Counting on Fun at Math Field Day

Equipped with calculators, cameras and all the brainpower they could muster, students at Granada Hills High School/CSUN Math, Science and Technology Magnet participated Tuesday in Math Field Day.

All 443 magnet students, including 30 deaf and hearing-impaired students, competed in six math activities. One of the favorites was a scavenger hunt, in which students searched the campus for geometric shapes.

Organized by teachers Carol Drain, Deborah Whitlock-Trotter and Jeff Dichter, the all-day mathematics event was created to promote school pride and math achievement.

The 9th- to 12th-graders teamed up with CSUN undergraduates, who helped run the games. The top teams will receive prizes Thursday at an assembly.

“This is the first event of its kind here,” said Pat Givant, magnet coordinator. “Students should have a hands-on experience, in which they can demonstrate their math skills, not just talk about what they know.”

KUDOS

School Award: El Oro Way Elementary School has been selected to receive a $1,000 Target Outstanding Schools Award, one of 1,000 schools nationwide selected for the prize. The Granada Hills school--chosen for its educational programs, active parents and community alliances--will use the money to purchase playground equipment.

Fine Photo: Jairo Ramirez, a John Burroughs High School senior, has taken second place in the Music Center’s Spotlight Awards photography competition. The Burbank student, who plans to pursue a photojournalism career, took home $1,000 for his work that captured a ballerina in three dance positions.

The photography and poster competitions are the newest additions to the Spotlight Awards, which have showcased performing-arts students since 1988.

EVENTS

Bard for Lunch: Portola Middle School students seeking a little Bard to go with their sandwiches are in for a big treat next week. The Tarzana school’s advanced drama students will serve up “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” “King Lear,” “Macbeth” and other Shakespeare plays during lunch hour Monday through Thursday. Admission is 25 cents.

Ten-minute versions of the plays will follow a student-led synopsis of the plots, including an introduction to the main characters and themes.

“We’re trying to get the students excited about Shakespeare,” said Paul Richardson, Portola’s drama teacher. “We want the audience to walk away from the experience feeling that Shakespeare is accessible and fun.”

Family Night: Chandler Elementary School students and their parents are invited to an evening of dramatic readings Thursday at the Van Nuys campus’ library. The PTA has invited actors Bob Bergen and Jocelyn Blue to read “Green Eggs and Ham” and several other children’s favorites for the Family Night at the Library event.

END NOTE

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