Mountain Views News          Saturday, August 20, 2011

8

EDUCATION & YOUTH

Mountain Views News Saturday, August 20, 2011

SCHOOL DIRECTORY

183 FRESHMEN JOIN LA SALLE AS CLASSES BEGIN

Pasadena, CA – La Salle High School 
began its school year on August 18 as 183 
new freshmen joined the Lancer student 
body. The Welcome Orientation on August 
19 featured small groups of freshmen with 
their “Senior Class Buddies” on a tour of 
the campus, video presentations and a 
run-through of classes. A pizza lunch was 
followed by a rally.

At La Salle High School, there are 740 
students from ninth through twelfth grades; 
with a majority that live in the San Gabriel 
Valley. “We believe the education we deliver 
to our students is of the highest quality,” 
reflected Principal Patrick Bonacci, AFSC 
“offering a very broad and deep academic 
program, as well as a four year fine arts-
focused program that requires additional 
summer attendance. 

With over 60% of the teaching staff 
holding Master’s and PhD credentials that 
allows them to teach at the college level, 
La Salle draws educators who choose to 
teach in La Salle High School’s nurturing 
environment, developed from a 350-year 
Christian Brothers’ educational tradition.

La Salle is dedicated to excellent student 
performance in academics, arts and athletics. 
To maintain our Catholic identity, two-
thirds of our entering freshmen acceptances 
are of the Catholic faith. In addition, 15% of 
our students are from low income families 
and receive full or partial tuition assistance 
through the San Miguel and Brother 
Celestine Scholarship Funds.

The La Salle Lancers field 22 teams 
on the varsity level. Student Life, visual 
and performing arts, honor and service 
societies, student clubs and organizations, 
and student television broadcasts and 
publications, provide a healthy and warm 
community atmosphere for all La Salle 
students. During the last 5 years 99.5% of 
our graduates have gone on to college with 
88% going to 4-year institutions. La Salle 
High School is accredited by the Western 
Catholic Education Association (WECA) 
and Western Association of Schools and 
Colleges (WASC).

“The education we deliver to our 740 
students is of the highest caliber,” reflected 
Tremblay, “offering a very broad and deep 
academic program, as well as a four year 
fine arts-focused program that requires 
additional summer attendance. 

With over 60% of the teaching staff 
holding Master’s and PhD credentials that 
allows them to teach at the college level, 
La Salle draws educators who choose to 
teach in La Salle High School’s nurturing 
environment, developed from a 350-year 
Christian Brothers’ educational tradition.

Though most of the local media coverage 
focuses on Football, Water Polo and 
Volleyball, La Salle makes a point of offering 
twenty two sports including softball (2010 
CIF Champions), swimming (2010 CIF 500-
yard free style champion), track and field 
(2010 first place, CIF Girls Track and Field 
Discus) to more recently, our 2010 Girls 
Volleyball team, unbeaten in league play, 
then went to CIF semi-final round just this 
month. La Salle also has a student who just 
qualified for State Finals in cross country.

“We have something going on here almost 
every night,” says Tremblay. “We just finished 
the wonderful drama production, Once in 
a Lifetime. Jazz band and chorus are busy 
preparing for their upcoming December 
performances on December 3 at 7 p.m. and 
December 5 at 6 p.m. respectively, on the 
heels of a fabulous dance show last weekend. 
The next week will also bring our Advanced 
Placement (AP) Art Show on December 5 at 
4 p.m. Not to be missed!” 

“In between all the other activities, 
according to Tremblay, “our service 
component, so integral to our La Salle 
education tradition of “Learn, Serve, Lead,” 
will include our annual “Adopt-a-Family” 
event. La Salle students and their families 
will once again donate Christmas gifts and 
prepare a celebration for 30 families who 
would otherwise do without at Christmas.

In addition to delivering a high caliber 
education, La Salle’s tuition is very 
competitive, in the middle of the pack as far 
as tuition price compared to other Catholic 
and private high schools in the area. “La 
Salle has allocated $1.2 million in financial 
assistance to our families in need,” says 
Tremblay. “Approximately 23% of our school 
population receives partial or full tuition 
assistance due to the generosity of our 
extended La Salle family and supporters.”

For a full event schedule or more information 
about La Salle High School in Pasadena, please 
check the school’s website, www.LaSallehs.org, 
which is updated regularly for our student 
body, parents, alumni and the greater La Salle 
community.

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


Pasadena Unified School 
District (PUSD) Superintendent 
Jon R. Gundry today announced 
the appointment of 
Esther C. Salinas as principal 
of Sierra Madre School. Her appointment 
is scheduled to take 
effect before the new school 
year begins on August 31. She 
replaces Principal Gayle Bluemel, 
who retired in June. 

 "Ms. Salinas' vibrant and inspirational 
leadership, her accomplishments 
as an educator and 
her experience in the strategic 
alignment of resources to serve 
students will be an asset to Sierra 
Madre School," said Superintendent 
Gundry. "I am pleased 
to welcome her to PUSD."

Ms. Salinas was selected after a 
rigorous process that began in 
April and involved interviews 
with teachers, parents, community 
members, and representatives 
from the district's 
bargaining units.

"I am honored to be selected 
to lead Sierra Madre School 
to further academic achievement 
by building upon a rich 
tradition of excellence," said 
Ms. Salinas. "I look forward to 
working with Sierra Madre's 
distinguished faculty and staff, 
supportive families and community 
partners to inspire and 
prepare students for successful 
futures."

She brings a decade of experience 
as an elementary school 
principal and administrator, 
most recently in the Burbank 
Unified School District at Roosevelt 
Elementary and Washington 
Elementary. Previously, Ms. 
Salinas served as director of the 
district's human resources and 
educational services. 

During her tenure as principal 
of Jefferson Elementary 
from 2005-2009, the school 
was named a California Distinguished 
School in 2006 and 
a Los Angeles County BRAVO 
finalist for excellence in the 
arts in 2007. She was principal 
of Conejo Elementary School 
in the Conejo Valley Unified 
School District from 2003-
2005, and led the school to win 
the Title I Academic Achievement 
Award in 2005.

Previously, Ms. Salinas was 
interim principal of La Cañada 
Elementary and Palm 
Crest Elementary in the La 
Cañada Unified School District, 
where she led the expansion 
of a reading intervention 
program for students in grades 
K-6 from 2000-2001. She was 
a curriculum specialist at Palm 
Crest, and joined the school as 
a teacher in 1996. She began 
her career as a teacher in 1995 
in the Glendora Unified School 
District.

Ms. Salinas was a research and 
processing coordinator for a 
civil engineering firm in Diamond 
Bar from 1987-1996. 

She earned a Bachelor of Science 
from Bob Jones University 
in South Carolina, a Master of 
Education from Azusa Pacific 
University, a Master of Arts in 
Educational Leadership from 
California State University, Los 
Angeles, and is a candidate for 
a Doctor of Education in K-12 
Leadership in Urban School 
Settings at the University of 
Southern California.

NEW SIERRA MADRE SCHOOL 
PRINCIPAL NAMED

Looking Into The Life Of A Teenager

 By Meaghan Allen

SPORCLE?

Everyone has an obsession or addiction, something that they do 
way too often or know too much about. For some, it’s a sports team 
like in the movie Fever Pitch, or smoking or collecting stamps. One 
of my addictions, I admit it, is coffee. I can’t get enough of the stuff. 
I thought that that addiction was bad. Then along came Sporcle.

 Sporcle is one of those things that you don’t really do a whole lot 
but hours pass by like someone hit the fast forward button and before 
you know it you have spent a good three or four hours Sporcling 
and wondering how you did it. But the question is: What the heck 
is Sporcle? Sporcle is an online trivia website that has quizzes on 
everything from movie posters to 80s hair music to geography to 
fast food slogans and Disney princesses. I mean everything. And it 
is highly addicting. I not only got myself hooked on the website but 
my family and friends as well, doing group Sporcles before, after, 
and during dinner, as well as into the late hours of the night, where 
we try to get as many hit songs from the 1980’s from ten second 
sound bites. Yes, it sounds like a lot of fun, and is actually pretty 
educational, but like a drug it is highly addicting. So be warned 
because once you have done one Sporcle, I can’t guarantee that you 
won’t do another.

This material was made possible by funding from the Department of Health and Human Services through the Los 
Angeles County Department of Public Health. 
Drifting Secondhand 
Smoke Affects 
Everyone!
The poisonous chemicals in secondhand tobacco smoke 
affect any and everything it comes in contact with, 
including your children and pets. You and your loved 
ones deserve a clean air environment, with protection 
from unwanted secondhand tobacco smoke in your home 
and community.
Join the Coalition for Clean Air Residential 
Environments (C.A.R.E.) of Sierra Madre. For a 
cleaner, safer, and healthier community.
For more information, contact:
caresierramadre@gmail.com(626) 229-9750