A touch-all chair

Deirdre Newman

Jan Billings is distinctly qualified to contribute to the educational

component of Corona del Mar’s centennial celebration.

She was superintendent of a high school district in Anaheim when

it celebrated its centennial celebration in 1998.

The experience is proving handy for Billings as the education

chair of the neighborhood’s centennial celebration, which is from

Oct. 14 to 16. She volunteered so she could help facilitate students’

understanding of the history of the village.

“If our kids can learn a little bit about what it was like 100

years ago and have an appreciation for how the village has grown and

changed, then they’re going to be the stewards -- they’ll be our

future council people, superintendents, business people,” Billings

said. “I just felt that I’d like to be part of that.”

She has lived in Corona del Mar for 11 years, but her busy

schedule as a superintendent didn’t afford a lot of time to mingle

with her neighbors, she said. So when she retired in June, she

decided to make up for that.

“I thought, ‘This is a great opportunity for me to do a little

something which I’ve always done -- I enjoy working with the

community -- and at the same time, learn about my neighbors and the

council people,” she said.

Based on her experience, she knew the educational goals of the

centennial would have to be carried out without diverting attention

from the students’ established schedules and curriculum.

“For example, the marine science class at Corona del Mar High

School does a tide pool trip,” Billings said. “So we’re using that,

which already exists in the curriculum, as the tie-in to the

centennial. We are the crown of the sea and the high school kids are

looking into the marine life.”

One of the activities she is most excited about is selecting 10

high school students who will interview and then present an oral

history on 10 longtime Corona del Mar residents.

Peggy Fort, the executive director of the Corona del Mar

Centennial Foundation, said she is grateful Billings is on the

centennial team of volunteers.

“Our community is fortunate to have such a respected professional

in charge of developing the centennial school involvement and

educational programs,” Fort said. “As a result of Jan’s leadership,

the educational components of the centennial celebration will

literally touch every student in Corona del Mar in one way or another

through various curriculums.”