Canyon Country Magazine May 2022

MAGAZINE MAY 2022

SINCE 1919

Eco Chicos — Environmental Stewardship Page 6

4 · C A N YO N CO U N T R Y M AG A Z I N E

M AY 2022

TABLE OF CONTENTS 6 Eco Chicos Promote Environmental Change 7 The Future of Canyon Country Metrolink Service 8 History: A North Oaks Home in the 1960s Cost Less Than 13K 9 Wellness Centers Serve Hart District Students 10 Canyon Country High Schools Garner Top National Honors

7 CANYON COUNTRY WILL GET THE NEWEST METRO

Mikael Ohlsen Named GVHS Teacher of the Year 12 New Farmers’ Market Opens 17 Dixon Family Center Addresses Physical, Mental Health 16 Calendar — Much to do at the Canyon Country Community Center and Canyon Country Library 20 History: All About Leona Cox School

anyon ountry MAGAZINE MAY 2022 | Vol. 1 | No. 4

8 NORTH OAKS HOMES AT PRE-WAR PRICES

PUBLISHER

Richard Budman rbudman@signalscv.com (661) 287-5501

CANYON COUNTRY MAGAZINE EDITOR Doña Uhrig

SALES REPRESENTATIVES Maureen Daniels Jennifer Ramos Barbara Ward

A proud publication of

SINCE 1919

SignalSCV. com

25060 AVENUE STANFORD, STE 141 VALENCIA CA 91355

9 wellness centers help students destress

The entire content of the Canyon Country Magazine is copyrighted 2022 by Paladin Multi-Media Group, Inc. All submitted letters and columns are strictly the opinions of the authors and not necessarily those of the publisher. All rights are reserved and no part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission of the publisher. If you would not like this delivered to your home, please call (661) 259-1000.

M AY 2022

C A N YO N CO U N T R Y M AG A Z I N E · 5

6 · C A N YO N CO U N T R Y M AG A Z I N E

M AY 2022

Eco Chicos Work to Promote Environmental Change

By Emily Alvarenga Signal Staff Writer

K

nown by students at Canyon High School as the largest club on campus, the Eco Chicos Environmental Club is doing what it can to change the world one piece of trash at a time.

The Eco Chicos has around 100 members at Canyon alone, along with a sister chapter at Valencia High School and another club just starting up at Golden Valley High School, according to Canyon’s club adviser Dennis Yong.

“It was founded by a group of really passionate students, and our vision is to promote sustainability, engage students in local environmental projects and promote environmental stewardship,” Yong said.

Club members help with on-campus recycling and often partner with sister clubs for monthly events, which range from hikes to local or beach cleanups, such as the city of Santa Clarita’s annual River Rally cleanup

Eco Chicos club members finish a hike at Placerita Canyon Nature Center. PHOTO

BY BOBBY BLOCK / THE SIGNAL

or cleaning up local parks and near the school. They are also involved with local restoration projects, such as planting trees and hiking trail restorations.

According to former club president Kacia Stewart, it’s the beach cleanups she enjoys the most, but it’s knowing

she’s doing her part to help that’s most rewarding.

“I joined the club because I wanted to get involved in helping our environment, and it seems like a really fun club, which it is,” Stewart said.

“Just knowing that I’m doing my part in helping our environment and help-

ing to stop climate change as best as I can as one human being is most rewarding.”

Similarly, former club member Elizabeth Orozco, who was involved with the club all of her four years at Canyon, said it’s the cleanups she enjoys the most, as they not only allow her to help the local ecosystem but also do so with friends.

“I just feel really passionate about wanting to help the Earth, and I think that doing it together is a great way to motivate each other to be better people,” she said. “When we do get together, we try to make a good impact on our community. … You make memories and you learn from each other.”

The club allows its members the opportunity to be hands-on in helping their community, and whether it’s about climate change, the local ecosystem or ways to be more ecologically conscious, there is always an educational aspect to their activities.

“The club helps to spread awareSee ECO CHICOS, page 14

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M AY 2022

C A N YO N CO U N T R Y M AG A Z I N E · 7

The Future of Canyon Country Metrolink Service

PHOTOS COURTESY VISTA CANYON

By Michele E. Buttelman Signal Staff Writer

T

here’s good news for Canyon Country Metrolink riders. In the next year, Canyon Country will have two locations for commuters and day-trippers to catch a Metrolink train.

A new Metrolink station on the Antelope Valley Metrolink line is under construction at the Vista

Canyon development. The new development is located on the east side of State Route 14, the Antelope Valley Freeway and can be accessed from two exits, Sand Canyon Road and Via Princessa.

Vista Canyon was annexed into the city of Santa Clarita in September 2012 and the land use plan was approved by the city council in May 2011.

A groundbreaking for the Vista Canyon Metrolink station was held Oct. 27, 2020 and the

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The Vista Canyon station was originally slated to be a replacement station for the Via Princessa Metrolink stop.

See METROLINK, page 16

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M AY 2022

If Only … North Oaks in the 1960s “Get America’s greatest housing value at master-planned North Oaks … Genuine pre-war pricing.

W

here can you find “genuine prewar pricing” on spacious 3- and 4-bedroom homes complete with sliding-glass doors, birch kitchen cabinets and a “huge 2-car garage?” Look no farther than the brand-new, 2,000-home North Oaks development near Newhall. (A decade later, “near Newhall” became “near Magic Mountain.”)

Although housing tracts weren’t exactly a new idea in the Santa Clarita Valley — e.g., Bermite homes in the 1930s, Rancho Santa Clarita (Bonelli Tract) in the 1940s — North Oaks was the SCV’s first large, master-planned subdivision and the first to style itself a “city.”

So brisk were sales that entry prices skyrocketed from $11,995 in April 1961 to $12,995 in June, and developer Jerome Snyder of Signature Homes announced the purchase of more land for an additional 1,700 home sites (total 3,700).

Features included: • Forced Air Heating • 3 and 4 Bedrooms • Premier Sliding Glass Doors • Family Room • Ceramic Tile Sink Tops • Built-In Gas Range and Oven • Natural Birch Kitchen Cabinets • Huge 2-Car Garage Plans called for a new junior high school (Sierra Vista) and three new elementary schools, while the existing Hart High would accommodate the older kids; as well as a new 20-acre shopping center and a “modern medical and professional center” in the area that would soon be named Canyon Country.

To get there from the Valley, simply drive north on Sepulveda, Balboa or San Fernando Road until you reach the Golden State Freeway. Take the right fork — U.S. 6 — and continue north to Soledad Canyon, then left to North Oaks.

Note: The same developer also built Friendly Valley in 1965. (SCVHistory.com) 

PHOTO COURTESY LOS ANGELES TIMES

M AY 2022

C A N YO N CO U N T R Y M AG A Z I N E · 9

Wellness Centers Serve Hart District Students

By Michele E. Buttelman Signal Staff Writer

M

ay is Mental Health Awareness Month and the William S. Hart Union School District Wellness Centers were designed to support the mental health, well-being, self-advocacy and educational outcomes of the district’s student population of 20,800 students.

In 2019, the Hart District governing board launched two pilot wellness centers. One was at Canyon High School and the other at West Ranch High School.

Sarah Gilberts, LCSW, and the district’s wellness coordinator, took on the task of launching the Caring 4 Cowboys Canyon Wellness Center at Canyon High.

“We wanted to create a safe environment on campus where students can drop in before school, at brunch, or lunch or after school,” she said.

“There’s a water feature in the room, we play relaxing meditative music, it looks nothing like a classroom. It’s a place where students can just drop in and de-stress. There’s a counselor/social worker in the room and they can reach out to for professional support if they need it.”

While Canyon was the first of the district’s 15 wellness centers to launch in August of 2019, Golden Valley High School’s Growl Wellness Center was the last to become operational in August of 2021.

All Hart District high schools and junior highs now have wellness programs in place said Gilberts.

“We are trying to communicate the message that everyone struggles at some time in their life,” she said. “We want students to know it’s okay and it’s okay to not be okay. They need to know that they aren’t alone, they can reach out.”

Gilberts said it is important to overcome the stigma of mental illness that still exists.

Since January to April 30, 2022 the wellness centers in the district have seen 30,635 student visits.

At Canyon High School, with a student population just shy of 2,000 students, the month of March saw a total of 2, 099 visits at the drop-in center and the amount of counseling support provided was 287 visits.

The Caring 4 Cowboys Canyon Wellness Center at Canyon High features meditative music and a water feature. Students can just drop in and de-stress, according to William S. Hart Union School District wellness coordinator Sarah Gilberts. PHOTOS COURTESY SARAH GILBERTS

What is a Wellness Center?

The Hart District Wellness Centers have a large menu of services available to students including a safe space to practice self-care with stress and anxiety resources, grief resources, trauma and recovery resources, individual and group therapy, support/empowerment groups, case management, referrals to community resources, workshops, presentations, drop-in support, parent education, crisis intervention and assessment of basic school needs.

Student Involvement

Students have played a large role in the creation of each school’s wellness center, said Gilberts.

“Each school determines what they want their wellness center to be,” she said. “It’s their room, their space. Canyon High wanted a very nice living room, a spa/living room.

We have two L-shaped couches to help cultivate relationships, we play games, we have a table for arts and crafts, a fireplace, water fountain fea-

ture. It’s nothing like a classroom.”

Growl Center

Maryann Navia, the wellness counselor for the Growl Center at Golden Valley, said peer counselors are an important part of the center.

“Peer counselors have taken a peer counseling class to learn how to listen and how to handle the different crises or emergencies they might en-

counter,” she said.

Many students just need a quiet place to “re-center,” Navia said.

“They just want a quiet safe space.

They feel they have a lot going on and they are tired of talking.”

The Growl Center features a wall of falling water, calming music and stations where students can color or play with kinetic sand or other fidgets.

See WELLNESS, page 21

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M AY 2022

Canyon Country High Schools Garner Top Honors

Mikael Ohlsen Named Golden Valley Teacher of the Year

B

oth comprehensive high schools in Canyon Country offering grades 9-12 have been ranked in the top 13% of public high schools in the country by U.S. News & World Report.

Golden Valley and Canyon high schools, along with four other high schools in the William S. Hart Union High School District, were listed No. 2,359 and No. 1,959, respectively, out of all ranked high schools in the U.S. The publication’s recently released Best High Schools Rankings compared the local high schools against nearly 18,000 public high schools in all 50 states and the District of Columbia using six factors: • college readiness • math and reading proficiency • math and reading performance • underserved student performance • college curriculum breadth, and • graduation rate.

“We are so proud that our school sites are

By Trevor Morgan Signal Staff Writer

M once again being recognized as outstanding places for students to prepare for their next step in life,” said Mike Kuhlman, superintendent of the Hart district. “The U.S. News and World Report honor acknowledges the outstanding efforts of students, staff and parents working together to achieve great things.”

The rankings noted AP participation rate, graduation rate and college readiness. (Press Release)

ikael Ohlsen, special education teacher at Golden Valley High School, was named the school’s teacher of the year.

Ohlsen has been teaching in special education for over a decade and has credentials in mild/moderate and moderate/severe teaching. Ohlsen received both his bachelor’s in anthropology and master’s degree in special education from California State University Northridge.

According to his staff profile, Ohlsen “takes pride in providing the best support for all students at GV.”

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M AY 2022

Canyon Country Welcomes New Farmers’ Market

By Sarah Sikandar Signal Staff Writer

F

Hundreds attended the Canyon Country Farmers Market grand opening where some 30 vendors offered an assortment of food and other items. PHOTOS BY DAN WATSON / THE SIGNAL

resh strawberries, home-made garbanzo chips, keto sweets, fresh honey and colorful California poppies — all at the newly opened farmers’ market next to Canyon Country Community Center on Sierra Highway.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony of the new market was held April 27 at the recently opened park and community center, while visitors and shoppers strolled through the nearly 30 vendors.

As tacos were getting rolled at one stall, the queue started growing for fresh lemonade.

Those who know their honey inspected the quality, and little taste cups filled with spicy chicken started piling up on a table close by. Liza Carbe and John Pierre Durand — vocalists and guitarists from the music band Incendio — sprinkled music in the air.

The event was attended by local dignitaries and City Council members. Mayor Laurene Weste spoke at the opening ceremony as families checked out the vendors.

“We know this is going to be a very popular spot on Wednesdays,” Weste said as she reminded everyone about the market’s timing: Wednesdays from 4 to 8 p.m. year-round.

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“Farmers markets have proven to be a wonderful way to bring our community together while providing access to fresh, nutritional local produce.

Bringing this weekly event to our new Canyon Country Community Center has been a priority for the city,” she said.

On behalf of the city, she thanked the long-time city resident and current manager of the Old Town Newhall market Larry McClements, who will be managing the new market. He said the venue for the new market makes it an even better place for such a venture.

While pointing to the “real, genuine, certified California’s farmers’ market” next to him, he said that all too often in our food choices we tend to focus on cheap and efficient food while compromising on quality and freshness.

“Most of the produce here were picked during the last 24 hours,” McClements said, adding that the idea behind any such effort is to help the community and allow access to sustainable and healthy food options. He thanked the city for its support and encouragement on behalf of food growers and food artisans.

Guido Gill from Urban Fresh Farm booth helps customers at the Canyon Country Farmers Market grand The diverse new market will host farmers from opening. around Southern California along with prepared food stalls. What makes the new market even more special is the kid-friendly location, next to a park and play structure. Everyone goes home happy and filled.

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M AY 2022

ECO CHICOS

Continued from page 6

SIGNAL FILE PHOTOS

Eco Chicos Environmental Club learns about environmental stewardship through visits to places such as the Placerita Canyon Nature Center. They also perform services such as cleaning up the area around the Santa Monica pier.

appreciate nature and helps you influence others to do the same.”

Students can join the Eco Chicos year-round, and the club meets monthly, usually on Saturday

COURTESY PHOTO

ness about the dramatic change in our environment and what power we have to help fix it,” Orozco added. “We might not be able to make huge changes on a global scale, but if we can take care of our community, then I think that’s what matters the most.”

It’s the passion he sees from club members that Yong said gives him hope, as social change often comes from a group of passionate individuals, he said.

“I teach environmental science as well, so I’m well aware of the crises that we are experiencing, so when I see students dedicating and enjoying their time to make the world a better place, it gives me hope for the future,” Yong said. “To see students who are excited and passionate about saving the planet … I know that’s going to plant a seed in their heads for the future.”

Yong also hopes the club not only allows its members the opportunity to do more of these kinds of activities but also encourages others to do the same, a notion echoed by Stewart and Orozco, both of whom want to do just that and encourage others to be involved.

“You would be helping to make a change in a world and helping the environment,” Stewart said to potential club members. “The club helps you

mornings, for group activities. For more information, follow the club on Instagram @canyonecochicos or contact Dennis Yong at dyong@hartdistrict. org. 

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M AY 2022

METROLINK

Continued from page 7

However, Santa Clarita Councilwoman Marsha McLean, who sits on the board of the North Los Angeles County Transportation Coalition JPA, as well as other transportation policy committees, said she was strongly committed to retaining the Via Princessa station to serve Santa Clarita com­ muters.

“According to ridership statistics the number of people who rely on the Via Princessa Metrolink station is significant,” she said. “I have been vocal and adamant that to serve the residents of Canyon Country who use Via Princessa that station needs to remain open. People depend on that station.”

The Via Princessa station was built in 1994 after the Northridge Earthquake. Damage to the Ante­ lope Valley Freeway required residents to find oth­ er transportation options to travel out of the Santa Clarita Valley.

SCV Metrolink

Metrolink service to the SCV first began in 1992.

Only one station existed at the time of the earth­ quake, the Santa Clarita station where trains termi­ nated.

When the 6.7 magnitude Jan. 17, 1994 North­ ridge earthquake caused the collapse of the freeway connector of the Antelope Valley Freeway onto I-5 at the Newhall Pass interchange residents of the SCV had few options available to exit the SCV. The Federal Emergency Management Agency funded Metrolink construction of an emergency extension of the Antelope Valley line along existing rails to Lancaster to help provide transportation to residents who needed to travel to the San Fernan­ do Valley and points south from the Antelope and Santa Clarita Valleys.

Emergency stations in Lancaster and Palmdale were built in just three days and Metrolink started operating trains one week after the earthquake.

It soon became apparent the Santa Clarita station could not handle the large crowds of residents as Metrolink ridership surged in the following week after the earthquake.

Metrolink built the Via Princessa station to re­ lieve the overcrowding at the Santa Clarita station.

The Via Princessa station was the last of the emergency stations to be built and opened on Feb. 7, 1994, exactly three weeks after the earthquake.

Designated a “temporary” station at the time of construction the Via Princessa station has now been in operation 28 years.

McLean said after the Vista Canyon station is up and running Metrolink will conduct an assessment of ridership to determine the future of the Via Princessa station.

Jeannette Flores, assistant director of public af­ fairs for Metrolink, confirmed the status of the Via Princessa station. She reported that the station will remain open, but does expect a review of ridership at some point in the future after the opening of the Vista Canyon station.

The intermodal center is expected to include the Metrolink station, a bus transfer facility with seven bus bays and a 613-space parking garage.

The addition of the Vista Canyon Metrolink station will give the Santa Clarita Valley four Metrolink stops on the Antelope Valley line which runs from Lancaster to downtown Los Angeles.

Vista Canyon and Via Princessa are the two stops serving the Canyon Country area.

McLean reported Canyon Country residents can expect to see a new park built around the Via Prin­ cessa station.

In addition to a mix of residential and retail space the Vista Canyon development will include the Metrolink station, a bus transfer facility with seven bus bays and a 613-space parking garage.

The transit hub is partly funded by a special tax district of adjacent properties and by grants from Caltrans. The contract awarded for construction of the train station was valued at $23.7 million.

The Antelope Valley line includes 12 stations including Lancaster, Palmdale, Vincent Grade/Ac­ ton, Via Princessa, Santa Clarita, Newhall, Sylmar/ San Fernando, Sun Valley, Burbank Airport North, Burbank downtown, Glendale and downtown Los Angeles Union Station.

National and regional Amtrak service is also ac­ cessible from Union Station. 

Metrolink Stations Jan Heidt Metrolink Station 24247 Railroad Ave., Newhall 91355 Santa Clarita Station 22122 Soledad Canyon Road, Santa Clarita 91350 Via Princessa Station 19201 Via Princessa, Canyon Country 91351 For more information, visit metrolinktrains. com/schedules.

Metrolink trains can connect you with oth­ er rail lines from Union Station. From there you can travel to Long Beach, North Holly­ wood, the San Gabriel Valley and other points throughout Southern California, including the Orange County, San Bernardino, Perris Valley and the Riverside lines.

New stations and light rail extensions are ongoing. For more information, visit www. metro.net/riding/guide/how-ride-rail.

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M AY 2022

C A N YO N CO U N T R Y M AG A Z I N E · 1 7

Dixon Family Health Center Addresses Physical, Mental Health

No part of yourself needs to be neglected. Make yourself and your mental health a priority today.

You can reach out to our Behavioral Health Team for support. We are here to help!

Samuel Dixon Family Health Center, Inc. has been serving residents of the Santa Clarita Valley, and other neighboring communities for over 40 years. We strive to provide affordable, easily accessible, and quality care for anyone in need. We have specialized programs for individuals who are uninsured or under-insured, and we will never refuse service due to an inability to pay. Our ser-

vices include primary healthcare, oral healthcare, behavioral health, and enrollment services for various health care programs including Medi-Cal. In the last few years, our Behavioral Health department has grown significantly, offering counseling services at our Newhall and Canyon Country health centers, and more recently at our newest behavioral health office in Valencia.

We gladly offer services in English and Spanish, and accept Medi-Cal, Managed Care Plans, select private insurances, and offer an affordable sliding scale fee option.

Our Behavioral Health department recently earned Samuel Dixon Family Health Center, Inc. a nomination for Organization of the Year by the Santa Clarita chapter of the National Association of Social Workers. This nomination is a testament to the dedication and commitment of our team of Behavioral Health professionals who are committed to the overall health and well-being of our patients.

The Samuel Dixon Family Health Center’s Canyon Country office is located at 27225 Camp Plenty Road, Suite 4, 91351. Their number is (661) 4241220. 

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aking care of your mental health is equally as important as taking care of your physical health. We at Samuel Dixon Family Health Center, Inc. work as a team to attend to both the physical and mental health of our patients, because we understand the importance of caring for both.

Oftentimes, people neglect to take proactive and even reactive measures to take care of their mental health for reasons such as feelings of embarrassment, difficulty finding and accessing resources, or societal stigma. The more people talk about and normalize mental health treatment, the more we can reduce the stigma associated with it.

Poor mental health can manifest as physical symptoms, and vice versa. It affects how you feel, think, behave, how you see yourself and your ability to connect with others. When the demands in life exceed your resources and abilities to cope, your mental health may be at stake.

Mental health does not mean there is an absence of ailments or stress; it means you have the tools to cope and enable yourself to effectively manage those stressors. These are just a few reasons why it is so important to raise awareness that we all have mental health and that it is indeed okay and natural to take care of ourselves wholly.

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1 8 · C A N YO N CO U N T R Y M AG A Z I N E

M AY 2022

CALENDAR Canyon Country Community Center Monday – Friday 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Saturday 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Celebrate First Friday June 3 Celebrate India 6-9 p.m.

Summer 2022 Seasons Now Available Registration begins May 25 Canyon Country Community Center 18410 Sierra Highway, Santa Clarita 91350 (661) 290-2266 | santa-clarita.com/CCCC

SAVE THE DATE: Summer Registration begins Wed. May 25 10 a.m. www.santa-clarita.com/seasons No Registration Required • Access Pass is Required

TEENS 13-17

18+

KIDS DOODLEBUGS (2-4 YRS) Fridays 10 :30 - 11:30 a.m. $5 Children and parents will engage in a multitude of sensory activities, crafts, stories and songs.

Parent attendance required.

Friday, May 20 6-8 p.m.

Teens 13-17 years of age, grab your friends and join us for a FREE fun night of music, dance contests, photo opportunities, glow activities and so much more!

Fridays 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. $3 ($2 Seniors) Pick up a game of pickleball with friends or join in and meet new people.

BLAST (5-12 YRS)

Our BLAST programs provide a fun and structured setting for youth. These programs occur during summer, winter and spring breaks.

CANYON COUNTRY LIBRARY PROGRAMS May 23 6:00 p.m. Betterment Through Books Adults and Seniors

May 29 - 30 LIBRARY CLOSED

June 2 6:30 p.m. Club de Mujeres Latinas en Literatura

June 6 Noon 1 p.m.

Lunch at the Library. Free for children 18 and under.

Little Explorers. Children 0-5

June 7 Noon

Lunch at the Library. Free for children 18 and under.

3:30 p.m. Lego® party. School age, tweens 4 p.m.

DIY Gardening. Adults, Seniors

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4 p.m.

Tween Crafternoon + Movie. Grades 4-6

June 9 9:30 Noon

Storytime. Children 5 and under Lunch at the Library. Free for children 18 and under.

3:30 p.m. Summer Kids’ Craft Along. Children 6-11 3:30 p.m. Teen Crafts & Stuff – Miniscapes.

Grades 7-12

June 10 Noon

June 8

1 p.m.

9:30 a.m. Cuenta Cuentos Bilingual Storytime.

Children 5 and under Noon Lunch at the Library. Free for children

Noon

9:30 a.m. Cuenta Cuentos Bilingual Storytime.

Children 5 and under Noon Lunch at the Library. Free for children 18 and under.

3:30 p.m. Summer Kids’ Craft Along. Children 6-11 3:30 p.m. Teen Crafts & Stuff – Shrinky Dink Lights. Grades 7-12

June 17 Noon

Lunch at the Library. Free for children 18 and under.

June 20

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June 13 Noon

June 15

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June 21 Noon

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Lunch at the Library. Free for children 18 and under.

3:30 p.m. Lego® party. School age, tweens

M AY 2022

C A N YO N CO U N T R Y M AG A Z I N E · 1 9

CC Teacher Honored for Animal-Friendly Classroom

By Sarah Sikandar Signal Staff Writer

D

ennis Yong’s classroom is cruelty-free — he doesn’t force anything on his students, but he hopes to teach them the benefits of a humane, healthy lifestyle.

Yong teaches biology and AP environmental sciences at Canyon High School.

He is this year’s runner-up for TeachKind – the humane education division of People for the Ethical Treatment for Animals – which announced its 2022 Teacher Appreciation Contest this month. He was also a runner-up for PETA’s 2019 Teacher Appreciation Contest.

This year, he has been recognized again for his work inside and outside the classroom to help his students adopt a humane and crueltyfree approach to animals, through diet choices, direct action, and understanding the ecosystem.

“Through creative classroom assignments, field trips to restore local habitats and much more, Yong is helping his students explore the animal issues they’re passionate about — and, along the way, teaching them compassion for all sentient beings,” a statement from PETA says.

Yong’s teaching philosophy is simple – help

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his students become better humans.

“Part of being a good human being is to be caring, kind and compassionate. I use my curriculum to teach those basic principles and to care about the planet and animals, and which eventually will lend itself to caring about our own members of the species.

We will automatically care about others

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Canyon High School’s Dennis Yong (in the Eco Chico cap and center in the students on the right) teachs biology and AP environmental sciences. Young was this year’s runner-up for TeachKind’s teacher appreciation contest.

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when we care about animals.”

He wishes the next generation is more tied to each other but also be more tied to animals “so we can look critically at the impacts of our own actions whether it be to the Earth or to the animals, or to each other.”

See YONG, page 22

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2 0 · C A N YO N CO U N T R Y M AG A Z I N E

M AY 2022

1969: Leona Cox Receives Plaque Dedicating School “The presentation of a permanent plaque for Leona Cox School in Saugus was made last Friday at the school.

The presentation was made by Mrs. Robert Reed, PTA president, to Edward Amstutz, principal.

Invited guests included Mrs. Cox’s son, Clement Cox and his wife [Paula]; Dr. Eugene Tucker, newly appointed Superintendent of Sulphur Springs Union School District; and Don Kobabe and Frank Ford, former principals of the school.

The school was dedicated to Mrs. Cox in 1964 for her many years of service to the Sulphur Springs School District without compensation.” 

About Leona Cox

Information from the Sulphur Springs Union School District

O

n Thursday, Aug. 1, 1963, groundbreaking ceremonies were held on a hillside site in Canyon Country to commemorate the building of a new school.

This school, to be added to the Sulphur Springs Union District, was to be named in honor of 77-yearold Mrs. Leona H. Cox. Leona had hauled water in five-gallon cans to the pioneer Sulphur Springs School in Sand Canyon, when the water well went dry.

Mrs. Cox turned the first dirt for the project on the sun-baked hills at the corner of Oakmoore Street and Bernina Avenue. She was surrounded by some of the students who had at-

Dart

The plaque is placed at Leona Cox School. SIGNAL FILE PHOTOS

tended the Sulphur Springs school.

Mrs. Cox, widow of Clement Dunbar Cox, was born in Strassberg, Alsace Lorraine, and came to the United States as a child of 3 and first moved to Florida. She came to Santa Clarita Valley in 1923 and settled on a 40acre ranch in Sand Canyon and raised three sons.

It was in 1931 when Mrs. Cox came to the aid of the pioneer Sulphur Springs School. The water level in the valley dropped and the school’s well dried up in the drought. She transported the water cans to the school in an Overland touring car.

At the time, Sulphur Springs School consisted of one room and had one teacher, Florence Mitchell. Mrs. Cox kept the fires going in the winter months, cared for the grounds, helped in disciplining the boys and girls, and later was elected to the school board.

She served also as clerk of the school

board but later resigned to devote all her time to her family.

The $500,000 school project was built on the north side of Soledad Canyon, west of Solemint Junction

overlooking the North Oaks community. The land and site is on a portion of the historic Newhall Land & Farming Co.’s holdings. 

Above Leona Cox (center) at the groundbreaking ceremony for the school that is named in her honor.

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Architect’s design of the 18-classroom Leona Cox school.

M AY 2022

C A N YO N CO U N T R Y M AG A Z I N E · 2 1

WELLNESS

fidget, if they are stressed it’s like a squishy stress ball.”

Golden Valley schedules yoga at least twice a month at lunchtime and has therapy dogs that come in about twice as month, as well.

“We try to do awareness and other activities like meditation workshops. We also work with our athletes to help them before a game,” said Gilberts.

At the beginning of each school year students are given a little card with information about the Wellness Center. It includes a QR code that students can scan if they want to request a private counseling appointment.

Continued from page 9

“We also have a little garden that’s very therapeutic. They water the garden, or cut the dead flowers,” she said.

The garden planters were donated by a student.

In addition to the flowers, there is a strawberry plant and transplanted sage found growing o n the hillside by the school.

Golden Valley as a student population of about 2,200 students, said Navia.

“We have had about 10,000 visits since the center opened in August,” she said. “We estimate about 40% of the student population has visited the center and we’ve had about 200 students seek counseling sessions.”

How to Help

The water feature at Canyon can create a soothing sound to help students de-stress.

All Wellness Centers in the Hart District welcome community support. Cash donations are welcome as well as coloring books, coloring mandalas, worry stones, stress balls and fidgets, mental health books and workbooks.

“Kinetic sand is a hot commodity,” said Navia.

Gilberts said some of the wellness centers are also in need of furnishings that meet fire department and school safety standards.

dents at Golden Valley have included a “Clear Your Mind and Make Some Slime” workshop.

“Students were able to make a little slime pouch to take with them,” said Navia. “It’s a kind of quiet

To make donations, email Canyon High’s wellness coordinator at sgilberts@hartdistrict.org. Or, email Golden Valley High School coordinator Maryann Navia at mnavia@hartdistrict.org. 

Workshops, Yoga and Therapy Dogs

At Canyon High yoga is a regular offering for students and staff.

Therapy dogs are another important tool at the Wellness Centers.

At Canyon High therapy dogs are on campus every Tuesday.

“We give presentations on study strategies and stress management tips,” said Gilberts. “We help students learn how to manage the stress before finals.”

Workshops designed by peer counselors and stu-

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YONG

Continued from page 19

Yong’s teaching is a composite of various methods and techniques. That includes working with the school’s environment club Eco Chicos, Compassion Challenge project and analyzing documentaries and discussions on the issue.

“Whether he’s discussing the impact of animal agriculture or leading field trips to protect marine life, Dennis Yong is helping his students think critically about how our actions affect others,” says PETA Senior Director of Youth Programs Marta Holmberg.

“TeachKind is delighted to honor him for building innovative curricula that inspire young people to champion justice for animals.”

Yong’s focus remains on food production and consumption, to help his students understand the

food industry’s impact on animals, the environment and human health. One of his favorite documentaries is “Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret,” which talks about the environmental impact of factory farming and animal agriculture on the planet.

“The issue of diet is huge,” Yong says, “and it’s something that my students can make a change in every day. So, three times a day they can practice being more compassionate by shifting more to plant-based versus consuming more meat products.”

These little actions also help his students understand lifestyle diseases and ethics of food production.

Yong is impressed by their commitment to understand animal cruelty and make smart choices through projects that introduce them to be kinder toward animals.

He understands, however, that it

M AY 2022

takes time and understanding rather than overnight changes.

“My approach is not everybody has to go plant-based the next day,” he says when helping his students adopt kinder alternatives.

One such project is the “Compassion Challenge” where Yong’s students understand change and track their monthly progress.

The goal is to shift to a plantbased and cruelty-free diet to alleviate some of that suffering and some of the violence inflicted on these animals.

By introducing concepts like Meatless Monday, or doing Weekday Veg, he reinforces the idea of reduction in consumption of meat “to eliminate the suffering of animals, lowering your carbon footprint and also making yourself healthier by not introducing so much cholesterol into your diet.”

Yong’s goal is not to tell his students what to do, but to present

them with information. For many of these classroom projects, students don’t get extra credit but the motivation for long-term change toward a healthier lifestyle. “It’s hard to discuss these issues because it’s so engrained in our personal lives, and in our culture.

Instead, you hit them with scientific facts and information they can take home, understand, and act accordingly.”

Yong’s eco-conscious and animal-friendly class is popular with students. Instead of monotonous teaching, he instills responsibility and consciousness of the world around them, to take positive action. “In the term ‘activism,’ the root word is action,” and that’s what makes him proud of his students. “I always remind them, make sure you have a cause, or a purpose of why you’re doing it.”

For more information, visit Teach Kind.org. 

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