Around Town: Katherine Spillar to discuss ‘The Glorias’ after film’s showing in Laguna Beach

“The Glorias,” a film based on feminist Gloria Steinem’s 2016 book “My Life on the Road,” will be shown at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 23, when the Women’s History Month Film Festival continues at the Laguna Beach Cultural Arts Center.

Local journalist Andrea Adelson will be joined via Zoom for a post-film discussion by Katherine Spillar, executive editor of Ms. Magazine and executive director of Feminist Majority Foundation.

In “The Glorias,” Steinem is represented by four actresses — Julianne Moore, Alicia Vikander, Lulu Wilson and Ryan Kiera Armstrong — who portray her life at different ages. The cast includes former Laguna Beach resident Bette Midler as Bella Abzug, Janelle Monáe as Dorothy Pitman Hughes, and Timothy Hutton as Leo Steinem.

The Cultural Arts Center is located at 235 Forest Ave., upstairs from the Promenade in Laguna Beach. Admission is free, with donations accepted. A post-film discussion is included.

Thurston Middle School student places in Holocaust art and writing contest

Thurston Middle School students participated in Chapman University’s 23rd annual Holocaust art and writing contest last week, with one of them placing in the top five overall among hundreds of middle school entries.

Written works of either poetry or prose were turned in by Thurston’s eighth-grade students, who wrote on the subject of “Turning Memory to Strength — Living with Courage, Resilience and Hope” after watching video testimony from a Holocaust survivor.

Three Thurston students had their work submitted into the contest — Anna Sandquist, Teddy Hackett and Karina Pitz.

Hackett’s poem, “Never Broken,” placed among the top five in the middle school division.

“We had many outstanding writers,” Laura Silver, an English teacher at Thurston, said in a statement. “It was difficult to choose just three to submit to the contest. However, those chosen really stood out for the creative way they responded to the prompt. I’m so proud of all of these students, and for Teddy becoming a top-five finalist in the middle school poetry category. There are hundreds of students who submit their pieces, so it is quite an accomplishment to be a finalist.”

Alumni from Park View School in H.B. sought for ceremony

Ocean View School District will be holding a demolition ceremony for vacant Park View School on Friday, March 25 at 5 p.m.

The district is looking for Park View alumni and former teachers to attend the ceremony. Park View is being demolished after becoming subject to graffiti and loitering in recent years.

To RSVP for the ceremony, contact Trish Montgomery at tmontgomery@ovsd.org.

Estancia High School seeks cross-country coach, plans basketball skills clinic

Estancia High School announced Friday it is taking applications to fill its vacancy for a cross-country head coach.

Interested candidates should submit their résumé to Chris Anderson, the school’s athletic director, via email at cmanderson@nmusd.us.

The Estancia boys’ and girls’ basketball programs, along with Junior American Basketball, will be holding a free skills clinic on April 9.

The clinic starts at 4 p.m. in the school’s main gym. Children in kindergarten through second grade will participate from 4 to 4:45 p.m., followed by third to fifth grade from 5 to 6 p.m. and sixth to eighth grade from 6:15 to 7:15 p.m.

For more information, contact coach Xavier Castellano at ehseaglesbasketball@gmail.com.

Three Huntington Beach school administrators honored

The Assn. of California School Administrators Region 17 has honored three Huntington Beach Union High School District leaders for their 2022 recognitions.

Dr. Clint Harwick has been named Superintendent of the Year, with Doug Siembieda the Special Education Administrator of the Year and Dr. Morgan Smith the Secondary Principal of the Year.

Harwick has been the district’s superintendent since 2017, while Siembieda has served as executive director of special education for the past nine years.

Smith became principal at Fountain Valley High in 2015 and moved to the same role at Marina High this year.

Each administrator will move forward to be considered for recognition at the state level. Harwick, Siembieda and Smith also will be honored on May 9 at Region 17’s Administrator of the Year Celebration of Excellence dinner, at the Irvine Marriott.

Boeing Co. gives $50,000 grant to Girls Inc. of O.C.

Girls Inc. of Orange County has received a $50,000 grant from the Boeing Co., it was recently announced. The grant is earmarked to directly fund yearlong specialized STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and social and emotional learning instruction through an initiative that serves at-risk middle school and early teen girls.

“We are infinitely thankful for the Boeing Co. and their unwavering support towards Girls Inc.,” Lucy Santana, chief executive of Girls Inc. of Orange County, said in a prepared statement. The organization is based in Santa Ana.