Mountain Views News          Saturday, March 10, 2012

6

EDUCATION & YOUTH

 Mountain Views News Saturday, March 10, 2012 

PUSD NEWSFLASH

At a special meeting on Tuesday, the Pasadena Unified School District 
(PUSD) Board of Education authorized reduction in force notices 
for 78 teaching and administrative positions due to a deficit 
that could reach up to $17 million for the 2012-2013 fiscal year. 
For information about PUSD's budget, documents, and more, visit 
www.pusdbudget.org

• Superintendent Jon R. Gundry announced the appointment 
of Michael Jason, Ph.D. as Executive Director of Special Education, 
filling a post critical to the execution of academic improvement 
strategies to raise achievement among students with special 
needs. Dr. Jason joins PUSD from the Monrovia Unified School 
District, where he has served as Director of Special Education since 
2008. Visit here for more information.

• Pasadena High School's Boys Basketball 72-55 victory over 
South Torrance High School on Wednesday moves the Bulldogs to 
the second round of the CIF State Division III Championship playoffs. 
The number two seeded Bulldogs will play Bell High School at 
PHS on Saturday, March 10 at 7:00 p.m. 

• After months of meetings and community input, the PUSD 
Districting Task Force has developed a consensus map to create 
sub-regional districts to elect future school board members. Before 
it is completed and presented to the PUSD Board on March 27, the 
Task Force invites stakeholders to participate in its completion at a 
series of five meetings: 

o March 13, 2012 at 6:00 p.m., Altadena Senior Center, 560 E. 
Mariposa St., Altadena 

o March 15, 2012 at 6:00 p.m., Jackie Robinson Community 
Center, 1020 N. Fair Oaks Ave., Pasadena 

o March 17, 2012 at 12:00 p.m., Madison Elementary, 515 
Ashtabula St. Pasadena 

o March 20, 2012 at 6:00 p.m., Westminster Presbyterian 
Church, 1757 N. Lake, Pasadena 

o See the consensus map and demographic information at 
twww.districting-task-force.pasadenausd.org or send an email to 
pusdtaskforce@gmail.com or call 323-349-0661, ext. 18. Facebook: 
PUSD Taskforce and Twitter: @pusdtaskforce.

• PUSD announced that John Muir High School has named 
Muir alumnus and former National Football League player John L. 
Hardy as its varsity football coach. Mr. Hardy served as assistant 
head coach of the Mustang varsity football team last year and head 
coach of the school's junior varsity team from 2009-2011. 

• Pasadena High School senior Ali Jakobczyk's banner design 
(left) won first place as PUSD's entry in the Bob Hope Airport's 
2012 Tower Banner Student Art Contest. The winners were 
chosen from 148 entries among the Burbank, Glendale and Pasadena 
school districts. Designs by first place winners from each 
district will be displayed for 3 months on the airport's tower, with 
Jakobczyk's design scheduled for January-March 2013. 

• More than 150 elementary and middle school students 
participated in the annual African American History Bee sponsored 
by the National Sorority of Phi Delta Kappa's Gamma Lambda 
Chapter. In the elementary division, student teams from Sierra 
Madre won first place, Longfellow and Field tied for second, and 
Hamilton placed third. In the middle school competition, McKinley 
placed first with Eliot second and Wilson in third place. 

• My Masterpieces invites families with children in PUSD's 
first grade to visit the Huntington Library, Art Collections, and 
Botanical Gardens free of charge on three upcoming Saturdays: 
March 24, April 21, and May 19. For more information contact 
Jennifer Olson at the Pasadena Educational Foundation, 626-396-
3600 x88372. 

• Donate a prom dress! PUSD's Families in Transition office 
is accepting donations of gift cards and new or gently used formal 
dresses for teen girls in need to attend prom this spring. Gift cards 
should be of no more than $20 from stores such as Target, Wal-
Mart, DSW, JC Penney, Ross, Claire's, etc. The annual prom dress 
project is co-sponsored with the Salvation Army. For questions, to 
volunteer, or to make a donation, visit the Families in Transition 
office at PUSD, 351 S. Hudson Ave., Pasadena or call 626.396.3600 
ext. 88250. Donations accepted through March 23.

SCHOOL DIRECTORY


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

Mama Pete’s Nursery School

71 Suffolk Avenue, Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024

(626) 355-9567

website: www.mamapete.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: Gilbert Barraza, Jr.

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

Phone: (626) 396-5890 - Fax: (626) 355-0388 

Principal: Esther Salinas

Sierra Madre Middle School 

160 N. Canon Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024

Phone: (626) 396-5910 - Fax: (626) 836-2964

 Principal: Garrett Newsom

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


OVER 30 PURVEYORS OF FINE 
FOOD AND DRINK 

AT LA SALLE MARCH 24

La Salle’s Alumni Association to Host “Taste of La Salle”

on Saturday March 24, 2012

The La Salle High School Alumni Association is hosting a 
food and beverage tasting event on campus on Saturday, 
March 24th. All members of the community are invited to 
attend.

The “Taste of La Salle” will feature over 30 food, beer, wine 
and tequila vendors offering a taste of their signature item 
including classic favorites like Philippe The Original, Porto’s 
Bakery & Café, The Derby, San Antonio Winery, and Patron 
Tequila. Exotic foods from Chakra, Mediterranean Garden 
Grill and Choza Mama Peruvian Cuisine & Bakery and new 
establishments like London Gastropub, Sugar Fix, Beyond 
the Olive, and The Bruery will delight the palate, to name 
a few.

An Opportunity Drawing will also take place with the 
chance to win fabulous prizes including wines and kitchen 
appliances plus the Grand Prize “Eat Out for a Year” basket 
which features an array of gift cards totaling over $1,000 to 
local eateries.

“Taste of La Salle” tickets are $30 in advance or $40 at the 
door. Proceeds from the event go to the Alumni Scholarship 
Fund for a graduating Senior.

For reservations or more information please call La 
Salle High School at 626.696.4362 or go online at www.
lancernetwork.com/Taste2012.

Looking Into The Life Of A Teenager

 By Meaghan Allen

WORDS

 They are nothing but symbols that we call letters. Those 
letters create words that make sentences that become 
sentences that eventually evolve into poems and books. 
But these words have the power to evoke emotions and 
thoughts and inspire people to change their lives. But the 
craziest part is that when I read these words, I don’t feel 
like I am reading, I feel like I am living the lives of the non-
material beings. They exist only in my imagination, but I 
feel so connected to them, and when I leave a chapter or 
finish a book, I sometimes feel as though I have lost a part 
of myself. 

So much of what I read or ‘experience’ impacts who I am 
as a person. Harry Potter showed me to stay true to myself 
until the end and not give up, the Hunger Games to stand 
for what I believe in, Walden to appreciate the beauty of life 
and nature and live deliberately, and so many others in so 
many ways. When we read, we tap into our subconscious 
and can’t help but place ourselves in those situations, and 
from that we learn who we are as a person. It sounds cheesy 
but it’s true. The books we choose to read have an impact on 
who we are as a person, just the same way as the clothes we 
wear and the music we listen to and the people we choose to 
associate ourselves with impact who we are. Words, nothing 
but sounds and symbols, yet they are an almost essential 
part of who we are as human beings. 

GIFTED SUMMER PROGRAM 
SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE 
FOR SIERRA MADRE AREA 
STUDENTS

Deadline is April 1 

STAMFORD, CT, The National Society for the Gifted and Talented 
(NSGT) is pleased to offer $10,000 in scholarships for Sierra 
Madre area students to apply towards selected summer programs. 

Ten scholarships are being offered by the NSGT Board of Trustees 
- six at $1,000 each, six at $500 each and four at $250 each 
- and will be used by the deserving student to help pay tuition 
for gifted summer program of their choice. The deadline for applications 
is April 1, 2012. 

Each year, the award is given to outstanding students who demonstrate 
excelled ability in their field of interest. Students can 
download and complete the scholarship application at www.nsgt.
org/scholarships.asp. A team of educators in the field of gifted 
education will review the applications and choose the scholarship 
winners. Applications must be received by April 1, 2012. Winners 
will be notified on April 15, 2012. 

The Summer Institute for the Gifted (SIG), a not-for-profit program 
of NSGT and renowned gifted summer program, has welcomed 
several recipients of the Board of Trustees Scholarships 
in the past. The NSGT scholarships have also afforded students 
the opportunity to participate in such programs as iDTech, the 
Cambridge College Program, Duke TIP, and Northwestern CTD, 
among others.

"SIG is delighted to work collaboratively with NSGT to help provide 
gifted students with extended opportunities to participate 
in programs that nurture and develop their abilities," states Barbara 
Swicord, President and CEO of SIG. "With gifted education 
struggling in this country, supplemental programs like SIG - and 
subsequent scholarships - are more important than ever." 

Interested students, parents and educators can apply online at 
www.nsgt.org/scholarships.asp. Contact NSGT at (800) 572-6748 
or by e-mail at info@nsgt.org. 

The National Society for Gifted and Talented, a not-for-profit 
501(c)(3) organization was created to honor and encourage gifted 
and talented children and youth. The goal of the NSGT is to provide 
a structure where gifted and talented children and youth are identified, 
and as members, can expect to find information and opportunities 
that directly relate to and cultivate their abilities and desires 
to achieve at a high level. Visit NSGT at www.nsgt.org. 

Do you have to many books at home? Wondering 
what to do with them? Come to The Book Rack and 
trade them in for a book you have not read.
We have 1000's used and New books for 
your reading pleasure.
204 S. First AveArcadiawebsite: bookrackarcadia.comPhone 626-446-2525
LOCAL RESIDENTS MAKE THE 
DEAN'S LIST 

Several local residents made the academic Dean's List at 
Azusa Pacific University. These students are honored for 
a fall semester 2011 academic standing of a 3.5 or better 
grade-point average. They are joined by more than 1,750 
other students receiving the same honor.

Monrovia: Accounting Major Samuel L. Aluyon

 Music Major J. Richard B. Carey

 Political Science Major Amber E. Fields

 Nursing Major Erika C. Mendez

 English Major Amanda M. Piccari

 Liberal Studies Major Grace Tungate

Pasadena : Nursing Major Elizabeth Aaron

 Nursing Major Kristen N. Demeester

 Nursing Major Jessica M. Enriquez

 Liberal Studies Major Ellen Jorgensen

 Journalism Major Jasmine C. Rodgers

 Social Work Major Cielo Ruiz 

 Global Studies Major Jennifer B. Yackley 

Sierra Madre: Nursing Major Caitlin A. Carlson

 Liberal Studies Major Amanda K. Mowrey

 EconomicsMajor Christopher M. Siraganian

 Liberal Studies Major Tiffani Trypucko

Azusa Pacific University is an evangelical, Christian university 
committed to God First and excellence in higher education 
located 26 miles northeast of Los Angeles. With 51 
undergraduate majors, 30 master's degree programs, 13 credentials, 
8 doctoral programs, and 14 certificates, the university 
offers its nearly 10,000 students a quality education 
on campus, online, and at seven regional centers throughout 
Southern California. www.apu.edu


YOUR AD COULD BE HERE!

Call Patricia 
- 626-818-2698