La Cañada PTA Council shines a spotlight on students, installs officers for upcoming school year
For the last time this school year, members of the La Cañada PTA Council convened Monday morning to reflect on the great work happening in La Cañada Unified School District classrooms throughout the year and install school-site PTA officers for 2017-18.
Held in LCUSD’s Governing Board room, the final PTA Council meeting of the 2016-17 school year let the district’s five campuses share the latest projects and programs designed to foster the academic, philanthropic and social-emotional well-being of students.
Palm Crest Elementary students showcased the year’s many charitable events — including a book drive for low-income students, a backpack and toiletries collection effort benefiting Union Station Homeless Services, a Soles 4 Souls shoe donation and a student-led initiative to donate clothes, shoes and school supplies to Bumala Primary School in Kenya.
Assisted by Principal Emily Blaney, a group of tech-minded La Cañada Elementary students discussed how they share schoolwork with family members using the portfolio-making app Seesaw.
“We use Seesaw to let parents see what we are doing at school,” said LCE first-grader Zoey Logan, as fellow students demonstrated the app via their iPads. “We send our projects by taking photos, videos or reports. Parents can see our work and leave us ‘likes’ and comments.
Paradise Canyon students relayed STEAM talents exhibited during a science and art collaboration in which they combined milk and vinegar to make a substance they formed into LEGO molds. The dried figurines were painted and used in poetry story boards displayed at Flintridge Bookstore & Coffeehouse in April, second-grader Connor Hsu explained.
LCUSD Supt. Wendy Sinnette and Governing Board President Dan Jeffries applauded the students, recognizing the enormous teaching and parenting support behind them.
“It’s really amazing to see how much our community does to support our schools,” Jeffries told the crowd. “You guys are really the heart and soul of that.”
Afterward, La Cañada PTA Council President Melissa Mazin announced the group’s incoming officers for 2017-18, including the new officers selected at each school site.
Twitter: @SaraCardine
