GRANADA HILLS SCHOOL GIVES KIDS PEEK AT HOW VALLEY USED TO BE.Byline: DENNIS McCARTHY Dennis McCarthy may refer to:
Odds and ends from around the Valley: A little bit of the old San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. made a comeback last week at El Oro
There's an oak grove Oak grove may refer to
Oak Grove is a common name for several places in the United States of America. , fish pond, stream, waterfall - all the natural things kids took for granted growing up in the Valley back when there were more open fields and groves than paved roads and strip malls. ``This habitat will be a hands-on, outdoor classroom where our students will be able to experience environmental science in a natural setting,'' said Juanita Manning, principal of El Oro Way. Has a back-to-the-future feel to it, doesn't it? Who realized those oak groves, ponds and streams we walked through on our way home from elementary school would someday be considered an outdoor classroom for environmental science? I just thought they were more open fields in the neighborhood. Nice little wake-up call on just how lucky we were. Today's kids have to wait years for enough grant money to come in so one elementary school in the Valley can afford to build a schoolyard habitat to enjoy nature and learn from it. ``All the kids love the habitat and think it's great that we get to have animals, a stream, pond and waterfall at our school,'' said Acacia Hori, 11, a fifth-grader at the school. None love it more than the 95 kids who are bused in from the inner city to this United Nations of schools, with 525 children representing 26 different countries and 15 different languages, including sign language, Manning said. ``This is Martin Luther King's dream come true,'' the principal said. ``So many of these inner-city kids don't even have a small park in their neighborhoods, and this habitat is the only way they will learn an appreciation for nature and work toward maintaining the environment. ``We have been certified by the National Wildlife Federation as one of 1,600 schools throughout the nation with a schoolyard habitat, and we're the only one so designated in the Los Angeles Unified School District The Los Angeles Unified School District (the "LAUSD") is the largest (in terms of number of students) public school system in California and the second-largest in the United States. Only the New York City Department of Education has a larger student population. ,'' Manning said, adding that other school's have gardens, but not full-blown habitats. Now all the LAUSD LAUSD Los Angeles Unified School District (Los Angeles, CA) and local PTAs have to do is work together to bring back some of the old Valley to more school kids not as lucky as we were growing up. If you noticed some firetrucks parked outside Corbin Bowl in Tarzana last Friday night, they weren't there for any emergency. The fireman inside stopped by to say thanks and pick up a check for $3,370, made out to the Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. Firemen's Relief Association. In early March, the annual Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, Firefighter's Bowling Association Tournament was held at the bowling alley, and alley manager Gary Montgomery Gary Montgomery (born August 10, 1982 in Leamington Spa), is an English professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper. In the summer of 2007 he signed a one year deal at Grimsby Town. He is currently back up to first choice keeper Phil Barnes. thought he'd give the firemen a surprise. ``Gary went out on his own and lined up local businesses in the area to help sponsor the tournament, and raise funds for our relief association,'' said Dan Martin, president of the firefighters' bowling association. ``This is the first time any donations have been given, and we just wanted to stop by and say thank you because we deeply appreciate his efforts,'' Martin said. Nice job, Gary. And finally, in another class gesture, the memory of Louise Marquez, former marketing director of the Panorama Mall who died in March after a long bout with cancer, is being honored Saturday by the Los Angeles City Housing Authority during its ninth annual spelling bee finals. More than 600 youngsters living in the city's 16 housing authority projects partook par·took v. Past tense of partake. partook Verb the past tense of partake in the preliminary competition, and four finalists from each have advanced to the finals. No one was a bigger supporter of this event, and others in the East Valley trying to help youngsters living in trying situations, than Louise. ``When she was diagnosed with cancer, the doctors gave her two months to live, and that was three years ago,'' said Consuelo Telfair, community case manager at the San Fernando Garden's Community Center, and spelling bee coordinator. ``She was a brave, strong woman who loved these kids, and always made sure we had a home and all the support we needed to help them,'' Telfair said. Don Smith, executive director of the city's Housing Authority, agrees. ``Louise was the vital link that allowed us to carry on this great event for the kids year after year,'' Smith said. ``It's an honor to dedicate the spelling bee to her memory this year.'' A class act for a classy lady. CAPTION(S): 2 photos Photo: (1) Alejandra Castro, 9, mixes soil in El Oro Way Elementary School's new educational habitat, the first in the Valley. (2) A sign announces that wildlife is soon to come at El Oro Way Elementary School's new educational habitat, which includes a stream and fishpond fish·pond n. A pond containing or stocked with fish. Noun 1. fishpond - a freshwater pond with fish pond, pool - a small lake; "the pond was too small for sailing" . Gus Ruelas/Staff Photographer |
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