BRIEFLY IN EDUCATION

Coffee Break deals with affluent teens

The Laguna Beach District PTA will host guest speaker Madeline Levine at this month’s coffee break.

The Coffee Break will be from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday at the Surf and Sand Resort.

Levine will speak on her book, “The Price of Privilege: How Parental Pressure and Material Advantage Are Creating a Generation of Disconnected and Unhappy Kids,” which explores the reasons why teenagers from affluent families are experiencing epidemic rates of emotional problems.

Backed by research, Levine proposes solutions that are both practical and credible.

District Superintendent Robert Fraisse encourages the community to attend.

“Dr. Levine’s presentation will be another highlight in the highly effective Coffee Break presentations for this year. Her message is one that all parents will want to hear,” Fraisse said.

“I am so excited about our opportunity to bring Madeline Levine to Laguna Beach. Her book, ‘The Price of Privilege,’ is a must-read for all parents. It has helped me to deal with my own kids, our students, and our community. I give this Coffee Break my highest recommendation,” said Laguna Beach High School Principal Don Austin.

For more information, call Judith Anderson at (949) 494-0447 or e-mail drjza@drjudithanderson.com.

? Girl Scouts collecting blankets for shelter

The Girl Scouts of Laguna Beach are helping homeless people while their annual cookie drive is under way.

Cadettes Troop 789 is collecting blankets for the city cold weather shelters. The blankets needed are twin or double size only. Dark colors are preferred. They must be washable. New or gently used are fine. The Scouts will be collecting until Feb. 25.

Blankets will be accepted this weekend at Kristalle Natural History Gallery, 875 N. Coast Hwy, Laguna Beach. Drop-off hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Drivers may pull up to the curb, tap their horns and the girls will come and get the donations.

The Service Unit collected 425 coats in December for the One Warm Coat drive. The coats were distributed to the Laguna Beach Resource Center and the South County Outreach.

For more information, call Mary Jo Mancuso at (949) 494-0355.

? Club teens carry on King’s legacy

Keystone Clubs made up of teen members of Boys & Girls Clubs across the nation honored the legacy of civil rights leader the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Jan. 21 by providing needed items to homeless people in Laguna Beach.

Keystone is the Boys & Girls Club movement’s most dynamic teen program. The clubs are chartered leadership and service clubs for boys and girls ages 14 to 18. Keystoners elect officers and implement activities in six areas: service to the club and community, character and leadership development, education and career exploration, unity, free enterprise and social recreation.

Keystone Club members and their advisors can be nominated to steering committees that organize regional and national Keystone Conferences attended by thousands of teens each year.

The King Day of Service was initiated by Congress in 1994 as a nationwide effort to turn the federal holiday honoring King into a day of community service that helps solve social problems.

The Keystone Club of the Boys & Girls Club of Laguna Beach participated in the King Day of Service by first discussing community issues within Laguna Beach, and then developed a community service project. These local teens decided to focus on the issue of homelessness in Laguna Beach.

The group took the day to hand out items that meet daily needs to local homeless people.

“I am so proud of this group of teens. Their willingness to take the lead and donate their personal time to help those in need sets an outstanding example for people of all ages in our community,” Teen Director Megan Wilson said.

? Youths of the Year honored at ceremony

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Laguna Beach had their Annual Awards Ceremony Jan. 18 at the Ocean Institute of Dana Point.

Staff honored more than 100 young people from Laguna Beach, Aliso Viejo, and the surrounding communities for outstanding citizenship and personal accomplishments in 2007.

The club also announced Youths of the Year Tanner Flagstad (Main Branch), Blake Pivaroff (TLC Branch) and Erik Vasquez (Teen Center).

Nearly 300 parents, children and board members attended.

An extra honor was given to Nathan Ong of Aliso Viejo for his extraordinary accomplishments in 2007, which included a petition he made that kept Wild Rivers and Camp James open for an extra year, as well as winning the 2007 National Boys and Girls Clubs of America Photo ““ Essay Contest.

“It is so rewarding to see these kids and teens get the recognition they deserve for having a positive influence on all of our Members,” said Elena Mendoza, Main Branch Director.

The three Youths of the Year will go on to represent the Laguna Beach club among the 16 other Boys & Girls Clubs at the Orange County Youth of the Year event in March.

? Pizza parlors host school fundraisers

Dominos Pizza of Laguna Beach and Dana Point will be conducting a “dough”-raiser for Thurston Middle School every Wednesday night during the months of February, March and April. For every pizza order placed when the Thurston Middle School fundraiser is mentioned, $2 per order will go directly to benefit the eighth Grade Promotion activities.

All of Laguna can order from the Domino’s Oak Street location, (949) 376-3333, except Three Arch Bay residents, who should call the Dana Point store at (949) 496-4646.

Eighth grade Thurston teachers will take turns handling the phones, and compete to see which teacher can help raise the most “dough” for Thurston’s graduating eighth graders.