Mountain Views News          Saturday, December 6, 2014

EDUCATION & YOUTH

6

Mountain View News Saturday, December 6, 2014

LET THE SEASON BEGIN!

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: 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

Frostig School

971 N. Altadena Drive Pasadena, CA 91107

(626) 791-1255

Head of School: Chris Schnieders, PhD

Email: Jackykn@frostig.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

This holiday season got off to an ‘angelic’ start with performances by the Pre-K, Kindergarten, First, Second and Third 
graders at Sierra Madre Elementary School. Former Principal Gayle Bluemel directed the show. Pictured above are 
the first grade classes. Watching over all the performers in the top right hand corner was a very special guest!

CHOOSING THE 
RIGHT TOYS THIS 
HOLIDAY CAN 
HELP KIDS MEET 
DEVELOPMENTAL 
MILESTONES

(StatePoint) This holiday season, keep 
in mind the notion that what your 
children play with can have a large 
impact on their interests and brain 
development. So when it comes to a 
walk down the toy aisle, parents are 
becoming more discerning, leading 
smart toymakers to design toys with 
a learning component that’s equally as 
important as the fun.

VTech, a world leader in age-
appropriate and developmental stage-
based electronic learning products for 
children, works with a team of child 
development experts to assess toys and 
provide feedback before reaching store 
shelves.

The members of VTech’s Expert Panel 
are offering some helpful holiday 
shopping hints to parents looking to 
foster their child’s love of learning:

• Add it up: “Mathematical foundations 
provide the building blocks for future 
mathematical success, both in school 
and beyond,” says Dr. Francis (Skip) 
Fennell, mathematics educator.

“Toys that emphasize numbers, 
counting and beginning concepts with 
whole number operations will develop, 
support and encourage these crucial 
concepts and skills.”

The Count & Chomp Dino, for 
example, introduces children to 
numbers, colors, shapes and foods.

• Age-appropriate: “Children's brains 
are developing at a remarkable speed,” 
says Dr. Lise Eliot, an early childhood 
development expert. “Their toys 
should keep up with that growth.”

Keep kids challenged with educational 
toys that are age-appropriate, so they 
are never bored or frustrated. Consider 
child-sized, kid-friendly tablets, such 
as the InnoTab MAX, that are packed 
with educational, stage-based learning 
content.

• Full STEAM ahead: Science, 
technology, engineering and 
mathematics (collectively known as 
STEM) have gained more visibility in 
schools, along with the addition of arts 
to form STEAM.

However, says Dr. Carla C. Johnson, 
science and STEM expert, “It is still 
crucial to cultivate skills in these 
subjects and implement them in 
everyday learning. Educational toys 
can help kids develop self-confidence 
in the use and application of these 
important disciplines.”

• Build vocabulary: “Children absorb 
new information like sponges. Take 
advantage of their blossoming interests 
with interactive toys that highlight 
letters of the alphabet, the sounds 
letters make and vocabulary,” says Dr. 
Deborah Sharp Libby, early childhood 
language and reading expert. “Above 
all, don't forget the importance of 
reading to and with your children 
often!”

• Choose wisely: “Don’t get 
carried away with the bells and 
whistles. You and your kids will 
quickly look past those. Instead, 
look for toys that actively engage 
your kids through technology, 
by deeply integrating games and 
learning,” says Dr. Eric Klopfer, 
platform learning expert.

Remember, each child grows at his 
or her own pace, and there are few 
hard and fast deadlines when it 
comes to a child’s milestones. For 
a detailed guideline, sorted by age 
group and area of development, 
along with other free parenting 
resources, visit www.vtechkids.
com/milestones.

With toys as tools for learning, 
you can help children as they 
reach their educational and 
developmental milestones.


THE REEL DEAL: by Ben Show

MOCKINGJAY PART ONE


The last two ‘Hunger 
Games’ movies have had 
the actual Hunger Games 
to fall back on as central 
plot devices. The biggest 
question on people’s mind 
was most likely what would 
‘Hunger Games’ be like 
without the games? Would 
the characters and central 
plot be enough to carry the 
franchise into a totally new 
phase?

 Katniss Everdeen 
(Jennifer Lawrence) must 
become the Mockingjay, the figure at the front of a rebellion that 
she never even imagined possible. All the recent events in her life 
begin to culminate as everything moves into place for the final battle 
between the Districts of Panem and the Capitol. 

 ‘Mockingjay Part One’ is the appetizer before the main dish. 
‘Part One’ has a surprising amount of action and more than enough 
powerful emotional moments to keep the film moving at a good 
pace. There are times where it is obvious the director is stalling for 
time, but those moments are few and far between, and the final 
product is certainly a movie worth seeing.