ABC USD Back to School Magazine and Resource Guide

Back to School Magazine

ABC Unified School District's

District News & Information-

• Bus Stops • District Holidays

• STAR Accountability Report• Open house & graduation dates

Principals’ updates from all ABCUSD schools-

• 19 Elementary schools• 5 Middle schools • 5 High Schools

• ABC Adult School• Preschool Programs

2010-2011

2 2010 ABC Unified School District Back-to-School Magazine

Table of Contents

From the Cerritos City Council

Jim EdwardsMayor

Bruce BarrowsMayor Pro Tem

Carol ChenCouncilmember

Joseph Cho, Ph.D.Councilmember

Laura LeeCouncilmember

Best Wishes for a Successful School Year!

A Message From The Superintendent - Dr. Gary Smuts ...............................................5A Message From The Board President - Celia Spitzer ..................................................5Board of Education ......................................................................................................6School Calendar ..........................................................................................................7STAR Accountability Report .......................................................................................8ABC Magnet School Programs .....................................................................................9ABC Unified School-An Award Winning District ......................................................... 10ABCUSD Graduation Dates, Open House .....................................................................12ABC Unified School District Bus Stops ...................................................................... 13ABC Unified School-An Award Winning District ......................................................... 14ABCUSD in the Community ........................................................................................ 15ABC Achievements ..................................................................................................... 17ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS ............................................................................... 19Aloha Elementary School ........................................................................................... 19Mary Bragg Elementary School ................................................................................. 21Burbank Elementary School .......................................................................................22Carver Elementary School .........................................................................................23Cerritos Elementary School .......................................................................................24Elliott Elementary School ..........................................................................................25Furgeson Elementary School .....................................................................................26Gonsalves Elementary School ....................................................................................27Hawaiian Elementary School ......................................................................................28Juarez Elementary School .........................................................................................28Kennedy Elementary School ......................................................................................29Leal Elementary School .............................................................................................30Melbourne Elementary School ................................................................................... 31Niemes Elementary School ........................................................................................32Patricia Nixon Elementary School ..............................................................................33Palms Elementary School ..........................................................................................34Stowers Elementary School .......................................................................................35Willow Elementary School .........................................................................................36Wittmann Elementary School ....................................................................................36MIDDLE SCHOOLS ........................................................................................37Carmenita Middle School ...........................................................................................37Fedde Middle School .................................................................................................38Haskell Middle School ..............................................................................................39Ross Middle School ...................................................................................................40Tetzlaff Middle School .............................................................................................. 41HIGH SCHOOLS ................................................................................................ 41Artesia High School .................................................................................................. 41Cerritos High School .................................................................................................42Gahr High School ......................................................................................................43Tracy High School .....................................................................................................44Whitney High School .................................................................................................45ABC Adult School ......................................................................................................46


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39

2010 ABC Unified School District Back-to-School Magazine 5

In this “BACK TO SCHOOL EDITION” all of ABC’s 30 schools and preschools take the opportunity to start the new school year by communicating directly with the educational com-munity we serve. As you know, effective communication between schools and parents is one hallmark of a successful school district.

The challenges facing California public schools have never been greater. Our own school district has reduced spending by over $35 million. While the responsibilities of public educa-tion continue to expand, our resources continue to shrink. However, student achievement in ABC has never been higher! Despite these hardships, ABC continues to prosper academically

and will remain enriched by thriving programs in art, music, and athletics. In this “BACK TO SCHOOL EDITION” you will read about ABC schools that are designated “magnets” in

that they have specialized programs that draw students to an educational theme that is distinguished by a rigorous academic focus. Other schools highlight the characteristics that make each of them distinctive. This annual pub-lication helps us refresh our understanding that each of school is a reflection of the students, parents, and staff that form their unique learning community.

The Los Cerritos Community News has again joined ABC in a special partnership to develop and print this “BACK TO SCHOOL” newspaper. This is another example of hundreds of community partnerships that provide tremendous support for ABC schools throughout the year. The continued support of PTA’s, booster clubs, volunteers, and our business partnerships enhances ABC’s growth and improvement. If you, your organization, or your business wants to join the others who work in our schools, please call our Volunteer Office at (562) 926-5566, extension 21197.

Thank you for your continued support during the 2010-2011 school year and welcome BACK TO SCHOOL!

A Message From The Superintendent - Dr. Gary Smuts

Dear Parents:

On behalf of our School Board, I am pleased to welcome you and your children to the 2010-11 school year with wonderful news. The newly-released Academic Performance Index shows that student test scores in ABC are at an all-time high with a district-wide score of 822.

District enrollment continues to be stable and, despite considerable funding reductions from the State of California, ABC still is able to keep class sizes low and provide a broad range of pro-grams to meet the needs of all of our students.

We are able to do this because of the collaborative working relationship among all participants in ensuring that your child receives the best education anywhere. This is due to the common goal of Student Achievement shared by teachers, classified employees, administrators, management, and all members of the Board of Education, so-mething of which all of us should be very proud.

The entire Board wishes your children a very successful school year.

Sincerely,

Celia SpitzerPresident, Board of EducationABC Unified School District

A Message From The Board President - Celia Spitzer


is a member of Women’s Club of Artesia Cerritos and a life time member of Friends of Cerritos Library. Olympia enjoys most “Read Aloud” events at the schools. Olympia feels it is critical to continue a partnership between teachers, other staff and the administration in the ABC Unified School District. “This will allow us to focus on quality education for all students.” Olympia is the liaison to the Finance and Audit Committee.

Board of Education

Mark Pulido, Member of the Board, is ser-ving his second term on the ABC School Board. He was elected without opposition in November 2001 - a first in district histo-ry. Mark has been a Cerritos resident for 35 years. He and his wife Gloria Perlas Pulido are graduates of ABC schools: Mark attended Wittmann Elementary and Whitney High;

Gloria attended Burbank Elementary and Whitney High. Their daughter currently attends elementary school in the ABC dis-trict. Mark works for the California Legislature as the District Director for our local State Senator Alan Lowenthal. Mark has volunteered in the local community for many years. He coached Pee Wee soccer, served as a day camp counselor, served on the Whitney Foundation and helped establish the Whitney Alum-ni Association. Mark served as UCLA Student Body President where he earned his Bachelor degree in History and Asian Ame-rican Studies. He also served as an after-school tutor, college recruiter, and established a peer counseling program. Mark also holds a Master of Public Policy degree from The University of Chicago. Mark thanks all his teachers for the great education he received here in ABC. He feels „very honored to give back to his hometown community, by working to ensure the best educa-tion possible for all ABC students.“ Mr. Pulido is the liaison for the ABC Head Start/State Preschool programs.

Olympia Chen, Member of the Board, was first elected to the ABC School Board in 1997. She also served as the Board President in 2000, 2004, and 2009. Olympia was a high school teacher and has been a resident of Cer-ritos for 25 years. She has extensive involve-ment in the school district and the communi-ty. She volunteered in her children’s schools, including serving as secretary of Carmenita

PTA and Cerritos High School PTSA. Olympia is a board mem-ber for the Greater Long Beach Chapter of the American Red Cross as well as the Community Family Guidance Center. She

Maynard Law, Vice President of the Board, was elected to the ABC Board in 2007. May-nard is a retired Special Education Teacher as well as a retired public administrator. May-nard has been a resident of Cerritos for 34 years, with both of his sons educated in ABC. He has extensive involvement in the school district and the community. He has served the community on various ABC School Dis-

trict advisory committees, coached more than 40 youth sports teams, volunteered as a scout leader, as a member of the Friends of Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts, as President of the Cerritos Optimist Club, and as Chairman of the City of Cer-ritos Parks and Recreation Commission. He feels honored to continue the leadership excellence that is the cornerstone of the ABC District. He believes that continuing strong partnerships among parents, teachers, administrators, employee groups, and the school board is a priority. He believes that a primary role of a board member is to ensure that every student has the resour-ces to achieve academic success. Mr. Law is the liaison to the Legislative/Policy Board Advisory Committee.

Armin Reyes, Clerk of the Board, is in his third term as a member of the ABC School Board and was first elected in November, 1999. Ar-min brings both experience and education in negotiations and conflict management to his service with the Board. He originally moved to Cerritos because of the excellent schools in the District and wants to make sure that the quality of education remains high. Armin has

three small children, and two of them are ABC students

Celia Spitzer, President of the Board, was first elected to the ABC Board in 1999 and to her third term in 2007. She has been a resi-dent of Cerritos since 1971. Celia worked as a systems engineer for IBM after graduating from UC Berkeley with a Bachelor‘s Degree in mathematics. Both of her children attended ABC schools from kindergarten through high school. Celia is proud of the many accomplish-

ments of our district, its students and its employees. Many of our schools have received state and national recognition for aca-demic performance. ABC has received national recognition for its excellent relationship with district employees with everyone working together to promote student achievement. All of this is being accomplished with a balanced budget that focuses on the needs of all students. Celia thoroughly enjoys serving on the Board and is proud of how well our schools and the communities they serve are working together.

James Kang, Member of the Board, was elected as a member of the ABC School Board in 2009. He graduated from Korea University having a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and a MBA Degree in Marketing. He worked for the L. A. Coun-ty Dept. of Data Processing for three years before he became involved in the real estate and construction business until he retired in 2009. During his business career, he conti-

nued post graduate and work-related study at Cerritos College and CSLA. His family has been residents of Cerritos since 1977. His three children graduated from Cerritos Elementary and Whitney High School. His first son graduated from UC Berkeley and became a medical doctor. Second son gradua-ted from Yale University and became a lawyer. His daughter graduated from UCLA and works at a Pharmacy. He honors and thanks all the teachers who gave a great education to his children. James Kang was a founding leader of the Whitney High Korean Parent group. He served as a Chairperson of the Whitney Foundation for Education Excellence. He served as a member of Strategic Planning and the Student Achievement Committee under ABCUSD. He is involved in supporting youth activities such as middle school track meets and orato-rical contests. James Kang supports students who would like to go into a professional trade as well as academic study. He encourages all ABC students to do their very best during their stay with ABCUSD


School Holidays/No School for Students (Local and Legal Holidays for Students):

Thursday, November 11, 2010 Veterans’ Day Observance

Friday, November 12, 2010 Furlough Day/Non Student Day

Wednesday, Nov. 24, 2010 Elementary Student Free Day

Thurs.-Fri., Nov. 25-26, 2010 Thanksgiving Recess

Dec. 20 through Dec. 31 2010 Winter Recess

Monday, January 17, 2011 Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Day

Friday, January 28, 2011 Secondary Student Free Day

Monday, February 14, 2011 Lincoln’s Day

Monday, February 21, 2011 Presidents’ /Washington’s day

Monday, March 28, 2011 Furlough Day/Non-Student Day

Friday, April 15, 2011 Furlough Day/Non-Student Day

April 18 through April 22, 2011 Spring Recess

Monday, May 30, 2011 Memorial Day Observance

Friday, June 17, 2011 Last day of school for most students.

2010-2011 School Calendar

ABC Unified School District

Welcome Back To School !

Wishing you all the best and continued success as

you begin a new school year.

Don Knabe Supervisor, Fourth District County of Los Angeles www.Knabe.com

Sophia Tse, Member of the Board, was elec-ted to the ABC Board in 2007. Sophia Tse is a pediatric nurse practitioner and part-time university instructor. Sophia has been a re-sident of Cerritos for 24 years. All three of her children attended ABC schools. Sophia has been involved in her children’s schools as PTSA board member at Carmenita MS and Whitney HS, chairwoman at Whit-

ney HS Chinese PTSA and volunteer nurse practitioner for Cerritos HS soccer teams. She has served in the community through the following organizations: Chairwoman and Board Member of the Southern California Chinese Culture Associa-tion; coach, team mom, and first aid provider for City of Cer-ritos soccer teams; participant in the March of Dimes Program for premature Infants; and community instructor for basic life support and parenting classes. Mrs. Tse is the liaison to the Nutrition Services Board Advisory Ad Hoc Committee. Mrs. Tse is also a Southeast ROP board member representing ABC. Mrs. Tse is the liaison to Closing the Achievement Gap Board Advisory Committee.She believes that educational instruction should develop all aspects of the student, including the physical, intellectual, so-cial, and psychological aspects, in order to create a well-roun-ded individual. She strongly feels that success in a student’s education can only occur through strong parental involvement and participation.

Board of Education


On Sept. 13 the California Depåartment of Education released its 2009-2010 Accountabil-ity Progress

Report to the public. The Report provides results from the state accountability system which includes the Academic Perfor-mance Index (API) and the federal ac-countability system using the Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) targets. Both the API and AYP are based upon statewide assessment results from the Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) Program and from the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE).

The 2009-10 STAR Program includes the California

Standards Test (CST) for students in grades two through eleven. The test results of the English language arts

and Math tests were sent home to families during August and September.

ABC Unified School District con-tinued to show strong growth with its in-creased API of 812 in 2009 to 822 in 2010. The State’s API aver-age is 767. The 10 points gain is sig-nificant for a school district that serves multiple communities with a diverse student

population. One of major District strategic goals for the past several years has been to close the achievement gap among the communities the District serves as well as among the various sub-group of students.

Sixteen of the 29 schools tested in the District met the State’s target of an API of 800 or more. Six schools exceeded an API of 900. Several schools made signifi-cant growth this year by breaking the 800 goal. Juarez ES in Cerritos grew by 40 points to reach 802. Ross Academy of Creative Media Arts in Artesia grew 23 points to reach 805. Artesia High School in Lakewood grew 35 points to reach 745.

Meeting federal targets prove to be a more challeng-ing task for all districts due to its moving targets each year. Under the No Child Left Behind Act, the goal is have all students proficient in English language arts and Math by 2014. In ABCUSD, the District met 32 of the 42 Adequate Yearly Progress criteria. The complex federal accountability system is currently under review in Congress and is anticipated to change under the new administration.

ABC Makes Great Gains on the STAR TestAcademic Performance Index (API)

State and ABC Comparison 2004-2010

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

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ABC Unified School District has been recognized and highlighted on many occasions throughout the past year. Schools and individual accomplishments have been highlighted at the national, state and local levels. The following are some examples:

ABC Unified School – An Award Winning District

2010 California Distinguished School Awards, Leal Elementary School.

2010 California Distinguished School Awards, Gon-salves Elementary School.

Golden Bell Awards, ABC‘s Network for a Healthier Generation.

2010 Parent Leadership Conference.

AFT Innovation Fund; Ray Gaer, Dr. Mary Sieu, Randi Weingarten, AFT President, and Laura Rico, ABCFT President.

Golden Bell Awards, Tetzlaff MS Red Carpet Media Festival.



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2010 CRAFT EVENT SCHEDULE Sign Up Online @www.norwalk-townsquare.com

ABC selected for new Magnet Schools Grant

ABC Unified School District has been awarded a new round of funds for the Magnet Schools Assistance Program (MSAP) by the U.S. Department of Educa-tion. The $5,541,674 will be dedicated to convert three ABC schools into new magnet schools over the next three years. The three schools and their new magnet themes include Aloha ES – Health Medical Academy, Nixon ES – Academy of Multi-media Arts and Tetzlaff MS – Accelerated Learn-ing Academy. Aloha ES is located in the city of Lakewood while Nixon ES and Tetzlaff MS are in the city of Cerritos.

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announced the award of $100 million in Mag-net School Assistance Program grants on Sept. 30th. ABCUSD was one of 36 school districts in 15 states selected for this highly competitive grant. The grant award is designed to help school districts bring diverse groups of students to-gether through the use of innovative educational programs and create more school choices for parents.

During the past 15 years, ABC Unified School District has suc-cessfully obtained the MSAP funds to create thirteen magnet schools in the District. Accord-ing to Dr. Mary Sieu, Deputy Superintendent,

“The Magnet Schools Assis-tance Program Grant has truly transformed our schools by raising student achievement and creating exciting new programs for the community. Many of these schools have gone on to be selected as Cali-fornia Distinguished Schools, Magnet Schools of Excellence and have received statewide recognition for their innova-tive programs”.

For more information about the ABC Unified School District’s magnet schools, please go to: http://abcusd-magnetschools.com Teachers and staff at Aloha Elementary.


HIGH SCHOOLS

MIDDLE SCHOOLS

ELEMENTARY SCHOOLOpen House Schedules 2008-2009

SECONDARY SCHOOLOpen House Schedules 2008-2009

ABCUSD Graduation Dates

ABC Back To School Resource GuidePublished by Los Cerritos Community Newspaper Group.

All rights reserved, ©2010. Published once per year, circulation 35,000.

Major contributions by the following ABCUSD personnel:Dr. Mary Sieu, Deputy SuperintendentLaura Lowe, Administrative Assistant

ABC Council PTA Board2010-2011

PresidentCynthia Corrales

SecretaryShiva BhattTreasure

Melodie JohnsonAuditor

Priva VenkatPrograms

Elsa Garcia-ChauHistorianAna Marty

ParliamentarianLouise DodsonHospitalityPilar Aguayo

MembershipYolanda Williams

Graphics Station:Users:brian:Documents:Microsoft User Data:Saved Attachments:Grad Dates 10-11.DOC


2010-11 GRADUATION DATES

ADULT SCHOOL, HIGH SCHOOLS, SECONDARY SCHOOL

DATE SCHOOL TIME LOCATION

Adult School

5:00 p.m.

D.O. Grass Area

June 14, 2011

(Tuesday)

ABC Secondary School

(Independent Study)

6:00 p.m.

Cerritos High School East

Gymnasium

Cerritos High

School

7:00 p.m.

Gahr High School

Rants Stadium

Tracy High School

6:30 p.m.

Artesia High School

Atkins Stadium

June 16, 2011

(Thursday)

Whitney High

School

5:00 p.m.

Whitney Field

Artesia High

School

6:30 or 7:30 p.m.

TBA

Artesia High School

Atkins Stadium

June 17, 2011

(Friday)

Gahr High School

6:00 p.m.

Gahr High School

Rants Stadium

MIDDLE SCHOOLS


June 20, 2011 (Monday)

Carmenita Middle

9:00 a.m.

Quad Area

Fedde Middle

9:00 a.m.

Quad Area

Haskell Middle

9:00 a.m.

Quad Area

Ross Middle

8:30 a.m.

Shelter Area

June 17, 2011 (Friday)

Tetzlaff Middle

9:00 a.m.

Quad Area

Graphics Station:Users:brian:Documents:Microsoft User Data:Saved Attachments:Grad Dates 10-11.DOC


2010-11 GRADUATION DATES

ADULT SCHOOL, HIGH SCHOOLS, SECONDARY SCHOOL


Adult School

5:00 p.m.

D.O. Grass Area

June 14, 2011

(Tuesday)

ABC Secondary School

(Independent Study)

6:00 p.m.

Cerritos High School East

Gymnasium

Cerritos High

School

7:00 p.m.

Gahr High School

Rants Stadium

Tracy High School

6:30 p.m.

Artesia High School

Atkins Stadium

June 16, 2011

(Thursday)

Whitney High

School

5:00 p.m.

Whitney Field

Artesia High

School

6:30 or 7:30 p.m.

TBA

Artesia High School

Atkins Stadium

June 17, 2011

(Friday)

Gahr High School

6:00 p.m.

Gahr High School

Rants Stadium

MIDDLE SCHOOLS


June 20, 2011 (Monday)

Carmenita Middle

9:00 a.m.

Quad Area

Fedde Middle

9:00 a.m.

Quad Area

Haskell Middle

9:00 a.m.

Quad Area

Ross Middle

8:30 a.m.

Shelter Area

June 17, 2011 (Friday)

Tetzlaff Middle

9:00 a.m.

Quad Area

Elementary School Open House Schedules For 2010-11

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School/Principal Ext. # Date Time

ALOHA

Yabumoto, Julie 22500 May 19, 2011 6:00 to 7:00 p.m.

BRAGG

Janeway, Annette 22600 April 14, 2011 6:00 to 7:30 p.m.

BURBANK

Bray, Beth 22700 May 26, 2011 6:30 to 8:00 p.m.

CARVER

Berlyn, Debbie 22800 April 14, 2011 6:00 to 7:30 p.m.

CERRITOS

Wilson, Dennis 22900 April 14, 2011 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

ELLIOTT

Mitchell, Danielle 23000 May 26, 2011 6:00 to 7:30 p.m.

FURGESON

Lozano, Mayra 23100 May 24, 2011 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.

GONSALVES

Benko, Rob 23200 April 7, 2011 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

HAWAIIAN

Cordova, Laurie 23300 TBA 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.

JUAREZ

Adler, LuAnn 23400 June 2, 2011 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

KENNEDY

Valentine, Melissa 23500 May 19, 2011 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

LEAL

Makely, Laura 23600 TBA 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

MELBOURNE

Neder-Olivos, Kathy 23700 April 7, 2011 6:00 to 7:30 p.m.

NIEMES

Jimenez, Meg 23800 May 19, 2011 6:00 to 7:30 p.m.

NIXON

Ortiz, Melinda 23900 March 10, 2011 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.

PALMS

Huh, Eveline 24000 May 19, 2011 6:00 to 7:30 p.m.

STOWERS

Tracy, Tom 24100 April 14, 2011 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

WILLOW

Dohm, Linda 24200 May 25, 2011 6:00-7:30 p.m.

WITTMANN

Walker, Patrick 24300 May 26, 2011 6:00 to 7:30 p.m.

Secondary School Open House Schedules For 2010-11

Graphics Station:Users:brian:Documents:Microsoft User Data:Saved Attachments:OpenHs 10-11[2].DOC

School/Principal Ext. # Date

Time

CARMENITA

Buss, Rhonda

24400 January 27, 2011 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

FEDDE

Castro, Carol

24600 February 10 & 11, 2011 Student led

conferences 1:00-3:00 and 5:00-8:00 p.m.

HASKELL

Lewis, Camille

24700 1:00-3:00 and 5:00-8:00 p.m.

ROSS

Brown, Ricardo

24500 6:30 to 8:00 p.m.

TETZLAFF

Wise, Crechena

24800 March 3, 2011 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

ARTESIA

Garcia, Sergio

21601 April 27, 2011 (Report Card Night) 6:00 p.m., Gym

CERRITOS

Peterson, Janice

21800 .

GAHR

Zietlow, Gina

22001 March 22, 2011 6:30 to 8:00 p.m.

TRACY

Green, Jeff

22200 May 24, 2011 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

WHITNEY

Hager, Patty

22300 April 13, 2011

5:00-9:00 p.m.

ADULT

Guo, Pao-Ling

25011 May 20, 2011

10:00-12:00 Noon @Cuesta Site


ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS

ALOHA ELEMENTARY NECTAR & CARSON 215TH & LONGWORTH CENTRALIA & GRIDLEY

BRAGG ELEMENTARY STUDEBAKER & BIGELOW, STUDEBAKER & JERRY PIONEER & LOS COYOTES BURBANK ELEMENTARY STUDEBAKER & 4 TREES APTS 169TH & CLARKDALE (PADELFORD PARK)

CARVER ELEMENTARY SOUTH & PIRES, SOUTH & ALPHINGTON, SOUTH & SHOEMAKER DEL AMO & MAMMOTH, MOODY & BORREGO

HAWAIIAN ELEMENTARY 221ST & IBEX

JUAREZ ELEMENTARY NORWALK & ECHO RIVER WAY, BLOOMFIELD & HIDDEN CREEK BLOOMFIELD & MOLETTE, 169TH & CLARKDALE (PADELFORD PARK) EXCELSIOR & WILDER, DAWN & CEDARWOOD KENNEDY ELEMENTARY ALONDRA & MADRIS 183RD & SHOEMAKER

MELBOURNE ELEMENTARY NORWALK & CIVIC CENTER DRIVE

NIXON ELEMENTARY SOUTH & GRAYLAND

PALMS ELEMENTARY BLOOMFIELD & 215TH, BLOOMFIELD & GRADWELL

WILLOW ELEMENTARY CENTRALIA & GRIDLEY STUDEBAKER & HORNET

WITTMANN ELEMENTARY ALONDRA & WILDER

MIDDLE SCHOOLS

CARMENITA MIDDLE CARMENITA & CHURCH AM, CARMENITA & SOUTH PM

FEDDE MIDDLE CARSON & NECTAR, CENTRALIA & GRIDLEY

HASKELL MIDDLE ARTESIA & GRIDLEY, NORWALK & 183RD, STUDEBAKER & 183RD STUDEBAKER & SOUTH

ROSS ACADEMY BLOOMFIELD & ALONDRA, 166TH & GRIDLEY, 166TH & ISLANDIA 183RD & SHOEMAKER, BLOOMFIELD & 166TH

TETZLAFF MIDDLE MOODY & BIGELOW, MOODY & BORREGO 183RD & NORWALK, SHOEMAKER & DROXFORD

HIGH SCHOOLS

GAHR HIGH SCHOOL BLOOMFIELD & ALONDRA BLOOMFIELD & 166TH

TRACY HIGH SCHOOL BLOOMFIELD & CENTRALIA, CARSON & SEINE, CARSON & NORWALK

PIONEER & DEL AMO, PIONEER & CENTRALIA

WHITNEY HIGH SCHOOL BLOOMFIELD & CENTRALIA, CARSON & NORWALK, NORWALK & CARSON NORWALK & DEL AMO, PIONEER & DEL AMO, PIONEER & 215TH STUDEBAKER & SOUTH, 195TH & BLOOMFIELD, 195TH & NORWALK 195TH & STUDEBAKER, 166TH & GRIDLEY, 166TH & STUDEBAKER, 195TH & GRIDLEY

ABC UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT BUS STOPS

UPSProviding the highest level

of service to businesses and individuals, helping communites thrive for

over 100 years.

Proud sponsor of theABC Unified School District

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11101 183rd St. Cerritos 90703 (562) 467-0850Dine In • Carry Out • Delivery

11 a.m.-12 a.m. Sun.-Thurs. 11 a.m.-1 a.m. Fri.-Sat.

*Good with a purchase of a meal. Offer good with coupon only. One per person, cannot be combined with any other offer. Cannot be reproduced.

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Restaurant Manager: Mark Frembling

Stowers Magnet School of International Studies in Cerritos and Fedde MS Academy of International Studies in Hawaiian Gardens have achieved candidate status in their quest to become the first International Baccalaure-

ate (IB) authorized world schools in ABC Unified School District.

Candidacy status is granted when schools have successfully completed training of all staff in IB Level One curriculum and principles, committed fund-ing to develop IB curricu-lum as well as committing to receive continued advanced teacher training, and am implementing the program

at the schools. Both schools base their curriculum on the California State Standards while incorporating an inter-national focus, a major philosophy of the International Baccalaureate Organization. (IBO).

According to Dr. Mary Sieu, Deputy Superintendent, becoming a fully authorized school is not a short pro-cess as it can take up to three to five years. This recent achievement represents a first for the ABC Unified School District. As magnet schools with an international focus, Stowers ES and Fedde MS chose the IB Program because it helps develop the intellectual, personal, emotional and social skills to live, learn and work in a rap-idly globalizing world.

For the past two years, these two schools have worked hard to achieve the goal of becoming candidate schools. Stowers ES and Fedde MS plan to be fully authorized IBO world schools by 2011-2012 school year. For more information about the IB Program about Stowers ES, please contact the school at (562) 926-2326 and Fedde MS at (562) 924-2309


Two ABC Schools receive prestigious International Baccalaureate authorization



Principals from the 24 schools in the ABC Unified School District and their surrogates for the day gathered at the Sheraton Cerritos Hotel this year for lunch where they compared notes about their morning activities at the school.

ABC Superintendent Dr. Gary Smuts welcomed the acting prin-cipals and thanked them for taking time from the schedules to partici-pate in the program. He said Prin-cipal responsibilities can include being landscape specialists need-ing to know what kind of trees and plants have been installed on the school grounds. Sometimes they are psychologists or they need psy-chologists he quipped, with psychic’s abil-ity to anticipate the day’s events that may and may not happen during a school day.

They’re also sheriff’s, probation offi-cers, secretaries and they also have legal responsibilities. He said he would define a principal as being a good and faithful friend. He also said a principal needs to know how to handle money, He said the smallest elementary school costs about $1 million to run. In so many words a princi-pal wears many hats.

Carver Principal Deborah Berlyn said former Cerritos Mayor Jim Edwards took his duties seriously and was seen playing a game of baseball with the students. Ha-waiian Gardens Mayor Victor Farfan, who was Principal of a Day at Fedde Middle School, commented the program was worthwhile and he learned a lot about today’s classroom studies. The programs they have at the school are very good. The Mayor is a graduate of the school.

The mayor stated there were a lot of great things happening at Fedde. He said the partnership Hawaiian Gardens has with the District would benefit Fedde and the District as a whole especially when the Sports Complex to be constructed at the school is built. He said it would afford Fedde with new baseball, football and soccer fields, a basketball court as well as tennis courts

Los Cerritos Center Senior Property Manager Ken Kraus, who was assigned to Bragg Elementary School, expressed amazement at the knowledge the students have about broadcasting. “I was amazed at the knowledge the students have about today’s technology at that young age,” he

stated. He also pointed out the students had collected approximately 2,000 pair of shoes that will be sent to Haiti.

Cerritos High School Principal for a

Day Cerritos Sheriff Station Commander Captain Joe Gonzales said kids usually look to the star athletes at school to be their role models when they should be looking to their Principals and teachers. “I was only on the campus a few hours, but they are doing a great job,” he stated. He said from what he saw on campus Cerritos has great kids.

Deputy Superintendent Dr. Mary Sieu told the gathering, instead of giving them a cup to commemorate their day, they would receive artwork done by the students at their schools to remember this day.

Principals for a Day included, Gustavo Lorena, Mental Health America, Los An-geles; Ken Kraus, Los Cerritos Center;

Victor Manalo, Artesia Mayor Pro Tem; Jim Edwards, Cerritos City Councilmem-ber’ Chris Halverson, General Manager Sheraton Cerritos; Brian C. Tom, Cali-

fornia Educational Centers; Salva-dor Hodgkin, Jr., Atkinson, Ander-son, Loyal, Rued & Romo; Bobby Lee, Boy Scouts of America; Mike Gomez, Hawaiian Gardens Coun-cilmember; Mark Frembling, BJ’s Brewery Restaurant; Marianne Hughlette, Friends of Arts Educa-tion at Cerritos Center for Perform-ing Arts; Joe Esquivel, Lakewood Vice Mayor; Assemblyman Tony Mendoza; Steven Castillo, GST- Information Technology Solutions; Iran Tzu, District Representative

California Senator Alan Rosenthal; Al-len G. Wood, Merriwood Management Company; John Buck, City of Lakewood; Julia Huang, Interterm Communications; Hawaiian Gardens Mayor Victor Farfan; Nicoleta Ammar, Schools First Credit Union; Carlyn Heminger, Ross Middle School; Diana Needham, Prudential California Reality; Dr. Stephen Johnson, Cerritos College; Ron Serabi, General Manager Hawaiian Gardens Casino; Joe A. Gonzales, Captain Cerritos Sheriff Sta-tion; Ray Potlongo, Heriff Jones, Inc.; Dr. Robert Simpson, Cypress College; Dennis Hunter, Long Beach TBV; Ron Fritsch, Concordia University; and Dr. Shin Liu, Cerritos College.



ABCUSD in the CommunityPrincipals for a Day honored at annual ABCUSD luncheon

COMMUNITY NEWS GROUP • FEBRUARY 22, 2010 3TO ADVERTISE CALL 800-901-7211

Principals for a Day honored at annual ABCUSD luncheon

The Cerritos City Council invites you to a Community Open House Celebrating the Completion of the Expansion of the

DISPLAYS

CERRITOS SHERIFF’S STATION COMMUNITY SAFETY CENTER

PARKING

The following Los Angeles County Sheriff ’s Department and Los Angeles County Fire Department displays will be offered. Units may be called away to respond to an emergency.

Arson/Explosives Unit �Sky Knight Helicopter �Special Enforcement Bureau � (SEB)Motorcycle Traffic Enforcement �Honor Guard �Patrol Unit �Sheriff ’s Recruitment �L.A. County Fire Dept. Vehicle �Area E Regional Community �Emergency Response Team (CERT)Long Beach Animal Care Services Bureau �Office of Emergency Management � (OEM)

Parking will be available at:

Cerritos Civic Center �Cerritos High School �Church of Jesus Christ �of Latter-day Saints

For more information call (562) 865-8101

FEATURINGA 1 p.m. Dedication Ceremony �Tours of the facility �Safety Displays �Children’s commemorative keepsakes �

Saturday, March 6, 20101 p.m. to 4 p.m.

CERR ITOS C IV IC CENTER | 18135 BLOOMF IELD AVE | CERR ITOS , C A

“Kidprint” fingerprinting �for children age 5 or olderEntertainment �Refreshments �

By Jerry Bernstein

Principals from the 24 schools in the ABC Unified School District and their surrogates for the day gathered at the Sheraton Cerritos Hotel Feb. 4 for lunch where they compared notes about their morning activities at the school.

ABC Superintendent Dr. Gary Smuts welcomed the acting prin-cipals and thanked them for taking time from the sched-ules to participate in the program. He said Principal responsibilities can include being landscape special-ists needing to know what kind of trees and plants have been installed on the school grounds. Sometimes they are psychologists or they need psychologists he quipped, with psychic’s ability to

anticipate the day’s events that may and may not happen during a school day.

They’re also sheriff’s, probation officers, secretar-ies and they also have legal responsibilities. He said he would define a principal as being a good and faith-ful friend. He also said a principal needs to know how to handle money, He said the smallest elementary school costs about $1 million to run. In so many words a princi-pal wears many hats.

School Board President Celia Spitzer also welcomed the Principals for a Day and thanked them for taking time out of their schedules to participate in the program. It’s important for you to un-derstand what is going on in the schools, classroom activity, budget problems etc. She said Dr. Smuts attended a conference in Monterey last weekend. He said most of the discussion was on the budget crisis in Sacramento and how it is affecting the schools.

“We’ve put aside some funds for a rainy day,” she said, but ABC faces diffi-cult times in the next fiscal year. We can’t make money, only the federal government can.

Carver Principal Deborah Berlyn said former Cerritos Mayor Jim Edwards took his duties seriously and was seen play-ing a game of baseball with the students. Hawaiian Gardens Mayor Victor Farfan, who was Principal of a Day at Fedde Middle School, commented the program was worthwhile and he learned a lot about today’s classroom studies. The programs they have at the school are very good. The Mayor is a graduate of the school.

The mayor stated there were a lot of great things happening at Fedde. He said the partnership Hawaiian Gardens has with the District would benefit Fedde and the District as a whole especially when the Sports Complex to be constructed at the school is built. He said it would afford Fedde with new baseball, football and soccer fields, a basketball court as well as tennis courts

Los Cerritos Center Senior Property Manager Ken Kraus, who was assigned to Bragg Elementary School, expressed amazement at the knowledge the students have about broadcasting. “I was amazed at the knowledge the students have about today’s technology at that young age,” he stated. He also pointed out the students had collected approximately 2,000 pair of shoes that will be sent to Haiti,

.Cerritos High School Principal for a Day Cerritos Sheriff Station Commander Captain Joe Gonzales said kids usually look to the star athletes at school to be their role models when they should be looking to their Principals and teachers. “I was only on the campus a few hours, but they are doing a great job,” he stated. He said from what he saw on campus Cerritos has great kids.

Deputy Superintendent Dr. Mary Sieu told the gathering, instead of giving them a cup to commemorate their day, they would receive artwork done by the

students at their schools to remember this day.

Principals for a Day included, Gustavo Lorena, Mental Health America, Los Angeles; Ken Kraus, Los Cerritos Center; Victor Manalo, Artesia Mayor Pro Tem; Jim Edwards, Cerritos City Councilmem-ber’ Chris Halverson, General Man-ager Sheraton Cerritos; Brian C. Tom,

California Educational Centers; Salvador Hodgkin, Jr., Atkinson, Anderson, Loyal, Rued & Romo; Bobby Lee, Boy Scouts of

America; Mike Gomez, Hawaiian Gardens Councilmember; Mark Frembling, BJ’s Brewery Restaurant; Marianne Hughlette, Friends of Arts Education at Cerritos Center for Performing Arts; Joe Esquivel, Lakewood Vice Mayor; Assemblyman Tony Mendoza; Steven Castillo, GST- Information Technology Solutions; Iran Tzu, District Representative California

Senator Alan Rosenthal; Allen G. Wood, Mer-riwood Management Company; John Buck, City of Lakewood; Julia Huang, Interterm Com-munications; Hawaiian Gardens Mayor Vic-tor Farfan; Nicoleta Ammar, Schools First Credit Union; Carlyn Heminger, Ross Middle School; Diana Needham, Prudential California Reality; Dr. Stephen Johnson, Cerritos Col-lege; Ron Serabi, Gen-eral Manager Hawaiian Gardens Casino; Joe A. Gonzales, Captain Cerritos Sheriff Station; Ray Potlongo, Heriff Jones, Inc.; Dr. Robert Simpson, Cypress Col-lege; Dennis Hunter, Long Beach TBV; Ron

Fritsch, Concordia University; and Dr. Shin Liu, Cerritos College.

Principals for a Day gathered together at the annual ABC luncheon held in their honor at the Sheraton Cerritos Hotel following a morning where members of the business and education communities volunteered to serve as Principals for a Day at the district schools.


Best Wishes on the Upcoming School Year! The City of Hawaiian Gardens wishes all ABCUSD students a healthy, happy, and prosperous school year.

deals every day. revenue to your favorite charity every click.

Each day you’ll get at least a 50% deal to local restaurants, events, children’s activities, beauty services,

home & garden, travel getaways and more! The deals arrive in your email inbox in the morning and you have two days

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Part of your purchase will go to a charity/school/non-profit of your choice!

Your City Coupon Daily DealsStarting Nov. 1


By Larry Caballero

Stowers Elementary School parents, teachers and more than 500 students kicked-off the start of the new school year Sept. 17 with a celebration of students who achieved a perfect score on the May 2010 Cali-fornia Standards Test.

Twenty-one students were awarded a Certificate of Achievement and received congratulations from Principal Dr. Tom Tracy for achieving a perfect score of 600.

The California Standards Test (CST) for elementary students was developed to specifically measure students’ progress toward achieving the California state-adopted aca-demic content standards in English-Language Arts (ELA), mathematics and science. The test describes what students should know and be able to do in each grade and in each subject area tested.

Stowers teachers began last school year by identifying the standard academic knowl-edge each student must master on the CST. To promote student mastery, teachers formed a part-nership with the parents. “Teachers and parents worked together to build a powerful educational team focused on student success,” said Dr. Tracy. “Their partnership provid-ed a tremendous support system for the students.”

As a result of their team efforts, Stowers Academic Performance Index (AIP) score jumped 12 points reaching 878.

“We hope to work together again to keep this momentum going throughout this school year as well,” he con-cluded.

ABC ACHIEVEMENTS

Welcome Back To School!Dr. David J. DeKriek, Au.D.Board Certified in Audiology

Proud supporter of the ABC Unified School District.

• Expert Hearing Care for children and adults.

13079 Artesia Blvd., Ste. B-104 • Cerritos, CA 90703 • www.FidelityHearing.com

562.275.3602

In Cerritos • 0% Financing Available • Batteries Always $2.50

Shown Stowers Elementary School Principal Dr. Tom Tracy (l-r) with the 21 students who achieved a perfect score on the California Standards Test at an Awards Ceremony Sept. 17 where they were congratulated by parents, teachers and staff.

Stowers students achieve perfect scores on California Standards Test


Southeast ROP classes on ABC High School Campuses

“Academic Excellence through Career and Technical Education“

• ARTESIA HIGH SCHOOL Arts, Media, and EntertainmentPhotography I & II – Instructor, C. LeeTheater Performer – Instructor, P. MillerBusiness and MarketingMicrosoft Office – Instructor, G. NewtonConsumer and Human ServicesCareers in Education – Instructor, L. DelgadoHealth SciencesEmergency 1st Responder – Instructor, M. GarciaPharmacy Clerk – Instructor, D. FloresIndustrial and TechnicalAutomotive I & II, Advanced Engine Repair, Alternative Fuels – Instructor, M. SuppleWelding I, II, & III – Instructor, L. Archie

• CERRITOS HIGH SCHOOLArts, Media, and EntertainmentGraphic Design – Instructor, B. DragooMultimedia – Instructor, S. BommaritoHospitality and TourismHotel Careers – Instructor, Y. PlascenciaCulinary I & II – Instructor, C. GarciaHealth SciencesPharmacy Clerk – Instructor, K. ThomasPharmacy Technician – Instructor, K. ThomasHospital Careers – Instructor, K. Thomas

• GAHR HIGH SCHOOL Arts, Media, and EntertainmentGraphic Design – Instructor, M. ShirranBusiness and MarketingMicrosoft Office – Instructor, M. ShirranConsumer and Human ServicesForensic Science – Instructor, M. NixStudent in the Law – Instructor, M. NixHealth SciencesPharmacy Clerk – Instructor, V. WagnerPharmacy Technician – Instructor, V. Wagner Hospital Careers – Instructor, V. WagnerIndustrial and TechnicalAutomotive I & II, Advanced Engine Repair, Automotive Maintenance – Instructor, B. Myers

• TRACY HIGH SCHOOL Arts, Media, and EntertainmentDesktop Publishing – Instructor, V. MarkleGraphic Design – Instructor, V. Markle

• WHITNEY HIGH SCHOOL Arts, Media, and EntertainmentVideo Production – Instructor, R. ZiolkowskiHospitality and TourismHotel Careers – Instructor, Y. PlascenciaCulinary I & II – Instructor, C. Garcia

• SOUTHEAST ACADEMY HIGH SCHOOLLaw Enforcement/Military Science High SchoolSoutheast Academy High School is open to 10th, 11th, and 12th grade studentswww.southeastacademy.org

• ROP Auto Careers InstituteAuto/Transportation PathwayClasses held at Cerritos College in the Transportation Technology CenterMonday-Thursday, 4:00-6:00 pmClasses Start September 14FREE! Juniors and Seniors only

• CosmetologyConsumer and Human Services PathwayClasses held at Cerritos CollegeMonday-Thursday, 3:30-5:30Classes Start September 14FREE! Seniors only

For more information please call (562) 860-1927

12940 East Foster Road • Norwalk CA • 90650 • www.southeastrop.org

Innovative After School ROP Programs For High School Students• Dental Assisting

Health Careers PathwayClasses held at Southeast ROP Monday-Thursday, 3:30-5:30Classes Start September 13FREE! Seniors only

• Continue The Pathway, Adult ROP Training Programs

• Dental Assisting• Homeland Security• Medical Billing and Coding• Medical Assisting• Pharmacy Technician• Real Estate Professional• Welding


Welcome to Aloha, home of the Dolphins and a rigorous, standards based education. Aloha is a high performing Title 1 school which was

recognized by California as a Title 1 Achieving School. Aloha’s Academic Performance Index (API) is at 759 which is mov-ing towards the state goal of 800. Aloha has an excellent staff consisting of highly trained teachers and support staff. Aloha is dedicated to ensuring the academic success of every child and providing a safe and comprehensive educational program. Students are taught their grade level standards using state adopted curriculum in all subject areas. Teachers frequently analyze data and use it to plan and differentiate instruction. High aca-demic expectations are held for all of our students.

Aloha has many programs to support the academic, social, and emotional development of elementary students. Aloha has a highly success-ful reading intervention program that provides intensive support to students who need extra assistance in reading fluency and comprehension. The pro-gram utilizes a Response to Interven-tion (RTI) Model which incorporates standardized assessment and research based materials. Students in the in-

tervention program receive effective direct instruction using GATEWAYS, SRA Horizons and Corrective Read-ing materials. In addition, Aloha has a counseling program to help students in the area of self-esteem, social skills, coping strategies and other social/emotional needs. Counseling has proven to be an intervention that helps students deal with issues before

they affect their grades. We also have Peace Builders which is an anti-bul-lying and anti-violence program that encourages students to make the right choices. The whole school recites the PeaceBuilders Pledge each morning after the flag salute. We follow the 6 basic rules of PeaceBuilders: to praise people, to give up put downs, to seek wise people, to notice and speak up about hurts, to right wrongs, and to help others.

Aloha truly focuses on the whole child. Nutrition and exercise are an extremely important component of a child’s education. We want to make sure that our students are performing to their best ability by eating right

and staying healthy. Our school participates in the Network for a Healthier California which provides lessons, assemblies, and workshops on healthy living. Students learn about and sample a different fruit or vegetable each month. This program has really encouraged healthy eating and exercise with a hands-on ap-proach. Students and staff follow the

ABC Unified Wellness Policy through our Mile-age Club. The Mileage Club is a walking pro-gram in which teachers, students and staff walk our enormous school field several times each week. Aloha has received the 2010 Bronze National Recognition Award from the Alliance for a Health-ier Generation. Aloha received the award for

making positive changes in the areas of healthy eating and physical activity for students and staff.

........................................................Students are rewarded academically in numerous ways. Three school wide awards assemblies are held throughout the year to recognize aca-demic achievement, citizenship, and attendance. A “STAR” assembly is also held prior to the statewide STAR testing, which recognizes students who have scored advanced or made proficiency level growth. STAR students are acknowledged in front of their peers and given a star charm on a necklace or key chain. Our stu-dents are

ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS

Aloha Elementary School11737 E 214th Street, Lakewood, CA 90715 (562) 924-8329Principal – Julie Yabumoto

{continued on page 20}


rewarded each month for being the top 3 readers in their class. The top 3 readers are the students who read the most minutes in our district’s Running for Reading challenge. The ABC Unified School District Su-perintendent, Dr. Smuts, challenges the students to read at home. Aloha came in third place amongst the 19 ABCUSD elementary schools in Dr. Smuts’ Walking for Reading Chal-lenge. Aloha’s focus on reading is also displayed through our STAR (Stop, Think, Act Right) choice awards. Students are given these tickets for demonstrating positive be-havior and helping out teachers, staff and classmates. Each month, stu-dents can trade 20 tickets for a brand new book. Students really enjoy this because they get to come to the principal’s office and pick out a book of their choice. Many students are quickly building their home libraries through this program.

All Aloha students participate in Art Masters which focuses on four master artists throughout the school year. Students interactively learn about the life and times of famous artists. Art helps students think more creatively, raises academic achieve-ment and reinforces self-esteem. The Art Masters Program is a fun way to learn the art standards, vocabulary and gain an appreciation of the fine arts. Students have learned about Cezanne, Van Gough, O’Keeffe, Da Vinci and many other famous artists. This year students will learn about Miro, Degas, Seurat, Mondrian and create their own masterpieces related to the artist.

Aloha has a free after school child care program to meet the needs of working families. The EXTRA (Ex-tending Time to Raise Achievement) program offers a safe place for kids to stay after the school bell rings. This program services our kindergarten

through sixth grade students every school day during the year. Students get academic support, homework help, physical education, and arts and crafts.

Parents are an integral part of Aloha Elementary School. We have an active Parent Teacher Association (PTA) that supports the school by providing assemblies and field trips. Each class usually goes on 1 or 2 field trips each year. We encourage more parents to become involved at Aloha by joining the PTA, School Site Council, volunteer in the class-room, attend parent education classes, and family nights. Research shows that parent involvement increases student academic achievement!

Our school community which consists of teachers, parents, profes-sional staff, and students are looking forward to another year of continued success!

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Mary Bragg

Elementary SchoolA 2008 California

Distinguished School

Welcome to Mary Bragg School, where

we are proud to have been named a Cali-fornia Distinguished School and an active PeaceBuilder‘s School. Hard working teachers, high expectations in the class-room, and strong parent support at home have helped Bragg students perform ex-ceptionally well on school and state-wide achievement assessments. Our Acade-

mic Performance index (API) has grown steadily over the last five years to an outstanding 890 in 2009! Our student centered academic instruction, enrichment and intervention programs are guided by our Mission and Vision Statements.

Mission Statement - The Mary Bragg Elementary School Staff provides an ex-ceptional standards-based instructional program that motivates students toward becoming independent critical thinkers

and life-long learners. Our school fosters the impor-tance of the school-home partnership that values commitment to learning. Our staff and c o m m u n i -ty share the

goals of preparing students to become productive and responsible participants in a complex, technology-based society, together with becoming respectful, infor-med, and caring citizens in a culturally diverse world.

Vision Statement - The staff at Mary Bragg Elementary School values each student and is proudly committed to in-stilling a rich tradition of academic ex-cellence and high expectations in every student. Students will be well-rounded, life-long learners with academic and so-cial skills that empower them to be re-sponsible, contributing members in an ever-changing and diverse world.

School-Wide Commitment to Enrich-

ment and Interventions - Based upon lo-cal and state data, each teacher compiles test scores to create English/Language Arts and Mathematics enrichment and in-tervention programs. Our programs run during the school day and after school.

Recognition - Student recognition is another important part of our educatio-nal program. Eight times a year class-room awards are presented to students

for academic achievement and good ci-tizenship. Parents and family members are invited to our award celebrations so that we can honor our students together. Additionally, students, staff, and pa-rents receive Praise Notes at our weekly PeaceBuilder‘s Assembly. Praise Notes are issued to those demonstrating the te-nants of the PeaceBuilder‘s Pledge. Stu-dents may also receive a „Paws“itive Re-ferral, being sent to the principal‘s office to honor academic achievement, personal success, and leadership.

Parent Involvement Opportunities - There are many opportunities for pa-rents to become involved at our school. Parents are encouraged to participate in school-wide events, PTA and on School Site Council. Our PTA actively supports

our stan-dards-based curr iculum inside and outside the c l a s s r o o m by sponso-

ring the Meet the Masters Art Program, enrichment assemblies, and funding for student field trips. They also spon-sor evening events and Family Nights throughout the school year.

Great students, fantastic teachers, supportive parents, innovative programs, strong community partnerships and enri-ching activities make Mary Bragg Ele-mentary School a very special place for every student to learn and grow.

Mary Bragg Elementary School

A California Distinguished School

11501 Bos Street, Cerritos, CA 90703 (562) 860-5580Principal – Annette Janeway


Jim EdwardsMayor

Bruce BarrowsMayor Pro Tem

Carol ChenCouncilmember

Joseph Cho, Ph.D.Councilmember

Laura LeeCouncilmember



Welcome Back Bulldogs!

Greetings from Burbank Elementary Magnet School for the Visual, Performing, and Folk Arts. I am Ms. Beth Bray, the proud principal of this dynamic school. I am joining the staff this year after serving as principal, magnet coordinator, and teacher in ABCUSD for 13 years. The Bur-bank staff and community shares my belief

in a strong academic program enriched through experiences in the arts.Our Burbank Community

Burbank is a school in and of the community. Learning is job one at Burbank and we provide many services for fami-

lies and children. Burbank provides the after-school programs, EXT-RA and Extended Day Program with homework help, arts and crafts, and outside games. The magnet school program sponsors Family Arts Nights and the PTA offers evening events for

families to have fun and learn together. The Health Services Department runs an Immunization Clinic at Burbank two mor-nings a week. The ABC Adult School provides Mommy and Me Parent Education classes and evening kick-boxing classes. Students can participate in the Mandarin Language and Cul-ture classes after-school. Parents, student and staff celebrate our school spirit each month in a Community Gathering in which students perform and are honored for academic achieve-ment and character.

This year our efforts to promote healthy living were hono-red by the William J. Clinton Foundation and the Alliance for a Healthier Generation with the Bronze award. Mrs. Farley traveled to New York City this summer to accept the award. Burbank offers student and parent education in healthy eating choices and exercise.Our Burbank Talents

Our students explore their talent through the magnet program. Using our newly renovated Fine Arts Center, the students practice and perform. Students act, sing, dance, create props, and serve as stage hands for theatrical performances. Students create visual arts through the Meet the Masters program and grade-level projects. Students take a dance class every week and have the opportunity to take Jazz, Hip-Hop, and Ballet after-school. After-school classes are offered in

children’s handbells. Our beginning Handbell Choir performed on the ABC Unite Show last year featured on the local TV station. The Howlers choir performs two shows a year after practicing after-school for many hours. The Music Express band performs several times a year. The Burbank Cheer squad performs every month for spirit day and participates in a regio-nal competition in the spring. All children explore their talents at Burbank!

Burbank Elementary School17711 Roseton Avenue, Artesia, CA 90701(562) 865-6215Principal – Beth Bray

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Welcome to Carver AcademyWith the help of our teachers, staff, parents and students, Carver Academy’s quest towards 900 continues. With a modest bump in our API score over the 2009-2010 academic year, we are well prepared to continue the trend of additio-nal growth for 2011.As a result of Carver Early Learning Aca-

demy (CELA), our Communication Magnet Program and our Enrichment Clusters, Carver Academy has become a highly sought after location for our surrounding communities to educate their children. In a day of declining enrollment, we are proud to announce the addition of nearly 50 students, bringing our total enrollment to approximately 590 students, not including Head Start and CELA. Ac-cording to those in the know, Carver Academy is now educating the largest number of students in its storied history.Our Vision StatementAs effective worldwide communicators, Carver Academy students will be critical thinkers and inqui-sitive learners, with a sense of personal commitment to action and service. Our faculty and support staff will provide preschool through sixth grade students with rich learning experiences in a challenging academic and social environment.Carver Early Learning Academy

Carver Early Learning Academy begins educating students at three and four years old. Our fee-based preschool provides quality educational opportunities for young children, preparing them for the rigors of their K-6 educations. Our teachers are well trained and prepare students with the necessary skills to become a successful and productive student. Once a child attends Carver Early Learning Academy, they are able to continue through sixth grade in order to create a seamless edu-cational experience for the students and family. We welcome students from all communities to attend our stellar preschool program!Magnet Program

The magnet program was established to help students gain skills necessary for success in their future, through explo-ration of both interpersonal and technological communica-

tion. The emphasis on schoolwide enrichment and academic achievement for all students provide a foundation for lifelong success, while developing talents and abilities. The yearlong curriculum plan, based on the California Academic Content Standards, is organized into three schoolwide themes: Who We are on Planet Earth, Ways in Which We Communicate, and The Working of Our World. These themes are inquiry based, interdisciplinary, and interrelated across academic areas. Student communication projects include digital photography, broadcasting, digital video and movie production, computer presentations, and poster creation with scanners and large size printers. The journey to success begins at Carver Academy,

which provides the skills for success in the 21st Century. Effective communication, technology competency, obtaining and managing in-formation and the application of knowledge are the basis for life long success.

Every classroom at Carver has state-of the-art technology that teachers incorporate into daily lessons. Interactive whiteboards, LCD projectors, a document camera (ELMO), and computers are regularly utilized to increase student interest and retention of mate-rial. A wireless mobile com-puter lab with internet access, digital video and still camera, and webcams for world wide video conferencing are availa-

ble to prepare students for the new generation of jobs.Enrichment Clusters

Carver has adopted the Enrichment Cluster Program as part of the Schoolwide Enrichment Model. Recognizing that all learners are unique, learning experiences must take into account the abilities, interests, and learning styles of individu-al students. Twice a year during the six-week cluster, students spend one hour a week exploring a topic of interest with the assistance of community members. Along with gaining in-depth knowledge of a particular topic, students begin to take responsibility and interest in their own learning. The regular curriculum is supported, expanded and enhanced by children participating in enrichment activities and bringing their enthu-siasm into the classroom setting. Student and cluster leaders communicate what they have accomplished at a schoolwide celebration to culminate the Enrichment Cluster Program. These educational opportunities, supported by an excellent teaching staff, create a first rate educational opportunity that is both challenging and enjoyable for our students.

Carver Elementary School19200 Ely Street, Cerritos, CA 90703(562) 865-1257Principal – Debbie Berlyn

Top Chef Cooking School: A local restaurant owner & chef volun-teers to teach cooking to 5 & 6th graders.


At Cerritos El-ementary School we have a „Main Thing“ that guides our every decision and our every act. Our „Main Thing“ is to prepare students for a productive life in the twenty-first century. We believe

citizens of the future must be life-long learners able to work and interact in a diverse society. Our goals for students are to master grade level content stan-dards, use critical thinking and problem solving strategies, develop communica-tion skills, and demonstrate positive and democratic social interactions. By pro-viding a rigorous academic and caring environment, we strive to help students realize their full academic potential, de-velop positive self-concepts, and gain enthusiasm for learning. We encourage all students to develop responsibility for their own behavior and a concern for others. Our goals are aligned with the goals of the ABC Unified School District (ABCUSD). We invite our community to help plan and participate in imple-menting programs to prepare students for a healthy and successful future.

Cerritos Elementary School (CES) is home to approximately 645 diverse students in kindergarten through sixth grade and serves the easternmost neigh-borhoods of the ABC Unified School District (ABCUSD). Our school com-munity holds high expectations for the quality of education we provide our students, for student academic achieve-ment and behavior, and for parents in support of all students and the school. As a consequence, our student body is comprised of highly motivated and very capable students who consistently strive to meet and exceed the expectations of their parents and teachers.

In the 2008-2009 school year, CES achieved an Academic Performance Index (API) growth score of 958, its highest API score ever. As a result, we have become one of the most attractive „Schools of Choice“ in the region.

At CES we are dedicated to our com-

mon belief that all children will learn to master the California Content Standards at every grade level. More than 30% of the students in grades 3-6 are identified and placed in our Gifted and Talented Education program (GATE). These stu-

dents are “clustered” in every classroom and are provided a challenging, differ-entiated curriculum appropriate to their needs. In addition to high quality stan-dards-based instruction, CES provides academic support for at-risk students and language support for English Language

Learners (ELL). Ready Study Go!, an after-school homework assistance and tutorial program is offered five days a week.

With the generous support of our fam-

ilies, community and the school district, we are able to provide Extended Day Care, Computer Club, valet drop-off, band practice, and student supervision be-

Cerritos Elementary School13600 E 183rd Street, Cerritos, CA 90703(562) 926-1315Principal – Dennis Wilson

fore the school day begins. During the school day many volunteers help out in classrooms, teacher workrooms, and in the office. Parent volunteers teach the Junior Achievement program in grades K-6. The Parent and Teacher Asso-ciation (PTA) supports school-wide enrichment activities including pay-ing for bus transportation for all field trips, financial support to teachers for instructional materials, and making very significant gifts to the school in-cluding technological equipment such as „Elmos.“ Further support is pro-vided by our Cerritos Elementary ed-ucational Foundation (CEEF) such as supporting the computer technology instructional program and materials, The choral music program, Meet the Masters art appreciation, and Science on the Go. The CEEF also hosts our

annual Pancake Breakfast in October and our Spring Family Science Night and Silent Auction. After school, 120 of our K-6 students participate four days a week in learning Mandarin Chinese. Other extra-curricular pro-grams such as Young Rembrandts Art

Program, Chess Club, Spanish Explorers, and Spotlight Theater are offered throughout the year.

A description of Cerritos El-ementary School would not be complete without mention of the unique aura of the school. Visi-tors to the school begin to feel it as soon as they enter the office and are warmly welcomed by the office staff. Our classrooms are purposeful places, humming with the sounds of students learn-ing and achieving at remarkably high levels. Our playgrounds are full of children happily playing

with each other, totally oblivious to their diversity. As one looks around the campus he will see parent volun-teers and staff interacting together and with the children in ways evocative of mutual respect, friendship and sincere care. Everywhere, one sees evidence of a school community that is truly in harmony learning, playing, and work-ing together.


multicultural theme. Many of the students sing in different languages during the performances. Our band, directed by Mr. Michael Hogue, performs concerts at least twice a year. The highlight of the year is the Elemen-tary Band-O-Rama in May.

Cultures are celebra-ted throug-hout the year. In October, we encourage our students to wear their clothing representing their heritage for a mul-ticultural parade. Every year we are amazed by the beautiful dresses and detailed outfits the girls and boys wear at the parade. Also many cultural groups performed and shared their traditional customs during our 50th anniversary carnival.

Open House is a “Passport to the World” with students sharing the art, traditions, daily life, history, geography, and unique animals of their Global Address country with their families. Each classroom is transformed to reflect another country and the students “tour” with their parents. Parents and community members are invited to tour from continent to continent as they move around the school.

Student projects represent Kenyan masks, Mexican Artists, Egyptian artifacts and Mount Fuji, Japan.

Parents are encouraged to participate in their child’s edu-cation. There are many ways in which parents can be involved such as classroom volunteers, join the PTA, or become mem-bers of our School Site Council, provide donations, or help at one time events. Please contact the school office for more information. We know that by working together, we will have a rewarding 2010-2011 school year.

A Global Studies Technology Magnet School

Elliott Elementary is an award winning California Distinguished School. For the past four years we have been honored by the California Department of Education as a Title I Academic Achieving School. These honors are the product of our community’s

dedication to continuous impro-vement in student achievement. In striving for excellence, our students learn and achieve success.

Our core belief at Elliott is focusing on the whole child. We pride ourselves on maintaining a balance between academic, social, and emotional growth. With

learning being our top priority, Elliott students participate in a rigorous and challenging stan-dards-based curricu-lum supplemented by the global studies units. Students have many opportunities for success with the leveled intervention, GATE, multicultu-ral music, passport

P.E., technology instruction, Student Council, school newspaper staff, Monday Morning Message, digital photography, Primary Intervention Program, track team, and band.

All Elliott students perform at least twice a year in our school-wide musical productions lead by Elliott’s music specialist Mrs. Kane. Students participate in the chorus, vocal or instrumental solos, dance, and instrumental groups with a

Elliott Elementary School

Student projects represent Kenyan masks, Mexican Artists, and Mount Fuji, Japan.

18415 Cortner, Artesia, CA 90701(562) 865-5216Principal – Danielle Mitchell


Message from the PrincipalOn behalf of the entire Furgeson Staff, it is

my pleasure to welcome you to an exciting 2010-2011 school year at the Home of the Patriots! We continue firm in our commitment to student success and proudly be-lieve that at Furgeson Elementary,

Children and Learning Come First! Furgeson Elementary, serving approximate-ly 425 students, is a Kindergarten through 6th grade, Title I school, located in the City of Hawaiian Gardens. We believe in the power of collaboration and as a professio-nal learning community, our teaching staff meets weekly to discuss student data and best practices. We encoura-ge an active school-home-communi-ty partnership as we recognize that, when we work together, we can at-tain greater success for our students!

Our caring and dedicated staff di-ligently works at maintaining a wel-coming, safe, and stimulating envi-ronment for our young Patriots. We hold all our students to high acade-mic and behavioral expectations. Our students receive standards based ins-truction in all core content areas and character education through the PeaceBuilders Program.Our PeaceBuilders PledgeI am a PeaceBuilder; I pledge to praise people; to give up put downs; to seek wise people; to notice and speak up about hurts I have caused; to right wrongs; to help others; I will build peace at home, at school and in my commu-nity each day.Our Instructional Programs

•Structured English Immersion Program: Students receive all instruction in English.

•Early Exit Bilingual – Spanish – Kindergarten through Third: Designed to help children whose home language is Spanish acquire the English skills required to later succeed in an English-only mainstream classroom. Instruction is provided in both Spanish and English. Spa-nish instruction is phased out in 3rd grade and students are transitioned into English only. Parental request (waiver) is required. Admittance to the program begins in Kindergar-ten unless transferring from another Bilingual program. It is our belief that biliteracy skills will enhance the econo-mic and social opportunities of our students.Other Highlights

• Morning Fitness - We begin every school day with an organized 20-minute morning fitness program that tar-gets cardio-vascular fitness, flexibility and strength.

•Computer Lab, Library, & Health Classes –

Available to all K – 6th Grade students once a week. •Monthly Family Reading Fridays & Parent Workshops

- Families are invited to read in their child’s classrooms to cultivate a love for reading. Immediately after, parents are welcome to attend a workshop tailored to their interests.

•EXTRA After-School Program - Offered Monday through Friday, free of charge, after school until 6:00 p.m. Capacity: 100 students. During this time, students complete homework and enjoy other enrichment activities such as Arts and Crafts, P.E., Science, Mu-sic, Dance, Art Appreciation, etc.

•PIP Program - Intervention and prevention services to enhance the soci-

al and emotional development of students in Kindergarten through Third grade who may be experiencing mild to mode-rate school adjustment difficul-ties.

•Student Recognitions – Monthly Perfect Attendance and Patriot Pride Awards; Trimester Awards include Principal’s Honor Roll, Most Improved, Perfect Attendance, and PeaceBuilder.

•Band, Drama Club, and Track - Available to 4th – 6th Grade students.

Furgeson Elementary School22215 Elaine Avenue, Hawaiian Gardens, CA 90716(562) 421-8285Principal – Mayra Lozano

Governance Labor and Employee Relations Personnel Management Facilities and Business Services LitigationStudent Issues Staff Development

AALRR Welcomes Students, Teachers, and Staff

Back to school

Best Wishes to all and continued success in 2010-2011

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Our VisionIn accordance with No Child Left Behind:

Our students will be proficient and advanced in reading with appropriate fluency, accuracy and

comprehension.Our students will effectively communicate in written and oral language and will develop and use academic

language in all content areas.Our students will apply math skills through memorization of facts and problem solving.


Our AcademicsDuring the 2008-09 school year, Gonsalves Elementary

School achieved an Academic Performance Indicator (API) growth score of 957 – a fourteen point gain over the previous year! We are proud of our success and committed to providing a rigorous standards-based curriculum for all students. Due to this success, we received honorable mention as a California Distinguished School.Our School Spirit

Our very active Student Council sponsors “fun” days for students and provides community outreach by donating to fire victims and supporting our troops fighting in Iraq. The Gonsalves “Grizzly” students and staff are proud to be Americans and take every opportunity to show their pride. Each Monday the students and staff participate in Spirit Day. This fifteen to twenty minute ceremony enables the entire student population to say the Pledge of Allegiance, sing a patriotic song, discuss an ethical character trait, and honor students for a plethora of awards. Each year, we also participate in Red Ribbon Week to

show our commitment to staying healthy and drug free.Our BEST Supporters

The success of our school is due in large part to the immea-surable contributions made by our parent organization, Booster

Club. Our Booster Club, consisting of parents, community members, and staff, expands the offerings at Gonsalves by sponsoring field trips, assemblies, and end-of-year activities; providing funding for music instruction, the PE program, enrichment classes, a state-of-the-art computer lab, and student incen-tives; and arranging hours and hours of volunteer time inside and outside of the classrooms.

Parents directly participate in school decision making through other organizations as well, includ-

ing School Site Council and our many Culture Clubs. The year culminates with a Booster Club sponsored “Home Reading Bar-B-Que” – a carnival day of games, singing, dancing, and dining. Thank you parents!We ARE Gonsalves

We foster our diversity by honoring our cultures at our annual “Taste of Gonsalves,” we enhance our curriculum with rigorous standards, we appreciate and value all our students for what they bring, and we model character in everything. This is Gonsalves!

Teachers Believe….Children Achieve at Gonsalves!

Hello and welcome to the 2010-11 school year at Gonsalves Elementary, a 2010 California Distinguished School. I’d like to take some time to introduce myself. My name is Robert Benko, and I am very excited to be the new principal at Gon-salves. I have worked for ABCUSD for over

17 years as a teacher, assistant princi-pal and district coordinator. From the district office to staff members to par-ents and community members, I have heard nothing but praise and accolades when describing Gonsalves Elemen-tary School and I am proud to now be a part of this school community. I am looking forward to working collabora-tively with staff and parents to provide the best educational experience pos-sible for the students of Gonsalves.

“Happiness is a school like Gon-salves” echoes throughout the class-rooms at Joe A. Gonsalves Elementary School. These words are sung at our Founder’s Day celebra-tion each year and one of the last songs our 6th graders sing before transitioning from elementary to middle school. We are not just a “school.” We are a Learning Community with staff, parents, and students working as a team to achieve high performance outcomes and life-long learning. Every member of our school com-munity collaborates in identifying needs, defining goals, shaping direction and ensuring implementa-tion of decisions. Working together in this cooperative mode helps us to successfully meet the diverse needs of our students as well as being re-sponsive to the needs of our school community. Students describe our school as “the best of the best,” “a place where dreams come true,” and “a place where creativity is let out.”A Bit of History

Our school was named after former mayor and assembly-man, Joe A Gonsalves. It officially opened its door in 1973 and, since then, its staff and students have received numerous awards and recognition through the state and nation. We honor our heritage each June at “Gonsalves Day” where we tell the story of Mr.Gonsalves through song and dance.

Gonsalves Elementary School13650 Park Street, Cerritos, CA 90703 (562) 926-1347Principal – Robert Benko


Welcome to Hawaiian Elementary Home of the Eagles

Welcome to the 2010 – 2011 school year at Hawaiian Elementary School. We are looking forward to another successful year. Through the hard work and dedication of our staff and parents, our students continue to demonstrate excellent growth in all areas of the curriculum.

Hawaiian Elementary is a high performing Title 1 school with a current Academic Performance Index of 725. We provide a rigorous, standards based curriculum in language arts, math, science, and social studies. We have the Meet the Masters Art Program, and our Los Caballeros Band. We have an excellent PE Program and track team. These along with our focus on cha-racter education assure that our students are well-rounded citi-zens who are prepared for the secondary level.Band-o-rama 2010

We are very proud of our students and recognize their achie-vements in the classroom and at school-wi-de assemblies. We have a monthly Flag C e r e m o n y to recognize our Charac-ter Winners for the Month and Perfect Attendance.

We also have five Awards Assemblies throughout the year to recognize each classroom‘s Citizen of the Month, a Most Im-proved Student, and Academic Achievement in a selected area of the curriculum. We emphasize goal setting with our students and begin each year with a special assembly to acknowledge

the students who met their State Testing goal from the previous year.

Elementary Track Meet 2010 – Our Winners in the 800 Me-ter Run Hawaiian Elementary uses the RTI model to provide intervention programs for any of our students that need addi-tional learning time. We provide programs during school, after school, on Saturdays, and during the summer. These include: •Individual tutoring •Small group tutoring •Gateways & Cor-rective Reading classes •After school reading & math classes •Saturday SMART Academy classes •Summer School

Our parents are dedicated to their children‘s success and participate in our parent education classes. We are fortunate to be part of the AFT‘s Innovation Grant which has allowed us to extend our parent education opportunities and provide Fami-ly Education Nights that focus on teacher and parent selected areas of the curriculum. Our EXTRA program provides after school care, free of charge, to 100 of our students every day until 6:00 p.m. Students receive help with homework and par-ticipate in a variety of activities including art, music, computer lab, cooking, and dance.Our EXTRA Program Dance Performance

We are very fortunate at Hawaiian to have a highly trained, experienced staff dedicated to the academic success of every stu-dent. We receive tremendous support from our District‘s Central Office and the City of Hawaiian Gardens who work in partner-

ship to pro-vide a safe, nurturing en-vironment for our students. It is this level of teamwork and commit-ment that al-lows us to ex-cel as a school community.

Hawaiian Elementary School

A Very Special PlaceBenito Juarez Elementary is a diffe-

rent sort of school! It is characterized by warmth and high expectations. Juarez Ele-mentary balances a push for academic ex-cellence with a push for optimum ethical character development. It is truly a place that nurtures the child and helps „grow them“ into good citizens.

Academically we believe the three building blocks of

school success are READING, MATH and WRITING. We believe that job one is mastering fluent reading. We deter-mine fluent reading by timing the students’ oral reading. If they read at 2 words per second with no more than 5 errors out of 100 words they are fluent readers. When students read at 2 words per second they make pictures in their brain. If they make pictures in their brain when they read they have

Juarez Elementary School

12350 E. 226th Street, Hawaiian Gardens, CA 90716(562) 594-9525Principal – Laurie Cordova

11939 Aclare Street, Cerritos, CA 90703(562) 865-6278Principal – LuAnn Adler


comprehension. Reading is the cor-nerstone of all learning and success in the world.

The second building block of edu-cation is the ability to compute. At Juarez we emphasize the importance of learning the math facts. Students are tested on their facts by being ti-med. We know that once a student has their math facts memorized they will be able to comprehend the word prob-lems much better.

Writing is the third building block at Juarez. Writing is truly the most difficult subject to teach. This year the teachers require students to wri-te daily and to produce a publish-ready writing piece every six weeks. The principal hosts an “Authors’ Tea” complete with lace tablecloths and candelabras for students who show improvement or expertise in writing. When students’ writing improves their scores in reading and math go up!

Our character development is provided through our Peace Builders program. Every staff member will be trained in this program so that all staff are communicating the same mes-sage. Juarez is truly a place that nur-tures the child and helps „grow them“ into good citizens.A Family Feeling

There is a strong family feeling at Benito Juarez School. Whether you are an employee, a parent, a commu-nity member or a student you are tre-ated like family. The staff at Juarez partner with the parents to grow up the students into good citizens. This year Juarez offers several off-campus field trips for families and staff. The Family Fun Nights called “Connect” are offered to promote this family

feeling at Juarez! Come and join the many family oriented activities at Juarez!A Patriotic Heart

The students and staff are grate-ful to be Americans and take every opportunity to show their thankful-ness. Every morning the entire po-pulation of Juarez stops to say the Pledge of Allegiance together. Each Friday the students and teachers gather in the Hall of Excellence to say the Pledge, sing a patriotic song, learn about the month’s cha-racter trait. Each year the students participate in a flag retirement cere-

mony. At this ceremony upper grade students show respect to a tattered flag by retiring it through burning. It is a solemn, reverent and patriotic ceremony. Academic Excellence

A new goal has been set for a 35 point gain in our API. Our motto this year is „8 is Great!“ This motto memorializes our goal of reaching 800 this year. In an assembly medals are given to each student who moves up on the STAR testing.

We believe in big celebrations of big accomplishments. Each month Juarez has an Awards Assembly to acknowledge students who have ex-celled in a particular curricular area or who have demonstrated mastery of one of the character traits.

These activities at Benito Juarez Elementary School expand the in-tellect, promote social conscience, and guide the students in positive behaviors that will have benefit much beyond their years in school. Juarez Elementary is a special place!

Kennedy Elementary School

Kennedy Elementary…where a comprehen-sive curriculum develops a well-rounded child.” Vision StatementOur vision at John F. Kennedy Elementa-ry is to develop students’ critical thinking skills through a partnership of parents, students, school staff, and community members. Our school promotes an accep-ting, safe, and engaging learning environ-

ment for every student. We will achieve this vision by:•Providing a rigorous standards-based curriculum instruc-tion•Differentiating instruction to meet student needs

•Cultivating students’ creativity and expression through the arts and technology•Integrating Kennedy’s Kids of Character traits throughout daily routines

Welcome to Kennedy School! The highly qualified staff at Kennedy truly believes each child is unique and deserving of a rich educational environment. Learning for all students at Kennedy is enhanced through the supportive and encouraging nature of our school staff, a wonderfully dedicated PTA, and a caring parent community. At Kennedy, we believe that our stu-dents are offered a well-balanced education program. Not only do we focus on the high academic achievement of our stu-dents, but we also strive to enrich their lives through the visual and performing arts, technology, character education, and healthy {continued on page 30}

17500 Belshire, Artesia CA 90701(562) 860-3378Principal – Melissa Valentine


school to enhance our programs. Both staff and families attend these fantastic functions.

Our Parent Nights are held to provide additional informati-on, strategies or ideas for parents to help their child succeed in school. Each grade level will create a Parent Night presentation specific to their grade.

Please visit our school website at www.kennedyelementary.weebly.com to find out more specific information regarding scheduled events and current happenings. The Arts are Alive and Well at Kennedy!

We are very pleased to offer a quality fine arts program to our students. This program includes instruction in dance, choral music, instrumental music and visual arts. Our dance and choral music program is offered to all students each Friday. Students learn songs ranging from Broadway show tunes to disco. These tunes are expertly taught and choreographed by our dance and music specialist. A culminating performance is held each spring to showcase the students’ hard work and great efforts. The Meet the Masters visual art history program teaches students about the life and art of many of the world’s greatest artists. Students attend and oral presentation, which includes a slide show about an artist prior to recreating their own interpretation of the artists’ style. Monthly staff development opportunities allow for class-room teachers to learn in depth information about the artist.

Grade 4-6 students are offered an optional instrumental music program. Beginning and advanced band classes are taught twice weekly in the auditorium. Concerts are held throughout the school year, culminating with Band-O-Rama where advan-ced band students from each of the elementary schools perform a concert in the Gahr High School gymnasium.

choices, including both nutrition and physical activity. Several programs/resources are available at Kennedy; Computer Lab, Speech and Language Therapy, Learning Resource Specialist Program, Special Day Classes, English Language Learning, Academic Support Beyond the School Day, Gifted and Ta-

lented Education, Music and Dance Program, Head Start and Extended Daycare. Parents are enthusiastically in-vited to be an active participant in their child’s education through the PTA, and School Site Council. Attendance at school events by

parents and families is always welcomed and highly encoura-ged.

During the 2009-2010 school year, Kennedy Elementary School received the National Award Bronze Level. To earn this award, we created healthy eating and physical activity programs that met or exceeded the Alliance’s stringent stan-dards. Some changes we made included afterschool fitness clubs (sports, games and cheerleading), a before school Wal-king Club, and promoted healthy snacks for all during the day. We are honored to have received this award and will continue to work towards earning the Silver Level Award.Nights with Kennedy Kangaroos

Throughout the year, Kennedy Elementary holds varios evening events. Some are created for the entire family and some are for parents only. Our Family Nights consist of Mo-vie Night, Reading Night, and Fun Nights at various estab-lishments in our community to earn additional funds for the

Welcome back to a new school year!

Leal is a California Distinguished and National Blue Ribbon school with students who perform in the top 5% of all students in the United States. The school has received these awards because of our outstanding students, teachers and parents and our

excellent instructional programs. Leal Elementary School was the recipient of

the California School Board’s Golden Bell Award for Family Science Night and has been honored by the California Business for Education Excellence Foundation and Just for the Kids California for our students’ outstanding academic performance. We extend a special thank you to all of the students, teachers, and parents who make Leal Elementary

School an outstanding place for children to learn.Students at Leal Elementary School receive an instructio-

nal program that not only emphasizes academic achievement, but also embraces visual and performing arts and technology. We believe that education should not stop with success in reading, writing, and math, but should stimulate and engage students in all areas. Students receive a well-rounded educational experience at Leal.

Parents are encouraged to participate in the educational programs at Leal. Parents are wel-come to volunteer in classrooms, join the PTA, or become members of our School Site Council. Community members are encouraged to contact

the principal or school staff about any of these opportunities. Our door is open and we would enjoy talking to you about the educational goals at Leal School, as well as your goals for your children.

Leal Elementary School12920 Droxford Street, Cerritos, CA 90703(562) 865-0209Principal – Laura Makely


A Visual and Performing Arts MagnetAt Leal Elementary School we have a strong academic

program that has a special emphasis on the arts. As a visual and performing arts magnet school for the past nine years, we have imple-mented a school-wide program which encompasses the following four disci-plines: dance, music, theatre and visu-al arts. Within this program, students supplement their academic pursuits through the arts and technology. This is accomplished with comprehensive instruction, skill development, and ap-preciation of the arts. The Leal staff, professional artists, and community partnerships facilitate the program.Extra-Curricular Activities

There are many opportunities for Leal students to be involved in extra curricular activities. At Leal, we have implemented an after school program that features classes such as dance, cheer, visual arts, and science. Many of our students participate in these programs to extend their learning op-portunities. In addition, the Leal Foundation sponsors music, talent, and dance productions that involve a large number of our students.

Technology ConnectionLeal Elementary School has gone digital in every class-

room. Each classroom has an LCD projector and a computer to use for instruction. Teachers and students utilize these resources for classroom presentations, Internet based instructional activities, educational video streaming, and the new math curriculum. Even more technological resources are available in our computer lab, which features many valuable ins-tructional applications. Please stop by the school to see the latest technology we are using in our classrooms and in our computer lab.Our school has a web site:

http://lealschool.weebly.comThe web site is loaded with in-

formation about our school. Click on the Calendar Link to find out about up-coming school events. Explore the online version of the World Book Encyclopedia by clicking the Learning Tools Link. Find a book in the school library using the online catalog. Listen

to Radio Leal, our school’s Internet based radio station. The web site is a good way to stay connected with our school.

Let me welcome you to Melbourne Elementary School, the home of the Mus-tangs, where students are taught grade level standards everyday through high-quality instruction!API Scores Continues to Increase:

Melbourne was expected only to grow 5 points on the Academic Performance Index or API, instead we grew 22 points reaching a score

of 749! The improvement in our API score can be di-rectly attributed to the hard work of our teaching staff and all of our other staff members. We will continue to provide our students with a world class education.

This past school year, 09-10, we honored over 150 students, grades 2-5, who scored proficient and/or ad-vanced on the California Standards Test at an evening assembly to recognize them for their excellent performance on this exam.Parent Participation:

Again this year Melbourne can easily boast that we have the best parent participation at both our PTA and School Site Council meetings. During the past school year, 09-10, we averaged 30-40 parents in attendance at each of these mee-tings. We also offered our parents a free walking club, 3 days a week, nutrition classes, financial advice classes and parent

education workshops. Some of our parents spend at much time at school as their students do!Extra-Curricular Student Activities:

Through our partnership with the City of Hawaiian Gar-dens our students can participate in a variety of sports pro-

grams that are offered on our campus after school. We can also thank the City of Hawaiian Gardens for the bicycles that they donated to us each month to help re-cognize students with perfect attendance and for their donation of $5,000.00 that we used for our grade-level fieldtrips.

At Melbourne we also offer the after-school EXT-RA program. The EXTRA program is a free program focusing on tutoring and/or homework assistance in Language Arts and Mathematics, enrichment activi-ties and physical education. During different evening performances the students were able to perform dances

and showcase other routines that they learned from the Specia-lists that work with the students through the EXTRA program.

Our students are also able to participate in Student Coun-cil, Red Ribbon Week activities, our Primary grade track meet, field day activities and a school-wide talent show, just to name a few.

Through the efforts of our Peace Builders teacher, our classroom teachers and many other staff members our stu-

Melbourne Elementary School


21314 Claretta, Lakewood, CA 90715(562) 924-1658Principal – Kathy Neder-Olivos


dents are committed to making Melbourne and their commu-nity a more peaceful place to learn and live. Students are able

Niemes is proud to be a National Magnet School with an emphasis on Environmental Science and Technology. A child with a strong interest in animal life, the outdoors and science will thrive in the Environmental Science and Technology Programs at Nie-mes Elementary. Our innovative program encourages the students’ love for the natural

world and empowers them to become an active participant in the stewardship of their planet. We strive to combine high ex-pectations, stellar educational programs and a partnership with parents and the community to provide the best educational ex-perience for each child.Make a Difference

Niemes Elementary is proud to be on the cutting edge of environmental education and in alignment with the State of California’s emphasis on environmental principles. Our stu-dents develop awareness of the interconnection of all species and ecosystems on our planet through integration of environ-mental science and technology across all subject areas. Kinder-garten through sixth grade students explore these concepts in the general education classroom, in our Environmental Science Laboratory and Outdoor Garden Habitat, and in the community in which they reside.Investigate

Field trips, research explorations, and community projects are some of the ways classes explore our natural world. Par-

ticipation in community gardens and recycling projects teach our young people about the importance of responsibility and ownership of their ideals. Research

Utilizing state-of-the-art technology equipment and instruc-tion in our computer laboratory and in classroom technology centers, students collect data, connect to the world, and develop high quality informational presentations to share with others. Students make worldwide connections with scientists and other students as they share and exchange knowledge about their world, while enhancing their technology skills.Additional School Highlights

• High Academic Expectations and Consistent Behavior Standards

Thanks to the strong commitment of staff, students, and fa-milies to the academic success of every child we continue to meet and surpass our academic growth goals of the California State Standards.

• Dual Immersion ProgramEnglish speaking and Spanish speaking students in this pro-

gram are immersed in both languages throughout their school experience. The program produces students that are fluent in reading, writing, and speaking both English and Spanish when they exit the program at the end of sixth grade.

• Gifted and Talented Education (GATE)An individualized education program is developed for each

child who has qualified for the GATE program, to enhance and

Niemes Elementary School16715 S Jersey Avenue, Artesia, CA 90701(562) 865-9586Principal – Mariaelena (Meg) Jimenez

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to recite the Peace Builders pledge which has students praising people, giving up put-downs, seeking wise people, recognizing hurts we have caused, righting the wrongs we have committed and helping others at home, at school and in our community each day. Go Mustangs!


enrich their learning throughout their academic experience.• Focus on Academic Performance After School ProgramOpen to K through 6th grade students, Monday through

Friday. This program, run by the YMCA, includes homework assistance and physical education activities. There is no charge to families.

•Niemes BandBeginning and advanced band instruction is open to fourth,

fifth, and sixth grade students throughout the school year. •After-School AltheticsOur After School Running/Walking Program is available to

students, first grade through sixth, and parents, twice a week af-ter school, on our large school field. In addition, Niemes offers Cheerleading and Volleyball to 6th graders, and a Soccer Club for our 3rd and 4th graders.

• Community CelebrationsOur entire community looks forward to our Family Events.

Events change yearly, but may include a Fall Festival, Interna-tional Family Night, Family Movie Nights, Spring Concert, Ta-lent Show, and our Annual Environmental Festival and Science Fair. Program Features:

• Environmental science and technology curriculum integ-rated into all subject areas

• Environmental science laboratory• Outdoors garden habitat• State of the art technology equipment programs and high

speed internet• In-classroom technology centers• Computer laboratory• After school environmental program• Green school ecology/Recycling program• Community recycling• Technology instructor• Environmental science instructor

California Distinguished School

The 2010-2011 school year promises to be an exciting and enriching school year for all. One of the most important components of an excellent school is the partnership between the educators and the parents. The staff at Nixon values the partnerships that we develop with

our parents and community. It is through this united effort that we provide our students with a quality educational experience. The outstanding teachers at Patricia Nixon continue to raise the academic bar for all students and our students rise to the challenge. We are proud to boast that our school earned an API score of 877 for the 2009-2010

school year! In addition to a rich and rigorous comprehensive aca-demic program, we at Nixon Ele-mentary School are proud to offer many enrichment opportunities through the efforts and dedication of the entire school community.

2004 & 2008 California Distinguished School• Dedicated and enthusiastic staff of professionals• Musical & theatrical activities at every grade level• 24:1 ratio in grades K-3• Internet access in all classrooms and computer lab• Monthly Student Awards Ceremony• Character Counts „Value of the Month“• Celebrate Success „Super Six Standards“• Meet the Masters visual arts program• Active and supportive PTA • Upper Grade Band • Student Council • Primary and Upper Grade Chorus • Dance Troupe • Track Team • Academic Chess • Before and After School/Extended Day Care

Patricia Nixon Elementary School19600 Jacob Avenue, Cerritos, CA 90703(526) 860-6549Principal – Melinda Ortiz


Welcome to the 2010-2011 school year! This year will be an exciting time for our students, staff, and parents. Our staff is committed to offering a well-rounded and excellent education in a safe and supportive environment where our students will excel and achieve great things.

OUR VISIONThis past year, the staff and parents created a new shared

vision statement to provide Palms with a clear and widely embraced direction for change. This vision will lead and guide us and help us focus on what’s best for our students.

“The Palms staff, parents and community will foster a student-centered education where students will be mo-tivated to pursue and achieve academic excellence in a standards-based curriculum. Students will be successful citizens who are confident, compassionate, and self-aware, respecting themselves and others. Students will be prob-lem-solvers who take pride and responsibility for life-long learning.”

STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTPalms is on the way to being an 800 API school! We

celebrated the achievements of many students at our 1st annual STAR Awards Rally this past year. Students were recognized for their achievements on the California STAR test and received buttons for being proficient and/or advan-ced, gaining 25 points, and improving two or more levels.

Through grade-level collaboration, data analysis, strategic interventions and common assessments, the Palms staff will continue to strive to take the school to new heights.

CHARACTER DEVELOPMENTNot only do we want to focus on student achievement,

we want Palms’ students to be excellent in character. Palms is a Peacebuilder school, and students have many opportu-nities to learn how to build peace at home, at school, and in their community. All our students also recite the Palms Pledge at our weekly Spirit Assemblies where we celebrate our Puma pride.

“Today has been given to me fresh and new. I can learn from it or throw it away. I will choose to do my best in thoughts, words, and actions. Today I will be a STAR! I will stop, think, and act responsibly.”

PARENT & COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPSWe also recognize the vital role that our partnerships

with parents and the community play in helping Palms be a successful school. Palms has an extremely supportive PTA that sponsors various field trips, assemblies, family and movie nights, and special activities like our annual Red Ribbon Week, Jog-A-Thon and Palms Picnic. The city of Lakewood and other businesses from the community con-tinue to support Palms Elementary, enriching our educa-tional programs for our students. This year, we had over 40 community readers volunteer for our Community Read Aloud! Many parents and family members participated in our Family Read Aloud as well.

Palms Elementary School12445 E 207th Street, Lakewood, CA 90715(562) 924-5549Principal – Evelyn Huh


Principal’s Message Welcome to Cecil B. Stowers Elementa-

ry School! Stowers is a wonderful magnet school with a focus on International Studies. The International Baccalaureate program is closely interwoven in with the California standards. This provides a challenging and rewarding experience for all of our students. As a result of this, our API score has raised and is a very respectable 874!

International Baccalaureate (IB), Primary Years Program (PYP)

The IB program develops inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world. This perspective is based on deepening the understanding of different world cultures. The students’ journey includes a rigorous and challenging curriculum that incorporates learning conversational Spanish, and standards driven science. Our students participate in the Paideia Semi-nar of synthesizing information, comparing, contrasting, logi-cally defending and even challenging their own thoughts and ideas and those of others. This transdisciplinary curriculum is tailored to prepare our students for our global society.

The eight academic subject areas focused in our PYP are: language, social studies, mathematics, science and technolo-gy, arts, as well as personal, social and physical education.

Technology

Stowers students utilize our computer lab and other tech-

nology equipment to enhance their technology literacy. Our computer laboratory specialist uses Smart Technology to en-hance our student’s computer and other technology skills to expand their multi-media capabilities. Being technology lite-rate helps our students develop the computer skills and com-petency making them technologically competitive in the 21st Century.

The Arts Art instruction and integration is always among the high-

est form of expression of ones culture. At Stowers we use the arts to teach our students about our world’s culture and historical periods. Our art integration instruction teaches our students to appreciate the arts, by allowing our students to participate in activities gaining a deeper understanding of the different cultures. We believe the arts bring every subject to life, and it also enhances reality. We continue with art appre-ciation through our PTA programs. Each year we participate in the National PTA “Reflections” program.

International FestivalWe are extremely proud of our culminating activity we

call our International Festival. Students, parents and teachers work together with community members to bring different cultures around the world alive at Stowers. The Internatio-nal Festival celebrates diversity. This amazing family event involves the recreation of international games, performances, and a variety of international foods.

We look forward to meeting you and hope you have a successful 2010-2011 school year.

Sincerely,Dr. Tracy

Stowers Elementary School13350 Beach Street, Cerritos, CA 90703(562) 926-2326Principal – Dr. Tom Tracy

A Magnet School of International Studies


“Welcome To Wittmann”

At Wittmann Elementary School, visitors to our campus can be expected to be greeted with a hearty, “Welcome to Wittmann” from our staff, students, and parents. It’s a salutation that embodies the community spirit that thrives at our

school. And, while we are particularly proud of our stellar academic reputation, it’s the positive, supportive, and nurtu-ring atmosphere that marks Wittmann Elementary as a very special place. At Wittmann Elementary, a well-balanced focus on academics, activities, and atmosphere combine to create a learning environment in which all students can excel.

A robust academic emphasis has helped propel Witt-

Welcome to the 2010-2011 school year at Willow Elementary School. Our outstanding teachers, high-ly trained paraeducators and professional experts work collaboratively to assure that each student achieves.Student Achievement

Results of the California Standards Test demonstrate continued improvement for Willow Students. All teachers provide daily instruction based on grade level standards. Students in grades two through six establish personal goals for their own growth in English language arts and mathematics. During our STAR Assembly we recognize student achievement on the state test. Spelling Bee

Willow students participated in the ABC Unified School District Spelling Bee. Fifth grade teachers, Fayroze Mostafa, coordinated our own Willow Spelling Bee. Stu-dents in grade four through six met in our multi-purpose room to cheer on the contestants. Sixth grade stu-dent, Bernice Tadique, came in a close second to our winner, sixth grade student, Daniel Kim. Daniel did Willow proud, placing second at the district event. Community Partnerships

Willow staff and families enjoyed good food and good

company at our annual Chick-Fil-A Night. Students are treated to wonderful music,

dance, and drama at the Cerritos Center of the Performing Arts. All kindergarten through sixth grade students enjoyed the beautiful set-ting and dynamic performances last year. We hope to enjoy the experience in the future.

The City of Lakewood includes Willow School in many of its programs. Mr. John Buck, Community Services Manager, spent a day at Willow as our Principal for a Day.Parent Involvement

Our parent room is open and ready to welcome parents. Our mini-workshops will

continue. Working collaboratively with our district Nu-trition Network staff, we will host a series of nutrition and fitness workshops in 2010-2011. Parents had a taste

of what will be offered during our Breakfast workshop.

Our PTA is very suppor-tive of students, parents, and staff at Willow. Students enjoyed a BMX bike assembly as a reward for their efforts. The highlight was when one of the bikers jumped over sixth grade teacher, Tanya Golden, while she was seated on the ramp. Take note, she did wear her helmet.

I look forward to welco-ming parents and community members to Willow. Please join us for one our family/community events or stop by the office to schedule a special visit.

Willow Elementary School

Wittmann Elementary SchoolA California Distinguished School

11733 E 205th Street, Lakewood, CA 90715(562) 865-6209Principal – Linda Dohm

16801 Yvette, Cerritos, CA 90703(562) 926-1321Principal – Patrick Walker


mann to a lofty 898 points on the state’s Academic Perfor-mance Index (API) as well as the distinctive designation as a California Distinguished School. With a curricular focus on ‘rigor and relevance’, teachers maintain high expecta-tions for all students and provide the necessary supports for those students to meet and exceed those expectations. At each grade level, Wittmann teachers work as unified teams and meet for two hours each week to create common pacing guides, assessments, and activities for their stu-dents. Thrice-yearly schoolwide assessments help identify students struggling with grade level standards who may qualify for Wittmann’s Response to Intervention (RtI) pro-gram during the school day. At the end of the school day, selected students are supported through the school’s Home-work Help Club, subject-specific Intervention Classes, and/or our computer-based Kaplan Tutoring program.

Augmenting Wittmann’s strong core curriculum are many activities that promote the development of the ‘whole child’. To support the district’s strategic goal of “Healthy Students/Healthy Adults”, all Wittmann students begin each school day by ‘waking up’ their bodies and brains with some brisk physical education exercises. Every week, students rotate through 40 minute instructional sessions in the school’s computer lab, library, and choral music pro-grams. Outside of the classroom, regularly scheduled aca-demic assemblies and field trips help support instructional goals through hands-on exposure to standards-based topics.

In addition, Wittmann students receive fine arts instruction through our Meet the Masters program that instructs all students in the styles and techniques of the world’s great ar-tists. Upper grade students are invited to learn to play wind, string, and percussion instruments in the school’s Animal Crackers Band and all students are encouraged to show-case their talents in our wintertime Wittmann Wonderland and/or our springtime Talent Show and Spring Musical. If that isn’t enough, throughout the year, Wittmann offers a variety of after school programs to develop and hone stu-dents skills in: Chess, Public Speaking, Spanish, Athletics, Writing, and Acting.

Academics and activities aside, it’s Wittmann’s at-mosphere that sets us apart. As part of our Peacebuilders Program, each morning begins with students and staff pledging to, “praise and help one another at school and in their communities.” Wittmann’s communal environment is further fostered through numerous Family Fun Nights, Family Lunch Bunches, and Parent Education Nights. Parent volunteers abound our hallways and are invited and encouraged to support us in the all-important job of student instruction. Our school motto is, “We are Wittmann”, and it underscores the importance of all of our stakeholders--students, teachers, support staff, parents, and community partners—working together to provide a world class edu-cation for all of our children. It’s a great place to be. It’s a great place to learn.

MIDDLE SCHOOLS

Carmenita Middle School is a place where student achievement is at the forefront of every activity and decision. The compre-hensive curriculum is designed to prepare middle school students for the emotional, intellectual, physical, and social changes they experience at the middle school level. Carmenita welcomes and encourages the active participation of parents in their student‘s educational endeavors.

Teachers work diligently to help parents remain involved in their student’s coursework through the use of the Teacherweb.com website that includes up-to-date information about class activities, assignments, projects, and/or tests. Additionally, the teachers ensure that parents have access to the most recent grade information for each individual class through the ABC Parent Portal program.

Our students understand that progress is an expectation. Both students and teachers use student data as a tool to encou-rage successful progress. Students are trained to read their own assessment data, chart individual progress, and set goals based on the data. Carmenita teachers are committed to assist students in goal attainment and provide interventions as well as accelera-ted learning opportunities.AM 1620 KUGR: Student-Operated Radio Station Launched

AM 1620 KUGR is a student-operated radio station on Car-menita Middle School’s campus, airing live and taped broadcast coverage of campus and community activities. The student generated programming schedule has a variety of talk-show style interviews such as Teacher Features, CMS sports, Meet CMS authors, along with a showcase of campus interviews and student performances. For your listening pleasure, on your ra-dio dial, AM 1620 will keep you up-to-date with Cougar news. KUGR is the roar of the campus!Distinguished Scholars (DS)

Carmenita’s mission is

Carmenita Middle School


13435 E 166th Street, Cerritos, CA 90703(562) 926-4405Principal – Dr. Rhonda Buss


“ensure successful progress for all” and a program that demons-trates our mission is Distinguished Scholars, which has three overarching goals. One goal for the Distinguished Scholars (DS) program is to increase desire and passion for learning. Often after school, one could observe DS students laughing and working on projects together. Their excitement and zeal for the program manifests not only through their willingness to go “above and beyond” in a specific content area, but also in the desire to grow as a student. Another goal for the Distinguished Scholars program is to pre-pare for rigorous high school college-preparatory curriculum. A very clear indication that we are meeting this goal is that most of the DS students are accepted into high school honors classes and upper-level math classes after they are promoted. The goals of leadership development and understanding the sig-nificance of community service are essential to the DS program. The DS students are required to “give back” to the Carmenita

International Studies Academy Fedde International Studies Academy

is committed to a rich and challenging tradition of excellence, where every de-cision is made with the students’ best in-terest in mind. We recognize the value of each student as an integral member of the school community.

We are proud to announce our can-didacy status for the IBO program. As an International Baccalereate Candidate

school, our staff has undergone extensive training to provide students with a multicultural curriculum that addresses our state standards in a variety of ways. Students will be provided with multiple opportunities to acquire the skills necessary to conduct inquiry and research and show independence in learning. Our students will be given opportunities to develop a sensitivity to the needs of their community by doing various community ser-vice projects. Students are also exposed to the arts, technology, and foreign language. Our seven period day schedule allows all students to experience these elective courses in addition to other enrichment courses such as band, journalism, art new me-dia, broadcasting, and environmental sciences. Some new addi-tions to Fedde, thanks in part to our magnet program, include a brand new computer lab for schoolwide use and a fitness lab for indoor circuit training for physical education. Every class-room is also wired with a projector and additional computers for student use.

We take every step possible to help guide students toward success in high school and college. Teachers provide person-alized instruction through their intervention courses that are offered during the day and afterschool. We not only offer the best educational environment but address students social and emotional needs as well. Every Fedde student is expected to be Ready, Responsible, Respectful and Safe on our school cam-pus. Our Ambassador program offers students the opportunity to provide peer mentoring in these areas. Our ambassadors also organize and plan our “Gotcha” week, where we celebrate stu-

dents who are doing the right thing on a daily basis. During “Gotcha” week students receive special prizes and recognition for completing homework, being prepared for class, being re-sponsible in the lunch area, being polite and friendly with each other and staff members.

Fedde offers a variety of extracurricular activities in both academics and enrichment. Our academic clubs participate in events such as History Day, Science Olympics, College and Career Club, and CJSF conferences. Our after school program (ICES) offers additional support to students in homework club. Students will have opportunities to explore areas of interest through culinary arts, environmental sciences, broadcasting club, graphic design, mechanics and sports. Our afterschool sports program includes flag football, volleyball, soccer, bas-ketball, and softball. We are also the only middle school in the district that offers daily afterschool tutoring and Saturday school for those students who need additional support and help in academics. In addition, we have a number of support pro-grams that addresses the various needs of our school Our Glob-al Scholars program is a one of a kind early college program in which students not only take rigorous academic coursework but are also exposed to college experiences, fieldtrips and guest speakers. This year, our global scholars students will be the first class to use Ipads during school instruction. Our Rising Stars program is a mentoring program designed to help students who are on the border of achieving “Proficient” or “Advanced” status on the state tests, reach over the line with key test taking strategies and an adult mentor support.

For all our parents, we welcome you to come by our school at any time and encourage your involvement at this criti-cal phase in your child’s life. By becoming a member of Parent Teacher Association (PTA), School Site Council (SSC) Mag-net Advisory Board, or English Language Advisory Commit-tee (ELAC), you will have many opportunities to participate in school activities and at the same time, provide valuable support to your child. This is going to be a wonderful year at Fedde and we look forward to seeing you at our various events. Feel free to contact me at anytime if you have any questions.

Fedde Middle School21409 S Elaine Avenue, Hawaiian Gardens, CA 90716(562) 924-2309Principal – Carol Castro

community by leading other students. “Giving back” is done in a variety of forms, which include tutoring, mentoring, and leading class discussions. Cougar Health and Fitness Center

Carmenita believes that a healthy body produces a healthy mind. With this, we raised money, along with our PTA, to open the only “Health and Fitness Center” in ABC Unified School Dis-trict. In the “Fitness Center,” students learn to use state-of-the-art fitness machines and technology to improve their physical fitness and produce a healthy body.

Our new fitness center has moved our athletes to a higher-le-vel of success. Carmenita teams proved this as they were district champions in basketball, softball, volleyball and won the track meet for the fourth year in a row.

We are very excited about the 2010-11school year and look forward to continue the fulfillment of our mission to “ensure successful progress for all.”


A Commitment to Excellence!Welcome to Haskell Middle School, home of the Mustangs.

Haskell Middle School is a high achie-ving middle school that is dedicated to aca-demic excellence. The staff provides a safe, supportive, and ca-ring environment that celebrates cultural di-

versity and nurtures individual differen-ces through respect and communication.

We value parents and community members as partners in education. Our goal is to develop academically and so-cially successful students in preparation for high school and post-secondary edu-cation. We prepare our students to be-come life long learners and responsible citizens in our diverse society. We are proud to offer a variety of programs to meet the needs and aspi-rations of all our students. A brief description of the programs offered at Haskell is listed below.

Welcome Every Body Program (WEB)- The WEB pro-gram is a student orientation and support program for incoming seventh graders and new eighth graders designed to help stu-dents successfully transition from elementary school to middle school. Select 8th grade students serve as leaders and mentors to 7th grade students throughout the school year.

Honors/GATE Program Honors classes are available for qualified 7th and 8th grade students in English/Language Arts, History/Social Sciences, and Science. In addition, Geometry and Spanish I, which are high school level classes, are available to students who qualify.

AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) AVID is a college bound elective class/program designed to provide students with important college readiness skills, moti-vate them to seek a college education, and increase the partici-pants’ level of career awareness. Students work directly with college tutors, attend lectures by guest speakers, and partici-pate in college field trips. A minimum GPA of 2.0 is required. Applications and interviews are part of the acceptance process. We are proud to say that our AVID program is fully certified and we are looking forward to our fourth year.

Technology for the 21st Century Haskell offers many op-portunities for students to utilize technology including our TV Broadcasting class, computer education, and advanced compu-ter classes. The Library Multimedia Center provides computers with internet access, available to all students. All students are required to utilize technology to complete certain assignments and projects in order to satisfy the new Tech Graduation Requi-rement. Parents are able to access their student’s progress and grades daily on the ABI Parent Portal.

Performing Arts Programs- Haskell’s Performing Arts program includes Band, Chorus, and Drama. Students are en-couraged to develop and display their talents in a safe, suppor-

tive, and nurturing environment. Performances are scheduled throughout the year. Students can also sign up to be a member of our outstanding drum line.

L.A. County History Day Program - Haskell students look forward to participating in the annual History Day pro-gram. Students work together in teams throughout the school year to develop projects based on a particular theme. Top par-

ticipants in the school wide competition are invited to compete at the Los Angeles County level in the spring.

Middle School Science Olympics, Science Catalina Field Trip, Sally Ride Festival at UCLA The annual District Middle School Science Olympics of-fers a variety of competitive events for students to participate in including the roller coaster, egg drop, and water ro-ckets events. Students utilize a number of mathematical and scientific concepts in order to compete and win an event.

Through private grant funds, select Haskell students will par-ticipate in the annual Catalina Exploratory Science Field Trip. Students experience Science through interactive and hands-on activities on Catalina Island. Seventh and eighth grade girls have the opportunity to attend the Sally Ride Festival at UCLA. This special all day event is designed to encourage and support girls interested in science, mathematics, and astronomy. Stu-dents have an opportunity to meet their favorite astronauts and learn about space exploration.

Preparing Students for Successful Futures – Tools for Success & College Night - Haskell hosts an informational meeting for parents called “Tools for Success” which provi-des parents and students with specific information, tools, and practices that will help them be successful throughout middle school and into high school. Haskell’s annual College Infor-mation Night provides students and parents with the latest in-formation, news, planning advice, and developments involved in sending students to college. Please check our school website for dates and join us for these special events. After School Academy Programs and Homework Club The highly success-ful Algebra Academy is offered to all students who would like to prepare for advanced math classes and for those who need extra assistance with their Algebra homework. The Homework Club meets three days a week in the library providing students with a place to complete their work with teacher and college aide assistance with assignments.

Extra-Curricular Activities- Haskell will continue to offer an after school sports program for boys and girls which includes flag football, basketball, soccer, volleyball, softball, cross coun-try, and track and field. Cheer squad is also a popular activity on campus that students participate in to show their school spirit. School organizations and clubs include CJSF (California Juni-or Scholarship Federation), ASB (Associated Student Body), Campus Life, Library Club, Computer Club, Science Investiga-tion, and the AVID Club.

Haskell Middle School


11525 Del Amo Blvd, Cerritos, Ca 90703 (562) 860-6529 Principal – Camille Lewis


Student-Led Parent Conferences- At the beginning of the second semester, parents are invited to attend a conference with their student and his/her teachers to review individual goals and report card grades from the first semester. Students have the opportunity to reflect on their successes and areas of improve-ment and develop next steps to achieve their goals. We invite all students and their parents to take part in this worthwhile activity.

PTSA - Parent, Teacher, Student Association - Haskell’s PTSA works diligently to support school programs and activi-ties through fundraising and school participation, for the benefit of our students. You are encouraged to support our students by joining and participating in PTSA. Meetings are held on the first Monday of every month at 6:00 P.M. Please check the school website for specific dates. We look forward to seeing you!

In November 2004, Ross Middle School became a federally funded magnet school for Creative and Media Arts. All Ross students have the opportunity to display, perform and demonstrate what they have learned in Fine Arts, Theater Arts, Media Production, Literary and Musical Arts. In Fine Arts, students study printmaking, ce-ramics, sculpture, drawing, and art history. Students learn drama and acting, stage pro-

duction, set and costume design in the Theater Arts program. All core classes use state of the art techno-logy and equipment to teach the English, History, Science, Health, Math, and Physical Education standards. Students demonstrate what they have learned by crea-ting multimedia projects across the curriculum. In Video Produc-tion, students learn to film, edit, write and produce Public Service Announcements and promotional skits for the K-ROSS morning broadcasts. Our computer techno-logy classes provide students the opportunity to create various pro-jects using Excel, Word, Garage Band, Pages, Power Point, and Keynote. Students in journa-lism learn digital photography, desktop publishing, and create a web design yearbook. This year will be the first year that Ross Academy will offer Public Speaking, a class designed to help students improve their speaking and debate skills.Musical Arts and Music in Education Program

In addition to beginning, intermediate and advanced band classes, students can participate in Jazz band and Choir, Orchestra, Drum Line, and Color Guard. Our Marching Band, Drum Line, and Color Guard participate in local exhibitions and competitions. Music in Education, designed by the Yama-ha Corporation, provides a comprehensive music learning program. All seventh grade students develop musical skills through listening, discussing, describing, and creating music on keyboards in a Music Lab. Intervention Programs

At Ross, we believe that all students can learn through the enriched challenging curriculum offered in the core and

elective classes. When students need additional support to be successful,

we offer a wide variety of intervention classes after school in Math, English, Science, and History. We also offer a Home-work Club for students who need a quiet place to study. In 2010-2011. Ross will pilot the Gateways Intervention Reading program, a program designed to improve students’ ability to read and comprehend. Ross also enters the second year of incorporating Accelerated Reader into our English classes. Accelerated Reader is a popular reading program used at many

schools in both ABC Unified and other school districts.Honors Curriculum

Ross Academy will offer Honors classes in 2010-2011 in all academic classes - English, Histo-ry, Science, and Math. These clas-ses will challenge honor students to expand in the areas of reading, writing, analysis, debate, critical thinking, and technology. PTA and School Site Council

Parents are an essential component of the success of our students. The Ross PTA is very supportive of all school programs, and works closely with the Associ-ated Student Body (ASB) Student

Leadership Class to sponsor school events such as dances and field trips. Student Site Council meets regularly throughout the school year and consists of parents, students, teachers, classified staff, and the Principal. The School Site Council is responsible for the development and approval of the Ross School Plan and Budget. Parents are encouraged to become involved in the overall Ross Academy school endeavor, and joining our dynamic PTA and/or School Site Council is highly recommended.Student Achievement

At Ross Middle School, we believe that our enriched learning opportunities combined with a strong standards-based curriculum and a dedicated and professional teaching staff will continue to increase student achievement and success. We cultivate a collaborative, educational culture through the development of high performing teaching teams. Our primary focus remains on student achievement and results as opposed to intentions.

Ross Middle SchoolCalifornia Distinguished School Title I Achievement AwardMagnet School of Distinction Award

17707 S Elaine Street, Artesia, CA 90701 (562) 924-8331Principal – Ricardo Brown


Tetzlaff Middle School has continued the tradition of high academic standards being named a 2005 California Distingu-ished School. Our school was also ack-nowledged as a National Blue Ribbon School in the year of 2000 and California Distinguished School in 1991 and 1999.

Since the inception of the Acade-mic Performance Index (API), Tetzlaff has achieved its school-wide California State assessment goals. In fact since receiving the National Blue Ribbon Award in the year of 2000, Tetzlaff’s API has grown from 696 to 798. Our goal at Tetzlaff is to achieve beyond 800 in the 2008-09 school year!

Tetzlaff enjoys fully modernized facilities. Each class-room is beautiful and enjoys full Internet connectivity, a state-of-the-art phone system, voice mail, teacher email and professional teaching computer stations. The campus has wireless technology in every building and last year it added 80 wireless Mac laptop computers for students to do on-line writing in English class and at home. Teachers are now working towards adopting a powerful website technology to improve communications between teacher, students and parents. This technology would grant 24/7 access to students and parents regarding the latest happe-nings in each of Tetzlaff’s classes.

Academic achievement is the main thing at Tetzlaff Middle School! Central to Tetzlaff’s program are aca-demic content and elective classes. At Tetzlaff, the core curriculum includes math, English, science, history and

physical education, where students are inspired by great teaching each day. The elective program at Tetzlaff offers an exciting selection of classes that includes computers, art, television production and broadcasting, home econo-mics, industrial education, Spanish, yearbook journalism, reading and our award winning music education pro-gram.

Tetzlaff teachers have worked hard to align their cur-riculum to the State of California Content Standards. Teachers assess their students each quarter with quarterly final exams that measure student performance against the state standards, determine Tetzlaff’s program effectiven-ess and identify students that need extra help.

Tetzlaff offers many after school activities that in-cludes exciting student clubs and an after school sports program where competition against other district middle schools occurs throughout the year.

Middle School students have needs that range from the intellectual, physical, social and emotional, all of which drive the Tetzlaff goals and priorities throughout the year. It is evident when one walks onto the park-like setting of Tetzlaff’s campus that the instructional program, student support services and co-curricular activities are desig-ned to bring out every individual’s personal best. With this spirit in mind, the large old school bell stands within the school’s center quad. If you every stroll by Tetzlaff and happened to hear that old school bell ring as it did in the days of the one room schoolhouse, you’ll know it’s Tetzlaff honoring and celebrating the success of its stu-dents.

Tetzlaff Middle School12351 Del Amo Blvd, Cerritos, CA 90703(562) 865-9539Principal – Crechena Wise

HIGH SCHOOLS

Artesia High School12108 E. Del Amo Blvd, Lakewood, CA 90715(562) 926-5566, ext 21600Principal – Sergio Garcia

Where Success is the Only Option

Artesia High School is a college and ca-reer preparatory magnet school that is iden-tified by the LA County Office of Education as a school wide demonstration site. Artesia High School has made a dramatic 120-point gain in the API (Academic Performance In-

dex) score in the past four years. Our current API score stands at 710; and as we have surpassed the 600 mark and the 700 mark, our sights are now set on the 800 mark. Educational consultants regularly provide professional development for teachers and ad-ministrators. Teaching professionals are dedicated to providing a comprehensive curriculum aimed at preparing students for the challenges of post-graduate life. Research based best practices are {continued on page 42}


Welcome to Cerritos High School,Home of the Dons!Welcome to Cerritos High School, Home of the Dons!

Cerritos High School has a strong history of academic excellence with highly motiva-ted students that are committed to rigorous academic achievement with enthusiastic engagement all aspects of their secondary educational experience. We are proud of our

students as they excel in their studies, establish friendships, and demonstrate school pride and community spirit.Cerritos High School is one of the foremost educational ins-titutions in the United States. We continue to receive national and state recognition for our academic achievements. For the past five years Newsweek Magazine has named CHS as one of top high

schools in the United States, ranking our school 161st out of 1,600 high performing high schools. Our students continue to score over the 800 benchmark on the state’s Academic Per-formance Index (API) with substantial growth in the last three years. We offer our students rigorous college preparatory classes that include our highly toted and honored Model Uni-ted Nations (MUN) program and a comprehensive selection of

Advanced Placement (AP) courses. We round out our master schedule course selections with a variety of elective classes -- art, ceramics, Glee, drama, band, orchestra, foods, multi-media and technology-focused course offerings. We challenge our students with UC approved course requirements (A-G). Our Advanced Placement (AP) classes challenge our students in a most rigorous curricular environment with our AP test results showing an overall pass above 70% and an increase in AP test takers. Our CHS graduates continue to be accepted and successful at private and public universities/colleges. The-se distinctions illustrate a result of consistently high student

Cerritos High School12500 E 183rd Street, Cerritos, CA 90703(562) 926-5566, ext. 21800Principal – Janice Peterson

integrated into teaching in all courses. A full time counselor works in our College and Career Center to assist students in the college application process.

With additional grade-level counselors, the counseling team endlessly strives to educate, develop community, and promo-te partnerships with students, alumni, faculty, employers and members of the college community. Extracurricular programs, such as field trips, and guest speakers encourage students to work hard to make their dreams a reality.

Artesia High School offers a well-balanced academic and extracurricular learning environment. Our Renaissance and AVID (Advancement via Individual Determination) programs are leadership-building programs that focus on academic achie-vement and inspire all students to reach higher levels of success. Demanding and engaging curricula offer our students a learning environment that is challenging and well rounded. Award win-ning sports programs promote leadership and academics as well as skill development. Artesia High School’s Magnet Program features the Visual and Performing Arts Academy (VAPA) and Math, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA) Academy. In addition, the Southeast Regional Occupational Program has partnered with Artesia High School and is instrumental in pro-

viding career pathways for students interested in pharmacy and mental health fields. Academic curriculum and project-based learning provide students with tools to create and prepare for their future.

Artesia High School’s unique „No Fail“ Math Department has an intense focus on meeting defined math benchmarks. The math department provides support for all students by offering tutoring sessions before, during and after school. The key to the program is flexibility and alternative, multiple learning oppor-tunities. As a result, more and more students are qualified for higher-level math courses each successive year.

Our award winning band program boasts dedicated and talented marching and concert musicians. The marching band will compete in six parades each year. The band not only per-forms at football games, field shows, pep rallies, parades and community events, but will also compete in three band festivals throughout the year. The instrumental music program not only builds the musicianship skills of its students but also engages them in the appreciation, theory, and composition of music.

We look forward to yet another successful year for our stu-dents.


academic achievement and reflect the hard work of our dedicated faculty and staff.The Dons are enthusiastically involved in a variety of co-curricular activities. Our clubs and organizations cultivate imagi-nations, promote leadership, and provide invaluable opportunities for our students to give back to our communityAs reflected in our mission statement, CHS faculty and staff, in partnership with parents and our community provide a

balanced and comprehensive educa-tional program that promotes acade-mic, social, and personal growth for each of our students. As the principal of the Dons, I look forward to the transition of our students from success at Cerritos High School to success in their post secondary journey.

Janice C. PetersonPrincipal, Cerritos High School

As a WASC Accredited, California Di-stinguished School, Gahr High School is a diverse community with over 30 cultural groups and languages shared by students on the campus. In this context, staff seeks to provide a variety of opportunities for stu-dents to learn and develop as global citizens prepared for the 21st Century and beyond. The Gahr community understands the va-lue of a quality education and provides op-portunities for students to grow and deve-

lop as individuals and teams. This growth is accomplished in each classroom, class meeting, club meeting, rehearsal or team practice, as students are equipped to meet their educational and career goals. As a diverse, comprehensive high school, Gahr provides students with diverse options in the areas of Acade-mics, Activities, and Athletics. Academic Diversity

Gahr High School offers student programs that range from courses for English Learners to Advanced Placement courses. Most courses offered at Gahr are college preparatory in nature and meet the requirements for entrance to the University of California and California State University systems. In additi-on, the Gahr staff believes that students should have available to them assistance or intervention in academic subject areas. This assistance is found in various courses and opportunities provided for students. Gahr High School offers English Lan-guage Arts and Math courses for students who are in need of assistance with passing the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) or other graduation requirements; tutoring in Eng-lish, Math, Science, Social Science, and Foreign Language; and Advanced Placement review sessions and experiences.

The academic diversity of the campus is also seen in the many programs that are available for students, which require time both in and out of the classroom. The following are some of the academic programs available for students that provide real life learning experiences which students can use when they leave Gahr High School:Arts Technology Academy (ATA)

The Arts Technology Academy (ATA) is a California Part-nership Academy that provides students with a visual arts and

technology focus during their high school experience. Acade-my students are enrolled in English, Social Science, Science, and Art Technology courses together during the 10th, 11th, and 12th grades. In addition, 9th grade students are able to partici-pate in the Introduction to ATA/Art I course as part of a bridge from middle school to high school. The educational experien-ces of the students are enhanced by a variety of guest speakers, field trips, and special activities that allow students to experi-ence the art world and the use of technology in that world.Model United Nations (MUN)

Model United Nations (MUN) is both a course and club on contemporary world issues in a variety of areas including economics, politics and social/cultural conditions. Gahr MUN utilizes simulation activities that allow students to explore more deeply the problems that exist on the international playing field. Students attend conferences and simulations where they study and represent various nations of the world and the challenges being faced today by those nations. Gahr MUN has earned many awards and received recognition for their research and debate work. The program has also worked through KIVA to provide micro-finance support for various people in underdeve-loped nations.Regional Occupational Program (ROP)

The Regional Occupational Program (ROP) provides op-portunities for career and technical training in a variety of fields during high school. Classes are provided in career areas where there is a promising job market. Through the Regional Occu-pational Program, students acquire the job skills necessary to enter and compete in today’s workforce, and in many cases, earn advanced placement or credits at area community colle-ges. There are a number of ROP courses available at Gahr High School including Microsoft Office Suite; Virtual Enterprise, a simulated business that is set up and run by students to prepare them for working in a real business environment; Adobe Pho-toShop; Auto Mechnanics; Forensic Science; Hospital Occupa-tions; Pharmacy Clerk; and Pharmacy Technician.Performing Arts

Gahr High School offers many opportunities for student in-terested in theater and music. Through the theater program, students have opportunities to participate in dramatic produc-tions throughout the school year,

Gahr High School11111 Artesia Blvd, Cerritos, CA 90703(562) 926-5566, ext. 22000Principal – Gina Zietlow



develop ideas for costuming, and learn set design and const-ruction. In addition, the Gahr High School theater program has participated in numerous community events. The theater program also works in conjunction with the music program each year to put on a musical in the spring. In addition to the collaboration with the theater program, students have opportu-nities to participate in various musical experiences including: orchestra, jazz band, marching band, concert band, symphonic winds, concert choir, and music appreciation.Activity Diversity

The variety of activities available for students at Gahr High School truly matches the diversity of the student community. Gahr has an active Associated Student Body (ASB) that coor-dinates the multiple student groups on campus. Students are able to participate in their Class Cabinet where ideas are shared and plans are prepared for major school events like the Winter Formal, Prom, and Senior Candle Rose. In addition, the Class Cabinets work together to encourage school spirit and student participation in various school events. Gahr High School also offers a variety of clubs on campus. All clubs are designed to provide an educational outlet for students to learn together and share their learning with the campus. The clubs at Gahr High School are: Arts and Travel Club, Barkada Club, Califor-nia Scholarship Federation (CSF), Emergency Environmental Service Club (EES), Equality Through Feminism Club Fashion for Humanity Club, French Club, International Thespian Soci-ety (ITS), Japanese Club, Key Club, Korean Fellowship Club (KFC), Literary Cinema Club, Math and Science Club, Multi-cultural Forum (MCF), National Honors Society (NHS), Or-ganization of African American Unity (OOAU), Spanish Club, Virtual Enterprise, and Youth Alive.Athletic Diversity

The diversity of Gahr High School is also found in the mul-tiple athletic opportunities that exist for students. The athletic programs happen on a seasonal calendar with Cheerleading and Color Guard being year-round programs. In addition, most of

the athletic programs at Gahr have summer activities. To par-ticipate, a student must complete an Athletic Clearance Packet and complete a tryout or interview with the team coach before being placed on an athletic team and in an athletic class peri-od.

In the fall season, Gahr High School offers Boys Cross Country, Girls Cross Country, Co-Ed Football, Girls Golf, Girls Tennis, Girls Volleyball, and Boys Water Polo. During the winter season, Gahr High School offers Boys Basketball, Girls Basketball, Boys Soccer, Girls Soccer, Girls Water Polo, and Co-Ed Wrestling. Finally, in the spring season, Gahr High School offers Co-Ed Badminton, Baseball, Boys Golf, Softball, Boys Swimming, Girls Swimming, Boys Tennis, Boys Track & Field, Girls Track & Field, and Boys Volleyball.

In addition to the many traditional athletic programs, Gahr High School is proud to offer Co-Ed Cycling for students who are interested. This program provides training and education for beginning to advanced students and gives students opportu-nities to participate in various cycling events in our local area.Parent/Guardian Opportunities

Finally, the programs at Gahr High School are supported by a number of parent run organizations associated with the school. There are many opportunities for parents to get involved with Gahr High School through Athletic Boosters, English Langua-ge Acquisition Committee (ELAC), Music Boosters, Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA), and School Site Council (SSC). These various groups meet regularly and information is available on the school web site and through program teachers and coaches.To learn more about Gahr High School, please stay connected through the school web site at www.gahrhs.org. The web site is updated regularly and provides critical information on upcoming events and happenings for the Gahr community.

Tracy High School continues to be the center of the ABC Unified School District’s offerings for alternative programs for secon-dary school students. Tracy High School be-came a Model Continuation School in 2002 and was given a six year accreditation by the Western Association of Schools and Colle-ges in June 2005. Tracy offers core academic programs and a personal attention to students who are behind in credits. The Early College Program with Cerritos College provides stu-

dents college-level vocational/technical courses for dual credit. THS teachers all focus on the courses required for graduation. Small class size and a friendly, peaceful, campus environment encourage student achievement and cooperation. An emphasis is placed on academic counseling as well as a philosophy that eve-

ryone deserves a second chance.Tracy High School has a few of the extra-curricular activities

of a traditional high school (with the exception of athletics and performing arts). Students enjoy outings such as Grad Night, Se-nior Prom, and yearbook signing as well as student of the month awards, Back to School Night and Open House.Teen Parent/Cal-Safe

The Teen Parent Program (TPP) is open to students who are expecting a child and/or are already parenting. Classes teach pa-renting skills, prenatal health and childbirth. An infant center is offered to participating students and is staffed by professional as well as community and student volunteers.Afternoon High School

This option is offered to Tracy students from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Students with serious atten-dance or school related problems may transfer to this program.

Tracy High School12222 Cuesta Drive , Cerritos, CA 90703(562) 926-5566, ext. 22200Principal – Jeff Green


This educational alternative is located at the Cabrillo Lane cam-pus on Del Amo Blvd. Behavior modification such as conflict re-solution, study skills, responsible decision making skills and job readiness are emphasized.Tracy Afternoon Pro-gram - TAP

This program is open to 10th grade students who are under 16 years of age. Upon a counselor’s recommendation, students take classes daily from the hours of 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Students must be at least 30 credits behind in order to be considered. All students must be referred by their home school and attend an orientation befo-re being admitted.The ABC Secondary School/Independent Study

Independent Study is a voluntary educational al-ternative. It is a means of individualizing an educational learning plan for 7th through 12th grade students whose needs may best be met through study outside the regular classroom setting.

Short-term Independent Study is an educational alternative for students who will have planned absences of five days or more. The independent study agreement must be entered into before the

student starts his/her ab-sence. Elementary students should see their Principals; and middle and high school students should see their counselor for more infor-mation or call Ms. Pauline Calcote at 562-926-5566 ext. 22207.Work Experience

An evening Work Expe-rience program is held one day a week, in the evening, and is open to all students over the age of 16 who work 30 hours a week or more. The program is held in two sessions. The first session is from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. and the second session is from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. All academic

courses necessary for high school graduation are offered in these night sessions. Students also earn elective credits for completing job-related assignments.

Whitney High School is a public college prep program grades 7 – 12 with 1025 stu-dents. Our mission is to prepare students for their best match colleges and/or universities so that they will be successful in future post secondary pursuits. Several exciting, am-bitious projects and programs are currently taking place in order to support our students and their interests.

Raise the Roof is a fundraising campaign designed to earn matching dollars toward a

grant of up to $3 million that will be awarded by the state of Cali-fornia in December 2010 for new construction of a media center and 500 seat auditorium. The facility will house state of the art technology and equipment for broadcast journalism, computer graphics classes, film making/ editing classes, student perfor-mances, etc so that students will have the opportunity to develop skills and talent in these areas.

On October 9th, a fun- filled, family oriented festival will be hosted on the Whitney campus that will feature a variety of ac-tivities such as a health fair, car raffle, art exhibit, food booths, and performances. All profit will be allocated to Raise the Roof. We appreciate the generous contributions from our families and business partners. A list of names of donors is featured on our scrolling marquee on the WHS website.

In addition to challenging our students academically, we

emphasize the importance of global citizenship and community service. Along these lines, we are in the planning stages of orga-nizing a student/teacher exchange program with Mario Vecchioli High School in Rafaela, Argentina as an offshoot of an administ-rator exchange sponsored by American Councils for International Education I have participated in over the past year. The goal is to share best practices and learn about each other. We hope to have teachers from both schools plan assignments that students from both schools will work together in teams to complete. Commu-nication will take place virtually through technology and social media, but we have also been awarded a grant to send two WHS representatives to Argentina to work out logistics and meet the school personally. Our students will practice their Spanish/ their students will practice their English. A small group of the Argen-tine students will possibly visit for two weeks in February.

We were sad to say goodbye to our retirees- math teacher Jan Jensen, English teacher Debra Logan, math teacher Sandy Bruesch, ASB Bookkeeper Sharon McKee, English teacher Den-nis Brent, and gym attendant Rita Jiminez because they have played such an important role in our history and success. Howe-ver, we are pleased to welcome new blood into the Wildcat fami-ly and are confident that the quality of our program will continue with the knowledgeable, experienced people we have recently hired. Please plan to attend Back to School Night on September 30th so that you can meet your children’s teachers and learn more about us.

Whitney High School16800 Shoemaker Avenue, Cerritos, CA 90703(562) 926-5566, ext. 22300Principal – Patricia Hager


Celebrating 50 Years of Quality Services in Adult Education

Dear Community Members:

As Always, ABC Adult School ended its 2009-10 school year in what is becoming a characteristic fashion:

1. High instructional quality that is meeting the expressed needs of the com-munity as evidenced by higher retention

numbers in all program areas.2. New student-driven program development and program

improvement. Just this year, Adult School added several ex-citing new things: such as new Pharmacy Tech program, new Movie animation Program, new Mac Lab, new website (un-veiled on March 5, 2010), new AutoCAD, Inventor class, new computer-aided drafting program, new Compass Odyssey courses for High School Diploma program, and new authorized testing center for Microsoft and Adobe tests.

3. More effective advertising and marketing as evidenced by higher retention and lower costs in advertisement expenditu-res.

4. New infrastructure improvement, i.e. new parking lots, painting, plumbing, roofing, carpeting, and renewer portable classrooms at Cabrillo Lane.

5. New strengthened partnerships with the cities and busi-ness industries we serve: We entered into Memorandum of Ag-reement with City of Artesia, Cerritos, and Hawaiian Gardens, Pioneer Medical Groups, Dr. Soo Woong Kang, Dr. Helene Saad, Pro Health Partners, Lakewood Primary Care, Southern California Kaiser Permanente, West Coast Dialysis Center, and CareMore Health Plan.

The Career Technical Education Center at ABC Adult School exists to train students, not just for jobs, but careers. The center provides career paths that lead to Industry Certifi-

cation in several areas including Medical Assisting, Medical Insurance Specialist, Computer Repair/IT Technician, Office Assistant, Administrative Assistant, Web Design, Graphic De-sign, Accounting Clerk, Pharmacy Technician, and Video Pro-duction. Industry Certification gives our students a leg up when searching for that perfect job.

So if you’re looking to train for a career, update your exis-ting skills, improve your English, get your high school diploma, become a better parent, or even explore new life-long learning opportunities, give ABC Adult School a look. All the informa-tion you need to start is on our web site: www.abcadultschool.edu.

I wish you much success in the new school year and I per-sonally look forward to seeing all of you on our campus and in our classes.

Sincerely,Dr. Pao-Ling Guo

Principal

ABC Adult School12254 Cuesta, Cerritos, CA 90703(562) 926-5566, ext. 25011Principal – Dr. Pao-Ling Guo


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