Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, October 8, 2022

Mountain Views-News Saturday, October 8, 2022 

BETHANY CHRISTIAN SCHOOL HOSTS PASTOR APPRECIATION 
BREAKFAST AND CHAPEL 

Bethany Christian School honored area pastors 
with a Pastor Appreciation Breakfast and 
Chapel on Thursday, October 6. Over forty 
pastors attended representing about twenty-
five different churches from as close as our 
own Sierra Madre to as far as Thousand Oaks 
and even San Diego. Churches represented included: 
Redeemed Life Church, The Chapel 
Pasadena, Bethany Church Sierra Madre, Vintage 
Church, The Church We Hope For, Chinese 
Christian Family Church, Davar Church, 
Christian Assembly, Interwoven Church. Fellowship 
Monrovia, CrossLife Community 
Church, Christ Church Sierra Madre, Epicentre 
Church, First Presbyterian Church Monro


via, Calvary Chapel Monrovia, Pasadena Nazarene Church, Prince of Peace Thousand Oaks, Osborne 
Neighborhood Church, Mercy Town. The pastors were treated to a hot breakfast with plenty of time for 
discussion and mutual encouragement. The pastors then attended a special Pastor Appreciation Chapel 
dedicated to honoring them and their ministry to our communities. The pastors had a chance to 
introduce themselves to the student body and the Bethany students and teachers prayed for them. Following 
this, each pastor paired up with and prayed for the Bethany students who attend their church. 
The event concluded with the Bethany Lions Choir singing special music. This event took place in 
October which is Pastor Appreciation Month. For more information about Bethany Christian School, 
please visit www.bcslions.org. 


SQUIDS, STARS, AND ROPES, OH MY: 
THE GOODEN SCHOOL’S TRIP TO PALI 
INSTITUTE 

Students from The Gooden School in Sierra Madre recently spent 
three days and two nights in the San Bernardino Mountains at 
Pali Institute, an outdoor education program located near Lake 
Arrowhead. 

At Pali, students had the opportunity to engage in a variety of 
hands-on, progressive learning based science courses, most of 
which were designed with an emphasis on the natural sciences and 
outdoor learning. 

A mainstay of Pali’s science offerings is the squid dissection course. 
In this class, students are led through a guided dissection of squids to gain insights into their anatomy. 
Pali staff member Dan Leonard described the course as one that “a lot of students are initially a bit 
hesitant - this is their first dissection for many of them,” but continued that “most of them tend to 
really take to the class - once they get past the smell, many of them end up really engaging with the 
hands-on nature of the class.” 

Pali Institute director Emily Bauder Balcome described the hands-on nature of many of their classes as 
“essential to the experience,” continuing: “at Pali Institute, our goal is to introduce experiential education 
to our students by providing progressive learning experiences that extend far beyond classroom 
walls. Through our innovative curriculum and excellent staff, students will experience the thrill of 
learning about the beautiful world around them. We bring textbooks to life.” 

Astronomy was another popular science course offered to Gooden students; Pali’s location in the San 
Bernardino mountains is largely free of light pollution, allowing for a much more engaging stargazing 
experience than would be possible in the suburban areas many of their students come from. In these 
classes, students were shown the major constellations visible from Southern California such as Draco, 
Ursa Major and Minor, as well as the Northern Star. 

“A lot of kids get here and they can only really point out the Big Dipper” noted Pali staff member Ryan 
‘Tito’ Cummings, who continued: “by the time they leave they can point out at least a few real constellations 
that don’t look like spoons.” 

On the wetter side, Gooden students participated in Pali’s Freshwater Biology course. In this class, 
students and staff took samples and data from Pop’s Pond, a pond onsite at Pali. Instructor Poppy 
Hales noted that “the kids really enjoyed [the class],” continuing: “it’s good entry-level fieldwork for 
kids interested in the natural sciences.” Hales noted that students “take readings and measurements 
of pH levels, temperature, and get to observe tons of fish, tadpoles, and turtles, which is always a hit.” 

Students also had the chance to participate in Pali’s variety of ropes challenge courses: high-flying 
obstacle courses (some up to 40 feet tall) designed to push participants beyond their comfort zones 
and encourage personal growth. 

“Kids swear they’re ‘too scared to climb’ all the time, and nine times out of ten they’re having a blast 
dozens of feet off the ground like ten minutes later,” noted Pali staff member Robbie Janney. “We offer 
encouragement, but most of the time it’s the other students who really push them outside of their 
comfort zone,” Janney continued. 

Overall, Pali Institute provided students with learning experiences that can’t be replicated in the 
classroom through a heavily hands-on curriculum, as well as opportunities for bonding and personal 
growth. 

Pali Institute staff said they were “extremely grateful for the opportunity to work with Gooden students” 
and were “impressed with their resiliency and attitude.” As a special thank-you, all Gooden 
School students are eligible to receive a 15% discount on tuition for Pali Adventures, Pali’s summer 
camp program. 

CEMALA SIERRA MADRE PRODIGY PERFORMS FOR POLICE 
CHIEF OF THE LOS ANGELES POLICE DEPARTMENT 

The Los Angeles Police 
Department and prodigy 
violinists. Cemala 
(Classical European 
Music Academy Los 
Angeles) under the 
direction of Magdolna 
Berezvai gave an outstanding 
performance 
for Police Chief. Michael 
R. Moore of the 
Los Angeles Police 
Department and his 
fellow Officers. LAPD 
witnessed some talent 
from CEMALA where 
they surely played with 
their maximum effort 
at such a young age to 
represent San Marino, 
California. 

From the moment the 


children walked on 
stage in front of LAPD Police Chief. Michael R. Moore with their violins and cellos, CEMALA 
gave their one and only performance impressing not only the police officers of the Los Angeles 
Police Department but Police Chief. Michael Moore. 15 players, dressed in black tails and 
full-skirted tea gowns. Cemala's San Marino students were extremely honorable for taking 
part in this honorable experience. 

Sierra Madre Cemala student Paula Buchanan, age 17 said " Music has been beneficial for my 
social well being. I have met good friends here and for sure will be friends for life." 

The Academy is under the leadership of the Hungarian born violinist Magdolna Berezvai, 
who has brought to Los Angeles the skills she learned in her musical studies in Hungary. Cemala 
currently is preparing for their Carnegie hall performance, New York 2022 where couple 
of spaces are still available. 

Cemala dedicates to effort and hard work in order to prepare for numerous performances 
all around the world and nationwide including the White House, New York Carnegie Hall, 
LAPD and also 2 times for LA Lakers as well and international concert tours worldwide. 

For more information: 

Contact Magdolna Berezvai, CEMALA's Artistic Director at 323-678-3239 or visit www.cemala.
com 

STUDENT LOAN SCAMMERS ARE CIRCLING. 
KEEP THEM AT BAY 

By K. Michelle GrajalesAttorney, Division of Financial Practices 

With the recent announcement of the one-time federal student loan debt relief plan, we 
knew scammers were on their way. Well, they’re here. The application for debt relief is 
rolling out any day now, so focus on getting information directly from the Department of 
Education. 

But what do these student loan scams look like? 

You might get an offer that seems real because they say there’s an affiliation with the Department 
of Education or your loan servicer — but it’s fake. The person who contacts you 
to “help” might even know something about your loan (your balance, or that you recently 
consolidated) — but that’s a scammer who’ll ask you to confirm that info as a way to get 
you to share even more details they can use. The “debt relief application” they give you is 
sometimes a direct deposit or Power of Attorney form — which lets the scammer start 
taking money from your bank account. And your (ahem) helper might ask for your FSA 
ID, or access to your account — but don’t share either. If you can’t get in to see your loan 
balance, you can’t tell that a company might be charging you while your real student loans 
go unpaid (and unforgiven). 

Whatever the story, here’s how to avoid student loan scammers: 

• Don’t pay anyone to help you apply for loan forgiveness. Nobody can get your loans 
forgiven faster, even if you pay them. This program is completely free — and the only way 
to apply is at StudentAid.gov. Sign up for Department of Education updates to find out 
when the application officially opens. 
• Don’t give away your FSA ID login information. If anyone says they need your FSA 
ID to help you, that’s a scam. Don’t do it. They can cut off contact between you and your 
servicer — and even steal your identity. 
• Don’t trust someone who contacts you saying they're affiliated with the Department 
of Education. Scammers use official-looking names, seals, and logos. They promise 
special access to repayment plans. None of that is real. If you’re not sure if the “offer” is 
legit, hang up and call your federal student loan servicer directly. 
Have you spotted one of these scams? Tell us about it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. 

Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 


SCHOOL DIRECTORY 


Alverno Heights Academy Email: schools@monrovia.k12.ca.us 
200 N. Michillinda Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 

Odyssey Charter School 

(626) 355-3463 Head of School: Julia V. Fanara 
725 W. Altadena Dr. Altadena, Ca. 91001 

E-mail address: jfanara@alvernoheights.org 

(626) 229-0993 Head of School: Lauren O’Neill 
Arcadia High School 

website: www.odysseycharterschool.org 

180 Campus Drive Arcadia, CA 91007 

Pasadena High School 

Phone: (626) 821-8370, Principal: Brent Forsee 

2925 E. Sierra Madre Blvd. Pasadena, Ca. 

bforsee@ausd.net 

(626) 396-5880 Principal: Mathew Kodama 
Arroyo Pacific Academy 

website: http://phs.pusd.us 

41 W. Santa Clara St. Arcadia, Ca,

(626) 294-0661 Principal: Phil Clarke St. Rita Catholic School 
E-mail address: pclarke@arroyopacific.org 322 N. Baldwin Ave. Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024Principal: Adela Solis (626) 355-6114 

Barnhart School 

solis@st-ritaschool.org 

240 W. Colorado Blvd Arcadia, Ca. 91007 

Website: www.st-ritaschool.org 

(626) 446-5588Head of School: Tonya Beilstein Sierra Madre Elementary School 
Kindergarten - 8th grade 

141 W. Highland Ave, Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 

website: www.barnhartschool.org 

(626) 355-1428 Principal: Lindsay LUISE-mail address: LUIS.lindsay@pusd.us 
Bethany Christian School 

Sierra Madre Middle School 

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

160 N. Canon Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 

(626) 355-3527 

(626) 836-2947 Principal: Garrett Newsom 
Preschool-TK-8th Grade 

E-mail address: newsom.garrett@pusd.us 

Principal: Jonathon Hawes

website: www. bcslions.org Walden School 
Clairbourn School 74 S San Gabriel Blvd 
8400 Huntington Drive Pasadena, CA 91107 (626) 792-6166San Gabriel, CA 91775 www.waldenschool.net 
Phone: 626-286-3108 ext. 172 

Weizmann Day School 

FAX: 626-286-1528 

1434 N. Altadena Dr. Pasadena, Ca. 91107 

E-mail: jhawes@clairbourn.org 

(626) 797-0204Foothill Oaks Academy Lisa Feldman: Head of School 
822 E. Bradbourne Ave., Duarte, CA 91010 

Wilson Middle School 

(626) 301-9809 

300 S. Madre St. Pasadena, Ca. 91107 

Principal: Nancy Lopez 

(626) 449-7390 Principal: Ruth Esseln 
www.foothilloaksacademy.org 

E-mail address: resseln@pusd.us 

office@foothilloaksacademy.org 
Frostig School 

Pasadena Unified School District 
971 N. Altadena Drive Pasadena, CA 91107 351 S. Hudson Ave., Pasadena, Ca. 91109 
(626) 791-1255 

(626) 396-3600 Website: www.pusd@pusd.us 
Head of School: Jenny Janetzke Arcadia Unified School District 
Email: jenny@frostig.org 234 Campus Dr., Arcadia, Ca. 91007 
(626) 821-8300 Website: www.ausd.net 
The Gooden School 
192 N. Baldwin Ave. Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 

Monrovia Unified School District 

(626) 355-2410 325 E. Huntington Dr., Monrovia, Ca. 91016 
Head of School, Jo-Anne Woolner 

(626) 471-2000website: www.goodenschool.org Website: www.monroviaschools.net 

High Point Academy Duarte Unified School District 
1720 Kinneloa Canyon Road 1620 Huntington Dr., Duarte, Ca. 91010 
Pasadena, Ca. 91107 (626)599-5000Head of School: Gary Stern 626-798-8989 Website: www.duarte.k12.ca.us 
website: www.highpointacademy.org 

Arcadia Christian School 

La Salle College Preparatory 1900 S. Santa Anita Avenue Arcadia, CA 91006 
3880 E. Sierra Madre Blvd. Pasadena, Ca. Preschool - and TK - 8th Grade 
(626) 351-8951 website: www.lasallehs.org 626-574-8229/626-574-0805Principal Dr. Jamal Adams Email: inquiry@acslions.com 
Monrovia High School Principal: Cindy Harmon 
325 East Huntington Drive, Monrovia, CA 91016 website: www.acslions.com 

(626) 471-2800 Principal Darvin Jackson