Glendale, Burbank school districts could receive millions in federal stimulus funds

[caption id="attachment_20936" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Luther Burbank Middle School teacher Dawn Brookey watched President Obama during a televised speech directed at school children, during her class in Burbank on Tuesday, September 8, 2009. (Raul Roa/Leader)"][/caption] From the Glendale News-Press GLENDALE — State legislators this week approved a bill to release millions in one-time federal stimulus funds to Glendale and Burbank school districts, but local officials said nothing would change until the money was in the bank. But school board members and staff in both cities said their fiscal challenges and positions won't change until the federal dollars are physically or electronically transferred out of Sacramento. "Yes it's on track and our staff and our team has been very aggressive with this and putting this into our mindset," said Greg Krikorian, president of the Glendale Unified school board. "The important factor here is, until the money's in our bank, we have no clue, and it's a very volatile situation right now." ... Continue Reading: Glendale, Burbank school districts could receive millions in federal stimulus funds

Kindergarten age change passes Legislature

A state bill that increases the minimum age to start kindergarten passed the state Legislature Tuesday. To begin kindergarten, students must turn 5 years old by Sept. 1 of the school year. Previous law set the minimum at 5 years by Dec. 2 of the school year. If signed into law by the governor, it would force Glendale and Burbank school district staff to reevaluate its projected kindergarten attendance. Much of district revenue is determined by pupil attendance, and staff can expect fewer kindergarten students next year, officials said. The bill has some exemptions for families who want to begin kindergarten early, and it brings California in line with the rest of the nation, said state Sen. Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto), who wrote the bill. California and three other states have the Dec. 2 kindergarten cut-off date. "This change ... enables us to redirect our limited school resources in a way that will make them most effective in providing children with the level of education most appropriate to them,” Simitian said in a statement. “It just makes sense, educationally and financially.” The bill's detractors said state legislators were trying to lower attendance-based payments to school districts.

Doctors perplexed by student’s illness

[caption id="attachment_20839" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="La Crescenta Elementary School student Reece LoCicero is reassured by his mother Natalia LoCicero. (Raul Roa/News-Press)"][/caption] From the Glendale News-Press Four-year-old Reece LoCicero was grappling with a 105-degree fever Sunday night. His sleepless night finally ended after many tears, aspirin and a lukewarm bath. Doctors had told his parents that hospital trips were for fevers higher than 106.6 degrees. They said they tried to break the spell Sunday night into the morning, fearing their eldest son wouldn't make it to his first day of school this week. But he made it to his first day of kindergarten Monday at La Crescenta Elementary School, an achievement worth celebrating, his mother, Natalia LoCicero, said. "I was in my doubts and I cried and cried, and I didn't think Reece was going to start school," she said. "He needs to be around other kids. He needs to be normal." .... Continue Reading: Doctors perplexed by student's illness

Willy Wonka sighting in Glendale

[caption id="attachment_20652" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Willy Wonka and Glendale Unified students perform a Stepping Stone Players number at Tuesday's Glendale Unified School District Board of Education meeting. (Photo by Max Zimbert)"][/caption] Right when you think you've seen everything, Willy Wonka does a jig at a Glendale Unified school board meeting. That's what happened Tuesday night when a troupe from the Stepping Stone Players performed a track from their Roald Dahl adaptation at the Glendale Unified board meeting. The community theater puts on shows starring Glendale Unified students, and their Willy Wonka show runs weekends beginning Sept. 10.

Proposed state bill would let students rate teachers

From the Burbank Leader GLENDALE — Students at Glendale and Burbank high schools said they support a state bill that would allow them to rate their teachers on how well they do their jobs. The bill is waiting for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s signature, and would be the first opportunity high school students have to identify a teacher’s strengths, weaknesses, or ways to enhance assignments, lectures and other coursework. But unlike controversial public rating systems, the data would be for the teacher only. The bill’s advocates say it would foster better communication between students and teachers and improve high school instruction. ... Continue Reading: Students may be grading their teachers

GCC clamps down on campus smoking

Glendale Adventist awarded for cardiac care

[caption id="attachment_20621" align="alignleft" width="300" caption=" Hugo Riffel-Dalinger performs two angioplasties on a patient's circumflex coronary artery with balloon-tipped catheters at Glendale Adventist Medical Center. (Raul Roa / August 19, 2010)"][/caption] From the Glendale News-Press EAST GLENDALE — For many newer physicians, a heart stent operation is a challenge, doctors at Glendale Adventist Medical Center said. Installing a stent opens arteries to maximize blood flow, and on this particular patient on Friday, the interventional cardiologist, Hugo Riffel-Dalinger, was operating on arteries that were 2 millimeters wide, and among the cardiovascular system's most important, he said. "That's what keeps us going," he said, pointing to the beating heart on a computer monitor. "The heart is an engine … and our job is to keep the injectors clean." Of 5,800 hospitals, Glendale Adventist has recently joined 400 centers as a Blue Distinction Center for Cardiac Care, a distinction from Blue Shield of California designed for operating rooms known for comprehensive and quality care, officials said. ... Continue Reading: Glendale Adventist awarded for cardiac care

Glendale Unified enrollment rising

From the Glendale News-Press GLENDALE — Glendale Unified officials are reporting an unusually high increase in student enrollment this summer, a likely sign that student populations may expand when campuses open next week, they said. As of this week, 60 more students have enrolled in Los Angeles County's sixth-largest school district this year than last, officials said. As school offices open this week, Alex Rojas, who oversees attendance for Glendale Unified, said there could be an enrollment surge as parents traditionally enroll at their neighborhood schools, rather than the district offices. "What we're hoping is that if that's the case for parents who enrolled this summer, there's probably X number of parents waiting for school to open to enroll," he said. ... Continue Reading: Glendale Unified enrollment rising

Roosevelt needs to improve test scores to meet federal standards

From the Glendale News-Press GLENDALE — Many eyes within Glendale Unified are on Roosevelt Middle School, which has made considerable growth on key accountability exams while still lagging behind the district's other campuses. According to standardized test data released Monday, Roosevelt students outpaced Glendale Unified growth in math and English scores by 6.5% and 6%, respectively. But even with those gains, the students at Roosevelt remain behind in proficiency rates. The school district averages 66.7% student proficiency in English and 63.4% in math. At Roosevelt, those rates are at 54.4% for English and 57.4% in mathematics. ... Continue Reading: Roosevelt needing bigger gains

GCC resolves tech problems for student enrollment

From the Glendale News-Press NORTHEAST GLENDALE — Computer glitches that had been complicating student enrollment at Glendale Community College are beginning to subside, students and officials said. After a rocky start to PeopleSoft, a new enrollment and student registration computer program, campus officials and contractors are on a better track to a smooth start for fall semester than they anticipated last month, said Ricardo Perez, vice president of student services. "We've been resolving issues as they come through," Perez said. "I bump into people who work in admissions or wherever and they say it's working. It's a lot of communication and collaboration." ... Continue Reading: GCC computer problems on the mend