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
Sonya Cuellar Elected School Board President
The Board of Education elected new officers for 2009 during their December meeting. Trustee Sonya Cuellar was elected President and Trustee Alicia Anderson will serve as Vice President/Clerk.
Gaines’ Headliners Gaines School is truly proud of Valerie Zarate, Grade 2. Valerie won 1st place in the 2008 Children’s Bookmark Contest sponsored by the Los Angeles County Library System. Valerie was honored at the City Council’s monthly meeting with a backpack full of “Catching the Reading Bug” prizes and reading incentives. Her award winning bookmark has been shared with all of the students here at Gaines School. Gaines School has hosted a series of Family Literacy Nights. Parents have learned about many aspects of the Open Court Reading Program that they can reinforce and support at home. Parents can help build reading fluency. They can also prompt reading comprehension questions. Each family participating in the workshop received a one minute timer and a free reading book. Parents also received an incentive sticker to place on their Incentive Card. Parents filling their entire card with eight stickers will receive a prize for their participation. Linda Stevens, Principal
JANUARY 2009
Zamboni Students Explore a Career in Law Enforcement The fourth grade students of Zamboni School started the year off by welcoming Deputy Mike Abbot, of the Paramount Sheriff’s Station. Deputy Abbot was invited to speak about the theme, Risks and Consequence as a part of their Unit Opener in Open Court. Deputy Abbot shared the risk and consequences students will face if they become involved with gangs. He also discussed effective strategies they can use to avoid confrontations if pressured by gangs. Deputy Mike continued by sharing the diverse career opportunities available to students if they choose a career in law. Several students expressed a keen interest in becoming a police officer. Deputy Mike avidly responded to their probing questions and shared the personal
rewards and benefits of being a deputy in our community. The students were thrilled at the conclusion of his visit to receive materials to take home and share with their parents. These materials will as-
sist their parents in being between our school and aware of the resources the Paramount Sheriff ’s available to them to help Department. their children resist the temptations and dangers Rosemary Mendez of gang involvement. This Ruthanne Shearer visit was another example Zamboni Fourth of the ongoing partnership Grade Teachers
Helping Hands Outgoing President for the Holidays Vivian Hansen Mokler School’s Helping Hands Service Club collected over a hundred bags of canned and dried foods for the Thanksgiving holiday. Students from the club, headed by Mrs. Shelley Monroe, 6/8 math and science teacher, collected the items during the month of November to donate to the Long Beach Food Bank. All students from kindergarten to eighth grade were encouraged to bring in items. Students who donated items received an angel cut-out that they wrote their names on. The angels were then posted on the windows of the front office for all to see. The teachers and staff of Mokler were impressed at how many students got involved in the service project. “I was so elated to see how many students wanted to be involved in the community,” said Mrs. Monroe.
The members of the Helping Hands Service Club, (sixth through eighth grade students) wanted to start a group that would help their local community. Sixth grader Brenda Garcia stated, “It’s fun and we like helping others. It made me feel happy because they [the people who received the donations] have food and supplies when they need it.” But, the fun doesn’t stop at the holidays! The club already has plans for future projects that include: school and community beautification, environmental clean-up with the Surf-Rider Foundation, and other community projects with the city of Paramount. Mokler School’s Helping Hands Service Club is dedicated to the future welfare of our community! Theresa M. Diaz, Mokler Math Coach
Honored
MAPS President Teresa Kugler, School Board Members, Superintendent David Verdugo, Mayor Gene Daniels, Council Member Tom Hansen and husband of Mrs. Hansen congratulated outgoing President Vivian Hansen on her successful year as President of the Board of Education.
SCHOOL BOARD MEETING DATES January 20, 2009 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