June 2009 Archives
The Rowland Unified students have spent their summer days honing their singing, dancing and painting. Now they're going to show off a little.
The election is being conducted as an all vote by mail election. For voters who haven't mailed their ballots, the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk will have a special satellite ballot drop-off location in the lobby of the Rowland Heights Library at 1850 Nogales St. on Tuesday, June 30 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The ballot drop-off location is exclusively for voters who did not mail their voted ballots in time. It will be staffed by registrar personnel.
Rowland Unified School District is facing more than $13 million in cuts because of the state budget deficit. The district says this will have a devastating impact on every school as well as the educational programs.
Measure E is a local parcel tax that would help raise an estimated $2.5 million annually for five years only. These funds could not be taken away by the state and would provide stable funds to be used to maintain college preparation classes and high school counselors.
Rowland Unified would also use the money to preserve student health/safety/security services, provide adequate instructional materials and classroom technology, keep school libraries open, protect small class sizes, maintain music and art programs and retain qualified, experienced teachers
If approved, Measure E will cost property owners $10 per month, for a total of $120 per year, for five years only. Property owners age 65 and over can apply for an exemption.
If passed, the deadline to fill out the senior exemption form is July 30. An independent Community Oversight Committee will be appointed by the school board to make sure that school parcel tax funds are properly spent.
To pass, Measure E must receive at least 66.7% support from those who vote on the measure. For further information, please visit www.RowlandSchools.org or call (626) 854-8352.
Several students received special awards. Student speakers were Carmen Flores and Natalie De La Paz.
A special GED award was presented to Richard Maldonado for the highest English GED score. He achieved a score of 3,120 out of a possible 4,000.
Director Rocky Bettar presented the Director's Award to Lily Tran for superior achievement and demonstration of a strong desire for learning. Tod Hua got special recognition for his determination in earning a high school diploma.
District PTA President Connie Miranda presented the Ada Mae Warner scholarship to Sarah Mallari.
These classes allow adult students to work at their own pace with one-on-one instruction to finish their diploma. Both morning and evening classes are offered.
For information, call (626) 965-5975 or visit http://race.rowland.k12.ca.us.<WC>
The retirees and their years of service are: John Anderson, 27; Jennifer Chisholm, 28; Ranay Collins, 27; Alex De Lone, 28; Mike Dunphy, 20; Linda Frost, 30; Wesley Garrett, 26; Jackie Hassell, 24; Nina Harvey, 20; Aileen Maruki, 20; Marilyn McMahon, 16; Lupe Reyes, 30; and Diane Tobar, 30.
"As public school district board members, we would like to share additional information that was not included in your "Choice for Public Schools" editorial (Our View, May 26).
"Educators also believe in choices for parents and students. That is why there are already numerous options for parental choice that exist including interdistrict permit programs, charter schools, choice among district of residence schools, and federal No Child Left Behind and related state laws. The District of Choice legislation that is due to sunset in July is an outdated policy that is no longer relevant.
"The California Department of Education conducted an evaluation of the Districts of Choice Program and concluded that given that only 3.9 percent of the 100 surveyed districts indicated an active participation in the District of Choice program, "it seems to be a small program with very limited impact. The CDE sees no significant negative consequences to the program's lapse as scheduled for July 1, 2009."
"In fact, the District of Choice provisions offer little state oversight, no financial relief for districts impacted by the program, lack of access for all families and would have unintentional consequences to schools across the state. Although the provisions in the law are designed to ensure that special education, bilingual, or other students with special needs are not discriminated against because of the costs associated with educating these students, there is not oversight to ensure that students are selected through a random and unbiased process as specified in the law. Record-keeping obligations for the district of choice are surprisingly minimal and entirely discretionary.
"The District of Choice statutes were scheduled to sunset in July. It is time to allow this poorly monitored legislation to come off the books."
Robert F. Hidalgo
President
Rowland Unified School District
Tom Selinske
President
Pasadena Unified School District
Sometimes, we need to be our own heroes. We have to save ourselves before we can help others.
Along the way, we find inspiration in the stories of those who have overcome overwhelming odds to accomplish their dreams. Some students graduating from Mt. San Antonio College on June 12 shared their personal stories.
Candice Porras lost seven years of her life and the father of her youngest child to meth. The Nogales High graduate became caught up in the world of methamphetamine, a psychostimulant that induces intense euphoria.
But the La Puente woman turned her life around. Find out how in the Rowland Heights Highlander.The move would allow the administration to rehire all the probationary and permanent teachers who were given layoff notices in March, said Board of Education President Joann Steinmeier in an e-mail.
Shawn said some teachers may be reassigned to different schools.
"In light of horrible economic times, and equally horrible resource cuts by the state, the Arcadia Unified School District family has done everything possible to protect the programs we provide for our students," he said.
Schools are slashing their summer school programs to save money. Officials say ballooning budget deficits are forcing them to make hard choices, beginning immediately.
Some are cutting summer school all together, others are halving their programs. Here's a list of local schools and their summer schedules.
Read more about the changes in the Highlander newspapers.
It's not your grandmother's quilt.
Third-graders at Vejar Elementary School in Walnut decided to contribute to the city's 50th anniversary by creating a historical quilt.
No, the quilt isn't 100 years old, but it does cover the city's history through colorful panels designed by the youngsters.
To do so, the 9-year-olds had to research the past to create the quilt in the present for future generations to enjoy.
"This is so touching, it's wonderful. You put so much effort in this and I wanted you to know how much I appreciate your work," Mayor Mary Su told the students on June 2. The students had been bused in to City Hall for the big presentation.
The mayor said the beautiful quilt will be hung in a prominent place in city hall.Read the whole story in the Walnut Highlander.
Director of Public Affairs Jill Dolan said the Walnut campus has been forced to make the cuts to help balance the budget deficit.
Area students will find the number of sections offered for each course slashed approximately in half.
"The onset of massive budget cuts to the California State University has forced Cal Poly Pomona to cancel state funding for the 2009 summer quarter. All classes that had been scheduled for Summer 2009 are now cancelled.
As an alternative, the university will offer a fee-based summer schedule through the College of the Extended University beginning July 13. These fully transferrable accredited courses meet Cal Poly Pomona degree requirements.
The university will hold a special student forum on Thursday, June 11, at noon in the Bronco Student Center's Ursa Major Suite. For more information, visit www.csupomona.edu/~summer09."
They say it's a double whammy, colleges are raising their tuition while the state is cutting their grants. Many don't know how they'll be able to afford college.
Read some of their stories and fears in our story in today's Walnut Highlander.
Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays, and 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 6.
Admission is free. For more information, call (909) 594-5611, Ext. 4328.
The Parent-Teacher Association offers lots of food anf fun, as well as a Hawaiian variety show.
All donations will be used to reach the school goal of $5,000 to purchase an Accelerated Reader Software Program.
For information, call PTA President Katharina Lam at (626) 975-1282 or Treasurer Neal Noborio at (626) 252-2593.
The third-graders presented a community quilt that pictured the history of Walnut.
Two classes partnered for a social studies unit on community history.
For this project, students created 12-panels for the quilt. They also performed a reader's theater version of Walnut's history.
Mayor Su said she was very moved by the students hard work and presentation. Read about the unique present in an upcoming story in the Walnut Highlander.
