Westchester/Playa HomeTown News November 2018 edition

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Spotlight on local schools!

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Westchester/Playa Historical Society supporters and volunteers including Christina Davis, Karen Dial, Jaren Rhodes, Darlene Fukuji and David Russell pose in the storefront located in the Westchester Triangle.

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Westchester • Playa del Rey • Marina del Rey • Playa Vista HomeTown News

This Month Brings You A look inside your HTN Community Spotlight: Take a stroll through the past at the Westchester/Playa Historical Society Spotlight on Local Schools NCWP News In Pictures Westchester Farmers’ Market Harvest Fest

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HOMETOWN STAFF/CONTRIBUTORS Stephanie Davis, Publisher, Editor Jeff Blair, Contributing Writer Fay Craton, Contributing Writer

Rebecca Hill, Secret Recipes of the Inn Kirby Israelson, Graphic Design

Advertisers’ Directory

Airport Marina Counseling 29 Carousel School 21 Drollinger Properties 11, 26, 28 Five Minute Car Wash 24 Food Pantry, LAX 26 Gary’s Pit Stop 07 HHLA 16, 23 Holiday Home Tour 30 Jane St. John 05 Kevin and Kaz 02 LAX Coastal Ed Foundation 18 Loyola Marymount 04 Marina del Rey Hospital 32

Neighborhood Council 27 Regatta Capital Group 07 SoCal Sports and Fitness 29 St. Anastasia School 19 Stephanie Younger Group 15 Vergari & Napolitano 07 Visitation School 25 Westchester Farmers’ Market 28 Westchester Lutheran School 22 Westchester Town Center BID 03 Westside Neighborhood School 21 Westside Pacific Village 24 Zacha Homes 08

About The HomeTown News (HTN)

The HomeTown News is a monthly community newspaper dedicated to providing information about the people, events and happenings of Westchester, Playa del Rey, Marina del Rey and Playa Vista. Look for the HomeTown News the first Thursday of the month at your home or at one of our drop-off locations.

Connect with the HTN:

Mailing Address: 8939 S. Sepulveda Blvd., Ste. 110 #745 Westchester, CA 90045 • Email: westchesterhometown@yahoo.com • Website: thehtn.com • Facebook: facebook.com/thehtn The deadline for submissions is the 22nd of each month.

Interested in Advertising your Business or Organization?

Let us help you promote your business, organization or event to our readers!

Contact us for rates and to reserve space at

westchesterhometown@yahoo.com Like us on Facebook!

Stay up-to-date with news and events at facebook.com/thehtn

Westchester • Playa del Rey • Marina del Rey • Playa Vista HomeTown News

November 2018 • Page 3

Community Spotlight: Take a stroll through the past and reminisce at the Westchester/Playa Historical Society room Take a step inside the Westchester/ Playa Historical Society Room located in the Westchester Triangle for a glimpse into the past of these two connected communities. The room, dubbed Westchester’s Jewel and Playa’s Treasure, has been open for just over a year and volunteers are encouraging people to stop by, share their memories, chat about the neighborhood and view its mementos.

While the Westchester/Playa Historical Society was once a robust community organization, after the passing of its founder, Mary Lou Crockett, the treasures of the group’s collections--old photos, yearbooks, poetry collections and even a gold record from 1960s Westchester rock band The Turtles--laid hidden away until unearthed by her daughter, Patty Crockett, and handed to the LAX Coastal Chamber for safekeeping.

From there, chamber president and CEO, Christina Davis, contacted Drollinger Properties president, Karen Dial, to ask for support to house the collection until the organization could be restarted.

Dial, who has a long history of philanthropy in the community, not only offered to provide a storage location, but also donated a storefront on 87th St. to display the items for

The community is invited to visit the Westchester/Playa Historical Society on Fridays and Saturdays from 4 to 7 p.m. and Sundays during the farmers’ market.

people to view and enjoy.

“Understanding our history and embracing it provides an important perspective as the next generation works to create a cohesive and

progressive community,” said Dial.

“Westchester/Playa is our treasured hometown and my brother and I, along with the Drollinger Family Charitable Foundation, are committed

to creating inclusive gathering spaces throughout our community, so this was another perfect opportunity to do that. A historical society is a must for preserving the legacy of our parents, honoring our local aviation heroes and creating a future for our families.”

With one exhibition of pictures from the 1940s and 1950s currently on display, volunteers, including Westchester residents Mike Heffernan and Marsha Parkhill, artist David Russell and local students Aidan Dwyer and Jaren Rhodes, have been diligently working on the daunting, yet rewarding, task of cataloging, archiving and digitizing the collection.

“The people who are supporting the historical society are doing it out of a labor of love,” said Davis who was born and raised in Westchester. “It’s a hard job to organize and archive, but it’s so important to preserve what we have.”

Since the collection is small, preserving what the historical society has is crucial and the reliance on donations from longtime Westchester and Playa del Rey residents will be key in helping make sure the organization continues to grow and thrive.

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Westchester • Playa del Rey • Marina del Rey • Playa Vista HomeTown News

Westchester • Playa del Rey • Marina del Rey • Playa Vista HomeTown News

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Business & Nonprofit News

Photo by Glenn Marzano.

TheHTN.com

Flashback photo: A parade float representing aviation and innovation wins Best Overall Float in the 2014 Fourth of July Parade. Organizers are already planning for the event’s 20th anniversary in 2019.

The Little Mermaid comes to Westchester.

The Kentwood Players will bring a Disney classic (based on the Hans Christian Andersen story) to life with performances of The Little Mermaid opening on Friday, November 9.

The play runs Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through December 15. Tickets are $27 and performances are held at the Westchester Playhouse located Page 6 • November 2018

Photo by Alison Boole.

Help choose the Fourth of July Parade theme!

Every year, thousands of community members gather for Westchester’s largest patriotic celebration in honor of America’s birthday and to show a little hometown pride at the Westchester Fourth of July Parade. Next year, when America celebrates its 243rd birthday, the parade will also be celebrating a momentous occasion--its 20th anniversary!

Organizers have already started meeting to create a wish list of entries, floats and entertainment, but first they need the community’s help in selecting a parade theme. The parade committee is asking anyone with an idea for a fun, engaging theme for the event to email laxcoastalonparade@gmail.com by Friday, November 23rd. Every person who submits an original idea will be entered into a $25 gift card raffle to a local restaurant. If a submitted theme is selected for the 20th anniversary event, the winner will be invited to ride in the parade with their family and will also receive a parade swag bag.

For more info, please visit laxcoastal.com/parade.

Flounder (Sadie Fisher) and Sebastian (Roy Okida), explain to Ariel (Lyndsay Palmer) that life is better “Under the Sea” in the Kentwood Players’ production of the Little Mermaid.

at 8301 Hindry Ave. in Westchester.

Tickets can be purchased at kentwoodplayers.org or by calling (310) 645-5156.

During the run of the play, the theater group will hold its 6th annual Kentwood Kares Coat Drive. Those interested can donate a new or

gently-used coat, sweater or jacket for a man, woman or child when they come to see the show. All items will be donated to the Los Angeles Mission.

Start a new annual tradition at the Holiday Home Tour.

A lot of people have made the

Westchester Mental Health Guild’s annual Holiday Home Tour a tradition over its 36-year history, but few have been as dedicated as tour-goer, Marianne Lee, and several friends who walk every year as a group to each of the five Home Tour houses as part of their training for the Susan G. Komen 3-Day fight against breast cancer walk.

Their team, known as “Wild Women Walking for a Cure,” consists of cancer survivors and their friends, mothers and daughters who are all training for the 60-mile, three-day walk taking place this month.

Marianne started walking the Home Tour by herself several years ago and subsequently has convinced additional walkers to join her. Last year, her walking group had nine members who all walked nine miles during the tour.

This year, the route will total five miles from the first house in Westchester to the last house in Playa del Rey and then to the reception at the Elks Lodge.

While walking is great exercise, most people will drive themselves to see the five Home Tour houses--each of which will be decorated for a holiday.

The four Westchester homes include a Kentwood bluff home with amazing city, marina and ocean views that will feature Thanksgiving décor; two totally redone two-story homes both decked out for Christmas and a renovated bungalow decorated for New Years’ Eve. The fifth house is a large new home in Playa del Rey with a modern open floor plan and views of the ocean and marina that will be ready to celebrate the Chinese New Year. The tour will take place Sunday, November

Westchester • Playa del Rey • Marina del Rey • Playa Vista HomeTown News

This modern Playa del Rey home will be decorated for the Chinese New Year during the Holiday Home Tour on November 4. Below: Team “Wild Women Walking for a Cure” enjoy last year’s event and training for their 3-Day Susan G. Komen fight against breast cancer walk.

4, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

A reception from noon to 5 p.m. at the Westchester Elks Lodge will feature a raffle for a trip for two to Hawaii, as well as a holiday marketplace with a variety of vendors selling everything from jewelry to dishtowels to holiday décor. There will also be a gift basket raffle.

Net proceeds from the tour support the Airport Marina Counseling Service, a Westchester nonprofit mental health clinic.

Tickets are available through Saturday, November 3, for $35 at wmhgtour2018.eventbrite.com, with a small service fee, or on the Guild’s website at westchestermhg.org.

Tickets will also be available on the day of the tour, November 4, for $40 at the Westchester Elks Lodge,

located at 8025 Manchester Ave. in Playa del Rey. Children under 12 do not need tickets if they are accompanied by an adult.

We want to hear about your business or nonprofit! Email us at westchesterhometown@yahoo.com.

Westchester • Playa del Rey • Marina del Rey • Playa Vista HomeTown News

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Westchester • Playa del Rey • Marina del Rey • Playa Vista HomeTown News

Spotlight on our Local Schools!

Spotlight on our Local Schools!

Brought to you by the HomeTown News and Community Partners Brought to you by the HomeTown News and Community Partners

A Message from Matthew Swanlund, LAX Coastal Ed Foundation President Hello, my name is Matthew Swanlund and I am currently the Board President of the LAX Coastal Education Foundation (LAXCEF), a nonprofit education foundation serving all schools in the geographic area, including public, private, parochial, charter and magnet schools.

LAXCEF focuses on three primary areas: direct school engagement, community and government collaboration, and local business and stakeholder outreach.

LAXCEF engages with PTA liaisons and school administrators to direct funds, supplies and services to individual schools. We collaborate with community groups and government representatives to provide programs and resources to our schools. LAXCEF works with local businesses and stakeholders to collect and disseminate informational materials to parents to assist them in making the best school decision for their children. The goal is to have an invested community of schools, students, parents, stakeholders and businesses.

We have had tremendous success this past year through our inaugural Rock, Roll & Run for Education, through distribution of STEM grants via our partnership with SoCalGas and producing the

Tours of Katherine Johnson STEM Academy, formerly New Middle School Pathway, are held on select Thursdays and Fridays through the end of the year. Sign up on the school’s website at kjstemacademy.org.

Katherine Johnson STEM Academy works to cultivate a growth mindset in students School Expo last month. We are in the process of accepting applications for our arts and beautification grants, which we will award before the end of this year. We are actively looking for more strategic partners in all of our endeavors, and especially for sponsors for next year’s Rock, Roll & Run for Education.

I contribute my broad experience and knowledge in education (as a parent, school board member and educator) to an accomplished Board of Directors, all of whom are passionately involved community leaders who bring diverse expertise to LAXCEF, ultimately with a shared vision. We invite you to engage directly with us in our efforts to improve our schools!

Please feel free to contact me directly with any possible ideas, partnerships or sponsorships at info@ laxcoastaledfoundation.com.

* All pictures courtesy the schools unless otherwise noted.

It is an honor and a responsibility to build a school from the ground up. Just in its second year of operation, the Katherine Johnson STEM Academy (KJSA) works daily to achieve its goal to “Build 21st century problem solvers with great hearts and great minds.”

As the neighborhood middle school for Westchester, Playa del Rey and Playa Vista, KJSA offers a wide range of educational opportunities for its students, including a fulltime resource specialist, along with honors and GATE classes.

Always encouraging students to excel above their grade levels, specifically in math, they offer LAUSD’s accelerated math curriculum. As a STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) school, all students are enrolled in two electives, one of which is computer science.

Driven to educate the heart as well as the mind, KJSA employs the RULER approach to guide its social-emotional

learning. In addition to implementing this curriculum into the advisory class period, the RULER technique is used throughout the day in all classes as the guiding philosophy for how all of our community members, teachers and students engage with each other.

Working hand-in-hand with KJSA is the School of Education at LMU, which expands to the middle school level the robust LMU/LAUSD partnership that was first developed at Playa Vista Elementary School. While teachers and staff are educating middle school students, they are simultaneously aiming to educate and prepare the next generation of teachers with a specific emphasis on math and science.

KJSA continues to grow and become stronger each month.

Similarly, they believe their students will continue to grow, that who they are today is not

A Message from the HomeTown News

Welcome to our sixth annual Spotlight on Schools edition!

People often ask us, “Is that a good school?” when talking about our local K-12 campuses. Our answer is always, “Yes!” Every school in the community is unique, with its own focus, personality and teaching philosophy. What all these schools do share, however, are dedicated teachers and administrators, stellar parent volunteers and the desire to

keep growing and improving. While every school won’t be a good fit for every student, all our local schools offer something special that can’t always be easily determined by test scores or by the look of a building.

It’s open house season, so if you’re interested in a school, we encourage you to take a tour and learn firsthand about their programs and talk to teachers and parents/guardians.

All of our local schools are full of

success stories--new science labs are opening, learning pathways are being added and the arts are being supported--so we’re happy to offer free space in this issue to our K-12 schools for them to share about their campuses. We hope the information provided helps make the daunting task of choosing the best school for your student, or at least narrowing down what tours you’re interested in, a little bit easier.

Westchester • Playa del Rey • Marina del Rey • Playa Vista HomeTown News

who they will be tomorrow.

At all times, they work to maintain this growth mindset.

For example, they reject the notion that a student is “bad at math,” rather they just believe that this student just hasn’t mastered a specific math skill yet. In everything from math to after school sports, they work to cultivate a growth mindset in all of their students.

The best way to stay in the loop with the latest events happening at the school is to visit kjstemacademy.org or follow their social media platforms. They post daily on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, as well as regularly to their YouTube channel.

Weekly tours are held so prospective families can see the school firsthand. As a small school, they’ve decided that small tours, with 1015 attendees, best fit their school’s personality. Tours include a presentation from the principal, followed by a tour of two classrooms.

The HomeTown News is a proud supporter of local schools.

We support education through sponsoring events like the Rock Roll & Run and the Teacher Eddy Awards, as well as donating to school auctions and sharing school news with our readers.

A special thank you to our community partners who helped make this Spotlight on Schools issue possible!

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Westchester Lutheran, a preschool through eighth grade school on Sepulveda, has been educating students to reach their full academic potential since 1950.

Westchester Lutheran students believe and achieve

Since 1950, Westchester Lutheran School has had a long excellent tradition of preparing and educating students in preschool through 8th grade.

Students are taught to “believe and achieve” to reach their full academic potential in a caring, nurturing environment. Westchester Lutheran School welcomes students of all faiths and backgrounds and is a microcosm of the diversity of the beautiful city of Los Angeles in which it resides. The school is also well-known for its spirit of a “family-community” where we all come together and support one another in the spirit of Christ.

Walk into any classroom at Westchester Lutheran School and one will see evidence of learning where teachers use differentiation of instruction and various teaching modalities to reach all learners. Each classroom is

equipped with technology, including smart boards, computers, laptops, iPads, document cameras and more. The school is proud to offer a STEAM program which integrates science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics across the curriculum. The school founded the Gateway to Art program, which is now available at many local schools in the area and also founded a Portals to Science program, which teaches elementary school children various scientific principles and concepts in a fun, meaningful way through hands-on activities. Students partake in various classes, such as performing arts, music, PE, health, Spanish and computers, as well as the core subject curriculum.

In addition to a strong, engaging traditional program rooted in California standards and academic achievement,

Westchester Lutheran is proud of its athletic program led by Athletic Director, Ryan James. Students are taught strength training, nutrition and athletic skills to be a successful athlete in sports competitions in volleyball, basketball, cross country, track and cheer within the Pacific Basin League.

Westchester Lutheran is also proud to partner with Lutheran Special Education Ministries for a new resource program to assist students with special learning needs. Michelle Parreno, our Resource Specialist, will be on campus to work with students who could benefit from this program.

After attending Westchester Lutheran, 99-100% of students enter the high school of their choice. Upon entrance, students are fully prepared to advance in the high school curriculum often placing into honors and AP level cours-

es above their peers. Our students enter the world prepared to be contributing members of society through sharing their gifts and talents with others and communicating their knowledge to make a difference in the lives of others.

We welcome you to visit Westchester Lutheran to meet our new pastor, Lawrence D. Becker, and our new Head of School, Emily Ingistov, and see all the wonderful things happening on our campus!

We provide tours by appointment only on Tuesdays at 10 a.m. for JK-5th grades and Thursdays at 10 a.m. for 6th-8th grades. Preschool tours are also available by appointment.

Visit wlcs.org for more information or to schedule a tour. Our school office staff can be reached at (310) 670-5422.

All are welcome at WLS—believing and achieving since 1950!

Loyola Village Fine & Performing Arts Magnet LoVE arts!

Loyola Village Elementary (LoVE) is not your average elementary school. The students attending the school are receiving not only a quality TK- 5th grade education by highly-qualified teachers, but are also receiving an extensive arts education from working professional fine and performing artists. The students engage in daily academic work, while taking classes and being exposed to all the art forms.

The fine arts teacher provides an extensive art curriculum teaching students how to work with clay, paint with pastels and how to use everyday recyclable items to create works of art that are displayed in our “LoVE Arts” Art Gallery.

In our music program, TK through 5th grade students take vocal lessons and have performances. Our “LoVE Choir” performs throughout the Los Angeles area at various concerts and events. The “LoVE Orchestra” Page 10 • November 2018

LoVE staff pose in front of a mural at the arts-focused elementary school.

consists of third through fifth grade students. The orchestra performs twice per year and beginning instrumentalists receive weekly instruction in the instrument of their choice.

Interested in dance? Our dance

instructors teach a variety of dance forms including jazz, ballet, modern, hip hop, rhythmic step, tap and African dance. We even have two performance troupes--the “LoVE Dance Troupe” and “LADDE” (Loyola African Drum and Dance Ensemble).

Our theater program provides students with an opportunity to learn the art of acting by engaging in voice and movement for the stage, learning stage directions, stage management and stage production. The program produces 2-3 productions per year, which include both full-length plays and dramatic stage readings.

Loyola Village Fine & Performing Arts Magnet is a school that focuses on developing the whole child, and preparing every child to be college and career ready. We do this while also instituting growth mindset practices and mindfulness moments throughout the day, allowing students to develop academically and artistically.

Please call and make an appointment to take a tour of our awesome school! You may also visit us online at loyolavillageartsmagnet. org or call (310) 670-0480.

Westchester • Playa del Rey • Marina del Rey • Playa Vista HomeTown News

Westchester • Playa del Rey • Marina del Rey • Playa Vista HomeTown News

November 2018 • Page 11

Photo by Zsuzsi Photography.

WISH is an inclusive K-12 school, which spans two campuses in Westchester. Visit their website to sign up for monthly tours taking place December through March.

WISH Community School focuses on whole-scholar approach to learning and teaching

November 3. High quality GATE strategies are used throughout all classes and personalized instructional experiences help students shine.

When a student reaches 6th grade they have the opportunity to experience math and English through honors pathways that extend through 8th grade. In addition to rigorous academics, we are committed to supporting our scholar’s social-emotional learning and development. We are in our

second year of implementing the RULER program from Yale’s Center for Emotional Intelligence, and we are experiencing great success with identifying our feelings, values and the kind of community members we want to be at school!

We also love supporting our WISH clubs and sports teams. This fall, we are offering volleyball, flag football, cheerleading and cross country. There are numerous ways for our students to get

connected through a variety of leadership opportunities such as Student Council, Student Leadership, Where Everybody Belongs (WEB), Student Ambassadors, Humans United, Kindness Club and Model United Nations.

We are so proud of our scholars and grateful for our school community, and we would love for you to come visit and see for yourself!

Upcoming open house dates for both campuses include: TK-5th grade campus, (co-located on the Wright STEAM campus) 6550 W. 80th St. in Westchester: • Monday, December 3 @ 9 a.m.

• Monday, January 28 @ 6 p.m.

• Monday, February 11 @ 9 a.m.

Monday, March 4 @ 6 p.m.

6th-8th grade campus, (co-located on the Westchester High campus), 7400 Manchester Ave. in Westchester: • Wednesday, December 5 @ 9:30 a.m.

• Wednesday, January 30 @ 6 p.m.

• Wednesday, February 13 @ 9:30 a.m.

• Wednesday, March 6 @ 6 p.m.

Please visit wishcharter.org for more information or sign up for a tour.

joining the Performing Arts or Liberal Arts/Civics Studies pathways.

“It is WISH Academy’s goal to educate all of our students in an environment that is founded in progress, academic excellence, emotional intelligence and the ability to understand change in our constantly changing world,” remarks founding principal Kellie Mowll. “Our beliefs hold strong: each and every student can learn from one another and progresses in all aspects of their education and thrives as a compassionate, driven young person.”

Industries including entertainment, technology, higher academia, engineering and arts organizations have joined WISH Academy to take the school on this next leg of its journey with student internships, experts supporting exhi-

bition projects and opportunities to be involved in solving real challenges for the broader community.

WISH Academy has small class sizes promoting a higher teacher to student ratio and allowing for more attention to the depth and breadth of learning.

Parents and families witness their children’s academic success and have championed the development at each grade level.

“WISH welcomes and nurtures all students,” comments Ramona Sims, mother to one of WISH Academy’s highest performing 9th graders.

“WISH also promotes a rigorous program that demands that each student display excellence, both academically and socially. Our son is finally being challenged in ways that will assure that

he is prepared for success in higher education.”

“The energy and enthusiasm of our students has motivated us even more,” said Principal Mowll. “The result is we have a high school that not only focuses on college and university entry, but one that will continue to support our vision and our mission for the highest quality education for all students, each and every one.”

Sign up online at wishcharter.org/ apps/pages/visit for informational tours happening on: • Thursday, December 6 at 9:30 a.m.

• Tuesday, January 29 at 6 p.m.

• Thursday, February 21 at 6 p.m.

• Tuesday, March 12 at 6 p.m.

• Friday, April 26 at 9:30 a.m.

• Friday, May 10 at 9:30 a.m.

Photo by Zsuzsi Photography.

WISH Community School is proud to kick off the 2018-2019 school year as a TK-8 educational program! We are thrilled to extend each child’s educational journey and help support the transitional period between elementary and secondary years through a whole-scholar approach to teaching and learning. This year, all students in grades TK-8th experience highly engaging STEM classes through the Launch and Gateway programs of Project Lead the Way. Along with core subjects, all students experience art, music, movement, gardening, library and integrated technology, including digital citizenship, coding and game design.

In grades 6th-8th, students are able to select how they would like to experience these classes through a variety of choices, including theater, strings, digital composition, survival arts, sports conditioning and much more. Our math circles and our SMART (science, math, art and robotics team) team are in full swing, and all community members are welcome to come to our First Lego League competition on Saturday,

WISH Academy educates students in environment founded in academic excellence, emotional intelligence Over the past two years at WISH Academy High School, we have enjoyed observing the deep friendships, school spirit, new traditions, competitive sports teams and rigorous academic experiences of our amazing students! WISH Academy’s mission is to maximize every scholar’s learning potential within an atmosphere of caring and belonging.

WISH Academy has four unique pathways in which students can further develop a foundation in the areas they love! Students can embark on the Project Lead the Way pathways of Engineering or Biomedical Science where they work with experts in the field to solve real-world problems using project-based learning curriculum or they can grow their passion for the arts by Page 12 • November 2018

Westchester • Playa del Rey • Marina del Rey • Playa Vista HomeTown News

St. Bernard High School welcomes new leadership In the spring of 2018, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles set out to find the next leadership of St. Bernard High School. With support from teachers, parents, alumni and students, the Department of Catholic Schools took this opportunity to reimagine the leadership roles for the school, including the move to a tandem leadership model and ultimately appointed Carter Paysinger as the school’s inaugural Executive Director of Institutional Advancement and 1994 Viking alumnus Richard Billups as principal.

Below is an open letter from our two new leaders to the local community: Dear Community, Sixty years ago local families had a dream of opening a Catholic high school that would service the Westchester/Playa del Rey community. As the new leadership of St. Bernard High School, the two of us are committed to reviving this dream.

Please allow us to introduce ourselves.

Providing the overarching vision for St. Bernard High School, Carter Paysinger, comes to us following thirty years at Beverly Hills High

St. Bernard students pose on the front steps of the community’s only local Catholic high school.

School, working at all levels of the organization as a teacher, head football coach and principal. As principal, he was responsible for increasing academic rigor, building new programs and having the highest test scores in the school’s history. In addition to being a New York Times bestselling author, Carter served as the president of the CIF Southern Section and adjunct professor at Concordia University.

Returning to his alma mater,

Richard Billups has a rich history and deep connection to the Viking community as his parents, aunts, uncles and siblings all attended the school. Most recently, Billups served as principal of St. Paul the Apostle and associate principal, assistant principal and English teacher at St. Monica Catholic High School.

Many in our local community will remember Billups from his time as teacher and vice principal at St. Jerome School or from his time

at LMU where he received his undergraduate and two masters degrees.

Recently we decided to close our football field due to safety concerns because of the poor condition of our turf. In the meantime, our Viking football team has found a temporary home at El Segundo High School. The change of location has not slowed us down; we had a successful season and are a lead contender for CIF playoffs.

When the project is completed, we will have a state-of-the-art turf field and full-size, all-weather track ready to welcome our local community and youth sports programs.

We believe an outstanding faith-filled education begins in the classroom. It is our goal to provide highly innovative and effective instruction to deliver the rigor necessary for our students to compete on a global level. In addition to a strong academic agenda, our well-rounded program will be supported by an array of viable cocurricular activities. We are confident that we can become your community Catholic high school.

We invite you to come to our open house on Saturday, November 3.

RSVP online at stbernardhs.org.

Kentwood thrives on participation from students, families and staff Kentwood is an award-winning, true community school in the heart of Westchester. The 2018-2019 school year has been very exciting with the addition of new programs and increased enrollment.

With everything it has to offer, it is easy to see why more families in Westchester are choosing Kentwood.

Every day brings an opportunity to learn and grow through an enriching and rigorous curriculum with practical applications to help prepare students for the real and ever-changing world. When students aren’t in the classroom honing the academic skills they must master, they can be found in yoga class practicing mindfulness or channeling their energy and movements through the routines they learn in dance.

Other times, they may be showing off their athletic skills during P.E. or learning the foundations of music.

They may be in the Innovation Lab developing their engineering skills by building and programming robots or in the computer lab practicing their coding skills.

Whether it’s related to academics, exercise, STEM, or the arts, the emphasis on teaching and developing the whole child is what sustains the energy of everyone on campus. The life of a Kentwood Koala is filled with countless opportunities for personal growth, as well as chances to build and strengthen the larger community.

Principal Rasheed Khan (left) poses with members of the Kentwood School community, LAUSD and the LAX Coastal Education Foundation, during the recent opening of their Innovation Lab.

While the school certainly has a lot to offer in terms of academic preparedness, student programming and enrichment opportunities, the people are at the heart of what makes it special. The positive energy on campus is palpable and can be felt by anyone who gets a chance to visit.

The Kentwood family thrives on the active participation of its lively student body, supportive families

and caring staff and provides an environment that fosters a true sense of community. The connections between these various groups are what make it a fun and positive place. Kentwood is a gem—a unique neighborhood school that must be experienced to be believed.

We invite you to be a part of the dynamic Kentwood family and experience our outstanding school

Westchester • Playa del Rey • Marina del Rey • Playa Vista HomeTown News

for yourself.

Tours will be held on Thursday, November 8 at 9 a.m. and Thursday, December 6 at 9 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.

We offer permits for families not zoned to attend Kentwood and enrollment for the 2019-2020 school year will open on Thursday, March 7 at 9 a.m.

For more information, visit kentwoodes.org.

November 2018 • Page 13

Cultivating excellent readers and writers at St. Anastasia St. Anastasia Catholic School has provided excellence in elementary and junior high education to families in the Westchester community for over 65 years. The school is dedicated to fostering the religious, academic, physical and social-emotional development of young people who will be tomorrow’s leaders, innovators and public servants.

In keeping with that mission, the school has adopted an initiative from the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project of Columbia University to bring engaging, individualized and innovative instruction in reading and writing to its students. The goal of the project is to assist young readers and writers to grow their skills and dedication to their craft, including both fiction and non-fiction. Founded by Lucy Calkins, the Robinson Professor of Children’s Literature at Teachers College, The Readers and Writers Workshop Program is now used by more than 170,000 educators across the country to teach the skills of reading and writing more effectively to elementary and middle school students.

The workshop model depends upon some important and largely commonsense observations about excellence in reading and writing.

Young writers need explicit instruction in the practice of writing, including the conventions of style and mechanics of language. They need to be surrounded by a culture where writing is valued and young voices are appreciated. Students will invest greater effort in their work

Fifth graders have fun working on their writing skills at St. Anastasia School.

if they write about things they find meaningful and relevant. Young people need to appreciate that writing is a process, and they need to observe and practice all stages of that process, including brainstorming, drafting, revising and publishing their work.

Great writing begins in reading.

Writers need effective teachers who demonstrate a love of reading and who can instill a firm grasp of reading strategies and mechanics.

Reading takes time and readers need to grow in the sustained activity of reading increasingly complicated and challenging texts over time. Readers need explicit instruction about reading strategies, but they also need high interest material to sustain their engagement. In addition, reading and writing is a mutually interactive process. Students need to write in response to reading and hearing texts

that inspire interest and wonder. All of these goals must be achieved in an instructional environment where frequent feedback is provided through meaningful assessment.

At St. Anastasia, teachers have adopted a standards-based curriculum and the use of the workshop model for the teaching of reading and writing. A key to the success of this approach is the introduction of co-teachers, instructional support staff and other types of small-group instruction across the grades.

“As a teacher, I love the workshop model because it allows me to individualize instruction and teach concepts in authentic reading and writing situations,” said St. A’s teacher, Lucinda Zimmermann.

Students are explicitly taught the skills and strategies needed to become proficient readers and writers, and

then they are given ample time to practice authentic reading and writing, engaging with topics and texts of their own choosing.

“I like readers workshop because I like to do book clubs, and I get to read what I like,” said fifth grader Charlie.

Teachers support this process through one-on-one conferencing and small group instruction at the students’ individual instructional levels. Guided by the units of study in reading and writing, which have been created and thoroughly tested

by Dr. Calkins’ and her colleagues, St. Anastasia teachers are committed to instilling a lifelong love for reading and writing in their students.

Evidently they are succeeding, as 5th grader Maile observes, “I like writers workshop because I like how there’s a small lesson first, and then we get to add something from the lesson to our writing to make it better or more interesting. I also like readers workshop because I like to read and the ‘40 Book Challenge’ only makes me want to read more. Although it might be a little difficult, it’s fun!”

St. Anastasia’s commitment to developing excellence in the language arts is a part of the larger school philosophy of fostering the growth of the whole person.

For more info about the school’s innovative and engaging core academic curriculum, including the many enrichment and extra-curricular programs offered, please visit school.st-anastasia.org or call Mrs. Lance at (310) 645-8816 or email Office@St-Anastasia.org to schedule a tour.

Carousel School continues to serve children and adults after 35 years Carousel School has been serving the local community for 35 years, which includes providing care for children who are typically developing and children and adults with special needs. The Preschool and Infant Center provides care to children from birth to 5 years of age in a nurturing, stimulating and family-centered environment. The Early Intervention Program provides services to children birth to 3 years of age who are at risk for developmental delays in a full inclusion therapeutic classroom setting. The non-public school provides services to students with disabilities 3 to 22 years of age, which includes speech, occupational and physical therapy, counseling and round trip transportation. The After School Program offers daily opportunities to children 5 to 18 years old with a balanced curriculum to promote the

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Carousel Adult Day Program teachers and staff have fun at a Western-themed picnic.

physical, social/emotional and creative

development needs of each child.

Carousel’s Adult Day Program delivers services for participants 18 to 59 years of age with developmental disabilities. The goal is to provide care for adults with a spectrum of abilities at our designated locations and out in the community. The weekly lessons focus on cooking, finance, independent living, health, fitness, workshop activities and computer skills. Leisure activities include music, art, themeddances, as well as performing at talent and holiday shows. One of the main focuses of the program is to give back to the community while allowing the participants to have a sense of purpose by achieving new goals. This includes making care kits for the homeless, delivering meals to the elderly and developing pre-work skills at Petco.

For more info, please visit carouselschool.com.

Westchester • Playa del Rey • Marina del Rey • Playa Vista HomeTown News

Westchester • Playa del Rey • Marina del Rey • Playa Vista HomeTown News

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Social Entrepreneurship defines education at WNS What makes the human mind so special (or unique) is its capacity to create, innovate and transform.

Ultimately, an education, and, therefore, a school, should be judged on its capacity to empower students with confidence and the tools students require to be agents of positive change. Social Entrepreneurship, as a guiding principle, embraces the full range of skills and tools, along with the mindset and moral maturity to become an agent of positive change in our world—a fundamental strategy of learning at Westside Neighborhood School (WNS), a private independent preschool through 8th grade school in Silicon Beach.

Whether we talk of a play-based curriculum in our early childhood program, explorations and “maker” activities in kindergarten and throughout the elementary years, or project-based learning in the middle school, we describe the steps on the journey to unleash a child’s natural sense of wonder, creativity and innovation. Our strong academic curriculum cultivates tools needed for research, calculation, communication and negotiation, fostering successful facilitation of meaningful outcomes.

Both our visual and performing arts programs are integral components in further engaging our students’ imaginations and discovering ways to

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Two admission presentation tours will be held this month at Westside Neighborhood School.

communicate beyond the written and spoken word. Our social-emotional

learning strategies integrated into daily curriculum add yet another vital

dimension by giving students the social skills and tools to build a learning community based on civility, kindness, empathy and ethical decision-making.

Social Entrepreneurship, along with all of its complementary components thus defines a WNS education. Our graduates are confident and competent in their capacity to create the world they want with both the tools and a growth mindset poised to imagine solutions to problems they may not even yet know exist. We invite you to evaluate education by its highest standards, through the lens of social entrepreneurship and the capacity to innovate for the benefit of others. This is a WNS education.

To learn more about WNS, we invite you to register for one of our upcoming Admission Presentation Tours on November 7, November 29, December 6 or February 6.

Our next Speaker Series event is open to the public and will be held on November 28 at 6:30 p.m. The event will feature renowned early childhood author and speaker Lory Britain.

She will discuss the importance of being “present” for your children by encouraging and participating in their play and supporting their emotional development through responsive and collaborative book reading.

For more information about WNS, please visit wns-la.org.

Westchester • Playa del Rey • Marina del Rey • Playa Vista HomeTown News

Visitation School, a TK through 8th grade school in Westchester, will host an open house in January for prospective families. Its Renew campaign has led to numerous campus improvements this year.

Visitation looks to the future with Renew campaign This is a very exciting time at Visitation Catholic School. There is an energy that is palpable. There is a welcoming spirit that has been within this community since its beginning in 1947. And now, there is this immense feeling of renewal as we look toward the future.

If you have driven by our campus, you might have noticed construction equipment and heard the loud buzz of jack hammers. This construction is the result of a one and a half year campaign to Renew Visitation. In the past 18 months, the Visitation community has raised $2.2 million which has allowed us to completely renovate our daycare room, elementary school hallway, and elementary bathrooms, as well as refurbish our lunch tables and add new

landscaping to the front of the school.

Our current construction project called “Safe & Beautiful” will be completed in January. This project will reinvigorate our campus with our new grounds, a more secure perimeter fence with lighting, added greenspace, natural shade from new trees and a nature area for an outdoor classroom for our students to enjoy.

And while we work to renew our physical building, we continue to strive for excellence inside the classrooms.

We’ve added several new initiatives, including our STEM Fair which allows our students to pair off with mentors from the sciences to better explore our world and what can be accomplished within it.

We believe in educating the whole

child at Visitation. Each student has different gifts and talents and we work to help each student flourish.

We believe in a strong core education, supplemented with programs such as Gateway to Art, Spanish, athletics, theater, service clubs and our music program. All of these programs together help our students acquire leadership skills and become more confident, strong individuals.

Graduates from Visitation not only go on to their high schools of choice, but they leave critical thinkers, responsible young adults, active lifelong learners, effective communicators and with a strong foundation in Catholicism.

We invite you to stop by to explore our school and our community.

Meet with our faculty, chat with our principal, talk with the students and get to know what makes Visitation special–the amazing people within our school! Come by and experience the energy for yourself.

Join us for these upcoming events: • Dia De Los Muertos Outdoor Movie Night, November 2 at 6 p.m.

• Visitation Open House, January 30 at 7 p.m.

• Fourth Annual O’Grady Golf Tournament, March 11 • Theater Production Opening Night, April 12 • Spring Sing and Gateway to Art Show Opening, May 16 For more information on Visitation or our events, please visit visitationschool.org.

Paseo’s programs create an enriching science curriculum Paseo del Rey Natural Science Magnet first opened its doors in 1962 and started as a small, neighborhood school. Over the past 50 years, it has grown into a science magnet with a diverse student population from throughout the greater Los Angeles area. Teachers, parents, students and alumni, as well as the local residents and the business community, have enthusiastically supported Paseo. This support has provided our children with opportunities for greater academic excellence and cultural diversity, without losing the personal caring, nurturing, safety and intimacy of a neighborhood school.

Paseo teachers are highly-trained and committed to cutting-edge curriculum and pedagogy, many carrying a Master’s degree, a Costen Fellows and National Board certification.

Some of our programs include:

Paseo del Rey student scientists use microscopes during a class activity.

• Planet Bravo: Students receive weekly instruction in technology based on the National Educational Technology Standards, which they incorporate into classroom projects.

• Writers’ Workshop: Teachers engage in classroom lab demonstration

days, debrief by looking at student work and plan and set a professional goal for the week. Students learn how to become better writers, choosing their own topics within a genre.

• CGI Mathematics Instruction: Students are presented with different

types of story math problems to solve and justify their reasoning. The role of the teacher is to observe students’ strategies in deriving an answer and posing questions to guide their mathematical thinking.

• YMCA Youth Yoga: We receive yoga instruction two days a week through the generosity of the Drollinger Family Charitable Foundation.

• Dedicated Science Lab: Paseo has a dedicated science lab for all students K-2 with a lab assistant that supports the teachers’ hands-on science instruction based on the Next Generation Science Standards.

Take a tour to learn more about our programs! Tours start at 8:30 a.m. on November 1, December 6, January 10, February 7, March 7 and April 11.

Visit paseomagnet-lausd-ca. schoolloop.com for more info and to RSVP.

Looking for grant applications!

Grant applications are now being accepted for arts & beautification projects and programs at local TK-12 schools in the LAX Coastal Education Foundation’s coverage area. Four $2,500 and five $1,000 grants will be awarded.

Get your application: email info@laxcoastaledfoundation.com / Due Friday, November 16 Westchester • Playa del Rey • Marina del Rey • Playa Vista HomeTown News

November 2018 • Page 17

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Westchester • Playa del Rey • Marina del Rey • Playa Vista HomeTown News

St. Jerome students study in the school’s library.

St. Jerome encourages students to choose learning experiences St. Jerome School (SJS) is looking towards the future to inspire students today to excel and reach their highest potential. New principal, Tom MacDonald, believes that students excel best when given opportunities to choose and plan their own learning experiences, all the while engaging in rigorous student-centered activities.

In a pre–K to 8th grade school of 102 students, the ability to provide choice requires strong support from the community.

The first major initiative provides opportunities for students to explore learning outside of their grade levels in English language arts and math.

This allows opportunities for students achieving outside of their grade level to receive instruction more suited for their learning needs (both above and below grade level).

In addition, St. Jerome School has established elective periods on Fridays that explore specific student interests and with students outside of their specific grade level. For example, students in kindergarten to 3rd grade are trying to solve the same coding problems as those in grades 6th to 8th.

The same is true for students in the newspaper elective that focuses on topics that are similar for all students; and there is something to be said for reading about Halloween from the perspective of a 3rd grade student versus the same topic with an 8th grade student. This concept of choice extends to all of SJS’s elective classes, which include sewing, biblical theater, art, athletics (season specific), craft and rosary making, yearbook, cheer, dance, baking, singing, painting,

readers theater and academic decathlon.

Lastly, St. Jerome School students not only engage in learning aligned with these standards, but they also are taught a STEAM curriculum that affords students situations that require an established process of project-based inquiry. Students are asking, imagining, planning, creating, testing and improving problembased scenarios, experiments and experiences. St. Jerome’s STEAM program is built upon a framework that is motivating, engaging and is inspired by real world experiences and problems. The foundation incorporates meaningful and vital math and science content to learning activities, while engaging in engineering design processes. All the while, students are working as a team and strengthening their communication skills. This is imperative as students eventually continue on to future educational endeavors.

Ultimately through this teaching practice, St. Jerome students have the freedom to think critically and creatively while inventing. They are given the opportunity to fail and try again in a safe and conducive environment, while learning valuable skills for life.

St. Jerome School understands that children learn in a myriad of ways and by allowing the differentiated support via layered classes, electives and the STEAM program, students will be better prepared for college and future careers.

For more info or to schedule a tour, please visit st-jeromeschool.org.

Westchester • Playa del Rey • Marina del Rey • Playa Vista HomeTown News

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Expanding technology, an outdoor classroom, arts and STEM help students thrive at PVES

Students in the after school comic book club show off their superhero designs.

Westport Heights creates a nurturing, diverse environment Westport Heights Elementary School (WHES) has been serving the children of Westchester and its surrounding communities since 1945, making it 73 years old! WHES provides a nurturing environment with personalized learning for our students under the creative instruction of our talented faculty.

We embrace the beautiful diversity at our school and celebrate the cultural backgrounds of our students and their families from all over the world.

WHES supports all learners with: • Preschool for All Learners (PAL), a special day class for children with unique needs.

• Transitional kindergarten (TK), a 2-year kinder program for children who turn 5 between September 2 and December 2.

• An inclusive mainstream educational program for children with special needs.

• A Gifted and Talented Education Program (GATE), which includes cluster learning, individualized plans and special projects like robotics.

• Early Language and Literacy Plan (ELLP), to empower teachers with instructional supports to address the needs of early emergent to fluent readers.

• A Parent Center that provides informational sessions and resources for our parents to support their children’s education.

• Before and after school programs, including College Bound, STAR and Youth Services to provide supervised enrichment activities.

WHES provides a well-rounded educational experience for our students by offering: • Science & Technology: We teach coding and provide technology experiences on our LAUSD iPads and are launching our STEAM Makerspace and Robotics Lab. • Robotics Club & Intramural Competition (a new program).

• Arts & Culture: Our students have access to the arts through our drama club, orchestra, weekly dance instruction, an annual Multicultural Page 20 • November 2018

Festival and a robust arts program in the classroom supported by LMU. • After school comic book club, after school Spanish club, after school comic book design club and OTIS Creative Arts Program (new programs).

• Wellness: We provide weekly yoga/mindfulness instruction, facilitate Character Counts and Second Step Social-Emotional Instruction to implement a school-wide positive behavior support plan.

WHES is also fortunate to collaborate with the Westchester community: • We are fortunate to be in partnership with many organizations in our community including the LAX Kiwanis Club, Westchester Rotary, LAX Coastal Chamber Education Committee, Playa Venice Sunrise Rotary Club, Loyola Marymount University, LAX, the Westchester Family YMCA and the Drollinger Family Charitable Foundation. These generous members of our community provide resources and support for our Fall Festival, field trips, grants, campus beautification projects, teacher wish lists, college and career motivation and wellness programs.

• WHES cares about our community by contributing to the American Cancer Society with our annual Jump Rope for Heart, community gardening with neighbors from around our school, donations to emergency causes like Hurricane Michael postcards and donations to affected children and recycling for environmental awareness.

WHES is a community of caring, passionate and dedicated teachers, staff, parents, students, community supporters and volunteers!

We welcome and embrace our own diversity across all walks of life as we work together to prepare our students to live and succeed in our 21st century multicultural society. We invite you to visit your neighborhood school for a tour and view our website for more information at westportheightseslausd-ca.schoolloop.com.

Playa Vista Elementary School (PVES) is one of only 13 schools that has earned LAUSD STEM Certification. We are also the STEM demonstration school for Loyola Marymount University’s School of Education. Preservice teachers attend a STEM Literacy class here on our campus and five of our teachers are LMU instructors. Student teachers do a round of teaching with us to learn about integrated, student-driven, STEM education.

PVES’ students have a unique opportunity to apply their learning in our outdoor classroom, the Ballona Wetlands. Our transitional kindergarten (TK), kindergarten and first grade students begin their studies in the Discovery Park, located next to the school that contains a model of Playa Vista and the wetlands. Second grade students venture a bit beyond Discovery Park and include the Riparian Corridor in their studies. Our third grade students travel across Lincoln Blvd. as their outdoor classroom is the freshwater marsh and the fourth and fifth grade study the saltwater marsh.

We work closely with the Friends of Ballona Wetlands to create a learning experience for our students that builds over time and allows them to apply their learning.

Technology, an important part of STEM, is ever-expanding at PVES. We have a computer lab our students visit once a week. Desktops are in primary classes and iPad carts are shared. Our 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students enjoy a one-to-one ratio of Chrome Books. In addition, our 4th and 5th grade students participate in a robotics program that takes place during the school day. This outstanding technology program is

supported through donations from our parents and community partners.

Our arts program includes ORFF music for our TK, kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade students, general music instruction for 3rd grade students and vocal music in 4th and 5th grade.

Art in Action, a visual arts program, is enjoyed by all grade levels and is led by our parent volunteers. Art in Action has highlighted the program at PVES on its website for its innovation in integrating our lessons into our STEM curriculum.

Students who attend PVES participate in a social/emotional education that begins in the classroom and extends to the playground. Transitional kindergarten through 2nd grade students participate in Second Step, a program that nurtures socialemotional competence and develops foundational learning skills. In 3rd through 5th grade, students put their skills into practice and participate in our social justice program. These skills, TK through 5th grade, are brought to the playground through Playworks, a program that supports healthy play and teaches conflict resolution.

Playa Vista Elementary School is a LAUSD neighborhood school that serves the Playa Vista and One West Bluff communities. Any family living within these communities is invited to enroll their children. Due to the growth in the Playa Vista community, we are unable to enroll students on permits.

If you are a community member and interested in attending our school, tours take place in January and February. Check out our website playavistaschool.com beginning in December for the school tour dates.

Students learn through meaningful experiences at Open Magnet Open Magnet Charter is an affiliated-charter and magnet elementary school (K-5) for residents living within LAUSD. The school was founded in 1977 and was the district’s first magnet school and the first to be granted charter status in L.A. in 1993.

Like an oasis away from the busy city, Open students, parents, and staff come together to build a true learning community where students learn through meaningful experiences. The school is an enriched studies magnet based on a Constructivist teaching philosophy, which provides a non-traditional educational environment with a strong emphasis on individualized instruction.

Teams of two teachers sharing the same “cluster” of multi-age students

design the instructional program to create a thematic projectbased curriculum. Enrichment programs covering visual arts, vocal arts, orchestra, physical education and gardening are also integrated. Another unique feature of the school is that parents/ guardians actively assist in the classroom, participate in the shared governance of the school by serving on the Governing Board and its committees, and raise funds to support Open’s enrichment and technology programs.

Open Magnet is a three-time California Distinguished School and a National Magnet School of Merit.

Applications to apply for the 2019-2020 school year are available at apply.lausd.net and close on November 9.

Westchester • Playa del Rey • Marina del Rey • Playa Vista HomeTown News

Wright STEAM students excel in technology, innovation and arts

Wright administrators and parents pose in front of the aviation mural in the lunch area. Right: Music students perform at the Day in the Life of a Seahawk event in front of elementary school students.

Wright Middle School STEAM Magnet is a community that promotes diversity and pride in oneself and the school. Last school year, Wright achieved accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) and the junior high has been featured as a model STEAM school for the national Magnet Schools of America tour, hosted by LAUSD. Our selection by the district and consistent consultation visits from multiple schools statewide and beyond our border is a testament to the great work our highly qualified teachers are doing in their classrooms,

and to that of the leadership, who provide meaningful and up-to-date relevant professional development.

Student intellect and artistic talents are ebullient and evident on our campus. Wright prides itself in offering a robust class and elective program for its students where they can explore their hobbies and discover new interests. For those artistically-inclined, there’s theater, drumline, orchestra, music production, visual arts and fashion design. Interested in science, engineering and technology? There’s Project Lead the Way (engineering/

robotics) courses, audio recording technology, stage crew, science Olympiad and flight & space courses.

Always looking for ways to expand Wright’s program and offerings to students, the school will offer a new “Gifted & Highly Gifted Magnet” pathway starting in the fall of 2019.

Interested in learning more?

Visit the school this month to view “STEAM in Action” where students will showcase their STEAM projects. The event will take place on Thursday, November 15 from 4 to 6 p.m.

Wright will also be hosting its

Westchester • Playa del Rey • Marina del Rey • Playa Vista HomeTown News

last school tour of the season on Wednesday, November 7 beginning at 9 a.m.

What are the characteristics of a successful Wright student? A student who’s inquisitive, enjoys working collaboratively, understands how to use technology responsibly, is innovative and is intrepid!

Come see what the school has to offer! Visit wrightms.org for more information. The e-choices application window for the 20192020 school year closes at 5 p.m. on Friday, November 9. Apply online at echoices.lausd.net.

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Westchester • Playa del Rey • Marina del Rey • Playa Vista HomeTown News

Sharing Westchester & Playa’s history (continued) (continued from page 4) “In order to have a robust collection we’re going to have to rely on the kindness of our neighbors, especially those that don’t like to throw things away. Westchester and Playa del Rey are such special communities and there are so many families who have lived here forever,” said Davis. “Next time you’re cleaning out the garage or the attic and you see anything related to Westchester or Playa del Rey, please consider donating these items so they can be preserved and displayed for the enjoyment of the community.

If you have an old Westchester High letterman’s jacket, we want it! Pictures of your home from the 1940s, we’d love to have a copy.”

For Russell, who volunteers to help organize the collection weekly, a historical society holds an important function that can’t be overlooked, especially in a town like Westchester that continues to grow and change.

“I think the historical society hosts the fabric of this community,” said Russell, who is also an instructor at Otis College. “In terms of revitalizing a community, it’s important we preserve its history so we know where it’s been and where we’re going.”

On a recent Sunday, the historical society played host to a group of old friends and Westchester High School alums that made the trek from all over Southern California to meet up and check out the room’s treasures.

An hour later, they were still there with yearbooks in their hands reminiscing about the past and the good old days of growing up locally.

“That’s really the magic of the historical society,” said Davis. “Our collection is small and we rotate our items on display, but just being in the room with the old photos and yearbooks sparks people’s memories and gets them talking about the past.

We’re happy to be able to provide a bit of nostalgia. The room is definitely a conversation starter, so stop on by for a cup of coffee.”

Westchester’s Jewel and Playa’s Treasure recently expanded its hours and is open Fridays and Saturdays from 4 to 7 p.m. and Sundays during the Westchester Farmers’ Market from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The room is located at 6205 W. 87th St. in Westchester.

Interested in donating your Westchester or Playa del Rey pictures, trinkets or treasures? Please email info@laxcoastal.com.

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November 2018 • Page 23

Recipes from the Inn: Megan’s Sunshine Granola Given the insightful and powerful nature of the women I work with at the Inn, it’s stunning to think there was ever a time when women couldn’t vote. When I was younger, I didn’t vote very often. To be honest, I took that right for granted. As I’ve matured, I’ve come to realize that voting is the most efficient way to be heard and to influence the course of our nation.

I hope all men and women of voting age will make it to the polls for the mid-term elections…and my boss said I could even reward y’all for fulfilling your civic duty!

On November 6, 2018, please bring your “I Voted!” sticker to the Inn at Playa del Rey between 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and we’ll celebrate you with either a freshly-baked cookie or a scoop of our homemade Sunshine Granola!

Our co-worker, Megan, created Sunshine Granola for the Inn this year, and it is delicious!

Megan says, “The key to a slam-bam granola is simple--do I want to keep eating it? It should be so good, that all of the sudden, granola seems apropos for dinner, as well as breakfast. Lunch?

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Photos by Tom Caufield.

By Rebecca Hill, Innkeeper

Eat the granola as a snack or add to your favorite yogurt, cereal or fruit for a crunchy treat.

Sounds about right! This recipe has been tweaked and perfected over many months of hard...work.”

If you’d like to create Megan’s Sunshine Granola at home, here’s how.

See you at the polls!

Sunshine Granola Step one: Combine: • 5 cups oats

• 1 ½ cups chopped nuts • 1 ½ cups shredded coconut Step two: Heat on stove over medium heat: • ½ cup maple syrup • ½ cup honey • ¼ cup butter • ¼ cup brown sugar • ½ Tbs. molasses • 1 Tbs. vanilla

• ¼ Tsp. nutmeg • ½ Tbs. cinnamon • Pinch salt Step three: Pour wet ingredients over dry and mix until covered evenly. Split onto three parchment paper-lined cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 18 minutes or until lightly golden.

Step four: Spread dried cranberries over the top of the mixture.

Step five: Allow to completely cool. Mix and break apart with your hands. Store what you want now, and freeze what you want later. Enjoy!

The Inn’s recipes have been lovingly collected over the past 20 years. Some are original recipes, others are wellknown recipes that have been adapted and some are recipes that have been handed down by our innkeepers’ mothers and grandmothers over the years.

Rebecca Hill is an innkeeper at the Inn at Playa del Rey and a published writer. Her stories have appeared in Redbook magazine and in over a dozen Chicken Soup for the Soul anthologies.

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Westchester • Playa del Rey • Marina del Rey • Playa Vista HomeTown News

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Calendar Ongoing monthly events: Playa Venice Sunrise Rotary Club Join the Playa Venice Sunrise Rotary Club every Wednesday morning at 7:15 a.m. for its weekly meeting.

The club meets at Whiskey Red’s, located at 13813 Fiji Way in Marina del Rey. The cost of the meeting is $25, which includes breakfast. Guests are welcome and reservations are not required.

For more info, please visit playavenice.org.

Rotary Club of Westchester The Rotary Club of Westchester meets every Wednesday at 12 noon for lunch at the Crowne Plaza LAX Hotel, located at 5985 W. Century Blvd. in Westchester. The cost of lunch is $25 and validated self-parking is free. Guests are most welcome!

Reservations are not required.

For more information or to reserve a seat at the luncheon, please visit rotary-westchester.com.

Life Story Writing Class Who will tell your great-grandkids about your life growing up? Why not you? Join the life story writing class and learn techniques to make memories come alive.

The life story writing group meets every Wednesday from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., in the YMCA Annex, located at 8020 Alverstone Ave. in Westchester. The cost to participate is $10 a year.

For more info, please email Sonni at sonnihelmer@sbcglobal.net. Please indicate “Life Stories” as the subject.

Toastmasters by the Sea Club Improve your skills for speaking in public at Toastmasters by the Sea’s weekly speaking workshops. The club meets every Wednesday from 11 a.m. to noon. Speakers by the Sea meets at 12000 Vista del Mar in Conf. Room 230A in Playa del Rey. Entrance is one light south of Imperial Hwy. and Hyperion Way on Vista del Mar; photo ID is required.

TheHTN.com For more info, please contact ToastmastersSpeakersByTheSea@ gmail.com.

November events: Badge of Heart Turkey Drive Local nonprofit, Badge of Heart, is looking for donations for its 4th Annual Thanksgiving Turkey Dinner drive. Founded and led by 28-year police veteran, Ken Lew, the organization works to provide help to low-income families and crime victims in the L.A. area. Recipients are selected

by Pacific Division officers and Badge of Heart hopes to provide dinners for up to 500 deserving families in Westchester and surrounding areas.

A donation of $25 feeds a family of four. For more info and to donate, visit badgeofheart.org.

LAX Dunes Clean-Up The Bay Foundation and The Friends of LAX Dunes invite you to their monthly clean-up at the LAX Dunes on Saturday, November 3 from 9 a.m. to noon. The LAX Dunes are the largest remaining fragment of the El Segundo Dunes complex, and they provide a habitat for over 900 species, some of which cannot be found anywhere else on Earth! Thousands of volunteers have removed acres of non-native vegetation such as iceplant and Russian thistle at this site.

Please join them and experience why this place is so special! Visit santamonicabay.org to sign up.

Pies & Tarts Cooking Class Fresh Food in a Flash is back this month with their annual Pies & Tarts baking class just in time for Thanksgiving. Attendees will learn how to make a foolproof pie-crust, as well as Dutch apple pie, mocha pecan pie, pumpkin cheesecake and more.

Bakers will also be able to bring a pie home and enjoy dinner during the class.

The class will take place on Thursday, November 8 from 6 to 9:30 p.m. in the Holy Nativity Community Hall, located at 6700 W. 83rd St. in

Westchester.

The class fee is $55 when you reserve by November 5 and $65 thereafter if space available. To reserve your spot, email Patricia@ FreshFoodinaFlash.com.

Otis College 100% Festival Otis is celebrating its centennial year this month with the inaugural all-ages 100% Festival. The two-day event takes place from noon to 5 p.m. on Saturday, November 10 and Sunday, November 11 and is meant to inspire attendees to get creative and support local artists.

The event is free and open to the public and will feature speakers, music, food trucks, creative workshops and a makers’ market with items for sale.

Highlights of the festival include a weaving phone cover workshop, a wire wrapping workshop, coding for kids and a look inside fashion design tour.

For a full schedule of activities, please visit findyour100.com/ 100-festival. Otis is located at 9045 Lincoln Blvd. in Westchester.

community.

Attendees are invited to bring their own pizza dough and toppings for the 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. pizza bake on the 800° wood-fired hearth where pizzas cook in minutes. Serious bread heads turn out lovely loaves from 2 to 4 p.m. as the oven stabilizes for optimum bread temperatures.

The bakes happen on the second Saturday of every month (unless it’s raining) at Holy Nativity, located at 6700 W. 83rd St. in Westchester.

NCWP Planning and Land Use Meeting

Join the Friends of Ballona Wetlands for a Grow Native! Gardening Workshop on Saturday, November 10 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

This free class will give you tips on how to care for your native plants, which help attract butterflies and birds.

Plants can be grown in containers or grown in the ground. You can register for the class and pre-order plants ($5$13) and supplies for the workshop by visiting ballonafriends.org.

The event will take place at the Ballona Discovery Park, located at 13110 Bluff Creek Dr. in Playa Vista.

Interested in learning more about development in the area? The community is encouraged to attend the monthly Neighborhood Council of Westchester/Playa’s (NCWP) Planning and Land Use Committee (PLUC) meetings.

The committee meets the third Tuesday of the month at 6:30 p.m. in the Westchester Community Room, located at 7166 Manchester Ave. in Westchester. This month’s meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, November 20.

Every month, the committee hears a variety of presentations ranging from city employees informing PLUC on hot topic issues like the home-sharing ordinance, developers looking to build in Westchester/Playa or new businesses looking to open in the area.

Agendas for upcoming meetings are available at ncwpdr.org/pluc when ready. Those interested can also sign up to receive the PLUC agendas automatically at ncwpdr.org/user/ register by creating a user account and subscribing to email alerts from any NCWP committee.

Community Bread Oven & Pizza Bake Day

Save the date--Marina del Rey Holiday Boat Parade!

Join your neighbors at Holy Nativity for their upcoming wood-fired community pizza and bread oven day scheduled for Saturday, November 10. Now in its third year of operation, the giant earthen oven was built by volunteers who gather monthly to bake pizza and bread, while building

The 56th annual Marina del Rey Boat Parade, with the theme “Holiday Winter Wonderland,” will take place on Saturday, December 8!

This year’s grand marshal is Supervisor Janice Hahn. Visit mdrboatparade.org for more info.

Grow Native! Gardening Class

YOU CAN HELP! FOOD PANTRY, LAX

Emergency Food Distribution to those in need.

Sponsored by the Westchester Clergy Association

Open Tuesday & Friday, 10am-12pm 355 Beach St., Inglewood

Bring donations of non-perishable food to Covenant Presbyterian Chuch. Volunteers and money donations also welcomed and encouraged!

For more information, please call (310) 677-5597 Ad donated by the Covenant Presbyterian Church

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Westchester • Playa del Rey • Marina del Rey • Playa Vista HomeTown News

Westchester • Playa del Rey • Marina del Rey • Playa Vista HomeTown News

November 2018 • Page 27

Random Notes/Opinion

TheHTN.com

If you’re thinking about the benefits of exercise,it might be time to start

By Jeff Blair

Opinion: You know it’s time to start working out again when...

You regularly stare out your office window remembering what it felt like to feel good physically. You miss the peace of mind and mental clarity exercise used to provide. You remember your eating choices tended to be healthier when you exercised consistently. You fondly remember how exercise used to make you feel better, but you just can’t seem to get started again. You know exercise is good for you, but have a hard time making it fit in your busy schedule.

You always unwind in front of the TV when you know some light physical activity would be a better choice. You feel much older than your chronological age without any real reason. You want to exercise, but you aren’t sure how to start.

You find yourself getting sick much more frequently without any medical reason. You think, “I’m too busy for exercise,” although you realize you are probably too busy NOT to exercise.

You regularly register a big zero

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on the energy scale. You find lifting things that used to be easy have become difficult almost overnight.

You spend part of each workday trying to loosen up your painful back or shoulder.

You get winded doing something that used to take no effort. Your doctor says you should start exercising every time you visit them. You avoid social outings if they involve even slight physical exertion. You can see and feel where you have lost muscle in your body. Your knees hurt doing activities that used to be no problem.

Routine household tasks involving physical activity exhaust you.

You don’t feel as sharp mentally as you once did and you sense that has something to do with not being in good physical condition. Work stress always seems to put you in a “fight or flight” state. Your sleep patterns are inconsistent and seem to be getting worse. You seem less patient than when you exercised consistently. You want to be in better shape to do more with your kids. You think exercising consistently would set a good example for them.

You would like to lose a few pounds.

Your weight is well past a number you thought you would ever reach. You think it would be nice to fit in those clothes in the back of your closet again.

You still have some athletic goals you would like to achieve, but you don’t feel you are in good enough shape to attempt them. There are cities and countries you would like to visit, but you feel you would need to be in better shape to enjoy them as much as you would like. You value your independence and sometimes wonder if being in better shape would help as you get a little older. You always wanted to remain physically active well into your senior years, but you aren’t sure if you are on target.

You wonder whether you will be able to do everything you want to do physically when you retire.

You seem to hear about some new benefit of exercise every day.

You remember the temporary discomfort and soreness of starting an exercise program lessens over time. You remember the feeling of accomplishment that comes after a

good workout. Although sometimes you think “it’s too late for me,” you know many people who are much older than you who exercise consistently.

You believe you can find a couple hours per week to exercise. You feel like you are your best when you exercise consistently. You actually miss the consistency of a regular exercise schedule. You find yourself Googling ideas about “starting back to exercise” on a fairly regular basis. You believe you are not done yet.

The good news is, it’s never too late to start. Start simple and you’ll be surprised how much better even a little physical activity can make you feel. *Note some of the previous can/ may be caused by medical conditions that may need professional assistance.

Always seek medical or other professional review whenever in doubt.

Jeff Blair (M.S., CSCS) is a fitness author and personal trainer who has worked in Westchester for 16 years.

Reach him at jeff@socalsport.com for article ideas or comments.

Westchester • Playa del Rey • Marina del Rey • Playa Vista HomeTown News

Finding calm in turbulent times starts with self-care

By Fay Craton Opinion: It seems like every day there is yet another devastating or upsetting report on the news. We have ongoing, never-ending difficult events playing out on TV constantly.

We are living in a turbulent time when unmanaged anger and quarrels have become common. National events are resonating with many people and evoking memories of past personal pain and trauma. For example, on the day of testimonies for Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court confirmation, there was a reported 147% increase of calls (as compared to a normal weekday) to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National (RAIN) network.

The climate of confrontation is present on more than just the national stage. It has permeated the way many people express themselves. Aggression is appearing in behaviors and in the words used when people have misunderstandings and different points of view. Instead of civil and polite conversation, there is a trend toward demeaning another person. There is an increase in the desire to make the other person wrong in order to unbalance that person and declare yourself as being “right” or the “best.” Sometimes the aggression appears as dismissing what another person values as being of little worth. When experiencing hostility, it can be very difficult to retain a sense of composure and not strike back. This oppositional climate is hurting everyone.

It is not helpful to point a finger at another person, claiming it is all his or her fault that there is an increase in arguments. While some people may have more influence than other people, each of us is responsible for our own words and behaviors.

You can choose your attitude. No matter what is happening, you have the ability to find calm. When stressed and upset, try to shift your own awareness away from what is overwhelming. How is this done?

Here are two possibilities: 1. One of the quickest methods to shift your awareness is to change your thoughts. One way to rapidly do this is, instead of thinking about the stressful event, focus on your senses––touch, taste, sound, sight and smell. For example, you can touch a table, experiencing the hard, glossy finish. Consider whether it is cool or hot. Is there texture to the table? Think about what the surface

feels like. Another example is to visualize an ice cream cone. Think about the flavor and texture of the ice cream. Or, take a sip of water or coffee, fully experiencing the moisture. Consider whether or not the liquid has an aroma.

2. Stop and take a deep, slow breath with a long exhale. When you are able to pause during a difficult situation, you open the possibility of remembering positive coping skills, which have been effective for you in the past. One skill I find effective is to ground myself by visioning roots running from my feet into the earth.

The visual of connecting myself to the earth is soothing.

People ask me, “How can I remember to do these methods when I am upset?” To remember self-care in stressful moments requires consciously practicing self-care on a daily basis. In this way, the awareness of what you can do to shift from being in conflict to a place of composure is on tap for you. Think of it as priming an oldfashioned water pump. You have to first put some water (i.e. self-care) into the pump, in order to get the water running freely. It is necessary to cultivate the experience of being calm.

Calm is found by very consciously choosing how you wish to respond to events around you. You are responsible for how you act and the words you say. No matter what another person is doing or saying, you can choose your attitude. This is not to say that you should become a doormat for another person’s outbursts. Healthy relationships have healthy boundaries and respectful conversations.

What I want is for you to have an immunity to the pervasive climate of confrontation. I want you to have an experience of calm in the face of seeing and hearing turmoil on the news and expressed by people around you. I know that self-care is the way to resiliency and calm. You have the ability to make a difference in your life and in the lives of people around you.

Fay Craton, M.A. is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (mfc40011), which is the psychology license specializing in relationships (with ourselves or with others), and she has an office in Westchester. For more info, visit communicationtriangle.com or contact her at (310) 645-6762.

Westchester • Playa del Rey • Marina del Rey • Playa Vista HomeTown News

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Westchester • Playa del Rey • Marina del Rey • Playa Vista HomeTown News

Westchester Sunday Farmers’ Market

Harvest Festival • Sunday, October 28

The Westchester Sunday Farmers’ Market celebrated the fall season with a Harvest Fest on Sunday, October 28th.

More a community hub than just a place to shop for fruits and vegetables, attendees enjoyed the festive atmosphere of the day thanks to the musical stylings of local Irish band, The Praties, an autumn-themed photo backdrop and booths with activities that ranged from pumpkin decorating, a petting zoo with pony rides, science projects and more. Melody Bar & Grill hosted the market’s first mimosa and craft beer garden, which organizers hope to make a monthly occurrence during super-sized special event market days.

The Westchester Farmers’ Market is held every Sunday in the Westchester Triangle (6200 block of 87th St.) from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Westchester • Playa del Rey • Marina del Rey • Playa Vista HomeTown News

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Westchester • Playa del Rey • Marina del Rey • Playa Vista HomeTown News