Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, April 11, 2020

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Mountain View News Saturday, April 11, 2020 

MARANATHA HIGH SCHOOL USING 3D PRINTERS TO HELP 
COMBAT CORONAVIRUS

Maranatha High School has embarked on a project to help in the fight against COVID-19. The 
school’s TILE (Technology Integration Learning Environment) Lab, under the direction of 
Maranatha’s faculty member Miguel Almena, is utilizing its 3D printers to create reusable protective 
face masks for medical professionals who are facing critical shortages of necessary protective gear. 
Mr. Almena learned of one such need first-hand from a friend of his wife who is a nurse at Kaiser 
Hospital in Downey. She shared that they were facing a shortage of protective face masks and 
requested Maranatha’s help with 3D printing of about 80 or more high filtration masks. 

Mr. Almena (below with 3D mask) saw this as an opportunity for Maranatha to utilize its resources 
to serve the needs of others, part of the school’s mission statement. Maranatha’s TILE Lab equipment 
was sitting unused while the campus was closed due to the “Safer At Home” order and was stocked 
with plenty of raw materials just waiting to be put to good use. Mr. Almena located information 
on a website profiling the work of Dr. Dusty Richardson, a neurosurgeon at the Billings Clinic in 
Montana, who was freely distributing a print file for a 3D mask he had helped create in order to 
support local hospitals across the globe. 

Armed with the proper print files and a plan, and 
able to work remotely, Mr. Almena successfully 
sent the first test print from his home. Having 
determined his plan would work, he received 
approval from Maranatha’s Administration team 
to begin printing the first batch of masks. Since 
each mask is reusable and can be easily sanitized, 
he also ordered disposable hospital-grade 
filtration squares which can be inserted into 
each mask. These were delivered along with the 
printed masks to the nurses at Kaiser Hospital. 

The CDC has recently approved “homemade 
masks” for crisis management and shortages of 
approved materials. The masks Maranatha High School has printed are about 80% efficient using 
MERV14 quality filtration that filters down to 0.3 microns. While such masks are not intended 
to replace N95 masks, with reported shortages impacting healthcare workers worldwide, this is 
one measure that Maranatha, and other schools with 3D printers, can take to join the fight against 
COVID-19. Until he runs out of funds or raw materials, Mr. Almena hopes to continue producing 
the face masks to arm more health care workers with necessary protective gear in their battle against 
COVID-19. Working together we can save lives.

Organizations that would also like to produce 3D printed masks to donate to health care professionals 
can obtain the files and information at makethemasks.com.

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, Jo-Anne Woolner

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 College Preparatory

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 LUIS

E-mail address: LUIS.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


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