A Peoria pastor wants to see District 150 schools adopt a program that tutors young people on how to better motivate themselves. Reverend Ernest Rodgers held a meeting Saturday at the Greater Apostolic Bibleway Church to introduce parents, students and District 150 assistant superintendent Herschel Hannah to the Applied Scholastics Achievement program. Rodgers was sold on the program during a recent trip to a school in St. Louis. "I was so impressed," said Rodgers. "Kids were testifying how the program worked. ...

Four more Santa Clara County schools are closing because of concerns about possible swine flu infections, county health officials said today. They are not expected to open until Monday, May 11, according to county health officials. Among those closing is Rucker Elementary, a K-5 school near Gilroy. At least one child at the school, and possibly others, are being tested for swine flu, Gilroy Unified School District Superintendent Deborah Flores wrote in a message posted on the district's Web site. "In ...

Parents oppose Narconon connection By Stephanie Bertholdo Bertholdo@theacorn.com Parents of Calabasas High School students complained to the school when they learned that the drug counselor scheduled to speak at a parent education night in midFebruary was a representative of Narconon, a drug rehabilitation program based on the teachings of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard. The Narconon approach to drug education purportedly is based on Church of Scientology doctrine rather than proven medical interventions. An objection from parents, as well as an ...

Like many musicians, Charlie Brand was not a happy high-schooler. Discussing his days as an art school dropout — a troubled kid sent to a Scientology-run youth camp, where he lied to the E-Meter reader to escape, only to become a chronically depressed and morbidly obese pothead — the 24-year-old singer grimaces. Fast-forward to today: Brand's undeniably infectious and quirky indie-pop songs are getting a huge response for his band, Miniature Tigers. The four-piece has been lauded by Spin and Rolling ...

Program to discuss teen abuse of Rx drugs By Stephanie Bertholdo bertholdo@theacorn.com Today's teens are not as threatened by the drug dealers on every corner as they are by their parent's medicine cabinets, according to a representative of Narconon, the nonprofit drug rehabilitation and education program. Tony Bylsma, a certified chemical dependency counselor and director of the Narconon Drug Prevention and Education Program of Southern California, will kick off a 2009 RAP (Resolve and Problem Solve) educational series on Wed., Feb. ...

[Picture]CLEAN: Drug-free marshals from Newlands West Secondary with their principal Farouk Bayat, front left, teacher Roslyn Narain-Mohan and anti-drug co-coordinator Allan Wohrnitz. Picture: THEMBINKOSI DWAYISA A Durban high school has taken a tough stance against drug abuse by becoming the first school in South Africa to have its pupils trained as anti-drug “marshals”. New West Secondary School in Newlands West, which has more than 1400 pupils, started with its first batch of anti-drug campaigners this week. Foundation for a Drug Free ...

Miyagishima said when he first initiated his "Drug-Free Marshal" program, he was unaware that it was funded by Scientology. A sticker on the back of badges given to area third-graders identifies them as being "a trademark owned by the Church of Scientology International." The real concern was not so much the badges, but pamphlets that were to have been distributed to fifth-graders. Those pamphlets condemned not only illegal street drugs, but also legal drugs such as Ritalin that Scientologists strongly oppose. ...

LAS CRUCES, N.M. – It's a program aimed at getting kids off the streets and away from drugs. But now Las Cruces Mayor Ken Miyagishima is saying "not so fast." The program is called the Drug-Free Marshall Program, and it was quite a hit until the mayor found out it was sponsored by the Church of Scientology. Miyagishima said he was originally approached about the program in the summer. He said he liked the purpose and tried it in five different ...

LAS CRUCES — The city is immediately ending an anti-drug program aimed at third-graders after it was revealed it was created and bankrolled by the Church of Scientology. The "Drug-Free Marshal" program, started in late November, had only been presented to five schools but was intended to be promoted eventually among all third-graders in the Las Cruces Public Schools. Mayor Ken Miyagishima apologized Saturday and said it was not his intention to promote the religion. The mayor said he was approached ...

MORE than 15,000 schoolies on an annual party invasion will be bombarded with safe sex and anti-drug messages. A drug information booklet sponsored by the Church of Scientology, and free condoms from a health provider will be available to school-leavers letting off steam when official celebrations start on Saturday. About 7000 Victorians will flock to the Gold Coast, at least 5000 will party at Lorne and Torquay, and up to 3000 teens are anticipated at Phillip Island after exams finish today. ...

The Anonymous collective has announced a new phase in its protests against the Church of Scientology, targeting the alleged mistreatment of youngsters by Scientologists. Operation: School's Closed is due to take place on 13 September and will involve a wave of protests against the "Church of Scientology management, its attempts to infiltrate schools, and its internal exploitation of children". The planned demos follow seven previous protest days outside Scientology centres around the world, each with a particular theme. The Church of ...

In Los Angeles' rarefied world of private schools, where tuitions are high, academics are tough and educational philosophy is taken seriously, the newest member of the tribe is getting the kind of breathless attention reserved for a music or film star. That may be because the founders of New Village Academy are themselves such stars: Will Smith and his wife Jada Pinkett Smith. Entertainers have long flocked to private schools on the Westside and in the San Fernando Valley, where campuses ...

A Vancouver principal said his school was uninformed when it invited a group affiliated with the Church of Scientology to speak to a student assembly last month about human rights. John Bevacqua, of St. Patrick regional secondary school, said he hadn't been aware that Youth for Human Rights International (YHRI) is part of the Scientology movement until it was brought to his attention by a staff member shortly after the group finished its presentation. "It was very unfortunate that they were ...

Hollywood power couple Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith have won critical acclaim for pumping nearly $1 million of their own money into a new private school that will offer organic meals, laptops for every student and an environment of learning based on "equity" and "respect" to create "citizens of the world." Here's what the parents of the school's pupils aren't being told: The New Village Academy plans to use some teaching methods developed within the Church of Scientology and has hired ...

Actor Will Smith is funding his own private school that will teach youngsters using an educational system devised in part by the Scientology cult. The curriculum at Smith's New Village Academy of Calabasas, on which he has spent nearly £500,000, uses different educational theories including "study technology" – a learning method developed by L Ron Hubbard, the founder of the Church of Scientology. Websites dedicated to monitoring Scientologist activity are also claiming that at least six members of staff employed at ...

A proposed taxpayer-funded pilot school linked to an arm of the controversial Church of Scientology has scored a $20,000 grant from a blue-chip Hub charitable foundation, the Herald has learned. The Boston Foundation recently awarded the planning grant to the proposed "Cornerstone for Success Academy," a high school for at-risk students that would base its curriculum on a model created by Applied Scholastics International - the educational arm of the Church of Scientology. The celebrity-backed religious organization is often criticized as ...

La scientologie est une entreprise ultramoderne qui a aussi des activités séculières. Par exemple, en 1966, Ron Hubbard fondait avec un collègue Narconon une cure de désintoxication qui compte aujourd'hui plus d'une centaine de centres dans le monde, dont un à Trois-Rivières. En plus d'être une cure de désintoxication, Narconon s'est donné pour mission d'instruire les jeunes sur les méfaits de la drogue en donnant des conférences dans de nombreuses écoles de la province. L'atelier offert dans les écoles, appelé La ...

Their targets used to be university students, but today fringe religious groups are believed to be recruiting school-aged children. Lynne Wallis reports. If one of your pupils became distant, distracted and antisocial, your first thought might be that they were experimenting with drink or drugs. But religious cults pose another danger to young people, and one from which it can be equally difficult to extricate them. Although the notion of children being lured into fringe religious organisations might seem far-fetched, it ...

TAMPA, Florida (CNN) — Some Christian congregations, particularly in lower income, urban areas, are turning to an unlikely source for help — the Church of Scientology. Scientologists do not worship God, much less Jesus Christ. The church has seen plenty of controversy and critics consider it a cult. So why are observant Christians embracing some of its teachings? Two pastors who spoke recently with CNN explained that when it comes to religion, they still preach the core beliefs of Christianity. But ...

UNIFORMED police distributed Church of Scientology propaganda at Whyalla High School, contrary to guidelines for religious education. A team of police officers visiting the school showed classes a DVD on living a moral life and distributed a booklet entitled "Whyalla High School presents the way to happiness, a common-sense guide for better living", written by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard. One outraged parent who did not wish to be named said she had explicitly told the school her children were not ...

Last month, the School Board sent a warning to parents about the “harmful effects” of drugs used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Much of the flier’s information was taken from the Internet, including from a Web site run by a group founded by the Church of Scientology. This week, six national organizations and eight local groups sent a letter requesting that the School Board retract the flier and send a new one stating that ADHD is a disease that requires ...