Mountain Views News, Pasadena Edition [Sierra Madre] Saturday, May 13, 2017

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EDUCATION & YOUTH

Mountain Views-News Saturday, May 13, 2017 

SCHOOL DIRECTORY

FROSTIG SCHOOL STUDENTS TOUR JONES COFFEE TO LEARN 

THE ART AND SCIENCE OF FINE COFFEE

ALVERNO HEIGHTS ACADEMY

200 N. Michillinda Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024

(626) 355-3463 Head of School: Julia V. Fanara

E-mail address: jfanara@alvernoheights.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 

Preschool-TK-8th Grade

Principal: Dr. William Walner

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: Jenny Janetzke

Email: jenny@frostig.org

The Gooden School

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

(626) 355-2410 

Interim Head of School, Merrily Dunlap 

website: www.goodenschool.org

High Point Academy

1720 Kinneloa Canyon Road Pasadena, Ca. 91107 

Head of School: Gary Stern 626-798-8989

website: www.highpointacademy.org

La Salle High School

3880 E. Sierra Madre Blvd. Pasadena, Ca. 

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

Principal Mrs. Courtney Kassakhian

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) 396-5880 Principal: Roberto Hernandez

website: http://phs.pusd.us

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) 396-3600 Website: www.pusd@pusd.us

rcadia 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

Pasadena, CA.—Frostig School 
students have learned to brew a 
wide variety of coffee drinks while 
working this year in the school 
café. The owner of Jones Coffee in 
Pasadena recently gave the young 
baristas a special lesson on coffee 
making with a tour of his roasting 
operation.

 Chuck Jones welcomed 15 
Frostig students to the Jones 
Coffee roastery and coffeehouse 
on South Raymond Avenue. Mr. 
Jones gave a tutorial on the art 
and science of roasting beans. The 
students watched as beans from 
Guatemala gradually turned from 
pale green to a deep brown in the 
roaster. By the end of the tour, 
students understood how coffee 
is produced, from farm to coffee 
cup.

 The students have an 
appreciation of coffee because of 
their work in Frostig’s student-run 
cafe. Frostig created the Fly-By café 
last year to give high school juniors 
and seniors an opportunity to gain 
work experience and job skills. 
The students work as baristas, 
cashiers and cooks in the Fly-By, 
which serves breakfast and lunch 
to students and staff at Frostig. 
In addition to learning how to 
operate an espresso machine 
and process orders using an 
iPad, students are learning about 
teamwork and responsibility.

 “The Fly-By Café is a series of 
teachable moments,” said Dean 
Conklin, executive director of 
The Frostig Center. “The kids are 
learning inventory, how to greet 
people. It’s a hands-on opportunity 
for our kids to grow.”

 Frostig School offers a full 
range of academic and support 
services for children with learning 
differences, such as dyslexia, 
dyscalculia, high-functioning 
autism and ADHD. Frostig 
School enrolls children who 
live throughout the greater Los 
Angeles area.


Jones Coffee owner Chuck Jones passes coffee beans to Gerad 
Hopkins for a close look.

Jones Coffee roaster Rafael Batiz releases beans from the roaster 
to cool.

ALVERNO HEIGHTS ACADEMY STUDENTS SHARE CHILDREN’S 
STORIES WITH ST. RITA SCHOOL 

The creative writing class recently created and read their stories to first graders

Sierra Madre, CA (May 8, 2017) – Students in Alverno Heights 
Academy’s Creative Writing class recently wrote and illustrated 
children’s stories to share with the first grade students at St. Rita 
Catholic School in Sierra Madre. 

 As a preparation for their writing, Alverno’s Creative Writing 
teacher Ms. Jannifer Heiner invited St. Rita’s first grade teacher and 
Alverno Alumna Ms. Ellen Behrens Hoffman ’74 to share some of 
the stories that her students enjoyed reading. Ms. Hoffman shared 
that her students enjoyed humorous stories, stories about animals, 
and stories that had an element of predictability within them. 

 Charged with the task, the members of the Creative Writing class 
got to work creating wonderful stories that fit the mold described 
by Ms. Hoffman. After working through several drafts, creating 
illustrations, and receiving feedback from Ms. Heiner over a few 
weeks, the Alverno students headed over to St. Rita to share their 
stories with the students. 

 In total, there were five books shared with the students that 
included exciting themes, adventures, and beautiful illustrations. 
The stories shared were: 

 Noah Goes to School by Moondera Rabb (12th Grade)- Noah 
Goes to School is the story of an owl named Noah who excitedly 
and accidentally heads to school on Saturday only to realize that no 
one is there! He almost makes the same mistake twice when he tells 
the principal, “I’ll see you tomorrow.” 

 Mr. Babu by Natalie Scigliano (11th Grade)- Mr. Babu is the story 
of a young boy who desperately wants to play outside but finds that 
desire impeded by the weather. 

 The Topsy Turvy Farm by Julia Landis (12th Grade)- In this 
adorable story, the residents of the Topsy Turvy Farm decide that 
they would like to switch roles for the day only to discover that they 
are not as good at everyone else’s jobs as they are at their own. 

 The Alien King by Kate Samaniego (11th Grade)- In The Alien 
King, an alien king invades Earth planning to take over but he 
quickly finds his plan thwarted by a young boy who banishes him 
to the outer universe and gains freedom for the planet and his 
minions. 

 The Tail of Mila the Mermaid by Amanda Coscarelli (11th 
Grade)- Mila is a young girl who has just one desire in life—to learn 
to swim to fulfill her dream of becoming a mermaid. At the end of 
the story, young Mila finally earns her fins. 

 “I really love having Alverno students come to my classroom, 
to share their work with my first graders,” said Ms. Ellen Behrens 
Hoffman, St. Rita First Grade Teacher and Alverno Class of 1974 
Alumna. “I’m always so impressed with their creativity, but also 
with their poise and confidence. It makes me proud to be an 
Alverno alumna myself! My first graders were completely engaged 
and entertained again this year. When the girls left, I asked my 
kids which story they liked best, and every one of the titles was 
mentioned! Another successful year!” 

“The girls really enjoyed working on these stories and created 
some beautiful final products,” said Ms. Jannifer Heiner, English 
and Creative Writing Teacher. “The first graders at St. Rita loved 
them and really engaged with the girls as they were reading, which 
provided a positive experience for both groups. We look forward to 
creating some more works to be able to share in the future.” 

About Alverno Heights Academy 

 Alverno Heights Academy is an all-girls, independent, progressive 
Catholic, college preparatory school dedicated to its mission of 
empowering each young woman to be exactly the person she wants 
to be. Located on the property of the former Barlow Estate in Sierra 
Madre, California, Alverno Heights Academy was founded in 1960 
by the Sisters of St. Francis who sought to create an environment in 
the San Gabriel Valley where young women could become informed 
and knowledgeable persons. Later renamed Alverno High School 
and sponsored by the Immaculate Heart Community, Alverno’s 
program—academic, spiritual, aesthetic, social, and physical—
has been shaped by the staff, trustees, and students. As Alverno 
Heights Academy once again, the school remains committed to its 
mission by encouraging each of their young women to be who they 
imagine. For more information about Alverno Heights Academy, 
please visit www.alvernoheightsacademy.org. 

GOLDENWORDS.....Advice for Students & Parents

HOW A SUMMER JOB CAN CHANGE A TEEN’S 
LIFE--NOW AND FOREVER


If you’re a teenager or a college-bound recent high school graduate, 
it’s not too late to find and make the most of a summer job. Any job, 
really. Here’s a distillation of the key benefits of having a summer job:

 --You’ll make money! Yay! However modest the income, it’s yours 
to use or save--and determining what to do with this money is a great 
introduction to becoming financially literate. 

 If you’re college-bound, no matter how much money you’re 
bringing, you need more. Those rolls of quarters for your laundry, 
late-night pizza and skyrocketing book costs all await you.0

 --Speaking of financial literacy: Study your first pay stub--it’s an 
introduction to the mysteries of withholding deductions to pay for 
Federal and State income taxes, FICA and other acronyms that you’ll 
want to understand now as you begin your life in the work force.

 --Think your paycheck is already shrunken? Let’s make it that 
much smaller for a very big reason. You should consider starting a 
Roth IRA retirement account with a small portion of your summer 
earnings. Many mutual fund companies and brokerages offer low-fee 
Roth IRA options for kids and teens. Sock away some money now and 
consider making your investment in an aggressive posture--time and 
compound interest will be your best friends!

 --Your summer job will teach you a lot more than financial basics. 
It will help you grow up, big time!

 As one of my students who worked in a fast-food setting commented: 
“My job taught me how to show up, on time, every time. It taught me 
how to step up--to show initiative without being asked by my boss. 
And it taught me that the hero of heroes is the guy who changes out 
the oil in the Fryolator. In our restaurant he’s a 35 year old learning 
disabled worker who takes a train and a bus to and from work every 
day, and he’s always on time,upbeat and smiling with everyone. It’s 
kind of hard to be in a teenage romantic funk when I compare myself 
to him!”

 Turns out there’s no such thing as a job that’s ‘too small”--only 
people who think they’re too big!

 Bus the tables, bag the groceries, clean the bathrooms--keep in mind 
that for many people this is the only work they’ll have for their entire 
lives, and this is your chance to show solidarity and comradeship with 
millions of workers often left faceless and nameless in our labor force.

 In the end, a summer job is a testing ground for your maturation, 
for your early forays into learning what it means to be professional 
about yourself. By the way, if you keep a ‘job journal’ at home and 
make notes to yourself occasionally about intriguing incidents, 
strange customers, bizarre overheard conversations, you’ll learn that 
much more about your experience.

 But it’s mid-May? Isn’t it too late to find a summer job?

 Nope. There are still lots of jobs, but you have to put yourself 
physically into motion and not assume you’ll find your summer job 
at this point by surfing employer websites. With some common-sense 
choices of your wardrobe and accessories, you should hit the street.

 But before you put down your laptop or smart phone, review 
this Jobstar web page for tons of 
links and good advice, including 
resources for camp jobs and other 
employment targets:

http://jobstar.org/socal/adjobs/
summer.php

 Though larger corporate 
employers usually do expect you to 
apply through their website, when 
you go into a retail branch store 
and ask, “I wonder if the person 
who oversees your summer hiring 
is on the floor and available for 
me to meet?” you will likely get 
to meet a manager who will take an interest in your interest. Maybe 
you’ll get a tip or two about how to apply and fill out their forms? 

 If you score a job with a national company and are off to college in 
the fall, find out if there’s a branch store near your university where 
you could continue part time work. And find out if you can return in 
December during your winter break for some lucrative double shifts 
during the holiday season!

 Still in high school? See if you can win that job in part because 
you promise the employer a ‘package deal’ of summer hours and 
continuing shifts during the school year and when you are on breaks. 

 Employers of students still in school will likely help you to get your 
“Work Permit” (actually it’s the Certificate of Age), which usually is 
issued by your high school of record.

 One final story about the power of summer jobs: When I was a college 
dean, one of my students worked her way up the food-service system, 
starting out in the dreaded hairnet as a kitchen helper, progressing 
to student manager and senior Intern in her final year of college. The 
international catering firm that managed our food services offered 
her a management trainee position upon graduation, fast-tracked her 
through catering and sales and food and beverage positions. She’d 
taken Mandarin Chinese in college, too. The combination marked her 
for further successes as a senior hospitality manager in Singapore and 
now Beijing.

 And her starting high school summer job? Swirling frozen custard 
into waffle cones at a local ice cream joint. Your professional path can 
start this summer, too. Get a job! Get a Roth IRA!

Get life experiences that help you to grow and to grow up, and put 
some dollars in your pocket!

 About the author: Dan Golden is the former founding director of Life Planning 
at the Vistamar School in El Segundo. He’s also been a dean, career director 
and fellowship advisor at Wheaton College (MA) as well as a tenured film and 
literature professor. Dan now consults with schools, districts and individuals on 
college access and success issues. dangolden0@gmail.com

Dan Golden, PhD


Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com