Sports
Entertainment
Local Football, page 4
Vol. 54, No. 14
Rockin’ Wednesday, page 6
Serving the San Gabriel Valley Since 1966
August 16, 2017
City Helps Thousands Get Ret Ready for School by Staff writer El Monte
On Saturday, August 12 kids and parents started lining the sidewalks of the Downtown Valley Mall as early as 3 am to participate in one of El Monte’s most anticipated events. The 6th Annual El Monte Back to School Resource Fair worked with a variety of service groups, nonprofit organizations, and local businesses within the City of El Monte to assist local children getting ready for the school year by offering school supplies like backpacks, socks, and haircuts. As the largest comprehensive event of its kind in the San Gabriel Valley, El Monte’s free Back to School Resource Fair has equipped thousands of students over the years with the supplies they need to be successful during the school year. K-12 students received free back-
packs from the El Monte / South El Monte Chamber of Commerce, colored pens and pencils from Valley Vista Services, Socks from the Rotary Club and lined notebooks from CBM Towing just to name a few of the volunteers and participants helping to make the event a success. Councilmember and Chairperson of the event Victoria Martinez told Mid Valley News that she was happy with the large turnout of individuals and volunteers from within the community who came to participate and share. “We need to make sure all of our students are ready for an amazing school year”, Martinez said. “The one thing we need to remember today is this is for our kids. As the chairperson for this event I am so grateful to
Courtesy Photo
my colleagues and that we have the opportunity to provide these resources every year so thank you to City of El Monte for this great event.” Councilmember and Mayor ProTem Jerry Velasco agreed. “Part of the program is that we get to educate people about their city. It’s a great family event and we’re looking for-
ward to having a really great time.” The City of El Monte, Downtown El Monte Business Association and El Monte/South El Monte Chamber of Commerce were proud to host this resource fair in partnership with the City of El Monte, Mt. View School District, and El Monte Union High School District.
Mountain View School District Ready for a Productive School Year by Michele Earle El Monte
Monday, August 21st marks the start of the 2017-2018 school year for the Mountain View School District as the District’s 12 schools, Magnolia Learning Center and Children’s Center/Head Start State Preschool get set to welcome back students. Inspiring each student to succeed every day is MVSD’s mission and each school is strongly committed to student achievement and character development at all grade levels. “We are very excited for the new school year and eager to welcome our students on Monday,” said Lillian Maldonado French, Superintendent. “The start of a new school year brings a sense of positivity and renewal and every member of the Mountain View team is looking forward to a great year and providing all of our students with positive learning experiences.” MVSD is pleased to welcome Veronica Godinez to the Mountain View Team as the new principal at Maxson Elementary School, as well as 32 new teachers and certificated staff members for the 2017-18 school year. New this year, the Sobrato Early Aca-
demic Language (SEAL) project will be districtwide in all Pre-Kindergarten through 3rd grade classrooms. MVSD was the first school district outside of Silicon Valley to implement the SEAL project in 2014 at a few schools and is excited to go districtwide with this dynamic and effective project beginning this fall. The District’s strong focus on health and wellness will continue, and the Family Engagement opportunities will remain a high priority as programs, workshops and activities are provided for parents and families throughout the school year. Along with core academics, programs like STEM, Project Lead the Way, AVID, SEAL, Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), Visual and Performing Arts, and the elementary counseling program will continue to equip MVSD students with the knowledge and skills to become tomorrow’s leaders and positive contributors to their community. The district-wide college-bound culture will continue through a variety of programs all focused on inspiring future collegiate scholars. MVSD is coming off a very busy summer which included providing
summer learning programs for over 2,600 students and professional development, committee work and training for staff members. Additionally, the first Measure SS Bond project, an extensive underground utilities modernization took place at Payne School. Adding to the excitement of the first day of school is the first Total Solar Eclipse set to cross the United States since 1918. MVSD has purchased protective eyewear for every
student and staff member so they may experience this rare occurrence. Teachers have been provided safety and other information regarding the eclipse from NASA’s website “Eclipse 101” and will be reviewing the information with students prior to viewing the eclipse. “As we embark on the new school year, our MVSD team is eager to continue the journey of educating Mountian View continued on page 8