Vaughn Elementary Prepares for Visit by Hillary Clinton

While Secret Service agents discussed security, jittery schoolchildren were busy covering a welcome banner with red, white and blue handprints and a message that read, “Welcome to Vaughn Next Century Learning Center, Mrs. Clinton!”

Preparations at Vaughn were proceeding at full tilt Wednesday, the day before First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton’s visit to the Pacoima elementary school where she will meet with parents, students, teachers and neighbors.

Principal Yvonne Chan worked the phones, juggling requests from those who want to attend. Teachers studied Clinton’s new book, “It Takes a Village, And Other Lessons Children Teach Us,” and discussed it with students.

“Now, go to our classroom and get me the picture of Bill Clinton that’s hanging on the wall,” Stephanie Moore told one of her sixth-grade students as they decorated the auditorium. “And please, hurry!”

Fourth- and fifth-graders in Diana McDermott’s class who were coloring Hillary’s picture in “America’s First Ladies Coloring Book” were excited about the questions they plan to ask the first lady.

“I want to ask her why she likes being a lawyer,” said Nancy Villalobos, 9, as she colored Hillary’s hair with a yellow crayon. “She’s a great person and I want to know why she is visiting here and why didn’t Bill come along?”

Felipe Navarro, 9, who plans on studying veterinary medicine, had other issues on his mind.

“I like Hillary because she is against that law 187 that wants all the Mexicans back in Mexico,” explained Navarro, referring to Proposition 187, the state initiative that would deny education and health benefits to illegal immigrants. “I also want to ask her about wildlife and saving the animals.”

“Maybe she’ll talk about Whitewater,” said Bruce Todd, a precocious 10-year-old.

Nine-year-old Kathy Mariscal said the first lady is coming to Vaughn because “our school is like her book. It takes a village, and that’s how it is at Vaughn--everybody helps.”

Clinton picked Vaughn, Chan said, because the school exemplifies how public education can draw support from the community that surrounds it.

“The purpose of this visit is to talk about what works for kids in schools,” said Chan.

The event, which is not open to the public, was designed to provide an informal setting for a question-and-answer session with Clinton.

Questions will be posed by a panel of three parents, two students and two teachers. The audience will include students from McDermott’s fourth- and fifth-graders and Moore’s sixth-graders.

Moore seemed more excited than some of her students about meeting Clinton.

“I think she’s been getting such shoddy treatment, and I’m excited to tell her that I support her and hope she’s in the White House next year.”