Classroom doors open Sept. 4 at Crestview Prep

With a shuffling of positions, some new staff and new programs, changes abound at La Cañada’s Crestview Preparatory School in the 2008-09 school year.

After what she called “a wonderful first year here at Crestview,” returning Head of School Marie H. Kidd, who took over for Marge Hanna in June 2007, said she’s “ready to embark on a second year here [at Crestview].”

Her second year will begin with changes in first and second grade teachers. Karen Dorio is ending her time with Crestview second graders to fill the new staff position of educational advocate, where Kidd said she will “address the needs of students either in terms of academic support or enrichment.”

Former first grade teacher Janis Savoie will be “moving up with her first graders” to second grade to replace Dorio, Kidd said. Also leaving the first grade is longtime teacher Julie Foster who retired in June.

Those two first grade positions will be filled by Casey Adams and Alisha Deac.

Adams, who formerly taught at NEW Academy, a charter school in Canoga Park, is a local to the San Gabriel Valley, growing up in Eagle Rock. She attended Westridge School and graduated from Occidental College.

Deac is a San Diego native who comes from a family of teachers, and just finished teaching in the Little Lake School District. She went to college at Ohio State, where she, fitting perfectly with the recent Michael Phelps phenomenon, was a competitive swimmer.

With technology becoming more and more important, Crestview recently added the position of technology coordinator to be filled by Tom DeClerk. Kidd says DeClerk will “support the robust technology network made possible by the generous support of our Crestview Association.”

The association raised enough money to update all the computers on campus, equipping labs and classrooms with entirely new computers, and providing every teacher with a laptop.

Additionally, they’ve established a wireless network, enhanced online access, and created a new website that includes “public pages as well as a community section to enhance communication and access within our school,” Kidd said.

The final change for the school’s program will be increased physical education. This year physical education will be taught all five school days each week, and the returning PE teacher, Arsine Gendal, formerly part-time, will now be employed full-time and “is developing our expanded program to make sure that Crestview students are active participants in the physical life,” Kidd said.

And starting the first day of school, Sept. 4, fourth through sixth graders can begin to look forward to their outdoor/science overnight trip.

For the fourth graders will be at Leo Carrillo State Beach with Naturalists at Large, for fifth graders at Astrocamp, and sixth graders will attend the Catalina Environmental Leadership Program.