Mountain Views News     Logo: MVNews     Saturday, April 6, 2013

MVNews this week:  Page 8

LOVE ME, LOVE ME NOT 
(continued from page 1) 
Whereas the lower campus project is complete, the upper campus still sits in an ecosystem of weeds and brush. To add insult to injury, 
what was originally designed to be a shining beacon on the hill, will look more like faded remnants of broken promises. A sharp 
reminder that what is right is not necessarily politically expedient. And when the two are set to collide, politically expedient wins a 
majority of the time. 
To offset declining state funds and the rise in construction costs, PUSD has put the campus design through a series of cuts. Most 
of the items being removed are cosmetic in design and function. No field upgrades, a significant change in the cooling system and 
changes in the rainwater runoff barriers. According to the project manager Frasier Thompson, the district is committed to building 
the upper campus in so far as the price tag does not exceed $27 million. The first round of construction bids came in at $29 million 
and were promptly rejected by PUSD, much to the bewilderment of the community. The objective of this current project overhaul is 
to remove uncertainty in the RFP, which leads to padding/overestimates by the contractors. 


 In short, the middle school continues to sit dormant, in a state of aesthetic and functional deficiency. The gorgeous façade of the 
new wing at the lower campus is in stark contrast to the construction fence-lined walkway students are forced to negotiate at the upper 
campus. As for now, all assurances from the project leaders point towards a bid process to begin over the next several weeks, with 
groundbreaking to occur sometime this summer. It’s a recurring “April Fool’s joke at which that no one is laughing. 

8

EDUCATION & YOUTH

 Mountain Views News Saturday, April 6, 2013 

SCHOOL DIRECTORY

PUSD WEEKLY NEWSFLASH 


Kindergarten enrollment has begun at PUSD elementary schools. 
Contact your neighborhood school for details or to schedule a 
tour. Many schools will be participating in PUSD’s Kinder Day on 
Wednesday, April 10 with tours, kindergarten readiness information 
and more. To be eligible for kindergarten in PUSD, a child 
must turn five years old by Sept. 1, 2013. PUSD will also be offering 
transitional kindergarten for children turning five between Sept. 
2,, 2013 and Dec. 1, 2013. To register for kindergarten, a parent/
guardian must provide a copy of the child’s birth certificate, immunization 
records, proof of rent or home ownership within PUSD’s 
boundaries and a recent utility bill in the parent/guardian’s name. 
Call 626-396-3600, ext. 88340 with enrollment questions.

Parents can also register their child for kindergarten for the 2013-
2014 school year at PUSD’s Kindergarten Registration and Readiness 
Fair Saturday, April 20 from 9 a.m. – Noon at the Rose City 
Great Room located at the corner of Oak Knoll Avenue and Del 
Mar Boulevard in Pasadena. Free immunizations for incoming 
kindergartners who are Medi-Cal eligible or uninsured will be 
available. Families can also learn about how to prepare their child 
for kindergarten, what pre-kindergarten summer programs are 
being offered by the Pasadena Educational Foundation and other 
groups, and more about PUSD’s state recognized transitional kindergarten 
program. 


PUSD students will take standardized tests such as STAR this 
month. PUSD’s testing period opens April 11. 
The City of Pasadena offers a variety of summer day camps June 17 
through August 19. Early registration is now underway. For more 
information, please contact the Citywide Recreation Office at (626) 
744-7500 or visit www.ci.pasadena.ca.us

 

The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens 
invites families with children in PUSD’s first grade classes to visit 
free of charge on two upcoming Saturdays: April 20 and May 18. 
Admission flyers were sent home with students. The flyer must be 
presented at the admission desk. For more information contact 
Jennifer Olson at the Pasadena Educational Foundation (PEF) at 
(626) 396-3600 x88372 or jolson@pasedfoundation.org.

The City of Pasadena offers a variety of summer day camps June 
17 through August 19. Early registration is now underway. For 
more information, please contact the Citywide Recreation Office at 
(626) 744-7500 or visit www.ci.pasadena.ca.us 


The City of Pasadena Human Relations Commission is holding its 
20th Annual Human Relations Essay Contest titled, “What Can I 
Do to Improve Human Relations in Pasadena?” The Essay Contest 
is open to all 9th – 12th grade high school students in Pasadena. 
The contest deadline has been extended to Monday, April 
8. Awards are as follows: 1st Place - $500, 2nd Place - $300, 3rd 
Place - $200 and Teacher with the most entries - $50, Teacher with 
the winning entry - $50. Entries should be delivered to the Jackie 
Robinson Center at 1020 N. Fair Oaks, Pasadena. This program 
is sponsored by the City of Pasadena Human Relations Commission, 
with funding provided by private donations, College Launch 
and Love Birds Café and Bakery. For more information call Sonya 
Amos at (626) 744-4234 or e-mail at samos@cityofpasadena.net. 


The Henry W. Longfellow Elementary School PTA is looking for 
Longfellow alumni from all eras to participate in a Longfellow 
School history project as part of a centennial celebration on May 
18, 2013, from 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm. The celebration will feature 
student music, art and literature, a local vendor arts and crafts fair, 
community exhibitors, time capsule, crafts, activities, and food 
vendors. Longfellow School opened its doors for the first time in 
the fall of 1912 in a Henry Mather Greene-designed building. One 
hundred years later, Longfellow School remains a strong neighborhood 
school in the Pasadena Unified School District. Longfellow 
Elementary School,1065 East Washington Boulevard, Pasadena. 
More information can be found at www.ptalongfellow.org/centennial/ 
or by emailing centennial@ptalongfellow.org.

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: Brent Forsee

bforsee@ausd.net

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: Ethan Williamson

Kindergarten - 8th grade

website: www.barnhartschool.org

Bethany Christian School

93 N. Baldwin Ave. Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024

(626) 355-3527 Principal: James Lugenbuehl

E-mail address: jml@bcslions.org

website: www. bcslions.org

Clairbourn School

8400 Huntington Drive

San Gabriel, CA 91775

Phone: 626-286-3108 ext. 172

FAX: 626-286-1528

E-mail: jhawes@clairbourn.org

Foothill Oaks Academy

822 Bradbourne Ave., Duarte, CA 91010

(626) 301-9809 

Co-Principals Nancy Lopez and Diane Kieffaber

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 

Headmaster John Higgins

626-798-8989

website: www.highpointacademy.org

LaSalle High School

3880 E. Sierra Madre Blvd. Pasadena, Ca. 

(626) 351-8951 website: www.lasallehs.org

Principal Bro. Christopher Brady, FSC

Monrovia High School

325 East Huntington Drive, Monrovia, CA 91016 

(626) 471-2800 Principal Darvin Jackson

Email: schools@monrovia.k12.ca.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

website: www.pasadenahigh.org

St. Rita Catholic School

322 N. Baldwin Ave. Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024

Principal Joan Harabedian

(626) 355-9028 website: www.st-rita.org

Sierra Madre Elementary School

141 W. Highland Ave, Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024

(626) 355-1428 Principal: Esther Salinas

E-mail address: salinas.esther@pusd.us

Sierra Madre Middle School 

160 N. Canon Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024

(626) 836-2947 Principal: Garrett Newsom

E-mail address: newsom.garrett@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

ARCADIA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT

234 Campus Dr., Arcadia, Ca. 91007

(626) 821-8300 Website: www.ausd.net

MONROVIA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT

325 E. Huntington Dr., Monrovia, Ca. 91016

(626) 471-2000 Website: www.monroviaschools.net

DUARTE UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT

1620 Huntington Dr., Duarte, Ca. 91010

(626)599-5000 Website: www.duarte.k12.ca.us

LA SALLE’S 

14TH ANNUAL 
CRYSTAL BALL 
SET FOR APRIL 
12, 2013


La Salle High School will 
hold its 14th Annual Crystal 
Ball entitled “CirQue 
De La Salle on April 12 
at the Langham Hotel 
in Pasadena. The 2013 
honorees and recipients of 
the Lasallian Volunteer of 
the Year Award are Mr. and 
Mrs. Steve Seidner P’09,’12.

Gigantic silent and live auctions 
will run throughout 
the evening, and a Hawaiian 
vacation will be raffled. 
A live band will provide 
musical entertainment.

The Crystal Ball is La Salle's 
most important fundraising 
event and provides tremendous 
support 

for it's academic, art, athletic, 
and financial aid programs. 
These funds most 
significantly, support the 
San Miguel Scholarship 
Program as La Salle enrolls 
5% of each entering 
freshman class into a need-
based program for very 
low-income families.

For reservations or more 
information please call 
La Salle High School at 
626.696.4312. 

SKILLZ SUMMER SCHOOL VALIDATES THE POWER OF 
RELATIONSHIPS!

“Love + support + high expectations + credits = a winning formula for teen success” is the recipe the SKILLZ Summer School planning 
partners believed in when developing a free, innovative summer school program in Pasadena three years ago to assist teens most at-risk 
of dropping out of school. By completing a mix of life skills workshops and academic classes, the students can earn up to ten school 
credits toward graduation. In addition to improving school success, SKILLZ helps increase the students’ confidence, motivation and 
social skills. Spearheaded by Flintridge Center, in collaboration with Day One, Lake Avenue Community Foundation and the Pasadena 
Unified School District (PUSD), the five-week program has served more than 300 students to date.

Last year’s SKILLZ program served over sixty 9th and 10th graders. From participating students, 41% reported having a GPA of less than 
1.5 in the last semester. At the end of SKILLZ, 40% reported trying much harder than during the regular school year because they felt 
“cared for.” 67% of students reported that quality of teaching in SKILLZ academic classes (Math and English) were very effective due to 
smaller classrooms and specialized attention. A student from Room 201 stated, “SKILLZ staff doesn’t like us – they love us and believe 
in us!” As a result, one third of students reported realizing their potential and ability to do well in school if they tried. 

“SKILLZ is a great example of how love, high expectations, and genuine relationships with students can make a difference. Each and 
every student goes through an interview process that allows us to better understand why they didn’t pass the first time and how we 
can support their success. Students shared openly and honestly. The answers ranged from not having insurance to cover eye glasses, to 
not having time to do homework due to being responsible for younger siblings at home. It’s amazing how just taking 5 minutes to understand 
what the kids were going through empowered us to better support their needs and agree on working as a team towards their 
success.” shared Day One Executive Director, Christy Zamani.

Currently, SKILLZ 2013 is in the works! To find out more information about ways to get involved, starting date and offered classes, please 
visit Day One’s website at www.dayonepasadena.org.

THE REEL DEAL: by Ben Show

Movie Reviews Especially for Teens & ‘Tweens

G.I. JOE RETALIATION

G.I. Joe: Retaliation Review

 After seeing G.I. Joe: 
The Rise of Cobra, I was 
greatly looking forward to 
the sequel that I knew was 
coming and, I am pleased 
to say, that Retaliation is exactly 
what I was looking for.

 The Joe's are sent 
off on a covert mission to 
rescue a nuke from Pakistan, 
but end up taking the 
blame for the assassination 
of the middle eastern country's 
leader. Their base is attacked, 
leaving only Roadblock 
(Dwayne Johnson), 
Flint (D.J. Cotrona), and Jaye 
(Adrianne Palicki) to lead a 
strike on the world's greatest 
terrorist group, Cobra.

 While the dialogue is 
stilted at points and the acting 
is mediocre, the plot, story development, and action scenes 
remain this movie franchise's high points. Overall, this is an enjoyable 
and entertaining movie, but can be missed if one is not a 
big fan of the series.


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