Three Valley Schools Will Try to Be Cool

When Broadous Elementary School students boast about their cool school, they aren’t kidding. As one of three Valley schools participating in the city Department of Water and Power’s “Cool Schools” program, the students, teachers and parents at the Pacoima school will soon begin planting trees and gardens around the campus in a joint DWP/Los Angeles Unified School District effort to create energy-efficient, environmentally friendly campuses.

The TreePeople, along with three other environmental organizations, is helping coordinate the project that will eventually encompass 42 schools, including Pacoima Elementary School and Montague Charter Academy.

The $3 million project, which includes a biology and ecology curriculum, will provide 88 trees for each of the participating schools.

“I’m impressed that we have so many community organizations invested in our schools,” said Karen Glasgow, Broadous Elementary School assistant principal. “Our kids here don’t attend schools with lawns and foliage and we have factories nearby. With trees on the campus, the kids will feel healthier and the school will look better. It also ties in with our math/science magnet studies.”

KUDOS

Women’s Rights: Emelita Street School fourth-graders Jaime Lee, Emad Hakim, Dmitriy Uchenik, Sean Izumi and Michael Koss were recognized with ribbons recently for their outstanding National Women’s History Project essays. The writing contest, commemorating the 150th anniversary of the beginning of the women’s rights movement, attracted students nationwide, who submitted 100-word essays about the men and women who played important roles in the struggle for equal rights.

Dedicated Volunteer: Veronica Tumasian,a recent Glendale High School graduate, has been awarded a $1,000 National Service Scholarship by the her high school and the Corporation for National Service. The Glendale resident, who will attend USC in the fall, was honored for performing 15,000 hours of community service at local hospitals during her four-year high school career.

Parlez-Vous Francais: Several Viewpoint School students were awarded certificates for their strong performance on the National French Exam. Andrew Caspary, 14, of Hidden Hills, placed first in Southern California and third in the nation in the contest sponsored by the American Assn. of Teachers of French. Brittany Hoffman,13, of Calabasas, placed fifth in the nation, while 12-year-old Jeremiah Lejade of Malibu placed first and Janelle Braverman, 13, of Encino, placed third in Southern California. Agoura Hills resident Alan Sledd,13, placed sixth locally.

Masonic Awards: College-bound honor students Gloria Gutierrez, of Sylmar High School, and Adam Watt, of Voyager Charter School, were recently awarded $2,500 California Masonic Foundation scholarships to further their educational goals.

EVENTS

In Praise of Teachers: The award-winning Granada Hills High School Marching Band, along with two Los Angeles-based children’s dance troupes, was selected to perform at the eighth annual Walt Disney Co. Presents American Teacher Awards, held at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion recently. The televised tribute to 36 teachers--selected by national education associations--included special recognition for 12 teachers, three from Los Angeles County.

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Class Notes appears every Wednesday. Send news about schools to the Valley Edition, Los Angeles Times, 20000 Prairie St., Chatsworth 91311. Or fax it to (818) 772-3338. Or e-mail it to diane.wedner@latimes.com.