Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, September 5, 2020

9

EDUCATION AND YOUTH

Mountain Views-News Saturday, September 5, 2020 


PASADENALEARNS IN-PERSON 
EXPANDED LEARNING 

PROGRAMS BEGIN 

SEPTEMBER 8, 2020

Pasadena LEARNs logoPasadenaLEARNs is partnering with AfterSchool 
Adventures to provide in-person programs for Pasadena Unified School 
District (PUSD) students in Kindergarten-8th grade! Programs begin 
Tuesday, September 8, 2020. 

PasadenaLEARNs is currently enrolling students in grades K-8 in the in-person expanded learning programs 
being offered at all PUSD elementary and middle schools! Participating students will be provided 
with supervision, basic academic support, and enrichment activities during their regular day of online 
instruction. 

There is priority enrollment for foster and homeless youth, children PUSD employees, and the children 
of essential workers. All other enrollment is on a first-come-first-served basis. 

Elementary Programs: PasadenaLEARNs programs operate at all PUSD elementary schools from 8 am 
- 1 pm Monday-Friday. 

The City of Pasadena’s AfterSchool Adventures Programs are offered from 1:00-4:30 pm Monday-Friday 
at the following schools: Don Benito, Field, Hamilton, Jackson, Longfellow, Madison, McKinley, Norma 
Coombs, San Rafael, WAES, Webster, and Willard. Students must be enrolled in LEARNs to participate.

Middle School Programs: PasadenaLEARNs Programs operate at all PUSD middle schools from the beginning 
of the online school day (at 8:00 a.m.) until the end of the online school day (at 2:15 p.m.). The 
program's start and end times vary based on each school’s schedule. 

For more information, visit www.pusd.us/learns 

To apply, click on the link for your school.

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: Adela Solis (626) 355-6114 

solis@st-ritaschool.org

Website: www.st-ritaschool.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

GAP YEAR OR GOAL YEAR? DELAYED COLLEGE 
ENROLLMENT MEANS DELAYED DREAMS

By Dr. Edward C. Ortell, Citrus College Governing Board Member

As colleges and universities across the nation announce 
suspension of in-person classes for fall 2020, 40 percent of 
incoming freshmen at four-year institutions say it is likely 
or very likely they will not attend college this fall.

This decision amounts to a “gap year” without any of the 
perks. A practice that has long been popular in Europe, 
a gap year is a time for students to take a break between 
high school and college for the purpose of travel, work 
experience or volunteerism. The practice has grown in 
awareness and popularity in the U.S. in the past decade. 
For many students, a gap year has become a valuable time 
for personal growth and an opportunity to deepen professional 
awareness and explore career interests.

Covid-19 has changed all that. The pandemic has rendered 
travel nearly impossible, and job and volunteer opportunities 
are few and far between. At the same time, the 
increased danger of attending classes on a college campus 
has prompted many of the nation’s most prestigious institutions, 
such as Notre Dame, University of North Carolina 
at Chapel Hill and Michigan State, to switch to primarily 
online instruction for incoming freshmen. 

This has left many students and their parents questioning 
exorbitant tuition rates, when the same high quality 
of instruction, with fully transferable courses, is available online from a community college at a fraction 
of the cost. 

Recently, students at Rutgers launched a petition calling for a tuition cut, and it has received more than 
30,000 signatures. Princeton has offered its students a 10 percent discount on remote education. The majority 
of California’s four-year colleges and universities are also limiting instruction to primarily online 
offerings, but at a cost much higher than the same courses at a California community college.

Rather than deferring the start of a college education that could change the course of your future and help 
you achieve your dreams, why not give your goals a shot? Enroll at a local community college—and do it 
now—and make your gap year a goal year instead.


PUSD SCHOOL BOARD 
CANDIDATE CRYSTAL 
CZUBERNAT 

ANNOUNCES 
ENDORSEMENTS

Sierra Madre, California, September 1, 
2020 – 

PUSD parent and Distance Learning expert 
Crystal Czubernat announced today 
that she has been endorsed by Sierra 
Madre City Council Members Rachelle 
Arizmendi and Gene Goss and Sierra Madre Mayor John Capoccia as well as Sierra Madre's 
Pasadena City College Trustee Jim Osterling.

 Crystal Czubernat also announced she has been endorsed by Sierra Madre's current PUSD 
Board Member Larry Torres and former PUSD Board Member and Sierra Madre resident 
Mikala Rahn.

 Crystal stated “I am the only Sierra Madre resident and Sierra Madre Elementary parent on 
the ballot. I am the best choice to help guide not only Sierra Madre but East Pasadena through 
the big changes in teaching practices and the use of tech-nology the PUSD now faces.”

 Crystal Czubernat has spent nearly twenty years working in education, both as a credentialed 
teacher and then as a School Enrollment and Distance Learning Ex-pert. 

 Crystal has a Bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education, two Master’s Degrees (Curriculum 
and Instruction and Counseling) and is completing requirements for a Ph.d in Organizational 
Leadership.

 Crystal Czubernat is the mother of twins, who attend PUSD’s Sierra Madre Elementary.


CHRISTOPHER Nyerges


THE CALIFORNIA 
PEPPER TREE

 [Nyerges is the author of “Foraging California,” 
“Guide to Wild Foods,” “How to Survive 
Anywhere,” and other books. He can be 
reached at www.SchoolofSelf-Reliance.com, or 
Box 41834, Eagle Rock, CA 90041]

The California pepper tree (Schinus 
molle) is widespread in Southern California and 
Arizona, and some surrounding states. It is a large, 
stately tree with feathery, fern-like leaves that droop 
from the large limbs, giving it a very graceful appearance. 
It is somewhat misnamed since it is not from 
California – it comes originally from the arid regions 
of northern South America -- and it is not the plant 
where we normally get pepper (as in “salt and pepper”). 
Otherwise, it is perfectly named!

 I have always liked the appearance of this tree – it has 
a quality that I would call “Southern.” You can easily 
imagine one of these large trees next to some old 
Southern estate, along side a weeping willow tree.

 Eventually, people want to know if the little pink 
“peppers” from this tree are edible. Though not botanically 
related to the usual peppers we use as a dinner 
spice, you actually can take these little seeds and 
use them as condiments in the same way you’d use 
regular peppercorns. 

 The California pepper tree seeds are small, like the 
size of a BB. There is a pink papery outer shell, and 
within there is a hard seed. The flavor is delicate and 
enjoyable, but these are much more potent than ordinary 
peppers. These seeds must be first ground, and 
then added sparingly into soups, bread, stews, and 
other foods. Go moderate at first until you experience 
how much of the pepper you can tolerate. 

 When we were first experimenting with this seed, 
we once added a bit too much to some soup, and 
they were not finely ground. One guest, author Dave 
Hereford, went into a short choking fit, laughing and 
choking at the same time. Everyone was very concerned, 
but Dave told us not to worry, that he really 
enjoyed the flavor of the soup and the peppers.

 Ground fine and used sparingly, these peppers add 
a delicate flavor to bread when added to the batter. 
We’ve had it ground fine and added to soups and 
stews many times, and enjoy it more than regular 
pepper. But be sure to grind the seeds. 

 For best results, we’ve found that we should pick the 
pink seeds off the ground or off the tree. Then we set 
them in an uncovered bowl for a few weeks for them 
to dry and season. The pinkness will eventually fade 
and this is the better time to use the seeds for seasoning. 
You should remove all the stems before grinding, 
but you don’t need to remove the pink outing shell of 
the seed.

 It's hard to believe that a spice can be surrounded with 
any controversy, but there has been a lot of talk about 
this seed. Julia Child once tried some and said that she 
found them bland and didn’t recommend them. Also, 
some people get an allergic reaction to these seeds. In 
fact, Schinus molle is in a botanical family which has 
other members which cause skin and other reactions 
when touched or eaten. Because of this, there once 
was a voluntary 
FDA ban 
on stores 
selling 
these 
seeds, but 
the FDA 
chose to 
not force 
the labeling 
of this product as unsafe because it didn’t meet 
their guidelines for such labeling.

 I spoke with Dr. James Adams, USC pharmacologist, 
and author of “Healing with Medicinal Plants of the 
West.” For nearly 20 years, Dr. Adams studied with 
Cecilia Garcia, noted Chumash medicine woman.

 Dr. Adams sparingly uses the Califonrnia pepper 
seeds in his cooking, and likes them. He points out 
that approximately one in every thousand people are 
allergic to the seeds of California. In contrast, about 
one in every four people are allergic to poison oak oil.

 According to the University of California, the seeds 
and leaves of both the CA pepper (Schinus molle) and 
the Brazilian pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius) can 
cause allergic reactions. They list both as minor toxic 
garden plants. Interestingly, when the seeds from S. 
molle are grown in Spain, there is not the same level 
of allergic reaction as the seeds grown in California. 
The reason is currently unknown, but likely the result 
of different soil types and weather, which might produce 
more or less of the active chemicals in the tree.

 This is an easy-to-grow tree that tolerates drought, 
making it a desirable landscape tree. On the other 
hand, just as many gardeners dislike the fact that the 
limbs get so large that they occasionally drop, and 
that the leaves and small red seeds constantly drop.

 Sometimes woodworkers will make beautiful bowls 
and cups from the wood of this tree. And since the 
tree gets so large and might require periodic prunings, 
the wood can be available even if it is not cut 
down.

 This is a great tree to know if you happen to live in its 
zone. It is a fairly widespread tree, and is also easily 
grown. I have even seen these pink peppers in some 
specialty stores, either mixed with regular pepper or 
alone. 

 If you don’t have any near where you live and would 
like to try some, one package of the seeds (with postage) 
is just $8 from WTI (seed division), 5835 Burwood 
Ave., Highland Park, CA 90042. If you live in 
the Los Angeles area, you can get packages of these 
seeds every Tuesday at the Highland Park Farmers 
Market, at Avenue 58 and Figueroa, at “Julie’s” booth. 
Just try a little at first, and grind the seeds well, and 
see how you like it.


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