EYE ON EDUCATION A Publication of the Paramount Unified School District
15110 CALIFORNIA AVE., PARAMOUNT, CA 90723 • TEL: 562-602-6000 • FAX: 562-634-6029
JANUARY 2008
STAR Honor Roll Recognition On November 6th, Wesley Gaines School along with Hollydale and Lincoln Schools were recognized as Honor Roll Schools by the California Business for Education Excellence Foundation in conjunction with Just for the Kids – California. The Principals from these three sites were invited to a full day of events at the Intercontinental Hotel in Century City. For the evening’s banquet, Dr. Verdugo, Superintendent, Ms. Sonya Cuellar, PUSD Board Member, and Dr. Myrna Morales, Reading First Director joined the Principals for this outstanding recognition. Each of the Principals received an Honor Roll 2007 Certificate and a large vinyl banner exclaiming their site as an Honor Roll recipient. We welcome you to Wesley Gaines School and view our banner so proudly displayed out on the front gate. Wesley Gaines, Abraham Lincoln and Hollydale Schools were selected by the California Business for Education Excellence (CBEE) Foundation and Just for the Kids – California (JFTK-CA) as three of 570 public schools in California to receive the title of 2007 Honor Roll school. Schools receiving the distinction from California’s business community have demonstrated consistent high student academic achievement and have made significant progress toward closing achievement gaps among all their
Garcia and Hansen Reelected Newly reelected Paramount Unified School District Board of Education members Linda Garcia and Vivian Hansen were given the Oath of Office by Superintendent David Verdugo at the December 11 Statutory meeting. President Hansen has been on the Board for more than 20 years. Mrs. Hansen serves as the Director of the Norwalk/La Mirada Chamber of Commerce and she is involved in many city organizations. Her husband, Councilmember Dr. Tom Hansen, graduated from Paramount High School and their three children attended Paramount Schools. Trustee Linda Garcia was originally elected to the Paramount Unified School District Board of Education in 1999 and currently serves past president. Linda is a native of Paramount and her three children are graduates and her grandson currently attends his neighborhood school at Emmanuel Preschool.
students. The CBEE Foundation/JFTKCA Honor Roll is made up of two different awards, the STAR Schools Award (127 schools) and Scholar Schools Award (443 schools). Wesley Gaines, as a CBEE Star School, is a school site with a significant population of socio-economically disadvantaged students that has shown a significant increase in grade-level proficiency over four years for all subgroups. Abraham Lincoln and Hollydale Schools are schools that are showing
Vivian Hansen Elected President
significant levels of academic achievement, but do not have a significant socio-economically disadvantaged student population. Honor Roll schools are being recognized because they are on track to meet the goal of 100% grade-level proficiency by the 2013/2014 school year as required by federal law. Mrs. Stevens, Principal at Gaines states, “Our teachers are committed to striving toward academic excellence and to working diligently to ensure the focus
is on student academic achievement and reaching grade-level proficiency. We hold all of our students no matter what their background the same high standards because we believe they can all reach grade-level proficiency.” An impressive API score of 796 was attained by Gaines’ students on the 2007 STAR Test. Linda Stevens Principal Gaines School
Outgoing President Honored
Senator Allen Lowenthal, Representative from Congresswoman Linda Sanchez’s office Daisy Pizana, Board President Vivian Hansen, Mayor Peggy Lemons, Superintendent David Verdugo and Board of Education members congratulated outgoing President Linda Garcia on her successful year as President of the Board of Education.
The Board of Education elected new officers for 2008 during their December meeting. Trustee Vivian Hansen was elected President and Trustee Sonya Cuellar will serve as Vice President/Clerk.
SCHOOL BOARD MEETING DATES January 8, 2008 – January 22, 2008 Board of Education meetings are held at 6:00 p.m. in the Boardroom at the District Office, 15110 California Avenue, Paramount, and are open to the public