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Sounds like a lot of fun. Friends of the Steinmetz Senior Center are going to the circus today. OK maybe not a regular circus, but they are traveling to Del Mar to see Cirque du Soleil.
If you've ever seen one of their shows, you know how wonderful they are. Very creative!
The seniors left this morning for the outing, stopping at Hometown Buffet for lunch. We hope they all have a grand time, but that none of them run away to join the circus!
Ybarra Academy of the Arts and Technology in Rowland Unified will hold its annual career day on Friday from 7:45 a.m. to noon. The event is open to all students in grades Kindergarten through seventh grade.
Community members, including family and friends, will talk to the students about their careers. The students will rotate through classrooms and learn about three professions.
This is a huge annual event for Ybarra students. It gives them a chance to think about what they would like to become.
Just got back from a patriotic assembly at California Elementary School in the Hacienda La Puente Unified School District.
It was great meeting Principal Cynthia Geraghty and PTA President Yolanda Zamora and Treasurer Sandra Aguirre.
The Quake Reading Challenge sounds pretty exciting. The baseball team will give two free tickets to each child who reads 10 books. Their mascot was a huge hit with the kids when he came out to kick off the challenge.
Read more about the minor league team's challenge in my upcoming story in the Hacienda Heights Highlander at SGVN.com
Dropped into Rowland Adult Education the other day for Drop-In Day. That's a statewide effort to get dropouts to stop by our public schools to find out what they need to do to receive their high school diploma or GED.
The free program is great, helping former students get their diploma whether they're 18 or 50. In fact, I talked to a 36-year-old mother of four as well as a 50-year-old woman who had come back to school to earn their GEDs. Very inspiring.
Kudos to Counselor Joe Miraglia and Director Rocky Bettar for showing me around the Adult Education Center. Thanks also to the students who took the time to talk to me about going back to school.
Read all about the program in an upcoming story in the Highlander Newspapers at SGVN.com
Kudos to St. John Vianney Catholic Church and Banco Popular in Hacienda Heights for hosting the homeless shelter for the past two weeks.
The work of these volunteers is truly inspiring, as they help the less fortunate on these cold, rainy nights. And a big thanks to Banco Popular for sponsoring a dinner as well as donating $10,000 to the San Gabriel Valley Coalition for the Homeless.
With a community as great as this, it's a pleasure to cover all the wonderful work that's done. Please find a full story about the shelter later on the Hacienda Heights Highlander Web site at SGVN.com.
Congratulations also to Sarah Whitmore. She has been named the new principal of Shelyn Elementary School in Rowland Heights.
Whitmore was the former vice principal at Rorimer Elementary in La Puente. The promotion was announced at this week's meeting of the Rowland Unified School Board.
Congratulations to the Los Altos Academy of Engineering. Toyota of America gave our budding engineers a new Toyota Scion to work on for their robotic vehicle project.
Toyota's Allison Takahasi, product communications administrator, was on hand at Los Altos High School to turn over the keys to the shiny new black Scion.
The excited students will add sensors and computers to the vehicle to turn it into a robotic car smart enough to drive itself on city streets. Now that's going to be something.
To celebrate Meg Cabot’s latest installment of “The Princess Diaries,” the Rowland Heights Library will hold a creative writing workshop from 3 to 4 p.m. Friday,
Author Ina Hillenbrandt will present her Pawprints Literacy Plus program at 1850 Nogales St. Free materials will be provided to students in grades six and up.
For information, call Adrian Romero at (626) 912-5348.
Hacienda Heights residents are invited to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the Hacienda Heights Improvement Association 6 p.m. Friday in the Steinmetz Center, 1545 South Stimson Ave. Past board members, committee chairs, local clubs and organizations will be recognized.
A catered dinner, dessert and door prizes will be included. The annual dinner meeting and agenda will include normal business, reports, service awards and introductions of the new board members.
Anyone who helped form the group in 1947 is invited to tell their story and share experiences. For more information, please call Jean Robson, (626) 369-8615, or email to Info@HHIA.net.
Eight students will be honored tonight by the Rowland Unified School Board as winners of the Red Ribbon Week Essay Contest. They meet 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. in the board room at the district office on Nogales Street.
Students in grades K-7 drew pictures and wrote essays on the theme “We are the Future – Be Drug Free” and what it meant to them. The essay booklets will be distributed to all schools next week.
There is only one meeting of the Board of Education this month because of the winter break.
Richard Espinosa will also receive his police retirement badge for 31 years of service as a campus peace officer.
Are you a young adult interested in developing library programs, collections and services just for teens?
If you are, join the Teen Advisory Board at the Hacienda Heights Library.
The board meets the fourth Tuesday of the month at 4 p.m. in the library at 16010 La Monde St.
For more information, call Teen Librarian Karen Noyes at (626) 968-9356.
Palm Elementary in Hacienda Heights kicked off the Martin Luther King weekend with a special assembly this morning. No details on what was included in the grand performance, perhaps someone would like to give us some details or photos?
Meanwhile, Kwis Elementary will hold its Reader, Writer and Mathematician Recognition Assembly in the Cafeteria East Campus at 1 p.m. Congratulations to all the readers, writers and mathematicians receiving special recognition.
Workman High School will hold its basketball and winter rally from 11:30 to 12:30 p.m. Go team! Yeah Winter!
And be sure to check out the Ruby Dance Concert in their Little Theatre at 8:30 p.m. The concert will also be performed 6:30 p.m. Saturday.
Get those tuxedoes and gowns out! Wilson High School will hold its Winter Formal Fashion Show at noon in the gym. It's always nice to see everyone dressed up in Hacienda Heights.
Workman Elementary will hold a Math Family Night from 5-6 p.m. in the cafeteria. The whole family is invited to this fun event.
The drama students at Workman High School will perform “Night of Ones Act” in the Little Theater at 7 p.m. You can also catch the show tomorrow night at the same time.
It was drop-in day at Rowland Adult School. as part of a state-wide campaign, drop-outs were encouraged to drop in at the adult school to see how they could get their General Equivalency Diplomas.
The school already graduates more than 200 adults in the program, but there's always room for more. The 'students' only pay a $10 registration fee, so the GED certainly fits everyone's pocket book.
Classes are offered both in the morning, as well evening classes. Course material as well as instruction is provided to help everyone get their diploma.
Thanks to Director Rocky Bettar and counselor Joe Miraglia for explaining this wonderful program for us. Be sure to call them if you're considering going back to school for your GED.
Find a full story about this vital program on our Web site in the Highlanders section of SGVN.com
Welcome to Esperanza Fernandez, the new superintendent at La Puente Valley Regional Occupational Program.
The vibrant administrator comes to us from across the hill at the Tri-City ROP in Whittier. She had also been a school administrator, serving as the principal at Whittier High School.
Thanks for taking some time to talk to us yesterday before the big welcome reception in the ROP offices in Industry. Her fascinating story gives hope to all of us. Read about it in a coming story on the Highlander Web site at SGVN.com
Glenelder Elementary School in Hacienda Heights will hold a Quakes Reading Assembly in the cafeteria at 1:30 p.m. We not sure what that means, but we hope it doesn't shake the students up too much! Perhaps the principal can comment.
Meanwhile, California Elementary held two awards sssemblies this morning. Outstanding Kindergarten students were recognized at 8:30 a.m. in the Cafeteria East Campus, while kids in Grades 2,4 and 5 received their rewards in the Elliott Auditorium West Campus at 12:45 p.m.
If anyone would like to add the list of students, please add it to a comment for the rest of the community to see.
It all adds up to a great education.
Math teachers from around the state will converge on the Rowland Unified School District today to study the outstanding math program at Giano Intermediate School.
The visiting teachers want to learn about the AVID program for algebra at the outstanding school in West Covina. Last week the school opened a wonderful new computer lab with 36 shiny new computers.
Visit our Web site at the Rowland Heights Highlander at SGVN.com later for a story on this visit.
Hey it's your community! What's important to you and your family?
It's a new year and we are on the lookout for letters to the editor. If you want to write one about a critical issue in Hacienda and Rowland Heights, or just want to express an opinion about a story or photo, send a letter to editor (Your View) by emailing it to: Trib: letters.tribune@sgvn.com.
Remember, letters must have name, address and telephone number, even though only the name and city are published. Thanks for your help!
You can also send it snail mail.
It's award assembly day in many schools in the Hacienda La Puente Unified School District.
Palm Elementary in Hacienda Heights kicked off the day with a big awards assembly in the cafeteria at 8 a.m.
Sunset also honored its outstanding students this morning, congratulations to all the winners.
Wedgeworth held two assemblies to give out its awards. Third to fifth graders won their accolades this morning, while kindergartners to second grade will receive their awards at 1:10 p.m.
Feel free to comment on your winners, I'm sure the community would like to know our outstanding students.
Well I must say the MAD Science assembly at Temple Academy was an electrifying experience yesterday. Everyone had a great time experimenting with electricity, although this is one hands-on experiment that I'm sure the kids won't soon forget.
The assembly is a preview of the MAD Science afterschool program that the children can take for a small fee. Judging from the oohs and ahhs there should be a lot of interest.
Read about the MAD Science assembly on my Web site. Just look up the Hacienda Heights Highlander at SGVN.com
The Rowland Recreation Department offers many classes for children in the winter. Kids can learn to play soccer or basketball. Want to earn to play a musical instrument? Would they like to learn to wrestle or do karate?
The winter brochure is now available. Registration begins Monday, Jan. 14 in the Recreation Office at 2100 Lerona Ave., Rowland Heights.
For information, call Program Coordinator Colleen Bridgewater at (626) 965-5975 Ext. 1569
They're MAD I tell you MAD!
Well actually, Temple Academy is holding a MAD Science Assembly this morning to attract students to a new science course. In it, the kids will build rockets and conduct other hands-on experiments as they learn about science. Let's just hope they're not going to build any Frankensteins.
At the same time, the Hacienda La Puente Unified school was holding a parent workshop in another room. I hope the parents weren't MAD they didn't get to go to the assembly.
Fresh from their Christmas vacation, Kwis Elementary School in Hacienda Heights will hold a special library night for parents from 3:30 to 5 p.m. tonight. This is part of a new literacy program the school is starting.
Librarian Irene Lopez will welcome the wonderful parents who help out this great school in the Hacienda La Puente Unified School District. The families will be invited to check out some of the books offered in the library.
Teachers have also volunteered to read stories to the families. Kwis plans to have offer the library night twice a month.
Remember reading really is FUNdamental to the success of our students. If the parents show an interest in reading, the kids will follow.
Hey grab your appetite and come out to the Souplantation Restaurant at Puente Hills Mall tonight from 5 to 8 p.m.
Remember the Nogales Noble Regiment Marching Band is trying to raise enough money to perform in Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade next November.
Purchase a meal and a beverage with the flyer below and the proceeds will go toward their fundraising!
(Please note no other coupons or discounts will be honored with this).
Nogales Band Flyer
Workman Elementary is working with parents today to teach them about the new laptop computers that their children have received in Hacienda La Puente Unified's new program.
The parents will learn all about the new laptops the district is providing to help bridge the digital divide facing lower income families. Now every student will have their own computer.
It will be very interesting to see how the nifty little computers change the instructional process in our local schools. Students and staff are all very excited about the innovative program.
Just got back from spending time with JiJi the math penguin at Giano Intermediate School. Actually it was the grand opening of the new computer laboratory at the Rowland Unified School.
The new computers are awesome! And the education software, including the cute little penguins, really is very interesting. I agree with Superintendent Maria Ott that we are at a transition point where we're adapting technology to our educational needs.
A big thank you to all the students who chatted with me, Obrian Ramirez, Marilyn Reyes, Alvin Nunez among others. I appreciate teacher Linda Catanzaro taking time to explain this amazing new computer lab to me.
It was also great meeting the new principal Patricia Cuesta. I'm always amazed that the district can find such great administrators for our local schools. Cuesta is a gem.
Welcome Back!
I hope all the teachers, staff and students in our local schools had a wonder holiday vacation. You certainly deserved it.
But now it's time to slip back into the academic world and hit the books. At least you'll be fresh for the new classes that opened today in Hacienda and Rowland Unified School Districts.
I'm anxious to get back into the classrooms myself, writing stories on the wonderful programs that the local schools offer. If you have a new program or want to recognize someone special please leave me a comment.
You can also reach me at richard.irwin@sgvn.com or call me at (626) 962-8811, Ext. 2801
Crank up those snow machines. Hopefully the local mountains will get a ton of new snow this weekend when the snowline drops below 5,000 feet.
Break out those snowboards and skiis. We got the latest info on the local ski resorts. The Savvy Skier promises to save you big bucks, as well as time.
Go big, or go home! Bear Mountain is one of the top mountains on our list and we spotlight it in today's ski story. Check it out in the Highlander publications on the street and on the web at SGVN.com
Got to go wax the board, grow a beard and find that missing glove. Now where did I put my helmet? chow!!!
Eagle Scout Joshua Stimpson carries the lead banner in the 119th Rose Parade in Pasadena on Jan. 1.
Congratulations to the 10 Eagle Scouts from Hacienda and Rowland Heights who helped out at the Rose Parade in Pasadena on New Year's Day.
The Scouts carried the banners and flags for the big parade. See my story on the Highlanders Web site at SGVN.com.
Thanks to all the Scouts who took the time to talk to me about the event. How did it go? Any good parade stories?
HAPPY NEW YEAR! to all my friends in Hacienda and Rowland Heights.
I hope you all had a happy holiday! That Santa was good to you and that you all enjoyed the season with friends and family.
I really needed the week off to recharge my batteries after all the hectic parties and shopping. I know the kids and teachers used the Christmas vacation to rest up for 2008.
Please feel free to comment on whatever you would like to discuss on this blog. It's meant to be a conversation for the entire community, so jump in whenever you have something to say.
What's up!