Mountain Views News          Saturday, April 16, 2011

8

EDUCATION & YOUTH

 Mountain Views News Saturday, April 16, 2011 

SCHOOL DIRECTORY

PASADENA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT

RUN OFF ELECTION - SEAT 6

ANTONOVICH 
ANNOUNCES 74 
SUMMER ARTS 
INTERNSHIPS 

 – The Los Angeles County 
Arts Commission will be 
offering 74 paid summer 
internships to college undergraduates 
this summer, 
announced Mayor Michael 
D. Antonovich.

To develop business skills 
that can be put to use in 
their future careers, interns 
are paid $350 per week for 
a ten-week program participating 
in educational and 
arts networking activities 
learning about nonprofit 
arts administration and 
the role of the arts in the 
community. 

General information on 
the program is available on 
the Arts Commission’s web 
site at www.lacountyarts.
org/internship.html. 

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

 
TOM SELINSKE

 

Businessperson/
Educator/School

Board Member

SEAN BAGGETT

Teacher/School 
Administrator


I have worked with K-12 public school children 
for more than 10 years. I was voted 
Teacher Of The Year by my peers. I have 
taught Educational Leadership for the California 
State University system and have 
worked for Cal Tech and PCC.

 I have successfully led the development 
of countywide educational standards and 
curriculum and Chair a committee for the 
Wester Association of School and Colleges.

 Too many of our students are under performing. 
Eleven of our schools are under 
state supervision. Despite progress, 
the PUSD remains an under performing 
school district. Enrollment is dropping and 
schools are closing.

 With your support, I will focus on:

Better classroom management training for 
teachers focusing on discipline and maintaining 
an effective learning environment.

 Holding principals accountable for the 
performance of their schools.

 Better supervision and management of individual 
student progress.

 Like most of you, I received an excellent 
public education at far lower funding levels 
then we have today.

Tight budgets are not a justification for 
failure.

Let’s stop using tough times as an excuse 
and get to work for our kids.

sbaggettpusd2011@yahoo.com.

The challenge for the Pasadena Unified 
School District is greater than ever. Education 
budget cuts from Sacramento create 
tremendous pressure. Despite the deepest 
cuts in a generation, PUSD continues to see 
success in tough economic times.

It has been my privilege to serve the District 
as a Board Member and President during 
the past 4 years, during which time our 
Average Performance Index (API) scores 
have risen consistently, outpacing the state’s 
average growth. A majority of our elementary 
schools now have API scores over 800, 
while the District as a whole is up 51 points.

We’ve cut wasteful spending by streamlining 
the District Administration, and saved 
over $700,000 by implementing energy efficient 
measures. I worked to secure a $2.4 
million federal grant to improve college 
enrollment and career preparation for our 
high school students.

Our middle and high school API scores are 
also rising. I will continue to work closely 
with parents, teachers, and students to 
increase our graduation rate, narrow the 
achievement gap, and prepare all students 
for success.

I pledge to use your vote to continue to deliver 
responsible and accountable PUSD 
leadership.

www.tomselinske.com

SIERRA MADRE 
WOMAN’S CLUB 
ANNOUNCES 

FINE ARTS 
WINNERS

The Sierra Madre Woman’s 
Club has selected the winners 
of its 2011 Fine Arts 
student competition.

The art entry students will 
receive certificates made 
by Dixie Coutant and presented 
by their teacher or 
principal this month along 
with gift certificates.

The ART winners are:

1st Place: Kaylin Pak

2nd Place tie: 

Colleen J McPhillips and 
Grace Williams

3rd Place tie: 

Melanie Klich

Christopher Mavilian and 
Sarah Rosario

Honorable Mention: 

Katie Stapenhorst. 

Photography entries did 
not Place. 

Academic Scholarship 
winners have not yet been 
selected. The deadline 
for the Academic awards 
were later, however we are 
pleased to have double the 
number of entries this year.

The awards committee 
members are Rosemary 
Morabito, Eleanor Hensel, 
Susan Henderson and 
Jayne Thomas, Fine Arts 
and Academic Chair 

BLAIR HIGH SCHOOL WINS CALIFORNIA DISTINGUISHED 
SCHOOL HONOR

First PUSD Secondary School to Win State Award

Pasadena, CA – The Pasadena Unified School 
District (PUSD) announced today that Blair 
High School has been named a 2011 California 
Distinguished School Award winner 
by the California Department of Education. 
Blair High School is among 97 secondary 
schools statewide to win the award, which 
honors schools that have demonstrated educational 
excellence for all students and progress 
in narrowing the achievement gap. Blair 
is the first secondary school in PUSD to receive 
this prestigious honor.

“This is a great honor for all of the staff, students, 
and parents who have worked, attended, 
or supported Blair over the past several 
years,” said Trudell Skinner principal of Blair. 
“Together with recent honors for Advanced 
Placement Scholars, dramatic gains in our 
Academic Performance Index score, and 
increases in the number of IB Diploma candidates, 
this award is a testament that hard 
work, consistency, and team work delivers 
results.”

Blair High School joins the ranks of Hamilton, 
Field and Longfellow Elementary as recent 
winners of the California Distinguished 
School Award. Hamilton Elementary School 
went on to win the National Blue Ribbon 
Award in 2009.

“Congratulations to Blair High School teachers, 
administrators, and parents for their 
dedication to ensuring the success of all 
students,” said Superintendent Edwin Diaz. 
“The award demonstrates the upward momentum 
of student achievement at our district’s 
secondary schools, and our community’s 
commitment to prepare all students for 
success in college and careers, and to provide 
a rigorous and personalized learning experience 
for all children. Blair High School is 
leading the way in this regard.”

The California Distinguished School Award 
program identifies and honors the state's 
most exemplary and inspiring public 
schools. Although participation is voluntary, 
the award is highly sought after by schools in 
all areas of the state. Elementary and secondary 
schools are recognized during alternate 
years.

This year, the California Distinguished 
School Award honors progress in narrowing 
the achievement gap between higher-
performing and lower-performing students. 
In order to be invited to be considered for 
Distinguished School honors, schools had to 
meet eligibility criteria including designated 
federal and state accountability measures 
based on the Elementary and Secondary Education 
Act 
(ESEA), 
Adequate 
Yearly 
Progress (AYP), and the Academic Performance 
Index (API) requirements.

Applicants underwent a stringent selection 
process, which included a description of two 
signature practices that have led to an increase 
in student achievement and a narrowing 
of the achievement gap. Applicants were 
then selected to receive a thorough site visit 
to validate the practices. Schools earning the 
Distinguished School title this year agree to 
share their signature practices with other 
schools and serve as mentors to other educators 
who want to replicate their work. An updated 
searchable database of these signature 
practices will be available later this spring by 
the California Department of Education. 

Blair School test scores in English Language 
Arts rose by 15 percent over the last five years, 
and seven percent this year. Math scores also 
rose by 8 percent this year, and 12% since 
2006. The school serves 410 middle school 
students and 758 high school students.

Winners of the 2011 California Distinguished 
Schools Award will be honored at an 
awards ceremony in May. 

The Approach


THE APPROACH

Looking Into The Life Of A Teenager

 By Meaghan Allen

 I can’t believe it’s almost here – senior year. On Monday I filled out my schedule for next 
year and it was scary. Choosing whether or not I want to be in AP Biology, AP Calculus, 
or both was strange and almost unreal. I can vividly remember my first day of high school; 
how nervous I was because I was the only girl coming from my school and entering a class 
four times the size of the one I had graduated from that summer. I remember the sense 
of anticipation and how my stomach was fluttering with butterflies the first time I walked 
through the front gates. And for it to be almost over! Well, not almost. I still have four 
more weeks of junior year left, but how these past three years have flown by! They were not 
exaggerating when they said that the four years you spend in high school pass you by in the 
blink of an eye. In a year’s time, I will know where I will be going to college and be spending 
some of the most crucial years of my life, determining my career and life path. Hopefully 
I will be heading back east somewhere, to Brown maybe or Syracuse, preparing myself for 
the next step of my lifelong journey. 

 Soon I will be walking through La Salle’s front gates on the first day of school for the last 
time – my last first day of high school. It is hard to explain this sense of fear, excitement and 
anticipation. I want senior year to be here, I want to graduate, but I don’t want to leave my 
friends or have life pass me by. The impending approach is one of excitement and fear. But 
first, I want it to be summer!