By Richard Irwin, Staff Writer

Local companies gathered Friday to help low-income girls get ready for the new school year in Rowland Unified. The generous gifts included new shoes, backpacks, school supplies and haircuts.

More than 300 students from Villa Corta, Hurley and Northam elementary schools were selected by school staff for the sixth annual Aldabella Scarpa Giveback Event.

The Covina shoe designer started the event as a way of encouraging young women in low-income areas.

“We want these young girls to have an amazing, positive experience and not allow circumstances in their lives to create limits,” said co-founder Monica Gonzales. “We want to show them that our community supports them and we want them to dream big.”

Gonzales and her sister, Ann Marie Smith, went to school at Villa Corta and wanted to do something special for the La Puente school. So six years ago, they began giving a new pair of shoes to deserving students.

Over the years, the event has continued to grow as more sponsors joined the ranks. California Credit Union provides new backpacks filled with school supplies. Other sponsors include Walmart, Global Processing System, Krispy Kreme, Starbucks and Stater Brothers.

Free haircuts were given by Supercuts of West Covina, helped by OMG Hair Accessories.

“The part I like the best is the kids’ smiles,” said Villa Corta Principal John Martinez. “It shows our students that lots of people in our community support them.”

Martinez will welcome 525 students in transitional kindergarten to sixth grade on Monday, when Rowland Unified begins the new school year. The young women will have everything they need to start school.

Families flocked around four tables filled with craft activities courtesy of Home Depot in Industry. The Cake Mamas from Glendora were very popular, giving out their award-winning cupcakes. The backpacks even included coupons for free food from Taco Nazo in La Puente.

Sara Posadas, 12, of La Puente loves the five pairs of shoes she received while attending Villa Corta. Now, she was helping her 8-year-old sister Johana get ready for the fourth grade.

“I was always excited to get new shoes and a backpack,” Sara recalled. “Now my sister is excited too.”

The Romero sisters from Northam Elementary agreed. Dayanara, 9, and Jennesse, 6, were both loaded down with their new shoes and backpacks.

“Their family says this is a big help for them,” translated Principal Martinez.

For the sisters, they incorporated the donation as part of their business model. Smith and Monica Gonzales design shoes for their Covina boutique Aldabella Scarpa at 832 N. Grand Ave. The company donates a pair of “I Matter” tennis shoes to disadvantaged youths for every set sold in stores. The shoes retail for $42.

The sisters say their great-grandfather was a shoe designer in Mexico. He passed his craft on to their grandfather and father.

“They were both cobblers in Monterey, Mexico,” Gonzales explained. “So we always knew the importance of quality shoes.”

The Spanish-speaking women grew up in La Puente, where they learned the importance of education in the Rowland Unified schools. Smith became a educator, serving 24 years as a teacher and administrator.

“It was hard starting a new business during the recession, but our company has grown slowly on-line at www.aldascarpa.com,” Gonzales said. “Today, we employ 10 people, who handle sales of more than $500,000 a year.”

And the Covina company recently added an clothing line to its inventory.

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By Richard Irwin

It may be called Common Core, but the teaching techniques are anything but common. As instructors in Rowland Unified discovered during two days of workshops.

School districts have been gearing up for the implementation of Common Core over the past couple of years. Anxious teachers have been learning how to adapt their teaching styles to the new guidelines.

“They’re anxious because it sounds like everything is new,” explained Jeanette Chien, Rowland’s executive director of educational services. “But this is their opportunity to share ideas because we need to teach differently for Common Core.”

She says the goal is to develop students who can think independently. This is quite a change from the memorization that many of us grew up with.

“The instruction will be more rigorous for both the students and the teachers,” Chien said. “But, we need to do a better job of preparing our students for college and careers afterward.”

For more read http://m.sgvtribune.com/sgvtribune/article/dkI6bzAU

The Music Center today announced that applications are open for The Music Center’s 27th Annual Spotlight Program.  Southern California high school students who are interested in the performing arts are encouraged to apply to participate in Spotlight, one of the nation’s premier arts education and scholarship programs for teens.  

The program, which provides arts training by professional artists and awards more than $100,000 in scholarships, is part of The Music Center’s commitment to helping all students receive outstanding arts learning experiences in their schools and in the community.  

More than 40,000 students have participated in Spotlight to date, and the program has awarded more than $1.5 million in scholarships to aspiring performers and artists.

Spotlight is free and open to all students who attend high school in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties.

 Students of all skill levels can apply in one of seven categories, including ballet, non-classical dance, classical voice, non-classical voice, classical instrumental, jazz instrumental, and acting, a new category added this year.  

Those students applying to the acting category must apply by October 1, 2014.  Students interested in all other categories must apply by October 20, 2014.  Applications are available at musiccenter.org/spotlight.

Spotlight was developed by The Music Center to offer distinctive learning opportunities at every stage of artistic development.  According to Jeri Gaile, director of The Music Center’s Spotlight program, Spotlight provides invaluable professional guidance in the performing arts to thousands of Southern California high school students each year.

 “Spotlight is much more than a competition; it provides an opportunity not only for artistic growth, where young artists can improve their audition and performance skills, but also a pathway for personal growth as young performers gain confidence and self-esteem.  Those are skills that are critical for success in life,” she explained.

All students enrolled in the program work with professionals to develop audition skills and knowledge in their performance disciplines.  Those students selected by professional judges to advance as semifinalists participate in master classes, compete to perform at The Music Center and receive cash scholarships.  

Grand Prize Finalists in each category receive $5,000 scholarships.  Honorable Mentions receive $1,000 scholarships and semifinalists receive $300 scholarships.  In addition, selected preliminary students will receive $100 scholarships.

In addition to the new acting category, The Music Center announced several changes to The Spotlight program for 2014, including the discontinuation of the two-dimensional and photography categories in favor of a greater emphasis on the performing arts.  

More opportunities will be added for students to gain insights about preparing for college and careers in the arts and related fields.  This year, the culminating performance will be presented on stage at The Music Center’s Walt Disney Concert Hall.

Numerous Spotlight participants have gone on to successful professional careers.  Fifteen finalists are Presidential Scholars, and many more have joined or performed with professional companies including Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, American Ballet Theater, Metropolitan Opera, LA Opera, Boston Symphony Orchestra and the New York Philharmonic, among others.  

They include Misty Copeland, who made history as the first African American female in two decades to be appointed soloist at American Ballet Theatre; Adam Lambert and Josh Groban, pop recording artists; Erik Altemus currently starring in Pippin on Broadway; Yao Guan Zhai, associate principal clarinet of the Toronto Symphony; Gerald Clayton, Grammy Award winning jazz recording artist; and many others.  Many alumni return to the program to participate as judges and class instructors.

 Fredric M. Roberts is founding chairman of The Music Center Spotlight Awards, and Walter Grauman is creator/executive producer.  For more information about The Music Center’s Spotlight program, visitmusiccenter.org/spotlight or join the conversation onfacebook.com/spotlightawards.