Mountain Views News          Saturday, August 18, 2012

8

EDUCATION & YOUTH

 Mountain Views News Saturday August 18, 2012 

The 2012-2013 academic year 
begins Wednesday, August 22, 
2012 for students of the Pasadena 
Unified SchoolDistrict's 
(PUSD).

 

Students entering or advancing 
into seventh gradewill need 
proof of an adolescent whooping 
cough booster immunization 
(called Tdap) in order 
to attend school this fall. For 
immunization requirements 
for K-12 students, go to www.
health-programs.pasadenausd.
org or call (626) 396-3600 extension 
88180. The PUSD clinic 
will offer free immunizations for 
students only on August 20 from 
8:30 a.m. until 12 p.m. at 351 S. 
Hudson Ave., Pasadena. Immunizations 
will also be available 
for students every Monday 
starting August 27 from 3 p.m. 
to 4 p.m. at the PUSD clinic.

 

After school programs are 
available through the district's 
Pasadena LEARNs office. For 
more information, call (626) 
396-3614. After school programs 
are also available through 
the City of Pasadena After 
School Adventures Program. 
For more information call 
626-744-7302 or visit cityofpasadena.
net/HumanServices/
After_School_Playgrounds/

 

Families who think that they 
may qualify are encouraged to 
apply for the federal free and 
reduced price school meal program. 
Applications have been 
mailed to student's homes and 
are available at PUSD schools. 
For more information, contact 
PUSD's Food Services at (626) 
396-5850.

 

PUSD welcomes four new principals 
this year: Lorena Martinez, 
principal of Eliot Middle 
School; Tim Sippel; principal 
of John Muir High School; Rodolfo 
Ramirez, Jr., principal of 
San Rafael Elementary; and Jeffrey 
Bauer, principal of Webster 
Elementary School. 

 

Rose City High School principal 
Eric Sahakian has been promoted 
to Director of the district's 
Child Welfare, Attendance and 
Safety department. He replaces 
Sonia Rodarte, who has accepted 
a position with the Santa 
Ana Unified School District. 
They will work together in the 
next month to ensure a smooth 
transition.

 

NEXT WEEK & BEYOND

 Saturday, August 18

9 a.m. - 12 p.m. Muir 
Ranch, the community supported 
agricultural project operated 
by Muir High School students, 
gives away free seedlings 
for vegetables and fruit grown 
inschool or classroom gardens. 
John Muir High School, Room 
K601, 1905 Lincoln Ave., Pasadena. 
Enter on Cañada Street.

 Monday, August 20

8:30 a.m. - 12 p.m. The PUSD 
health clinic offers free immunizations 
in time for the return to 
school. For students only. Immunizations 
will also be available 
for students every Monday 
starting August 27 from 3 p.m. 
to 4 p.m. at the PUSD clinic. 
PUSD Health Clinic, Room 130, 
351 S. Hudson Avenue, Room 
130, Pasadena 

 Tuesday, August 21

All day Teachers 
and staff prepare classrooms 
and campuses for the arrival of 
students.

 Wednesday, August 22

Times vary The 2012-
2013 academic year begins asmore 
than 18,000 students return 
to schoolin PUSD. Please 
contact schools for specific start 
and dismissal times, registration 
and traffic instructions.

 Saturday, August 25

8:30 a.m. Roosevelt 
Elementary School invites 
you to participate in the Devil's 
Gate Dam 5K Run/Walk and 
Special Needs Awareness Expo 
in support of Danny's Farm, the 
working farm for children and 
adults with autism and other 
developmental disabilities. For 
more information, visit www.
devilsgatedam5k.com Hahamonga 
Watershed Park, Oak 
Grove Drive and Foothill Blvd., 
Pasadena 

Monday, August 27

6:30 p.m. PUSD's Community 
AdvisoryCommittee for 
Special Education invites parents, 
teachers, administrators 
and staff to "Fostering Empathy 
and Action in Our Schools," a 
workshop to help prevent bullying. 
The workshop will be led 
by Dan Alba, director of the Los 
Angelesoffice of Facing History 
and Ourselves, the international 
educational and professional 
development organization 
whose mission is to engage students 
of diverse backgrounds in 
an examination of racism, prejudice 
and anti-semitism in order 
to promote the development 
of a more humane and informed 
citizenry. Edison Professional 
Development Complex, 119 
W. Palm Avenue, Altadena. For 
more information, go to www.
cac.pasadenausd.org or contact 
CAC Chair Joy Costello at (626) 
797-9697

Tuesday, August 28

5:30 p.m. The Board of 
Education meets in public session. 
Spanish translation provided. 
Meetings are broadcast 
live on KLRN-TV and streamed 
live at www.pusd.us. Meeting 
agendas are posted in advance 
at www.pusd.us. Elbie J. Hickabottom 
Board Room, 351 S. 
Hudson Ave., Pasadena.

 Monday, September 3

PUSD schools and offices closed 
in observance of Labor Day.

PUSD WEEKLY NEWSFLASH - WELCOME BACK!

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

Foothill Oaks Academy

822 Bradbourne Ave., Duarte, CA 91010

(626) 301-9809 

info@foothilloaksacademy.org 

preschool@foothilloaksacademy.org

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

Do you have to many books at home? Wondering 
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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
THE REEL DEAL: by Ben Show

Movie Reviews Especially for Teens & ‘Tweens

DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: Dog Days

The latest installment of the ‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid’ series is almost exactly like the others 
except for one key aspect: it actually made me laugh. 

The movie begins with the Heffley family (Zachary Gordon, Devon Bostick, Steve Zahn, 
Rachael Harris, and Connor/Owen Fielding) going to a “fun” family swim to kick off 
the summer, which sounds nice, until you find out the pool is jam packed with people. 
The scene is filled with awkward, yet uncomfortably funny moments, like when the little 
Manny gets lost in the men’s shower room or when Greg has to go play with him in the 
little kids pool and he starts peeing.

While this movie made me laugh the most, it still has flaws and a lot of them. The acting 
was completely atrocious and nearly unbearable which, I guess, is part of the humor. Plus, 
out of all the relationships in the movie, only two really worked well: Greg and Rodrick, 
and Greg and Holly. The rest were decent at best.

At the same time, amidst all the bad acting, this movie is downright funny. Now, that 
could just be because I am roughly the same age as Greg, but I heard parents laughing in 
the theater. Not all of the humor works, though, and in those cases, you’re stuck with the 
characters in an awkward situation for over fifteen minutes.

Overall, I did find ‘Dog Days’ to be a decent movie. Most humor worked, some relationships 
made it, and the directing (David Bowers) was good enough. The screenplay needed a 
little more time put into it and the 
editor (Troy Takaki) could have cut 
some scenes shorter, but it was a good 
movie by kid’s standards. 

Ben Show is local Monrovian going 
into the eighth grade. He loves to 
read, write, and watch movies. He 
can be reached at (626) 429-6424 or 
benshow@earthlink.net