Community

Apache News at Arcadia High School Sets Journalistic Standards

/ May S Ruiz / Leave a comment

Originally published on 16 March 2017 in the Pasadena Independent, Arcadia Weekly, and Monrovia Weekly

Monday through Friday, from 11:03 am to 12:02 pm, finds 20 of Arcadia High School’s (AHS) brightest broadcast journalists and technicians producing the week’s 15-minute Apache News (APN) show. 

This Advanced Video Production class runs its weekly meetings pretty much how television stations conduct theirs. Ryan Foran, Public Information Officer for the Arcadia Unified School District, who was a broadcast news reporter in the past, has high praises for this class.  

Foran says, “If you walk into KABC anytime today during their production meeting, it would look exactly like this – the news team will be talking about ideas, reporters will be pitching stories to the news director. When these kids go to college this is what they’ll see.”

“It’s a popular course and is difficult to get into,” according to Frank Nunez, who teaches the class. “Once the posting goes up, students have to attend an informational meeting to learn about the course prerequisites. There’s an application process, which includes an interview, and two teacher letters of recommendation are required. They have to have finished beginning and intermediate courses to be eligible for this capstone course, which they can take in junior and senior year. It is UC-credited and is one of the few Pathways in AHS.”        

It takes at least ten hours to create Apache News, which AHS airs every Friday during fourth period. Everyone in Nunez’s class contributes in some capacity and each is graded based on attendance, participation, and content. It’s a very time-consuming and intense course as seniors Andre Salcido, Simone Chu, and Will Atkinson can attest to.

Salcido, who writes documentaries and edits political news for APN, says, “There’s a required   daily class attendance – fourth period – and we also have to be enrolled in the after-school class that meets twice a week. We cover Saturday sports events on top of that, so we’re putting in a minimum of ten hours per week.” 

“But everyone likes this class because of the resources available to us; we know it prepares us for college,” Salcido adds. “The experiences I’ve gained have put me further along than the average student going into this field. While I had initially thought of taking film studies, I developed an interest in documentaries and last year I completed a multi-part project about the California drought. It was something which had never been done before – my documentary group used HD cameras and travelled to the Central Valley for weeks interviewing people, gathering case studies from area residents. It became a finalist in the Arcadia Film Festival and we were even invited to the Water Symposium ‘Save the Water’ where we showed our film and spoke about our experience.”

“This year I’m working solo on a documentary about mental health and have been talking with students with mental illness. At one point we got an invitation to interview the Director of Health Services for California. So there we were on a plane and I thought ‘I couldn’t believe the school is paying for us to fly to Sacramento for this class – we are in one of the best courses in the country!,” enthuses Salcido.        

Meanwhile, Chu, APN’s Breaking News and Political News expert charged with studio scriptwriting and editing, is an accomplished journalist herself.  She is currently editor of AHS’s newspaper and is a student columnist for the L.A. Times’s ‘High School Insider’. 

One of Chu’s recent segments for APN took her all the way to Oroville to cover the dam and ensuing spillway damage during the heavy rains in the state. She says, “I called up people in the area and I dialed into a press conference with the town”.

As political specialist, Chu was busy during the 2016 presidential elections. She discloses, “Before the elections I was running around the campus getting student opinions. We also held a mock election and compared our results with the rest of the nation. More recently, when Sean Spicer (White House press secretary and communications director for President Trump) banned certain media outlets from attending a press briefing, I was able to get a comment from New York Times Washington bureau reporter, Eric Lichtblau, for a story I was writing.”               

Handling two of the most exciting news assignments will keep Chu on her toes and in the thick of things. “Journalism has been my aspiration since elementary school,” she claims. “That’s why I pursued newspaper writing and when I had the chance to try out for APN, I took it. It’s intense but it’s a fun kind of intense. And the best part is that everyone is passionate about what they do; it’s quite refreshing to be working alongside people who give their best to put on a show very week.”

Atkinson is APN’s sports producer, tech manager and gag creator. While he is mostly behind the camera, he has reported for a few stories, is APN’s sports announcer and soccer commentator.  He creates the intro gags for the show and even acts in them.    

  

“I was recruited for this class and couldn’t be happier for agreeing to do it; this program taught me to work well with others,” Atkinson pronounces.  “We put in countless hours not because we’re getting paid but because we love doing it. And it has its flattering moments as I discovered when we were shooting the middle school play ‘A Monster Ate my Homework’. I was setting up the systems when a bunch of 8th graders asked, ‘Are you Will from APN?’ My tech director, Justin, told me they had been talking about my great hair for a while.” So much for preferring to being anonymous and a behind-the-scenes guy.    

According to Nunez, Atkinson is responsible for creating a relationship between APN and AHS’s sports teams and coaches. One of the reasons APN has been more visible lately is its expanded sports coverage and live streaming that started this year. It is a point of pride for Dr. Brent Forsee, AHS principal.

“I was with a bunch of friends one day watching an AHS game on my phone when they said ‘Hey, let’s watch that; how do you get that on TV?’. So we hooked it up and we all watched the livestream on TV. They were very impressed with the camera work and the play-by-play. It was all done very professionally,” tells Forsee.  

Ryan credits this degree of professionalism to Nunez, who has an extensive background in film technology and TV production. Before teaching Advanced Video Production at AHS full time this year, he had been travelling for ESPN’s sports broadcasts, flying the SkyCam for football games on cable television. He has won three Emmy Awards for his work. 

“It’s Mr. Nunez’s real-world experiences in livestreaming you see now on Fox Sports that’s allowing our students to get the high level of training in putting on a live sports event – using multi-camera sets on shoots,” Ryan declares.

While Nunez taught in college, he didn’t really set out to teach full time. He reveals, “I come from a live sports background; it’s something that I really enjoy. I was on the fence about taking this job because I didn’t know if this was quite the right time – I expected a much longer career in film and video. Bill Citrin, the previous teacher, roped me into teaching part time and it evolved into a full-time job. But it’s nice to get the chance to bring in that element of sports production, which I really miss, into this environment. I love the high energy games we go to.”      

“There’s quite an old history to this program. I was at an alumni event and had a conversation with the previous instructor, who told me that this began in 1986 as a sort of industrial tech class,” Nunez relates. “They built the very first camera they used for it – a toilet paper roll was utilized for the lens. Then it took off in 1997-1998 with Bill Citrin, who expanded the course to what it is today.”

An AHS alumnus himself, Nunez attended from 1998 to 2002 and was in Citrin’s class. He states, “I can say first-hand that I took this course and then when I went to UC Santa Cruz I didn’t touch a camera for two years until I started a news broadcast in college. I pretty much created that show based on this program and it’s still running there today. I got so much more experience here than in film school. I was so prepared; I had a leg up once I got to project management – shooting a film, pre-production work, etc. – all of which I had done here on a weekly basis.”

Nunez has big plans for the course, including creating a new weekly show, adding more sports themes, increasing content. He says, “We don’t call it a class; we’re professionals. I have very high expectations and I keep raising the bar lest we become complacent. We won’t rest on our laurels.” They have, in fact, begun work on a late-night comedy-style bonus show, the first episode of which they hope to air in early April.

When Forsee pronounces, “I’ve been extremely impressed with these students’ commitment to journalism. I could put us against professionals in the industry as far as what they’re practicing and learning,” it is a testament to the school’s confidence in the integrity of Apache News and the team that produces it.                                 

No Boundaries in Art and Talent at PUSD

/ May S Ruiz / Leave a comment

Originally published on 9 March 2017 in the Pasadena Independent, Arcadia Weekly, and Monrovia Weekly

There is no shortage of artistic talent among Pasadena students as the upcoming 12th annual ‘No Boundaries’ will once again prove.

Scheduled to open on Friday, March 10, which coincides with ArtNight Pasadena, and running through March19, at The Shops on Lake Avenue, this art exhibition provides a platform for young artists in the Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) to showcase their two- and three-dimensional art. Presented free to the public, gallery hours are Monday to Friday, from 3 to 6 pm; Saturday and Sunday from 1 to 4 pm. 

The exhibition is also a host site during ArtNight Pasadena on Friday, March 10. ‘No Boundaries 12’ is housed in a commercial space on 345 S. Lake Avenue lent for the occasion by Merlone Geier Partners as a giveback to the community. It will be a shuttle stop during the citywide free evening of art, music, and entertainment when Pasadena’s most prominent arts and cultural institutions open their doors.

ArtNight Pasadena, sponsored by the City of Pasadena Arts & Culture Commission and the Division of Cultural Affairs, is an ongoing partnership between the city and local cultural institutions. Twice each year, many of the city’s non-profit arts and cultural establishments open on a Friday night to provide a variety of art, culture, and music to the public free of charge.           

According to Jennifer Olson, District Arts Education Coordinator for PUSD, the first ‘No Boundaries’ was started by a former Pasadena high school teacher, Alex Schultz, and the former PUSD District Arts Coordinator, Marshall Ayers. It has always been a group effort involving Arts teachers, community arts partners, parents, and volunteers.

Olson relates, “The first year it was just middle and high school student work and it was all put up in one night in the wind tunnel at Art Center. The next year the District Arts Office decided to include every school, and the structure was set that informs how we still do it today. There is an arts representative designated at each school who selects between 12 and 32 artwork per school, depending on the size of the school and whether it is an elementary, middle or high school.”

All 26 PUSD schools submit their highest quality work which are organized visually (2D, 3D, video), rather than thematically. The exhibit is a monumental undertaking given the number of students and schools involved. 

“It is a gargantuan effort!,” Olson agrees wholeheartedly. “We started accepting delivery of artwork February 2, and the exhibition doesn’t open until March 10. So there are several weeks of registrar work – entering all the student information and statements – mounting all the artworks, and then of course building out the space, curating the art pieces, hanging the show, marketing, and event planning.” 

Continues Olson, “For many years we have had a district arts team/community arts team, and this is a major endeavour undertaken by that group. We also work with the Pasadena Educational Foundation to help us find volunteers to help with all aspects.”

“‘No Boundaries’ is a true community effort,” proclaims Olson.“We work side-by-side with our community arts partners, teachers, and parents to make this exhibition happen. By that, I mean if you walk in on any given day during installation, these folks are the people painting the pedestals, nailing up the student statements, and installing the promotional posters.”

Rochelle Branch, manager of the Cultural Affairs Division of the Pasadena Planning and Development, created ‘Bridging Boundaries’ in 2007 as an offshoot of ‘No Boundaries’ to expand access and highlight the collaboration between the City of Pasadena, and PUSD’s Arts Education. She says, “‘Bridging Boundaries’ references the connection between the city and PUSD, but also the geographic location of what we call the Student Art Wall which is near City Hall bridge.”

“Arts Commissioners and a member of the community attend the installation of the PUSD’s ‘No Boundaries’ exhibition and select artworks based on high artistic quality and merit,” Branch explains. “They provide a small tag that says ‘Arts & Culture Commission selection awardee for Bridging Boundaries Exhibition’. Everyone who goes to ‘No Boundaries’ will see the selected art.”

“When ‘No Boundaries’ ends on March 19, the selected pieces are taken to a professional framer and mounted in two installments at ‘Bridging Boundaries’ exhibition hall outside City Hall Council Chambers,” adds Branch. “The city contracts with Pasadena-based artist, Denise Seider, to curate ‘No Boundaries’ and ‘Bridging Boundaries’. For about five months, each student group will have its artwork up for public viewing.”

“Students get back their artwork professionally framed and get city-wide acknowledgement of the quality of their piece. They get to come with their families and friends and see their creation outside of City Hall,” Branch concludes.
          

Olson shares that sentiment when she declares, “The greatest joy of this project is seeing students come in with their family members, bursting with pride when they find their artwork and they see that it is professionally displayed like a ‘real artist’”.

This joint collaboration – among the City, PUSD, and Pasadena’s arts and cultural organizations – celebrates, showcases, and shares students’ artistic talents with the entire community. But more than public recognition, these young talented students’ self-satisfaction in their accomplishments may be the greatest reward of all.             

Pasadena Master Chorale Fosters Young Musical Talents

/ May S Ruiz / Leave a comment

Originally published on 17 January 2017 in the Pasadena Independent, Arcadia Weekly, and Monrovia Weekly

Jeffrey Bernstein, Artistic and Executive Director of the Pasadena Master Chorale (PMC), has always been into music and music-making. He started playing the piano when he was eight years old; when he was 13 he sang Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony in a choir. 

It isn’t surprising, therefore, that Bernstein’s interest in music grew through the years. He  relates, “Like many people, I came to choral music in school. For me it was in college, at Harvard. That’s a natural place to have terrific experiences of community. In a way I realized I wanted to give that experience to people who weren’t going to leave in four years. I wanted to see what it was like to deepen that sense of community and to be embedded in the broader Pasadena community.”

In 2009 Bernstein founded the Pasadena Master Chorale which he imbued with his own personal stamp to distinguish it from other choral groups. He explains, “For one, we’re auditioned and it’s a pretty rigorous process. We take, on average, less than half the people who audition for us. We also re-audition the group every year so singers have to demonstrate they’re continuing in keeping up. I believe the higher the quality of music-making, the greater the sense of community.”

Bernstein continues, “The other thing that sets us apart, and which I’m very proud of, is our pricing model. Our concerts are offered on a ‘listen first then give’ basis; we sell tickets for zero dollars. We want people to attend our concert then offer a gift to us as they are moved and able.  We started this concept two years ago and our attendance and revenue have since gone up.”                              

“There are obviously people who can’t give very much, and I’m very proud of the fact that our concerts are so accessible to everyone. And there are people who give very generously because they recognize the value of what we do,” Bernstein opines.

Knowing that children are exposed to singing in a choir at a young age – whether it’s through a church or at school – Bernstein established an education program to foster middle and high school students’ love of music.

Expounds Bernstein, “Since we started we have always been involved with young people singing with us. It’s at the heart of what we’re trying to do – to create opportunities for young people who love choir music to learn about it and perform it. The program has grown tremendously and we currently have three offerings.” 

Image of Pasadena Master Chorale taken from South Pasadena News

According to Bernstein, their program for student singers is open to all Pasadena middle schoolers with a teacher recommendation. They rehearse with PMC’s associate conductor, Lauren Buckley Schaer, and perform a couple of pieces at the beginning of two of their concerts – Handel’s ‘Messiah’ and the Brahms concert. 

With a teacher recommendation, high school students who want to get a deeper experience with choral music can join PMC as apprentice singers. Says Bernstein, “They rehearse with us every Monday night as full members and they sing all the pieces the PMC does, including the ‘Requiem’ which we sing in German. This is a much smaller group of students because it is a big demand on their time and requires more familiarity with choral singing.”

Bernstein adds, “This year, we are again holding a program we began last year called ‘Listening to the Future’. Through an application process, we select composers from local private and public schools. We team them up with a composer mentor who meets with them almost weekly starting in November through June. They write music for us and we perform their work. PMC’s final program of the year is entirely composed by high school students. June last year was the first time we put on this program and it was a huge success!”

“We had four composers last year; this year we have six and they’re already writing. During the spring they’ll come to our rehearsal every now and then to hear us sing their composition. It’s thrilling! It’s hard to tell who’s more excited – the students or the singers. It’s great to work with living composers, but to work with someone so young …. This is a rare opportunity for  young composers to have a group play their composition, sing it and take it seriously. It’s almost unheard of. That’s a program I’m very, very proud of,” Bernstein proclaims.                                                         

“I’m a big champion of young people and music-making,” Bernstein expands. “I want our organization to serve the youth at as many different levels of development as possible. For this young composers program, we’re looking for students who are willing to roll up their sleeves and do the work. They must have had music training – maybe sang in a choir or played in an orchestra or band – and have a teacher recommendation. But we’re not going to judge their potential as creative people; instead we’re here to foster their talent and let them run with it. 

Last year we came up with four completely diverse sets of music. It was beautiful!  We don’t change what composers create, we don’t want to get in the way. We want to encourage creativity and we sing what they write for us.”

Image taken from The Hollywood Times

‘Listening to the Future’ commences right after Labor Day, when PMC publicizes the program and accepts applications. At the end of October, PMC selects the composers who start working with mentors in November. Both mentor and student develop a schedule for what pieces need to be written and when. Each composer will write at least one arrangement of a folk song which should be finished by February and one original composition which they will write from February to April.

Bernstein says of this program, “Composing is a form of communication. Student composers are communicating with the singers and singers are communicating with the audience.  We emphasize that the score has to be neat and without errors. Composers have to take into consideration if the words are easy to read, if the harmony is understandable. 

It’s a very interesting process for these young students to experience. They spend months alone in a room in front of their computer or with a piece of staff paper writing their composition.  Their faces light up when they hear a roomful of 60 people transform that music off the page.  It’s utterly amazing when that happens!”

Pasadena Master Chorale holds five concerts a year. Its 2016-2017 season began on December 11 when the group sang Handel’s ‘Messiah’ at First Congregational Church in Pasadena. On January 15, PMC performed Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony at the Oratani Theatre in Downtown L.A.  Brahms Unbound follows on April 22 and 23 at the Altadena Community Church. On June 10 and 11, PMC will be back at the Altadena Community Church to sing two pieces: Heinrich Schutz’s ‘Musikalische Exequien’ and Gabriel Faure’s ‘Requiem’. The season ends on June 25 at the Neighborhood Unitarian Church in Pasadena with a ‘Listening to the Future’ concert.

Financial support for PMC comes from the L.A. County Arts Commission, Pasadena Community Foundation, Pasadena Showcase House for the Arts, the City of Pasadena, and through various fund raising efforts.                 

While PMC has come far since Bernstein founded it, there are more things he wants to accomplish. He wants to one day be able to purchase a building to house their education program, for students to come in five days a week after school, with a staff of people who can provide training – from individual voice lessons to music theory – and who will encourage students to have their own choral group with leadership.

“It’s limitless what you can do and realize what difference you can make in one kid’s life … not just with choral music, but for them to have a place to belong,” Bernstein states wistfully.         

Altadena Library Programs Reflect Multi-Ethnic Community

/ May S Ruiz / Leave a comment

Originally published on 24 November 2016 in the Pasadena Independent, Arcadia Weekly, Monrovia Weekly, and Sierra Madre Weekly

On the second Saturday of every month (at least from October through June), the Altadena Library turns into a hopping and noisy place – descriptions few people would associate with the word library. And that’s by design.

A brainchild of Mindy Kittay, Director of the Altadena Library District, Second Saturday began about a year and a half ago. She explains, “I felt we needed to do something to bring the community into the library for reasons besides checking out a book. We want to provide opportunities for people to create, imagine, and be motivated to learn, grow, and enjoy music, dancing, food, and drink.”

“From 6:30 to 8:30 pm every month, Second Saturday features a band to provide music people can dance to while they eat, drink, mingle and talk,” continues Kittay. “In October we partnered with ‘Next Door’, an online social network for communities. Altadena ‘Next Door’ reaches 4,000 members and they wanted to celebrate in a meet-and-greet where they can see face-to-face the people they’ve been talking to online. So we invited them to our community center for that purpose. About 50 or 60 ‘Next Door’ people came that Saturday then they headed upstairs to eat, drink, listen to music, and dance.”

Image taken from the Altadena Library website

Kittay makes it a point to present a diverse offering. This month, Second Saturday (which will be held on a first Saturday, December 3, because the Christmas Tree Lane lighting is scheduled for December 10) will feature Young Dempsey. Band members Drewin Young, Josh Jones, Matt Lake and Marc Doten will play music from the 50s to 80s to evoke hot-rodded nostalgic doo wop and country sound.  

This month’s Second Saturday event will coincide with the Open Studios Tour weekend which will kick-off with a reception on Friday, December 2 from 6 to 9 pm. The library will be open on Saturday, December 3, from 10 am to 6 pm and on Sunday, December 4, from 11 am to 5 pm.

“The library hasn’t opened on a Sunday in several years but it will be this weekend for Open Studios. It’s where their tours will start, for people to pick up the brochures, maps, and information for the self-guided tour to 23 locations hosting a total of 53 artists,” Kittay says.

Unlike a typical gallery show, the Open Studios Tour provides an intimate view into the artist’s life and studio; it shows where and how ideas are conceived and developed. Visitors get a glimpse of the creative process, which makes for an individualized experience.                          

From January through June, Second Saturday concerts will showcase multi-cultural musical performers: Todd Washington Trio (blues, folk, rock, soul and gospel); Louis Van Taylor Quintet (jazz); DeRumba (Spanish guitar to the beat of the gypsy rumba); Splish Splash Band (folk ‘n blues);  Michael Haggins Band  (funk and smooth jazz); and The Satisfaction Band (dance music Top 40, Latin rock, R&B, cumbias, and oldies).

A project Kittay is currently working on is called Community Conversations. She describes, “Using the Harwood Process, we will reach out to every corner of Altadena between now and mid-March, and have a series of fifteen conversations. We want to represent everyone in the community regardless of race, religion, financial standing, or sexual orientation. We want to ask them their aspirations for themselves and the community; their challenges; and how they felt they can help with those challenges.”

“We will compile our findings and create a report which we will present to the Altadena Chamber of Commerce, Town Council, Board of Supervisors, churches, schools, and service  organizations including the Rotary Club,” Kittay says further. “From this process we expect three specific things. First: connections – we will learn about organizations, people and opportunities, and who needs what so we can effectively connect people. Second: partnerships – this will help eliminate duplication of effort. We can partner with someone to provide what we need instead of us reinventing the wheel to fill that requirement. Third: a plan – our strategic plan expires in 2017. We’ll use the information we gather to help us decide how we can better serve our community.”

Image taken from Altadena Library website

Kittay came on board in November of 2014 to lead a staff of 32, and run the main library, which occupies a 10,000 sq. ft. mid-century building on East Mariposa Street, and a branch library, a 1,500 sq. ft. structure on Ventura and Lincoln in west Altadena. She was responsible for the many changes the main library has undergone since. Without spending a dime, she supervised moving around shelves and area partitions to create spaces for specific functions and users. She got rid of books which no one has checked out in years and reorganized the physical area to make it easier for people to locate what they’re looking for.

And there’s much to find. The Altadena Library has over 80,000 items for people to borrow including books, magazines, CDs, DVDs, books on CDs and video games. It has ebooks and eaudiobooks that can be checked out and downloaded from home.

There are 20 laptops and 12 chromebooks available for patrons to checkout for the full day at the main library (but cannot leave the premises). The branch library has three laptops and three chromebooks. Both library sites have 1G WiFi.

Users have access to computers, printers, scanners, and copiers (color and B&W), 3D printers and Virtual Reality equipment by appointment. The libraries have online programs to help with homework and job skills as well as research. Librarians can help with questions and research needs. All the services at both libraries are free except for photocopying, faxing, and printing.  

A community room is available to the public for use as a small meeting or collaboration space.  There is a water conservation garden for people to enjoy on site as well.

According to Kittay, Altadena has about 55,000 residents and has also seen several changes since the Altadena Library opened its doors in 1967. Its population used to be 30 percent African Americans and 10 percent Latinos, the number has reversed to 30 percent Latinos and 10 percent African Americans.

It is Kittay’s job to make sure the library adapts to the shifting needs of the community. But she is undoubtedly up to the task. After all, she gained an excellent experience at her previous job as the Finance Director at Any Think Libraries in Colorado. During the five years she worked there, it went from what the Denver Post decried ‘the worst library in the state’ to winning an IMLS (Institute of Museum and Library Services) Library of the Year award, the highest honor it can achieve. “We reinvented what a library could be,” she declares. 

In the two years since taking the helm at the Altadena Library, Kittay has redefined its functions.  She has created a library that is responsive to the needs of the community – “outward-facing,” she says.

With Kittay steering the wheel at the Altadena Library District, it will assuredly head in the direction where it had never gone before.                                                                                      

Farmscaping Takes Root

/ May S Ruiz / Leave a comment

Originally published on 3 November 2016 in the Pasadena Independent, Arcadia Weekly, Monrovia Weekly, and Sierra Madre Weekly

Farmscape, which started out as a small company offering backyard vegetable growing service to Pasadena residents, is slowly spreading the urban farming concept to large businesses whose names most people recognize. 

This evolution has been an organic process which began when a handful of young college students collaborated on what seemed like an ambitious project.  

When Dan Allen was 21 years old, one of his old high school pals was writing an analysis paper for Pomona College about environmental challenges to the biosphere. It just happens that this friend is also a day trader, has made a great deal of money, and would like to do something about it.  

Relates Allen, “He wanted to identify the problem and solve it which, looking back, is a naïve and noble objective at once. But we were 20, maybe 21 years old so that made sense at the time; we were young idealists and optimists who wanted to make the world a better place. I moved from where I was then staying in D.C. out to California, and together with two other childhood buddies from Iowa, we turned a school paper into a business plan and created Farmscape in 2009.”         

Seven years later, Farmscape has a staff of 30 and operates from an office in Eagle Rock that has an outdoor space for growing produce. It maintains urban farms for 30 public and private schools, several restaurants, and a multitude of residential clients in the Los Angeles area. It also has branched out to Northern California which caters to a mostly corporate clientele that counts the San Francisco 49ers ball club, the Giants stadium, and Oracle as customers. And Allen is all of 31 years old.

Says Allen, “Our clients enjoyed the vegetable garden experience with their kids; our subsequent expansion into schools, therefore, was an organic growth. The most satisfying aspect of this business endeavor is the experiential part. It’s working with partners or clients who are inspired by the garden in some way.  Our educational program instills in young children a love of the outdoors and nature. I make it a point to hire people who have backgrounds and skills specific to the project they’re working on. Farmscape’s horticulturist, Melissa Gutierrez, has a great speaking and teaching style. She’s able to build rapport with young kindergartners and get them to taste what they’re growing in the al fresco classrooms.” 

Farmscape teachers hold workshops at 30 L.A. area schools including Clairbourn, an independent pre-K to eighth grade institution in San Gabriel; Valentine Elementary in the San Marino Unified District; and Oak Knoll Kinderhouse Montessori in Pasadena.

Continues Allen, “Then some restaurateurs heard about Farmscape and reached out to us. One them is Chef Niki Nakayama, who used to live in San Gabriel, but has since moved closer to her restaurant, n/naka, in Culver City. She grows the vegetables she uses on her upscale Japanese tasting menus in her backyard garden. Another client is Providence, Chef Michael Cimarusti’s innovative seafood restaurant  in Melrose. 

The Jonathan Club in downtown L.A. is also a client. It has a 5th floor rooftop garden from which the chef and sous chef harvest their vegetables every morning. Farmscape also has raised beds at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) which provide extraordinary seasonal fare for its Ray’s and Stark Bar.”          

“It’s great to work with varied clients because they’re the ones pushing us on to different approaches to growing produce,” claims Allen. With homes and schools, our farmers emphasize that ‘it tastes amazing’ – they don’t lecture on the health benefits. But it’s the restaurants who push us on flavors – they want great tasting produce than what they might otherwise have access to.”                

Now the Los Angeles office is extending its reach to include multi-housing projects and Allen works with several developers in the area to include vegetable garden amenities in their buildings. Farmscape currently maintains a vegetable garden at the Abbot Lofts (in Abbot Kinney) in Venice. The company’s garden is also on display for clients to enjoy at the Traina Developers office in Northridge.    

A most inspired move proved to be opening a Farmscape branch in Oakland, California in February 2014. Lara Hermanson, who declares she’s the company’s second hire, heads that division which currently has eight employees. She is responsible for generating all new business  for Northern California and beyond. Once she lands a project, she brings it back to the office and the install team takes over. From there, the maintenance crew takes care of the garden’s weekly maintenance.      

Hermanson says it was her idea to expand, “I pushed to open in Northern California because I thought it made good financial sense and would lead to more interesting work. There’s a real energy and commitment to innovation; people here like having cool stuff. This has proven true for us – we have more leeway to do better, more creative projects. While L.A. is committed to healthy eating and living, the conversation here is further along. People are past vegetable gardens, they’re into improved water systems, they’re ready to live completely off the grid. It’s easier to close deals here because I don’t have to sell the concept.”

“Most of our Oakland business is corporate,” Hermanson reveals. “Our largest client is Levi Stadium where the San Francisco 49ers play. It has a 4,500 sq. ft. rooftop farm from which the kitchen harvests the produce that’s divided among its various restaurants.”

While she has accomplished quite a lot in the short time she’s been in the Northern California office, Hermanson has her sights on some big names in the area. “I use Apple and Google all day so it would be really awesome if they can be Farmscape clients,” she says.

That wish isn’t too farfetched. As Allen has said, Farmscape’s growth has been very organic. It has taken root and, in time, it will spread far and wide.                                  

The Huntington Offers Outstanding Dining to Match its World-Class Reputation

/ May S Ruiz / Leave a comment

Originally published on 17 November 2016 in the Pasadena Independent, Arcadia Weekly, Monrovia Weekly, and Sierra Madre Weekly

Laura Skandera-Trombley took over as president of The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens, in San Marino, in July of last year and put into motion several initiatives almost as soon as she walked in her office. One of her first undertakings was to ensure that visitors’ dining experience at The Huntington matches its reputation as a world-class institution.

Eight months ago, Skandera-Trombley led a committee composed of Huntington staff, overseers and trustees on what she describes as a “food quest”. They reviewed proposals and interviewed 14 prospective catering operators who will work with them to usher in a new era in destination dining at The Huntington.  

On October 5, The Huntington announced that it has contracted with Bon Appetit Management Company based in Palo Alto. As part of this partnership, The Huntington and Bon Appetit have invited Border Grill cofounders, Mary Sue Milliken and Sue Feniger, and Blue Window co-owner, Kajsa Alger, to launch several new dining concepts on its historic grounds.               

It is a perfect partnership according to Skandera-Trombley, “The introduction of world-class dining at The Huntington is a natural extension of who and what we are. We are home to a 6,5000-volume historic cookbook collection, including the first known printed cookbook – dating to 1475. Specially prepared good food beautifully matches our commitment to authenticity, quality and culture. And, for that reason, we couldn’t be more excited to have Susan, Mary Sue, and Kajsa joining us at this time.”

Says Skandera-Trombly on their choice of Bon Appetit, “Standout features of the Bon Appetit proposal included their commitment to quality, taste, and sustainability. We consider sustainability to be of key importance at The Huntington – whether we are considering how to lower our water use, narrow our carbon footprint, or determine what types of seafood we serve.” 

Bon Appetit CEO and co-founder Fedele Bauccio, who has been recognized for his work in sustainability before it became a household word, says, “I am thrilled to bring our focus on sustainability and fresh, seasonally driven food to The Huntington.”       

Feniger, who also cofounded Blue Window with Alger, enthuses, “In the heart of the San Gabriel Valley, surrounded by breathtaking botanical gardens, art collections, and renowned library holdings, and serving flavorful foods that reflect Southern California’s growing multi-cultural population, we hope to transform The Huntington into a place that inspires all the senses!”

The Celebration Garden | Image taken from The Huntington’s website

The celebrated chefs are offering their signature fares befitting the various destinations at The Huntington. The main café, newly renamed 1919 for the year The Huntington was founded, features different dining concepts to please visitors. The Border Grill taqueria, a smaller version of Feniger’s and Milliken’s Border Grill restaurants, serves the chefs’ signature modern Mexican cuisine like tacos on handmade corn tortillas with organic rice and beans, quesadillas, ceviche, and seasonal aguas frescas. At The Bar, Alger creates freshly made sushi – rolls, nigiri, and bowls; or small plates of global fare for pairing with beer, wine, and sake – or whimsical craft cocktails inspired by the setting.    

Alger and Feniger are offering at the Chinese Garden’s Freshwater Dumpling and Noodle House authentic dumplings, noodles, and rice dishes drawn from China, Nepal and Mongolia. The chefs will take their food inspiration as the surrounding garden changes with the season.

“The Huntington has always been this little oasis within the city, a place where you can come and feel tranquil among the chaos,” proclaims Alger. “We’re thrilled to be at the center of the Chinese Garden and to offer the simple dishes and flavors that I grew up with, spanning the regions of China.”

At the casual Patio Grill, adjacent to The Huntington’s Shakespeare Garden and American art galleries, weekend visitors can savor Feniger’s and Milliken’s global-meets-local flavors. The rotating seasonal menus will highlight the rich culinary heritage from the various communities in Los Angeles like griddled Cubano sandwiches; grilled corn with smoky aioli and cheese; a roasted yam, quinoa, and kale salad; and seasonal aguas frescas.

A tour of The Huntington wouldn’t be complete without stopping at the Rose Garden Tea Room.  Currently under renovation, it will reopen on November 16 to once again be the venue for an elegant and memorable experience, inspired by the English tradition of afternoon tea with a distinctive California twist. Visitors can indulge on crumpets and scones, delicate finger sandwiches, caviar-topped blinis, and decadent desserts with their choice of herbal and Fair Trade teas or sparkling wine.       

“At a time when cuisine has become key to every type of cultural experience – from museum-going to concert-watching – we believe it’s critically important to have dining here reflect the high quality that is The Huntington standard,” declares Skandera-Trombley. “Food is no longer incidental – it is part of our culture. And, according to some, it is everything. We want wonderful, memorable food to be part of the greater Huntington experience. 

With the most respected names in food creation and catering all working together, Skandera-Trombley’s wish to make people think of The Huntington as a food destination in an incomparable setting is now a triumphant reality.               

Major League Baseball Wonder is a Local Sports Mentor

/ May S Ruiz / Leave a comment

Originally published on 10 November 2016 in the Pasadena Independent, Arcadia Weekly, Monrovia Weekly, and Sierra Madre Weekly

In the early 1960s a determined high school athlete from Michigan named John Paciorek set his sights on a successful Major League baseball career and was, by all indications, on his way there.  But chronic back problems and a subsequent spinal surgery quelled that ambition and led him in a far different direction from where he started.  

The rise and fall of this once promising baseball star was recounted in a biographical book titled ‘Perfect’ written by Steven Wagner in 2014. Paciorek’s experience was hailed as  “… a tantalizing story of hope and inspiration for young players aspiring to greatness.”

Paciorek’s story began in Detroit, where he was born the eldest of eight children to a father who worked at an automotive factory and a stay-at-home mother. They were so poor they had no money to spend on entertainment, and there were times when they had to rely on government welfare assistance.

However, Paciorek’s father made it a point to play some sport with his children after a long and arduous day as an assembly-line employee at Chrysler-Plymouth.  He also instilled in them the importance of spirituality and value of education; he sent all his kids to Catholic schools.

Says Paciorek, “I think I was too young for my class. Coupled with that, I must have been dyslexic because I had a hard time reading. Fortunately, sports offered another avenue for me to do well at something. In high school I was an excellent athlete and, coming from a poor family, I dreamed of getting out from poverty through sports. That dream became a reality when I was recruited by the Houston Colt .45s (which later became the Houston Astros) in 1962. I was a 17-year-old kid and was supremely confident that I was meant to be in the Major League!”

While Paciorek didn’t receive an extraordinarily huge amount in the way of signing money, the contract included a college scholarship that his father insisted on. That, in hindsight, proved to be a stroke of genius. From that bonus, he gave his family $15,000 and bought himself a brand new Chevrolet Malibu convertible. And he was off to what he anticipated would be a long  professional baseball career.  

September 29, 1963 was a memorable day for Paciorek. The Colt .45s, fielding a team of eight rookies, played against the New York Mets at Colt Park. Right fielder Paciorek made history when he had three hits, two walks, scored four runs and three RBIs. He had a perfect game.

It should have been a foreshadowing of a magnificent career but instead it turned out to be the only game Paciorek would ever play in Major League baseball. The persistent back problems he’d suffered from since childhood, exacerbated by a rigorous regimen, landed him in the minors.   

Eager to get better once and for all, Paciorek underwent a spinal fusion surgery. He spent a year in a back brace and missed two baseball seasons. While recovering, he pursued a degree in physical education at the University of Houston. There, he happened upon the Christian Science Reading Room and learned about the teachings of its founder, Mary Baker Eddy. 

“I was raised Catholic but converted to Christian Science. I discovered in it an expression of everything I felt but which had never been articulated.” Paciorek explains. He hadn’t known it at the time but that singular decision was the pivotal point in his career and his life.     

Paciorek graduated from the University of Houston and later worked as a physical educator at the Jewish Community Center. “It was then that I heard about a school in San Gabriel, California needing a Christian Scientist P.E. teacher,” Paciorek relates. “I had been out in California during baseball practice and I liked it. So I applied and got the job.”

Randall Hall at Clairbourn School | Image taken from Clairbourn School’s website

“It has turned out to be an ideal post for me,” says Paciorek four decades later. “Clairbourn School has a beautiful field and a large area where we can simulate seasonal sports. In the fall we have boys’ football and girls’ volleyball; next season, we’ll have boys’ soccer and girls’ basketball and the reverse after that. Track season begins in mid-February through the end of March; our final season is boys’ volleyball and girls softball.”

“We belong to the Middle School Independent League (Pasadena Area). Our teams play against Chandler, Mayfield, Poly and Prep and we’ve had championships in all sports,” Paciorek says proudly.

But championships and trophies aren’t top of mind for Paciorek. More than wining, he instills in students a love for outdoor activity and playing for fun. He can motivate even the least athletic kids to be the best they can be; he is their Number One supporter and cheerleader. He is a coach and mentor who truly cares about children’s development, academically, and athletically.         

While the school has successfully won trophies, Paciorek doesn’t emphasize winning. As his wife, Karen, who is Clairbourn’s lower school director, points out, “John teaches basic skills and he sees the potential in every single student. He has a true connection with children and you can see that in his interaction with them. But at the same time, he bonds with parents.” 

“It’s rare for us to go somewhere and not see someone he remembers from school,” Karen recounts. “And each time we do, he would recall all the children’s, parents’ and even the dogs’ names. He would have an exchange with the parents and get caught up on how the kids are doing in high school or college. It’s as if he’s on an ongoing conversation all along and is just picking up from where he left off. It’s pretty amazing.” 

Clairbourn School’s East Hall walkway | Photo courtesy of Clairbourn School

“The kids also have fond memories of John. Several years after they’ve left Clairbourn, they would remember the nickname that he gave them when they were students,” Karen continues.  “John gets letters and notes from former students who are now fathers, who say they use the same life lessons they learned from him to teach their children.”   

A lesser man would have become bitter after such an auspicious start in professional sports then end up teaching P.E. But not Paciorek; he has remained sanguine through his disappointment. 

Karen says, “I have never heard or seen any bitterness from John on what he might have become had back injuries not sidelined him. At the time he achieved what he did, he didn’t know he had done something remarkable. But even after he found out, he wasn’t overly excited. Momentous as it was, that event was just a small part of his experience. He’s always expressed gratitude for finding his way to Christian Science and Clairbourn.”

Dr. Robert Nafie, headmaster of Clairbourn School, describes Paciorek’s impression on the school and the community, “John Paciorek took over a physical education and interscholastic sports program that was lacking direction and vitality in 1976. Through his leadership and vision he has inspired multiple generations of Clairbourn students and San Marino-area young people to see physical conditioning and competitive sports as a life-long pursuit.” 

“More than any other faculty member, John Paciorek is the most sought-after educator from Clairbourn alumni when returning to campus,” Nafie adds. “He has touched the lives of thousands of young people through his professional level of instruction and guidance, and his personal life-long example of high spiritual and ethical values.”

“We are very grateful for what John has brought to the school, the knowledge and skills he shared with our students. Indeed, Major League Baseball’s loss has been Clairbourn’s gain. And while he won’t be a daily presence on campus after this school year, his impact will forever linger,” Nafie concludes.

Paciorek will be retiring in June of 2017, after 41 years of dedicated service to Clairbourn. In his honor, the school will construct an aptly named Coach Paciorek Bat 1.000 Batting Cage. It will be at once a symbol of his lasting influence on Clairbourn and the school community’s loving tribute to him.       

Clairbourn students aren’t aware that he is an important Major League baseball figure. To them,  he is Coach Paciorek, a teacher who has provided as much encouragement as he did training while they navigated elementary and middle school. 

John Paciorek’s imprint will be etched for ages not only in the minds of kids aspiring to greatness but of all the young people he inspired to reach for a dream. It may be a legacy far more significant than a record of a perfect game in The Baseball Encyclopedia.                                                      

My Family’s Independent School Experience

/ May S Ruiz / Leave a comment

Originally published as the introduction to Beacon Media’s Education Guide which appeared in the Pasadena Independent, Arcadia Weekly, Monrovia Weekly, and Sierra Madre Weekly on 27 October 2016

Having children is a lifelong commitment that brings with it tremendous joy as it begets vast responsibilities. One of every parent’s primary concerns when raising kids is ensuring them an education that not only teaches reading, writing, math, and science but also prepares them for life beyond school.

My husband and I decided to give our daughter a private school education and that journey began when she was only two years old. I enrolled her in a co-op where parents are expected to work alongside a teacher and an assistant teacher in class.

It turned out to be a really fun experience for both of us. My daughter and I enjoyed being at school two mornings during the week. She learned to draw and sing; I handed out snacks and drinks, cleaned after the little kids and took them to the potty.

My daughter stayed at the co-op for only one year. The following school year, she attended a Montessori school. It was there that she learned reading, writing, and math. Having helped out in the classroom the previous year, I had become adept at assisting so I helped the teacher and her aide. 

By the time my daughter was four years old, she had outgrown the Montessori system. She was ready for traditional education and our quest for the right independent school commenced.  

Pasadena has several outstanding private schools but the competition to get accepted to one of them is fierce. We went on countless campus tours and applied to six schools; she was waitlisted on all but one, and it was in La Canada. Like in her previous two schools, she did extremely well in class, was adored by teachers, and was well-liked by her classmates.  

Private schools are completely funded by parents and tuition only covers a portion of what’s needed to run them; it falls on the parents’ association to raise funds for enrichment programs.  To fill the library or add books to its current offering, for instance, the association holds book fairs. So in addition to driving kids on field trips, I also volunteered for the book fair. I got braver and chaired the spring auction the following year. This benefit gala is usually a school’s largest fundraiser and proceeds from it are used for field trips, or to buy computers for the classrooms.  

Image taken from Pasadena Now

The drive from Pasadena to La Canada, though, got too tiring for both of us after two years.  Fortunately, I had kept in touch with the admissions director at one of the private schools where she had been waitlisted. My daughter reapplied and got accepted when a family had to relocate and leave the school. I was ecstatic – the school is a mile away from our house! 

My daughter excelled in class, even played the piano for the entire school during morning assembly. I was again involved in the parent association. One year I managed the school store which carried snacks and drinks for after-school sports, provided pizza and drinks for dances, and even sold school uniforms, sports clothing and gym bags. 

I was immersed in school activities, found friends, and felt comfortable there. I had found a community where I belonged. My daughter, however, felt quite the opposite so we decided to find another school. 

    

St Mary’s College, University of St Andrews, Scotland (UK) | Photo by May S. Ruiz

In the first ten years of my daughter’s life, she had attended four different schools. In all of them students were expected to excel in academics, have a passion for artistic expression, and possess an athletic ability.  Besides raising funds, parents were counted on to be partners in their children’s education – making certain that the kids came to school prepared to do the work.      

In middle and high school, my daughter attended THE school of all schools in Pasadena. Every student and parent for miles around want to be there, and applying to it is sport. I found out that its culture is vastly different from all the ones she previously attended when I signed up for the book fair. I was very excited to sit in the very first meeting and had a lot of ideas, only to be told it wasn’t a fund-raising event. In fact, this school had no other fund-raising activity besides the annual fund and parents weren’t needed on campus

My daughter was there for seven years, the longest she had ever stayed in one school, and had the best time. She found like-minded friends, was challenged by the vigorous curriculum, and earned the admiration of teachers. 

While my experience hadn’t been pleasant, my daughter spent several happy years there and received an outstanding education. And, at end of the day, that was what mattered.    

Two years ago, my daughter graduated from high school. Today she is a third-year student at the third-ranked university in the United Kingdom. She’s thriving in a very active campus life and enjoying being self-reliant – skills she has successfully learned. Her private school education is certainly serving her well.    

Orange County School of the Arts Expands to the San Gabriel Valley

/ May S Ruiz / Leave a comment

Originally published on 13 October 2016 in the Pasadena Independent, Arcadia Weekly, Monrovia Weekly, and Sierra Madre Weekly

Duarte Unified School District’s (DUSD) commitment to arts programs will have its most tangible proof yet when the California School of the Arts-San Gabriel Valley (CSArts-SGV) opens its doors next year as a public charter school of the DUSD, operating from the current Northview Intermediate School campus. The first sister school to the Orange County School of the Arts (OCSA) in Santa Ana, CSArts-SGV is a partnership that is expected to benefit children in Duarte and the surrounding region.

“The choice of housing CSArts-SGV at Northview was based on the interest of our community to support the concept of neighborhood schools,” declares DUSD superintendent, Dr. Allan Mucerino. “In addition, we identified grades 7-8 as the point in time when 70% of our students of residence who transferred out of our district exited DUSD. As a result, we chose to reconfigure from K-6 to K-8 schools. That provided us the opportunity to repurpose Northview by entering into a license agreement with OCSA to create CSArts-SGV.”

This grade level reconfiguration will also necessitate a bit of relocation for current students.  Mucerino explains, “Starting in the 2017-2018 school year current sixth graders will remain on their present campus for seventh grade. Current 7th grade students will be housed in a satellite 8th grade facility between the existing Northview campus and Duarte High School for one year. In 2018-2019, the conversion to K-8 will be complete.”            

Dr. Ralph Opacic, who founded OCSA in 1987, explains the decision to expand to the San Gabriel Valley. “The OCSA is celebrating its 30th anniversary and we are now at capacity at 2,200 students. We attract 3,000 applicants each year for 400 spots from cities not only in Orange County, but also from adjacent Los Angeles, Riverside and San Diego counties. And so we began looking at areas where our program will have an appeal. The San Gabriel Valley quickly came to our attention as we know it will draw from the entire region. We’re likewise having conversations with school districts in the South Bay, at El Segundo, and the San Fernando Valley.”

“This is the first sister school of OCSA and is modeled after it,” continues Opacic. “Our goal is in ten years to be able to provide 10,000 kids who are passionate for the arts with a transformational experience. We want to offer a culture where they are surrounded by like-minded students; to afford them an academic preparation combined with an arts curriculum so they can continue on a path. But it isn’t a program to educate talented students to become future artists. Rather, it’s an innovative school environment that graduates highly engaged, creative young leaders who are well-equipped for meaningful, successful lives at the college of their choice and in any career they select. ”

Opacic describes, “Students will have the academic portion of their day from 8 am to 2 pm consisting of three 90-minute classes and a 30-minute tutorial block. CSArts-SGV will offer college preparatory, honors and advanced placement courses taught by fully credentialed faculty members, with the majority of them holding advanced degrees.

Image taken from CSArts-SGV website

Then high school arts students will be attending their choice of art course from 2:30 to 5 pm.  Conservatory for students in the 7th and 8th grade is scheduled prior to the high school conservatory. We’ll be offering ten arts classes – acting, classical and contemporary dance, classical voice, commercial dance, creative writing, instrumental music, integrated arts, musical theatre, production and design, and visual arts.”     

The opening of CSArts-SGV will bring in more jobs into the city. Opacic reveals, “We currently have job postings for the eight full-time arts teachers and will be interviewing within the next four to six weeks. We will be hiring academic and arts instructors after March 1st next year when we have an idea of what our enrollment will be. We hope to open grades seven to ten at 200 students per grade level. We staff our academic programs at 30:1 so we’ll probably have 20 – 27 academic educators and we staff the arts programs at 20:1 and we’ll probably have 40 arts teachers in the afternoon conservatory.”

According to Mucerino, the presence of CSArts-SGV in Duarte will infuse additional funding.  He says of the amount of Average Daily Attendance (ADA) revenue generated by 1,200 students in grades 9-12, three percent will go towards DUSD.       

Opacic will serve as the executive director of the California School of the Arts, which is the umbrella company for all schools they open going forward. As a charter school, CSArts-SGV will have its own board of directors, independent of Duarte Unified School District (DUSD), which is its sponsoring agency.

CSArts-SGV’s first principal will be Dr. William Wallace, who was Dean of Facilities and Supervision at OCSA, where he oversaw the expansion of the school from 1,800 students to its current size of nearly 2,200. He also assisted in supervising the construction of OCSA’s premier dance, music and science building, which was inaugurated in August of 2015; he also served as OCSA’s Assistant Principal of Student Services.

Image taken from CSArts-SGV website

Abbe Levine will come on board as the Dean of Arts Conservatories, having served as Director of Arts Environment and Program Expansion at OCSA. She has been teaching at OCSA since 2004 until she became Co-Director of the Creative Writing Conservatory. In that post she implemented innovative community programming and collaborative arts projects.

Mucerino has been an ardent supporter of arts programs and this partnership is the culmination of his months-long search for a genuine alliance. He says, “OCSA has created the blueprint for an innovative school that has proven that arts and creative educational experiences transform schools and communities. The evidence is powerful: children of all social and economic levels who experience high levels of art engagement have more positive outcomes in virtually every achievement indicator, compared to students who are not as lucky. Creative thinking and innovation are at the core of advancement in today’s globalized world. This unique public school/charter school partnership is an example of how historically polarized forces can work together to challenge the status quo and create exceptional and flourishing learning environments.

Over 1,000 people have already signed up for the first preview day on October 22. Judging from that level of interest, it’s going to be as popular as the original Orange County School of the Arts.  But what’s truly unique about this partnership is that it includes an opportunity for students in grades seven and eight to attend DUSD K-8 schools to prepare for CSArts-SGV by participating in the same conservatory program currently delivered to 7th and 8th graders in OCSA. The conservatory for 7th to 8th grade students will be on the CSArts-SGV campus in the same facility used for the 9-12 conservatory program and taught by the same instructors.”         

Students in Duarte and in the entire San Gabriel Valley are the fortunate recipients of education leaders’ out-of-the-box approach to teaching. Mucerino says it best when he quips, “There’s never been a better time to be a kid in Duarte.”

Temple City Alternative School Offers Different Learning Methods

/ May S Ruiz / Leave a comment

Originally published on 6 October 2016 in the Pasadena Independent, Arcadia Weekly, Monrovia Weekly, and Sierra Madre Weekly

High schools are usually multi-level structures that are populated by two thousand teen-agers hurrying from one classroom to another. While most kids enjoy this daily interaction with classmates and lectures with teachers, there are some to whom this schedule isn’t the right fit for their needs. 

The Temple City Unified School District (TCUSD) is one of the few districts offering students and their families some options for getting a high school education using a different delivery method – the Dr. Doug Sears Learning Center (DDSLC) and the Alternative School.

According to Chris Sewell, principal, “While both are alternative schools, they are two separate institutions, having different accreditations and curricula. The DDSLC is a continuation school serving 10th to 12th graders from TCUSD who might need credit recovery and for those who may not have passed some classes but weren’t able to attend summer school. Students could recoup and maintain credits to be able to transfer back to the high school and graduate on time.”

“Our enrollment fluctuates from one year to the next,” Sewell says. “At one time we had as many as 80 students; we currently have fewer than 50, with four full-time teachers and a counselor. Several things have changed over the years in terms of intervention at the high school so fewer kids are sent to remedial school. The district altered and added services to support students before they reach the point of failing a course.”          

Sewell explains, “DDSLC is also another option for students who feel that a comprehensive high school schedule interferes with other things going on in their lives. Some of our students are 18 years old and are working; they would like to pick up more hours and a traditional school doesn’t allow for that. Still some who come here already know they want to start at Pasadena City College (PCC) so this schedule allows them to take a class or two at PCC.”

“The Temple City Alternative School (TCAS), on the other hand, offers online independent study for 9th to 12th grade students,” adds Sewell. “It has the same academic requirements for graduation as a comprehensive high school – four years of English; three years of history and government; two years of science; three years of math and economics; three years of physical education; four years of electives. Those who are planning on applying to UC/CSU have to complete the A-G requirements.”

“The only difference is the delivery method – we have a digital curriculum using APEX Learning. Students have access to their online course 24 hours day; they study at home at a convenient time to do so. Students are required to come in only for an hour once a week to meet face-to-face with Shannon Findley, the supervising teacher,” Sewell says further.

Findley, who came on board during the 2015-2016 schoolyear, says, “I supervise and approve student coursework designed to meet their individual needs and levels. I meet with them regularly to assess their work, discuss progress on an ongoing basis, and revise individual instruction plans when called for. If necessary, I provide mediation which can mean either teaching or counseling. I also have an open computer lab to serve as additional resource for one-on-one tutoring and technology, and to furnish an absorbing learning environment or workplace.”   

To explain how she combines APEX Learning and teacher instruction, Findley describes, “The digital curriculum keeps students actively engaged and attentive as they are required to read, watch, listen, inquire, write, discuss, and manipulate. Embedded in the program are multimedia tutorials which give students the opportunity to explore and understand new concepts at their own pace. Whenever necessary, I provide direct instruction or I modify material and assignments to help them become proficient with the concepts.”               

With technology a pervasive tool in today’s world, online schools have gained wider acceptance. Sewell points out, “Ten years ago, if someone said he or she was taking a class online, people gave a knowing smile. With more and more prestigious schools offering online courses, the stigma attached to digital study has disappeared. The truth of the matter is that the digital classes can be as rigorous as, if not more rigorous than, coming on campus listening to a lecture and taking notes.”

Kids who attend an alternative school have unique needs that cannot be filled by traditional institutions. Sewell illustrates, “We have students who are serious athletes and their training schedule doesn’t allow them to go to Lemon Avenue (where Temple City High is located) from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm but they want to obtain a high school diploma. The district has given much support – the school is open daily so students can come in and leave any time between 8:00 and 3:00; laptops are available and they can sit in coffee shop-style chairs; the lab is open for them to use. A math teacher comes in from 3:30 to 5:00 twice a week to provide extra help.”

“The 12 students currently attending have direct access to a full-time teacher and a counselor. They can still participate in all the events at Temple City High, like grad night or the homecoming. They can go to the college fair the high school hosts, with the advantage of getting individual and personal attention from the counselor. They are, in fact, better off than the 500 seniors at the traditional high school,” Sewell observes.   

Raul Acevedo, who has been the school counselor since 2004, ensures that he provides a welcoming environment for all newcomers, “Each students enrolls into the independent study program due to a variety of reasons – often, although not always, after some challenging experience. Because students have very few adults to interact with, it is important that each interaction is a positive one. So building that initial rapport is key.”

Pasadena City College Photo taken online

“Within three domain areas – academic, personal/social, and college/career – I give students the support they need towards attaining knowledge, setting goals, and follow-through for individual success. While the majority of our alternative school students are on a college prep track, some may not be. The challenge then is to develop the college and career readiness mindset and behavior within those students,” Acevedo expounds.

“I provide orientation; schedule classes based on students’ transcript review, grade level, and oral interest survey to select elective courses; monitor progress throughout the term; check-in and follow up with students on their goals and plans. I make sure I know if they intend to stay in independent study or transfer back to the high school; if they have post-secondary plans, including attending Pasadena City College (PCC). 

“During our first few interactions, college counseling occurs when I ask students about their goals. But the process begins in earnest in junior year and culminates in senior year. I assist in their school research, relative to the courses they have in mind; I guide them through the college and financial aid (FAFSA) applications, and I help find scholarships.

“Being the counselor for DDSLC, I combine certain activities with our alternative program students, like visiting local community colleges. I usually take students in my car and visit PCC and Citrus College; another teacher drives his own car to take more students, when needed.

“Our students also attend fairs including: PCC Career Technical Education Fair; the annual Citrus College Theatre Performing Arts Open House; and the National Hispanic College Fair, which provides a platform for dozens of colleges and universities nationwide to connect with students (last year’s fair was at Loyola Marymount University).

“During the 2015-2016 school year, three seniors graduated and are now attending community colleges – Brandon Johnson is at Citrus College and plans to major in accounting with the hope of becoming an FBI accountant; Charles Osborne is pursuing a political science degree at PCC on a full tuition scholarship from AJ Wang; and Lu Jiang is currently at PCC but intends to transfer to the Art Center of Pasadena,” Acevedo says.     

Everyone who comes through their doors is expected to do well and succeed, “The onus is on the student to have self-motivation and drive because they have more independence – it’s so easy to be a slacker,” Sewell warns. “But if they can manage this well, it will serve as a skill that helps them transition to college, to a career, and to life.” From that perspective, an alternative school offers some very attractive reasons for students to deviate from traditional learning. But as Sewell enthusiastically proclaims, “In the year 2016, what’s traditional? Technology has changed all that.” Indeed it has!