The Eastsider LA School Yard

Silver Lake and Glassell Park schools hold photogenic fundraisers *

noreply@blogger.com (The Eastsider LA) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:13:00 +0000

Oak Glen School, a Silver Lake nursery school, and Los Feliz Charter School for the Arts, which is planning to move to a new campus in Glassell Park, will be holding fundraisers this weekend.

Families looking for a holiday portrait - or actors needed to update their head shots - can have their photos taken by professional photographers at Los Feliz Charter's 4th Annual Photo Fundraiser on Saturday. The photo sessions cost $75 and will be held at the Glassell Park school site.

On Sunday, Oak Glen School, which is tucked into a residential street in Silver Lake, will hold a Holiday Bazaar featuring baked goods, organic plants, handcrafted gifts and photo sessions. These photos, however, are not shot by professionals. They are black-and-white images taken in a Polaroid Photo Booth for $5. Don't forget to smile while you donate.

Photo by Komehachi888/Flickr

* Correction: A previous version of this post said the Oak Glen photos were free. They are not. Photos are $5.

A Silver Lake school rediscovers its long-lost song

noreply@blogger.com (The Eastsider LA) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:19:00 +0000

The centennial of Silver Lake's Micheltorena Street School came and went in 2005 without much notice. When a belated 100th-anniversary celebration was finally held last June, the event featured the singing of the long-lost school song and the rediscovery of other pieces of school history.

The school opened in December 1905 in a one-room bungalow staffed by one teacher who doubled as the principal, said Micheltorena school supporter Dorit Dowler-Guerrero, who has gone through four boxes of school documents to research Micheltorena's history, In a little more than a decade, more classes had been added and land was being purchased to expand the school. Much of the campus, however, was torn down in the wake of the 1933 Long Beach earthquake, forcing classes to be held in tents for four years. "The Micheltorena moms clubs worked their butts off raising money and trying to get school construction bonds passed," said Dowler-Guerrero.

In a welcome surprise, a former student who apparently attended Micheltorena during the 1930s sent a copy of the four-line, Micheltorena song to the school, Dowler-Guerro said. When it came time to celebrate the school's centennial, Micheltorena music teacher Brian Bockelman wrote a new verse to complement the original song that was sung by the Micheltorena Chorus. It was the highlight of the celebration, according to the Los Feliz Ledger.

Here is song with the original and new versus:

Oh Micheltorena charming is thy name.
How we love to sing it spread abroad its fame.
Linked with California thus thy name appears.
Oh Micheltorena music to our ears."

(New lyrics)

Oh Micheltorena, for one hundred years,
How we love to sing it, sending out the cheers.
We are California, now as before,
Oh Micheltorena, one hundred years more.

Photo from Micheltorena Street School website

Split decision announced in the Boyle Heights high school construction derby

noreply@blogger.com (The Eastsider LA) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 21:52:00 +0000

Last week The Eastsider reported that both LA Unified and charter school operator Green Dot were each claiming they had just opened the first new public high school in Boyle Heights in 80 years. LA Unified did hold a dedication ceremony in September for the Mendez Learning Center about a month before Green Dot staged a ribbon cutting for the Oscar de la Hoya Ánimo Charter High School. However, Green Dot said its school had been operating for five years in a temporary site in downtown Los Angeles.

In response, LA Unified spokesperson Shannon Haber modified the district's claim: "We are then the first new LAUSD high shool in 85 years in Boyle Heights," said Haber, who attended the De La Hoya ribbon cutting last week. "We are really proud of it. Both are just phenomenal schools."

LA Unified to hold ground breaking for new Echo Park school

noreply@blogger.com (The Eastsider LA) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 20:18:00 +0000

The Los Angeles Unified School District plans to hold a ground breaking ceremony next Monday for a new Echo Park elementary school after overcoming years of opposition and a lawsuit filed by neighborhood groups and residents.

Many residents had opposed the school -its working name is Central Regional Elementary School No. 14 - located southwest of Alvarado Street and Sunset Boulevard because it resulted the demolition of more than 50 homes and apartments at a time when enrollment had dropped sharply at nearby schools. After outlasting residents who had filed a lawsuit, the school district then butted heads with Echo Park Councilman Eric Garcetti over the size of the school and other features of the design. Garcetti eventually backed down but it looks like LA Unified won't even operate the campus when it opens. Under a program adopted earlier this year, charter school and other private groups will get a chance to run the new Echo Park school and other campuses being built by the district.

Construction on the new Echo Park school begins as a charter school has leased empty classrooms at nearby Logan Street Elementary School and Belmont High School will add middle school grades to take advantage of unused space.

The Eastsider has contacted the district to find out when the school will be open and if a final name has been selected.

Will the first new high school in Boyle Heights in 80 years please stand up?

noreply@blogger.com (The Eastsider LA) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 18:05:00 +0000

Boxing legend Oscar de la Hoya on Thursday helped cut a giant red ribbon at the grand opening of the Oscar de la Hoya Ánimo Charter High School, which officials described as the first public high school to be built in Boyle Heights in 80 years. Wait a minute. In September, Los Angeles Unified held a ribbon cutting ceremony for what it called Boyle Height's first new high school in 80 years: the Mendez Learning Center.

After calling the public relations firm handling the Hoya Charter school grand opening, The Eastsider was referred to a press release that says the school has operated in a temporary facility for five years. However, that temporary facility is an office building in downtown Los Angeles - not Boyle Heights. The Eastsider is now awaiting word from LA Unified to see if they will be happy claiming they build the second newest public high school in Boyle Heights in 80 years.

Top left photo by Curbed LA;Top right photo by The Eastsider

El Sereno students and residents remember a faithful friend

noreply@blogger.com (The Eastsider LA) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 21:51:00 +0000

The building of a parking lot usually is not normally cause for celebration. But the completion of a landscaped lot behind tiny Farmdale Elementary school in El Sereno last year was the result of a lengthy community effort to transform what was often a dusty and sometimes muddy lot into a more useful and attractive piece of property. One of the key players in the transformation of that lot was El Sereno resident Robert F. Saunders. School employees remember Saunders as one of Farmdale's most active volunteers and a constant presence on the Eastern Avenue campus. But, last year, following the completion of the parking lot, Saunders passed away unexpectedly, according to school employees.

Earlier this month, Farmdale staff and students, which include one of Saunders' grandchildren, as well as residents honored his contributions by naming the parking lot in his memory: The Robert F. Saunders Parking Grove. Councilman Jose Huizar, who helped secure funding to build the lot, praised Saunders during the dedication of a plaque mounted on a large stone:

"Mr. Saunders, who passed away in 2008, was absolutely instrumental in working with me to pave over a dirt parking lot shared by families of Farmdale students and children who play sports at the adjacent El Sereno Park ... Robert Saunders is proof that one person really can make a difference and we all owe a debt of gratitude to him for never giving up on a dream. "

Bottom photo from Council District 14

Schools hold fall fundraisers and open houses this weekend

noreply@blogger.com (The Eastsider LA) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 17:33:00 +0000

This weekend will see schools in Eagle Rock, Glassell Park and Highland Park holding special events for the public:

* On Saturday, Los Feliz Charter School for the Arts shows off its new Glassell Park school site (pictured above), which will be transformed into Halloween Town. Visitors can come in costume (best to leave that Playboy Bunny suit at home) to explore the building and take advantage of free arts & crafts, games, petting zoo and live folk music.

* Meanwhile, in Highland Park, Good Shepard Lutheran School will hold a Harvest Festival on Saturday featuring pumpkin painting, bake sale, games, prizes and, of course, a haunted house.

* On Sunday, Renaissance Arts Academy, an Eagle Rock charter school, invites residents to visit the Colorado Boulevard school and meet with the staff during the Second Annual Reception and Awards Ceremony, which this year honors resident Carl Matthes.

You better learn some economics before opening a charter school

noreply@blogger.com (The Eastsider LA) — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 16:50:00 +0000

It seems charter schools are popping up everywhere, leasing space in office parks and sharing classrooms with existing LA Unified schools. Charters will even get a chance to operate dozens of new schools the Los Angeles school district plans to complete in the coming years. But if you are considering getting into the charter school business, prepare yourself for a long and costly challenge. That's what the parents and educators behind the proposed El Rio Charter School have learned as they plan to open a school somewhere in Northeast LA.

Vivian Johnson have banded together to open a Waldorf "inspired" charter school by 2012. Their inspiration is Ocean Charter, a Mar Vista school modeled on the Waldorf style.

"The Waldorf-inspired approach to educating children is practiced in a worldwide network of public and independent Waldorf schools," Johnson said via email. "The comprehensive curriculum incorporates art, music and storytelling, emphasizing the use of the imagination to encourage critical thinking and develop exceptional writing, verbal and problem-solving skills."

No location has been selected but Johnson said the goal is open a K-8 school that will eventually enroll 460 students. But before the El Rio supporters have any chance to opening their Waldorf school they must raise $250,000 in private and state funds, said Johnson. That's way more than the $283 in donations collected at the group's first public meeting in August.

"One of the challenges we are presently in is raising the necessary seed money to get the charter and start the school," Johnson said. "The founders are a grassroots team, not professionals, and we're learning as we go. We're doing our best to get the word out about the school to the Northeast Los Angeles community."

But the founders of El Rio won't be able to relax once and if the school opens. "We will need to continue to fund raise year after year to keep the school up and running," said Johnson.

If you are up for the challenge, Johnson and the El Rio founders are holding a meeting about their school on Saturday afternoon at the Audubon Center in Montecito Heights.

Why a shot in the arm will inject some money into Mt. Washington Elementary

noreply@blogger.com (The Eastsider LA) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 16:08:00 +0000

It looks like the PTA at Mt. Washington Elementary has found a way to turn fear of the flu into a fundraiser. The group has teamed up with a private firm to sell flu vaccinations at the school. The school gets $1 for every $25 flu shot administered on Tuesday, Oct. 27. But the PTA needs at least 70 people signed up for shots by this Monday to bring the clinic to the school, said parents Natasha Stanton Kathryn McGuire. So, roll up your sleeve for a good cause.

Photo alvi2047 /flickr

Eastside API high school scores improve but still fall short

noreply@blogger.com (The Eastsider LA) — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 20:26:00 +0000

Eastern Group News took a closer look at the 2009 Academic Performance Index or API scores for several high schools serving Eastside students and found some interesting results:

* The API for Roosevelt High in Boyle Heights came in at 577 while arch rival Garfield High in East Los Angeles posted a score of 594. Garfield ended up on a list of troubled schools that L.A. Unified will make available to outside operators. The district's list of schools available for takeover included those with API scores that had fallen or failed to show any increase. Despite scoring higher than Roosevelt, Garfield's API actually fell 3 points from the previous year while Roosevelt's API climbed 28 points.

* Belmont High, which serves Echo Park and Silver Lake, showed the biggest increase among Eastside schools, with its API jumping 78 points to 618.

* Eagle Rock High came in with the highest API score in the area, 717.

* None of the Eastside high schools came close to reaching the statewide API target score of 800.

Read more about the results at EGP News.

A new school prepares to hop into Playboy's Glassell Park playground

noreply@blogger.com (The Eastsider LA) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 17:26:00 +0000

The thought of Hugh Hefner arriving with Miss October for a Show-and-Tell session with a bunch of second graders might unsettle more than a few parents. That's why officials with the Los Feliz Charter School for the Arts were concerned when they discovered that the Glassell Park office complex they were considering for a new campus was also home to Playboy Enterprises. "Of course the red flags went up," said Kevin Mulcahy, an architect who is working with the charter school on their new home. That set off a closer look at the school site and Playboy's dumpsters.

***

The charter school, now located in a temporary site in Hollywood, had looked at about a dozen locations for a permanent home before it settled on a large vacant building in a Glassell Park office complex near San Fernando Road and the 2 Freeway, Mulcahy told the Los Feliz Ledger. The 47,000-square-foot building needs some renovation, and the school still needs to obtain a special city permit to use the structure. Still, the building on Media Center Drive seemed ideal for the open classroom style the school favors, Mulcahy said. Then a quick review of the tenant roster turned up the name Playboy. The adult entertainment company has maintained offices here since 2002, when it began moving staff out of its pricey Beverly Hills offices into a low-cost office and industrial park located behind what is now Super King market.

Playboy does not produce any videos at the site and its offices are located in a separate building about 1,500 feet away from the structure that will contain the Los Feliz charter school. Still, the school was not taking any chances before it agreed to sign a lease. Mulcahy toured Playboys' offices to make sure no content was produced on the site and even inquired how magazines and other materials were disposed of (everything is shredded). "It's strictly [offices] and no content development," Mulcahy said of Playboy's offices.

Convinced that their kids and parents would be isolated from Playboy's activities, the school leaders went ahead and signed a lease. But the idea of a school located near Playboy still raises a few eyebrows. Even Councilman Ed Reyes, in a meeting with school officials, raised the subject, Mulcahy said. "People are aware of this." The architect said the school quickly contacted the Los Feliz Ledger when its story about the school's new home gave the wrong address on Media Center Drive to make sure no one confused it with Playboy's building. Despite Playboy's notoriety, the school is looking forward to the move.

"They are apparently good neighbors," Mulcahy said of Playboy, and their offices "are really nice."

The cultural heart of Garfield High remains burned out

noreply@blogger.com (The Eastsider LA) — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 18:19:00 +0000

It's been about 2-1/2 years since a fire destroyed Garfield High School's historic auditorium, an East Los Angeles landmark that had been the site of countless school and community events since 1925. Rebuilding efforts are stuck in a feud between Los Angeles Unified and its insurance companies, reports the Los Angeles Times. It's not clear when the dispute will be resolved and a new auditorium will reopen. As a result, many school events once held in the auditorium are now being staged in some unexpected places, the Times reports:

"Performing arts teacher Carolyn McKnight holds her West African dance class in an auto shop with a hydraulic lift embedded in its concrete floor. The concrete is not good for her knees or those of the students, she said. A theater production of "Tom Sawyer" by the Geffen Playhouse in January may have to be held in the gym. An auditorium is the cultural heart of a school, and it drives a stake through the school culture if you don't have that kind of gathering place for shared experiences," McKnight said."

The lengthy delay to rebuild the auditorium is one of many challenges facing Garfield. Last week, the school district said it would allow outside groups the opportunity to takeover the East Los Angeles school in order to boost its poor academic performance.

Photo of damaged auditorium shortly after the fire./Garfield High photo gallery

Marshall High seeking help for college bound students

noreply@blogger.com (The Eastsider LA) — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 16:53:00 +0000

John Marshall High, which serves a great many students from Echo Park and Silver Lake, is seeking volunteers who would like to help seniors with the college application process. "A meeting for volunteer 'mentors' will be held on Thursday, November 5, from 3:30-6:00, where they will be matched with students, according to an email sent out by the office of Councilman Tom LaBonge.

Those interested in the program should contact Susan Philips by email at sphilips4@aol.com or by phone at (323) 660-4799.

Photo from John Marshall High website

Valet service brings safety and order to the morning rush at a Mt. Washington school

noreply@blogger.com (The Eastsider LA) — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 16:31:00 +0000

The frantic scene outside of Mt. Washington Elementary on school day mornings would have been familiar to anyone who has dropped off a friend at the Southwest Airlines terminal at LAX. Traffic backed up, cars doubled parked in the no parking zone, and kids loaded with book bags dashed between vehicles as they raced to beat the morning bell. One Mt. Washington parent even posted a video on Facebook of the risky and illegal traffic maneuvers performed during one morning on narrow San Rafael Drive outside the school. "Parents were making U-turns in front of the school," said Mt. Washington school parent coordinator Andrea Jayasekera. "It's nuts." Jayasekera and other parents decided to do something about this chaotic morning ritual after a vehicle grazed a student in front of the campus. That's why Jayaskera and other Mt. Washington parents, dressed in yellow safety vests, stood outside of the school Wednesday morning for the first day of the Safety Valet Program.

***

As a parade of cars, minivans, SUVs and pick-up trucks pulled to the curb, the volunteers held open the doors, greeted the kids and directed them to the entrance during the morning rush between 7:45 am to 8:15 am. Up to three cars at a time could be unloaded in a lane marked by traffic cones. Also on hand was a school district traffic cop to keep drivers under control. The idea behind the Safety Valet Program is to make for a safer and more orderly drop off and pick up of students. Volunteers at more than 150 Los Angeles schools have received training through the program, said Maritza Sosa Nieves with the city's Commission for Children, Youth and Their Families.

The program provided parents with safety vests, traffic cones, signage and some training. Some basic points, as recalled by valet Eric Ragno, included stay on the sidewalk, don't blow whistles and don't confront the parents. Parents said the morning drop off seemed much less frantic Wednesday morning, with the exception of a driver or two that grazed the curb or a traffic cone. There was also one driver in a pick up truck who drove through the valet lane while talking on his cell phone.

There are no immediate plans for safety valets to help out at the end of the school day. The challenge now is to keep enough volunteers on hand during the school year to keep the program running in the morning. But, Jayasekera and other volunteer valets were happy with Wednesday's results. "Parents were receptive and the kids were really excited."

Another serving of pancakes from the Mt. Washington PTA

noreply@blogger.com (The Eastsider LA) — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 22:40:00 +0000

This Saturday morning, Sept. 26, the Mt. Washington Elementary School PTA will host its 24th annual Pankcake Breakfast at the hilltop campus. The breakfast is a fundraiser but it also serves an annual community gathering where Mt. Washington residents meet and greet over pancakes and sausage. There will also be live music and a fire truck on display during the event, which runs from 8:30 am to 10:30 am. Admission is $7 for adults and $4 for kids. Pancake fans can save $1 on the admission by purchasing tickets in advance at the school on Friday.

It's a big event, and the Mt. Washington PTA has put out a call for volunteers. Contact Rosalba at rosegm1@yahoo.com for details.

Photo by Paul Goyette/Flickr

Eagle Rock honors its AP scholars

noreply@blogger.com (The Eastsider LA) — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 18:40:00 +0000

Eagle Rock High School announced that 76 current and recent students earned Advanced Placement (AP) Scholar Awards on the college entrance exam. One of those students, Kayvon Sarrami, who is currently attending Yale, stood out as a National AP Scholar, with an
average grade of 4 or higher on a five-point scale on all AP exams taken, and grades of 4 or higher on eight or more of these exams, according to Eagle Rock college counselor Stephen Williams in a post on the NELA List.

It was only a few years ago that relatively few Eagle Rock students even took the AP exam. In 1996, the school tested In 1996, 66 Eagle Rock students took the test. This year, the number of student test takers had grown to 479.

A Cypress Park middle school teacher who never lost touch with his students

noreply@blogger.com (The Eastsider LA) — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 21:03:00 +0000

Math and science teacher David Meyerhof has worked in Los Angeles schools for 33 years, with almost half of them spent at Florence Nightingale Middle School in Cypress Park. While most teachers and students part ways after the semester ends, Meyerhof has kept tabs on his former pupils and organized a recent reunion to honor the achievements, according to recent stories by KPCC and EGP News. Meyerhof's students have gone on to become Fulbright scholars, tax consultants as well as fellow teachers at Nightingale. Many of the students who came from some tough neighborhoods also praised their former teacher for raising their expectations:

"I think that’s what Mr. Meyerhof has taught his students – you make the best of what you have and you strive for more," said Maria Del Toro."Because in this community, there really isn’t much pushing anyone. You know, the young people or the adults, and everyone is kind of comfortable just being. And I think he’s really opened doors for people."

Schools in Echo Park and Solano Canyon honored with national awards

noreply@blogger.com (The Eastsider LA) — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 22:56:00 +0000

The U.S. Department of Education today recognized Clifford Street Elementary in Echo Park and Solano Avenue Elementary in Solano Canyon as "Blue Ribbon Schools." Blue Ribbon schools are held up as national role models for showing dramatic improvement or continuing to demonstrate high levels of educational performance with a large numbers of disadvantaged students.

Clifford and Solano were among about 314 public and private schools that were named as Blue Ribbon campuses this year. Both schools small student populations but big academic scores: Clifford has fewer than 200 students and an API score of 836; Solano has about 260 students and an API score of 912.

"It is a great reward for all the hard work that goes on at this school," said Clifford school teacher Rick Powels.

The Department of Education said the schools are selected based on two areas:

"Schools whose students, regardless of background, achieve in the top 10 percent of their state on state tests or in the case of private schools in the top 10 percent of the nation on nationally-normed tests; and Schools with at least 40 percent of their students from disadvantaged backgrounds that demonstrate dramatic improvement of student performance to high levels on state tests or nationally-normed tests."

Top photo from Clifford Street Elementary website; bottom from Solano Avenue Elementary website

Celebrating the first day of class with an after school snack

noreply@blogger.com (The Eastsider LA) — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 22:12:00 +0000

The first day of school found the streets and sidewalks around Logan Street Elementary in Echo Park busy with kids, parents, teachers and crossing guards. Logan parent Maria Caballero (pictured above) shared a snack after picking sons Matthew, 8, and Jonathan, 11, at the end of the school day. The first day of class at Logan was also the first day the Echo Park school shared classrooms with a charter school, Gabriella Charter School. Many Logan school parents and teachers had expressed their concern and staged a protest a few months ago over sharing the campus with the privately run school.

Los Angeles schools faced other challenges besides making sure its staff and campuses were ready for students. The Los Angeles Unified School District began the semester facing a $140 million budget gap and the threat of layoffs, according to the Daily News. But, back at Logan, things seemed to go well on the first day back, according to Jonathan. Asked his opinion of the first day of class the fifth grader was brief and to the point: "Cool."

How the mayor bullied the school district to win control over a new Boyle Heights school

noreply@blogger.com (The Eastsider LA) — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 22:53:00 +0000

It sounds like a school yard scuffle between kids fighting over a new kick ball. But, in this case, the kids are Los Angeles schools Supt. Ramon Cortines and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. The object they fought over is a new $106 million Boyle Heights high school. A Los Angeles Times story over the district's plan to hand over control of 250 campuses to charter schools and other groups provides more details into how the mayor's Partnership for Los Angeles Schools walked away with the new Mendez Learning Center over the objections of Cortines:

"In an interview, Cortines said that he had opposed the hand-over but that school board President Monica Garcia, a Villaraigosa ally, had insisted on it. 'There was an end-run by the partnership,' the superintendent said. 'They found a way to . . . steal the school, and it's unfortunate.' Cortines said the new procedures for taking charge of a school would establish rules that neither the mayor nor anyone else could circumvent."

Related story:
* Not so fast: Union might challenge mayoral takeover of new Boyle Heights school. School Yard

Up for grabs: your neighborhood school

noreply@blogger.com (The Eastsider LA) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 19:35:00 +0000

Back-to-school sales are in full swing. But why settle for some new clothes and notebooks for your kids when you can shop for an entire campus? The Los Angeles school board earlier this week voted to allow charter schools and other groups to operate about 250 campuses as the part of the most recent effort to reform the Los Angeles Unified School District. But what schools are available? In response to a request by The Eastsider, the LAUSD provided a list of schools that are on the table.

* * *

The most valuable properties on the list are the approximately 50 new and soon-to-open schools (this list includes only about 30 schools scheduled to open in 2010).

Smart shoppers looking for a diamond-in-the-rough might want to take a closer look at the more than 200 existing LAUSD campuses. The schools are ranked as among the lowest performing in the district based on rankings tied to the No Child Left Behind law and include many properties on the Eastside, including Belvedere Middle School in East Los Angeles; Eagle Rock High in Eagle Rock; and Logan Elementary (pictured) in Echo Park. Let the shopping begin.

Will raising plants raise test scores at Mt. Washington Elementary?

noreply@blogger.com (The Eastsider LA) — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 19:24:00 +0000

Mt. Washington Elementary School will soon be able to take advantage of a new learning tool: a vegetable garden. The Los Angeles Conservation Corps. recently built a row of raised planter boxes on the campus a few weeks after the Mt. Washington PTA Garden Committee received a $1,200 grant to fund its Edible Garden Project. The garden committee members say the process of planting, tending and harvesting food - or flowers - can complement classroom learning on topics ranging from math and science to nutrition:

"School garden programs, like the one being initiated here, have been proven to improve test scores in the sciences. For example, third, fourth and fifth grade students who participated in a school garden program scored significantly higher on science achievement tests than students who did not participate in a school garden program ... A garden project helps children learn to take responsibility for their environment and can help them develop a strong sense of community toward a sustainable future. Perhaps most importantly, the excitement of nurturing a seed, watching it grow and harvesting its produce will have a huge impact on our kids’ desire to eat healthful foods."

The PTA group plans on building more raised planting beds as well as native gardens at the school.

Related stories:
* Big blue barrier comes between a Mt. Washington parent and a neighborhood school. The Eastsider

Photo by Sara Fairchild

Middle school students get a boost with free home computers

noreply@blogger.com (The Eastsider LA) — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 17:48:00 +0000

A group dedicated to improving middle school performance provided free home computers to 250 low-income families with sixth grade students at El Sereno Middle School, according to the Parent Press newsletter. The equipment, software and training for students as well as their parents were provided through Computers for Youth, which is seeking to improve middle school student performance by improving their educational resources at home. El Sereno Middle School was selected after being evaluated for need and parental interest, Emily Simas, California director for Computers for Youth, told the Parent Press:

“The school and its parents must share the vision that sixth grade is an important time for children and parents to work together and be willing to attend workshops to learn how to best use the technology for student learning. That was El Sereno.”

More free computers - or "Home Learning Centers," as they are called under the program - are on the way. Computers for Youth will provide El Sereno sixth graders with computers over a three-year program.

Photo from the Parents Press

Los Angeles schools are closed for the summer - but the cafeteria might still be open

noreply@blogger.com (The Eastsider LA) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 17:42:00 +0000

Many Los Angeles school district campuses have continued to dish out free breakfast and lunches to students this summer even though budget cuts forced the district to cancel most classes. The Summer Food Services Program was "created to ensure that children in lower-income areas could continue to receive nutritious meals during long school vacations, when they do not have access to school breakfast or lunch," according to the district web site.

The meals are being served at schools like Toland Elementary in Eagle Rock, Rowan Elementary in East Los Angeles and Mayberry Street elementary on the border of Echo Park and Silver Lake, according to a list of sites in the Summer Food Services Program.

Anyone under age 18 can get a meal. The program will continue through mid August but may run longer at selected schools.

Photo from bookgrl via Flickr

Not so fast: Union might challenge mayoral takeover of new Boyle Heights school

noreply@blogger.com (The Eastsider LA) — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 17:35:00 +0000

The Los Angeles school district spent more than $100 million to build the new Felicitas and Gonzalo Mendez Learning Center on First Street in Boyle Heights. But when the campus opens for the fall semester, the LAUSD will not be charge. Instead, the shiny new school and its approximately 1,000 students will fall under the domain of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's Partnership for Los Angeles Schools in a move that surprised and angered the powerful teachers union, reports the LA Times. The transfer was apparently approved by Supt. C. Ramon Cortines and school board president Monica Garcia. But the full school board did not take up the issue, and the shift in control also took place without the endorsement of parents and the teachers' union as called for under an agreement between the union and the mayor.

The United Teachers of Los Angeles may challenge the takeover in the most recent example of the deteriorating relationship between the union and the mayor, notes the Times:

"The dispute over the new school coincides with a deterioration of the relationship between the mayor's office and United Teachers Los Angeles, for which Villaraigosa once worked as an organizer.

The mayor recently called the union "dysfunctional" in a television interview. He also was displeased that the union and the school district couldn't agree on union concessions that would have avoided teacher layoffs. Villaraigosa's schools were especially hard hit because they employ more new teachers who lack seniority protections."