Mountain Views News          Saturday, April 21, 2012

8

EDUCATION & YOUTH

 Mountain Views News Saturday, April 21, 2012 

SCHOOL DIRECTORY

ALVERNO HIGH SCHOOL CELEBRATES THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS

Students participate in annual “Convention Day” 

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

On Tuesday, April 17 and Wednesday, April 
18 the entire Alverno High School student 
body and members of the incoming freshman 
class participated in the annual “Alverno 
Student Union (ASU) Convention,” a 
day modeled after the Democratic and Republican 
National Conventions. At the end 
of the day, Alverno students had selected 
one ticket to represent each of the two parties 
and an additional two tickets opted to 
run as independents to become the President 
and Vice-President of the Alverno Student 
Union for the 2012-2013 school year.

On Tuesday afternoon, students were broken 
up into two parties, the Blue Party and 
the Red Party. Once in their respective parties, 
students elected a Party Chair, Party 
Secretary, and a Sergeant Arms who were 
responsible for running the main convention 
on Wednesday. After electing these 
important individuals, students were divided 
into delegations where they helped to 
create planks that would become a part of 
their party platform as well as the platform 
for their party tickets. Party planks included 
changes to the Alverno uniform, bringing 
a catering truck to campus once a month, 
and the addition of academic courses like 
forensics, psychology, and Japanese to the 
school curriculum. When elected, the ASU 
President and Vice-President will work with 
their cabinet to add these items to current 
school policy. 

On Wednesday, students were dressed in 
their party colors as they listened to the candidate 
debates moderated by the Alverno 
Supreme Court Justices on Alverno’s television 
station, KATV, and worked on convention 
materials in their Platform and Steering 
Committees. In the afternoon, each party 
held their own convention, which included 
a presentation of the two tickets they could 
choose from to represent their party in the 
election. The various delegations were then 
asked to vote on the party planks and cast 
their support for one of the two tickets in 
their party. At the end of convention, the 
Osuna-Abdelrahim ticket was selected as 
to represent the Blue Party and the Overstreet-
Fisher was selected to represent the 
Red Party in the election. In the true sprit of 
democracy, the Wong-Samerjan ticket and 
the Panyawai-Martinez ticket will run as independent 
candidates during the election. 
Voting for the candidates will take place on 
Tuesday, April 24. 

“Our annual Convention is not only a great 
way for our students to learn about the democratic 
process, but it also empowers them 
to see the role they can have in both their 
school and local communities,” said Cam 
Gonzales, Dean of Students and Director 
of Activities, “The young women who have 
chosen to run for President and Vice-President 
are true examples of the Alverno spirit 
and mission who will serve our school community 
well during the next school year.” 

Ann Gillick, Head of School, said “The 
ASU Convention is a perfect example of the 
monumental role our young women play in 
our school community. Each of the young 
women running has made not only a commitment 
to Alverno, but a commitment to 
her peers to be an effective, compassionate, 
and servant leader. These values are basic 
tenets of the Alverno philosophy and our 
leadership program is just one of the ways 
Alverno empowers each young woman to 
be exactly the person she wants to be.” 


SIERRA MADRE ROTARY CLUB 
SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM 
2012 

The Rotary Club of Sierra Madre is pleased to offer financial 
support to students in our community who are involved 
in the community and who demonstrate excellence 
in their work.

Each year the Club awards one or more scholarships to students 
beginning college. 

The scholarship award will be paid directly to the student's 
college.

The Club offers these scholarships to students who are residents 
of Sierra Madre and/or members of the Sierra Madre 
Interact Club.

The 2012 scholarship program consists of one award of 
$500.

For application, go to: https://sites.google.com/site/rcsmscholarship 
or email RCSM.scholarship@gmail.com

Looking Into The Life Of A Teenager

 By Meaghan Allen

CHANGE

 In life, you expect things to be set in stone. You fix your 
mind on one set of ideas and expect them to play out in your 
favor. I am guilty of this. Before this whole college process 
and even during it, I had my life set in line. I was expecting 
to go to Boston College, major in English, and become some 
sort of writer for a travel beat or some sports publisher. But 
I didn’t get into BC. This shouldn’t have changed my plans 
much, as I am now going to Syracuse and the prestigious SI 
Newhouse Communications College. But it did.

 Over spring break my friend and I began season 1 of 
Grey’s Anatomy, and now we are obsessed. This show 
shouldn’t alter my life view, but it has. It has raised the sense 
that if I am double majoring, why not do it in things I love 
but that are also useful, like science? It’s just interesting 
how, as time progresses and events unfold, our perceptions 
of what we think/ know we want changes. I still want to be 
a writer, but I am also thinking about what I want to “Do”, 
and what that means to me. I guess we can never expect the 
line we want to stay straight, that we must always be open 
to change, but how much and how do we know when to 
change?

PUSD OPENS LATE 
APPLICATION 

PERIOD FOR 

2012-2013 OPEN 
ENROLLMENT 

The Pasadena Unified School 
District (PUSD) announced 
today that late applications 
for the 2012-2013 academic 
year will be accepted in person 
April 11 - 17, 2012 at district 
headquarters located at 351 S. 
Hudson Ave., Pasadena. Open 
Enrollment is PUSD's voluntary 
school of choice program 
that offers area families an opportunity 
to explore options to 
attend dual language immersion 
programs, themed college 
and career pathway academies 
and schools outside of their immediate 
neighborhoods. Students 
can apply for remaining 
open spaces during the late application 
period. See the list of 
schools with remaining spaces. 
Late applications are accepted 
in person only at the district's 
Welcome Center on a first come, 
first assigned basis. Applications 
will be accepted from 8:00 a.m. 
to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays between 
April 11 - 17. Late applicants 
will be placed at the end of 
waiting lists that were compiled 
during the priority and regular 
open enrollment periods earlier 
this year. Placement on a waiting 
list does not guarantee that 
space will become available and 
the child will be admitted to the 
school. 

 Limited spaces are still available 
for native speakers of Mandarin 
or Spanish in the district's popular 
dual language immersion 
programs, which offer academic 
instruction in English and a 
second language for elementary 
students. Some of the College 
and Career Pathways programs 
also have space available.

 All students who will enter K - 
11th grade are eligible to apply. 
For more information about 
Open Enrollment, including a 
list of schools with space for late 
applications, information about 
other PUSD schools and programs 
available as part of open 
enrollment is available online at 
www.openenrollment.info For 
more information, contact the 
PUSD Office of Student Support 
Programs, Enrollment and Permits 
at (626) 396-3600, extension 
88340.


GO PUBLIC unleashes 50 Film 
Crews for 24 Hours: 

A Unique Documentary 
About Who and What Makes 
Our Public Schools Tick

90 percent of our nation’s children attend public school. In early 
May 2012, 40 professional and 10 student film crews will follow 
50 individuals on 28 campuses who attend, work and volunteer 
in the Pasadena public schools. “GO PUBLIC: A Day in the Life 
of PUSD” aims to spark a nationwide discussion, refocusing on 
the value of public education by capturing an authentic example.

Subjects range from students, teachers, principals, custodians, 
volunteers, school board members, PTA parents, security guards, 
the superintendent and many other stakeholders. Each director 
will edit footage to a 2-4 minute profile and all the individual 
stories will be available on the GO PUBLIC website. The final 
documentary will give voice to those actually living the experience. 
We will GO PUBLIC with public school.

70 percent of PUSD families are low income. Still, even with 
the multiple and difficult challenges that poverty presents, PUSD 
manages to provide an academically rigorous and socially meaningful 
educational program for all students. We believe this 
“miracle” also happens every day in public schools across our 
nation.

Jim and Dawn O’Keeffe of Blue Field Productions have 30 years of 
experience telling stories in film and television. Jim also teaches 
at the USC School of Cinematic Arts. They have lived the public 
school journey with their four children and believe this film will 
both CELEBRATE and EDUCATE. It will celebrate the many 
dedicated people, the myriad of opportunities available and the 
complexity of effectively serving the needs of all students. It will 
also educate about the growing challenges placed on our educational 
system due to severe and repeated budget cuts.

GO PUBLIC: A Day in the Life of PUSD will be a two-hour video 
document (intended for theatrical and TV distribution) and interactive 
website capturing the complexity and promise of public 
education in a racially and economically diverse urban school 
district - a story both unique to Pasadena and typical of thousands 
of districts nationwide.

For more information, visit the Go Public website at www.gopublicproject.
org