Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, June 8, 2019

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Mountain View News Saturday, June 8, 2019 

ASSISTANCE LEAGUE’S “VERY IMPORTANT PERFORMERS 
(VIP)” PROGRAM CELEBRATES PUSD MIDDLE SCHOOL 
STUDENTS Submitted by Elizabeth Polenzani (egpolenzani@gmail.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 Lewis

E-mail address: lewis.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


Pictured above: Left to Right, back row, standing: Marisa Sarian (PUSD), Amaya Jackson (Blair), Leslie Macedo (Wilson), Angelina Flores (McK), 
Abraham Moreno (Marshall), Josiah Bowman (Eliot), Gagik Aghajanyan (Marshall), Yoon Htet (Wilson), Joaquin Gomez (McK), Cesar Padilla (Washington), 
Arlette Morales (McK), Cynthia Nelson (President ALP) Seated: Natalia Kazantzian (Eliot), Lauryn Salazar (Blair), Danielle Lopez (Eliot) Front: 
Nolan Romero (SM), Mauricio Moreno Jones (Marshall), Eduardo Cortez Fierros (Wilson), Christian Hernandez (Blair), Dante Williams (Wash).

Assistance League of Pasadena recognized the achievements made by 21 Pasadena Unified middle 
school students on May 8, 2019 at the “Very Important Performers (VIP)” celebration. Each of the 
seven Pasadena Unified middle schools selected students who had demonstrated dramatic improvements 
in academics, attendance, and citizenship. The goal of the VIP award is to provide encouragement 
to students who have chosen to get the most out of their middle school experience. 

 

To learn more about the VIP program or Assistance League of Pasadena, please visit www.assistanceleague.
org/pasadena. 

ARCADIA HIGH SCHOOL CLASS OF 2019 HEADING TO IVY 
LEAGUES, STANFORD, MIT & MORE

ARCADIA-- Arcadia High School’s Class of 2019 took center stage at Santa Anita Park with caps and 
gowns glistening as the sun set over the majestic San Gabriel mountains backdrop Thursday evening. It 
truly was the golden hour for the Apaches who have much to celebrate after a 13-year journey spanning 
Kindergarten to high school graduation.

The Arcadia High Class of 2019 is shining bright with 19 students who have been accepted into six 
different Ivy League Universities (Harvard, Yale, Cornell, Penn, Brown, Dartmouth), three were also 
accepted to Stanford, two got into MIT, and three more received admission to Caltech. Arcadia High 
School alumni are currently attending every Ivy League University in the country plus, MIT, Stanford, 
and Cal Tech . Collectively, the Class of 2019 earned a remarkable $14 million in scholarships and 
grants. Arcadia High’s graduation rate was 99.5%, which is significantly higher than the national average 
that falls in the low 80% range.

At the head of the class is Kevin Tan, the Arcadia High School Class of 2019 Valedictorian. Tan is an 
extraordinary student and individual who will be studying Biochemistry at Harvard on a fully-funded 
Gates Scholarship from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

 
“One of the great things about Arcadia is that it’s such a big school,” said Tan just prior to taking the 
stage. 

 “There are so many awesome individuals that surround you every single day, each one of them driven 
to pursue their own passions, and I think that diversity really makes Arcadia special. With something 
as amazing as Arcadia, you’re really given the resources to definitely excel. From all the friends, all the 
faculty at Arcadia, they really do make the high school experience truly magical.”

 The Gates Scholarship is one of the most prestigious scholarships awarded in the country. The aim 
of the scholarship, according to the Gates Millennium Scholarship website, is to ensure that talented, 
academically achieving students from traditionally underrepresented groups, receive the support, resources, 
and encouragement to pursue their higher education goals. The scholarship funds both undergraduate 
and graduate school and offers leadership training, support for wellness, career and job 
opportunities as well.

This was also the most difficult year to be accepted into Harvard. A record-low 4.5% of applicants 
received admission to Harvard’s Class of 2023. Meaning, less than 2,000 of the more than 43,000 candidates 
were accepted. Tan earned straight A’s all the way through middle and high school. That translates 
into 7 years of studies with 88 straight A grades. In addition to his academic success, he volunteers and 
gives back to the community, and is a well-respected leader on campus.

Arcadia High School Class of 2019 By The Numbers:

Graduates: 787

Graduation Rate: 99.5% (national average: 82%)

GPA: 3.36 (meets the minimum requirement for all UC schools)

Average SAT: 1321 (national average: 1068)

Average ACT: 28 (national average 21)

Students Playing College Athletics: 45

Different Colleges Applied to: 338

Total College Applications Submitted: 5039

College Most Applied to: UC Irvine (339)

Private College Most Applied to: USC (181)

Scholarships and Grants: $14 million (student reported)

Students Accepted into:

Harvard: 2 Yale: 3

Cornell: 11 U of Penn: 1

Brown: 1 Dartmouth: 1

 Stanford: 3 MIT: 2

 Cal Tech: 3

For more information, contact Ryan Foran, AUSD Chief Communications Officer:

rforan@ausd.net , work (626) 821-6664, cell (626) 802-7602


Arcadia High Principal Dr. Brent Forsee (left) Arcadia High Valedictorian Kevin Tan (right)


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