School Day

Glendale Unified School District officials this week approved early retirement for 115 employees, allowing up to 125 others whose jobs were on the line to breathe a collective sigh of relief. Of the 115 individuals agreeing to leave the district, 61 of those are certified teachers whose positions will not be replaced. This is expected to save the GUSD $1.6 million in the first year, $4.7 million in three years and $7.9 million in five years, according to Maria Gandera, assistant superintendent of human resources.

Armed with umbrellas and slickers, thousands of children, parents and officials crowded the streets of Glendale Wednesday morning for International Walk to School Day, designed to promote healthy lifestyles and pedestrian safety. It was the third consecutive year that local schools have taken part in the national event. Participation numbers were projected to hit 20,000, the highest of any district in California. “We got all 29 Glendale Unified schools participating this year, as well as three private schools that signed up,” said Kara Sergile, a parent at R.D. White Elementary School and a pedestrian safety advocate who spearheaded the effort.

Elementary students in the Crescenta Valley area, including Dunsmore and Valley View, joined other children across the nation and around the world to celebrate Walk to School Day on Wednesday, Oct. 4. The idea for the day began in England in response to concerns about childhood obesity. Having children walk to school with their parents was a way to call attention to the problem and a healthy way for children to exercise. By 2002, the concept had spread to America with all 50 states participating in Walk To School Day, and an entire week has since been dedicated to bring awareness of the value of exercise for both students and parents.

The sidewalks around Crescenta Valley were a little more crowded on Oct. 3 with children walking to school. They joined kids around the world in the International Walk to School Day. The idea of one day being set aside to have children walk to school began in 1997 in Chicago, which was modeled after a program in the United Kingdom. The day was a way to bring awareness of children?s safety as well as making communities more accessible for walkers. By 2002, all 50 states had schools participating in the walk to school day. As the program grew it was obvious that the benefit went beyond safety and sidewalk availability to becoming a way to bring attention to the growing problem of childhood obesity.

GLENDALE— Steve Miskjian and his four-year-old daughter Tiffany walked more than a mile to Wite Elementary School on Wednesday, part of a 60-person walking school bus. The rain didn't stop them. Traffic didn't slow them down. Construction crews along their route were no problem. "We don't walk every day, but we did today," Steve Miskjian said. They were among the roughly 800 people walking to school on International Walk to School Day, an event designed to reduce congestion around schools.

There was hardly any space left for students to park their bikes at R.D. White Elementary Wednesday morning after dozens peddled to school as part of the nationally recognized Bike to School Day. The event came less than a week after 13-year-old Jonathan Hernandez, a student at Roosevelt Middle School, died after he was struck by a school bus while riding his bicycle. Still, the organizers of "Bike to School Day" remained committed to hosting the event to encourage students to ride their bikes to school, reinforce safety tips and promote exercise.

Community leaders, already working to improve local bicycle infrastructure, are targeting some of the city's youngest riders. The Glendale PTA Council and Walk Bike Glendale have teamed up to provide bicycle skills classes for local school-aged children, with the first taking place Saturday at Fremont Elementary School. The free classes will start at 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m., and will included helmet fittings and bicycle checks. The classes were scheduled in anticipation of the first Bike to School Day, which will take place Wednesday.

The photograph depicting two naked women kissing emanated from the student's cellphone screen, visible to everyone in the classroom. Glendale High School math teacher Taline Arsenian confiscated the device, placing it in a locked drawer. The student subsequently became uncooperative, Arsenian said, and she informed him he could retrieve his phone at the end of the school day. “Apparently, he went to an administrator and told on me,” Arsenian said. “The administrator came back to my room at lunch time and ordered me to give it back to him.” The incident underscores inconsistencies in disciplinary practices within Glendale Unified - from school to school, if not from employee to employee - in addressing the omnipresence of electronic devices in the classroom.

NORTHEAST GLENDALE — Sai Gourav looked left, right and left again Wednesday as he crossed Doran and Isabel streets. The 10-year-old fourth-grader was part of a two dozen-strong convoy of parents, children and volunteers who celebrated International Walk to School Day Wednesday morning at R.D. White Elementary School. “He knows to look both ways, but this is a good way to practice,” said his father, Adi Gourav. “We sometimes do afternoon walks, but in the morning we’re rushing to work and usually drive.

Thousands of Glendale students walked to school Wednesday during the fourth annual “Walk to School Day.” With all 29 Glendale public schools and four private schools participating, event organizer and parent Kara Sergile said it was the largest in the state. “It's just a thrill that we've been able to grow our program,” she said. “It was my dream we could spread this citywide.” In 2009, R.D. White was the only participating school in “Walk to School Day” - which was headed by Sergile who took action after an 11-year-old student was killed crossing the street during the morning drop-off outside of Toll Middle School.

There was hardly any space left for students to park their bikes at R.D. White Elementary Wednesday morning after dozens peddled to school as part of the nationally recognized Bike to School Day. The event came less than a week after 13-year-old Jonathan Hernandez, a student at Roosevelt Middle School, died after he was struck by a school bus while riding his bicycle. Still, the organizers of "Bike to School Day" remained committed to hosting the event to encourage students to ride their bikes to school, reinforce safety tips and promote exercise.

Glendale Unified School District officials this week approved early retirement for 115 employees, allowing up to 125 others whose jobs were on the line to breathe a collective sigh of relief. Of the 115 individuals agreeing to leave the district, 61 of those are certified teachers whose positions will not be replaced. This is expected to save the GUSD $1.6 million in the first year, $4.7 million in three years and $7.9 million in five years, according to Maria Gandera, assistant superintendent of human resources.

Thousands of Glendale students walked to school Wednesday during the fourth annual “Walk to School Day.” With all 29 Glendale public schools and four private schools participating, event organizer and parent Kara Sergile said it was the largest in the state. “It's just a thrill that we've been able to grow our program,” she said. “It was my dream we could spread this citywide.” In 2009, R.D. White was the only participating school in “Walk to School Day” - which was headed by Sergile who took action after an 11-year-old student was killed crossing the street during the morning drop-off outside of Toll Middle School.

The photograph depicting two naked women kissing emanated from the student's cellphone screen, visible to everyone in the classroom. Glendale High School math teacher Taline Arsenian confiscated the device, placing it in a locked drawer. The student subsequently became uncooperative, Arsenian said, and she informed him he could retrieve his phone at the end of the school day. “Apparently, he went to an administrator and told on me,” Arsenian said. “The administrator came back to my room at lunch time and ordered me to give it back to him.” The incident underscores inconsistencies in disciplinary practices within Glendale Unified - from school to school, if not from employee to employee - in addressing the omnipresence of electronic devices in the classroom.

Three of four Glendale Unified high school librarians will be reassigned to classroom teaching positions as the district works to address ongoing budget challenges, officials confirmed this week. The reassignments come three months after Assistant Supt. for Human Resources David Samuelson announced that budget constraints were forcing the district to reevaluate its library services. The teacher-librarians at Glendale, Hoover and Crescenta Valley high schools, credentialed by the state to both teach and provide library services, will return to the classroom for the start of the 2012-13 school year, Samuelson said.

The parade of two-wheelers snaking toward R.D. White Elementary School could have stocked a bicycle shop. There were mountain bikes, road bikes and beach cruisers with white-wall tires. Helmeted heads bobbed up and down to the rhythm of the pedals. It was a scene playing out at schools across the country Wednesday as thousands of students flicked up their kickstands and took to the streets for the first national Bike to School event. Sponsored by the National Center for Safe Routes to School, the ride was modeled after its International Walk to School Day - initiatives that are designed to foster pedestrian safety and healthy lifestyles.

Community leaders, already working to improve local bicycle infrastructure, are targeting some of the city's youngest riders. The Glendale PTA Council and Walk Bike Glendale have teamed up to provide bicycle skills classes for local school-aged children, with the first taking place Saturday at Fremont Elementary School. The free classes will start at 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m., and will included helmet fittings and bicycle checks. The classes were scheduled in anticipation of the first Bike to School Day, which will take place Wednesday.

Armed with umbrellas and slickers, thousands of children, parents and officials crowded the streets of Glendale Wednesday morning for International Walk to School Day, designed to promote healthy lifestyles and pedestrian safety. It was the third consecutive year that local schools have taken part in the national event. Participation numbers were projected to hit 20,000, the highest of any district in California. “We got all 29 Glendale Unified schools participating this year, as well as three private schools that signed up,” said Kara Sergile, a parent at R.D. White Elementary School and a pedestrian safety advocate who spearheaded the effort.

Concession sales at Nitros football games support the PTSA, and Karen Veloz, Glendale High PTSA president, is appreciative of the volunteer support in keeping the booth running. “As this year is underway, our PTSA theme of 'Every Parent Involved' is becoming a reality, as we have had an unprecedented number of parents volunteering with concessions at GHS football games. Never has the saying, 'many hands make light work,' been more true,” she said. Oct. 5 is the second year that the city of Glendale has proclaimed International Walk to School Day. Verdugo Woodlands PTA President Lori Tsaparian invites parents and community to join them at 7:50 a.m. Oct. 5 in the parking lot of the First Congregational Church of Glendale, 2001 Canada Blvd., to recognize this day. Glendale High's Reflections program is off to a great start, with the cooperation of art teachers promising to have a wide array of entries, Veloz said.

Recently, the L.A. Unified School District passed a requirement stipulating that a student's homework grade should consist of no more than 10% of the final grade. As a long proponent of limiting the amount of homework students are given, I applaud LAUSD for implementing such a courageous measure.  Unfortunately, just last week LAUSD Supt. John Deasy suspended the new policy in order to have further public input, even though there were already discussions held for 18 months  The earliest for any new homework policy to be in effect will be the 2012-13 school year.  Don't you just love bureaucracies?