Mountain Views News          Saturday, July 17, 2010

EDUCATION & YOUTH

6

Mountain Views News Saturday, July 17, 2010

SCHOOL DIRECTORY

PUSD HIGH SCHOOLS IMPROVE PERFORMANCE ON STATE EXIT EXAM

Pasadena, CA – The Pasadena Unified School District 
(PUSD) today announced the results of the March 2010 
California High School Exit Examination (CAHSEE), which 
showed that 78 percent of 10th graders passed the English 
Language Arts (ELA) section of the test and 79 percent have 
passed the mathematics portion. PUSD’s passage rates were 
similar or better than Los Angeles County, which saw a 78 
percent passage rate in ELA and a 78 percent passage rate in 
mathematics.

“Passage rates indicate that our schools are making progress 
in preparing our students for graduation, and we are 
beginning to outpace Los Angeles County and the state,” 
said Superintendent Edwin Diaz. “While the results are 
encouraging, our goal is to ensure that all students pass both 
portions of the exit exam, and are prepared for college and 
careers.” 

PUSD’s passage rates among Latino and African American 
students are keeping pace or surpassing county and state, 
which indicates that PUSD schools are working to close the 
achievement gap.

 

Seventy-eight percent of Latino 10th graders in PUSD passed 
the math portion, compared to 74 percent in the County and 
75 percent statewide. In ELA, PUSD Latino students also 
outpaced the county, with a 75 percent passage rate, compared 
to the County’s 74 percent. 

Passage rates among PUSD’s African American students also 
outpaced County and statewide results in math and ELA. In 
PUSD, 71 percent of African American students passed the 
math portion of the test, compared to 67 percent countywide 
and 70 percent statewide. In ELA, 76 percent of African 
American students passed the test, compared to 72 percent in 
the county and 73 percent in the state.

Marshall Fundamental Secondary School had the highest 
passage rate in the English Language Arts portion, with 90 
percent of the school’s 10th graders passing. At Pasadena 
High School, 86 percent passed, 78 percent of 10th graders at 
Blair IB School passed, and 66 percent at Muir High School.

Marshall Fundamental also had the highest passage rate in 
the mathematics portion, with 90 percent of its 10th graders 
passing. Blair IB School was next with 83 percent, followed 
by Pasadena High School with 82 percent and 70 percent at 
Muir.

"I am pleased that our 10th graders are acquiring the essential 
skills every high school graduate needs for college and 
career success,” Diaz said. ”This confirms that our focus 
on additional support, preparation and instruction for the 
CAHSEE has had a positive impact on student achievement.”

 

California requires that high school students pass the 
CAHSEE to be eligible for graduation. Students are required 
to take the CAHSEE for the first time in the tenth grade. 
Students who do not pass the test as tenth graders are given 
two more opportunities as juniors, three more as seniors, and 
an additional opportunity during a summer administration. 

 

Data cited is for the March 2010 administration of the test. 
Full passage data for the entire 2009-2010 school year will be 
available from the state later this summer.


Alverno High School

200 N. Michillinda Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024

(626) 355-3463 Head of School: Ann M. Gillick 

E-mail address: agillick@alverno-hs.org

Arcadia High School

180 Campus Drive Arcadia, CA 91007

Phone: (626) 821-8370, Principal: David L. Vannasdall

Arroyo Pacific Academy

41 W. Santa Clara St. Arcadia, Ca, 

(626) 294-0661 Principal: Phil Clarke

E-mail address: pclarke@arroyopacific.org

Barnhart School

240 W. Colorado Blvd Arcadia, Ca. 91007

(626) 446-5588 Head of School: Joanne Testa Cross

Kindergarten - 8th grade

website: www.barnhartschool.com 

Bethany Christian School

93 N. Baldwin Ave. Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024

(626) 355-3527 Principal: James Lugenbuehl

E-mail address: jml@bcslions.org

Carden of the Foothills School

429 Wildrose Avenue, Monrovia, CA 91016 626/358-9414 
626/358-5164 fax office@cardenofthefoothills.com

The Gooden School

192 N. Baldwin Ave. Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024

(626) 355-2410 Head of School: Patty Patano

website: www.goodenschool.org

High Point Academy

1720 Kinneloa Canyon Road

Pasadena, Ca. 91107

626-798-8989

website: www.highpointacademy.org

LaSalle High School

3880 E. Sierra Madre Blvd. Pasadena, Ca. 

(626) 351-8951 Principal: Patrick Bonacci

website: www.lasallehs.org

Monrovia High School

325 East Huntington Drive, Monrovia, CA 91016 

(626) 471-2000, email: schools@monrovia.k12.ca.us

Norma Coombs Alternative School

2600 Paloma St. Pasadena, Ca. 91107

(626) 798-0759 Principal: Dr. Vanessa Watkins 

E-mail address: watkins12@pusd.us

Odyssey Charter School

725 W. Altadena Dr. Altadena, Ca. 91001

(626) 229-0993 Head of School: Lauren O’Neill

website: www.odysseycharterschool.org

Pasadena High School

2925 E. Sierra Madre Blvd. Pasadena, Ca. 

(626) 798-8901 Principal: Dr. Derick Evans

website: www.pasadenahigh.org

Pasadena Unified School District

351 S. Hudson Ave. Pasadena, Ca. 91109

(626) 795-6981 website: www.pusd@pusd.us

St. Rita Catholic School

322 N. Baldwin Ave. Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024

(626) 355-9028 Principal: Joanne Harabedian

website: www.st-rita.org

Sierra Madre Elementary School

141 W. Highland Ave, Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024

(626) 355-1428 Principal: Gayle Bluemel

E-mail address:gbluemel220@pusd.us

Sierra Madre Middle School 

160 N. Canon Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024

(626) 836-2947 Principal: Gayle Bluemel

Contact person: Garrett Newsom, Asst. Principal

E-mail address: gbluemel220@pusd.us

Weizmann Day School

1434 N. Altadena Dr. Pasadena, Ca. 91107

(626) 797-0204

Lisa Feldman: Head of School

Wilson Middle School

300 S. Madre St. Pasadena, Ca. 91107

(626) 449-7390 Principal: Ruth Esseln

E-mail address: resseln@pusd.us

Pasadena Unified School District

351 S. Hudson Ave., Pasadena, Ca. 91109

(626) 795-6981

Website: www.pusd@pusd.us

PUSD Superintendent Edwin Diaz

Teen’s Eagle Scout Project Nets SAFYMCA - A Butterfly Garden and Refurbished Patio

When Boy Scouts see a need, they figure out a 
way to help. The patio at the Santa Anita Family 
YMCA in Monrovia was looking a bit neglected. 
Weeds and roots had taken over the garden area 
and paint was beginning to peel on the benches. 
Seeing that, 17 year-old Steven Taylor realized he 
had stumbled on the perfect project to earn his 
Eagle Scout merit badge.

 He rounded up 25 volunteers and solicited 
$300 in donations to help purchase paint, plants 
and other supplies. Then his team swung into 
action. With all the help, the project took just 
one day of hard work. The result is a pretty, 
new butterfly garden and freshly painted patio 
benches where Y members can sit and take a 
break, eat lunch, or just relax after working out.

 “It really makes a difference. We are very 
grateful for all the work that Steven and his crew 
did. The patio is much more inviting now,” said 
Executive Director, Damon Colaluca.

 Steven’s mother is also grateful and proud of 
her son’s effort on behalf the Y. Kathryn Taylor 
happens to the president and chief volunteer 
officer of the SAFYMCA’s board of directors. 

 For his part, Steven said he really enjoyed 
helping to improve the look of the patio. “I’ve 
practically grown up at the Y, swimming, 
attending summer camp, and working part time 
last summer. So it was good to be able to help in 
this way.”

 The Loyola High School student started in 
the Boy Scouts in the 5th grade and has earned 
21 merit badges over the years, not including the 
Eagle Scout badge he soon hopes to add to his 
collection. He also volunteers at Annunciation 
Church, where he serves as a lector. 


The Santa Anita Family YMCA netted a butterfly garden and a refurbished 
patio thanks to the efforts of 17 year-old Steven Taylor, who took on the 
project to earn his Eagle Scout merit badge. 

Vacations From School Can Be Learning Opportunities

 (NAPSI)--Vacations from school can 
serve as opportunities for children and 
teens to brush up on essential skills-and 
reinforce what they learned during the 
school year.

Research shows that if students are 
not actively engaged in learning and 
practicing skills during vacation 
months, they lose some of what they 
were taught during the school year. 
According to the National Summer 
Learning Association, students typically 
score lower on tests at the end of the 
summer than they do at the beginning 
of the summer.

Many students lose about two months 
of grade level 
equivalency in 
mathematical 
computation 
skills over the 
summer months. 
Fortunately, there 
are steps parents can 
take to keep their 
children engaged 
and interested in 
learning.

Here are a few tips 
to help:

• Schedule in 
visits to museums, 
trips to points of 
historical interest 
and exposure to 
nature through zoos 
and aquariums. 
All of these can 
be great learning 
experiences and lead 
to further reading 
and discussion.

• Take your children 
to the library. If your 
child likes movies 
or television shows, 
watch them together 
and then encourage 
your child to take 
out books on related subjects.

• Use online resources such as those 
provided by Discovery Education, the 
leading provider of digital content to 
schools across the country.

These resources include:

The Siemens We Can Change the 
World Challenge, an environmental 
sustainability challenge for grades K-12.

Ready Classroom, a program that 
educates parents, teachers and students 
of all ages about severe weather and 
disaster preparedness for classrooms, 
families and even pets.

The Take Me FishingTM "Explore the 
Blue" online initiative, which engages 
teachers, students and parents in the 
importance of outdoor recreational 
activities and conservation.

Energy Balance 101, a free wellness 
resource for elementary teachers, 
students and families, which aims to 
deliver tools and information to help 
students make decisions for a healthy 
lifestyle.

To access these free resources, visit 
http://school.discoveryeducation.com. 
Discovery Education is a division of 
Discovery Communications, whose 
networks include Discovery Channel and 
Animal Planet.

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