economic important. When oil was discovered in southern California it was, for a time, the most important industry in the state. California also became an important center of movie-making and the entertainment industry more generally. During World War II, the state produced massive amounts of armaments for the Allied war effort. In more recent years, California became a key location in the new computer and high technology industries.

First published at http://www.vacation2usa.com/p1_state_california_history.php

For more information about California, please visit http://www.vacation2usa.com/p1_state_california.php

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1) School location – you might not worry where a fashion school is as long as it’s within California. But you should understand that California fashion schools can frequently be gauged by their locations. Find a California fashion school which is near fashion centers. This means you need to find a California fashion school which is situated where all the action is. This will assist you as a student as it will give you exposure to what’s out there in the real world.

Some pupils would favour a California high school that’s situated in a place which would inspire them. Some select to attend California fashion schools which are situated near the sea or close to nature. From the scenery, a student can derive inspiration enough to create a fresh work of couture art.

2) Financial considerations – there’s likewise the cost to think of. California fashion schools cost money. There’s no denying that truth. The question that persists is: “how much money ought it cost you?”

There are, naturally, schools which offer up discounted tuition for assorted reasons. Some are having declines in registration. Some might barely be beginning their operation and are attempting to break into the marketplace. In choosing these schools, you could save a lot of hard currency. Still, you had better consider that you may be sacrificing quality for cost.

You could also consider attending schools which are more esteemed. These schools might require you to pay a good deal of cash in order to learn there. All the same, you should remember that high price does not necessarily equate to high quality. You need to recognize that in some schools you will not be paying for an education but you’ll be paying for the name.

3) Independent or not – should you side with a California fashion school which is a part of a esteemed university, or ought you attend one which stands on its own two feet? There are instances when a California fashion school inside a university is best as the name on your CV will help you get great jobs easier. Even so, there’s likewise something to be said for an independent school which can hold its own versus the big names.

One matter you had better look at is the fact that in a large school, you’re more often than not paying for the name of the school and not for the calibre of training. You’re paying up extra cash to have the name of the university on your resume. This would help you get a job easier.

The fashion cosmos, however, rarely cares for the name of a university if it doesn’t perform well. If you have the name of a great independent school on your listing, you may find it easier to get a job.

Selecting a California fashion school may look like a difficult task. However, by reading these tips and genuinely knowing what you require, you can make it a really easy experience for yourself.

James Hunaban is the owner of http://fashion-school.jims-info.com a site full of fashion school information.

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His acting career took off with the successful Conan the Barbarian with Schwarzenegger in the lead and chosen specifically for his perfect physique. In 1997, he was proclaimed the greatest bodybuilder of the 20th century, and the Guiness Book of World Records named him “the most perfectly developed man in the history of the world”.

Among his many business ventures, Schwarzenegger owns World Gym Enterprises and All Star Fitness Products, and is co-responsible for the Arnold Classic Pro Bodybuilding and Fitness shows. Additionally, he headed the Council on Physical Fitness and Sports for former President Bush.

Is it any wonder that, as governor for the state of California, Schwarzenegger wants California schools’ students to exercise more, eat better, and be more physically fit. To that end, he has issued a challenge to all California schools’ students in order promote an increased level of physical activity.

He wants all kindergarten through 12th grade California schools’ students to run, jump and squat for 30-to-60 minutes a day, at least three times a week for the next four weeks. The incentive — the school with the highest percentage of participation at the end of the four-week challenge wins a new fitness center/gymnasium. The next eleven school runner-ups will each receive $1,000 with which to purchase fitness equipment.

Schwarzenegger’s promotion of healthy California schools’ students doesn’t end there. Two bills have been introduced to improve school nutrition, effective July 2007. One bill requires all foods sold in California schools’ vending machines to meet high nutritional standards, regulating the number of calories for both fat and sugar. The second bill limits the type of drinks sold at California schools to water, milk, and some fruit and sport drinks that are low in sweeteners.

Not only is Schwarzenegger big on physical fitness and its benefits to California schools’ children, who are among the nation’s growing obese statistics, but a statewide review on physical fitness within the California schools was released last November 2006. The findings were atrocious.

The study found that nearly half of the California school’s ninth graders could not briskly run one mile. Almost 1.4 million California school’s students were tested in fifth, seventh and ninth grades. Less than a third met all minimum benchmarks for body fat, abdominal strength, and flexibility.

Governor Schwarzenegger is doing what it takes to help California schools’ students become and stay physically fit. If children do not do it while in school, it can affect their entire adult life with obese-related illnesses and health problems.

Parents, teachers and California schools interested in participating can register online and track their schools’ progress against other California schools at: www.calgovcouncil.org.

Patricia Hawke is an expert researcher and writer on real estate topics such as economics, credit improvement tips, home selling advice and home buying preparations and education for relocating families. For more information please California Schools

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The examination concerns specific restructuring methods used by California Schools and their success. According to CEP founder and president Jack Jennings, “While it is still too early to tell whether restructuring is working, it is clear from the experience of California and Michigan, the two states we have studied in-depth, that simply requiring schools to replace staff does not guarantee increased student achievement. Rather, success is linked to implementing multiple improvement strategies.”

This is of critical concern to California Schools for a couple of reasons. California Schools have more schools facing restructuring than most other states for several reasons. School restructuring is mandated by the NCLB act for any schools unable to meet its Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) markers for five or more consecutive years. One reason that California Schools saw the number of its schools facing this mandate double to 8% in the last year is because of its massive size. Also, California Schools implemented AYP markers a year before it was federally mandated. Of the California Schools facing restructuring, over 60% are in urban areas.

The numbers don’t look good. 207 of the California Schools in the implementation phase of restructuring failed to meet AYP standards for seven consecutive years. That’s why the CEP study has such import. The study concluded that the California Schools that were most successful in raising student achievement were those that analyzed school data and implemented initiatives designed to meet those specific needs. This is important because the US Department of Education previously recommended replacing staff rather than other forms of restructuring.

Other reform methods in California Schools include instituting English Language Learner programs, direct coaching for teachers and principals, changes in scheduling and the hiring of a district-level coordinator. The California Schools that used the above methods, without replacing staff or changing to a charter system, were generally more successful than the other schools studied. What will this mean for the future of California Schools?

It’s likely that funds for teacher planning time, instructional coaches and special instruction for at-risk students will appear on coming legislation. As noted by Jennings, the California Schools still have a long road ahead before the success of many programs can be fully evaluated. That’s why California Schools need the quantifiable results of a study like this one.

Patricia Hawke is a staff writer for Schools K-12, providing free, in-depth reports on all U.S. public and private K-12 schools. For more information please visit California Public Schools

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