Middle school students on location with PBS ‘Moneytrack’ series at Windemere in San Ramon
Run Date: May 30, 2009
Contra Costa Times
SAN RAMON — The students in Ms. Mimi Quan’s video production class at Windemere Ranch Middle School in San Ramon were in for literally an eye-opening experience as they went on location with the award-winning PBS “MoneyTrack” series, shot at Windemere in early May.
The “MoneyTrack” production team was videotaping several episodes at Brookfield Homes’ Santorini Plan 1, a 4,202 square foot model home that provided plenty of room for the television show’s production staff.
The students were very excited to observe the PBS “MoneyTrack” production team in action. The program’s executive producer Neil Alford, a veteran of CNN, FOX and NBC, spoke extensively with the students and answered questions throughout their 90-minute visit. Alford emphasized the importance of teamwork, advance planning, flexibility and execution.
The video class students at Windemere Ranch Middle School have already taken advantage of the school’s excellent facilities and equipment – they’ve even posted several videos on YouTube.
Students are using camcorders with Mini DV tapes, digital still cameras and utilize storyboards, MAC computers and iMovie to develop and edit weekly video segments shown throughout the school. The school’s production studio features video cameras, a mixing soundboard and video switcher.
A California Distinguished school, Windemere Ranch Middle School also features a range of science and math courses and offers language studies in Chinese, French and Spanish. The school also offers activities such as spelling and geography bees, a science fair and after-school sports programs.
Academically, the San Ramon Valley Unified School District currently ranks 6th among all unified school districts in California, and is the highest ranking unified school district in the state with enrollments of 9,000 or more (California Academic Performance Index, 2008). Over 94% of San Ramon Valley Unified School District graduating seniors attend college or university, and district students are accepted into the University of California and the California State University systems at rates far exceeding state averages.
Also, the district has been recognized for its excellence through such honors as the coveted State Department of Education’s Distinguished Schools Award (schools in the district have received this honor more than 50 times, more than any other district in northern California), and through recognition by the U.S. Department of Education as National Blue Ribbon Schools.
This week on ‘The Real Story with Colleen Edwards’ on KCBS.com
Run Date: May 9, 2009
Contra Costa Times
DANVILLE—May is Mortgage Month and highlights this week from The Real Story with Colleen Edwards on KCBS.com include her three podcasts with leading national real estate economist John Burns. John weighs in with his perspective on signs of recovery in the nation’s housing markets, which cities seem best positioned for a rebound and will the United States lead the world out of economic recession.
John Burns Real Estate Consulting Inc. is dedicated to helping real estate executives make informed decisions. Clients include home builders, developers, lenders, equity investors and product manufacturers. Visit www.kcbs.com. keywords “real estate.”
In a nutshell, says Burns, “the worst of the pain and, shock are behind us.”
TheRealStoryBlog – Colleen covers a lot of ground, both literally and figuratively, talking with industry experts about green living, lowering our carbon footprints and lessening our impact on the planet, all the while leading full and meaningful lives.
Podcasts – Colleen discusses “Sustainable Planning” with Chip Pierson, Principal and Partner with Dahlin Croup Architecture Planning. The firm is one of the industry leaders in master-planned community development throughout the West and in China. The pair cover the importance of sustainable community design — from urban Beijing to suburban San Diego.
Colleen also covers “Sustainable Landscaping” in three recent podcasts with Linda Gates, principal of Gates + Associates Landscape Architecture, one of Northern California’s most innovative firms specializing in green and sustainable landscaping and urban planning. Colleen and Linda cover integrating green spaces into the urban landscape, producing lush gardens with minimal water and just plain and simple common sense gardening.
More Resources
• Financial: The latest info on interest rates, credit, mortgages
• Sustainability: All the latest trends, news and tips
• Buying/Selling: Everything to know about one of life’s largest transactions
• Quality of Life: Make the most out of where you live in the Bay Area
