Clad in top hats, green wigs and wearing golden tickets, Dulles Elementary School students heralded the arrival of the “Candy Man” and brought to life the timeless characters of Charlie Bucket and the Oompa-Loompas during two performances of the musical “Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka, Jr.” held at Benton Middle School on Jan. 27 and 28. The two-act musical, adapted from Dahl’s beloved children’s book “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” and the 1971 film starring Gene Wilder, highlighted the talents of 60 Dulles Elementary K-5 students and incorporated musical numbers, choreography, elaborate set changes and star turns for its featured players.
Norwalk-La Mirada Unified Families Choose Gifts during Toy Shop Event
Sleigh bells were jingling at the NLMUSD District Office over holiday break, as dozens of families in need were invited to take part in the eighth annual Toy Shop gift giveaway and breakfast on Dec. 22. More than 175 families were treated to a full-service breakfast and had their choice of 580 new toys to give as holiday presents for their children. A District holiday tradition since 2009, the Toy Shop is organized by the NLMUSD McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Program.
New River Elementary School classrooms are equipped with audio enhancement systems that ensure student and teacher voices are projected at an even volume throughout the room no matter where they are seated. Each room is equipped with two wireless microphones – one for the teacher and one for the student speaking – and a small speaker is set in front of the classroom to distribute the sound.
Norwalk High School will offer a new Advanced Placement (AP) Capstone diploma program, a tier of specialized instruction that centers on collaborative learning and critical thinking, allowing students to strengthen their reasoning processes and analytic techniques. The program introduces two yearlong classes to complement existing AP curriculum. AP Seminar, a starting course for juniors, stresses information-gathering and discussion skills. AP Research, for seniors, encourages independent research and provides a forum for investigative conclusions. AP Seminar will begin in fall 2017; AP Research in fall 2018.
Sleigh bells were jingling at the Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School District office over holiday break, as dozens of families in need were invited to take part in the eighth annual Toy Shop gift giveaway and breakfast, held Dec. 22. Over 175 families were treated to a full-service breakfast and participated in group activities. Parents had their choice of 580 new toys to give as holiday presents for their children and District staff wrapped the presents as part of a community campaign to brighten the holidays for the District’s neediest families. A District holiday tradition since 2009, community organizations donate the toys and gifts every year to the Toy Shop, which is organized by the NLMUSD McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Program.
Los Coyotes Middle School unveiled a college and career center with a Dec. 21 ribbon-cutting ceremony, giving students the opportunity to explore career and higher education pathways. The college and career center will be a guide to discovering career pathways as well as provide information about UC and CSU admission requirements, financial assistance for higher education and college degrees. Students will have the opportunity to take career interest assessments, attend College Week Live and create a four- or six-year plan for high school. The center is open during school hours, and counselors and media clerks will help answer any questions the students may have.
Eight high school students from Norwalk-La Mirada Unified have been selected to perform in the 2016 Tournament of Roses Parade Honor Band. The students were selected from a pool of about 500 musicians throughout Southern California and will join more than 100 band members consisting of instrumentalists, flag pageantry and Pasadena City College’s Lancer Marching Band. The 128th Tournament of Roses Parade will kick off at 8 a.m. Monday, Jan. 2. The students will also perform with the Honor Band at Disneyland on Dec. 28 and at Bandfest at Pasadena City College on Dec. 30 and 31.
Norwalk High School students donated more than $16,000 to nine local aid organizations in December as part of the school's annual Charity for Charities project, including Breast Cancer Angels, with groups chosen by students often based on personal connections to the causes. Seniors Caleb and Jordan Volpei shared with their classmates the story of a family friend, Krista Dornburg, who lost her job and house while undergoing cancer treatments in 2009, but pushed through the difficult time with positive spirits. Four years after the treatments, the cancer returned. Ignoring the advice of her doctors to stay home, Dornburg went to church on Sundays and attended the Breast Cancer Angels Christmas Ball. The class raises the money by spending three weeks selling granola bars to family, friends and students.
Five hundred plates filled with turkey, gravy, sides of mashed potatoes, corn, biscuits and pumpkin pie were served for free at the 18th annual Foster Road Elementary School Thanksgiving Feast on Nov. 17. Foster Road hosts the feast every year to gather members of its community around a warm Thanksgiving meal at the school. Booths were set up by local organizations, including the La Mirada Chamber of Commerce, to inform the community about local events and resources. Photos are available.
In a patriotic display of red, white and blue, Los Alisos Middle School and Southeast Academy celebrated the commitment of U.S. Armed Forces veterans during Los Alisos’ 10th annual Veterans Day flag-folding ceremony on Nov. 9. Los Alisos Principal Mike Garcia explained to students the origins of Veterans Day, observed annually on Nov. 11, to commemorate the conclusion of World War I, which formally ended on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918. The first Veterans Day was observed on Nov. 11, 1919.
