BRIEFLY IN EDUCATION

Small turnout at second superintendent session

Once again, only five members of the community turned out for the second of two input sessions held by the Laguna Beach Unified School District on Feb. 8.

The sessions are intended to glean preferences from community members regarding the district’s future superintendent.

Representatives from Leadership Associates, the search firm selected by the district, said that views expressed by the residents who attended the session were congruent to those already expressed by other parties.

The school board will meet with Leadership Associates in early May to select finalists in the search, who will then be invited to interview in Laguna.

Board members will then visit the home district of the top candidate before confirming their final selection.

The new superintendent will start on or about July 1, replacing Superintendent Theresa Daem.

For more information or to pass input on to Leadership Associates, call Patricia Beaver, district human resources coordinator, at (949) 497-7700, ext. 200.

‘No Suits Allowed’ benefit planned at high school

The 19th annual “No Suits Allowed” event benefiting the Laguna Beach High class of 2007 Safe & Sober Grad Night will be held at 7:30 p.m. March 3 at the Artists’ Theatre on campus.

Student musicians will perform with Gary Shaprio and other guest performers.

Student tickets are $10; adult tickets are $15. Tickets will go on sale the night of the show at 4:30 p.m. at the box office.

A pre-show fundraiser will be held at Ocean Brewery Co. from 5:30 to 7 p.m., and is $50 per person, which includes dinner, a no-host bar and reserved seats for the show.

Dinner tickets must be purchased by Feb. 27; checks should be made out to “LBHS Class of 2007” and mailed to Mary McDonald at 155 Emerald Bay, Laguna Beach, CA 92651. For more information, call (949) 497-0264.

Baha’i Honorary Awards ceremony Feb. 28

The second annual Baha’i Honorary Awards Program will be held at 6 p.m. Feb. 28 at the Artists’ Theatre.

The philanthropic program awards outstanding students who are nominated by members of the community.

District Superintendent Theresa Daem will speak, and students will entertain and will receive their scholarships and trophies.

For more information, e-mail suzy@jeffmail.net.

Fitness Fair slated for May 19 at El Morro

The second annual Lifelong Fitness Fair is scheduled for May 19 at El Morro Elementary School. The free daylong event is open to the community, and features BMX bike shows, a climbing wall, performers and athletes, rides, demonstrations and games, including a Robo-surfer, skate team, field games and a bungee jump.

Food will be provided by chef Amy Martin, Trader Joe’s, Wild Oats and La Sirena.

Businesses or individuals seeking to join the vendors and participants are asked to contact the organizers at info@lifelongfitnessfair.com.

Free concert for El Morro students, families

Pacific Symphony’s Class Act will present a free concert at 7 p.m. March 1 at the Artists’ Theatre for El Morro Elementary students and their families.

The event will include a music craft, door prizes, a chance to meet and talk with each musician and refreshments.

The five-piece string ensemble will feature violinist Dana Freeman, who has worked at the school since November as a “teaching artist.”

Freeman has highlighted the music of Sergei Prokofiev as this year’s Class Act composer of the year. She recently worked with students to put on a mini-production of Prokofiev’s “Romeo and Juliet” ballet.

Grant recipients spend funds in a variety of ways

More than $400,000 in grants to LBUSD teachers by SchoolPower and local PTA groups has been used to purchase science equipment, camcorders and digital cameras, among other items.

SchoolPower, a fundraising organization that benefits all four of Laguna Beach’s private schools, uses a committee to determine where the funds should be allocated.

Rosie Haynes from Top of the World Elementary School used her grant money to purchase new microscopes for her fifth-grade science classes.

Andy Crisp from Thurston Middle School added camcorders and digital cameras for student use in a new elective class, Multimedia Production.

Stephen Sogo of Laguna Beach High School received $7,000 to develop a student research program in conjunction with Concordia University. He purchased scientific equipment to support experiments in fluorescence spectroscopy, fuel cell research, chemiluminescence and “Green Chemistry” research.

The 2007 deadline for grants is March 16. For more information, visit www.lbschoolpower.com

Two compete for Irvine scholarships

Laguna Beach High School students Cameron Cler and Sam Trusley will be competing against 30 other students for scholarships from the Irvine Company.

They will each receive at least $2,500 from the company’s 2007 Investing in Education Student Leadership Awards Program, and will then be in competition for additional amounts that could bring the total to $10,000 per student.

The program provides scholarship funds to students on the Irvine Ranch who best demonstrate the qualities necessary to become future community leaders.

For more information, visit www.irvinecompany.com