School champions compete in Inland Valley Spelling Bee

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On Feb. 28, 106 school champions will gather at the Design Technology Center on the campus of Mount San Antonio College to compete in the eighth annual Inland Valley Regional Spelling Bee.
Spellers represent cities from Baldwin Park to Fontana and the foothill cities to Ontario and Chino.
Manuel Baca, professor and Mt. SAC trustee, and Carolyn Anderson, Community Relations Director for Waste Management will join Chief Judge Steve Lambert as judges for the finals to be held on March 7.
The champion will go to Washington DC to compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee in May. There, the winner will face close to 300 of the best spellers from all over the English speaking world.
Hannah Sylvestro, winner from 2013, is returning along with several others who have competed before. Spellers range in age from a 7-year-old first-grader to 14-year-old Rebeccah Norden-Bright, who’s returning for her sixth competition.
When the competitors arrive at 7:30 a.m., they’ll be divided into three groups. Over the next four and a half hours they will compete in three contests: oral spelling, written spelling and written vocabulary.
At the end of the morning, spellers with the top 30 scores will go on the finals on March 7. At that event, they will participate in a traditional spell-off, competing head to head until one speller is left.
The top speller will be presented with the traveling trophy, a copy of Mirriam Webster’s Third Edition and an all expense paid trip to Washington DC provided by Quest Literacy Consortium.

Los Altos High teacher charged with sex with student

By Ruby Gonzales, Staff Writer

A Los Altos High School chemistry teacher was charged Wednesday for allegedly having sex with a 15-year-old student.

District Attorney spokeswoman Sarah Ardalani said three felony counts of lewd acts upon a child were filed against David Park, 37, of Chino Hills.B-pSaNkVEAEnYPl

Investigators alleged he molested the girl after school in a classroom and at his home from September to November 2014.

Wearing a gray T-shirt and with his hands handcuffed behind his back, Park appeared Tuesday afternoon at Pomona Superior Court for an arraignment which was continued to March 9.

Park’s bail was $1 million after deputies arrested him Monday night. The bail for the charges filed is $75,000.

“I think it requires a deviation from $75,000 just for protection of the community,” Commissioner Wade Olson said.

He set bail at $150,000. Olson said if Park is released on bail, he must have no contact with the victim. He reminded Park that there is a protective order.

Park’s father and another relative attended the arraignment. They declined comment.

Read more in Ruby Gonzales story BAIL.

Los Altos teacher accused of having sex with 15-year-old student

Deputies arrested a Los Altos High School biology and chemistry teacher Monday night for allegedly having sex with a 15-year-old student on campus after school hours and at his Chino Hills home.

David Park, 37, was booked on suspicion of oral copulation, lewd acts with a child 15 years old and sexual battery. He is expected to be arraigned today at Pomona Superior Court and is being held on $1 million bail.

Hacienda La Puente Unified Superintendent Cindy Parulan-Colfer said a faculty member noticed that the teen seemed very upset Monday afternoon.

The sophomore said she’d been molested by Park since September, according to Lt. Andrew Meyer of the sheriff’s Special Victims Bureau.

Los Altos Principal Cheli McReynolds called the Sheriff’s Industry station.B-pSaNkVEAEnYPl

Sgt. Al Fraijo said detectives discovered written evidence that substantiated the allegations. He didn’t give details on where evidence was found or what kind.

Read more in ARREST.

Immersion programs hold showcase in Hacienda Heights

The Dual Immersion programs in the Hacienda La Puente Unified School District at Wedgeworth and Los Altos Elementaries as well as  Valinda School of Academics present their first showcase and silent auction.

On Tuesday from 6 to 7:30 p.m., students from Mandarin and Spanish programs will perform at the Hacienda Heights Community Center at 1234 Valencia Avenue.

The silent auction includes:
• La Libreria Books, an independent book seller that features English language children’s books along with authentic Spanish language text.
• Conmigo, Affinity Insurance – Family literacy outreach program.
• Chinese book and education vendors.

This event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Rosalie Sinapi, Principal at Los Altos Elementary School at (626) 933-2302.

Kiwanis Club gives 100 shoes to Rowland kids

Katherine Rodriguez helps Edgar Hernandez  put on his new shoes.  (Photo Correspondent by Shilah Montiel/

Katherine Rodriguez helps Edgar Hernandez put on his new shoes. (Photo Correspondent by Shilah Montiel/

The Kiwanis Club showed a lot of Heart and Sole on Friday during its fourth annual shoe giveway. The Hacienda Heights club gave more than 100 pairs of new shoes to students in the Rowland Unified School District.

The Kiwanis set up camp at the new Family Resource Center in La Puente. There, they greeted the families as they arrived for their special treats.

“This year, we’ve helping 106 students who have been preselected by the school district,” said Kiwanian Dave Malkin. “Much of the money was raised by the Rowland Heights Senior Pathfinders group. Ashika Shoes also helped a lot.”

After registering, children moved over to a large book case, where they got to pick out a free book.

Little 4-year-old Brianna Cazun chose a colorful children’s book, while her mom picked out another for older daughter, Janeli, who attends Telesis Academy.

Another 4-year-old, Edgar Fernandez, finally decided on an alphabet book. The colorful pages were full of everyday items that began with a letter in the alphabet.

Read more in Rich Irwin’s story SHOES.

Los Altos High celebrates opening day for baseball

Los Altos High School will celebrate the opening day for baseball on Saturday. It has planned a full day of fun activities, including an alumni vs. varsity game at 9:30 a.m. and JV game at 11 a.m.
The biggest event, the annual COW POOP DEEED BINGO begins at noon. Cows will roam a large painted coordinate grid out on the field. The three first poops made where people have purchased those deed spots, win cash prizes.
There will also be food booths, games and a dunk tank

Speakers shares stories of Iraq with Sierra Vista students

Photo courtesy of Sierra Vista Middle School

Photo courtesy of Sierra Vista Middle School

By Sierra Vista Middle School

Guest speaker Lynn Matthews brought stories of her travels to Afghanistan and Iraq to the students at Sierra Vista Middle School in La Puente on Wednesday.

Many of the students are part of  TLC, the school’s Letter Club.  Students recently wrote letters and sent artistic drawings to students in schools in Jalalabad.

They received letters and pictures in return, which were drawn by their counterparts in the middle eastern countries.  The club will be teaming up with Matthews again to draw pictures and write letters of encouragement to Syrian refugees in camps in Northern Iran.

Matthews will send them along digitally, or perhaps she will hand deliver them on her next trip.  The students had the opportunity to learn about schools in these war-torn regions and ask questions about traveling in an area where terrorism has a daily impact on the lives of children.

Diamond Bar singer to perform with LA Opera

Sophomore Madison Landi will be performing with the LA Opera in their production of Noah’s Flood. She earned the role of “Gossip 2”. The performances will be March 6 and March 7 at 7:30pm. 

CLICK HERE for the website of “Noah’s Flood”.

Other highlights of Madison’s young singing career include performing at the House of Blues in Anaheim and at The Grove of Anaheim with her band “Matsune”. She has also worked at Disneyland as a singer. In addition to her singing, she is in Diamond Bar High School’s Advanced Drama class.


For the past seven seasons, LA Opera has been honored to work with the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Downtown Los Angeles to present free, large-scale community performances that have included Jonah and the Whale, Noah’s Flood, Judas Maccabaeus and The Festival Play of Daniel, all under the baton of James Conlon.

These community opera performances include singers, actors and orchestra members from the community, performing alongside professional soloists and orchestra members from LA Opera. 

For the 2014/15 season, LA Opera is reviving its successful production of Benjamin Britten’s Noah’s Flood (Noye’s Fludde). Conducted by James Conlon, LA Opera’s Richard Seaver Music Director, Noah’s Flood will be performed at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels on Friday, March 6 and Saturday, March 7, 2015 at 7:30pm.

 

Los Altos High choirs plan cabaret night in Hacienda Heights

choir
The Choirs of Los Altos High School will present their annual “Cabaret Night” – a fabulous evening of music, dance, food, and fun.
The performance will be on Thursday, Feb. 26 at 8 pm and Friday Feb. 27 with two shows at 6 & 8 pm. It will be held at the new Hacienda Heights Community Center at 1234 Valencia Ave. in Hacienda Heights.
There are only 160 seats for each of the performances. Tickets are $15.00 per person which includes a reserved seat, appetizers, drinks, and a dessert.
To purchase tickets contact Jeffrey Fahey, Director of Choirs, atjfahey@hlpusd.k12.ca.us or 626-934-5446.

 

C.J. Morris kindergarteners dress up as senior citizens

Kindergarteners Rachel Peiten, Chloe Thi, and Molly Chung showed off their 100-year-old costumes.

Kindergarteners Rachel Peiten, Chloe Thi, and Molly Chung showed off their 100-year-old costumes.

By Walnut Valley Unified

C.J. Morris Elementary kindergarten students dressed up as adorable centenarians to mark the 100th day of school on January 28. The youngsters transformed into 100-year-olds with gray spray-painted hair, glasses, and canes for the day of fun and learning.

Many of the little ones had their new “mature” hair tucked up in buns with rouge on their cheeks. They wore aprons, shawls and sweater vests.

Some even had painted-on wrinkles! Chloe Thi, age 6, said she liked wobble-walking with her little cane.

“This was the first time we’ve had the students dress as old people,” noted teacher Sarah Sherman.

“They came in with little mustaches and cotton ball eyebrows – it was so cute! ”

The teaching team includes Luisa Salazar, and Kelly Revells, and Sherman, who led the activities costumed with gray wigs, floral dresses, saggy socks, and a trio of canes.

“Mrs. Salazar looks like an old lady! She’s wearing a wig,” observed a giggling Jewelina Baker. Counting to the 100th day of school serves as good practice for number recognition and beginning math skills.

It’s also the means students and their teachers made it about halfway through the school year! The kids look forward to reaching the big 100 all year long.

They counted out 100 Fruit Loops cereal rounds to make necklaces. They estimated walking a-hundred feet. They wrote little books about 100 things they’ve seen, eaten, or wanted to do.

At recess the young whippersnappers raced and played.

 

“We were two old ladies riding a race car!” exclaimed Rachel Peiten.