Vol. 53, No.49 Special Section Temple City, San Gabriel, & ROSEMEAD PAGE 5
Serving the San Gabriel Valley Since 1966 Local Events page 2, 3
Entertainment
page 10 - 11
Sports pages 7, 8
December 09, 2015 Student Corner
page 3
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El Monte Superintendent Honored with Superhero Award by Lucila Garcia El Monte
Lillian Maldonado French, superintendent for the Mountain View School District in El Monte, was honored with the Summer Matters Superhero Award by the Summer Matters campaign and State Superintendent Tom Torlakson at the California School Boards’
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Association Annual Education Conference on Thursday, December 3, 2015, at the Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina (Torrey Pines Room) located at 333 West Harbor Drive, San Diego, California. The superintendent was recognized for her commitment to summer learning, including expanding the Mountain View School District’s program to serve 2,300 students last summer and keeping libraries open beyond the summer months through the use of the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) and state summer grants. Maldonado French has also been an enthusiastic spokesperson for summer learning across California. She is featured on a new Summer Matters video that illustrates how and why dis-
tricts are investing in summer learning programs. “It’s not enough to have a great instructional program. It’s not enough to do a great job nine months out of the year,” said Maldonado French. “You really have to think about how to make sure that students have incredible, rich, fun, explorative opportunities during the summer as well,” she added. According to the Summer Matters campaign, a statewide campaign aimed at expanding summer learning opportunities for youth, Superintendent Maldonado French has creatively built her district’s summer learning system over the course of many years. “We are honoring Ms. Maldonado French because her reach goes well beyond her district and students,” said Katie
Courtesy Photo Superhero Award continued on page 6
El Monte’s 44th Annual Holiday House by Valerie Martinez El Monte
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It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas in the City of El Monte as the 44th Annual Holiday House brought the community together to kick off the holiday season on Saturday, Dec. 5. The El Monte Community Center became a “Santa’s Workshop,” featuring Christmas carolers, contests, games, prizes and pictures with Old St. Nick. In addition, the event included a fabulous Holiday Boutique, Santa pictures, saxophonist, Christmas carolers, entertainment by local schools and organizations and much more. The first two hundred children who visited the Holiday House received a free holiday surprise! The merriment began with the annual Arroyo High School Cheer Team Menudo Breakfast Fundraiser from 9 – 11 a.m. and the SGV Energy Wise Partnership’s “Holiday LED Light Exchange,” in which
community members were welcome to trade In their old energy wasting lights for new energy-efficient LED lights (while supplies lasted). In keeping with tradition, this year’s event featured holiday fun favorites including Petals the Clown Magic Show, the Gingerbread House Contest and the Pee Wee Cheerleaders “Spaghetti Dinner.” Community members in attendance were asked to help support the El Monte/ South El Monte Emergency Resources Association Food Drive by bringing canned items.
Courtesy photos from City of El Monte