Palm Crest Elementary School

Palm Crest Elementary school will be celebrating its 50th Anniversary this year with a variety of exciting events. Kicking off the year-long celebration will be the school's annual Back-to-School Barbecue on Fri., evening, Sept. 29, from 5 p.m. -- 8 p.m. on the playground. Traditionally an event to welcome students and families back to Palm Crest, this year Palm Crest alumni, former teachers, and administrators are being invited to help wish the school happy birthday and to take part in the festivities.

The Palm Crest Elementary School campus is going “tiki-tiki” Saturday for the PTA carnival known as Springamajig. Hours for the event are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. There will be rides, games, food, a silent auction and a talent show. Springamajig Goes Tiki-Tiki is Palm Crest’s annual fundraiser, with the money raised dedicated to enriching our students’ educational experiences. Rides at the event include Kidopolis, Giant Water Slide, Robo Surger, Rock Wall and Shark Attack.

Six members of Pack 515, Den 3 of Cub Scouts, all students at Palm Crest Elementary School in La Cañada Flintridge, visited the La Cañada Valley Sun on April 18 to learn about newspaper communications and earn Tiger badges. “We wanted to learn about how a newspaper works and how it is made,” said Stefan Markarian, 7. “We came here to see all the different departments at the newspaper,” said Andrew Chae, 6. “We came here because we wanted to learn all about the newspapers,” said James Lee, 6. “We liked learning how the newspaper is made,” said Daniel Mabray, 7. “We came here to see how fun it was learning about the newspaper,” said Aaron Phan, 6. The den meets about three times a month, on various days of the week.

This charming two-story cottage home, located on 4760 Palm Drive, is situated on approximately 18,000 square feet of flat land nestled among the majestic deodars of the La Cañada foothills. The tastefully remodeled home features three bedrooms and three baths, crown moldings, duel paned windows, hardwood floors, central air and heat, security system, automatic sprinklers and much more. The kitchen is flooded with natural light and offers an intimate breakfast area that opens to a large family room.

Kylie Brakeman , a fourth grader in Julia Lee's class at Palm Crest Elementary School, won an honorable mention for her poetry entry in this year's Mrs. Nelson's Young Author contest. Award ceremony was held on May 21, and awards were presented by children's author Q.L. Pearce at the Mrs. Nelson's book store in La Verne. Winners included Ages 6 -- 9: first place, Kim Becker, Sellers School, Glendora; second place, Christopher James Bean, Community Home School, Mission Viejo; third place, Ashley Harrison, St. Theresa School, Palm Springs; honorable mention, Matthew Jacobson, Schull Elementary, San Dimas; Arin Phillips, Clairborn School, Altadena; Brooke Bolin, Pennekamp Elementary, Manhattan Beach; Katie Sedor, Oak Mesa Elementary, LaVerne; Kylie Brakeman, Palm Crest Elementary, La Cañada.

Ten Years Ago … Flintridge Prep sophomore Wendy Crumline became the first female track and field athlete in that school's history to win a CIF individual championship when she placed first in the 800 meters in a school-record time of 2:18.71 at the Southern Section divisional finals. Twenty Years Ago … At an early June 1987 meeting, the La Cañada school board unanimously voted to reopen Palm Crest Elementary School as a K-6 facility in September 1988.

The La Cañada Unified School District has formed a committee to explore all options for the district's former office property on Palm Drive. This committee was organized to identify options and recommend to the school board what is the best way to use the property. To date, the committee has discussed various options pertaining to leasing the land should it be kept for future school use, as well as selling the land to private developers. The committee is surveying how the community would like to see this property used.

Evan Key has been awarded the rank of Eagle Scout by JPL Troop 509. He began his Boy Scout adventure 12 years ago in first grade as a tiger cub in Pack 515 at Palm Crest Elementary School. He was an energetic cub scout, earning numerous awards, including the Arrow of Light award. Key joined Troop 509 in February 2000 and has been one of the most active scouts in the troop. He participated on 67 outings and camped 104 nights with the troop, including summer camps at Lost Valley and Camp Cherry Valley five times.

It has been a banner month for the LCUSD and particularly for Palm Crest Elementary School. To start things off, the Educational Foundation hit it out of the park by raising approximately $400,000 at the spring gala a few weeks ago. The Palm Crest Science Fair on March 2 was a success with more students participating than ever. Our school chess club made a very strong showing last weekend at the California Super States chess tournament in Valencia. This week we were treated to spectacular performances by our (K-3)

Palm Crest Elementary School students and their families flocked to the campus on Saturday for the school PTA’s annual Springamajig fundraiser, a festive outdoor carnival complete with games, food, live music and a cornucopia of silent auction prizes. When not busy chasing each other with squirt guns or playing any number of amusement park-style games, kids scrambled for turns in one of three deluxe bounce houses, a massive inflatable slide and the Mega Euro Bungee — a trampoline-like contraption that propels kids more than 20 feet into the air with the help of an elastic rope harness.

Taking advantage of a visit by the superintendent of schools, about 150 La Cañada Unified School District parents crammed into the Palm Crest Elementary School multi-purpose room Wednesday to air their concerns about over-crowded classrooms. Supt. Jim Stratton was invited by the school's PTA to give a state-of-the-district address at its monthly meeting. At the conclusion of his talk, parents asked where the district is headed with rising class sizes. They also called upon each other to take action and donate their time and money to help save the district.

The La Cañada Unified Governing Board on Tuesday formally approved the new principals for La Cañada High School 7/8 and 9/12, and Paradise Canyon Elementary School. Current LCHS 7/8 Principal Jacqueline Luzak is assuming the principalship at LCHS 9/12 for Audra Pittman, who is stepping down at the end of this year for a position as a secondary instructional coordinator with the San Mateo County Office of Education. Luzak's position is being filled by Anais Wenn, the current principal of Palm Crest Elementary School.

CLASSES Cookin Kids Culinary Camp — Six weeks, beginning July 12 . Each week focuses on a different theme. Campers are divided into two groups, ages 7-11 and ages 12-16. Classes will be held at La Cañada High School, 4463 Oak Grove Drive. Parents may enroll children on one week or multiple sessions. For complete details, including fees, discounts, and a camp calendar, visit the website at www.cookinkids camp.com . Or call (818) 952-3452. Zumba Fitness classes — Tuesdays, 5:15 p.m. and Thursdays, 5:30 p.m . At Vonder Haar performing Center, 457 Foothill Blvd.

After just one year on the job, La Cañada High School 9/12 Principal Audra Pittman is stepping down. Pittman will leave La Cañada at the end of the school year to accept a position as a secondary instructional coordinator with the San Mateo County Office of Education, district officials announced last week. "It is a promotion," Pittman said. "It is an opportunity that I really couldn't pass up." The news came just weeks after LCHS 9/12 Assistant Principal Kevin Buchanan and Athletic Director Tamar Hill said they would leave their respective positions, Buchanan to assume the principalship at Oak Park High School and Hill to focus on teaching and coaching at LCHS.

The Palm Crest Elementary School campus is going “tiki-tiki” Saturday for the PTA carnival known as Springamajig. Hours for the event are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. There will be rides, games, food, a silent auction and a talent show. Springamajig Goes Tiki-Tiki is Palm Crest’s annual fundraiser, with the money raised dedicated to enriching our students’ educational experiences. Rides at the event include Kidopolis, Giant Water Slide, Robo Surger, Rock Wall and Shark Attack.

An $877,000 public works project that includes the re-curbing and resurfacing of seven arterial streets in La Cañada, is on schedule to be completed by the end of November, city officials said this week. City engineer Ying Kwan said the streets being worked on include parts of Palm Drive, Jessen Drive, Vista de Valle Road, Alta Canyada Road, Lynnhaven Lane, Princess Anne Road and Gould Avenue. The contracted company, All American Asphalt, is more than four weeks into the eight-week project, Kwan said.

Students in La Cañada are through with their first full week of school, on the heels of the devastating and deadly Station fire which delayed the start of the 2009-10 school year in the La Cañada Unified School District for several days. School in the district was scheduled to start Aug. 31 but was delayed due to the unhealthy air quality. At Palm Crest Elementary School, the school year started with a ribbon cutting commemorating opening of a new multi-purpose room. Palm Crest Elementary School Principal Anais Wenn and La Cañada Unified School District Board President Joel Peterson were present at the opening.