Briefly In Education

El Morro exceeds Jog-a-Thon goal

On April 15, El Morro Elementary School students got to taste the fruit of their accomplishments with free ice cream in honor of raising $50,000 with their annual Jog-a-Thon.

An ice cream truck came to the school offering ice cream, popsicles and alternatives for kids with food allergies.

The Jog-a-Thon was March 30, organized by El Morro PTA, to raise funds for school programs. It is the biggest fundraiser of the year.

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The Laguna College of Art & Design is welcoming a new eco-friendly course, Project GREEN.

The environmental ecology science class is funded through a grant from the Marisla Foundation, which promotes hands-on learning.

The LCAD students are taking advantage of their surroundings and are granted special access to the Laguna Coast Wilderness Park. They are studying the native and invasive non-native species and their impact on the land while developing an artistic campaign to inform the public.

Project GREEN: Oceans, the next installment of the course, will commence in the summer.

For more information, visit lagunacollege.edu.

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TOW takes home Spelling Bee

On April 14, Top of the World Elementary School took home the win at the Laguna Beach Unified School District fifth-grade spelling bee at El Morro, with three of their students making it to the end.

El Morro won the title last year with student Kaden Matheson.

TOW student Makena Augenstein was the winner, spelling “chronicle” and “radiance” correctly. Finalists and fellow TOW students Shea Skenderian and Larson McCarroll put up a fierce fight.

Assistant Supt. Nancy Hubbell and parent Bill Steel served as the judges in the fourth annual spelling bee.

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On Sunday, the Laguna Beach Rotary Club held its sixth annual Grapes for Grads fundraiser at Tivoli Too!, welcoming more than 340 guests to raise scholarship money for Laguna Beach High School and Laguna College of Art & Design students.

The organizers say the event was the most successful one yet, raising more funds than any other Grapes for Grad event.

Mayor Toni Iseman, City Council members Elizabeth Pearson and Kelly Boyd were among the city officials who came to support the cause.

Laguna restaurant K’ya Bistro & Bar donated appetizers to the event, to accompany the wine tastings.

The Rotary Club also celebrated its 80th birthday during the fundraiser, enjoying a commemorative cake by Montage Resort Chef Lee Smith.

For more information, visit grapesforgrads.com.

— Joanna Clay