ABC BTS 2008 by Hews Media Group-Los Cerritos Community Newspaper

ABC Unified School District's

Back To School Magazine 2008-2009

Featuring: Letter From Superintendent Bus Stops District Holidays STAR accountability report open house and graduation dates

Letters & updates from Principals of every abcusd School: Elem entary Middle High Schools

UPS Providing the highest level of service to businesses and individuals, helping communites thrive for 100 years Proud supporter of the ABC Unified School District.

2 2008 ABC Unified School District Back-to-School Magazine

Table e of Con ntentss

A Message From The Superintendent - Dr. Gary Smuts...............................................5 A Message From The Board President - Mark Pulido...................................................5 Board of Education......................................................................................................6 2008 STAR Accountability Report ..............................................................................8 2008 California Distinguished Schools in ABC ..............................................................9 2008-2009 School Calendar...................................................................................... 10 ABC Unified School District Community Partnerships ................................................. 11 ABCUSD Graduation Dates .........................................................................................12 ABC Unified School District Bus Stops ...................................................................... 13 ABC Magnet School Programs ................................................................................... 14 ELEME ENTARY Y SCHOO OLS............................................................................... 15 Aloha Elementary School........................................................................................... 15 Mary Bragg Elementary School ................................................................................. 17 Burbank Elementary School....................................................................................... 18 Carver Elementary School......................................................................................... 19 Cerritos Elementary School.......................................................................................20 Elliott Elementary School .......................................................................................... 21 Furgeson Elementary School .....................................................................................22 Gonsalves Elementary School ....................................................................................23 Hawaiian Elementary School......................................................................................24 Juarez Elementary School.........................................................................................24 Kennedy Elementary School ......................................................................................25 Leal Elementary School.............................................................................................26 Melbourne Elementary School...................................................................................27 Niemes Elementary School ........................................................................................28 Patricia Nixon Elementary School ..............................................................................29 Palms Elementary School ..........................................................................................30 Stowers Elementary School....................................................................................... 31 Willow Elementary School......................................................................................... 32 Wittmann Elementary School .................................................................................... 32 MIDD S OLS ........................................................................................33 Carmenita Middle School...........................................................................................33 Fedde Middle School .................................................................................................34 Haskell Middle School ..............................................................................................35 Ross Middle School ...................................................................................................36 Tetzlaff Middle School ..............................................................................................37 HIG CHOO S ................................................................................................37 Artesia High School ..................................................................................................37 Cerritos High School .................................................................................................38 Gahr High School ......................................................................................................39 Tracy High School .....................................................................................................40 Whitney High School................................................................................................. 41 ABC Adult School ......................................................................................................42 ABC Unified School District Community Partnerships-conâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;t .......................................43

Best Wishes for a Successful School Year!

Niemes

183rd

6 Bos

Bragg

South

178th

Burbank

Aloha

8890.1-GCC-(Rev. 8/08-228/48)

Tracy

207th

214th

C Ball

Del Amo

Melbourne

Leal

Droxford 22

Carmenita

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. < 39.> 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. < 34.> 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. <35.> 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. < 36. > 23. 24. < 37.> 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. < 38.> 31. 32. 33.

South

Stowers

Cerritos Hawaiian Gardens Cerritos Lakewood Lakewood Lakewood Cerritos Artesia Cerritos Cerritos Cerritos Cerritos Cerritos Cerritos Artesia Hawaiian Gardens Hawaiian Gardens Cerritos Cerritos Cerritos Hawaiian Gardens Cerritos Artesia Cerritos Artesia Lakewood Artesia Cerritos Cerritos Lakewood Artesia Cerritos Cerritos Cerritos Artesia Lakewood Cerritos Cerritos

Cuesta, E. 215 Street, Norwalk Blvd., E. 214th Street, E. Del Amo, Norwalk Blvd., Bos Street, Roseton, Cabrillo Lane, E. 166th Street, Ely Street, E. 183rd Street, E. 183rd Street, Cuesta, Cortner Avenue, Elaine Avenue, Elaine Avenue, Artesia Blvd., Park Street, Del Amo, E. 226th Street, Aclare Street, Belshire Avenue, Droxford Street, E. 178th Street, Claretta Avenue, Jersey Avenue, Cuesta Drive Jacob Avenue, E. 207th Street, S. Elaine Avenue, Beach Street, Del Amo, Cuesta Drive, E. 178th Street, E. 205th Street, Shoemaker Avenue, Yvette Avenue,

926-6734 926-5566 ext. 25156 926-5566 924-8329 926-5566 ext. 21601 926-5566 860-5580 865-6215 809-9011 926-4406 865-1257 926-1315 925-5566 ext. 21801 926-5566 ext. 21550 865-5216 924-2309 421-8285 926-5566 ext. 22001 926-1347 926-5566 ext. 22226 860-6529 594-9525 865-6278 860-3378 865-0209 926-5566 ext. 22403 924-1658 865-9586 926-5566 ext. 21275 860-6549 924-5549 924-8331 926-2326 865-9539 926-5566 ext. 22200 926-5566 ext. 22407 865-6209 926-5566 ext. 22300 926-1321

Map of ABC Unied School District

Artesia

Site Locations and Phone Numbers

Valley View

ABC Adult School 12254 ABC Adult Education Center at Fedde 11949 ABC Unied School District (District Ofce) 16700 Aloha Elementary 11737 Artesia High School 12108 Artesia High School Children Center & AHSEIP 20650 Bragg Elementary School 11501 Burbank Elementary School 17711 Cabrillo Lane Education Center 20122 Carmenita Middle School 13435 Carver Elementary School 19200 Cerritos Elementary School 13600 Cerritos High School 12500 Computer Training Center 12254 Elliott Elementary School 18415 Fedde Middle School 21409 Furgeson Elementary School 22215 Gahr High School 11111 Gonsalves Elementary School 13650 Graphics Department located at Tracy High School Haskell Middle School 11525 Hawaiian Elementary School 12350 Juarez Elementary School 11939 Kennedy Elementary School 17500 Leal Elementary School 12920 Maintenance Operations 11865 Melbourne Elementary School 21314 Niemes Elementary School 16715 Nutrition Services 12255 Pat Nixon Elementary School 19600 Palms Elementary School 12445 Ross Middle School 17707 Stowers Elementary School 13350 Tetzlaff Middle School 12351 Tracy High School 12222 Transportation 11865 Willow Elementary School 11733 Whitney High School 16800 Wittmann Elementary School 16801

Cerritos Elem

Park HS 17 Beach Beach Gonsalves 28

166th

nta

32 Whitney Oak Crest

Shoemaker 183rd

Wittmann

Gradwell

Palms

223rd 226th 19 r Hawaiian ne ort

221st Furgeson

Carson

Fedde

5 26

Carver

Alondra

Yvette

Cuesta 33

Westgate

Cerritos HS

1, 34

Cuesta

Kennedy

Artesia Tetzlaff 29 HS

Centralia 2

Nixon

205th

3 30 35

166th

Elliott

ac ks

195th

oa d

ail r

36 178th 38

214th

Willow

Elementary School Other Facility High School Middle School

215th

Haskell

167th

Juarez Aclare 20 Ross

Pioneer Clarkdale

P. E. R

Artesia

Jersey

Edison Right of Way

Del Amo

KEY

16 Gahr

Artesia (91) Freeway

Gridley

Studebaker

ewa

Studebaker

) Fre

(605

riel

Gab

San

Barnhill

Cabrillo Jacob

Roseton

Rossford

Elaine Elaine Elaine

Elaine

Pioneer

Ely

Carmenita Moody

Alondra

Norwalk

Stowers

Norwalk Belshire

Grayland Norwalk Cortner Claretta

Claretta Creek

Shoemaker

Marquardt Marquardt

Bloomeld Bloomeld

4 2008 ABC Unified School District Back-to-School Magazine

A Message From The Superintendent - Dr. Gary Smuts For forty-two years, ABC students have been coming “BACK TO SCHOOL” at this time of year. It is a time when our community reconnects and is filled with hope and anticipation. In this “BACK TO SCHOOL EDITION” all of ABC’s 30 schools take the opportunity to start the new school year by communicating directly with the educational community we serve. As you know, effective communication between schools and parents is the hallmark of a successful school district. Several of our schools are designated “magnets” in that they have specialized programs that draw students to an educational theme that is distinguished by a rigorous academic focus. Other schools will highlight the unique characteristics that make each of them distinctive. This magazine will help us refresh our understanding that each of ABC’s 30 schools is a reflection of the students, parents, and staff that form the learning community. Los Cerritos Community Newspaper Group has joined ABC in a special partnership in the development and printing of this BACK TO SCHOOL magazine. This is one example of hundreds of business partnerships that provide tremendous support for our schools throughout the year. The continued support of PTSA’s, booster clubs, volunteers, and our business partnerships will enhance ABC’s growth and improvement. If you or your business is interested in joining the others that work in our schools, please call our Volunteer Office at (562) 926-5566, extension 21197. Thank you for your generous support during the 2008-2009 school year and welcome BACK TO SCHOOL!

A Message From The Board President - Mark Pulido On behalf of the ABC Board of Education, I want to welcome you back to another exciting school year and present the 2008-2009 Back-to-School Edition of the Los Cerritos Community News. For many years, this special edition has served as an important source of information for parents and their students about all of ABC’s schools and programs. “Knowledge is power” and this edition is a handy guide to accessing knowledge and countless learning opportunities that ABC has to offer. Student achievement is the number one priority in ABC. To ensure that all students are learning and achieving, we must maintain a strong working partnership of students, district staff, families, business and community leaders and the community. We appreciate your continued support and encourage your volunteerism so we can continue to do the best job for ABC students. We hope you find this publication both informative and helpful in making the most of an ABC education. As your elected representatives to the ABC Board of Education, we remain committed to ensuring a worldclass education for each and every one of our students. Please feel welcome to attend or tune-in to Board meetings, which are regularly held on the first and third Tuesdays of each month at 7:00 pm, in the District Board Room at 16700 Norwalk Boulevard, Cerritos, California or on local cable television Channel 6. Have a wonderful school year!

2008 ABC Unified School District Back-to-School Magazine

Board of Education

Mark Pulido, President of the Board, is serving his second term on the ABC School Board. He was elected without opposition in November 2001 - a first in district history. Mark has been a Cerritos resident for 35 years. He and his wife Gloria Perlas Pulido are graduates of ABC schools: Mark attended Wittmann Elementary and Whitney High; Gloria attended Burbank Elementary and Whitney High. Their daughter currently attends elementary school in the ABC district. Mark works for the California Legislature as the District Director for our local State Senator Alan Lowenthal. Mark has volunteered in the local community for many years. He coached Pee Wee soccer, served as a day camp counselor, served on the Whitney Foundation and helped establish the Whitney Alumni Association. Mark served as UCLA Student Body President where he earned his Bachelor degree in History and Asian American Studies. He also served as an after-school tutor, college recruiter, and established a peer counseling program. Mark also holds a Master of Public Policy degree from The University of Chicago. Mark thanks all his teachers for the great education he received here in ABC. He feels "very honored to give back to his hometown community, by working to ensure the best education possible for all ABC students." Mr. Pulido is the liaison for the Legislative/Policy Board Advisory Committee and the ABC Head Start/State Preschool programs. Olympia Chen, Vice President of the Board, was first elected to the ABC School Board in 1997. She served as the Board President in 2000 and 2004. Olympia is a businesswoman and has been a resident of Cerritos for over 20 years. She has extensive involvement in the school district and the community. She volunteered in her children's schools, including serving as secretary of Carmenita PTA and Cerritos High School PTSA. Olympia is a board member for the Greater Long Beach Chapter of the American Red Cross as well as the Community Family Guidance Center. Olympia most enjoys "Read Aloud" events at the schools. Olympia feels that there is a continuing need to create a harmonious relationship between teachers, board members, parents and administrators in the ABC Unified School District. "This will allow us to focus on quality education in all of our classrooms." Mrs. Chen is the liaison to the Finance and Audit Committee.

David Montgomery, Member of the Board, was re-elected to his fifth term as a member of the ABC School Board in 2005. David is an independent contractor and has been a resident of Cerritos for over 20 years and his six children were educated in ABC. He has served the community as an AYSO soccer coach, baseball coach and Boy Scouts leader. David believes that it is critical for the District to bring technology into all aspects of education. He also values the need for training and feels that all students must be computer literate and that all teachers must be comfortable and confident in teaching with today's new technology. Mr. Montgomery is the liaison to the Strategic Planning Board Advisory Committee.

6 2008 ABC Unified School District Back-to-School Magazine

Celia Spitzer, Clerk of the Board, was first elected to the ABC Board in 1999 and to her third term in 2007. She has been a resident of Cerritos since 1971. Celia worked as a systems engineer for IBM after graduating from UC Berkeley with a Bachelor's Degree in mathematics. Both of her children attended ABC schools from kindergarten through high school. Celia is proud of the many accomplishments of our district, its students and its employees. Many of our schools have received state and national recognition for academic performance. ABC has received national recognition for its excellent relationship with district employees with everyone working together to promote student achievement. All of this is being accomplished with a balanced budget that focuses on the needs of all students. Celia thoroughly enjoys serving on the Board and is proud of how well our schools and the communities they serve are working together. Armin Reyes, Member of the Board, is in his third term as a member of the ABC School Board and was first elected in November, 1999. Armin brings both experience and education in negotiations and conflict management to his service with the Board. He originally moved to Cerritos because of the excellent schools in the District and wants to make sure that the quality of education remains high. Armin has three small children, and two of them are ABC students.

www.abcusd.k12.ca.us

5 GIFT

Board of Education Maynard Law, Member of the Board, was elected to the ABC Board in 2007. Maynard is a retired Special Education Teacher as well as a retired public administrator. Maynard has been a resident of Cerritos for 34 years, with both of his sons educated in ABC. He has extensive involvement in the school district and the community. He has served the community on various ABC School District advisory committees, coached more than 40 youth sports teams, volunteered as a scout leader, as a member of the Friends of Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts, as President of the Cerritos Optimist Club, and as Chairman of the City of Cerritos Parks and Recreation Commission. He feels honored to continue the leadership excellence that is the cornerstone of the ABC District. He believes that continuing strong partnerships among parents, teachers, administrators, employee groups, and the school board is a priority. He believes that a primary role of a board member is to ensure that every student has the resources to achieve academic success. Mr. Law is the liaison to the Legislative/Policy Board Advisory Committee.

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Minimum $25 purchase. Non Refundable. One per day, per customer. No cash refund. Sophia Tse, Member of the Board, was elected to the ABC Board in 2007. Sophia Tse is a pediatric nurse practitioner and part-time university instructor. Sophia has been a resident of Cerritos for 24 years. All three of her children attended ABC schools. Sophia has been involved in her childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s schools as PTSA board member at Carmenita MS and Whitney HS, chairwoman at Whitney HS Chinese PTSA and volunteer nurse practitioner for Cerritos HS soccer teams. She has served in the community through the following organizations: Chairwoman and Board Member of the Southern California Chinese Culture Association; coach, team mom, and first aid provider for City of Cerritos soccer teams; participant in the March of Dimes Program for premature Infants; and community instructor for basic life support and parenting classes. Mrs. Tse is also a Southeast ROP board member representing ABC.

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Best Wishes for a Successful School Year! From the Cerritos City Council

Jim Edwards Mayor

Bruce Barrows Mayor Pro Tem

Carol Chen Councilmember

Joseph Cho, Ph.D. Councilmember

Laura Lee Councilmember

2008 ABC Unified School District Back-to-School Magazine

2008 STAR Accountability Report The 2008 Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) program includes the California Standards Test (CST) for students in grades two through eleven and the CAT6 test for third and seventh grade students. The district-wide grade level results from the CST-English Language Arts and the CSTMath tests were available in August and the most recent reports include Academic Performance Index (API), Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) and Program Improvement (PI) data. The STAR results, the Academic Performance Index (API), and the Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) data are some of the tools that we use in ABC to evaluate the effectiveness of our programs. We also incorporate data from community and parent surveys, our own local assessments, and specific results-based target

data in our District evaluation process. The API is part of the state’s accountability system to measure the academic performance and growth of schools and is a summary of performance on the STAR program and California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) tests. The AYP is part of the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation and focuses on schools and school districts meeting common targets of performance. ABC’s 2008 API score of 795 shows a growth of 11 points over the 2007 base score. The 2008 API of 795 exceeds the state’s API of 742. The state’s API target for all schools is a score of 800 or above. Thirteen ABC schools have already met or exceeded that threshold and twelve more of our schools have API totals above 700.

ABC Unified School District

Welcome Back To School ! Wishing you all the best and continued success as you begin a new school year. Don Knabe

Supervisor, Fourth District County of Los Angeles www.Knabe.com 8 2008 ABC Unified School District Back-to-School Magazine

2008 California Distinguished Schools in ABC Four elementary schools in the ABC Unified School District were honored as California Distinguished Schools at the Awards Ceremony held at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim. The four new Distinguished Schools are: Bragg ES, Cerritos ES, Nixon ES and Wittmann ES. Whitney HS has recently been selected as a National Blue Ribbon School. According to Dr. Mary Sieu, Deputy Superintendent, the California School Recognition Program was created in 1985 by the State Dept. of Education to honor exemplary public schools with the California Distinguished School Award. Approximately 5% of the public schools in the State are selected each year for

this highly coveted award. The duration of the Distinguished School honor is four years. This year, 839 elementary schools in the State submitted applications and were identified on the basis of their Academic Performance Index and Adequate Yearly Progress results. The schools underwent a rigorous selection process conducted by the State Department of Education and a validation visit by local educators At the Awards Ceremony on May 16th, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Jack O’Connell recognized 343 exemplary public schools from 189 districts in 39 counties. He described the Distinguished Schools as the “best of the best.”

Above - Nixon ES – Standing (l-r): Dr. Mary Sieu, Eleanor Tomlin, Kim Gleason, Beatrice Martin Smith, Nadja Ellis. Sitting (l-r): Celia Spizter, Dr. Gary Smuts, Sydney Pringle, Mark Pulido, Olympia Chen.

Above - Wittmann ES – Standing (l-r): Dr. Mary Sieu, Anne Marie Krueger, Loretta Shak, Vicki Lopez, Nancy Amalfitano, Bianca Strong, Kara Kemppainen, Patty Lehto . Sitting (l-r): Celia Spitzer, Dr. Gary Smuts, Patrick Walker, Mark Pulido, Olympia Chen

Above Bragg ES – Standing (l-r): Mark Pulido, Celia Spitzer, Jackie Wilson, Julie Lawrence, Tiffany Moreno, Dr. Mary Sieu. Sitting (l-r): Olympia Chen, Dr. Gary Smuts, Scott Wilbur, Kerry Flores. Whitney HS (l-r) Bryan West, Sharon McKee, Bryan Glonchak, Celia Spitzer, Patty Hager, Dr. Gary Smuts, Olympia Chen, Dr. Mary Sieu, Mark Pulido.

Cerritos ES: Standing (l-r): Celia Sptizer, Gina Clayton-Branica, Dr. Mary Sieu, Susan Wu, Ruth Stait, Ina Tennison. Sitting (l-r): Olympia Chen, Dr. Gary Smuts, Dennis Wilson, Mark Pulido. 2008 ABC Unified School District Back-to-School Magazine

2008-2009 School Calendar School Holidays-No School for Students (Local and Legal Holidays for Students): Tuesday, November 11, 2008 Wednesday, November 26, 2008 Thursday-Friday, November 27-28, 2008 Monday, December 22, 2008 – January 2, 2009Monday, January 19, 2009 Friday, January 30, 2009 Monday, February 9, 2009 Monday, February 16, 2009 Monday, March 30, 2009 Friday, April 10, 2009 Monday, April 13-17, 2009 Monday, May 25, 2009 Tuesday, June 16, 2009 Wednesday, June 17, 2009 Thursday, June 18, 2009

Veterans’ Day Observance Elementary Only Student-Free Day (Grades 7-12 students are in school.) Thanksgiving Recess Winter Recess Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Day Secondary Only Student-Free Day (Grades K-6 students are in school.) Lincoln’s Day Presidents’ Day/Washington’s Day Cesar Chavez Day Local Holiday/Good Friday Spring Recess Memorial Day Observance Last Day of School for 7th Grade Haskell and Ross students only. Last Day of School for Students (except 7th Grade Haskell and Ross students and 8th Grade Carmenita students.) Last Day of School for 8th Grade Carmenita students only.

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

10 2008 ABC Unified School District Back-to-School Magazine

ABC Unified School District Community Partnerships Ability First Academic Innovations AMC Norwalk 20 Theaters American Cancer Society American Heart Association American Honda Motor Company Inc. American Red Cross American Youth Soccer Organization Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. AMF Cerritos Lanes Anaheim Angels Anchor Blue Angelo M. Iacoboni Library Anthem Blue Cross ARC of Southeast Los Angeles County Arrowhead Ranch Arroyo Developmental Services Artesia Childcare Center Artesia City Library Artesia DES Artesia Flowers and Gifts Artesia Historical Society Assemblyman Tony Mendoza AT&T Wireless ATEC Goodwill Industries Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo Avenue 3 Pizza Avon A-Z Bus Sales Baja Fresh Bakers Shoes Bally Total Fitness Banana Republic Bank of America Barnes & Nobel Baskin Robbins Bed, Bath, and Beyond Bellflower Medical Center

Best Buy Big 5 Sporting Goods BJ's Brewery Restaurant Blind Children's Learning Center Bob Baker Marionette Theater Boeing Corporation Books are Fun Borders Bookstore Bowers Ambulance Services Bowers Museum Brighter Outlook Adult Day Program Burger King Burlington Coat Factory California Career Education Assoc. California Credit Union California Educational Centers California Pizza Kitchen California Raisin Board California State University Dominguez Hills California State University Fullerton California State University Long Beach Camelot Golfland Career Transition Center Carl's Jr. Carrows Restaurant Casa Margarita Restaurant Cerritos Auto Mall Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts Cerritos Chamber of Commerce Cerritos City Library Cerritos Community College Cerritos Florist Cerritos Optimist Club Cerritos Rotary Club Cerritos Senior Center - City of Cerritos Cerritos Sheriff Department Cerritos Soroptimist

Cerritos Training Transportation Champs Character Counts Cheesecake Factory Restaurant Chevron Refinery Chic-Fil-A Children's Dental Building Chipotle Mexican Grill Chuck E. Cheese's City of Artesia City of Cerritos City of Hawaiian Gardens City of Lakewood Claim Jumper Restaurant Claire’s Accessories Coca Cola Community Family Guidance Center Complete Business Systems Computer Education Institution Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez Costco Warehouse CRM Learning Cypress Community College Dairy Queen Daiwa Corporation Del Taco Denny's Restaurant Dental Care of Cerritos Department of Rehabilitation DeVry Institute of Technology Disable Resources Center Disabled Therapy & Training Discovery Science Center Disneyland Resort Dominos Pizza, Inc, Don Jose's Mexican Restaurant Drew University East West Ice Palace

Easter Seals Edison Matching Gift Program Educational Data Systems Educators Outlet Edward Jones Investments Edwards Cinema El Dorado Nature Center El Pollo Loco Elephant Bar Restaurant Employment Development Department Explore Magazine Family Learning Workshops Fantastic Café Farmers & Merchants Bank Farmers Insurance (Bellflower) Farmers Insurance (Norwalk) Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising Finish Line Fire Station 30 Food 4 Less Footlocker Ford West Forever 21 Frantone's Pizza Freestyle Camera Fresh Choice Restaurant Friends of the Cerritos Center Frito-Lay Future Scientists & Engineers of America G & H Construction Co. G.S. Graham & Assoc. General Mills Boxtops For Education Goals for Life

{continued on page 43}

Dr. Sheldon Pitluk & Dr. Emily Lallana OPTOMETRISTS FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY Serving the ABC community since 1979, Dr. Sheldon Pitluk is proud to welcome Dr. Emily Lallana to his practice.

Both Dr. Pitluk and Dr. Lallana share a commitment to providing quality eye care in a caring environment.! • Comprehensive eye exams from infancy to adulthood • Contact lenses including astigmatism, bifocals and hard-to-ﬁt • LASIK surgery co-management • Designer, sports and safety frames • State-of-the-art equipment Many insurance plans welcome, including VSP.

11243 183rd Street, Cerritos, CA 90703

(562) 924-0950 www.DrPitluk.com Open Monday - Saturday Located in Best Plaza near Chuck E Cheese.

2008 ABC Unified School District Back-to-School Magazine

Elementary School

ABC Unified School District

OpenELEMENTARY House SchedulesSCHOOL For 2008-09 Open House Schedules 2008-2009

ABCUSD2008-09 Graduation Dates GRADUATION DATES

Ext. #

Date

Time

22500

May 28, 2009

6:00 to 7:00 p.m.

22600

May 28, 2009

6:30 to 8:00 p.m.

BURBANK Cizmar, Steve

22700

March 19, 2009

6:30 to 8:00 p.m.

CARVER Berlyn, Debbie

22800

April 2, 2009

7:00 to 8:00 p.m.

CERRITOS Wilson, Dennis

22900

May 21 2009

7:00 to 8:00 p.m.

ELLIOTT Bray, Beth

23000

May 28, 2009

6:00 to 7:30 p.m.

FURGESON Lozano, Mayra

23100

March , 2009

5:00 to 7:00 p.m.

GONSALVES Ross, Claudia

23200

April 2, 2009

6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

HAWAIIAN Cordova, Laurie

23300

TBA

6:00 to 7:30 p.m.

JUAREZ Adler, LuAnn

23400

April 2, 2009

6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

KENNEDY Valentine, Melissa

23500

May 21, 2009

6:00 to 7:30 p.m.

LEAL Makely, Laura

22600

TBA

6:00 to 7:30 p.m.

MELBOURNE Neder-Olivos, Kathy

23700

April 2, 2009

6:00 to 7:00 p.m.

NIEMES Jimenez, Meg

23800

TBA

6:00 to 7:30 p.m.

School/Principal ALOHA Yabumoto, Julie BRAGG Janeway, Annette

HIGH SCHOOLS

HIGH SCHOOLS DATE June 12, 2009 (Friday) June 16, 2009 (Tuesday)

June 17, 2009 (Wednesday)

June 18, 2009 (Thursday)

SCHOOL

TIME

Adult School ABC Secondary School (Independent Study) Gahr High School

7:00 p.m.

LOCATION Whitney High Gymnasium Cerritos High School East Gymnasium

6:00 p.m.

Gahr High School Rants Stadium Artesia High School Atkins Stadium

Artesia High School

5:30 p.m.

Cerritos High School Whitney High School

7:00 p.m.

Gahr High School Rants Stadium

7:00 p.m.

Whitney Field

Tracy High

6:30 p.m.

Gahr High Rants Stadium

MIDDLE SCHOOLS

MIDDLE SCHOOLS DATE

June 17, 2009 (Wednesday)

SCHOOL

TIME

LOCATION

Fedde Middle

9:00 a.m.

Quad Area

NIXON Ortiz, Melinda

23900

May 28, 2009

6:00 to 7:00 p.m.

Haskell Middle

9:00 a.m.

Quad Area

PALMS Spicer, Beverly

24000

May 28, 2009

6:30 to 8:00 p.m.

Ross Middle

8:30 a.m.

Shelter Area

6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Tetzlaff Middle

9:00 a.m.

Quad Area

Carmenita Middle

9:00 a.m.

Quad Area

STOWERS Blagden, Eileen

24100

WILLOW Dohm, Linda

24200

April 23, 2009

6:00 to 7:30 p.m.

WITTMANN Walker, Patrick

24300

April 23, 2009

6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

April 2, 2009

June 18, 2009 (Thursday)

Secondary School

SECONDARY SCHOOL Open House Schedules For 2008-09 Open House Schedules 2008-2009 School/Principal

Name

CARMENITA Buss, Rhonda FEDDE Wollman, Rochelle HASKELL Lewis, Camille ROSS Brown, Ricardo TETZLAFF Wise, Crechena

24400

ARTESIA Garcia, Sergio CERRITOS Peterson, Janice GAHR Zietlow, Gina TRACY Green, Jeff WHITNEY Hager, Patty ADULT Guo, Pao-Ling

21601

24600 24700 24500 24800

21800 22001 22200

Date

Time

January 29, 2009

6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

February 5, 2009 Student led Conferences February, 2009 Student led Conferences

1:00-3:00 and 6:00-7:30 p.m. 1:00-3:00 and 5:00-8:00 p.m.

May 20, 2009

6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

April 29, 2009

6:00 to 7:30 p.m.

March 26, 2009

6 00 to 8:00 p.m.

March 3, 2009

6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

March 24, 2009

6:30 to 8:00 p.m.

May 26, 2009

6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

22300

April 22, 2009

5:00-8:00 p.m.

25011

May 30, 2009 Super Sugar Saturday

10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Cuesta Site

ABC Back To School Magazine

Published by Los Cerritos Community Newspaper Group. All rights reserved, ©2008. Published once per year, circulation 35,000. Major contributions by the following ABCUSD personnel: Dr. Mary Sieu, Deputy Superintendent Maria Machado, Administrative Assistant Dr. Colin Sprigg, Director of Information & Technology Sheila Loranger, Secretary of Information &Technology Mary Thomas-Reilly, Senior Instructional Media Technician

12 2008 ABC Unified School District Back-to-School Magazine

ABC Council PTA Board 2008-09 President Louise Dodson 2nd Vice President-Membership Ana Marty 3rd Vice President-Health/Welfare Lorraine Holland 4th Vice President-Hospitality Jana Franco Secretary & Reflections Elsa Garcia-Chau Treasurer Melodie Johnson Auditor Robin Sumner Parliamentarian Gloria Blackwell

ABC UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT BUS STOPS ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS ALOHA ELEMENTARY

NECTAR & CARSON 215TH & LONGWORTH CENTRALIA & GRIDLEY

BRAGG ELEMENTARY BURBANK ELEMENTARY

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

CARVER ELEMENTARY

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

HAWAIIAN ELEMENTARY

221ST & IBEX

JUAREZ ELEMENTARY KENNEDY ELEMENTARY

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

MELBOURNE ELEMENTARY

NORWALK & CIVIC CENTER DRIVE

NIXON ELEMENTARY

SOUTH & GRAYLAND

PALMS ELEMENTARY BLOOMFIELD & 215TH, BLOOMFIELD & GRADWELL

WILLOW ELEMENTARY WITTMANN ELEMENTARY

CENTRALIA & GRIDLEY STUDEBAKER & HORNET ALONDRA & WILDER

MIDDLE SCHOOLS CARMENITA MIDDLE

CARMENITA & CHURCH AM, CARMENITA & SOUTH PM

FEDDE MIDDLE HASKELL MIDDLE ROSS ACADEMY

CARSON & NECTAR, CENTRALIA & GRIDLEY

ARTESIA & GRIDLEY, NORWALK & 183RD, STUDEBAKER & 183RD STUDEBAKER & SOUTH BLOOMFIELD & ALONDRA, 166TH & GRIDLEY, 166TH & ISLANDIA 183RD & SHOEMAKER, BLOOMFIELD & 166TH

TETZLAFF MIDDLE

HIGH SCHOOLS

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

GAHR HIGH SCHOOL TRACY HIGH SCHOOL

BLOOMFIELD & ALONDRA BLOOMFIELD & 166TH

BLOOMFIELD & CENTRALIA, CARSON & SEINE, CARSON & NORWALK

PIONEER & DEL AMO, PIONEER & CENTRALIA

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

2008 ABC Unified School District Back-to-School Magazine

ABC MAGNET SCHOOL PROGRAMS

14 2008 ABC Unified School District Back-to-School Magazine

ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS

Aloha Elementary School

11737 E 214th Street, Lakewood, CA 90715 (562) 924-8329 Principal – Julie Yabumoto

Welcome to Aloha, home of the Dolphins and a rigorous, standards based education. Aloha is a high performing Title 1 school which was recognized by California as a Title 1 Achieving School. Aloha’s Academic Performance Index (API) is at 735 which is moving towards the state goal of 800. Aloha has an excellent staff consisting of highly trained teachers and support staff. Aloha is dedicated to ensuring the academic success of every child and providing a safe and comprehensive educational program. Students are taught their grade level standards using state adopted curriculum in all subject areas. Teachers frequently analyze data and use it to plan and differentiate instruction. High academic expectations are held for all of our students. Aloha has many programs to support the academic, social, and emotional development of elementary students. Aloha has a highly successful reading intervention program that provides intensive support to students who need extra assistance in reading fluency and comprehension. The program utilizes a Response to Intervention (RtI) Model which incorporates standardized assessment and research based materials. Students in the intervention program receive effective direct instruction using SRA Horizons and Corrective Reading materials. In addition, Aloha has a counseling program to help students in the area of self-esteem, social skills, coping strategies, and other social/emotional needs. Counseling has proven to be an intervention that helps students deal with issues before they affect their grades. We are also very excited that the Peace Builders program will be adopted this school year. Peace Builders

is a schoolwide program that encourages students to make the right choices. Aloha truly focuses on the whole child. Nutrition and exercise are an extremely important component of a child’s education. We want to make sure that our students are performing to their best ability by eating right and staying healthy. Our school participates in the Nutrition Network which provides lessons, assemblies, and workshops on healthy living. Students learn about and sample a different fruit or vegetable each month. This program has really encouraged healthy eating and exercise with a hands-on approach. Assemblies are also interactive with music and movement. The Hoopla Palooza Assembly gets all 4th through 6th graders hoola hooping during the hour long program. Students and staff also follow the ABC Unified Wellness Policy through our Mileage Club. The Mileage Club is a walking program in which teachers, students, and staff walk our enormous school field several times each week. Students and staff have cards that are marked off every time they complete a lap on the field. A mile is approximately 4 laps around the Aloha field. For every five miles a person walks, they are rewarded a “Toe Token” and a certificate. Many students already have several colorful charms (toe tokens) on their key chains or jewelry that they proudly wear. Students are also rewarded academically in numerous ways. Three school wide awards assemblies are held throughout the year. At the assembly, students are recognized for academic achievement, citizenship, and attendance. Parents are invited to attend the assembly to help recognize their child’s achievement. A “STAR” assembly is also held prior to the statewide STAR testing, which recognizes students who have scored advanced or made proficiency level growth. STAR students are recognized in front of

their peers and given a star charm on a necklace or key chain. Our students are also rewarded each month for being the top three readers in their class. The top three readers are the students who read the most minutes in our district’s Running for Reading challenge. ABC Unified School District Superintendent, Dr. Smuts, challenges the students to read at home. Aloha has met our Running for Reading goal every year. In June, our students had the opportunity to run a lap with Dr. Smuts, which was truly a highlight of the year! Aloha’s focus on reading is also displayed through our STAR (Stop, Think, Act Right) choice awards. Students are given these tickets for demonstrating positive behavior and helping out teachers, staff and classmates. Each month, students can trade 20 tickets for a brand new book. Students really enjoy this because they get to come to the principal’s office and pick out a book of their choice. Many students are quickly building their home libraries through this program. All Aloha students participate in Art Masters which focuses on four master artists throughout the school year. Students interactively learn about the life and times of famous artists. Art helps students think more creatively, raises academic achievement and reinforces self-esteem. The Art Masters Program is a fun way to learn the art standards, vocabulary and gain an appreciation of the fine arts. Students have learned about Paul Cezanne, Vincent Van Gough, Georgia O’Keeffe and many other famous artists. This year students will learn about Rembrandt, Jacob Lawrence, Gauguin, and Leonardo da Vinci and create their own masterpieces related to the artist. Aloha has two after school child care programs to the meet the needs of working fami- {continued on page 16} lies. The

2008 ABC Unified School District Back-to-School Magazine

programs also offer a safe place for kids to stay after the school. bell rings. Aloha has an Extended Day Program (EDP) and an EXTRA (Extending Time to Raise Achievement) program. Both programs service our kindergarten through sixth grade students every school day during the year. Students get academic support, homework help, tutoring, and enrich-

ment. Arts, crafts and physical education are also incorporated in both programs. Parents are an integral part of Aloha Elementary School. We have an active Parent Teacher Association (PTA) that supports the school by providing assemblies and field trips. Each class usually goes on one or two field trips each year. We encourage more parents to become

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

involved at Aloha by joining the PTA, School Site Council, volunteer in the classroom, attend parent education classes, and family nights. Research shows that parent involvement increases student academic achievement! Our school community which consists of teachers, parents, professional staff, and students are looking forward to

Concordia Lutheran School

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Call or visit one of our branches today! LBS Financial Credit Union, established in 1935, serves everyone who lives or works in Cerritos, Long Beach and surrounding communities. *Numbers for each institution were taken from the following website: www.co-opnetwork.org, www.bofa.com, www.wellsfargo.com, and www.wamu.com from 08/22/08 to 08/27/08. LBS Financial Credit Union is not affiliated with the above financial institutions, nor have they approved or endorsed the use of their ATM information.

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16 2008 ABC Unified School District Back-to-School Magazine

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Mary Bragg Elementary School 11501 Bos Street, Cerritos, CA 90703 (562) 860-5580 Principal â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Annette Janeway

Mary Bragg Elementary School is proud to have been named a California Distinguished School in 2008. Hard working teachers, high expectations in the classroom, and strong parent support at home have helped Bragg students perform exceptionally well on school and state wide student achievement assessments. Mary Braggâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Academic Performance Index (A.P.I.) has grown steadily over the last three years to an outstanding 878! Our student centered academic instruction, and enrichment and intervention programs are guided by our Mission and Vision statements.

Mission Statement

The Mary Bragg Elementary School Staff provides an exceptional standardsbased instructional program that motivates students toward becoming independent critical thinkers and life-long learners. Our school fosters the importance of the school-home partnership that values commitment to learning. Our staff and community share the goals of preparing students to become productive and responsible participants in a complex, technology-based society, together with becoming respectful, informed, and caring citizens in a culturally diverse

A California Distinguished School

Vision Statement

The staff at Mary Bragg Elementary School values each student and is proudly committed to instilling a rich tradition of academic excellence and high expectations in every student. Students will be well-rounded, life-long learners with academic and social skills that empower them to be responsible, contributing members in an ever-changing and diverse world.

School-Wide Commitment to Enrichment and Interventions

Based upon local and state data, each teacher compiles test scores to create English Language Arts and Mathematics enrichment and intervention programs. Our programs run during the school day, after school, and at student homes online.

Media Center / Technology

This year we have expanded the libraryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s floor space and integrated our technology lab to create a media center for all Bragg students. We are proud to be partners in technology with Golden West College, as we have been able to increase the number of computers on campus with wireless access points and software so that more computer labs can be opened.

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Student Recognition

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Student recognition is another important part of our educational program. Eight times a year classroom awards are presented to students for academic achievement and good citizenship. Parents and family members are invited to our award celebrations so that we can honor our students together.

Parent Involvement Opportunities

There are many opportunities for parents to become involved at our school. Evening events like Trunk or Treat, StoryTelling, Book Fairs, and Family Nights are held throughout the school year. Our P.T.A. actively supports our standards based curriculum inside and outside the classroom by sponsoring the Meet the Masters Art Program, enrichment assemblies, donations to offset student intervention costs, and funding for student field trips. This year our P.T.A. greatly contributed to the addition of our new electric marquee which will aide in ef effective communication with our families and the community. Great students, fantastic teachers, supportive parents, innovative programs, strong community partnerships, and enriching activities make Mary Bragg Elementary School a very special place for every student to learn and grow.

Go Bobcats! From Assemblymember

TONY MENDOZA WISHES STUDENTS AND PARENTS A KNOWLEDGE FILLED AND EXCITING SCHOOL YEAR! Welcome to the 2008-09 school year!

As your representative, I am eager to hear about the programs and events taking place in your school. As a parent and school teacher, I urge you to challenge yourself and strive for excellence in the pursuit of your education. Many blessings, Tony Mendoza California State Assembly, District 56

12501 E. Imperial Highway Suite 210 Norwalk, CA 90650 (562) 864-5600

2008 ABC Unified School District Back-to-School Magazine

Burbank Elementary School 17711 Roseton Avenue, Artesia, CA 90701 (562) 865-6215 Principal – Steve Cizmar

Greetings from Burbank Elementary School, home of the Bulldogs! As Principal of Burbank Elementary School, I am proud to announce that we are now a Visual, Performing, and Folk Art Magnet School! Through an integrated approach, all Burbank students will get an indepth exposure to the arts, as well as extended opportunities to create and to perform.

Students who need additional assistance mastering the State Standards are provided assistance through our intervention programs. Here, trained paraeducators work directly with classroom teachers to target exactly what each student needs to improve. After school ‘Homework Club’ is offered to those students who may need additional help.

Burbank experienced a slight drop in our state test scores last year, but improved in all of our site-based assessments of student progress. Site-based assessments are those evaluations and tests teachers give to students throughout the year, which track students’ individual progress and growth. We are taking a close look at our state testing data and targeting specific areas in which our students did not meet state standards.

We truly believe in Burbank as a school of the community. We have numerous opportunities for families to get involved in our school, both in the traditional sense - like PTA and Site Council - but also in other ways such as Dads, Daughters, and Dancing Night, Meet the Masters Art Night, Family Fun Nights, and Science Night. Many fine things are happening here at Burbank Elementary, and I invite you all to come and take a look!

Academic Achievement

Opportunities for Student Growth

One of our major goals at Burbank is to help our students become well rounded, caring individuals. We do so by actively teaching and consistently rewarding appropriate behaviors with our monthly Citizenship and Character assemblies. Additio-

Parent and Community

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nally, we have instituted a ‘Caught Being Good’ program in which Bulldogs are recognized for random acts of kindness and engaging in activities on their own that help to make Burbank a better place. Weekly Community Gatherings bring all Burbank Elementary students together so we can celebrate our successes and discuss our areas of growth. Additionally, we offer a Mandarin Language and Culture class four times a week after school in which students learn the beauty and complexity of Chinese society.

Intervention Programs

18 2008 ABC Unified School District Back-to-School Magazine

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Carver Elementary School 19200 Ely Street, Cerritos, CA 90703 (562) 865-1257 Principal â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Debbie Berlyn

Welcome to Carver Academy

As the new Principal at Carver Academy, I am looking forward to an exciting year of acquainting myself with the Carver students and community. Throughout the last four years, our school has implemented programs that have created a dynamic and exciting educational program that addresses the development and needs of the whole child. The implementation of these well developed and unique programs has helped us reach an Academic Performance Index of 817! Each year we continue to strive for excellence by setting high standards for all students and teaching the curriculum in an enticing way that develops critical thinkers and inquisitive learners. Please join me on a â&#x20AC;&#x153;tourâ&#x20AC;? of the Magnet school that received the Magnet School of Excellence and Top New and Emerging Magnet School in the nation award and was touted as one of the 60 best elementary schools in Los Angeles County by Los Angeles magazine!

Carver Early Learning Academy

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

Magnet Program

The magnet program was established to help students gain skills necessary for success in their future, through exploration of both interpersonal and technological communication. The emphasis on schoolwide enrichment and academic achievement for all students provide a foundation for lifelong success, while developing talents and abilities. The yearlong curriculum plan, based on the Califor-

nia Academic Content Standards, is organized into three schoolwide themes: Who We are on Planet Earth, Ways in Which We Communicate, and The Working of Our World. These themes are inquiry based, interdisciplinary, and interrelated across academic areas. Student communication projects include digital photography, broadcasting, digital video and movie production, computer presentations, and poster creation with scanners and large size printers. The journey to success begins at Carver Academy, which provides the skills for success in the 21st Century. Effective communication, technology competency, obtaining and managing information and the application of knowledge are the basis for life long success. Every classroom at Carver has state-of the-art technology that teachers incorporate into daily lessons. Interactive whiteboards, LCD projectors, a document camera (ELMO), and computers are regularly utilized to increase student interest and retention of material. A wireless mobile computer lab with internet access, digital video and still camera, and webcams for world wide video conferencing are available to prepare students for the new generation of jobs.

Enrichment Clusters

Carver has adopted the Enrichment Cluster Program as part of the Schoolwide Enrichment Model. Recognizing that all learners are unique, learning experiences must take into account the abilities, interests, and learning styles of individual students. Twice a year during the six-week cluster, students spend one hour a week exploring a topic of interest with the assistance of community members. Along with gaining in-depth knowledge of a particular topic, students begin to take responsibility and interest in their own learning. The regular curriculum is supported, expanded and enhanced by children participating in enrichment activities and bringing their enthusiasm into the classroom setting. Student and cluster leaders communicate what they have accomplished at a schoolwide celebration to culminate the Enrichment Cluster Program. These educational opportunities, supported by an excellent teaching staff, create a first rate educational opportunity that is both challenging and enjoyable for our students. 2008 ABC Unified School District Back-to-School Magazine

Cerritos Elementary School 13600 E 183rd Street, Cerritos, CA 90703 (562) 926-1315 Principal – Dennis Wilson

Cerritos Elementary School is home to approximately 588 “Tigers” in grades kindergarten through sixth grade. Located at 183rd and Stowers Street, it serves the easternmost neighborhoods of the school district. The school is a clean, inviting facility and visitors to the campus will always be warmly welcomed. Whenever possible, visitors will be given a tour of the campus by the principal. Cerritos Elementary School can best be described as a community with rigorous, high expectations for the quality of education we provide our students in their academic and behavioral achievement, and high expectations for our parents in their support of their children and the school. Therefore, our student body is composed of highly motivated and very capable students who consistently meet the expectations of their parents and teachers. In 2008, Cerritos Elementary achieved an Academic Performance Index score of 945. We are also very proud that our school has received the California Distinguished School Award in the 2007-2008 school year. At Cerritos Elementary School we are dedicated to the proposition that all our children will learn to master the California Content Standards at every grade level. To that end, intensive intervention programs are implemented at the kindergarten, first, and second grade levels to help at-risk students reach grade level standards early in their educational careers. Additional help is provided to students at all grade levels who are learning English as a second language. A significant percentage of our students in grades three through six have been identified as Gifted and Talented (GATE.) These students are provided a differentiated curriculum appropriate to their needs. Since the fall of 2005, a fee-based homework assistance program, “Ready, Study, Go!” has been offered af-

ter hours five days a week at the school site. This program has proved to be very effective in helping struggling students and also in stretching the skills of grade level and advanced students. Cerritos Elementary participates in the ABC Unified School District Extended Day Care Program with two classes of day care provided from 7:00 a.m. and after school until 6:00 p.m. Among the co-curricular offerings at Cerritos Elementary are “Band” composed of more than one hundred fourth through sixth graders, and a performing arts program provided to all students at every gra-

de level. Each year the band, under the direction of Sue Kesinger, presents several concerts and at the spring ”Band-O-Rama, brings the Cerritos Elementary band together with two other district schools to form the famous “Animal Crackers Band.” An elaborate musical casting fifth and sixth graders under the direction of Mr. Deven Matthews is produced annually. In 2007-2008 the students presented "Seusical the Musical." Three choral concerts featuring students from every grade level are presented annually. Beginning in 2007-2008, Cerritos began participation in a Federal Language Assistance Program Grant that provides after school Mandarin Chinese instruction for up to four days a week. The program proved to be both very popular and very effective. More than a hundred students participated in the program last year and we expect to continue the program's suc-

20 2008 ABC Unified School District Back-to-School Magazine

cess in the coming years. Other co-curricular activities offered to the students include the “Meet the Masters” art appreciation program, “Science on the Go,” and Outdoor Science Camp for sixth grade. Each grade level is able to take at least one field trip a year. Close ties are kept with the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts in order to afford still more opportunities for our students to experience cultural events. Many of these activities could not take place without the tremendous support, both in terms of finance and time, of our superbly organized and effective Parent-Teachers Association (PTA.) The annual budget of the PTA exceeds $18,000, which directly supports student activities such as field trips, the acquisition of technology and specialized equipment as well as offering a generous reimbursement for classroom supplies to the teaching staff. We are also supported by our Cerritos Elementary Educational Foundation, which funds programs that are unique to our school and support the mission and vision of our school. In the 2007-2008 school year, the Foundation has run very successful and popular fundraising programs such as the disaster preparedness survival kit sales, the third annual Pancake Breakfast, and the first Annual Family Science Night and Silent Auction. As the financial strength of the Foundation grows it will be seen as an increasingly important resource we can use to support our educational efforts. We are very proud of the students, parents and staff at Cerritos Elementary. This is a community committed to learning in an atmosphere of serene warmth, acceptance, and peace. Please visit us and see for yourself that Cerritos Elementary is a shining example of how good a public school can be.

Elliott Elementary School 18415 Cortner, Artesia, CA 90701 (562) 865-5216 Principal – Beth Bray

Elliott Elementary is an award winning school. This year we were honored again by the California Department of Education as a Title I Academic Achieving school. These honors are the product of our community’s dedication to continuous improvement in student achievement. In striving for excellence, our students learn and achieve success. Learning is the number one priority at Elliott Elementary. Students participate in a rigorous standards-based curriculum supplemented by the global studies units. Students have many opportunities for success with the leveled intervention, GATE, instruction from the English language development specialist, multicultural music, passport P.E., technology instruction, our Global Address program, Student Council, school newspaper staff, digital photography, track team, and band. All Elliott students perform at least twice a year in schoolwide musical productions. Students participate in the chorus, vocal or instrumental solos, dance, and instrumental groups with a multicultural theme. Many of the students sing in different languages during the performances. Our band performs concerts at least

Student projects represent Kenyan masks, Egyptian artifacts and Brazilian pottery. twice a year. The highlight of the year is the Elementary BandO-Rama in May. Cultures are celebrated in October by encouraging students to wear their clothing representing their heritage for a multicultural parade. Every year we are amazed by the beautiful dresses and detailed outfits the girls and boys wear at the parade. The pride on the students’ faces is reflected in their smiles. Open House is a “Passport to the World” with students sharing the art, traditions, daily life, history, geography, and unique animals of their Global Address country with their families. Each

classroom is transformed to reflect another country and the students “tour” with their parents. Parents and community members are invited to tour from continent to continent as they move around the school. Parents are encouraged to participate in their child’s education. There are many ways in which parents can be involved such as classroom volunteers, join the PTA, or become members of our School Site Council, provide donations, or help at one time events. Please contact the school office for more information. We know that by working together, we will have a rewarding 2008-2009 school year.

Elliott Elementary School Awarded Academic Achievement Award Elliott ES Magnet School of Global Studies located in the city of Artesia was awarded the California Title I Academic Achievement Award in the spring, 2008. Elliott ES was one of 239 schools in California who received a plaque and banner from State Superintendent Jack O’Connell at the annual awards ceremony held at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles. The Academic Achievement Award was given only to schools that doubled their Academic Performance Index growth targets for the school and all the subgroups in the school, including English learners and students with disabilities. This is the second consecutive year that Elliott ES has received this State’s recognition.

(l-r) Dr. Mary Sieu, Deputy Superintendent; Bernadette Machado-Taniguchi, teacher; Dawn Van Diggele, secretary; Danielle Mitchell, teacher; Beth Bray, Principal; Marie Coelho-Miller, teacher and Mike McCoy, Director of Child Development/Special Programs 2008 ABC Unified School District Back-to-School Magazine

Furgeson Elementary School 22215 Elaine Avenue, Hawaiian Gardens, CA 90716 (562) 421-8285 Where Children and Learning Come First! I am truly excited to serve as the new principal of Furgeson Elementary, Home of the Patriots. It is my privilege to be at the service of a remarkable faculty and staff and the terrific parents and students that make up the community of Furgeson. Our staff operates under the principles of a professional learning community: Collaboration, Continuous Improvement and Focus on Results. Three critical questions guide our work: What do we want all students to learn? How will we know our students have learned? What are we going to do when a student does not learn? Student achievement for all is at the core of our belief system and we are committed to make a difference in the lives of our students. We are dedicated to the intellectual, physical, emotional and social development of all our pupils. Furgeson’s Vision: In accordance with No Child Left Behind (NCLB) requirements, we expect our students to be proficient or advanced readers with appropriate fluency, accuracy, and comprehension. We expect them to develop and properly use academic language in all content areas and to be effective communicators in both written and oral language. We expect our students to be proficient or advanced in the area of mathematics, applying math skills through memorization of facts and problem solving. Instructional Programs: Structured English Immersion & Bilingual Programs In addition to our Structured English Immersion Program, where students receive all instruction in English, Furgeson Elementary is proud to offer an Early Exit Bilingual Program in Spanish and English. Students who enter this program are accepted in kindergarten and remain in this program through third grade. Our recent collaboration with the Los Angeles County Office of Education has strengthened our program and these students receive parallel reading and writing instruction in both English and Spanish. Research has shown that native language proficiency helps to develop proficiency in English literacy by developing skills that transfer from one language to another. Moreover, it is our belief that biliteracy itself will enhance the economic and social opportunities of our students. Parent Involvement & Family Reading Fridays We are convinced that parental involvement is a crucial element in students’ academic achievement. Our staff is committed to a philosophy of partnership, where power and responsibility are shared. Our goal is to build and promote a meaningful and collaborative connection with our families. One Friday per month, Furgeson hosts our Family Reading

22 2008 ABC Unified School District Back-to-School Magazine

Fridays: Our parents come and read with their children in their classrooms and attend a workshop that has been tailored to their interests: topics have included Reading Strategies, Comprehension and Testing, Bully Prevention, and Nutrition. Our plan for this year includes new workshops and home visits by teachers and staff. Morning Fitness Furgeson fully supports our District Strategic Direction #2: Healthy Students – Healthy Adults. We have expanded our physical education program by adding 20 minutes of morning fitness to our day. All our students participate in our Morning Fitness from 8:00 to 8:20 a.m. This program targets cardiovascular fitness, flexibility and strength. Some of our stations include: stretching, dance, hula hoops, jump ropes, jogging, and walking, and strengthening bands. We are happy to report that our students continue to improve each year in their California Physical Fitness Test.

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Gonsalves Elementary School 13650 Park Street, Cerritos, CA 90703 (562) 926-1347 Principal – Claudia Ross

A Very Special Place

There is a famous saying, “It takes a village to raise a child.” At Gonsalves Elementary School we believe “It takes a community to educate a child.” Gonsalves is just that community – a community of learners and their supporters. Our student body is represented by twelve ethnic groups which include eighteen languages. 20% of our students are English Learners. 8% are special education (Resource or Special Day) and 25% are Gifted and Talented (GATE). This is Gonsalves! “Happiness is a school like Gonsalves” echoes throughout the classrooms at Joe A. Gonsalves Elementary School. These words are sung at our Founder’s Day celebration each year and one of the last songs our 6th graders sing before transitioning from elementary to middle school. We are not just a “school.” We are a Learning Community with staff, parents, and students working as a team to achieve high performance outcomes and life-long learning. Every member of our school community collaborates in identifying needs, defining goals, shaping direction, and ensuring implementation of decisions. Working together in this cooperative mode helps us to successfully meet the diverse needs of our students as well as being responsive to the needs of our school community. Students describe our school as “the best of the best,” “a place where dreams come true,” and “a place where creativity is let out.”

A Bit of History

Our school was named after former mayor and assemblyman, Joe A. Gonsalves. It officially opened its door in 1973 and, since then, its staff and students have received numerous awards and recognition throughout the state and nation. The success of our school is due in large part to the immeasurable contributions made by our parent organization, Booster Club. Parents support the work of the school and the school supports the work of the parents. This symphony of effort pays big dividends. With some of the highest California Standardized Testing scores in the state it is clear that the partnership emanates from this harmony of values. Herein is the power. The two strongest influences in a student's life, home and school, are in sync. This harmony of values is powerful and unique. We are committed to providing a rigorous, standards-based curriculum that develops student competency in academic areas

while building positive, self-enhancing and responsible student behaviors.

Our Academics

In the 2006-2007 school year, Gonsalves Elementary School achieved an Academic Performance Index (API) growth score of 947 – a seven point gain over the previous year! We are proud of our success and committed to providing a rigorous standards-based curriculum for all students. Due to this success, we received honorable mention as a California Distinguished School.

Our School Spirit

The Gonsalves “Grizzly” students and staff are proud to be Americans and take every opportunity to show their pride. Each Monday the students participate in Spirit Day. This fifteen to twenty minute ceremony enables the entire student population to say the Pledge of Allegiance, sing a patriotic song, discuss an ethical character trait, and honor students for a plethora of awards. Each year, as this picture depicts, we participate in Red Ribbon Week to show our commitment to staying healthy and drug free.

Our BEST Supporters

Our Booster Club, consisting of parents, community members, and staff, expands the offerings at Gonsalves by sponsoring field trips, assemblies, and end-of-year activities; providing funding for music instruction, the PE program, enrichment classes, a state-of-the-art computer lab, and student incentives; and arranging hours and hours of volunteer time inside and outside of the classrooms. Parents directly participate in school decision making through other organizations as well, including School Site Council and our many Culture Clubs. Thank you parents! We foster our diversity by honoring our cultures, we enhance our curriculum with rigorous standards, we appreciate and value all our students for what they bring, and we model character in everything. This is Gonsalves!

Welcome back to school! Your friends at Los Cerritos Community Newspaper Group, publishers of the ABCUSD Back-to-School Magazine.

2008 ABC Unified School District Back-to-School Magazine

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

“Hawaiian School is the focal point of learning for a community of learners and is committed to rigorous Academic and Character education.”

The Hawaiian “Eagles” Continue to Soar

Welcome to the 2008 – 2009 school year at Hawaiian Elementary. We are very proud of our students, staff, and parents and the hard work that everyone has shown in continuing to raise our level of student achievement. Our Academic Performance Index for 2008 is 690. This is a gain of 82 points over the last five years. This year we challenged all our students to make at least 25 points growth on their California Standards Tests in English Language Arts and Math. We are proud to say that 87 students in English Language Arts and 97 students in Math met this goal and will be recognized with our “Rising Star” award.

“Success for All” Reading Program

Hawaiian Elementary has been a “Success for All” Reading Program School for the last 8 years. This program is particularly effective for students who are English Language Learners. The program stresses fluency and oral language development along with vocabulary development and reading comprehension. Students are tested every 8 weeks to monitor their progress and adjust instructional groupings. Teachers who use this program have been highly trained in the use of research based “best teaching” practices. We attribute much of our gains in student achievement over the last 7 years to the use of Success for All. In 2002, only 4.9% of our English Language Learners were scoring “at or above” proficient on their California Standards Test in English Language Arts. The majority of students were scoring at the “Below Basic” level. This year 23.7% of our

English Language Learners scored “at or above proficient.” The majority is now scoring at the “Basic” level, and is very close to becoming proficient. The Success for All program also has a very strong family component which stresses good attendance, character development, and parent education. Students are recognized every month for accomplishments in these areas. Parents are invited to school to observe classroom lessons and learn techniques for helping their child with reading at home.

Extra Curricular Activities

The after school activities at Hawaiian are designed to address a variety of student interests and/or needs. We have the: •EXTRA (Extending Time to Raise Achievement) Program which provides after school care for students in grades K – 6th until 6:00 p.m. each day. During this time students are helped with their homework and then attend a variety of other activities including art, music, computer lab, and PE. All of this is provided free of charge to parents as a part of Proposition 49 •SES Program (Supplemental Educational Services) which provides after school tutoring 3 times per week for 1 hour to our 2nd – 6th grade students who have scored “below basic” or “far below basic” in English Language Arts or Math on their California Standards Test. •City of Hawaiian Gardens Youth Sports Program which provides a variety of team sports here on our campus throughout the school year. •Hawaiian School Track Team for our 5th and 6th grade boys and girls. The track team practices every spring to prepare for the District wide elementary competition held every year in June. This year the Hawaiian team was awarded 1st place in the small schools division.

Juarez Elementary School 11939 Aclare Street, Cerritos, CA 90703 (562) 865-6278

Principal – LuAnn Adler Home of the Jaguars! A Very Special Place-Making a difference… one child at a time!

Benito Juarez Elementary is a different sort of school! It is characterized by warmth and high expectations. Juarez Elementary balances a push for academic excellence with a push for optimum ethical character

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development. It is truly a place that nurtures the child and helps "grow them" into good citizens. Academically we believe the three building blocks of school success are READING, MATH, and WRITING. We believe that job one is mastering fluent reading. We determine fluent reading by timing the students’ oral reading. If they read at two words per second with no more than five errors out of 100 words they are fluent readers. When students read at two words per second

they make pictures in their brain. If they make pictures in their brain when they read they have comprehension. Reading is the cornerstone of all learning and success in the world. The second building block of education is the ability to compute. At Juarez we emphasize the importance of learning the math facts. Students are tested on their facts by being timed. We know that once a student has their math facts memorized they will be able to comprehend the word problems much better. Writing is the third building block at Juarez. Writing is truly the most difficult subject to teach. This year the teachers are focusing on the task of teaching writing by writing daily and monthly having the students produce a publish-ready writing piece. Each month the teachers will participate in staff development to improve their instruction of writing. We know when students’ writing improves their scores in reading and math goes up! Our ethical character development is provided through our Peace Builders program. Every staff member will be trained in this program so that all staff is communicating the same message. Juarez is truly a place that nurtures the child and helps “grow them” into good citizens.

A Family Feeling

There is a strong family feeling at Benito Juarez School. Whether you are an employee, a parent, a community member, or a student you are treated like family. The staff at Juarez knows the importance of partnering with parents in the growing up of students. Effort is made to bring the two together. Communication promotes this partnership. Weekly phone messages go out to the homes telling the families of upcoming activities. Teachers communicate often with the parents regarding student

academic and behavioral progress. Juarez is characterized by open and honest communication.

A Patriotic Heart

The students and staff are grateful to be Americans and take every opportunity to show their thankfulness. Every morning the entire population of Juarez stops to say the Pledge of Allegiance together. Each Friday the students and teachers gather on the blacktop to assemble together to say the Pledge, sing a patriotic song, learn about the month’s ethical character trait and to announce the Random Acts of Kindness that were done that week. Each year the students participate in a flag retirement ceremony. At this ceremony upper grade students show respect to a tattered flag by retiring it through burning. It is a solemn, reverent and patriotic ceremony.

Academic Excellence

A new goal has been set for a 59 point gain. Our motto this year is "8 is Great!" This motto memorializes our goal of reaching 800 this year. In an assembly medals are given to each student who moves up a level on the STAR testing. Last year a student received a bicycle for moving up three levels (Below Basic to Proficient). We believe in big celebrations of big accomplishments. Each month Juarez has an Awards Assembly in the large Hall of Excellence. Awards are given to students who have excelled in a particular curricular area or who have demonstrated mastery of one of the ethical character traits. These activities at Benito Juarez Elementary School expand the intellect, promote social conscience, and guide the students in positive behaviors that will have benefit much beyond their years in school. Juarez Elementary is a special place!

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

Welcome to Kennedy School!

The highly qualified staff at Kennedy truly believes each child is unique and deserving of a rich educational environment. Learning for all students at Kennedy is enhanced through the supportive and encouraging nature of our school staff, a wonderfully dedicated PTA, and a caring parent community. At Kennedy, we believe that our students are offered a well-balanced education program. Not only do we focus on the high academic achievement of our students, but we

also strive to enrich their lives through the visual and performing arts, technology, character education, and healthy choices, including both nutrition and physical activity. Several programs/resources are available at Kennedy; Up-To-Date Computer Lab, Speech and Language Therapy, Learning Resource Specialist Program, Reading Tutoring Program, Special Day Classes, English Language Learning, Gifted and Talented Education, Music and Dance Program, Head Start and Extended Daycare. Parents are enthusiastically invited to be an active participant in their child’s education through the PTA, School Site Council, and the volun-

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2008 ABC Unified School District Back-to-School Magazine

teer program. Attendance at school events by parents and family is always welcomed and highly encouraged. Technology Advances Technology is an ever-changing tool utilized by staff to deliver curriculum. Each classroom is equipped with computers connected to the Internet, a LCD presenter projector, and a document camera. These devices allow teachers to create and present interactive curricular lessons. In addition to access to computers in the classroom, students visit the up-to-date computer lab weekly in order to learn grade level computer benchmark skills, research subjects or compile reports. Additional computer access is gained through a checkout system of our two mobile laptop carts. Each cart houses 20 laptops capable of accessing the Internet. A site technology coordinator serves as a resource for teachers and provides after-school technology training for all teachers and support staff members throughout the school year. The Arts are Alive and Well at Kennedy! We are very pleased to offer a quality fine arts program to our students. This program includes instruction in dance, choral music, instrumental music and visual arts. Our dance and choral music program is offered to all

students each Friday. Students learn songs ranging from Broadway show tunes to disco. These tunes are expertly taught and choreographed by our dance and music specialist. A culminating performance is held each spring to showcase the students’ hard work and great efforts. The Meet the Masters visual art history program teaches students about the life and art of many of the world’s greatest artists. Students attend an oral presentation, which includes a slide show about an artist prior to recreating their own interpretation of the artists’ style. Monthly staff development opportunities allow for classroom teachers to learn in depth information about the artist. Grade 4-6 students are offered an optional instrumental music program. Beginning and advanced band classes are taught twice weekly in the auditorium. Concerts are held throughout the school year, culminating with BandO-Rama where advanced band students from each of the elementary schools perform a concert in the Gahr High School gymnasium. Please visit our school website at www.kennes.abcusd. k12.ca.us to find out more specific information regarding scheduled events and current happenings.

Leal Elementary School 12920 Droxford Street, Cerritos, CA 90703 (562) 865-0209 Principal – Laura Makely

Welcome back to a new school all of the students, teachers, and parents who make Leal Elementary School an outstanding place for children to year!

Leal is a California Distinguished and National Blue Ribbon school with students who perform in the top 5% of all students in the United States. The school has received these awards because of our outstanding students, teachers and parents and our excellent instructional programs. Leal Elementary School was the recipient of the California School Board’s Golden Bell Award for Family Science Night and has been honored by the California Business for Education Excellence Foundation and Just for the Kids California for our students’ outstanding academic performance. We extend a special thank you to

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learn. Students at Leal Elementary School receive an instructional program that not only emphasizes academic achievement, but also embraces visual and performing arts and technology. We believe that education should not stop with success in reading, writing, and math, but should stimulate and engage students in all areas. Students receive a well-rounded educational experience at Leal. Parents are encouraged to participate in the educational programs at Leal. Parents are welcome to volunteer in classrooms, join the PTA, or become members of our School Site Council. Community members are encouraged to contact the principal or school staff about any of

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

A Visual and Performing Arts Magnet

At Leal Elementary School we have a strong academic program that has a special emphasis on the arts. As a visual and performing arts magnet school for the past nine years, we have implemented a school-wide program which encompasses the following four disciplines: dance, music, theatre, and visual arts. Within this program, students supplement their academic pursuits through the arts and technology. This is accomplished with comprehensive instruction, skill development, and appreciation of the arts. The Leal staff, professional artists, and community partnerships facilitate the program.

Extra-Curricular Activities

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

ve a large number of our students.

Technology Connection

Leal Elementary School has gone digital in every classroom. Each classroom has an LCD projector and a computer to use for instruction. Teachers and students utilize these resources for classroom presentations, Internet based instructional activities, educational video streaming, and the new math curriculum. Even more technological resources are available in our computer lab, which features many valuable instructional applications. Please stop by the school to see the latest technology we are using in our classrooms and in our computer lab.

Our school has a web site:

http://www.leales.abcusd.k12.ca.us The web site is loaded with information about our school. Click on the Calendar Link to find out about upcoming school events. Explore the online version of the World Book Encyclopedia by clicking the Learning Tools Link. Find a book in the school library using the online catalog. Listen to Radio Leal, our schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Internet based radio station. The web site is a good way to stay connected with our school.

Melbourne Elementary School 21314 Claretta, Lakewood, CA 90715 (562) 924-1658 Principal â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Kathy Neder-Olivos

Welcome Back to Melbourne! As the Principal of Melbourne Elementary School it is my pleasure to welcome all of you back for another great school year! Many exciting things will continue to happen at Melbourne for our students, parents, community members, and staff. Melbourne continues to embrace the tenets of a Professional Learning Community which focuses on student learning and high quality instruction. We are excited to share with you that we surpassed our Academic Performance Index or API target by 16 points. It was expected that we would increase by 5 points instead we increased by 16 points to receive a score of 719. The Melbourne staff is to be commended for the excellence they have demonstrated in this area. Continuing this year will be our partnership with our educational support provider, DataWORKS. Through this partnership our teaching staff received over 40 hours of

intensive staff development in the areas of explicit direct instruction, assessment analysis and curriculum design. Sixteen separate parent workshops were also offered during the 07-08 school year and will continue to be offered again this year. At Melbourne we will continue to offer a world class education for all of our students. Parent Participation/Education: Parents are encouraged to participate in the educational programs offered at Melbourne. Parents are welcome to volunteer in our classrooms, join our PTA, or become members of our School Site Council. Also during the 07-08 school year, as part of our Healthier Generation initiative, we offered an adult aerobics class three times per week, this will continue to occur. We also offer adult ESL/Citizenship classes on our campus two times per week. All community members are also invited to participate. Extra-Curricular Activities: Through our partnership with the City of Hawaiian Gardens our students can participate in a variety of sports pro- {continued on page 28} 2008 ABC Unified School District Back-to-School Magazine

grams that are offered after school on our campus. At Melbourne we also offer the EXTRA After-School program. The EXTRA Program is a free program focusing on tutoring and/or homework time in Reading, Mathematics, Enrichment and recreation time. Students also receive a nutritional snack each day, and the opportunity to participate in new, fun, and exciting enrichment opportunities. New Grant Funds: Through the efforts of Congresswoman Linda Sanchez, Melbourne is the recipient of a U.S. Department of Education Grant in the amount of $191,592. These funds

are to be used to provide extensive before and after school intervention classes for our students. Technology Update; Melbourne can boast a brand new PC computer lab for our students to use throughout the year. These new computers were purchased through our District Refresh Cycle funds combined with High Priority grant monies. Each teacher also has a new lap top, desk top computer and printer which will help them keep abreast of what is happening in the world of technology. Students staying healthy at Melbourne!

Niemes Elementary School 16715 S Jersey Avenue, Artesia, CA 90701 (562) 865-9586 Principal – Mariaelena (Meg) Jimenez

Niemes is proud to be a National Magnet School with an emphasis on Environmental Science and Technology. A child with a strong interest in animal life, the outdoors and science will thrive in the Environmental Science and Technology Programs at Niemes Elementary. Our innovative program encourages the students’ love for the natural world and empowers them to become an active participant in the stewardship of their planet. We strive to combine high expectations, stellar educational programs and a partnership with parents and the community to provide the best educational experience for each child.

Make a Difference

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

Investigate

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

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

Research

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

Additional School Highlights

High Academic Expectations and Consistent Behavior Standards. Thanks to the strong commitment of staff, students, and families to the academic success of every child we continue to meet and surpass our academic growth goals of the California State Standards. • Dual Immersion Program English speaking and Spanish speaking students in this program are immersed in both languages throughout their school experience. The program produces students that are fluent in reading, writing, and speaking both English and Spanish when they exit the program at the end of sixth grade. • Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) An individualized education program is developed for each child who has qualified for the GATE program, to enhance and enrich their learning throughout their academic experience.

• Focus on Academic Performance After School Program Open to K through 6th grade students, Monday through Friday. This program, run by the YMCA, includes homework assistance and physical education activities. There is no charge to families. • Niemes Band Beginning and advanced band instruction is open to fourth, fifth, and sixth grade students throughout the school year. • Track/Fitness Club Our After School Running/Walking Program is available to students, first grade through sixth, and parents, twice a week after school, on our large school field. • Niemes Ballet Folklorico After school dance program available to all first through sixth grade boys and girls. The group has become well known and performs through out LA County. • Community Celebrations

Our entire community looks forward to our Read Across America and International Festival.

Program Features

• Environmental science and technology curriculum integ rated into all subject areas • Environmental science laboratory • Outdoors garden habitat • State of the art technology equipment programs and high speed internet • In-classroom technology centers • Computer laboratory • After school environmental and technology program • Green school ecology/Recycling program • Community recycling • Technology instructor • Environmental science instructor.

Patricia Nixon Elementary School 19600 Jacob Avenue, Cerritos, CA 90703 (526) 860-6549 Principal – Melinda Ortiz

California Distinguished School Patricia Nixon Elementary School has been proudly serving students and their families for 35 years. Located in Cerritos, the school hosts one of the largest elementary school enrollments in the ABC Unified School District. Patricia Nixon Elementary School has been recognized by the California Department of Education in 2004 and again in 2008 as a California Distinguished School. The school was recognized for successfully implementing the priorities of the State Superintendent of Public Instruction and the State Board of Education. The Staff and Academic Program The highly skilled and caring professional staff at Patricia Nixon Elementary School provides a comprehensive educational program for all students in a challenging, safe, and nurturing environment. The staff works in a collaborative spirit to ensure an instructional program that balances basic skills with critical thinking, enrichment, and rigor. Character development is a school wide focus in which the staff supports the students to become responsible, participating citizens in a diverse and ever changing society. Parent and Community Involvement The staff and administration at Patricia Nixon Ele-

mentary recognize that the key to successful learning is maintaining a strong partnership between the home, school and community. The parents at Patricia Nixon School are the school’s number one partner in education. An active PTA, School Site Council, the Nixon Foundation, and numerous community volunteers work in collaboration with the school staff and administration to ensure success for each child. The fundraising efforts supported by these volunteers have afforded the students extended and enriched learning opportunities through field trips, assemblies, state of the art technology, and much more. Technology Technology is integrated into all areas of our curriculum. Throughout our school, students use computers and other tools of technology for writing and publishing, research and skills development in all subjects. The school hosts a computer lab with 34 Hewlett Packard computers {continued on page 30} 2008 ABC Unified School District Back-to-School Magazine

and a mobile computer cart with 20 laptop computers for student use. This is supported by additional computers in every classroom. Each classroom is equipped with an LCD projection system and internet access. Each teacher is assigned a personal laptop computer. The school technology committee meets monthly and provides staff development and training in the latest technologies. School and Program Highlights • 2004 & 2008 California Distinguished School • Comprehensive academic program • Dedicated and enthusiastic staff

• 20:1 ration in grades K-3 • Internet Access in all classrooms and computer lab • Monthly Flag Ceremony • Celebrate Success “Super Six Standards” • Meet the Masters fine arts program • Active and supportive PTA • Student Council • Primary and upper grade chorus • Dance Troupe • Drill Team •Before and After School/Extended Day Care

Palms Elementary School 12445 E 207th Street, Lakewood, CA 90715 (562) 924-5549 Principal – Beverly Spicer

It is a great pleasure to share information about our great school. We have a strong and dedicated staff that strives to provide an excellent education for our students. Palms demonstrates Puma Pride! Our Pledge Today has been given to me fresh and new. I can learn from it or throw it away. I will choose to do my best in thoughts, words, and actions. Today I will be a STAR! I will stop, think, and act responsibly. Our Vision Palms is the best place to learn and to work. Our Mission Within a culture of caring and commitment by Palms School's staff and community, all Palms students will acquire: P-Pride in themselves. A-Achievement in academics, citizenship, and effort. L-Lifetime learning skills. M-Memories of caring, sharing, and growing. S- Success now and in the future. What Is Special About Palms School? Palms students are stars! Palms students demonstrate consistent academic growth in the California Academic Performance Index. Palms students are talented! They participate in band, music, classroom plays and musicals, and track team. Palms families are supportive! They support Palms through attendance at parent/teacher conferences, by en-

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joying Palms Family Nights Out, and by assisting as volunteers and through the Parent Teacher Association. Palms teachers are terrific! They are skilled professionals who strive to help each child achieve. Parents frequently remark on our hard-working and caring teachers. Palms support staff is outstanding! The secretaries are friendly and knowledgeable. Students say that our counselor, Mr. Howell, is their counselor, their teacher, and their friend. The staff is a team that works together for student success! Recent School Achievements: Palms teachers received grants: $1,600 from the City of Lakewood, $2,000 from Fedco Corporation, $2,500 for a garden. In addition, we received grants for free field trips to the Aquarium of the Pacific and the Getty Museum. The EXTRA Program offered free educational programs after school for grades K through 6th. Parents supported our school through their efforts at home and by volunteering at school. PTA paid for a gorgeous mural displayed next to our school marquee which displays information for our families. PTA also funded assemblies, field trips and magazines for all students. In the yearly parent survey, 96% of parents gave our school an A or B grade. Parent comments included: The teacher support and communication are wonderful. Great environment and wonderful teachers. My child loves Palms Elementary. Great school!

Stowers Elementary School 13350 Beach Street, Cerritos, CA 90703 (562) 926-2326 Principal – Eileen Blagden

“If we teach today as we taught yesterday, we rob ourselves of tomorrow.“ J. Dewey At Stowers Magnet School of International Studies we are steering in a new direction, as we promote the concepts of the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme, IB-PYP. The PYP focuses on the total growth of the developing child, encompassing social, physical, emotional, and cultural needs in addition to academic development. The PYP draws on research and best practices from a range of national systems and a wealth of knowledge and experience from international schools to create a relevant, engaging, challenging, and significant educational framework for all children. Through this comprehensive program, our students embark on a journey that encompasses high academic standards, a rigorous and challenging curriculum that includes conversational Spanish, an exciting, standards driven science program, as well as a transdisciplinary curriculum, which is tailored to prepare your child for the future. Our students also participate in a seminar that is based upon the Paideia Method where students engage in higher-order critical thinking skills by summarizing, analyzing, synthesizing, comparing, contrasting, logically defending, and challenging their own ideas and those of others. Technologically Prepared Our students regularly utilize a computer lab equipped with 32 computers. Mrs. Lee, our computer teacher, uses a SmartBoard to teach students the computer skills they

need to collaborate, communicate, conduct inquiries, and manage data to participate globally in the 21st century. Our classrooms are equipped with computers, document cameras, and multimedia projectors which allow our teachers to impart the curriculum using the most technologically advanced equipment. Our students can be seen using technology as a means to investigate and inquire receiving more information, as well as creating presentations to share their knowledge with classmates. The Arts At Stowers, we support the arts. All our students participate in Meet the Masters, an art education program where our students study the great artists of the world, then create their works of art based upon those artists. Our students also participate in visual and performing arts taught by our many talented classroom teachers, as well as an instrumental program for grades 4 – 6 taught by our band instructor, Mrs. Widner. All facets of stage production are taught as students participate as vocalists, dancers, actors, set designers, script writers, sound technicians, and stage crew, with two large performances each year. International Festival We are very proud of our end of the year culminating activity, our International Festival. Working together as students, teachers, parents, and community members we are able to put on a wonderful International Festival celebrating the diversity of our entire Stowers School Family. As a family event, international games are played, performances from many different countries are enjoyed, and a variety of foods from our diverse Stowers population is enjoyed by all.

Best Wishes for a Successful School Year!

2008 ABC Unified School District Back-to-School Magazine

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

Welcome to the 2008-2009 school year at Willow Elementary School. Working as members of a professional learning community, Willow teachers collaborate on an ongoing basis to plan and implement powerful learning strategies for all students. All certificated staff, highly trained professional experts, and paraeducators work together during the language arts block to provide instruction to students in flexible groups. The Willow teachers, psychologist, and support providers have implemented a highly effective Response to Intervention Program for reading which allows target students to receive a second dose of reading each day. Additional support in reading is provided for students who need to improve their reading fluency, accuracy, and/or comprehension. This intensive instruction occurs during the school day in the Reading Lab. The highly trained staff works with students in small groups using the Corrective Reading and Horizons Programs. Additional opportunities for support in language arts and mathematics will be provided after school for identified students. The results of the 2007-2008 California Progress Reporting demonstrate that the Willow instructional team continues to be moving in the right direction as growth was more than three times the established growth target. Students at Willow have the opportunity to showcase their talent and creativity during the school year. Each October students are invited to create a jack-o-lantern and bring it to school to be placed in the pumpkin patch located on the kindergarten playground. The entire school

community is invited to tour the patch and the PTA awards prizes at each grade level. In December, all students perform in the Winter Program. Students take to the stage to dazzle the audience with their songs, dances, or perhaps a poem. The Family Fun Festival takes place each May. It is produced in a collaborative effort between the PTA and staff. There are carnival games, food and entertainment. The community comes out to enjoy Double-Dutch jumpers, multicultural songs and dances, instrumental music, and performances from current productions like High School Musical. Willow School participates in the Nutrition Network Grant along with other ABC schools. Students get to taste new and different fruits and vegetables each month as part of the Harvest of the Month. The importance of good nutrition and exercise is highlighted. This year each student will have the opportunity to paint a tile depicting a healthy food or activity. These tiles will be placed together to form a mural. Look for this healthful reminder to be up on the wall outside the computer lab at our main entrance later this school year. As the new principal at Willow, one of my main goals is to build positive relationships with students, staff, parents, and the community. We will be creating a parent center which will open during the first trimester. We hope the center will be a welcoming environment where parents can gather to discuss common issues, participate in workshops, help prepare needed classroom materials, and make friends. A communication envelope, which will be sent home each Wednesday, will provide the information parents need to keep abreast of all opportunities at Willow School. Please come and visit!

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

Welcome to a new school year! “It’s going to be fine in ’08-’09!” Our selection as a 2008 California Distinguished School will serve as a nice ‘springboard’ into our new school year. The California Distinguished School distinction is conferred on only

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A California Distinguished School 5% of all public elementary schools in the entire state. And, it’s an honor in which the entire Wittmann learning community—teachers, staff, students, and parents—can take exceptional pride. Truly, Wittmann Elementary embodies a team environment that invites participation from all of our school’s stakeholders because we understand the strength and

synergy that comes from unifying many people under a single vision of student success. We encourage all families to participate in our programs and in our classrooms. Together, “We are Wittmann!” and “We value Learning!” Wittmann Elementary continues to maintain an exceptional reputation of academic excellence. It’s a reputation founded on a dedicated teaching staff, rigorous instructional program, and very high expectations. Of course, our powerful learning environment produces prevailing results as measured by the annual state-mandated test scores. Wittmann consistently exceeds the California Department of Education’s Academic Performance Index (API) “goal” of 800. And, on a scale of 1-10, the California Department of Education gives Wittmann School its highest API ranking of ‘10’. “We are Wittmann!” and “We are Peace Builders!” Academics aside, at Wittmann School, we believe that we are educating the “whole child.” A firm, fair, and consistent behavioral program sets a respectful tone that permeates throughout the entire campus. Our schoolwide Peace Builders program promotes the six basic rules of peace building: to praise people, to give up put downs, to seek wise people, to notice and speak up about hurts, to right wrongs, and to help others. Classroom lessons and schoolwide assemblies support the practice of those Peace

Builder attributes. In addition, students who exemplify Peace Builder characteristics are recognized at awards ceremonies throughout the year. “We are Wittmann!” and “We are Well-Rounded!” While Wittmann teachers emphasize Writing, Arithmetic, and Reading (the ‘WAR’ within the Wittmann ‘War’riors!), a bevy of other programs and activities provide an enriching environment that truly enhances and supports student learning. Visual and Performing Arts education, Family Nights, School Wellness Activities, numerous field trips, weekly computer and library education, as well as after-school intervention and enrichment programs, help enhance the learning experience for our diverse student body. “We are Wittmann!” and “We are Open!” Principal Walker’s office is always open to current and future Wittmann families. We look forward to hearing your suggestions, thoughts, and ideas for our school. We encourage you join our Parent Teacher Association (PTA) and/or our Wittmann School Educational Foundation (WSEF). We would love to have you volunteer in our classrooms or in one of our many programs. Essentially, we want you to join our team, because…as you already know…”We are Wittmann!“

MIDDLE SCHOOLS

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

Carmenita Middle School’s Vision Carmenita Middle School is a diverse learning community where everyone works together to provide a nurturing environment that fosters academic excellence. Not only do we foster academic excellence, but we believe in our motto, which is “Accelerating Excellence.” Our desire is to take students from where they are and move them to the next level of excellence in their academic and social growth. Distinguished Scholars Program Carmenita Middle School takes pride in “Accelerating Excellence” through our Distinguished Scholars program. Students in the Distinguished Scholars program are given specialized activities and assignments that allow them to have a deeper knowledge and understanding of a specific subject area. These specialized activities and assignments

accelerate a student’s curiosity and learning in that specific subject area. If a student desires to become a Distinguished Scholar, the student must be passionate about a specific subject area, willing to go “above and beyond” on assignments, dedicated to excellence, and a positive role model. Carmenita believes that healthy bodies produce healthy minds. We are excited to announce that our new “Cougar Health and Fitness Center” will be open for the 08-09 school year. Carmenita is the only school in ABC Unified with a fitness center. Students will learn to use state-of-the-art fitness machines and technology to improve their physical fitness and produce a healthier body. Our machines include ellipticals, stair steppers, stationary bicycles, and dance pads with monitors. Several monitors are strategically placed to allow students to have competitive races on the stationary bicycles. We take pride in {continued on page 34} 2008 ABC Unified School District Back-to-School Magazine

accelerating excellence through helping students become physically fit. We would like to thank Carmenita PTA who donated money to help us with our fitness center and all the staff members who participated in various fundraising activities. Parent Involvement We embrace parental involvement and understand that involved parents have a positive impact on student success. Carmenita has the largest PTA membership in the district and has developed a website (carmenitapta. org). Our desire is that all students are informed about their student’s assignments and progress throughout the year. Therefore, we have provided a parent portal, which

allows parents to access student grades through the ABC website (abcusd.k12.ca.us). Additionally, all teachers utilize teacherweb.com to update their assignments and provide parents with important information regarding their student’s classes. Parents and students alike can check for homework assignments that can be found on this website. We are excited about the 2008-09 school year and providing a caring learning community that helps all students reach their highest potential. We will continue to “Accelerate Excellence” and maintain the high academic standards that are at the heart of all we do.

Fedde Middle School 21409 S Elaine Avenue, Hawaiian Gardens, CA 90716 (562) 924-2309 Principal – Rochelle Wollman

Fedde International Studies Academy is committed to a rich and challenging tradition of excellence, where every decision is made with the students’ best interest in mind. We recognize the value of each student as an integral member of the school community. With a partnership of parents, staff, and students, we are dedicated to making every student successful The staff at Fedde believes that middle school is a time of transition for our students and should provide opportunities to explore their creative and academic talents. Fedde offers many opportunities for students to be involved in academic and extra-curricular activities such as; California Junior Scholarship Federation, Science Olympiads, Science Olympics, Band, and History Day. Our after school program will offer additional support to students in homework club. Students will have opportunities to explore areas of interest through culinary arts, cheerleading and tall flags, mechanics and sports. Our entire staff is committed to providing the very best educational environment for your child to succeed academically, socially and emotionally. Fedde applied for a magnet grant focusing on the In-

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ternational Baccalaureate Program. It aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect. We are the proud recipient of a three year $1.5 million dollar magnet grant. Students will be provided with multiple opportunities to acquire the skills necessary to conduct inquiry and research and show independence in learning. Our students will be given opportunities to develop a sensitivity to the needs of their community by doing various community service projects. For all our parents, I hope that you will take time to be involved with our school activities even though this is a time when your child may be asking for more independence. By becoming a member of Parent Teacher Association (PTA), School Site Council (SSC), Magnet Advisory Board, or English Language Advisory Committee (ELAC), you will have many opportunities to participate in school activities and at the same time, provide valuable support to your child. I am looking forward to a wonderful year at Fedde! Please feel free to contact me or any member of our staff if you should have any questions or if we can be of assistance to you in any way.

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

A Commitment to Excellence! Welcome to Haskell Middle School, home of the Mustangs. At Haskell, the entire school community shares a student-centered philosophy. Our community works together for one common goal...student achievement. We are proud to offer a variety of programs which provide a strong foundation for our students and prepare them for their high school and college experiences. Several of our programs and their descriptions are listed below. Welcome Every Body Program (WEB): Our WEB program is a student orientation and support program for incoming seventh graders and new eighth graders designed to help students make a successful transition from elementary school to middle school. Select 8th grade students serve as leaders and mentors to 7th grade students throughout the school year. Honors/GATE Program: Honors classes are available for qualified 7th and 8th grade students in English/ Language Arts, Social Science, and Science. In addition, Geometry and Spanish I are high school level classes available to students who qualify. AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) AVID is a college bound elective class designed to provide students with college level entry skills, motivate students to seek a college education, and increase the participants’ level of career awareness. Students will have the opportunity to interact with college tutors, guest speakers, and participate in college field trips. A minimum GPA of 2.0 is required. Applications and interviews are part of the acceptance process. We are proud to say that our AVID program is fully certified and we are looking forward to our third year. Technology for the 21st Century: Haskell offers many opportunities for students to utilize technology including our TV Broadcasting class, computer education, and advanced computer classes. The Library Multimedia Center offers the latest computer research available to all students. Parents can access their students’ grades daily on the ABI Parent Portal. Performing Arts Programs: Haskell’s Performing Arts program includes Band, Chorus, and Drama. Students are encouraged to develop and display their talents in a safe, supportive, and nurturing environment. Performances are scheduled throughout the year. Students can sign up to be

a member of our outstanding drum line. L.A. County History Day Program: Haskell students look forward to participating in the annual History Day program. Students work together in teams throughout the school year to develop projects based on a particular theme. Top participants in the school wide competition are invited to compete at the Los Angeles County level in the spring. Science Olympics, Science Catalina Field Trip, Sally Ride Festival at UCLA: The annual District Science Olympics offers a variety of activities for students to participate in including the roller coaster, egg drop, and water rockets events. Through private grant funds, select Haskell students will participate in the annual Catalina Exploratory Science Field Trip. Students experience Science through interactive and hands-on activities on Catalina Island. Seventh and eighth grade girls have the opportunity to attend the Sally Ride Festival at UCLA. This special conference with a “Space” theme focus held in October. Girls have the opportunity to meet their favorite astronauts and learn about space exploration. Preparing Students for Bright Futures - Career Day & College Night: Haskell offers students a Career Day experience that features numerous guest speakers and opportunities to interact with professionals from the world of work. Haskell’s annual College Information Night provides students and parents with the latest information, news, costs, and developments involved in sending students to college. Join us for these special events. After School Academy Programs: The highly successful Algebra Academy is offered to all students who would like to prepare for advanced classes in the area of mathematics. Classes are also available to all students seeking support in English/Language Arts, Reading, and Mathematics. The Homework Club meets four days a week in the library. Extra-Curricular Activities: Haskell will continue to offer an after school sports program for boys and girls which includes flag football, basketball, soccer, volleyball, softball, cross country, and track and field. An active cheer squad is also a popular activity on campus that girls participate in to show their school spirit. School organizations and clubs include CJSF (California Junior Scholarship Federation), Campus Life, Library Club, Computer Club, Science Investigation, and the AVID Club Student-Led Parent Conferences: At the beginning of {continued on page 36} 2008 ABC Unified School District Back-to-School Magazine

the second semester, parents are invited to attend a conference with their student and the teachers to review individual goals and report card grades from the first semester. Students have the opportunity to reflect on their successes and areas of improvement and develop next steps to achieve their goals. We invite all students and their pa-

Ross Middle School 17707 S Elaine Street, Artesia, CA 90701 (562) 924-8331 Principal â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Ricardo Brown

Welcome To Ross Academy of Creative Media and Arts (RACMA)! In November 2004, Ross Middle School became a federally funded magnet school for Creative and Media Arts. All Ross students have the opportunity to display, perform and demonstrate what they have learned in Fine Arts, Theater Arts, Media Production, Literary and Musical Arts. In Fine Arts, students study printmaking, ceramics, sculpture, drawing, and art history. Students learn drama and acting, stage production, set and costume design in the Theater Arts program. All core classes use state of the art technology and equipment to teach the English, History, Science, Health, Math, and Physical Education standards. Students demonstrate what they have learned by creating multimedia projects across the curriculum. One of the most popular classes is Video Production, where students learn to film, edit, write, and produce daily broadcasts from the RACMA studio. Students in journalism learn digital photography, desktop publishing, and create a web design yearbook. Musical Arts and Music in Education Program In addition to beginning, intermediate and advanced band classes, students can participate in Jazz band and Choir, Orchestra, Drumline, and Color Guard. Our Parade Band, Drumline, and Color Guard participate in local exhibitions and competitions. Music in Education, designed by the Yamaha Corporation, provides a comprehensive music learning program. All seventh grade students develop musical skills through listening, discussing, describing, and creating music on keyboards in a Music Lab. Intervention Programs At Ross, we believe that all students can learn through the enriched challenging curriculum offered in the core and elective classes. When students need additional sup-

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rents to take part in this worthwhile activity. PTSA - Parent, Teacher, Student Association: You are invited to join us in making a difference for our students. Meetings are held on the first Monday of every month at 6:00 P.M. We look forward to seeing you! Be a part of the Mustang success story!

California Distinguished School Title I Achievement Award Magnet School of Distinction Award port to be successful, we offer a wide variety of intervention classes before, during, and after school in Math, English, Science, and History. Our computer lab opens at 7:00 A.M. every morning and after school for students who need access to computers for classroom projects. We also offer a Homework Club for students who need a quiet place to study. After School Enrichment Program/Honors and GATE Programs In the REACH (Ross Enriched Accelerating Challenging Honors) program, high achieving students exhibit their talents and abilities through project based learning and after school seminars. Students use state of the art technology and software to demonstrate what they have learned in creative projects. All Ross students may attend after school enrichment classes in dance, culinary arts, costume design and drama. Science students learn by participating in the Science Olympics and Course Catalina. Health students create Public Service Announcements promoting healthy lifestyles. PTA and School Site Council Parents are an essential component of the success of our students. The Ross PTA is very supportive of all school programs, and works closely with the Associated Student Body (ASB) Student Leadership Class to sponsor school events such as dances and field trips. The School Site Council works together with the principal, staff, and students to approve our School Plan and develop our school budget. For more information about the School Site Council, contact Principal Ricardo Brown at 562924-8331. Student Achievement At Ross Middle School, we believe that our enriched learning opportunities combined with a strong standards-based curriculum and a dedicated and professional teaching staff will continue to increase student achievement and success.

Tetzlaff Middle School 12351 Del Amo Blvd, Cerritos, CA 90703 (562) 865-9539 Principal – Crechena Wise

Tetzlaff Middle School has continued the tradition of high academic standards being named a 2005 California Distinguished School. Our school was also acknowledged as a National Blue Ribbon School in the year of 2000 and California Distinguished School in 1991 and 1999. Since the inception of the Academic Performance Index (API), Tetzlaff has achieved its school-wide California State assessment goals. In fact since receiving the National Blue Ribbon Award in the year of 2000, Tetzlaff’s API has grown from 696 to 798. Our goal at Tetzlaff is to achieve beyond 800 in the 200809 school year! Tetzlaff enjoys fully modernized facilities. Each classroom is beautiful and enjoys full Internet connectivity, a state-of-the-art phone system, voice mail, teacher email and professional teaching computer stations. The campus has wireless technology in every building and last year it added 80 wireless Mac laptop computers for students to do on-line writing in English class and at home. Teachers are now working towards adopting a powerful website technology to improve communications between teacher, students and parents. This technology would grant 24/7 access to students and parents regarding the latest happenings in each of Tetzlaff’s classes. Academic achievement is the main thing at Tetzlaff Middle School! Central to Tetzlaff’s program are academic content and elective classes. At Tetzlaff, the core curriculum includes math, English, science, history and

physical education, where students are inspired by great teaching each day. The elective program at Tetzlaff offers an exciting selection of classes that includes computers, art, television production and broadcasting, home economics, industrial education, Spanish, yearbook journalism, reading and our award winning music education program. Tetzlaff teachers have worked hard to align their curriculum to the State of California Content Standards. Teachers assess their students each quarter with quarterly final exams that measure student performance against the state standards, determine Tetzlaff’s program effectiveness and identify students that need extra help. Tetzlaff offers many after school activities that includes exciting student clubs and an after school sports program where competition against other district middle schools occurs throughout the year. Middle School students have needs that range from the intellectual, physical, social and emotional, all of which drive the Tetzlaff goals and priorities throughout the year. It is evident when one walks onto the park-like setting of Tetzlaff’s campus that the instructional program, student support services and co-curricular activities are designed to bring out every individual’s personal best. With this spirit in mind, the large old school bell stands within the school’s center quad. If you every stroll by Tetzlaff and happened to hear that old school bell ring as it did in the days of the one room schoolhouse, you’ll know it’s Tetzlaff honoring and celebrating the success of its students.

HIGH SCHOOLS

Artesia High School 12108 E. Del Amo Blvd, Lakewood, CA 90715 (562) 926-5566, ext 21600 Principal – Sergio Garcia

Vision The Artesia High School graduate, educated through a research-based curriculum, is able to rise above the limits of economic and cultural demographics and will be prepared to take on the challenges of post-graduate life.

Mission Artesia High School provides a positive environment that implements research-based strategies to close the achievement gap, to enhance student learning, and to motivate students from diverse ethnicities and socio-economic backgrounds to attain {continued on page 38} academic success. 2008 ABC Unified School District Back-to-School Magazine

Artesia High School prides itself on the challenging curriculum we offer every student. Our dedicated faculty works incredibly hard to demonstrate exceptional teaching reflective of the best practice in education and also to provide as many extra help opportunities for students who are struggling and for students who wish to be challenged at higher levels. Our students can be found working with teachers well before first period, as well as throughout the day, after school, in the evenings and sometimes on weekends. Learning opportunities continue all day long, to the point that any visitor that comes to our campus in an average day would see, students and staff reviewing classroom lessons, studying for exams, working together on club initiatives, planning field trips, or working on individual projects. Our teachers’ commitment to our students is what sets them apart from many other faculties. Many community partners look forward to investing

in our school, and in our students! Their goal is to enhance our learning opportunities and develop future leaders. We have created a learning environment in which all students at Artesia High School will believe in themselves, will achieve with high academic standards, and will succeed in graduating from high school and attending post secondary education. Parent involvement in the educational process is encouraged and appreciated at Artesia High School. Families are welcome on campus and encouraged to participate through PTA, School Site Council, the Booster Clubs, as classroom volunteers, and in school programs and events. Remember that you never need an appointment to see an administrator. I look forward to meeting you and hope that you will take the time to stop by and introduce yourselves. Please remember, that at Artesia High School, Failure is not an option!

Cerritos High School 12500 E 183rd Street, Cerritos, CA 90703 (562) 926-5566, ext. 21800 Principal – Janice Peterson

Principal’s Message Welcome to Cerritos High School, home of the Dons. We are proud of our students as they excel in their studies, establish friendships, and demonstrate school pride at Cerritos High School Accolades for Cerritos High School Cerritos High School is one of the foremost educational institutions in the United States. Newsweek Magazine has named CHS as one of the top 1,000 high schools in the United States for the past four years ranking as high as 178th. Cerritos High School was one of 100 high schools named to the 2007 Honor Roll by the California Business for Education Excellence Foundation. LA Magazine in the September 2008 issue named CHS on its Honor Roll with 47 other high schools, both public and private. The results were based on a statistical analysis that measured academic performance and students’ preparation for college. These distinctions are a result of consistently high academic achievement and the hard work of a dedicated faculty and staff that balances academics, vocations, and post-secondary opportunities with social awareness, citizenship, and responsibility. Academic Accomplishments We are very proud of our academic accomplishments

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at Cerritos High School. State-mandated tests have shown outstanding performance by our students with an Academic Performance Index (API) number consistently over the 800 benchmark. College Preparatory classes make up the foundation of courses offered with a variety of elective classes rounding out the master schedule. Many Advanced Placement classes challenge students in a most rigorous curricular environment with AP test results showing our overall pass rate to be above 70%. CHS graduates continue to be accepted and successful at private and public universities and colleges. Well–Rounded Students Students at CHS are involved in a myriad of co-curricular activities. Countless clubs and organizations cultivate our students’ imaginations, promote leadership, and provide invaluable opportunities for our students to demonstrate their talents and interests. Some of these clubs/ organizations are Model United Nations, California Scholarship Federation, Key Club, National Honors Society, and our ASB student leader group. The performing arts flourish at CHS. The “Regiment of Gold” band, flag, and rifle team have been honored at local, state, and national competitions. The CHS dance-drill teams and pep squads have been winning national level competitions over the years. Our interscholastic athletics continue to win Suburban League championships and state CIF playoff compe-

titions. The C-High Live program broadcasts daily news and highlights school programs and activities. This talented team of students also films and creates a professional quality DVD that features the senior moments, spring sports, and activities. This is added as a supplement to our award-winning yearbook that is designed and edited by our yearbook class, another group of talented students. Expected School wide Learning Results – ESLRS Graduates of CHS will be

Effective Communicators Positive and Productive Citizens Responsible Learners Complex Thinkers Cerritos High School is committed to preparing students for the future. We plan on making 2008-2009 another great year as we add to the success stories in Cerritos High School’s rich history.

Gahr High School 11111 Artesia Blvd, Cerritos, CA 90703 (562) 926-5566, ext. 22000 Principal – Gina Zietlow

As a WASC Accredited, California Distinguished School, Gahr High School is a diverse community with over 30 cultural groups and languages shared by students on the campus. In this context, staff seeks to provide a variety of opportunities for students to learn and develop as global citizens prepared for the 21st Century. The Gahr community understands the value of a quality education and provides opportunities for students to grow and develop as individuals and teams. This growth is accomplished in each classroom, class meeting, club meeting, rehearsal or team practice, as students are equipped to meet their educational and career goals. As a diverse, comprehensive high school, Gahr provides students with diverse options in the areas of Academics, Activities, and Athletics.

Academic Diversity

Gahr High School offers student programs that range from courses for English Learners to Advanced Placement courses. Most courses offered at Gahr are college preparatory in nature and meet the requirements for entrance to the University of California and California State University systems. In addition, the Gahr staff believes that students should have available to them assistance or intervention in academic subject areas. This assistance is found in various courses and opportunities provided for students. Gahr High School offers English Language Arts and Math courses for students who are in need of assistance with passing the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) or other graduation requirements; tutoring in English, Math, Science, Social Science, and Foreign Language; and Advanced Placement review sessions and experiences. The academic diversity of the campus is also seen in the many programs that are available for students, which require both time in and out of the classroom. The following are some of the academic programs available for students that provide real life learning experiences which students can use when they leave Gahr High School:

Arts Technology Academy (ATA)

The Arts Technology Academy (ATA) is a California Part-

nership Academy that provides students with a visual arts and technology focus during their high school experience. Academy students are enrolled in English, Social Science, Science, and Art Technology courses together during the 10th, 11th, and 12th grades. In addition, 9th grade students are able to participate in the Introduction to ATA/Art I course as part of a bridge from middle school to high school. The educational experiences of the students are enhanced by a variety of guest speakers, field trips, and special activities that allow students to experience the art world and the use of technology in that world.

Model United Nations (MUN)

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

Regional Occupational Program (ROP)

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

Performing Arts

Gahr High School offers many opportunities for students interested in theater and music. Through the theater program, students have opportunities to {continued on page 40} 2008 ABC Unified School District Back-to-School Magazine

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

Activity Diversity

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

Athletic Diversity

The diversity of Gahr High School is also found in the multiple athletic opportunities that exist for students. The athletic

programs happen on a seasonal calendar with Cheerleading and Color Guard being year-round programs. In addition, most of the athletic programs at Gahr have summer activities. To participate, a student must complete an Athletic Clearance Packet and complete a tryout or interview with the team coach before being placed on an athletic team and in an athletic class period. In the fall season, Gahr High School offers Boys Cross Country, Girls Cross Country, Co-Ed Football, Girls Golf, Girls Tennis, Girls Volleyball, and Boys Water Polo. During the winter season, Gahr High School offers Boys Basketball, Girls Basketball, Boys Soccer, Girls Soccer, Girls Water Polo, and Co-Ed Wrestling. Finally, in the spring season, Gahr High School offers Co-Ed Badminton, Baseball, Boys Golf, Softball, Boys Swimming, Girls Swimming, Boys Tennis, Boys Track & Field, Girls Track & Field, and Boys Volleyball.

Parent/Guardian Opportunities

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

Tracy High School 12222 Cuesta Drive , Cerritos, CA 90703 (562) 926-5566, ext. 22200 Principal â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Jeff Green

Tracy High School is at the center of the ABC Unified School Districtâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s system of alter-native programs for high school students. Tracy High School became a Model Continuation School in 2002 and was given a maximum six year accreditation by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges in June 2005. Tracy has outstanding academic reward programs and a dedictaed staff that offers personal attention to students who are behind in credits. Students receive academic, personal, and attendance counseling and support. A specially trained staff teaches all requi-

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red courses for graduation. Small class size and a friendly campus encourage student achievement. An emphasis is placed on academic counseling as well as an anti-drug, anti-tobacco, philosophy. Tracy High School has all of the basic extra-curricular activities of a comprehensive high school (with the exception of athletics.) Students enjoy outings such as Grad Night at Disneyland, Senior Prom, an annual yearbook as well as student of the month awards, Back to School Night, and Open House. For over four years, the Digital High School Program has brought Tracy into the internet age. All classrooms are equipped with Internet and multiple computers, giving the students, as well as the teachers

and staff, access to this very important educational resource. CAL-SAFE The Teen Parent Program is open to students who are expecting a child and/or are already parenting. An emphasis is placed on parenting skills, prenatal health, individual and group counseling, academic coursework, and the importance of earning a high school diploma. An infant center is offered to participating students and is staffed by professional as well as community and student volunteers.

Afternoon High School

This option is offered to Tracy students from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Students with serious attendance or school related problems are transferred to this program. This educational alternative is located at the Cabrillo Lane campus on Del Amo Blvd. Behavior modification such as conflict resolution, study skills, responsible decision making skills and job readiness are emphasized.

Tracy Afternoon Program - TAP

This program is open to 10th grade students who are under 16 years of age. Upon the counselorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s recommendation, students take classes daily from the hours of 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Students must be at least 30 credits behind in order to be considered. All students must be refer-

red by their home school and attend an orientation before being admitted.

The ABC Secondary School

Independent Study is a continuously voluntary educational alternative. It is a means of individualizing an educational learning plan for 7th through 12th grade students whose needs may best be met through study outside the regular classroom setting. For more information call 562-809-1082. Short-term Independent Study is an educational alternative for students who will have planned leaves of absence of five days or more. The independent study agreement must be entered into before the student starts his/ her absence. Elementary students should see their Principals; and middle and high school students should see their counselor for more information or call Ms. Pauline Calcote at 562-926-5566 ext. 22207. Evening Work Experience is held in the evening and is open to all students over the age of 16 who work 30 hours a week or more. The program is held in two sessions. The first session is from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. and the second session is from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. All academic classes necessary for high school graduation are offered in these night sessions. Students earn elective credits for completing job-related assignments.

Whitney High School 16800 Shoemaker Avenue, Cerritos, CA 90703 (562) 926-5566, ext. 22300 Principal â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Patricia Hager

We strive to be the best public college prep school in the world. Whitney High School is consistently ranked as one of the top performing public high schools in California. Our mission is to prepare students for entrance to and success at their best match college or university. The highest mountain in the Continental United States is Mount Whitney. It is an impressive achievement for hikers and climbers who reach the top of those rugged peaks because of the extraordinary effort, stamina, determination, and preparation required. The journey of students at Whitney High School has similarities and parallels to those mountain climbers. It is symbolic that both share the same name and a similar level of demands. The students who graduate from WHS are challenged by a rigorous academic curriculum, but

they are rewarded with amazing post secondary opportunities as a result. They, too, ascend to the "top." Of the Class of 2007, 54% enrolled in a University of California, 12.6% enrolled in California State Universities, 24.7% enrolled in private colleges (in and out of state), 8% enrolled in Community Colleges, and .06% were accepted into Military Academies. This class of 174 students earned over $6 million in scholarships, which will support their future endeavors. These numbers reflect an incredible amount of hard work and motivation and are as impressive as reaching the top of Mount Whitney, particularly given the increasingly competitive nature of college admissions nowadays. As Principal of WHS, I am proud of our students, truly respect the dedication of our faculty and appreciate the support of our parents/community. We look forward to continuing our journey to become the best public college prep school in the world. 2008 ABC Unified School District Back-to-School Magazine

ABC Adult School 12254 Cuesta, Cerritos, CA 90703 (562) 926-5566, ext. 25011 Principal – Dr. Pao-Ling Guo

As a new principal of ABC Adult School, it gives me great pleasure to extend my warm welcome to all of you to the 2008-09 school year. Having been an assistant principal at ABC Adult School for the last seven years, I know first-hand the quality education and programs that students and communities are offered at ABC Adult school. Throughout its more than fifty years of service to the community, ABC Adult School has consistently met and exceeded the educational needs of a diverse student population. Our greatest assets in furthering this legacy have been the great support of our communities. Your commitment in learning and dedication to ABC Adult School programs is evident in this rich heritage. ABC Adult School is a school rich in a tradition of excellence, an academic institution that prizes excellence in teaching and learning. It has been, and always will be, a place that is vibrant with a rich diversity of people, and where many of you feel comfortable and genuinely at home. This sense of belonging is part of the ABC Adult School heritage. We continue to commit ourselves to one another. We welcome all who would join in our mission— To improve the quality of life in our community! As the school’s new principal, I can assure you that ABC Adult School will continue to provide all the resources needed to further the cause for even greater student achievement. Offering students the latest in curriculum enhancements in a safe, state-of-the-art learning environment, will continue to serve as our school’s primary focus throughout this new school year. ABC Adult School is an integral part of our community and I appreciate all the support and guidance we receive from our businesses and community members. Without everyone’s support, we wouldn’t have the same level of success that the school has enjoyed throughout the years. It is in the spirit of meeting this challenge, that I invite all of you to partner with our school in helping to pave the path, to what I believe, is the endless new horizons of improving the quality of life! I take great pride in being the principal and I am very proud to be working with such an excellent learning community. I wish you much success in the new school year and I personally look forward to seeing all of you on our campus and in our classes. If there is any way that I can

42 2008 ABC Unified School District Back-to-School Magazine

help you throughout the year, please give me a call at (562) 926-6734 Ext. 25011. Welcome to ABC Adult School! You are about to become part of the long and distinguished tradition that ABC Adult School has worked toward over the last fifty years. Whether you are seeking to improve your career potential, getting your high school diploma, shaping your English skills, or enrich your quality of life through adult education, ABC Adult School is the right choice for you. As the school’s principal, it is important to me to continue with our efforts to expand and improve the quality of adult education for all students. Besides that, ABC Adult School will continue to support and encourage the many life-enriching events, activities and programs which will provide our community members with a well-rounded, high quality educational experience: ESL, Citizenship, and Academics English as a Second Language classes put the “fun” in functional. We offer many levels of classes to meet the diverse needs of our students. Our teachers use the most innovative and up-to-date technology to assist students in acquiring language quickly. Students come mornings, afternoons and evenings. We even offer FREE childcare for pre-school age children. For those whose schedule does not permit them to attend our classes, we offer “Distance Learning”, a “learn at home” program. Many of our students not only want to learn English, they want to become US citizens. We offer thorough courses and have a high pass rate. Students who want to earn a high school diploma or GED find our programs “user friendly.” Students set their own pace for learning. Most mornings and evenings, our Learning Center is full of students working towards completing their goal of a diploma because they know “the more they learn, the more they earn.” Vocational Education The Career Technical Education Center (CTEC) offers a variety of classes designed to teach the students the skills needed for gainful employment. We offer many hardware and software computer classes that are designed to teach the student new skills for a new career, or bring current computer skills up to business and industry standards. Classes specific to the medical industry are also offered at Cabrillo Lane campus.

Parent Education

ABC Adult School in partnership with the ABC Unified School District is working to provide parent education workshops that will foster parental involvement. The goal of the partnership is to equip parents with skills to help their children succeed in the classroom and to strengthen the home-school connection. We welcome suggestion for additional workshops topics. Classes may be taught by an Adult School teacher or by a teacher from ABC Unified School District. Older Adults, Health and Safety and Home Economics In order to provide community members with opportunities to experience a healthy, active lifestyle that complements

and enhances the quality of their lives, ABC Adult School has expanded its programs in the Home Economics, Older Adults and Health & Safety areas from 2 sites to 17 different locations within the last seven years. Evidence supporting the beneficial effects of life long learning is growing. Taking art, music or exercise classes will improve the quality of life and one’s sense of well-being. And many, many studies have shown that life long learning contributes to longevity, even for someone who goes from being a couch potato to slightly more active in learning. So what are you waiting for? Please check out our brochure and come to our classes.

ABC Unified School District Community Partnerships-con‘t Godiva Chocolate Golden House, Inc. Goldilocks Bakery of Cerritos

Goodys Pizza Grant Link Greater Lakewood Chamber of Commerce Green Planet Recycling Grille 91 Restaurant - Cerritos Sheraton Hanmi Bank Harbor Regional Center Hawaiian Gardens Casino Hawaiian Gardens City Library Health First Medical Healthnet Helpline Youth Counseling Helzer Chiropractic Hof's Hut Holiday Inn Long Beach Airport Holiday Inn Select- La Mirada Holt Rinehart & Winston Home Depot #619 Home Town Buffet Honeybaked Ham Hot Dog On A Stick Hot Topic Houghton Mifflin Company IABA Ideal Florist In-N-Out Burger Institute for Applied Behavior Analysis Irving Moskowitz Foundation Jack-In-Box Joshua Medical Group Jostens Inc. Juice It Up Kabuki Restaurant Kaiser Permanente Bellflower Medical Center Kaleidoscope KB Toys Keenan & Associates Kelemen Chiropractic Kentucky Fried Chicken KFC/Taco Bell Knott's Berry Farm Kohl's La Mirada Theatre Lakewood Civic Light Opera Lakewood Regional Medical Center Lakewood Rotary Club Lakewood Sheriff's Station Lakewood Shopping Center Lakewood YMCA Lakewood/Cerritos Dental Ctr. Learning Resources

LearnStar, L.P. Legoland Little Caesars Pizza Long Beach Aquarium Long Beach City College Long Beach Financial Credit Union Long Beach Girl Scout Council Long Beach Ice Dogs Long Beach Marriott Long Beach Museum of Art Long Beach Yacht Club Los Alamitos Medical Center Los Alamitos Vision Therapy Center Los Angeles County Fire Department Los Angeles County Office of Education Los Angeles County Public Library Los Angeles County Public Library Iacoboni Branch Los Angeles County Sheriff Los Angeles Times Los Cerritos Center Los Cerritos Community News Los Cerritos YMCA Lucille's Restaurant/Corporate Office M & M-Mars Company Macy's Marie Calendar's Mars Music Mary Kay Cosmetics McDonald's Restaurant Memorex Product Incorporation, Inc. Mervyn's Metropolitan Life Michael's Arts & Crafts Store Mimi's Cafe Mission Foods Corporation Mission San Juan Capistrano Montessori Schools Moskowitz Foundation Muscular Dystrophy Association Museum of Latin American Art National University New Century Education Corp., So.Ca Nordstrom Norm Reeves Honda Norwalk Ice Arena Norwalk Marriott Hotel Off Street Café Office Depot Office Max Okimoto's Automotive Center Old Navy Olive Garden Italian Restaurant Orange County Department Of Education

Oriental Trading Company Outback Steakhouse Pacific Sun Clothing Store - Cerritos Pacific Sun Clothing Store- Lakewood Par Services Exceptional Children’s Foundation Paramount Iceland Parent Education Resources Peace Partners, Inc. Pennysaver PetsMart Piazza McDonald's Pioneer Flowers Pioneer Teacher Supplies Pizza Depot, Inc. Pizza Hut Platt College Polly's Pies Prentice Hall Press-Telegram Primerican Financial Services Princeton Review Print 'n Copy Center Printmedia Solutions Providence Center Publishers Weekly Putt-2-Go Q-Press Graphics Design Studio Quaker Oats Quest Learning Center Ralph's, Cerritos Reading By 9 Ready, Study, Go Red Brick Pizza Cerritos Renaissance Long Beach Romano's Macaroni Grill Romero's Food Products, Inc. Round Table Pizza Rubios Restaurant Sam Ash Music Stores Sam's Club Schools First Federal Credit Union SCORE! Educational Centers Screen Actors Guild Foundation Shakey's Pizza Sheraton Cerritos Hotel at Towne Center Simple Green Corporation Six Flags Friends Sizzler Restaurant Skate Depot Soccer Central Soroptimist Club SOS Insurance Souplantation Restaurant Southeast Regional Occupational

Programs Southern California Edison Company Southern California Gas Company Sparkletts Spires Restaurant SRA/McGraw-Hill Starbucks State Farm Companies Foundation State Senator Alan Lowenthal Stater Brothers Market, Artesia Steak Escape Story Project Subway Supervisor Don Knabe Taco Bell Taft Educational Center Tall Mouse Arts & Crafts, Inc. Target Teacher Created Materials Tender Loving Care Car Wash TGI Friday's Restaurant TJ Maxx TJ's Sandwiches Trader Joe's -Cerritos Tri-City Regular Medical Center Twin Palms Care Center Union Bank of California United Artists Theaters United States Armed Forces United States Post Office Universal Studios Vans, Inc Verizon Vons Grocery Stores Walgreens Wal-Mart Wal-Mart Foundation Washington Mutual Bank Weekly Reader Corp Wells Fargo Bank Wells Fargo Foundation Wendy's Old Fashioned Hamburgers West Ed Westview Services Wet Seal Clothing Store Whittier Vision Center Wienerschnitzel Restaurant Wing Stop Work Training Programs Yamada Chiropractic

2008 ABC Unified School District Back-to-School Magazine

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