"Colors of Peace and Love" - a Royal Send-Off

FLASH...UPDATE...FLASH:
Inspired by the art work of the students at 186th Street School in the book "Colors of Peace and Love", the Queen Mary is sponsoring a nationwide Art Contest! Individual entries from students K-8 will be judged on the best artwork representing the Queen Mary. This can be in the form of a painting, a sculpture or any medium that the child chooses. In addition to prizes, the winners' artwork will also be sent, through the LA Unified School District, to the Dalai Lama.
Contest submissions must be postmarked no later than October 31, 2009.

Full details http://www.queenmary.com/index.php?page=artcontest

Now, back to the original article...

Colors of Peace and Love is a children's book that grew from a collaboration of the students and staff of 186th Street School, the children from the Harbor Gateway area, the International Childrens' Choir of Long Beach, the inspiration of Dr. Feridun Shokatfard - an artist and poet, and the imagination and determination of Marcia Sidney-Reed, Principal of 186th Street School.

The book contains photgraphs of artwork done by the students of 186th Street School with the a picture of the student artist along with a caption promoting peace, love, and healing by the student.

At a ceremony on the Queen Mary on June 29, 2009, many of the books were given to distinguished and interested persons to deliver the books to children's hospitals all over the world. Congresswoman Maxine Waters, 35th Congressional District, attended the press conference and accepted an action of peace to deliver a box of books to President Obama and Michelle Obama, and have them share the books with children's hospitals in the Washington, DC area.

The book's foreword was written by the Dalai Lama.

Related links and Articles:

LAUSD Press Release

186th Street School

LA Times Article "Dalai Lama contributes to students' message of hope for hospitalized children"

Dr. Fereidun Shokatfard

Colors of Peace and Love

Queen Mary, Long Beach CA

Daily Breeze
http://www.dailybreeze.com/ci_12717758?source=rv

Long Beach Press Telegram
http://www.presstelegram.com/search/ci_12716497?IADID=Search-www.presstelegram.com-www.presstelegram.com

Los Angeles Times published a feature story on SUNDAY, July 5, 2009. The story aired on Channel 5 on Friday, July 3, 2009, during the 1:00 p.m. news hour and on Saturday, July 4, 2009, during the 10:00 p.m. news broadcast.
http://www.latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/06/colors-of-love-and-peace.html
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The Achieving A+ Summit
"The Achieving A+ Summit: Acquisition of English plus Academic Achievement for All" hosted by the Los Angeles Unified School District convened over 350 researchers, practitioners, and school districts with exemplary model programs from around the nation to focus on two key student populations – English Learner (EL) and Standard English Learner (SEL) students. ..."
A website devoted to the proceedings and on-going work is in
English or Spanish.
Noteable speaker videos of the summit are found here.
Speaker presentations are found here.

Related link:
Education Trust Website - has multiple data resources

School Report Card
Students, parents, and staff at all elementary, middle, high, and span schools are getting an opportunity to complete a survey that will be used for their school’s 2008-09 School Report Card.

For complete LAUSD Report Card information, go to the School Report Card site here. Spanish site here.

Each school's office or Parent Center and nearby LA Public Library has annual books of all LAUSD elementary and secondary school report cards. The bound books have report cards for every school in English and Spanish and all of the support documentation (Cover pages, How to read this report card, Descriptions of the measures) in 7 other languages.

Most of the files are Adobe Reader files. You may need to update your Adobe Reader version to view all of the documents. Find the latest Adobe Reader versions here. Apple's "Preview" may not be a reliable application to view some of the Report Card documentation.p p
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SECONDARY PRINCIPAL EXAMINATION ANNOUNCEMENT
Personnel Research and Assessment is announcing the Principal, Secondary administrative examination this coming Fall 2008.
The filing period will open Tuesday, August 26, 2008 and close Thursday, September 25, 2008.

New information regarding this examination will be available early August; please check http://www.teachinla.com/research/exam_announcements.html for updates.

Individuals interested in applying for the examination should contact the Administrative Selection Unit (ASU) at (213) 241-6886 for further information.

Summer 2009 Training Opportunities
Professional Training opportunities exist during the summer for teachers and administrators!

Sources:
Learning Zone http://lz.lausd.net Monitor for new offerings.

LACOE Workshops http://ito.lacoe.edu/workshops/workshops_display.pl
Classes include SMARTboard, Promethean ACTIVboard, Excel, Powerpoint, Word , Apple's Pages, iMovie, Keynote 09, Final Cut Express, Flip Video Camera, Sibelius - Music Notation, and more.

SMARTboard Users' Content Creation Seminar August 19-21
http://smarttechnologies.edublogs.org/

CA Department of Education Conference Calendar
http://www.cde.ca.gov/re/ca/cc/
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Wilmington Middle School Math on
KLCS "BEST PRACTICES"
Edited from a notice from Superintendent Cortines

KLCS has produced a new series entitled "Best Practices". The first four episodes focus on Wilmington Middle School Algebra teachers and the successes they have achieved in raising their student’s academic achievement in Algebra through the use of a Collaborative Teaching model.
See schedule below for full broadcast details:
- Friday 4/17 – 4:30 pm (Episode One: Identify, Focus & Strategize)
- Friday 4/24 – 4:40 pm (Episode Two: Collaborative Lesson Planning and Probing)
- Friday 5/1 – 4:30 pm (Episode Three: Classroom Implementation)
- Friday 5/8 – 4:30 pm (Episode Four: Assessment and Feedback)

Beginning 4/28, the program will also air regularly at noon, with a repeat broadcast the following Saturday morning at 6:00 am.
Please continue to watch KLCS: The Education Station!
Channel 58

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School Nurse Position Opened

One Credentialed School Nurse position is open for the "Washington Involving Neighborhood" (WIN) Local District 8 "Safe School Healthy Student" attendance area with Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP home visitaton services. The Nurse Family Partnership (NFP) program is a national nonprofit organization committed to producing enduring improvement in the health and well-being of low income, first-time parents and their children.

More information:
Flyer here
Position listed at: Non-Classroom Teacher Openings
Please monitor both links for possible changes.

CERTIFICATED ADMINISTRATIVE EXAMINATION ANNOUNCEMENT
Spring 2009

Updated January 13, 2009

Due to current budget uncertainty, the Secondary Principal and Elementary Principal exams scheduled for Spring 2009 are postponed indefinitely. Notices will be distributed when these principal exams will be resumed.
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LAUSD School Report Cards

School Report Cards will sent out Monday, January 9, 2009, to homes of all students attending LAUSD elementary, middle, high, and span schools. Parents can expect delivery beginning on Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2009. One Report Card will be sent for each student enrolled. The Report Card will be sent in the home language of the student in one of nine languages. Report Cards can be found online. Each school's office or Parent Center and nearby LA Public Library will have annual books of all LAUSD elementary and secondary school report cards. The bound books have report cards for every school in English and Spanish and all of the support documentation (Cover pages, How to read this report card, Descriptions of the measures) in the 7 other languages.

LAUSD's Report Card page is here. Numerous sources of information are available on that page.

A series of media events is planned beginning with a press conference at the Belmont HS Library on Monday, January 11, 2009.

Parents in Local 8 with questions on School Report Cards can call their student's school or the Local 8 Office at 310.354.3400.

Most of the files are Adobe Reader files. You may need to update your Adobe Reader version to view all of the documents. Find the latest Adobe Reader versions here. Apple's "Preview" may not be a reliable application to view some of the Report Card documentation.p p
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Local District 8 2008 Summer School Support
Local District 8's 2008 Summer School and Intervention Support page is
here.

Summer Professional Development at Thacher School
Thacher School in Ojia, CA has been a location for weeklong residential professional development since 1999. This year LAUSD has:

- Week I : K12 Physical Education integrating technology and LAVA Online Content Development and Online Content Instruction.

- Week II : Elementary, Middle, and High School Science and technology integration.

- Week III : LACOE provided CTAP Training Academies for teachers and administrators from the Los Angeles County schools.

You can view a full sized slideshow of Week I - click here. FlashPlayer required.
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156th Street School Winner
California Distiguished School Award
156th Elementary School in Local District 8 is a winner of the coveted California Distinguished School Award for 2008. This award is given to schools that meet stringent requirements and are evaluated under strict guidelines.
Congratulations for all the work done at 156th School by all the students, parents, and staff at the school!
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The InfoTech 2008 Conference occured on April 12, 2008, at the LA Convention Center. A co-event was the Parent Summit Conference.
About 2000 persons attended InfoTech 2008.
Over eighty schools had student showcases displaying content and standards based projects infused with technology.
Local District 8 participating schools that had Showcases were:
- Dolores Street School
- Manahattan Place
- 186th Street
One highlight of InfoTech 2008 was the Digital Video Editing Contest. Dolores Street School received first place in the Elementary section!
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LAUSD TALKS - Previous Weekly Online News on Local District 8 Schools and Events
LAUSDTALKS provides video or audio news features for teachers, staff, and employees of LAUSD. Go to LAUSD TALKS.

Featured items from Local 8 Schools:

Week of April 4, 2008
CA Distinguished Schools 2008 - 156th Steet School seen on list

Week of March 9, 2008
Banning High Students Celebrate Academic Achievements.
More information here.

Week of January 25, 2008
186th Street Elementary School “Steps Out For Peace”.
186th Street's Third Annual Peace March was held on Friday, January 18, 2008, at the school. The march was in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the commitment the school has to the
Peace Games Service Learning Project which helps students get involved with positive campus and community changes.
For more information on Peace Games go here.

Week of December 12, 2007
Washington Preparatory High School's grand opening of its new Margaret Wright Physical Education Building is dedicated. Board Member Marguerite LaMonte (MOV), Principal Dr. Gail Greer, and others presided over the celebration. Washington Preparatory is the first of several middle and high schools in Board District District 1 to undergo renovation of fitness centers. Facilities Division's news release here.

Week of November 28, 2007
Leapwood Elementary School is the site of one of several events featured in the November 28th, 2007, issue of LAUSDTALKS. Members of the Los Angeles Galaxy Soccer Team visited Leapwood for a book giveaway and reading session with students. Leapwood is the official adopted school of the Galaxy Soccer team. The event was sponsored by the Los Angeles Galaxy Foundation, Wonder of Reading Organization, and
Reading Is Fundamental of Southern California. "These organizations promote family literacy programs and a life long love of learning, " according to the LAUSD TALKS announcer.

LAUSD school staff members and employees can submit story suggestions via a link on the LAUSD TALKS homepage. An InsideLAUSD account is needed.

Plans are to have LAUSD TALKS eventually available publicly.
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Summer School Employment
Apply online for summer school employment if you are seeking a position as a:
• Administrator
• Teacher
• Clerical
• Special Education Assist./Trainee, Health Assist., A.A.
• School Supervision Aide
Flyer to post which includes the summer school calendar and online application link is found on the Human Reources Office page at:
http://www.teachinla.com/
Deadline to apply is April 11, 2008, at 5:00PM

Local District 8 Achievement Gains for 2006-2007
Linda Del Cueto, Local District 8 Superintendent, announced the academic gains schools achieved during the 2006-2007 school year at Parent Community Representative and Administrator meetings.

The highlights include:

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California Cash for College Workshops
CalGrants.org California Cash for College Workshops are held in January and February of every year for getting grants for students college or technical pre education. Up to $9700 is available per yer that does not have to be repaid. Deadline for applications is noramlly March 2. Because this year March 2 is on a Sunday the deadline will be March 3 this year.
Find a workshop near you here.
Example: DeVry University - Long Beach Campus; March 1, 2008 6:00PM - 8:00 PM
LA Cash For College was highlighted in the Feb. 13, 2008, episode of LAUSDTalks.

BP Grants Workshop
A $1 Million Grant and Scholarship Program for
preK-12 Teachers
BP is providing California teachers in our area an opportunity to apply for grants of $5,000 or $10,000.

British Petroleum has provided $7 million in grants and scholarships to over 7,000 California teachers representing 600 winning projects through its A+ for Energy Program designed to recognize innovative approaches to teaching students about energy and conservation.

Interested in learning how you can apply for BP’s 2008 A+ for Energy Grant?

Attend the A+ for Energy Overview and Grant Writing Workshop.

Date: February 21, 2008
Time: 3:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Location: BP Carson One
2350 E. 223rd Street Carson, CA 90810
Please use this map (pdf) and directions (Word).
Online maps may not be reliable.
The "grey" rectangle is the building.

Flyer for more details and RSVP information here

Special link: BP's Carbon Footprint Calculator

Congratulations to Award Winning Schools
Schools in Local District 8 have been recognized for achievement.
By school year, they are:

2007-2008
42 Schools in LAUSD Receive Title I Achievement Award
Among those schools in Local District 8 are:
- Catskill Elementary
- Del Amo Elementary
- Harbor Teacher Preparatory Academy High School
- Lomita Fundamental Center Elementary
- 186th Elementary
- Park Western Place Elementary
- Point Fermin Elementary
- South Shores/CSUDH Visual and Performing Arts Elementary
- Taper Avenue Elementary
See all details in the December 12, 2007, LAUSD News Release here

LAUSD Teacher Wins Milken Family Foundation National Teacher Education Award
Sakhalin Finnie, a science teacher at Harbor Teacher Preparation Academy in Wilmington, received the National Educator Award from
The Milken Family Foundation. The award was given at a surprise assembly on December 6, 2007, attended by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell, LAUSD Superintendent
David L.Brewer III and Senator Gloria Romero.
See all details in a December 7, 2007, LAUSD News Release here.
Milken Family Foundation Newsroom Web Article here.

2007
California Business for Education Excellence (CBEE) and
Just for the Kids-California (JFTK-CA) Honor Roll Schools - 2007
Thirty-One LAUSD schools have been designated as Honor Roll Schools by the California Business for Education Excellence
(CBEE) Foundation and Just for the Kids-California (JFTK-CA). Each school demonstrated consistent high student academic achievement and made significant progress towards closing achievement gaps among students.
Schools in Local District 8 include:
Bandini Street School JFTK data here
Leapwood Avenue School JFTK data here
186th Street School JFTK data here
156th Street School JFTK data here
See additional details in the Oct. 22, 2007, LAUSD News Release here.

California Distinguished School - 2007
Harbor Teacher Preparatory Academy

2006
California Distinguished School - 2006:
Carson Street Elementary School
Chapman Elementary School
Seventh Street Elementary School

Title I Academic Achievement Awards Schools - 2006:
Caroldale LEARNing Community School
Harbor Teacher Prep. High School
Lomita Math and Science Magnet Elementary School
156th St Elementary School
Park Western Elementary School
Seventh Street School
South Shores Performing Arts Magnet Elementary School
Towne Avenue School

2005
No Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon School 2005
Park Western Elementary School
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Highlight on LAUSD's "Digital Library"
The LAUSD Digital Library provides links to free and subscription* resources. One of many resources is the subscription site "Thomson Gale ". It provides a plethora of information including: opposing views, history reference, Literature, Science, history, and more.

*within the LAUSD Internet firewall at school and office sites
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Employees: Use the Learning Zone
Get an InsideLAUSD account then go to the LearningZone for training opportunities. Use the Learning Zone as a means to find classes and salary point credit classes to improve your skills using and integrating content for yourself and students. Go here for logon on, course, and enrollment information.
More Instructional Technology training opportunities here .
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Is Your Computer Virus Protection and Operating System Software Up to Date?
Functional, virus, and security updates should be done on all computers. Windows computers should be set to search for updates every day.
You can monitor Microsoft Security Issues at http://support.microsoft.com/security and
http://techsupport.lausd.net/
> more support information

Dell Laptop Battery Recall Information here
Apple Laptop Battery Recall Information here
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eChoices
Application Deadline Friday January 11, 2008, at 5:00 PM
Go to the eChoices website for all details.
Download the brochure from the above site.
The eChoices website is loaded with details and contact information to help you and your child make well informed decisions.
Go to the eChoices website for more details.
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ITD "SERVICE DESK"
SERVICE DESK phone number
213•241•LA00
213•241•5200

Other ways to contact the Service Desk:
Good way: call the Service Desk: 213.241.5200 (not efficient for multiple requests)
Better way: Complete a Web Form for each computer or job
http://techsupport.lausd.net/webform.htm
Best way: a site person creates an account and submits requests from the Employee Self-Service Site http://techsupport.lausd.net/ess.htm
(see the "click here" links on the page) The advantage with this method is one can go and review past requests.
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Selected Technology Based
Professional Development and Training Opportunities
Plan for your Summer Professional Development Now!

View selected Instructional Technology Training opportunities - including the terrific "Online Learning Experience" (OLE) class here.

Please monitor LAUSD's Learning Zone and LACOE's Professional Development Workshop site.

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Linda Del Cueto New Local District 8 Superintendent
Linda Del Cueto assumed the position of Local District 8 Superintendent on July 2, 2007.

LAUSD Superintendent David L. Brewer III said on the announcement of Linda's appointment in May, 2007, "Mrs. Del Cueto possesses a strong background as an instructional leader as well as an excellent knowledge of District policies and procedures."

Linda has had a number of leadership positions within LAUSD at schools and offices. Her most recent role was Assistant Director of Staff Relations.
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Grants Informational Video Conference
Date: September 27, 2007
Time: 3:45 - 5:45.
The meeting will be held concurently at locations throughout the District in a video conference format.
Any employee is welcome to attend any location.
The closest location with Local 8 is the Taper DELTA Center.
Directions here.

Flyer with complete details here.

Wiki support page here

Participating grant and grant information providers:
- The Riordan Foundation
- Arts Education Grant
- Physical Education Grant
- NASA Explorer Schools Grant
- LAUSD Grants Assistance Unit

All locations of the meeting:
Local District 1 Northridge Middle School Library
Local District 2 San Fernando High School
Local District 3 Baldwin Hills Elementary Auditorium
Local District 4 Allesandro Elementary School, Room 11
Local District 5 Hillside Elementary School
Local District 6 South Gate Middle School Library
Local District 7 LD 7 District Office
Local District 8 Taper DELTA PD Center Bungalow

For more information contact your Local District ITAF or call the
ITD Educational Technology Group at 213-241-3837.
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Dona Stevens Local District 8 Interim Superintendent
Local District 8 Interim Superintendent is Dona Stevens. Dona Stevens was Local District 8's Administrator of Instruction.

LAUSD's announcement is here.

A nationwide search for a new Local 8 Superintendent is underway.
The Local District 8 Superintendent job description and application procedure is here.
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Selected Technology Based Professional Development and Training Opportunities

This list is not to be considered a complete list of all technology opportunities. It does provide a list of training opportunities that may be of interest to Local District 8 Teachers and Administrators.
Please monitor LAUSD's Learning Zone and LACOE's Professional Development site.

Smart Board Training - provided by LACOE at LACOE
SMART Board Training is available at LACOE on April 18, 2007, or May 23, 2007, from 4:30 PM to 7:30 PM.
For more details and to register, go here http://ctap.lacoe.edu/workshops/info.html?wid=441

FYI: In LAUSD, Smart Board training is sometimes offered. Monitor the Learning Zone for SMART Board training classes
Learning Zone here http://lz.lausd.net (need Inside LAUSD account https://idmlogin.lausd.net/ to open)

DSS Training - provided by LAUSD ITD Training
Two DSS Classes for beginning Decision Support System (DSS) users will be provided for K12 administrators at:

Taper DELTA Tech Room
April 24 Tuesday - This training is for Mac users only. The DELTA Center has Apple desktops. Attendees can bring their own Apple laptops with wireless connectivity. Please make sure they have Java, Adobe Acrobat 7 or higher and MS-Excel installed. Pop-up blockers also need to be turned off. PC users should attend the May 1 training at Peary Delta Center.
8am–12pm DSS 101 A (aggregate/summarized reports)
1–4pm DSS 101 B (detail reports/individual student reports)

Peary DELTA Tech Room
May 1 Tuesday - This training is for PC users only. Attendees must bring their own PC laptops with wireless connectivity. There are no PCs at the DELTA site. Please make sure they have Java, Adobe Acrobat 7 or higher and MS-Excel installed. Pop-up blockers also need to be turned off. Mac users should attend the April 24 training at Taper Delta Center.
8am–12pm DSS 101 A (aggregate/summarized reports)
1–4pm DSS 101 B (detail reports/individual student reports)

Notes for both sessions: A training user ID and password will be used. Attendees are encouraged to start applying for their DSS accounts so they could access DSS at their locations once they have completed training. The form can be found on the DSS Home page under DSS Registration in the Quick Links section. To access the user registration guide, click here http://notebook.lausd.net/pls/ptl/PTL_APPS.
DYN_DSS_REG_GUIDE.show

Register for the above or other DSS classes on the Learning Zone here http://lz.lausd.net using:
Program "All" or "Decision Support System"
Keyword "DSS"
Sub Districts "All"
(To register, you need Inside LAUSD account https://idmlogin.lausd.net/ to open)

Directions to both training locations: http://www.lausd.k12.ca.us/District_8/news/taper_peary_dir.htm

Imagine • Empower • Achieve

The 11th Annual InfoTech 2007 Conference will take place on:
April 21, 2007, Saturday
8:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Los Angeles Convention Center
1201 South Figueroa Street
Los Angeles, CA 90015

This is all about student and teacher creativity, teamwork, and achievement! Students can participate with Student Showcase projects, Student Team Competition, and the Student Scavenger Hunt. For all, see vendor displays, participate in Round Table Discussions, and join hands-on demonstrations. Win prizes during the raffle.

LAUSD Employee Attendance Online Registration is now on the Learning Zone for those attending only.
Search method
LAUSDnet > Employees > Learning Zone > Class Offering >
Programs "InfoTech 2007 Conference" > Search >
Select and enroll in "InfoTech 2007: LAUSD Employee Registration"

Last year's event was attended by over 800 enthusiastic persons. With a new venue at the LA Convention Center, over 1500 persons can have a fun and intellectual stimulating experience!

Event details and registration at the InfoTech 2007 webpage.

Related documents:
InfoTech Flyer for Posting
MEM-3522

...

TechTrek - 7th Grade Girls Visit
Five University Campuses
Eleven girls who entered eighth grade this Fall visited five campuses to learn about Mathematics and Science and campus life. The girls were sponsored by the Torrance Chapter of American Association of University Women (AAUW).The LAUSD Local 8 girls joined students from Torrance and Redondo Beach. Schools visited were: CSU Fresno, Mills College, Stanford University, UC Santa Barbara, and Whittier College. Local 8 Middle Schools that participated were: Curtiss, Fleming, Muir, White, and Peary. The AAUW is a national organization of women that have chapters through the United States. The girls were recognized at a ceremony held at the Toyota Museum. Guest speakers included girls who were in Tech Trek and are now in college. They expressed strong support for Tech Trek and described their trip as life altering. We hope to expand the TechTrek experience with locating additional funding resources. The LAUSD Office of School Partnerships was a lead group in organizing Tech Trek in 2006.
For more details on AAUW's Tech Trek go here.
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Superintendent Rivera Leaving Local 8
Local District 8 Superintendent Dr. Myrna Rivera will leave LAUSD's Local District 8 effective December 31, 2006. Dr. Rivera will start a new position as Superintendent of the Culver City School District in Culver City, CA.

Dona Stevens, currently Local District 8's Administrator of Instruction, will be Local District 8's Interim Superintendent. Announcement here.

A nationwide search for a new Local 8 Superintendent is underway.
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Instructional and Technology Leaders
Video Conference
Interested Instructional and Instructional Technology leaders are invited to attend a video conference meeting on Monday, June 19, 2006, from 3:35 – 5:45.

The meeting can be attended at any of the following video conference locations:
- MULHOLLAND MS
- EMERSON MS
- ADAMS MS
- GAGE MS
- TAPER DELTA CENTER
- LOCAL DISTRICT 5 (main meeting site)

One expected topic will be Apple xServer. There are several persons in Local 8 that have an interest in this xServer.

Related link: Tech Reps Site http://techsupport.lausd.net/techrep.htm

Agenda:
Soon
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Free Immunizations at
Harte Middle School and Local 8 Offices
-From the LAUSD Homepage
Free immunizations are being provided this Spring for children from infancy to 18 years of age at selected LAUSD sites and times by District Nursing Services. Various immunizations and tuberculosis skin testing are available for children to meet school entrance requirements.
Click here for a complete schedule of times and locations.
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Teachers! Attend Summer Professional Development at
Teach The Teacher Collaborative at Thacher School
LAUSD has four professional development sessions at the Teach The Teacher Collaborative (TTTC) scheduled this summer. They are week-long (Sunday pm - Friday early pm) residential sessions at Thacher School in Ojai, CA.
TTTC has its own set of fee based programs available to any educator in addition to LAUSD sponsored classes.

LAUSD Sponsored Classes at TTTC at Thacher School

Science:
Fourth Through Eighth Grade Teachers
Full details here.
Teach The Teacher Collaborative California Math and Science Project (TTTC_CaMSP) at Thacher School brochure has the updated information which includes:
1. Registration is now open to all interested 4-8th grade LAUSD Science teachers.
2. Substitute coverage will be provided for CaMSP participants who are on track. All other participants will be paid $25/hr training rate or be offered salary point credit.
Interested teachers should register through
Inside LAUSD> Learning Zone>Program>CaMSP
Required:
InsideLAUSD account needed
LAUSD ePALS account needed to get InsideLAUSD account
e-mail assistance
InsideLAUSD account help

Science Class enrollment status as of May 25, 2006
Class order is the same as seen in Learning Zone search. Some courses have more than one class:

G6 Earth Science: 18 enrolled
G7 Life Science: 21 enrolled
G4 Earth Science: 02 enrolled
G4 Physical Science: 13 enrolled
G5 Physical Science: 15 enrolled wait 0
G5 Earth Science: 15 enrolled wait 1
G5 Life Science: 05 enrolled
G4 Life Science: 15 + 4 waiting
G8 Physical Science: 20 enrolled 3 wait
G6 Earth Science: 20 enrolled 2 wait
G5 Earth Science: 05 enrolled
G7 Life Science: 20 enrolled wait 1
G4 Earth Science: 09 enrolled
G4 Physical Science: 07 enrolled
G5 Physical Science: 09 enrolled
G5 Life Science: 10 enrolled
G4 Life Science: 11 enrolled
G8 Physical Science: 09 enrolled

Physical Education:
ES, MS, and HS teachers
Funding for middle and high school PE teachers will be provided by the Secondary Instructional Support Services. Elementary funding will need to be supplied by the school -- approximately $950. Elementary teachers do not have to be PE teachers.
Details:
Overview
High School (more than one teacher from a school is encouraged)
Middle School (more than one teacher from a school is encouraged)
Elementary School (five per Local District is the initial limit)
Learning Zone registration Tips

Enrollment as of May 25, 2006:
Learning Zone name: "TTTC Elementary PE"
Enrollment: 03

Learning Zone name "TTTC Middle School PE"
Enrollment: 30 wait 10

Learning Zone name "TTTC High School PE"
Enrollment: 30 wait 03

CISCO CCNA Instructor Training:
High School Teachers
High School teachers can receive CISCO Cisco Certified Network Associates (CCNA) instructor training through TTTC this summer. Advance your career in becoming a certified teacher to provide networking instruction. Students can become CCNA - Cisco Certified Network Associates. A CCNA is an entry level job, but it can expand beyond this level working with routers, etc. The class is not a computer repair class. It is aligned with California Standards and free to instructors and students. Registration instructions/flyer/TTTC info is here . Enterprise Zone schools get classroom equipment free. The commitment is for the school to offer the class after the Thacher training. The teacher course will start in May 17 for one week and then a second week at Thacher School in Ojai, CA.
Learning Zone name: "TTTC_CCNA Linstructor Course" 55.21.611:
Enrollment at Thacher as of May 25, 2006: 11 enrolled

'Online Teacher' Training:
High School Teachers
Los Angeles Virtual Academy (LAVA) at Thacher School Summer 2006
Week of July 9-14 at Thacher School in Ojai, CA
There are two programs available from which to select.
1) Online Instructor Course (OIC) for advanced users (Earn 2 salary points upon completion.)
2) Online Content Development (OCD) for new and advanced users (Earn 4 salary points upon completion)
Details on the Summer LAVA training here.
Please see section below for additional LAVA information!

Class name in Learning Zone "Online Learning Experience" 55.21.611 at Thacher starts June 6
Enrollment in class as of May 25, 2006: 19

Class name in Learning Zone "LAVA Online Instructor Course" 55.21.607
Enrollment in class as of May 25, 2006: 16 Check all meeting dates online check online for all meeting dates

Class name in Learning Zone "Online Class Development" 55.21.612
Enrollment in class as of May 25, 2006:: 23 Wait 03 Check all meeting dates online

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HS Teachers!
Become an Online Instructor!
Have you considered teaching an online class?
Online classes may be considered standard method of instruction delivery pending legislation (search for "AB 1985"). LAUSD's Instructional Technology Branch is offering an opportunity for high school teachers who are interested in teaching online classes in core academic and advanced placement classes at their schools to be trained as online instructors. The Los Angeles Virtual Academy (LAVA) is the District's online learning program available to school sites that want to offer online courses to students.
More details, contact, application, competencies, and registration information are here .

Additional LAVA information:

Training for Teachers:

Los Angeles Virtual Academy at Thacher School Summer 2006
Week of July 9-14 at Thacher School in Ojai, CA
There are two programs available from which to select.
1) Online Instructor Course (OIC) for advanced users (Earn 2 salary points upon completion.)
2) Online Content Development (OCD) for new and advanced users (Earn 4 salary points upon completion)
Details on the Summer LAVA training here.

Online Teacher Training Through Learning Zone
Three classes are now online for Online Teacher Training. Registration is through Learning Zone . Course descriptions are found in Learning Zone. (Learning Zone Account help)

Teacher course: 55.21.611 Online Learning Experience - this is a 1 salary point class that is an introduction to the online environment and tools. This class is a prerequisite for taking additional classes below. This class offered in Local 8 during May, 2006. Face to face classes will be on May 4 and 11, 2006. An online section will be a total of 8 hours followed by the usual 16 hours of homework needed for a Salary Point Class credit. Attendees will be invited to attend additional week-long residential training at Thacher School, July, 2006. For the May class, register using the Learning Zone - see paragraph above for Learning Zone logon information to find class 55.21.611.

Teacher Course: 55.21.607 Online Instructor Course - this is a 2 salary point class for those teachers who are interested in becoming online instructors. This class is offered through the Learning Zone and at Thacher School.

Teacher Course: 55.21.612 Online Content Development - this is a 4 point salary point class that is for developing online content to be used district-wide. This class is offered through the Learning Zone and will be available at Thacher School.

Lists of Online Student Classes
Enrollment goes through LAVA. Currently, most learning content is currently from APEX. LAUSD to develop its own content!
Classes for Students for 2006 - 2007
Class Start Dates for Students 2006 - 2007

LAVA Newsletter
Spring 2006
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Virtual Video Symposium
A second Virtual Video Conference Symposium is scheduled for Monday, June 5, 2006. The topic will be on ISIS. The time will be from 3:45 PM - 5:50 PM. There will be several locations to attend throughout the District to meet employee commuter needs. The Local 8 location as will be the Taper DELTA Center. The intent is to allow school users, organizers, and persons for ISIS site management and support to interact with other users and ISIS personnel via simultaneous high speed video and sound connection.
Outcomes:
* Communicate with ITD decision makers
* Get the latest ISIS update from the Project Management Team
* Learn about the ISIS rollout for elementary schools
* Share "best practices" with secondary ISIS schools
* Experience the use of video teleconferencing to save travel time
You are welcome to attend the symposium at any of the following locations:
Local District 1 - Northridge MS
Local District 2 - Pacoima MS
Local District 3 - Palms MS
Local District 4 - Virgil MS
Local District 5 - LD5 Offices - Soto St Lab II
Local District 6 - Nimitz MS
Local District 7 - Drew MS
Local District 8 - Taper Delta Center
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Student Project Fair at 135th Street ES
The sudents and teachers at 135th Street ES are having a Project Fair showcasing activities from all the Track C classes on Thursday, April 20, 2006, from 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm in the auditorium and track C classrooms. Past projects have been outstanding and incorporate various technologies.
Address:
801 W 135TH ST
GARDENA, CA 90247
Map of 135th Street ES: here
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National Board Certified Teacher Conference
The UTLA Standing Committee for National Board Certification is sponsoring their second annual all day conference at UTLA headquarters (3303 Wilshire Blvd.) on Saturday, October 29, from 8 AM-4 PM.
There will be numerous sessions on topics of interest to both current and future NBCTs. If you would like to offer a session, contact Scott Mandel, Standing Committee Chair, at mandel..@..pacificnet.net (remove the ..). There is no cost to attend this conference. Both current NBC teachers, and those interested in the program, are welcome to attend.
Attendance at the conference, along with offering sessions, can be used towards the NBC 92 hour commitment.
If you would like to join us, please RSVP by Wednesday, October 26, to Scott Mandel at mandel..@..pacificnet.net (remove the ..) or call at (818) 970-7445 (after school hours, please).
Details: File in Word File in Adobe
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135th Street Track C Student Showcase
On April 14, 2005, parents and invited guests where were treated to 135th Street Elementary School's Track C Student Project Showcase. Students from grades pre-K through 5th grade worked in teams to produce projects that coincided with grade level themes in the Open Court Reading Program. The students' impressive work showed creativity, organization, imagination, independent thinking, and teamwork. All the projects used some form of instructional technology to gather information, organize, edit, proofread, and present the projects. 135th Street School has this event four times each year scheduled at the end of each Track session. The next Student Showcase will be in June. More visitors are expected in June as 135th Street continues its leadership in providing students opportunities to integrate tools for learning, providing an environment for high achievement, and preparing students for their world.

The school's instructional technology program includes a schoolwide network where students can log on and find their files from any computer on campus, a networked Waterford Reading lab, and a networked version of Accelerated Reader. The progress the school has made is due to the shared goals and teamwork of the principal, assistant principals, reading coaches, teachers, network technician, students, and parents.
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KLCS Annual VIC Awards
The annual Video In the Classroom (VIC) Awards took place on June 4, 2005, at the SBC Transamerica Auditorium. Over 60 awards were given to teachers and students from Grades 1 through Community Adult Schools. Congratulatory remarks were provided by Superintendent, Roy Romer and Board President, Jose Huizar. Several celebrities announced the winners.

Winners from Local District 8 where from Towne Avenue, Banning High School, and Carson Gardena Community Adult school.

- Towne Ave. - Sharon H., "Count Me In! First Take" Focus Award-Elementary, Public Service Announcement
- Banning High School - Stan K. "The Healthnuts 'You Can Be a Healthnut, Too' " Best Use of Music-Secondary
- Carson Gardena Community Adult School - Promotional video on learning acting

KLCS will show the VIC awards on Friday, June 10, 2005 at 12 PM and Sunday, June 12, 2005 at 5:30 PM.

The gala ceremony was held on June 4th and  included the following guest presenters.

-George Chakiris, who made his film debut at the age of 12 and earned a Golden Globe and an Academy Award for best supporting actor in the film “West Side Story.” 
- Actor/Director Ted Lange, known for his role as  “Issac the Bartender” on the hit TV series,  “The Love Boat”
- Maureen McCormick, Marsha from the hit TV series “The Brady Bunch”
- Scott Lasky from E-entertainment and the second season of “The Real Gilligan’s Island” on TBS.
- James Eckhouse, who played Jason Priestly’s dad in the ”Beverly Hills 90210” hit series.
- Mary Ellen Walker, a Los Angeles Times Editor for the “The Kid’s Reading Room”
-Mandy Blancas , host of KLCS-TV/DT’s Homework Hotline

Of course the real “stars” were the more than 60 student and teacher winners who celebrated their instructuctional achievements along with their guests for a total of more than 350 attendees.

CDs of VIC 2004, VIC 2005, and the actual winning entries will be able to be ordered for $20.00 each (not yet) http://www.klcs.org/ . If you get one for instructional needs, I would recommend the full footage of the entries when it's available.

InfoTECH 2005
On April 2, 2005, at the Pasadena Convention Center LAUSD, EdTECH, and a number of sponsoring vendors collaborated and hosted the 9th Annual InfoTECH Conference. There were over sixty training and presentation sessions.
Two teachers and six students from Manhattan Place Elementary School presented a session on student and teacher use of Palm Handheld computers. The two teachers and their students received Palm Handhelds and training through the Los Angeles County Office of Education, California Technology Assistance Project Region 11, and the PalmOne Academic Leaders (PALs) program.
In the vendor and student showcase area, three schools from Local District 8 had booths. Teachers and students displayed and explained their projects to throngs of interested attendees.
Schools with projects included:
Taper Avenue ES Technology Magnet - Project: Computer Animation In 4th and 5th Grades. Mr. Patrick Corley and his students worked diligently on their own time creating 3D models and animation using Truespace 3.2 (which can be downloaded for free on their website by clicking on the above link).
Denker Avenue ES - Project: Science research project using Hyperstudio with Mrs. Allen-Lewis' 5th grade class. The the project was an example of the collaboration between the classroom teacher and the Technology Resource teacher, Ms. Stroh. The students were highly motivated and included animation and special visual effects.

Vendors in attendance are major sources of instructional hardware, software, peripherals, and training. Several technology based District initiatives had displays, also. Attendees were treated with a culminating raffle. A lot of planning and donated time made InfoTECH 2005 a success and we look forward to InfoTECH in 2006 - its tenth year anniversary!
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Parent Conference
On December 14, 2004, a Conference for Local District 8 Parent Organizations was held at the Torrance Holiday Inn. Over 130 parents and school parent group representatives attended. Workshops included English Language, Parenting Suggestions, Hands-on Science, Campus and Near Campus Safety, Algebra, Testing, and Special Education information. Keynote speaker Dr. Myrna Rivera, Local District 8 Superintendent, emphasized the most important persons influencing students' positive attitude, behavior, and goals are parents. Myrna mentioned a recent article published in the LA Times shows the power of a caring and supportive parent has on a local high school student here. If a search is needed, the article name is “Required: School Prayer” found in Column One.

Future Link

Future File