Mountain Views News, Sierra Madre Edition [Pasadena] Saturday, December 29, 2018

9

EDUCATION & YOUTH 

Mountain Views-News Saturday, December 29, 2018 

WAYS TECHNOLOGY CAN HELP YOU ACHIEVE 
NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS

SCHOOL DIRECTORY


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 E. Bradbourne Ave., Duarte, CA 91010

(626) 301-9809

Principal: Nancy Lopez

www.foothilloaksacademy.org

office@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 

Head of School, Carl Parke 

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: Lindsay Lewis

E-mail address: lewis.lindsay@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

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

Arcadia Christian School

1900 S. Santa Anita Avenue Arcadia, CA 91006

Preschool - and TK - 8th Grade

626-574-8229/626-574-0805

Email: inquiry@acslions.com

Principal: Cindy Harmon

website: www.acslions.com

You may have a long list of New Year’s resolutions. 
Luckily, these days, your efforts can be simplified 
with the use of technology. Check out these high-
tech ways to achieve your 2019 goals:

• Focusing: An ancient practice with renewed 
popularity today, the benefits of meditation can’t 
be overstated. If you’re resolving to meditate in 
the New Year, you may be hard pressed to actually 
go about it, particularly if you haven’t meditated 
before. Luckily, there are plenty of handy apps 
available that can lead you through a guided 
practice. From Headspace to Stop, Breathe & 
Think, a calmer day is at your fingertips.

• Staying Active: If staying active is a struggle for 
you, consider some wearable tech for that needed 
jolt of motivation. Whether you are already an 
outdoor enthusiast or an aspiring one, a watch 
that’s also an activity tracker, compass, altimeter 
and more is a great tool for getting active in the New 
Year. For example, the WSD-F30 from the PRO 
TREK Smart series has Bluetooth connectivity, 
Wi-Fi and enables the use of offline maps and 
GPS log recording for up to three consecutive 
days. And because it is water-resistant up to 
50 meters and boasts environmental durability 
built to military specifications, it’s a sound 
choice no matter what your 2019 plans include 
-- be it mountain biking, hiking or whitewater 
rafting.

• Making Music: Resolving to finally learn to play 
the piano? The struggle to learn a new skill can be 
disheartening. Learn to make music in a way that’s 
intuitive and fun so that you stick with it. New 
models of keyboards often offer features that can 
help. The CT-X700 from Casio is an affordable 
option that features a Step-Up lesson system that 
displays proper fingering and notation so you can 
quickly learn songs, and a six-track recorder is 
waiting for you when you are ready to put your 
new skills to the test and record your music.

• Boosting Knowledge: Taking on a foreign 
language in the New Year is easier than ever 
before. Whereas in the past, you may have been 
inclined to buy language CDs and sit in a quiet 
room to study, now apps such as Duolingo are 
allowing language learners to squeeze in lessons 
and practice whenever they have downtime.

• Getting Organized: With tax season on the 
horizon, and the perennial importance of building 
savings and having good credit, if you resolve to 
organize one aspect of your life in the New Year, 
let it be your finances. Use next generation tools 
to do so, like the HR-170RC, a printing calculator, 
which can help you find discrepancies, keep 
records and get a great start to 2019. Be sure to 
look for features like fast, two-color printing, tax 
keys, a calendar and multicolor display.

This new year, achieve your resolutions with style 
and ease, using up-to-date technologies to learn 
new skills, get organized and more.

THE GOOD LIFE

SENIOR HAPPENINGS

HOW TO COPE WITH SEASONAL 

AFFECTIVE DISORDER


HAPPY BIRTHDAY! ….December Birthdays*

Pat Karamitros, Joan Hufnagel, Mary Alice Cervera, Carol Horejsi, Shirley Anhalt, 
Mignon Grijalva, Helen Reese, Levon Yapoujian, Toni Buckner, Lottie Bugl, Pat 
McGuire, Sheila Wohler, Nan Murphy, Eleanor Hensel, Sylvia Curl, Elizabeth Levie, 
Gayle Licher, Cindy Barran, and Melissa Stute. * To add your name to this distinguished 
list, please call the paper at 626.355.2737. YEAR of birth not required but you must be over 60.

 

HART PARK HOUSE MONTHLY PROGRAMS: 

Unless listed differently, all activities are at the Hart Park House (Senior Center) 222 W. 
Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre

Hawaiian & Polynesian Dance Class: Every Tuesday Morning from 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. 
Join the class with Instructor Barbara Dempsey as she leads you in the art of Hula!

Bingo Time: Every Tuesday beginning at 1:00 p.m. Cards are only $0.25 each! Everyone is 
welcome to play! Activity may be canceled if there are less than five people. 

Free Blood Pressure Testing: 2nd Tuesdays Monthly from 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. No appointment is necessary.

Brain Games: Thursday, December 13th 10:30 - 11:30 a.m. Join us for Scattergories, a creative thinking game by 
naming objects within a set of categories; or Jenga, a block-building challenge that keeps you stacking and balancing 
your tower. Everyone is welcome, and no experience is needed. A great way to strengthen your mind and make new 
friends... Games are facilitated by Senior Volunteers.

Free Legal Consultation: Wednesday, December 19th from 10:30 a.m. - Noon. Attorney Lem Makupson is available for 
legal consultation. Specializing in Family Law, Wills, Trusts, Estates and Injury. Please call the Hart Park House for an 
appointment, 626-355-5278 ext. 704. 

Senior Club: Meets Saturdays Monthly at Hart Park House… Brown Bag Lunch and great company at 11:30 a.m. 

Chair Yoga: Mondays & Wednesdays 11:00 - 11:45 a.m. with Paul Hagen. Classes include Yoga and balance exercises. 
All ability levels are encouraged and welcomed! * Voluntary Donations of $5.00 per week per participant are suggested 
but not required.

Birthday Celebration: Every 2nd Thursday Monthly at the Hart Park House. Share free birthday cake and ice cream 
kindly provided by the Senior Community Commission! 

Game Day: Every Thursday Monthly 12:00 Noon come into the Hart Park House and join a lively poker game with 
friends!

Free Strength Training Class: Fridays 12:45 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. with Lisa Brandley. This energetic class utilizes light weights, 
low impact resistance training and body conditioning. Class equipment provided.

Save the Date: Senior Excursion, Wednesday, Dec. 19th to Rogers Gardens in Corona Del Mar. 


Dear Savvy Senior,

What can you tell me about seasonal affective 
disorder? I have always hated wintertime, but since I 
retired and am home a lot more, the dark and cold 
winter months make me depressed and lethargic. 

Fighting the Blues

Dear Fighting,

If you get depressed in the winter but feel better in 
spring and summer, you may indeed have seasonal 
affective disorder (or SAD), a wintertime depression 
that affects roughly 6 percent of Americans. 

 In most cases, SAD is related to the loss of 
sunlight in the winter months. Reduced sunlight can 
upset natural sleep-wake cycles and other circadian 
rhythms that can affect the body. It can also cause a 
drop in the brain chemical serotonin, which affects 
mood, and can increase the levels of the hormone 
melatonin, which can make you feel more tired and 
lethargic. 

 If you think you may have SAD, a trip to your 
doctor’s office is the best way to diagnose it or you 
can take a SAD “self-diagnostic” test at the Center 
for Environmental Therapeutics website at CET.org/
self-assessment. In the meantime, here are several 
treatment options and remedies that can help. 

 Light therapy: The most effective treatment for 
SAD is sitting in front of a specialized light therapy 
box for 15 to 20 minutes a day. Light therapy mimics 
outdoor light to cause a change in brain chemicals 
linked to mood. It’s most effective when timed to 
fit a person’s individual circadian rhythm, which 
varies widely from person to person depending on 
whether they’re a night owl or a morning lark. You 
can calculate the proper time for doing light therapy 
by taking the circadian rhythm test at CET.org/self-
assessment.

 The best light therapy lamps provide 10,000 lux 
of illumination, many times stronger than typical 
indoor light, and have a diffuser screen that filters out 
ultraviolet rays and projects downward toward the 
eyes. 

 Some top-rated products as rated by Wirecutter.
com include the Carex Day-Light Classic Plus Lamp 
($115), Verilux HappyLight Deluxe 10,000-Lux 
Sunshine Simulator ($160), and the Northern Light 
Technology Boxelite Desk Lamp ($190), all of which 
are available at Amazon.com.

 Cognitive behavioral therapy: Even though SAD 
is considered to be a biological problem, identifying 
and changing thought and behavior patterns can help 
alleviate symptoms too. To help you with this, choose 
a therapist who specializes in cognitive behavioral 
therapy and who has experience in treating SAD. 
To locate someone in your area, check with the 
Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies 
(FindCBT.org), or the Academy of Cognitive 
Therapy (AcademyofCT.org). 

 Antidepressants: Some people with SAD 
benefit from antidepressant treatment, especially if 
symptoms are severe. Some proven medications to 
ask your doctor about include the extended-release 
version of the antidepressant bupropion (Wellbutrin 
XL, Aplenzin), and antidepressants selective 
serotonin reuptake inhibitors (S.S.R.I.s), sertraline 
(also known as Zoloft) and fluoxetine (also known 
under the brand name Prozac). 

 But keep in mind that it may take several weeks 
to notice full benefits from an antidepressant. In 
addition, you may have to try different medications 
before you find one that works well for you and has 
the fewest side effects.

 Lifestyle remedies: Some other things you can 
do to help alleviate your SAD symptoms include 
making your environment sunnier and brighter. So, 
open up your blinds, sit closer to bright windows and 
get outside as much as can. Even on cold or cloudy 
days, outdoor light can help, especially if you spend 
some time outside within two hours of getting up 
in the morning. Moderate exercise such as walking, 
swimming, yoga and even tai chi can also help 
alleviate SAD symptoms, as can social activities.

 Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. 
Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.
org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show 
and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.


SENIOR MOVIE: 1st and 3rd Wednesdays Monthly 1:00 p.m.

December 5th National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation

 Rated - PG-13 1hr 37 min 

Its Christmas time and the Griswalds are preparing for a holiday celebration. Things 
never run smoothly for Clark, his wife Ellen and their children. His bad luck is worsened 
by obnoxious family but he stays positive knowing his Christmas bonus is near.

December 19th Book Club 

 Rated - PG-13: 1hr 59 min

When deadly ghost pirates led by his old nemesis, the terrifying Captain Salazar escape from the Devil’s Triangle, 
determined to kill every pirate at sea, Captain Jack Sparrow’s only hope for survival lies in seeking out the legendary 
Trident of Poseidon, the powerful artifact bestows upon its possessor total control over the sea. 


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