Mountain Views News          Saturday, February 5, 2011

7

EDUCATION & YOUTH

 
Mountain Views News Saturday, February 5, 2011 

Amir Farahani Wins Spelling Bee

SCHOOL DIRECTORY

KISHON SANDERS SIGNS WITH UTEP

 La Salle High School senior, Kishon Sanders signed a letter 
of intent to attend the University of Texas at El Paso on a full 
athletic scholarship.

 Kishon, at 6-foot-3 and 235 pounds played tight and defensive 
end for the Lancers and was a leading pass receiver the past 
three seasons. An All-League selection as a junior, Kishon has 
earned five varsity letters at La Salle including three letters in 
football and two in basketball.

 After fielding inquiries from the University of Idaho, 
Colorado, Nevada at Las Vegas and San Diego State, Kishon 
chose UTEP following a visit to the campus. He said UTEP 
appealed to him because he liked the campus and Mike Price, 
UTEP’s head coach, was honest about the rigorous life of a D1 
college football player. “Coach Price checked on me at least 
once a week. He really seemed to care about me as a student 
and then an athlete,” he said. Initially a quarterback as a 
sophomore, UTEP may make Sanders into a halfback, but the 
UTEP coaches said they offered the scholarship to a quality 
athlete rather than to fill a position. “I look forward to playing 
in a great conference where the best play the best. Plus, we play 
all our home game in the Sun Bowl, and that’s pretty cool,” 
Kishon said. Kishon, with his parents and John Blackstock 
proudly displays his letter of intent. Photo by John Blackstock


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 

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 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

Walden School

74 S San Gabriel Blvd

Pasadena, CA 91107 (626) 792-6166 

www.waldenschool.net

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

 Amir Farahani, right, a sixth grader at Sierra Madre School, 
won the PUSD District Spelling Bee, competing against the top 
spellers in fourth through sixth grades from 21 schools. Rhema 
Taylor from McKinley Middle School was awarded second 
place, and Norma Coombs fifth grader Johanna Dickie won third 
place. Farahani will represent PUSD in the Los Angeles County 
Spelling Bee on March 23.

PASADENA EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION

2011 SUMMER ENRICHMENT PROGRAM OPEN FOR REGISTRATION

PasadenaACESarchitecture, construction and engineering studentsORIENTATION DAYBegin your career in High School!
Earn a paid summer internship. 
DATE: Saturday, February 12, 2011
WHERE:
Pasadena High School Auditorium2925 E. Sierra Madre Boulevard
TIME:
9:00 AM 
Registration begins at 8:30 AM
The Pasadena Educational Foundation has opened registration 
for its eighth-annual Summer Enrichment Program to all students 
in the San Gabriel Valley. Four complete programs for kindergarten 
through 8th-grade students takes place from July 5 to Aug. 4, 2011, 
at four PUSD schools. The wide range of enrichment opportunities 
include Intro to Kindergarten, Intro to First Grade, and Spanish 
and Mandarin Immersion, as well as a variety of classes in math; 
science; language arts; visual art; fitness, and more. All classes are 
taught by credentialed teachers. Register at www.pasedfoundation.
org

WHAT: Pasadena Educational Foundation 8th Annual Summer 
Enrichment Program

 WHEN: July 5 to Aug. 4, 2011, Monday through Thursday, 8 
a.m. to 12 p.m. (8:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. at Wilson) 

WHERE: Franklin Elementary (K-5th) 527 W. Ventura St., 
Altadena; Norma Coombs Alternative School (K-5th) 2600 
Paloma St., Pasadena; Willard Elementary (K-5th) 301 S. Madre 
St., Pasadena; Wilson Middle School (5th-8th) 300 Madre St., 
Pasadena.

WHAT: The mix of academic subjects with hands-on exploration 
helps students to prepare for the upcoming school year through 
unique and fun learning experiences. Students in grades 2-8 attend 
three classes each morning; kindergarten and 1st grade students 
remain in one self-contained class. Classes include Band; Chess; 
Ceramics; Cooking; Pre-Algebra; Robotics; Writing; Spanish, 
Engineering and many more.

TUITION: PUSD Students: $375 first enrollment; $350 per 
each sibling. Non-PUSD Students: $450 first enrollment; $425 per 
sibling.

 REGISTRATION: Full brochure and online registration at www.
pasedfoundation.org. For more information call PEF at 626-396-
3600, ext. 88350.


(NAPS)—Many parents used 
to fear that their children would 
abuse or become addicted to illegal 
“street drugs” like marijuana or 
cocaine. But today, millions of 
teenagers are turning to their 
parents’ medicine cabinets to get 
high on prescription medications, 
such as pain relievers, anti-
≠anxiety pills and treatments for 
attention-deficit/hyperactivity 
disorder. 

Statistics confirm that teen 
prescription drug abuse is a 
serious and growing problem 
in the United States. One in five 
high school students has taken 
a prescription drug that was not 
prescribed for them by a doctor, 
according to the Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention. 
Every day, 2,500 young people use 
a prescription pain reliever to get 
high for the first time. 

A Partnership For Action

To address America’s problem 
of teen prescription drug abuse, 
addiction expert and television 
personality Dr. Drew Pinsky is 
taking part in the Smart Moves, 
Smart Choices educational 
program—a joint initiative of the 
National Association of School 
Nurses and PriCara, Division 
of Ortho-McNeil-Janssen 
Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Dr. Pinsky, 
known to his readers and viewers 
as “Dr. Drew,” is a New York 
Times bestselling author and host 
of “Celebrity Rehab” and “Sober 
House.”

Smart Moves, Smart Choices is 
a national, school-based program 
for middle and high school 
students designed to educate 
teens, parents and educators about 
the risks of abusing prescription 
medicines. The program provides 
them with tools to take action, 
including a new Web site—www. 
SmartMovesSmartChoices.org.

Board certified in internal and 
addiction medicine, Dr. Drew 
understands the dangers and 
consequences of teens abusing 
prescription medications.

“When used as prescribed 
by a doctor for a legitimate 
medical reason, prescription 
medicines can provide time-
honored benefits,” says Dr. 
Drew. “But many teens do not 
realize that abusing prescription 
medications that were not 
prescribed for them—or mixing 
prescription medications with 
alcohol—can cause serious health 
consequences, and possibly 
death, even if you do it just once,” 
Dr. Drew adds. 

A Potentially Fatal Mistake

While any drug abuse—illegal, 
prescription, or over-the-counter 
—is highly unsafe, 41 percent of 
teens still mistakenly believe that 
abusing prescription drugs to get 
high is safer than taking illegal 
drugs, like cocaine or heroin. 

“Parents should try to be 
aware and monitor their teens’ 
access to prescription drugs. I 
encourage parents to take control 
and ≠transform their medicine 
cabinets from danger zones into 
safe zones,” says Dr. Drew.

Research shows that 65 
percent of teens that have abused 
prescription pain relievers say 
they got them from friends 
and relatives. Dr. Drew advises 
parents to remind relatives, 
especially grandparents, to keep 
all prescription medications out 
of reach of teens and in a safe and 
locked location or container.

According to Dr. Drew, parents 
can be more influential than they 
realize and can safeguard their 
teens by: 

• Taking all prescription 
medications out of the medicine 
cabinet and locking them in a safe 
location. 

• Disposing of all unused or 
expired prescription medications. 

• Learning to recognize the 
signs of abuse.

• Starting an ongoing dialogue 
with your teenager about 
prescription drug abuse. 

• Seeking credible resources for 
help, such as the Smart Moves, 
Smart Choices Web site.

SmartMovesSmartChoices.org 
features an interactive quiz, myth-
busting facts, take-action tips and 
educational videos featuring Dr. 
Drew. Also available are materials 
that enable educators and school 
nurses to teach students about 
this topic in their own schools, 
including lesson plans and a 
school assembly tool kit. 

For More Information

To learn more about the Smart 
Moves, Smart Choices program 
and to access the videos and tool 
kit materials, visit www.Smart 
MovesSmartChoices.org.

This new program can educate 
parents, teens and educators 
about the risks of prescription 
drug abuse.

What Parents and Teachers Can 
Do To Counter Teen Prescription 
Drug Abuse

Looking Into The Life Of A Teenager

 By Meaghan Allen

In eighth grade I could not 
wait to get into high school, 
to become a true teenager 
with a locker and a lunch card. 
Two and a half years later, the 
excitement of high school is 
long gone, replaced with large 
amounts of homework, stress, 
and caffeine. High school 
seemed like some magical place 
where jocks and preps roam 
the campus and the average 
girl gets the hot senior, like in 
Sixteen Candles. I’ve discovered 
that that image is a fairytale in 
all extents of the word. Not to 
say that high school isn’t fun 
and silly because, believe me, it 
is, but it is also demanding and 
important for our future. It’s 
also not very far from college. 

I entered high school 
thinking that I was entering 
the most exciting years of my 
life and somehow convinced 
myself that homework would 
be magically nonexistent. I 
was rudely awakened to the 
fact that it did still exist and I 
had to set standards for myself; 
grasping the reality that high 
school is much more important 
than I imagined. However, 
I was able to find a balance 
between work and play that 
has helped tremendously. My 
secret is coffee, Harry Potter, 
and reading. The coffee helps 
me stay awake and focus; Harry 
Potter is constantly on in the 
background as a sort of relaxing 
agent, and reading helps keep 
me sane while expanding my 
knowledge. 

As I move closer and closer to 
college admission, the pressure 
seems to quadruple with each 
step, and my balance has 
become more of a lifeline than 
a tool. Between my SAT classes, 
AP courses, Varsity athletics 
and service, it is amazing I still 
have time to hang with friends, 
but I do, and I recommend that 
for all students. High school is 
one of the most interesting and 
hectic times of your life; so take 
a deep breath and jump in, it’s 
only the beginning. 

Meaghan is sixteen years old 
and brings a style that is both 
amusing and refreshing to the 
readers’ palate. She appeals to 
people of all ages and dreams 
of one day becoming a foreign 
correspondent. 

High School


SIERRA MADRE TEACHER 
WINS TRIP TO SACRAMENTO

Second Grade Teacher Yolanda Muñoz 
Is One of Six Educators From PUSD

 Six teachers have been awarded a trip to the California 
Social Studies Conference in Sacramento in March. They 
are all participants in the Teaching American History project, 
“California, USA” and will be representing almost every 
elementary grade level. 

 The teachers are: Tina Renzullo, K, McKinley School; 
Yolanda Muñoz, Grade 2, Sierra Madre School; Ana Tejada, 
Grade 3, Cleveland; Segundo Belmar, Grade 3, Madison; 
Tamyke Edwards, Grade 4, Longfellow; and Fil Vargas, 
Grade 5, Madison.

Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com