Vol. 54, No. 07 Special Section Temple City, San Gabriel, & ROSEMEAD PAGE 5
Serving the San Gabriel Valley Since 1966 Local Events page 2, 3 “Off Beat Happenings”
Entertainment
page 14 - 15
Sports pages 9 - 10
February 17, 2016 Chalk Talk
page 4
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Twin Lakes Elementary School Celebrates its 30th Anniversary by Michele Earle El Monte
Twin Lakes Elementary School’s students, staff, fam-
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ilies and alumni celebrated the school’s 30th anniversary with student performances, special presentations and recognition for 30 years of outstanding teaching and learning that has taken place on the campus since it opened its doors for the 1985-86 school year. Special guests in attendance joining in the celebration included South El Monte City Council mem-
bers, Joseph Gonzales and Gloria Olmos; former Twin Lakes principals, Angelica Sifuentes Donoso and Sylvia Rivera; Captain Rivas and fire fighters from Fire Station #167; Mountain View School District (MVSD) Superintendent, Lillian Maldonado French and MVSD Board of Education President, Adam Carranza and Board Member, Jacqueline Saldaña, both proud Twin
Lakes alumni. Lakes Golf Course and Helen Heller, current women were also allowed to Twin Lakes principal shared play there.” a bit of history about the The golf course closed school and campus and to in 1970 and at that time El the students amusement they Monte’s population was learned their school grounds growing rapidly and there used to be a golf course was a need for more schools. and was used to house the MVSD purchased the land film crew and actors for the and built Twin Lakes Elpopular movie Back to the ementary, the district’s only Future. 2-story school. The school “Over 100 years ago back opened for the 1985-86 in 1905 what is now Twin school year and over the Lakes School was Twin past 30 years has provided Lakes Men’s Golf Club,” an exceptional educational said Heller. “Only men experience for students. were allowed to play there Current 6th graders, Yvonne until 1960 when it became Nguyen and Justin Rojas the Twin Twin Lakes 30th Anniversary continued on page 8
Students Lead Lunar New Year Celebration by David Perez Los Angeles
A celebration of dances and activities took place at Bitely Elementary School to welcome the Year of the Monkey. The school grounds were transformed into a decorative stage with booths of activities for children of all ages. Dressed in Chinese garb, Woodcraft Rangers students sang and danced to Chinese songs. Chinese lanterns and colorful umbrellas placed along the stage gave off a vibrant feel as the parents and community leaders were welcomed to watch the performances. Smiles and excited faces lit up the night as students from 10 different schools awaited their turn anxiously to perform. Chinese New Year is one of the most sought after celebrations in which tradi-
tions are practiced to usher in wealth, abundance and happiness. The Year of the Monkey is one of 12 animals to appear in the Chinese zodiac in relation to the Chinese calendar. An abundance of camera phones were held to record youth performances. Proud family members and community leaders clapped and cheered loudly for every performance. The night concluded as the student emcees wished everyone a Happy Chinese New Year in three different languages. Woodcraft Rangers CEO, Chris Johnson says, “It was great to see how the community comes together to celebrate an excellent event put on by our staff and students.” The after-school program
puts on community events to highlight their students’ success. With guidance from their club leaders, the students can work together in teams to achieve a common goal. Woodcraft Rangers looks to add to their success. Their expanded learning programs offer educational and real life experiences that will help inspire and
engage youth. Entering their 94 years of service to the youth of Southern California, a variety of unique programs help the students stay engaged throughout the program. For further information contact, (213) 249-9293 or woodcraft@woodcraftrangers.org. To learn more about Woodcraft Rangers go to www.woodcraftrangers.org