PTA in Glendale

Steve Young

Think there’s going to be some big advances in the new millennium?

Well, we didn’t have to wait long to find out. With great pride and

enthusiasm, Mark Keppel Elementary School Principal Gordon Morse

announced that Keppel was one of five schools in the nation (yes, in the

nation!) chosen to participate in an online learning service.

JuniorNet is a Boston-based company whose philosophy is to create the

world’s best interactive environment in which children are safe to learn

and explore. Originally created for home use and for children ages 5-12,

JuniorNet combines interactive content from publications such as, Weekly

Reader, Highlights, Zillions, Ranger Rick, and Sports Illustrated for

Kids.

These publications are used in combination with multimedia images that

are delivered within a secure, advertising free environment. The company

began in 1997 and already Junior Net has received many awards including

the 1999 Parents Choice Award.

To explore bringing this service into the classroom JuniorNet has

sought out five schools nationwide to test their service. With more than

125 computers now in use, Keppel became a perfect choice for the trial.

Aided by 30 Keppel families (grades kindergarten through fourth), the

program will continue through March.

If it’s determined that JuniorNet is a useful tool for elementary

schools, the company may make it available free of charge to schools as a

public service. Just another Glendale Unified school getting national

recognition.

Let’s take a trip around the rest of the district.

HERBERT HOOVER HIGH SCHOOL -- Co-principals Pamela J. Good and Kevin

Welsh invite everyone to check out the beautiful new Hoover Parent Center

in Room 401. With Marisa Sarian at the helm, the center will be a home

away from home for Hoover parents before and after school, with tutoring,

ESL and English, Spanish and Armenian support groups for parents

available.

Hoover’s Business Education Technology Academy (BETA) coordinated by

Mildred J. Outlaw, is a great example of how business and school working

together can provide students with a more focused future. A school within

a school, BETA provides students an opportunity to get specific training,

meet working professionals and apply classroom knowledge in a practical

business setting. And so not to think Hoover has forgotten practical help

for the parents, Saturday, Jan. 29, The Saturday Parent Academy will

discuss, “Helping Our Teens Learn To Solve Their Problems.”

TOLL MIDDLE SCHOOL -- With the greeting from Principal Hasmik

Danielian, “You can’t come in unless you smile,” Toll students know

exactly what kind of attitude is expected of them. If there is a problem,

students are able to resolve many of them on their own with the Student

Conflict Management Program. It seems to work as one student was heard to

remark, “It gets pretty boring on the playground.”

Toll will hold its Founders Day at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 1, in the

Toll Teachers Cafeteria. And as long as they’re there, lunch will be

served.

PTA President Kathy Drummond affectionately lets us know that hearts

and flowers will abound as Toll’s student body puts on its annual

Valentine’s Day Dance Feb. 11. Time and ticket information will be

announced later. Parent volunteers will be helping with refreshments.

MARK KEPPEL -- You can almost smell the myriad of sumptuous worldwide

delicacies that will be offered at International Night at 6 p.m. Friday,

Jan. 28. The celebration of cultural diversity will begin next door to

Keppel in the Toll Middle School auditorium where entertainment will be

provided by the Keppel Drill Team, kids of the Korean Parent Club, Latin

folkloric dancers, Armenian dancers and more.

The International Festival then moves into Keppel where guests will

feast on multicultural dishes presented in the Tastes Of The World

celebration, watch a Costumes From Around The World Parade and

participate in a silent auction offering valuable gifts. Tickets are

available beginning Jan. 18 in front of Keppel. Come in costume, and

receive a free drink ticket.

PTA President, Elaine McCoy expressed special thanks go to the night’s

chairwomen Diana Young and Lise Sondergaard as well as their committee,

Kathleen Yepez, Vanessa Brown, Alejandra Camacho, Anahit Kamalian, Lisa

Kick, Christiana Kilty, Eunjung Lee, Stephanie Larrowe, Misook Oh, Irene

Roach, Martina Tassius and Sunjoo Yeo.

BEN FRANKLIN -- Franklin Elementary continues to provide great

opportunities for its family of students, teachers and parents, and it’s

no Mickey Mouse operation...except, of course, when readers from Walt

Disney, coordinated by Chay Carter of Walt Disney Imagineering visit

twice monthly and read stories to kindergarten through second-grade

students.

PTA President Marytheresa Rivera reminds us that just because the

holidays are over you don’t have to stop the giving. The Franklin Parent

Center and PTA, which provided low-cost shopping opportunities in

December for all students with their Holiday Gift Shop, still welcomes

donations.

The shop offered handmade items crafted from recyclable materials and

donations for future projects, items such as holiday cards, coffee cans,

plastic bags, unusable CD rom discs, costumes or decorations.

Franklin parent Kathryn Johnson Schwartz advises that Spanish language

classes for kindergarten through sixth grade are offered every Tuesday

after school to help Spanish and non-Spanish speakers learn to read and

write in Spanish. Check the office for additional information.

BALBOA -- It’s never too early to start....worrying, so there’s plenty

of good reason that Merrill Lynch’s Rob Curtiss will share his financial

expertise with the Balboa PTA, 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 20. The subject?

Paying for college as he and colleague Mark Prazak will explain how

investment strategies begun now can help cover skyrocketing college

tuition down the road.

PTA’s national arts competition, Reflections, received a great turnout

at Balboa thanks to the hard work of chairwoman Cathy Saboury. Students

whose work moved to the next level are: Teny Nazari, Matt Bartlett,

Kristen Clement, Serge Sarkissian, Abraham Abraamyan, Richard Lee, Marine

Hopalian, Ani Khachatoorians, Alexa Kemalyan, Polett Menaskanian and

Kasey Alfonso.

CONSIDER THIS: Failure only means that you’re one step closer to

success.

* STEVE YOUNG writes about Glendale schools one Saturday each month.

Reach him by e-mail at steveyoung@freepcmail.com, or send your PTA/school

newsletter monthly by interdistrict mail to Steve Young c/o Mark Keppel

PTA.