Schools

LCHS shines in report’s national rankings La Cañada High School is the top performing open-enrollment high school in Southern California, according to recently released U.S. News & World Report rankings. Open-enrollment schools are defined as schools that educate any student who lives within district boundaries as long as those students meet basic eligibility requirements. The category excludes charter schools or schools that have specific admissions requirements.

Students attending all three of La Cañada’s public elementary schools are getting ready for the annual La Cañada Flintridge Educational Foundation’s Jog-A-Thon on Friday, Nov. 13. It is one of several fundraisers held throughout the year by the LCFEF to help pay for important programs in the schools. Last year, the students’ efforts raised $150,000. The LCFEF Jog-A-Thon takes place at school during physical education time, involving all students who choose to participate.

For small businesses looking to broaden their customer base, events like Sunday’s Taste of Montrose have helped boost sales during the prolonged recession. La Cañada Flintridge-based Food Art Catering & Events had relied on word of mouth for five years, which co-owner Sharon Giragosian said had worked out great for the business. “But this year, unfortunately, we found the need to start advertising,” she said. When she and her husband found out two weeks ago about the food-tasting event, they got on board in hopes of expanding their clientele, Giragosian said.

On behalf of the La Cañada Flintridge Educational Foundation, I offer a hearty “thank you” to the community for your massive support of our schools at Gala on March 13. We also thank Dr. Joe Puglia for devoting three recent columns to Gala. Joe always finds an interesting perspective on life in La Cañada and asks tough questions. His March 11 column, “Another way to skin a cat,” was no different. Joe duly notes the important role the Foundation plays in the community.

They were one-hit wonders, but in 1956 Shirley and Lee broke the charts with their classic rhythm and blues rock, ‘Let the Good Times Roll.” The lyrics were simple but the hook, “Come on baby let the good times roll,” defined the outlook of the post-war generation plagued with the uncertainties of the nuclear threat, the Red scare, and the space race. Regardless of the realities of the world, this generation would not be characterized by fear but by a new attitude prompted by a new beat — rock and roll.

I am writing this letter in support of the candidacy of Susan Boyd, an extremely well qualified candidate for the La Cañada Unified School District Governing Board. I got to know Susan through La Cañada PTA Council. Susan's children currently attend La Cañada schools and she has stepped up to leadership positions within the PTA, the LCF Educational Foundation and the recent bond/parcel tax vote. Her hard work has made the schools better for all students. I know if elected, Susan will make more valuable contributions to our community.

With the release on Tuesday of the 2004 Academic Performance Index (API) scores by the state Department of Education, The La Cañada Unified School District has once again demonstrated its pursuit of excellence for its students. According to figures available, as reported on the district's web site, the LCUSD scored 906 out of a possible 1,000 to rank in the highest percentile. Lindi Drebelbis Arthur, director of assessment for the LCUSD, said individually, La Cañada High (grades 7-12)

Letters to the Editor Allow Sagebrush students to attend La Cañada schools After reading about the Allen Bill, which allows La Cañada workers not residing within the city of La Cañada Flintridge to enroll their children in La Cañada schools without requiring a release from the students’ losing district, I found myself asking a few simple questions. The La Cañada school administration has acknowledged that the Allen Bill will directly benefit La Cañada schools due to a projected decrease in enrollment without the passage of this bill.

Maddy Kilbride of La Cañada recently competed in the Greater New England Regional Mock Trial Tournament in Bristol, Rhode Island. There were 23 teams composed of more than 150 competitors at the tournament, representing schools from all over New England. The Donald P. Stone mock trial team is a Bates College organization that competes across the United States against schools such as Dartmouth, Brown and Boston University in intercollegiate mock trial competitions. The mock trial team was founded in 2003 and has competed nationally every year since then.

The Jet Propulsion Laboratories has announced the commencement of its seventh Annual Invention Challenge. The contest is entitled the Bowling Ball Drop Contest. Entrants have to build a contraption that will transfer a bowling ball from a tall platform into a pan. The pan rests on four springs. The ball has to be placed into the pan so that the egg does not break. The device that can perform this action most quickly is the winner. The time will be measured to the nearest 0.01 seconds.

CLASSES: Square dancing — Thursdays, beginning Sept. 16, 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m . Sets in Steps offers a beginner's square-dance class at the Community Center of La Cañada Flintridge, 4469 Chevy Chase Drive. Ron Durkee is the professional caller. Dress is casual and cost is $6 per person. For more information call Betty Woodhull at (818) 249-2651. Gardening: Harvest Basics — Sept. 11, 11 a.m. Descanso Gardens, 1418 Descanso Drive, La Cañada Flintridge.

La Cañada High School students might not lose a chance to attend summer school after all, even though La Cañada Unified School District will not offer the program in 2011. The six-week summer session, which annually costs about $85,000, was eliminated by the district due to budget constraints. But a subcommittee of the La Cañada Flintridge Educational Foundation announced at Tuesday's school board meeting that it is considering running its own summer-school program. "We want this to be a very rigorous summer school and have the same image that La Cañada Unified has and enhances the district," said former La Cañada school board member Jinny Dalbeck, now a member of the foundation's subcommittee, which includes Barry Reed, Valerie Aenlle-Rocha and Deborah Weirick.

Now that La Cañada High has added a girls' golf team, the squad will be hoping to establish some chemistry while being competitive. Rich Wheeler, La Cañada's junior varsity golf coach for the past five years and former football coach, has been named the team's head coach in its inaugural season. Richard Tetu, head boys' golf coach, will be the team's assistant coach. "I am looking forward to the program having a girls' golf team. It will make the program bigger and better," Tetu said.

Ten Years Ago Three people were killed and one seriously injured in a series of motorcycle accidents in the Angeles National Forest over the Labor Day weekend in 2000.   Twenty Years Ago Martin Lewis, well known for offering many local youths their first jobs, marked his 25th anniversary of ownership of the Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise in La Cañada Flintridge.   Thirty Years Ago A faulty water heater was blamed for a blaze that heavily damaged a home and destroyed two vehicles in the 5300 block of Crown Avenue late one night in September 1980.

Lunch is being done differently in the La Cañada Unified School District this year. La Cañada Unified replaced food-service company Sodexo Inc., which has held the contract for the district's lunch program for the past five years, with School Nutrition Plus to prepare lunches for its four school cafeterias. When Sodexo's contract expired, the district published a request for bids from other companies, as it is required to do every five years, said Mike Leininger, the district's assistant superintendent of facilities and operations.

Records were set, expectations were realized and playoff runs were made in the 2009-10 sports season in La Cañada. Whether it was swimming, basketball, volleyball, softball, soccer or track and field, the area had its share of fine individual female performers from a number of schools. Those athletes won All-Area, All-CIF Southern Section, all-league and even All-American accolades. They were also instrumental in helping their respective teams earn CIF and league success.

Last week's Time magazine cover story by Bobby Ghosh reported that "hate speech against Muslims and Islam is growing both more widespread and more heated," with protests against a mosque in lower Manhattan and the building of other mosques elsewhere not considered isolated incidents but part of a nationwide feeling of Islamophobia. A poll by Time/Abt SRBI found that 46% of Americans believe Islam is more likely than other faiths to encourage violence against nonbelievers. Is America Islamophobic?

The 2010-11 school year begins in a unique way for the La Cañada Unified School District in a year when district officials hired more new administrators than teachers. "We only have two new teachers this year, usually we would have 20 to 25 teachers. A lot of that is due to the cutbacks from Sacramento," said Supt. James Stratton, speaking Wednesday at the Kiwanis Club's annual Apple for the Teacher event. Each year Apple for the Teacher signals the beginning of each school year as new teachers and administrators are welcomed and honored.

Like every other school district, La Cañada Unified School District has been hammered by reductions in government funding. But it has had the luxury of being able to rely on two local organizations to help supplant those reductions in funding. The La Cañada Flintridge Educational Foundation has donated more than $16 million to the district in its 32-year existence and the PTAs are seeing an increased fundraising role themselves. "The parents and families are very supportive in La Cañada," said Susan Dodge, president of the La Cañada PTA Council.