Glendale Unified School District

With the groundbreaking of Glendale Unified's new aquatic center still a year away, school officials have hired a firm to explore adding renewable energy sources to the pool's design to save on future operating costs. The outdoor pool will be built at Glendale High School, but will serve the entire district. The $9.4 million project is still in the design phase. School officials have estimated the pool will cost Glendale Unified $200,000 to $300,000 per year to heat, maintain pumps and purchase chemicals.

The board will review the district?s performance in the Great Southern California Shakeout, a state-wide disaster drill that took place last week. No vote is expected. WHAT TO EXPECT Administrators will explain the district?s strengths and weaknesses in reacting to the simulated magnitude 7.8 earthquake. ? The Glendale Unified School District might endure $8.8 million in losses if the Legislature approves the governor?s proposed $2.5-billion midyear budget cut to public education.

Going green has paid off for Glendale Unified School District, according to Scott Price, the district’s administrator of business. At Tuesday’s school board meeting, Price said that the school district saved over $700,000 using energy-efficient measures. Board member Mary Boger commented on how that money saved can go back into the classroom. Price shared a PowerPoint presentation comparing the before and after effects of conservation in the use of electricity, water and natural gas. “It is really because of Mrs. Goodknight and her dedication,” Price told the board.

Glendale Unified students and teachers will have next April 24 off in commemoration of the Armenian Genocide, following an agreement signed by school officials and the teachers union this week. Thousands of students of Armenian descent typically skip class on April 24 to participate in commemoration events, but the high truancy rates can decrease the school district's funding, which is tied to attendance. For years, parents, teachers and school officials have been discussing making April 24 a non-work day, and finally next school year the day off will be official.

A Glendale Unified educator who began teaching in the district 23 years ago will take on a new leadership post in July as assistant superintendent of educational services. Kelly King will take the position that was held by John Garcia, who left Glendale Unified in March to become superintendent of the Downey Unified School District. "There were amazing candidates for this position," King said. "I'm honored and humbled that I was selected. " King began her career as a kindergarten teacher at Balboa Elementary in 1990 before becoming a teacher specialist at Glenoaks and Dunsmore elementary schools.

The Glendale Unified School District is going after a grant of almost $3 million to boost its science, technology, engineering, and mathematics programs. The federal grant became available this spring as most states prepare to adopt new federal standards that further emphasize the programs, commonly known as STEM. Worth $2.99 million, the five-year grant would benefit Clark Magnet High School as well as Roosevelt, Rosemont, Toll and Wilson middle schools. As Glendale school officials wait for federal approval to turn in the grant's full application, they have submitted a seven-page pre-application and started considering how millions of dollars could benefit Glendale schools.

LA CRESCENTA - Ryan Muir let out a yell for all of the athletes at the CV CAN Games to hear. Muir had just finished a throw in the shot put competition at the Special Olympics qualifying event and was as thrilled as any other athlete, no matter where his shot put landed. He had reason to celebrate. He walked away with an award, as did all of the other athletes competing at the games Saturday at Crescenta Valley High. “You have to realize that 40 years ago, these guys never left the house,” said Sherry Netherland, Muir's shot put coach from Westside.

With the groundbreaking of Glendale Unified's new aquatic center still a year away, school officials have hired a firm to explore adding renewable energy sources to the pool's design to save on future operating costs. The outdoor pool will be built at Glendale High School, but will serve the entire district. The $9.4 million project is still in the design phase. School officials have estimated the pool will cost Glendale Unified $200,000 to $300,000 per year to heat, maintain pumps and purchase chemicals.

The email was dutifully sent out to all school district employees.  “Former Hoover High School Librarian Joyce Brace passed away Friday, March 29, 2013.”  Over the years such emails announcing the deaths of district employees are commonplace. Most of the time I don't recognize those who have died. However, I worked with Joyce for several years. And just last June I saw her again at Hoover when she awarded me a grant from the retired teacher group of which she was a member.

Senior Ditch Day at Hoover High was on Monday. A tradition as old as dirt. Each year seniors pick a day and, with today's social media networks such as Facebook and Twitter, alert one another about which day to ditch. How funny that Monday's weather was cool and overcast, not exactly the best day to hang out at the beach. Not to sound like an old fogey, but schools should clamp down on official or unofficial ditch days. This wasn't the only ditch day of the year either. Who is excusing the students for their absences?

A private Armenian school that has been fighting to operate for nearly two years is seeking up to $6 million in damages from the city that it claims it suffered as a result of being temporarily shut down. Scholars Academic Foundation claims in its lawsuit filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court that the city violated its rights to due process and caused economic harm when officials closed the school by “yellow-tagging” the building in February 2010. The school is seeking $2.75 million to $6 million in damages, according to court documents.

Gertrude Ness will celebrate her 106th birthday on April 22. She was born in 1906, and has lived in Glendale and Burbank since the early 1940s. She continues membership in four organizations - the Patrons Club, Sons of Norway, California Retired Teachers Assn. and Glendale Beautiful. Born in Milroy, Minn., Ness grew up on a farm and attended Minnesota State Teachers College for two years. She taught third grade, after-school band, orchestras and took a youth rhythm band to a prize-winning youth drum and bugle corps that performed throughout Minnesota from 1928 to 1941.

About a year ago, Councilman Ara Najarian moved four miles south from his home on a quiet, tree-lined street in the Montecito Park area in North Glendale to the denser city center. “I see the parking issue first-hand. I see the noise issue first-hand. I see the large-item pick-up issue first hand,” said Najarian, who was first elected to the council in 2005. “I've heard about these before, but until you're actually living there, you don't feel the pain that the others have.” In the past three decades, records show, only one council member has lived below the Ventura (134)