Students Gain Experience in Foreign Trade

When 15 Russian students stepped off a plane at Los Angeles International Airport recently, they were greeted by a group of Viewpoint School students holding signs with “Welcome” spelled out in the visitors’ native language.

The exchange students, ages 12 to 15, and their chaperons are in town for two weeks, attending classes at Viewpoint and visiting local cultural and recreational attractions with their West Valley host families.

“This is a great opportunity for students to learn about other cultures,” said Headmaster Robert Dworkoski, whose Viewpoint students will leave for Moscow on June 8. “There is nothing like staying at the homes of host families. It’s enriching and educational. And they make lasting friendships.”

KUDOS

Science Whiz: Greg Marsden, a senior at North Hollywood High School’s Highly Gifted Magnet, returned recently from Washington D.C., where he placed 11th out of 40 in the prestigious Westinghouse Science Talent Search. The advanced-placement scholar was awarded a $1,000 scholarship for his project, which examined the effects of sewage in Santa Monica Bay.

Count on Them: Van Nuys High School seniors Toliver Jue and Brian Tsang recently completed the American High School Mathematics Examinations and were awarded certificates of distinction and the opportunity to participate in the American Invitational Mathematics Examination, a competition open to only 7,453 high school students nationally. Top-scoring students on this exam qualify for the U.S. Mathematics Olympics.

Winning Pictures: First-graders Christian Garcia, Laura Castrellon and Lillian Solano came out big winners in the recent Texaco Black History Essay/Visual Presentation Contest, for which the kids from Ranchito Avenue Elementary School in Panorama City won a total of $750 in prize money. The pint-size artists, whose drawings depicting racial harmony placed first, second and third in their grade level, attended an awards ceremony at Universal City, at which San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown addressed the young students and their families.

EVENTS

Down to Earth: Students at Gault Street School plan to get their hands dirty Thursday afternoon when they celebrate Earth Day at the Van Nuys campus. In addition to creating a garden, the students will make bird feeders, puppets and musical instruments from recycled materials. They will also compete in a scrap-paper sculpting contest, in which they will use only recycled paper, glue, scissors and tape for creations that reflect Earth Day themes.

Fab Fair: Families seeking some weekend excitement are invited to St. Cyril of Jerusalem Catholic School’s Springfest, which will feature carnival rides, games and musical performers, including “Imagine--the Beatles Tribute,” the Allentons--young Irish step dancers, and the Notre Dame High School Marching Band. The festival begins at 6 p.m. Friday and continues until 7 p.m. Sunday at 15520 Ventura Blvd. in Encino.

PROGRAM NOTES

Special Visit: Reseda High School’s special education department recently played host to 22 Viennese teachers, who exchanged teaching strategies with their Valley counterparts at an afternoon seminar. The visiting educators also toured the Getty Center and the Simon Wiesenthal Center’s Museum of Tolerance.

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