Roosevelt Middle School

GLENDALE — Student Boris Aguilar adjusted a robot’s movement using computer codes in preparation for a competition Saturday at the FIRST Lego Robotics Tournament at Roosevelt Middle School. His team programmed the Lego Mindstorms NXT robot’s movements on a laptop computer, which through a wireless signal sent codes to the robot made out of Legos. Seeing the robot perform as it was programmed came as a great relief to Boris and his teammates because they had been working on the robot for two months.

Roosevelt Middle School counselor Ron Grace affected the lives of hundreds people and his legacy will not be forgotten after his tragic death in a Sept. 12 train collision, mourners at a memorial service were told Saturday. Hundreds of friends, family and students, some of whom traveled from as far away as Hawaii, Illinois and Washington, gathered to honor Grace’s life at the San Fernando Mission Cemetery, at 1160 Stranwood Avenue in Mission Hills. “Dad, you were my mentor, my companion and my inspiration,” his son, Brian Grace, said at the service while he read a letter he wrote to his father.

The deadly Metrolink crash Sept. 12 took a personal toll with students and co-workers at Roosevelt Middle School in Glendale, as counselor Ron Grace was one of the 26 victims to die in the deadliest train crash in California history. Grace, 55, was at Roosevelt for 23 years. He served as head counselor. Counselors have been at the school to help students deal with their loss. “Roosevelt is very hard hit, both staff and students,” said Linda Junge, the district’s director of public information.

WOODLAND HILLS — Richard Slavett awoke on Friday afternoon in the front car of the Metrolink 111 train moments after it collided head-on with a southbound Union Pacific freighter in Chatsworth. His body in searing pain, Slavett, 69, took a few seconds to take in his surroundings. He was pressed up against a dead passenger. Smoke was filling the cabin. He grabbed his briefcase, crawled to a torn opening in the car and slipped off its edge. Though he was badly bruised internally, Slavett — a longtime Kiwanis of Glendale member and owner of Glendale Tire Co. — had just survived the worst crash in Metrolink’s history.

LA CRESCENTA WOMAN’S CLUB GIVES SCHOLARSHIPS Every year, during the nine months that the La Crescenta Woman’s Club is in session, donations are given to myriad organizations, but June is the club members favorite month. That is when scholarships are awarded to exceptional young adults who are graduating from Crescenta Valley High School and Glendale Community College. This year, three young women from Crescenta Valley High School were awarded $500 each to help ease their way into their college careers.

GLENDALE — Most school board members on Tuesday night expressed support for a revised draft of energy conservation guidelines, which some teachers argue are too restrictive when it comes to small appliances in classrooms. It was the third time the Glendale Unified School District board reviewed the proposed energy conservation guidelines at a public meeting. At their June 24 meeting, board members asked district staff members to revise the guidelines that deal with the use of personal appliances such as refrigerators and microwaves in classrooms.

Educators help make the future bright, so PTAs and schools traditionally celebrate National Teacher Appreciation Week each May. Contact your school for dates and offer volunteer support if possible. Glendale High School seniors planning to attend Glendale or Pasadena community colleges may apply for a $500 PTSA Continuing Education Scholarship while outstanding seniors can be nominated for the PTSA Student Recognition Award. Applications for both are available from www.glendalehigh.

Ever since laptop computers were introduced to Javier Guzman’s eighth-grade English class at Roosevelt Middle School, students have been more motivated to practice their writing skills, Guzman said. Students practice their writing with the use of a Web-based program called My Access that provides them with guidelines and suggestions for writing. “The technology is meant to enhance the education that teachers provide,” Guzman, 36, said. “They prefer to start writing on computers than using pen and paper.