EDUCATION AND YOUTH 

7

Mountain View News Saturday, February 15, 2025

SCHOOL DIRECTORY

$100,000 Raised For Arcadia Unified 
Wildfire Victims

The Long Road to Recovery Made Smoother by United Community

ARCADIA- Described by many as a war zone, the Eaton Fire was one of the deadliest 
and most destructive wildfires in the history of California. In addition to torching 
more than 14,000 acres in and around the foothills of Altadena, the fire completely 
destroyed more than 9,000 structures, mostly residential homes, and killed 17 people. 
A lifetime of sacrificing, saving, and dedicating everything to finally acquire the 
American dream, and in an instant, it was a nightmare for thousands of people. 

“I always knew people were good, but I never knew how good and how many,” said 
Karina Herrera, a School Psychologist/Behavior Analyst for Arcadia Unified. 

Herrera was just one of nearly 30 Arcadia Unified staff, students, and families who 
were among the thousands of victims who lost everything. She described the long 
road to recovery as another full-time job– and then some.

“You’re up first thing in the morning on the phone making calls, talking with your 
insurance, trying to find housing. There’s so much to do and you’re still on the phone 
at 10 p.m. You do that same routine day after day, while still trying to keep up with 
your actual full-time job,” Herrera explained. 

While the flames were still burning and the lingering smoke still a constant reminder 
of the devastation, humanity started to shine a light. GoFundMe pages were created, 
and donation drives were in full swing. Many at home, watching the heartbreak unfold 
on their televisions, wondered how they could help. The Downtown Arcadia 
Improvement Association teamed up with the Arcadia Educational Foundation to 
promptly raise funds for all the staff and families in Arcadia Unified who lost their 
homes. The culminating event was the Downtown Arcadia Lunar New Year Festival 
on Sunday, February 2, in which a check for $100,000 was presented to Arcadia Unified 
Superintendent Dr. David Vannasdall.

“The word grateful feels inadequate to describe how we feel. You've shown so many, 
including my son, that even in the darkest times, we are surrounded by a community 
that cares deeply and acts with extraordinary kindness. Your actions have turned our 
loss into a powerful lesson about the strength of community and the impact of empathy. 
This is the very essence of what makes Arcadia so special,” said Dr. Kelsey Brown, 
the Principal of Baldwin Stocker Elementary School. 

Dr. Brown and her son Calder, a fifth-grade student at Longley Way Elementary 
School, have been sharing a small room at her sister’s home after their house was a 
total loss in the fire. 

“From the clothing that has kept us warm on these cold nights, to the thoughtful cards 
that lifted our spirits, to the everyday essentials that helped us keep our routines, and 
the generous financial donations that gave us hope – you wrapped your arms around 
us when we needed it most,” Dr. Brown shared in an email to friends and colleagues.

Only four other fires in California history have been more deadly than the Eaton Fire 
and the 17 lives lost. The Camp Fire in Butte County in November of 2018 remains 
atop the unenviable list with 85 casualties. Second to the Camp Fire, is the Griffith 
Park tragedy in October of 1933, also in Los Angeles County and just a dozen miles 
from Altadena, where only 47 acres burned, but 29 people died. All casualties were to 
firefighters working to extinguish the fire. 

Complicating matters and consuming much-needed resources was the Palisades fire, 
less than 40 miles away, and also in Los Angeles County. The infamous Santa Ana 
winds fueled both infernos with gusts near 100 miles per hour throughout some locations 
in Southern California. The Palisades Fire burned nearly 24,000 acres, another 
5,000 homes were destroyed in and around the Santa Monica Mountains, and eight 
people died. The Eaton and Palisades fires rank as the second and third most destructive 
wildfires in California history with an estimated economic loss of $250 billion 
according to the Los Angeles Times.

It took a heroic effort by first responders and nearly a month before both fires were 
fully extinguished. It will now take years before both communities rebuild. In November 
of 2023, five years after the Camp Fire, only 21 percent of the homes lost in 
the town of Paradise had been rebuilt according to a report from KCRA Television. 

While the road to recovery for the victims will be long, winding, and with inevitable 
bumps, knowing a community is along for the ride makes all the difference.

“Because of you we are beginning to heal and meet each new day, drawing deeper 
breaths, with a new resolve; a new focus, and a new level of resilience for this unexpected 
and long road forward,” Dr. Brown explained. 

The donation drive for Arcadia Unified staff and families is open until February 28. 
Once all the donations have been gathered, they will be distributed evenly among 
Arcadia Unified staff and families. You can donate directly through the Arcadia Educational 
Foundation’s website at www.aefk12.org. 

Alverno Heights Academy

200 N. Michillinda Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024

(626)355-3463

Head of School: Joanne Harabedian

E-mail address: jharabedian@alvernoheights.org

Arcadia Christian School

1900 S. Santa Anita Avenue Arcadia, CA 91006

Preschool - TK - 8th Grade

626-574-8229/626-574-0805

Email:inquiry@acslions.com

Principal: Cindy Harmon

website: www.acslions.com

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

Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary School

Ms. Rose Navarro, Principal

2660 East Orange Grove Blvd.

Pasadena, Ca 91107

626-793-2089

https://school.abvmpasadena.org/

Barnhart School

240 W. Colorado Blvd Arcadia, Ca. 91007

(626)446-5588

Head of School: Tonya Beilstein

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: Jonathon Hawes

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

Interim Principal Ernest Siy

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: Dr. Eric Barba

website: http://phs.pusd.us

St. Rita Catholic School

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

Principal: Jon McMaster (626) 355-6114 

mcmaster@st-ritaschool.org

Website: www.st-ritaschool.org

Sierra Madre Elementary School

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

(626)355-1428

Principal: Dr. Jodi Marchesso

E-mail address: marchesso.jodi@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








YMCA LA ANNOUNCES LONG-TERM SUPPORT 
FOR ANGELENOS IMPACTED BY WILDFIRES

Resources to aid with recovery include free mental health services, 
childcare, academic support for students, and much more

In the wake of last month's devastating wildfires, the YMCA of Metropolitan 
Los Angeles today announced comprehensive, personalized 
support to help individuals and families rebuild and recover. The Y – 
which operates 28 centers across the L.A. region – is offering a range 
of essential resources to help Angelenos through both the immediate aftermath and the 
long-term recovery process.

“The LA Y is here for the long haul,” said Victor Dominguez, President and CEO of the 
YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles. “We welcome everyone who needs assistance. No one 
should feel alone, especially at a time like this.”

For anyone impacted by the fires, the following services are available: 

Well-Being Coordinators at each YMCA center to help navigate care, track progress, and 
plan for recovery. 

Distribution centers with supplies, food and essential items. 

Free mental health services including counseling and support networks. 

Virtual learning and homework support for children and teens. 

Case management for resource coordination and recovery planning. 

Expanded Early Learning Readiness programming to support young learners. 

Support networks, wraparound services, and referral assistance. 

Based on individual circumstances, residents may be eligible for the following additional 
services: 

Free or subsidized YMCA membership and access to all facilities and programs, including 
robotics, dance, sports, and more for the remainder of 2025 

Free childcare options, including Before & After School, PLAY, Preschool, and expanded 
services for infants and toddlers at the Burbank YMCA. 

Priority placement for children in youth programs. 

Free summer day camp and sleepaway camp for children.

The Y will evaluate eligibility and support services on a case-by-case basis, depending on 
specific needs and address verification. Those seeking assistance can start the process today 
by contacting 

PASADENA-SIERRA MADRE YMCA

626 355 5261

611 E Sierra Madre Boulevard 

Sierra Madre CA 91024

About the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles: The LA Y is the Center for Community Well-
Being in Los Angeles, committed to building stronger communities by providing equitable programs 
and services to empower all. We are focused on fighting food insecurity, providing equity 
in education, making sure every child has the opportunity to experience the joy of sports, ensuring 
kids and teens have a safe place to grow, learn and live a healthy lifestyle. The LA Y’s health 
and wellness initiatives offer medical and mental health resources to ensure everyone has access 
to basic health needs. Our mission is to provide services and resources that contribute to the 
well-being of our community. Visit ymcaLA.org for more informatio


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