New principal arrives at Rowland High

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Welcome to Mitch Brunyer, the new principal at Rowland High School. Here’s a photo of Mitch yesterday, when he met with ASB students, from left, Secretary Lillian Tao, President Alyssa Catinding and Treasurer Benson Chen.

Mitch is actually an alumni of Rowland High, so a Raider will be heading up our high school. If the Rowland Unified administrator looks familiar, that because he last served as vice principal at Nogales High School just down the road.

Find out more about Mitch in an upcoming story in the Rowland Heights Highlander. Go Raiders!

Youth Science Center full of students in Hacienda Heights

The Youth Science Center is busy offering many interesting classes at Wedgeworth Elementary School in Hacienda Heights.

The school was packed with kids learning all kinds of science, from chemistry for first graders to Web design for older kids.

The place was really hopping. It’s good to see that the busy center has maintained its courses over the recent recession.

Read more in an upcoming story in the Hacienda Heights Highlander.

Mt. SAC president sounds off on budget crisis

John Nixon, president and CEO of Mt. San
Antonio College in Walnut, chairs the San Gabriel/Foothill Association
of Community Colleges. Nixon makes some valid point in this guest column.

LIKE all families across California, the
family of community colleges in the San Gabriel Valley is tightening
its belt more than ever as it braces for severe economic challenges
stemming from the state’s budget crisis.

The family, known as the San Gabriel/Foothill Association
of Community Colleges (SanFACC), is a regional caucus composed of
Chaffey College, Citrus College, Glendale Community College, Mt. San
Antonio College, Pasadena City College and Rio Hondo College.

Nearly 250,000 students attend SanFACC colleges, but those
numbers are likely to drop with the projected budget cuts these six
colleges are facing. Collectively, they could lose 21,200 students as
well as an estimated net funding reduction of $55 million from the
state in 2009-10. It is not a stretch to say that this is the worst
economic crisis most of us in education have seen.

Read Nixon’s entire column in the Walnut Highlander.

Rowland Heights grad bowls over college

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One could say that Natalie Jimenez bowled over the competition. That’s why the Hacienda Heights bowler is going to the University of Central Missouri on athletic and academic scholarships.

“We are very excited to be adding Natalie to our program,” said head coach Ron Holmes. “Natalie is a tremendous addition to our team and will make an immediate impact.”

Which is saying something for a team that regularly places first or second nationally in intercollegiate athletics.

“This year, they ranked second in the country. Nebraska was number one,” explained the recent Rowland High graduate.

Jimenez should boost Missouri’s chances for returning to the top slot. The 17-year-old is currently ranked first in the nation among young women competing in USBC Sport Bowling.

The local bowler was selected to the 2009 California All-Star Team. The 10-pin powerhouse was also named as one of the nation’s top 50 high school prospects by “Bowler’s Journal.”

Read the rest of her story in the Rowland Heights Highlander.

Rowland celebrates summer arts

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Summertime and the singing is pretty. So are the dancing and the artwork – at least at the Summer Arts Academy in the Rowland Unified School District. 
 
The students were out in force this fine summer’s day, rehearsing for their big finale performance on July 1. They pranced and danced across the make-shift stage on the school playground.

Read all about their talents in this week’s Rowland Heights Highlander.

Rowland Unified facing hard decisions

Rowland Unified School Board will hold a special board meeting followed by a regular meeting on Tuesday, July 7, in the district office. The meeting begins at 4:30 p.m.

Deputy Superintendent Bob Wertz will present an update on the state budget and financial implications for Rowland Unified.

The failure of Measure E last week will force the board to revise its budget for next year.

“We
had created a restoration list in the event that it passed so we could
restore our programs cherished by parents and community members,”
School Board President Robert Hidalgo said. “We also created a deeper
cut list in the event that it did not. All it means is we will revisit
that deeper cut list and make some more difficult decisions.”

The board will also take action on iQ Academy charter petition.

Education Through Music Fine Arts Family Day Camp in Rowland Heights

Rowland Unified School District will host an Education Through Music Fine Arts Family Day Camp from July 13 – 16 at Hurley Elementary School, 535 S. Dora Guzman Ave., La Puente, CA 91744


The Family Day Camp  combines movement, language, song, social interaction,
deductive and inductive thought.

AND FUN!
 
Children 9 years and older (and adults!)
Monday and Wednesday – 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Tuesday and Thursday – 9 a.m. – Noon
Tuition: $85
 
Children ages 6 to 8 (and adults!)
Monday through Thursday
9 a.m. to Noon
Tuition: $75
 
Call Roseanne Forgette for information: (626)272-6286 or email her at rforgette@yahoo.com

School board president comments on Measure E

Rowland Unified School Board President Robert Hidalgo commented on the failure of the

the Measure E Parcel Tax  tjat would have provided $2.5 million annually to prevent cuts and
restore programs.

“We
had created a restoration list in the event that it passed so we could
restore our programs cherished by parents and community members,”
School Board President Robert Hidalgo said. “We also created a deeper
cut list in the event that it did not. All it means is we will revisit
that deeper cut list and make some more difficult decisions.”

Election returns show 52 percent of residents voted in
favor of the tax, while 48 percent voted against it, according to the
Los Angeles County Registrar- Recorder/County Clerk.

It required two-thirds to pass.

The School Board will now reassess its budget at a special meeting scheduled for July 7.

If approved
the measure would have assessed an annual parcel tax of $120 per home
in district boundaries for the next five years.