5 
Mountain View News Saturday, August 15, 2026 
EDUCATION AND YOUTH 5 
Mountain View News Saturday, August 15, 2026 
EDUCATION AND YOUTH 
OFL SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT 

SCHOOL DIRECTORY 

The Duarte Kiwanis Club was pleased to present a scholarship check to OFL Graduate, 
Ruth Minas Garcia, at a recent event. Ruth will be attending the University of Puget Sound in 
Washington State and will be majoring in Psychology. Pictured – left, Duarte Board Member 
Melissa Martinez, Ruth Minas Garcia and Duarte Board Member Kaye Biggs. 

 If you are interested in joining the Duarte Kiwanis or presenting at a future meeting, 
please contact Tina Carey at tinac51@aol.com. 


YOUTH SERVICE AWARD RECIPIENT 


Dr. Rachel Casteneda was recognized by the Duarte Kiwanis Club with a Youth Service Award 
celebrating her continuing support for youth in the Duarte area. Dr Casteneda is a Professor 
of Psychology at Azusa Pacific University as well as an Addiction Research Psychologist with 
the UCLA Integrated Substance Abuse and Addiction Programs. 

Locally, she collaborates with schools, community organizations, and healthcare partners to 
expand access to prevention, early intervention, mentorship and family support services that 
help young people thrive. Dr. Casteneda was also honored by State Senator Susan Rubio at the 
event. 

Pictured from left Crime Prevention Specialist (and Duarte Kiwanis Member) Alexandra 
Almaguer-Negret, City Council Member (and incoming Duarte Kiwanis President), Cesar 
Garcia, Dr. Casteneda, State Senator Susan Rubio, Duarte Mayor Tera Martin Del Campo.

 If you are interested in joining the Duarte Kiwanis or presenting at a future meeting, please 
contact Tina Carey at tinac51@aol.com. 

ensuring every campus is ready to

IT'S BACK TO SCHOOL 

welcome our students back. None of this 
progress would be possible without our

TIME! NEWS FROM 

dedicated Facilities and MaintenancePASADENA UNIFIED and Operations teams, our contractors 
and community partners, and the voters SCHOOL DISTRICT who continue to invest in our schools. 

This summer, our bond dollars have Dear PUSD Community, been hard at work transforming PUSD 
campuses for our students, families, 

 Welcome to the 2026-27 school year! 

and the community. From new fencing,
trees, and playgrounds at the Allendale The first day of school is Monday, 
site, the temporary home of Longfellow August 17, and there is already a sense 
Magnet School, to major indoor and of excitement across PUSD. Our teachers 

outdoor learning upgrades at Altadena 

and staff are back at our schools, 

Arts Magnet, our crews kept moving all 

preparing classrooms and campuses, and 

summer long. 

getting ready to welcome students for a 
The Franklin site rebuild is rising fast with year of learning. 
its administration and kitchen buildingstaking shape, while Longfellow Magnet 

Our theme this year is The Power of Us: 

School's full campus modernization 

Forward Together. This year’s theme 

officially broke ground. At John Muir 

High School, work on a transformed reflects what we can achieve together as 
athletic campus is picking up speed, we move forward with a shared purpose, 
and Pasadena High School celebrated belief in our students, and a clear vision 

a beautifully refreshed front entrance 

for the future. 

while moving into its next phase of 
restroom and pool modernization. We 
also began the planning journey for a Over the past year, our community has 
full rebuild at San Rafael Elementary and continued recovering from the Eaton 
continued essential restroom and utility Fire while navigating significant change upgrades at schools across the District, 

across PUSD. Through it all, we have 

Alverno Heights Academy

200 N. Michillinda Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 
(626) 355-3463Head of School: Joanne Harabedian 
E-mail address: 


jharabedian@alvernoheights.org 

Arcadia Christian School 

1900 S. Santa Anita Avenue 

Arcadia, CA 91006Preschool - TK - 8th Grade 
626-574-8229/626-574-0805Email:inquiry@acslions.comPrincipal: Cindy Harmonwebsite: 
www.acslions.com 


Arcadia High School

180 Campus Drive Arcadia, CA 91007Phone: (626) 821-8370,
Principal: Brent Forsee

bforsee@ausd.net 

Arroyo Pacific Academy

41 W. Santa Clara St. Arcadia, Ca,

(626) 294-0661 Principal: Phil ClarkeE-mail address: pclarke@arroyopacific.org 
Assumption of the Blessed Virgin MarySchool 

Robert Bringas, Jr., Principal2660 East Orange Grove Blvd.

Pasadena, Ca 91107

626-793-2089 
https://school.abvmpasadena.org/ 


Barnhart School 

240 W. 
Colorado Blvd 
Arcadia, Ca. 
91007 
(626) 446-5588Head of School: 
Tonya BeilsteinKindergarten - 8th gradewebsite: www.barnhartschool.org 


Bethany Christian School

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

(626) 355-3527Preschool-TK-8th Grade 
Principal: Jonathan Haweswebsite: www. bcslions.org 


Clairbourn School 

8400 Huntington Drive

San Gabriel, CA 91775Phone: 626-286-3108 ext. 172 
FAX: 626-286-1528 


Marianne Ryan

administration@clairbourn.orgE-mail: jhawes@clairbourn.org 


Foothill Oaks Academy

822 E. Bradbourne Ave., Duarte, CA 91010

(626) 301-9809Principal: Nancy Lopezwww.foothilloaksacademy.orgoffice@foothilloaksacademy.org 


Frostig School

971 N. Altadena Drive 
Pasadena, CA 91107

(626) 791-1255Head of School: Jenny JanetzkeEmail: jenny@frostig.org 


The Gooden School 

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

(626) 355-2410Head of School, Jo-Anne Woolnerwebsite: www.goodenschool.org 


Holy Angels School

PK-8th Grade 
360 Campus DriveArcadia, CA 91007626-447-6312 
office@holyangelsarcadia.orgPrincipal: Aimee Dyrekholyangelsarcadia.net 


stayed united in supporting our students. 
This summer, our teams worked hard 
to prepare our campuses, including 
adding new fencing and playgrounds, 
extensive cleaning at all schools, and 
environmental work at several of our 
sites. Through every challenge, our focus 
remained where it belongs: on welcoming 
our students back to campuses that are 
safe, healthy, and ready for learning. 

We enter this new school year with 
strong momentum. Our graduation rate 
has risen to 91 percent, exceeding the 
state average, and preliminary results 
show promising increases in math and 
science achievement across the district. 
These results represent the hard work of 
our students and the educators and staff 
who support them every day. 

We will build on this progress with three 

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) 351-8951website: www.lasallehs.orgPrincipal Ernest Siy 


Monrovia High School

325 East Huntington Drive,
Monrovia, CA 91016

(626) 471-2800 Principal Darvin JacksonEmail: schools@monrovia.k12.ca.us 
Odyssey Charter School

725 W. Altadena Dr. 


Altadena, Ca. 91001

(626) 229-0993Head of School: Lauren O’Neill 
website: www.odysseycharterschool.org 


Pasadena High School

2925 E. Sierra Madre Blvd. Pasadena, Ca.
(626) 396-5880Principal: Dr. Eric Barba 
website: http://phs.pusd.us 


St. Rita Catholic School 

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

Principal: Jon McMaster (626) 355-6114mcmaster@st-ritaschool.orgWebsite: www.st-ritaschool.org 


Sierra Madre Elementary School

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

(626) 355-1428Principal: Dr. Jodi MarchessoE-mail address: marchesso.jodi@pusd.us 


Sierra Madre Middle School 

160 N. Canon Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024(626) 836-2947Principal: Garrett NewsomE-mail address: newsom.garrett@pusd.us 


Walden School 

74 S San Gabriel Blvd 
Pasadena, CA 91107 (626) 792-6166www.waldenschool.net 


Weizmann Day School

1434 N. Altadena Dr. 
Pasadena, Ca. 91107

(626) 797-0204Lisa Feldman: 
Head of School 


Wilson Middle School 

300 S. Madre St. 
Pasadena, Ca. 91107

(626) 449-7390 Principal: Ruth EsselnE-mail address: resseln@pusd.us 
Pasadena Unified School District 


351 S. Hudson Ave.,

Pasadena, Ca. 91109

(626) 396-3600Website: 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) 471-2000Website: www.monroviaschools.net 


Duarte Unified School District 


1620 Huntington Dr., Duarte, Ca. 91010 
(626)599-5000Website: www.duarte.k12.ca.us 


priorities:

• Academic Success for every 
student 
• Visioning for the future 
• Effective operational systems that 
support teaching and learning 
Our goal remains clear: prepare every 
student for the future. We want our 
students to be critical thinkers, effective 
communicators, and people of character 
who contribute to their communities. 

I am excited about what lies ahead and 
grateful to everyone who makes our 
schools strong. 

We’re ready to welcome our students on 
August 17. Let’s move forward together. 

Elizabeth Blanco, Ed.D. 
Superintendent 

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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