BRIEFLY IN EDUCATION

Schools remain on alert

The Laguna Beach Unified School District is still on the watch for possible swine flu among students and staff, according to a news release issued Tuesday. Some schools in the state have been closed due to the viral outbreak, including in Orange County, the district noted.

No schools in Laguna have been affected by the virus.

“The safety of our students continues to be our primary focus,” the district stated. “Our schools continue to be on heightened surveillance and are monitoring ill students and staff as they come through the health office. Please remember to keep your child home from school should there be any signs of illness until they are symptom free.”

District officials said they will continue to monitor notifications and announcements from the Orange County Health Care Agency and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and will issue updates if necessary.

For more information, visit www.cde.gov/swineflu.

Club’s fundraiser a success

A faltering economy failed to dampen the success of the Boys & Girls Club of Laguna Beach’s most recent fundraising drive.

In January, Bob Whalen began his first term as president of the club’s board of directors.

The economic downturn and rapidly increasing need for club services by local families made it clear to the board that the bar needed to be raised for 2009 fundraising efforts.

Whalen, along with fellow board members Donnie Crevier and Keith Swayne, decided to challenge the community and pledged to match up to $60,000, dollar for dollar, for each donation made between Jan. 1 and April 30. This challenge has been met.

Thanks to the contributions of Kelly and Jim Mazzo, Dorene and Lee Butler, the William Gillespie Foundation, and more than 70 other local donors, by April 24 the club had raised $59,400. Upon learning this, the club’s newest board member, Dan Burge of the Burge Corporation, immediately gave the final donation, bringing the total raised to $60,000, successfully triggering the match and garnering a total of $120,000 to support club programs.

The matched contributions came from every sector of the community, according to a news release. Of the initial $60,000, individual contributions made up the majority at 57%, family foundations contributed 33%, and local corporations contributed 10%.

For more information about the club, visit bcglaguna.orgor call (949) 494-2535.

Boys’ needs is topic

“What Boys Need: Creating a Healthy Life for Our Sons” is the last PTA Coffee Break of the season, set for 8:15 to 10 a.m. Wednesday at the Surf & Sand Resort’s Pelican Room.

Dr. Jerry Shapiro will discuss this topic, which has been the subject of cover stories in major periodicals, including Time and Newsweek, reporting a “Boy Crisis in America.” Dr. William Pollack, author of “Real Boys,” wrote that boys today are “scared and disconnected, severely falling behind girls in achievement and self-confidence.”

In his presentation, Shapiro explores the new issues for boys and offers solutions to the current problems.

Among topics that will be discussed are how boys learn best, the myths of boyhood, how parents educate teachers and vice versa and how to avoid gender stereotyping of all our children.

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

Art of Giving gala today at Montage

The Ninth Annual Art of Giving Gala will be held from 5:30 to 11 p.m. today at the Montage Resort & Spa, 30801 Coast Hwy.

Tickets are available by contacting Michelle Ray at (949) 494-2535, ext. 103 or by e-mail at micheller@bgclaguna.org.