EYE ON EDUCATION A Publication of the Paramount Unified School District
15110 CALIFORNIA AVE., PARAMOUNT, CA 90723 • TEL: 562-602-6000 • FAX: 562-634-6029
JULY 2008
Gaines School Receives Statewide Recognition
Excitedly, a team of staff members and parents from Wesley Gaines School attended the Annual State Title I Conference held in Century City, April 20 through 22. Gaines School was one of four hundred schools statewide recognized and honored at the Title I Academic Award Ceremony. State Superintendent of Education, Jack O’Connell presented Mrs. Stevens, Principal, with an impressive plaque and flag. Also on stage for a cameo photo with the State Superintendent was School Board Member Alicia Anderson and Dr. Morales, Reading First Director. A reception and banquet dinner followed. All of the Gaines representatives felt especially honored at this statewide event.
State Superintendent of Education Jack O’Connell congratulated the Paramount Unified School District representatives.
PHS West Campus Talent Showcase
Lincoln’s Kindergarten foyla, Ivan Arguello, Alex Sarabia, Nursery Rhyme Musical
By Gabriela Pedroza
The Talent Showcase was a night to display talent from the Paramount High School West Campus students and staff for everyone to see in the auditorium. The show started at 7:00 p.m. and was presented by ASB. It was a time not only to shine a light upon the hidden talent at school, but also a fundraiser that raised $1,080 of PHS West Campus fundraising total of $3,800 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. The Talent Showcase was hosted by Alex Gonzalez who brought calmness to the audience as well as to the performing acts backstage. The opening act was the West Campus All Stars made up of singers and musicians from Mr. Morvan’s choir class and guitar club (Jennifer Biger, Kassandra Silva, Jacquelyn Taffoyla, Ivan Aguello, Alex Trinidad, and Zach Holzboog) got the night started with “Our Song”. Some of the many highlights of the show were Kelvin Woods
Kelvin Woods was a hit singing “Try a Little Tenderness.” singing “Try a Little Tenderness” and the Raqsy Pirates (Lydia Avelino as “Saguira”, Perla Vargas as “Fareedah”, and Kimberly Delgado as “Kissa”) belly dancing performance called “Real Women Wear Veils”. Other highlights from the talented people who performed were Paloma Ibarra, Ms. Vu with a piano solo “Sweet By and By”, Alex Gonzalez, Janelle Bluit, Shayteka Stewart, Jacquelyn Taf-
Gabriela Pedroza singing “Fall to Pieces”, Suzane Alvarez, Yasmeen Andrade, Dal Arguello and 2 ill 4 U (Kelvin Woods, Donnise Hubbard, Shayteka Stewart, Tyna Colen, Victoria Lee, and Christopher Johnson) dancing to “Shawty Get Loose”. PHS West Campus participated in “Pennies for Patients”, which is a fundraising campaign dedicated to helping kids and teens with Leukemia or Lymphoma. The funds, collected during a threeweek period, benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Everyone who participates is a winner just like all the performers at the Talent Showcase were winners. Other fundraising activities put into action by ASB were the Pie Throwing lunchtime activity (students had an opportunity to throw a pie in a teacher’s face), Hello Grams, and classroom fundraising competitions with a pizza party as a reward to encourage students to actively give to this wonderful society.
Math Adds Up for the American Cancer Society
Los Cerritos School held its First Annual Math-a-Thon this May. Students in grades 4th through 8th were given 200 math problems to complete. Students gathered sponsors to pledge an amount of money per problem or give a flat monetary donation. The event was capped off with a Dunk Your Teacher Event. This was especially popular with the
students! Kelly Anderson and Stephanie Alexis organized the event to raise money for American Cancer Society Relay for Life. The students and staff of Los Cerritos raised over $1500 and the top fund raiser was Jose Estrada, a 5th grade student. The event was organized in honor of Michelle Summer- Caffrey, a former Los Cerritos teacher who lost
her battle to cancer. Our support will help enable the American Cancer Society fund cutting-edge research, provide education, and help improve the quality of life for patients and their families. The Math-a-Thon was a great way for students to practice their math skills, while supporting the American Cancer Society. Way to go Bulldogs!
Jack Be Nimble, Jack Be Quick! Jack Jumped Over the Candlestick! This classic nursery rhyme along with many others such as Hickory, Dickory Dock and The Itsy Bitsy Spider were part of Lincoln School’s Nursery Rhyme Musical presented by the kindergarten students to a packed house on Thursday evening, May 1, 2008. Parents were delighted to see the children beat drums, clap hands, and dance while chanting and singing to a variety of rhymes. Nursery rhymes have been shared from generation to generation and are a perfect way to teach to children how to read. Young children enjoy the humor, rhythm, rhyme and colorful characters that nursery rhymes provide. They also include a variety of subject matter and have a simple story line. They can be repeated over and over without boredom,
provide an opportunity for drama, and are so easy to remember. Learning nursery rhymes is a part of the Kindergarten Open Court Reading program. Through nursery rhymes, students gain important knowledge about language through chanting and singing. Rhyme activities help students focus on and manipulate sounds. Words are made up of specific sounds that can be taken apart, put back together or changed to make new words. As children learn to manipulate the words of nursery rhymes, they are indeed emerging as readers. Thanks to Mrs. Figueira, Ms. Lindsey, and Mrs. Tanner, Lincoln’s Kindergarten students twinkled like little stars. Cheryl Figueira Michael Naruko
SCHOOL BOARD MEETING DATES July 8, 2008 – August 19, 2008 Board of Education meetings are held at 6:00 p.m. in the Boardroom at the District Office, 15110 California Avenue, Paramount, and are open to the public