PUSD Education News A Publication of the Paramount Unified School District
15110 California Ave., Paramount, CA 90723 • Tel: 562-602-6000 • Fax: 562-634-6029
The JROTC Paramount Pirate Battalion Leadership Team Competes in Washington D.C. From October 2014 to June 2015, over 3,500 schools representing all military branches (Army, Navy, Marines and Air Force) participated in the Leadership and Academic Bowl competition. Out of the 3,500 s c h o o l s , 1 , 7 3 1 h ave A r m y JROTC programs that consist of over 314,000 cadets. The Academic Bowl competition consists of three rounds, and the final round was held in Washington D.C. in June of 2015. Rounds one and two determine which schools will compete for the National Championship in Washington D.C. The Paramount Pirate Battalion Leadership Team was selected to be one of the 40 Army JROTC programs to be invited to Washington D.C. These 40 schools represent the top 3% of cadets in the United States of America and only 3 California Leadership teams were selected to compete. The Paramount Pirate Battalion Leadership Team consists of C/1LT Solórzano, Elizabeth, C/2LT Garcia, Gabriel, C2LT Robielos, Joe Ann, C/SGM Aldana, Eric and C/PFC Chavez, Melissa. Upon receiving news of their selection, the Battalion celebrated and quickly began to prepare reports, projects and personal biographies through numerous team collaboration meetings. The team met all of their requirements and received complimentary feedback from the competition personnel on their excellence in completing their personal biographies. The
New Beginnings at Paramount Park!
Top left: Timothy Prangley, Serena Cowser, D’Andre Wilson, Doug Elizondo. Bottom left: Joy Go-Ng, Eva Oliver, Rebecca Dorantes, Sindy Figueroa, Joanna Cowser.
competition personnel commented that they were deeply moved by the personal lives of the Paramount High School cadets. Once the team arrived in Washington D.C., they quickly acclimated themselves and began study sessions for the 2-day competition. Teamwork was critical as all 40 teams rotated through 4 venues, (1) Leadership Media, (2) Higher Ordered Thinking Leadership, (3) Marshall & MacArthur Leadership and the Citizen-Soldier and (4) The Leadership Gauntlet (10 stations, hands on). After completion of the four events, the team completed a final self-paced paper exam. As a part of their experimental learning, the team was required to visit monuments, museums and other historical places in order to complete brief reports that connected leadership values and behavioral clusters with historical figures. The Paramount Leadership Team placed 25th in the nation! They received three prestigious
awards: The Pritzker Citizen Award, Macarthur Leadership award and the General George C. Marshall award which is the highest leadership award a cadet can receive. We have a saying in JROTC, “There are no short cuts to hard work.” I am so grateful that our Leadership Team had a chance to experience that hard work, dedication and commitment which can bring about monumental successes. This achievement and national recognition is a reflection of that hard work and dedication. We are proud that our team represented Paramount High School, the Pirate Battalion and their families in an exemplary manner. Elizabeth Solarzano, the team captain, states, “Washington D.C. permitted me to realize that I am capable of obtaining my goals and that dedication and determination pays off. I hope to continue that as my legacy within our unit.” SFC (Ret) Dannie Brayboy
2015-2016 Athletic Seasons Begin The 2015-16 athletic season started off with a bang for the Paramount High School Pirates. The football team opened their season with a convincing 34-7 victory over the Bruins from Long Beach Wilson High School. The Pirates looked good on both offense and defense as well as on special teams. It was a nice way to open the season and jump start what hopes to be a very successful football season. The Pirates will now continue what is a very tough pre-season schedule with games against powerhouse teams such as Los Alamitos, Carson, and nationally ranked Narbonne. With
October 2015
a tough pre-season schedule, the Pirates hope it will prepare them for San Gabriel Valley League competition. Other Fall sports started their seasons in the first week of September. Boys Water Polo, Girls Tennis, Girls Volleyball, and Boys and Girls CrossCountry are looking to do well in the pre-season. With tough opponents such as Mayfair, Valley Christian, La Quinta, and Edgewood our teams hope to be prepared for San Gabriel Valley League play. Paramount High School is very excited to announce that two former Pirate baseball players, Ulysses Morneo, and
Alex Navarrete, class of 2013 have accepted athletic scholarships to continue their baseball careers at San Francisco State. Both played at El Camino College the last two seasons. The entire Pirate community wishes them the best of luck in their next journey. On behalf of the student body, faculty, and Administration, Paramount High School would like to thank the city of Paramount for all your support throughout the years. We hope and look forward to your continued support and hope to see you at all our athletic events in 2015-2016. GO PIRATES!!!!!!
Paramount Park Middle School welcomes new staff members to our Panther family this 2015-16 school year! We are excited to introduce many highly-qualified teachers with years of combined experience in education. In our Language Arts Department, we welcome the following: • Serena Cowser: B.A. in English/ Master’s in Teaching. She has prior Middle school experience. She shares, “My grandfather was a teacher, and I looked up to him. Teaching became a passion of mine.” • Rebecca Dorantes: B.A. in Music Literature/ Master’s in Education Studies. She comes with experience in both public and private schools. She enjoys watching students rise to the expectations. “Each day brings a new challenge or success story.” • Doug Elizondo: B.A. in English. He comes with prior high school experience. He shares, “A college professor really shaped me as a student and human being. I want to impact others in the same way.” • Sindy Figueroa: B.A. in Social Science/ M.A. in Education. She brings prior experience working with students in Paramount USD. She adds, ”Opportunities for learning are present in our everyday lives. I would love to guide students and watch them grow.” • Tim Prangley: B.A. in History. He comes to us with varied experience in numerous districts. He adds, “I want to be an agent of positive change in this world. I feel I can reach my maximum potential for this goal educating and empowering young people.” • Jovanna Figueroa: B.A. in Liberal Studies. She comes equipped with both general and special education experience. She has chosen education as her field of preference to “encourage and inspire [them] to pursue their education.” In our Math/Science Department, we welcome the following: • Jason Elliot: B.A. in Radio/TV/Film. Mr. Elliott comes with diverse experience in both middle and high school. He enjoys the moment when “the light bulb turns on and the students finally understand deep concepts.” • Joy Go-Ng: B.A. Business Economics/Math Credential. Joy has extensive experience working in Paramount USD at different school sites. She believes, “Education is the ultimate equalizer.” • D’Andre Wilson: B.A. in Sociology. In recent years, he has worked within Paramount USD in different capacities. • Eva Oliver: B.A. in Liberal Studies. She has prior teaching experience in Paramount USD. • Christopher Lozano: He has joined our Physical Education team of teachers. He has taught math in Jr. High for years and is excited to fulfill his passion for physical education. To further support our existing Counselors, we welcome to our team: • Wendy Hunt: Has served the Paramount USD for years as both a teacher and a counselor. Margarita Romero Language Arts Teacher
SCHOOL BOARD MEETING DATES
October 14, 2015 * October 28, 2015
Board of Education meetings are held at 6:00 p.m. and are open to the public