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
NOVEMBER 2008
New Pirate Stadium Opens with Grand Fanfare With a fireworks show as impressive as Disneyland’s, Paramount High School celebrated the grand opening of the new Pirate stadium. Fireworks burst into the air, the crowd cheered, and with a hearty voice it was announced, “Pirates, take your field!” As cheers roared from the crowd, the varsity football team proudly ran onto their new domain, for they are the first athletic team to play on the new turf. There was no denying the enthusiasm that filled the stadium Friday night, October 17. The 4,000-seat home side was packed with students, alumni, parents, faculty and staff, and VIP’s personally invited by Superintendent Dr. David Verdugo. The fanfare for the grand opening began before the game with a VIP reception hosted by Dr. Verdugo. Over 200 guests were invited to a pre-game reception where Dr. Verdugo thanked the many people involved in the making of this grand stadium. Another highlight of the evening was the brilliant fireworks show at halftime. The spectacular display left the crowd in awe. PUSD Board President Vivian Hansen, commented, “It was an incredible event for everyone!
Our students have deserved an upgraded stadium for many years and the Board of Education is grateful for the support of the community to make this a reality. It was very heartwarming to see 4,000 seats filled with proud alumni, staff, parents, students and community members who came to share the memorable occasion. I can’t remember when I and my colleagues on the Board of Education have shared an event that was more enjoyable. This one will be hard to beat.” PHS Senior Campus Principal, Dr. Buckner, summed up the evening best, “The great history of the school was on display at the special guest reception before the game and at the game itself. In addition, the fireworks before the game and at halftime were a fitting symbol of the excitement of the capacity crowd which filled the air.” The new Pirate stadium has the capacity to seat 6,000—4,000 on the home side and 2,000 on the visitor side. There is a 1,000 square foot Press Box, and an elevator at the west end. The stadium boasts a state of the art artificial turf on the field, a state of the art all-weather track, and a state of the art artificial soccer field.
Completion of the stadium complex is just the beginning of more remodeling to come due to the passing of Measure AA. According to Superintendent Dr. Verdugo, “Paramount’s goal for the stadium and the campus has always been about trans-
forming lives by creating a place the community, our teachers and our students can take pride in. The stadium grand opening ceremony was a major event and will be remembered by many as an example of what we can accomplish together as
a community with a vision towards the future. I am extremely proud of our Board of Education whose courageous decision to go forward with a bond referendum will make the difference for generations of students in Paramount.”
PHS Senior Campus College Club Members Visited Northern CA Colleges It was the northern California college tour for three members of the PHS Senior Campus College Club.
Seniors Ana Cardona and Adriana Ascencio along with junior Olumide Martins visited six universities from Friday evening October 3 through Sunday evening October 5. Their tour began in San Jose where they visited Cal State San Jose. On Saturday, they visited the University of Santa Cruz who was holding an Open House for all prospective high school students. From there they went to Stanford where
they were greeted by an admission representative who gave the group an official tour of the campus. Early Sunday morning the group started off at the University of California, Berkeley where they were met by a Paramount High School alumnus who gave them a personal tour of the campus. Mid afternoon their tour took them to the University of California, Davis who was celebrating their 100th year with a fair.
Other universities were also at the UCD fair giving out information and answering questions. The last stop for the group was at California State University, Sacramento. The northern college tour was chaperoned by College Club advisor, counselor Mrs. Hill. She stated that these students will share their findings from their northern California college tour through a slide presentation that will be given to the entire College Club at their next meeting. According to Mrs. Hill, the three students who attended this tour were chosen last spring
of ’08. To apply for this trip, students had to have a 4.0 GPA and submit an essay. This was only the first of several college trips that the College Club will be taking. The local college trips are open first to College Club members
and then to the entire student body until bus seats are filled. Future tours planned include the University of California, Santa Barbara; California State University, Long Beach; and the University of Southern California.
SCHOOL BOARD MEETING DATES November 18, 2008 – December 9, 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