Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, July 13, 2019

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Mountain View News Saturday, July 13, 2019 

SCHOOL DIRECTORY

ARCADIA UNIFIED NAMED TO CALIFORNIA HONOR ROLL 
FOR SECOND YEAR IN A ROW

ARCADIA-- School may be out for summer, but the Arcadia Unified School District is still making 
the grade. For the second consecutive year, Arcadia Unified was named to the 2018 - 2019 Educational 
Results Partnership Honor Roll for its high achievement in student success. There are over 
900 school districts in California, and Arcadia Unified is one of only 26 public school districts to 
receive this recognition. 

This program, run by the nonprofit organization, ERP, and sponsored by the Campaign for Business 
and Education Excellence, is part of a national effort to identify higher-performing schools and districts 
that are improving student outcomes. ERP maintains the nation’s largest database on student 
achievement and employs data science to determine Honor Roll recipients. 

“Every educator, staff member, and administrator on our team is dedicated to creating learner-
centered environments, where positive educational outcomes can be a reality for every single one 
of our students,” said Dr. David Vannasdall, Arcadia Unified Superintendent. “Being recognized by 
educational and business leaders as one of the best school districts in California helps us know we 
are on track to achieving our purpose of challenging and inspiring students to make a positive and 
profound impact on their world.” 

School districts that receive the ERP Honor Roll distinction have demonstrated consistent high 
levels of student academic achievement, improvement in achievement levels over time, and a reduction 
in achievement gaps among student populations. For districts with high schools, such as 
Arcadia Unified, the ERP Honor Roll recognition also includes measures of college readiness. Each 
of Arcadia Unified’s six elementary schools, three middle schools, and high school were also individually 
named as ERP Honor Roll schools. 

“ERP is all about improving educational equity and promoting career readiness for all students, regardless 
of their family income, background or ZIP code,” said James Lanich, Ph.D., ERP president 
and CEO. “These Honor Roll schools and districts are living proof that our students can succeed 
when schools are committed to removing educational obstacles and accelerating student success. 
By focusing attention on these bright spots among our schools, we hope to change the conversation 
from ‘what’s wrong’ to ‘what’s working,’ and encourage others to replicate their success.”

In addition to this ERP Honor Roll recognition, Arcadia Unified achieved a rare feat of being named 
to the prestigious AP® District Honor Roll in consecutive years for 2017 and 2018. Likewise, Arcadia 
Unified was recently ranked by Niche.com as the District with the Best Teachers and the Best 
Place to Teach and landed in the top three best school districts in Los Angeles County. For more 
information about the Arcadia Unified School District, visit www.ausd.net, and for more information 
about the ERP Honor Roll, visit edresults.org.


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

Arcadia Unified elementary students eagerly awaiting the Arcadia High 2019 Grad 
Walk Photo courtesy Arcadia Unified School District

FAMILY MATTERS By Marc Garlett


7 PROCESSES TO COMPLETE WITH 
YOUR PARENTS BEFORE THEY DIE

 
In a recent 
Facebook post 
“Processes to 
go through 
with your 
parents 
before they 
die,” Daniel 
Schmachtenberger, founder of the Critical Path 
Institute, outlined seven simple exercises to use 
with your parents that can offer significant healing 
and completion for their life and yours. 

 While Daniel shared these processes in the 
context of the impending death of a parent, the 
reality is that your parents are heading toward 
death, even if there is no official diagnosis. 
And starting these processes when mortality 
isn’t immediately on the table is even better. 


1. Help them make a timeline of their life

Create a timeline of all the big events in their life, 
starting with birth and their earliest memories up 
to the present. This is a great way to get to know 
them even better while you still can. Recalling their 
life through these stories can help them harvest 
the gifts, relive the good times, and identify any 
areas that still feel unresolved.

 There are apps for creating timelines, but it’s easily 
done with pen and paper. Create the timeline by 
writing “birth” on the far left of the page, and 
draw a horizontal line going towards “death” 
on the far right. Experiences are placed on the 
line chronologically in the order they occurred. 
Positive experiences are depicted as vertical lines 
going up from the horizontal line, and difficult 
experiences as lines going down. Write short 
descriptions to correspond with each experience. 

 One way to help prompt memories is to ask 
questions about different people, places, and 
things from their past: romantic relationships, 
jobs, and places they lived. Going through 
old photos, letters, and music can also trigger 
meaningful memories.

 When documenting their life events, the positive 
experiences can simply be recalled and enjoyed. 
For the negative ones, you can ask them what they 
learned from the experience and write that lesson 
in the description. In this way, you can find beauty 
and meaning in all of it.

2. Relationship healing

 To foster healing in your personal relationship 
with them, focus on three areas:

Peacemaking: Forgive them for any way they hurt 
you, and help them forgive themselves. Apologize 
for the ways you hurt them. You want to ensure that 
neither of you feels any residual pain (resentment, 
guilt, or remorse) in the relationship.

Appreciation and gratitude: Write them a letter 
detailing everything you learned from them and 
all the positive experiences you had together. Go 
deep within to discover all they did for you, really 
appreciate it, and use the letter to help them feel 
your appreciation. Pinpoint any of their virtues 
you hope to embody most in your life and share 
that commitment with them, so they know they’ll 
live on through you once they’re gone.

Reassurance: It’s common for parents to resist 
leaving you over concerns for your future well-
being. Reassure them that you are alright, will be 
alright, and it’s okay for them to go. Using estate 
planning to help them get their affairs in order is a 
major part of this.

3. Family healing

If possible, help other family members go through 
the above healing process with your parents. Help 
your dying parent make peace with everyone in their 
life, even if some individuals can’t speak directly 
with them. Reassure them that you’ll help take 
care of those loved ones who are in the most need.
4. Wisdom gathering

Ask them for life advice on anything and everything 
you can think of. As the old African proverb says, 
“Every time an old person dies, a library burns,” 
so make sure to write down or record as much of 
their personal wisdom as possible.

5. Bucket list

To make the most of the time you have left, 
ask them if there’s anything they really want to 
experience before they go, and fulfill as many of 
these bucket-list items as you can. 

6. Help them see how they touched the world

In addition to documenting the positive impact 
they’ve had on your life, help them inventory all 
of the meaningful ways they’ve touched the lives 
of others. You want them to clearly see all of the 
beauty and meaning their life has brought to the 
world.

7. Help them be at peace with passing

While the above steps can help bring them peace, if 
they experience any fear of death, do your best to help 
them move through that. When death comes, you 
want them to be ready to greet him as an old friend.
If they practice a particular religion, you can 
recite their favorite verses, hymns, and/or prayers. 
Or they might find comfort in hearing their 
most beloved poems or songs. Silent or guided 
meditation is often helpful as well. But sometimes, 
simply offering them your loving presence and 
holding their hand is enough. 

Preserving your family’s intangible assets

The life stories, lessons, and values that come 
from these final conversations can be among 
the most precious of all your family’s assets. 
And to make sure these gifts aren’t lost forever, 
we’ve developed our own process for preserving 
and passing on these intangible assets. 
Indeed, we consider such legacy planning so 
important, this service is included with every estate 
plan we create. Using a series of helpful questions 
and prompts like the exercises Daniel outlines, 
we’ll guide you to create a customized video in 
which you share your most insightful memories 
and experiences with those you’re leaving behind. 
Though estate planning is mainly viewed 
as a way to pass on your financial wealth and 
property, when done right, it also enables you 
to preserve and pass on your true legacy: your 
memories, values, and wisdom. With the right 
support, having these all-important conversations 
doesn’t have to be intimidating or awkward at all.
Dedicated to empowering your family, building your wealth 
and defining your legacy,

A local attorney and father, 
Marc Garlett is on a mission 
to help parents protect what 
they love most. His office is 
located at 55 Auburn Avenue, 
Sierra Madre, CA 91024. Schedule an appointment 
to sit down and talk about ensuring a legacy of love 
and financial security for yourfamily by calling 
626.355.4000 or visit www.GarlettLaw.com for 
more information.

WHAT CRITICS ARE SAYING ABOUT DAMES AT SEA AT 
SIERRA MADRE PLAYHOUSE

 “CRITIC’S PICK. This is a superior production 
of Dames at Sea. Wonderful direction by 
Finkel, stellar choreography by Parsons, and the 
six sparkling actors make it a must see treat. Sierra 
Madre has another hit on its hands through 
August 3..”---Don Grigware, Grigware Talks 
Theatre

 “"With its clever blend of nostalgia, camp, romance, 
melody, laughter, and dance, it’s hard to 
imagine a more scrumdiddlyumptious musical 
theater treat than Dames At Sea, one of the best 
and most entertaining summer musicals ever to 
light up the Sierra Madre Play-house stage."---
Steven Stanley, Stage Scene L.A.

 “Dames at Sea” is silly, tuneful, and – for some 
– nostalgic. It makes gentle fun of an entire film 
genre, but not in a mean way. Rather, that almost 
ferocious innocence proves an anti-dote to the 
tensions of our current world, just as was true 
back then. And in that, even it its occasional 
awkward moments, this production has something 
in common with what it celebrates.---
Frances Baum Nicholson, Stage Struck Review

 “Now, Sierra Madre Playhouse delivers the fluff 
big-time with Jeffrey Scott Parson’s great tap 
numbers, and director Joshua Finkel’s smooth 
direction. "---Tony Frankel, Stage & Cinema

 “….Outrageously talented troupe…sets the intimate 
theatre ablaze with rapid-fire tapping and 
excellent singing skills.”---Lara Altunian, Stage 
Raw

 "SMP has successfully staged a big show on a 
small stage (effectively including the theater 
aisles as part of the set) and our senses are delighted 
with the impressive tap-dancing skills, 
comedic timing, and vocal talent that bring it 
all together."---Carol Edger Germain, Colorado 
Boulevard

 "The cast who all are triple threats: Ruben Bravo, 
Katie Franqueira, Jennifer Knox, Maris-sa 
Mayer, Chuck McLand and Aaron Shaw provide 
a glorious fast paced performance throughout."-
--Marla Halperin, FilmFestivals.com

 “This entire triple-threat cast is talented, especially 
all three females (Jennifer Knox, Marissa 
Mayer, and Katie Franqueira,) who are all superb 
tap dancers with excellent voic-es and quality 
comedic skills. Each one excels at one of those 
skills, (Jennifer at comedy, Marissa at singing, 
and Katie at dancing,) so they make for a perfect 
blend of performers."---Karen Salkin, It;’s Not 
About Me

 “"The Sierre Madre Playhouse presents a full 
scale Busby Berkley-style show on a bread-line 
budget, making that kind of staging even more 
appealing! It features a selection of tunes that recall 
those tunes of the 30’s as performed by musical 
director Sean Paxton on piano. Jeffrey Scott 
Parsons’ choreography provides how much of 
the cast, especially Katie Franqueira’s tap dancing, 
makes this show a real treat to experience. 
And Joshua Finkel’s stage direction gives all of 
that dancing and romancing placing it into new 
heights"---Rich Borowy, Accessibly Live

 “This fun, flirtatious stage play first set sail off-
Broadway in 1966.. Like many musicals of the 
Depression era, it seemed to provide optimism 
and escape for audiences. Perhaps the same 
is true today.”--- Fran Syverson, Sierra Madre 
Weekly

Dames at Sea. Book and iyrics by George 
Haimsohn and Robin Miller. Music by Jim Wise. 
Di-rected by Joshua Finkel. Music director: 
Sean Paxton. Choreography by Jeffrey Scott Parsons. 
Produced by Christian Lebano, At Sierra 
Madre Playhouse, 87 W. Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra 
Madre, CA 91024. Free parking behind the 
Playhouse. NOW PLAYING through August 3, 
2019. Fri. & Sat. at 8:00, Sun. at 2:30. Also, Sat. 
Aug. 3 at 2:30. Reservations: (626) 355-4318 or 
www.sierramadreplayhouse.org

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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