Briefly In Education

Principals’ rivalry heats up

Laguna Beach High and Thurston Middle schools Principals Don Austin and Joanne Culverhouse will go plate-to-plate in a fundraiser cook-off at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 9 at the Lumberyard restaurant, sponsored by restaurant owner Cary Redfearn.

Chef Armando Ortego will prepare a three-course dinner for school supporters, from which the proceeds will benefit SchoolPower, the local public education foundation.

The evening will help SchoolPower reach its fundraising goals for Laguna Beach kids.

For a limited time, early bird tickets are $80 per person ($10 off). To purchase tickets or make a donation, call (949) 494-6811 or visit www.lbschoolpower.org.

Student essay contest open

Submissions for the annual “Being an American” essay contest are due Dec. 1.

This year, students are asked to share their thoughts on American Citizenship by answering the question, “What civic value do you believe is most essential to being an American?”

Teachers much submit essays at www.BeingAnAmerican.org for a chance to win cash prizes from a pool totaling nearly $200,000 and one of 54 trips to the nation’s capital (awarded to be teachers and their students).

The names of the top three prize winners in the nine contest regions will be announced at a special Washington, D.C. Awards Gala in the spring. The first-place winners in each region and their sponsoring teachers will each receive $5,000 cash awards, second-place winners $2,500, and third-place winners $1,250. Honorable mention prizes of $250 will be awarded to seven students and teachers from each contest regions.

The winners will also be treated to a tour of prominent national landmarks and will hear from a range of important voices on American citizenship.

High school students from all 50 states and the District of Columbia are eligible to participate. Nearly 50,000 students have participated in the contest to date.

For more information, visit www.beinganamerican.org.

Club kids part of Cox Connects

The kids of the Boys & Girls Club of Laguna Beach participated in the annual Cox Connects Day Carnival on Oct. 3 at the Cox headquarters in Rancho Santa Margarita.

More than 200 Southern Orange County Boys & Girls Club members and their families enjoyed carnival games, bounce houses, giant slides, rock climbing, sumo suits, a pie-eating contest, break-dancing and festival foods, provided by a team of Cox volunteers.

The club also received a donation of $1,000 from Cox.

‘Nutcracker’ workshop for tots

No Square Theatre’s Linda Haylett will offer a “Nutcracker Flower Fairies Ballet Workshop” for children ages 4 to 6 from Wednesday to Dec. 16 at Legion Hall, 384 Legion St.

The mini ballerinas will have the opportunity to give a mini performance on the No Square Theatre stage.

To secure placement in the class, call Haylett at (949) 715-0449.

Broadway U offered for kids

No Square Theatre’s long-time dream of offering a top-notch theater academy for kids has come true.

David Green, an artistic director from the McCoy Rigby Conservatory, has joined No Square to teach Broadway U to sixth- through 12th-graders in Laguna Beach.

To register, call (714) 779-3545.