Tag archives: Amy Alzina

Amy Alzina Awarded Superintendent of the Year
By Joanne A Calitri   |   July 9, 2024

The energy and face of Amy Alzina EdD, Cold Spring Elementary School District (CSESD) Superintendent/Principal, is well noted in our town. For the past seven years, she has led the school and increased growth levels in education, STEAM, and community interface. She and her team have maintained this through multiple environmental disasters and lockdowns, without […]

The Anxiety of Accomplishment
By Deann Zampelli   |   July 2, 2024

My 16-year-old son recently came home from school, freaking out that he might get a B in an AP class. Historically, this has not been his M.O., but at the beginning of his sophomore year it started to dawn on him that it was time to get to work. He was hearing and feeling the […]

Our Town’s 22nd Annual Graduation Part 1
By Joanne A Calitri   |   June 18, 2024

Cold Spring School Graduation The Cold Spring School Sixth Grade 2024 Graduation – “Go Dolphins!”– was held on Thursday, June 6, at 8:30 am in the school’s auditorium. Students processioned to the stage and sang, “Time of Your Life” by Green Day, accompanied by Music Specialist Sara DiSalvo, on piano.  CSS Superintendent and Principal Amy […]

Greetings from Cold Spring School
By Michael Marino   |   April 30, 2024

As spring ushers in warmer weather, the energy at Cold Spring Elementary School District is also heating up. We’ve kicked off the year with fantastic momentum and are now in the final stretch, eagerly anticipating the end of another successful academic term. Both our academic performance and financial management continue to set standards statewide, positioning […]

Montecito Association Board Meeting
By Joanne A Calitri   |   February 20, 2024

The Montecito Association (MA) held its monthly Board meeting February 13 in person at the Rosewood Miramar Beach. Executive Director Houghton Hyatt acknowledged the donation of the board room by the hotel to the MA. There was one public comment from a representative of the Neighborhood Group living next to the Rosewood Miramar Beach. His […]

Montecito Association Discusses Ring Nets
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   August 15, 2023

Pat McElroy was at the Montecito Association Board of Directors on Tuesday, giving a report on the six steel debris flow nets that were placed in the canyons above Montecito in 2018. Recently, the citizen-led group that spearheaded the installation of the nets, The Project for Resilient Communities, filed an application with the County of […]

Cold Spring School Unveils Renovated Kitchen 
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   August 1, 2023

Last week, Cold Spring School officially unveiled its state-of-the-art school kitchen, which is a crucial step in fulfilling Governor Gavin Newsom’s mandate to offer free breakfast and lunch to all public school students.   The ribbon-cutting ceremony, attended by guests and stakeholders, was led by Dr. Amy Alzina, Superintendent of Cold Spring School District, who […]

Montecito Association’s Latest
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   June 20, 2023

At Tuesday’s Montecito Association Board of Directors meeting, Montecito Fire Chief David Neels announced that a new temporary fire station south of the freeway is opening in Montecito this week, in response to the community-wide traffic congestion currently occurring.  “We are concerned about emergency access due to construction, and we are augmenting our emergency response […]

Annual All School Track Meet
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   May 30, 2023

On Friday, May 19, Roosevelt School, Peabody Charter, Montecito Union, Roosevelt, Adams, Cleveland, Washington, Harding, Monroe, Franklin, McKinley and Cold Spring School participated in the tenth annual All Santa Barbara and Montecito Schools Track and Field Meet at Westmont College.  Students in grades fourth through sixth competed in 11 different events that included everything from […]

We have 8,000 Reasons to Be Grateful in This Week of Giving Thanks
By Sharon Byrne   |   November 29, 2022

It’s the height of autumn now, with cold nights, falling leaves, pumpkins everywhere, and the most heartwarming of holidays this week. As we look back over this past year, we have a tremendous amount to be grateful for here in Montecito. Yes, the weather and scenery are lovely, and it’s fun to visit the villages […]

Cold Spring School Latest
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   November 22, 2022

Lots of positive news is coming out of Montecito’s Cold Spring Elementary this month, including recognition for being ranked the top-performing district in the State of California in both English Language Arts and Mathematics (nearby Montecito Union School ranked #2).  In a recent article on edsource.org, data analysts report that students in California performed significantly […]

Cold Spring Groundbreaking
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   May 31, 2022

Last week the Cold Spring School District celebrated its building project with an enthusiastic groundbreaking ceremony. “It brings me great joy to see the hard work and dedication from the past and current Board and Administration finally come to fruition. It has taken the District sixteen years to get to this point,” said superintendent Dr. […]

Montecito Association Meets
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   March 15, 2022

At a quiet Montecito Association meeting earlier this week, Santa Barbara County Sheriff Lieutenant Butch Arnoldi reported on crime in Montecito over the last month.  There have been several residential burglaries including near the Polo Fields, on Romero Canyon, Tiburon Bay Lane, School House Lane, East Mountain Drive, and on Ortega Ridge. Lt. Arnoldi said […]

Cold Spring Project Moves Forward
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   March 8, 2022

At a special board meeting earlier this week, the Cold Spring School Board voted 4-1 to approve moving forward with a short-term loan to help fund the school’s upcoming and long-awaited expansion project. The acquisition of the loan – and the financial position of the school in general – has been the subject of some […]

Cold Spring School Latest
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   March 1, 2022

Next week at a special board meeting, the Cold Spring School Board will consider approving the acquisition of a short-term loan in order to fund the school’s upcoming expansion project. Cold Spring School Superintendent Dr. Amy Alzina hosted members of the community for an informational meeting about the project and funding options two weeks ago […]

Montecito Association’s Annual Meeting
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   January 18, 2022

The Montecito Association (MA) Board of Directors held its annual meeting this week, appointing new board members and saying goodbye to several retiring board members, as well as reviewing the Association’s activities in 2021.  Association president Megan Orloff and executive director Sharon Byrne reported on Association activities for the past year, which included extensive pandemic […]

Montecito Association Meets
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   November 16, 2021

At this month’s Montecito Association Board of Directors meeting, Santa Barbara County Sheriff Lieutenant Butch Arnoldi reported that Pierre Lafond Market in the Upper Village was broken into earlier this week, in a similar fashion as a burglary that occurred in July. Both glass doors were broken, and suspects removed cash registers and quickly fled […]

Cold Spring Seeks to Build New Building
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   November 2, 2021

Nearly a year after the marginal failure of Measure L2020, the $7.8 million Cold Spring School bond measure that was on the ballot last November, school staff, admin, and parents have dusted themselves off to launch a capital campaign to fund a much-needed expansion of the school. “We still have a need. That did not […]

Proceed with Caution: Back in Schools, but Will it Stay that Way?
By Nick Masuda   |   August 24, 2021

On Tuesday, the bulk of Santa Barbara County snapped “first day” photos for Facebook and returned to the gnarly drop-off lines at area schools — but the cloud of uncertainty surrounding the longevity of in-person instruction remains. With the COVID-19 Delta variant creating disruption at hospitals around the state, local school districts are having to […]

Santa Barbara Unified Mulls Mandated Vaccines for Staff, Teachers
By Nick Masuda   |   August 5, 2021

With the school year less than two weeks from starting, a pair of Santa Barbara Unified School District board members are calling for all district staff and teachers to be vaccinated or be tested for COVID at least once per week. The proposal from Board President Kate Ford and Board Member Laura Capps will be […]