School Board Wrap-Up

The following is from the April 27 meeting of the Laguna Beach Unified School District Board of Education.

Registration pilot deemed success

Laguna Beach High School Principal Don Austin announced to the board that the newly adopted Open-Informed Consent Registration procedure was a “massive success” that decreased the number of unregistered students to about 3.5%, compared with 18% last year at this time.

He attributed the success to the availability of a variety of teachers, administrators and staff throughout the procedure, which enabled students to access all information necessary to help them choose the correct courses.

In turn, Austin said, student questions also helped faculty to better understand scheduling needs and concerns.

SchoolPower donates funds

SchoolPower President Robin Rounaghi presented a check for $50,200 from the Fund-A-Need Campaign, and thanked the board, district staff, SchoolPower and the community for their contributive efforts.

The funds will pay for 800 Student Response Systems, a high-tech in-class teaching tool.

This educational enhancement will provide students at Thurston, El Morro and Top of the World Elementary Schools with unprecedented opportunities for classroom involvement while providing teachers with an innovative tool for immediate student assessment and tailor-made instruction, Rounaghi said.

The board thanked SchoolPower for its continued generosity to the schools, especially in these difficult economic times.

District seeks to help transitions

Supt. Robert Fraisse presented the district’s Transition Point Structures, Interventions and Programs and said that it is important for schools to place a greater emphasis on key transition points along the public school continuum.

The district has implemented procedures to help students entering kindergarten, middle school, high school and getting ready for college.

Fraisse outlined the student-parent-educator partnership component of successful transition programs, and introduced the Transition Triangle concept, which serves as a template for all of the programs.

Board bids farewell to Hamera

Walt Hamera announced this would be his last board meeting as Laguna Beach Unified Faculty Assn. president.

The new officers are: President Marilyn Beauchemin, Vice President Linda Barker, Secretary Alonda Hartford, Treasurer Rosie Haynes and Lead Negotiator Dave Dixon.

The board thanked Hamera for his service to the district.