Saint Anne School In The News
Student Council Election Results for 2010-2011 School Year
Officers
President: Mayra Castaneda
Vice President: Alondra Magallanes
Secretary: Cathie Crossan
Treasurer: Jazmin De Jesus
Council Commissioners
Religious Affairs: Nancy Lazaro
Sports: Sharla Clemente
Environment: Lauren Langan
Publicity: Julia De Mars
School Spirit: Faith Gerstein
School Yearbook: Julie Garcia
Saint Anne School Third Grade Student Wins Fair Housing Poster Contest
Artwork Published in Santa Monica Daily Press
Saint Anne School Named 2010 Best Religious School in Santa Monica
by U.S. Commerce Association
(Second Year in a Row!)
Saint Anne School Honored for Excellence in Music Education
in 2010 Music Center BRAVO AWARD Competition
Scouts honor
by Kevin Herrera
March 01, 2010
DOWNTOWN — One school was in desperate need of new backpack racks and shelves for its kindergarten class. Another wanted to refurbish storage bins and paint concrete trash cans to make the campus more attractive.
Alejandro Villero and Garrett Cheung delivered.
Sunday, surrounded by family, friends and fellow Boy Scouts, Villero and Cheung were rewarded, receiving the rank of Eagle Scout, a rare honor that the seniors at Santa Monica High School earned by completing a series of tasks that included community service projects at St. Anne’s and Lincoln Middle schools.
Boy Scout Troop 2, founded in Santa Monica more than 60 years ago, has a tradition of reaching out to local nonprofits and schools, lending a helping hand in exchange for valuable life experience that molds boys into men. Villero, 18, and Cheung, 17, led two groups of younger scouts as they went about measuring, sanding, hammering and painting over several days to complete the projects. And that’s on top of the 21 merit badges the two had to earn prior to being considered for the rank of Eagle.
“This really is a great way to sum up what I’ve done in scouting for the past seven years,” said Villero, who in his spare time likes to write fiction, play the piano and guitar, in addition to helping run the student store at Samohi. He hopes to study business or economics in college. “This is really an achievement. Being a scout provides you with a guideline for the rest of your life. Getting Eagle is a great jumping off point.”
Both young men see becoming an Eagle Scout through proud eyes.
“It is the highest honor and it comes with a lot of responsibility,” said Cheung, who is a member of the Samohi Orchestra, studies Chinese and is involved in a youth leadership program outside of scouts with an eye on studying engineering in college. “A lot is expected of Eagle Scouts. People expect you to act mature, know how to be prepared in any event or emergency situation. In could be just helping someone out or taking control when someone’s life is in danger.”
The scouts’ motto is “Be Prepared,” and those who watched the two Eagle Scouts complete their projects said they definitely were. Villero chose St. Anne’s, a private, Catholic school that serves mostly low-income families and relies heavily on the kindness of others, said Carol O’Day, marketing and development director for the school. The kindergarten class, situated in a modular structure lacking storage space, needed new shelves and racks for backpacks. The old shelves were situated too high for the children to place their books and toys, with some shelves beginning to sag.
“It was an ambitious project, but Alejandro came in to the classroom a number of times, photographed the space, took measurements and talked with the teacher to see how the room was used, how high things had to be and how they needed to be secured so they are safe for children,” O’Day said. “Alejandro did a great job and really made the classroom kid-friendly. He organized his troop of helpers, fed them and arranged a painting day at his own home,” she added. “He followed up with us. He was very thorough.”
O’Day wants Villero to come back to the campus and speak with some of the older kids at the K-8 school to get them excited about the “big boy in the uniform and how fun that is,” she said.
Over at Lincoln, Assistant Principal Carl Hobkirk, whose son Kyle earned the rank of Eagle Scout two years ago, worked with Cheung to refurbish six wooden boxes used to store earthquake preparedness materials as well as security and custodial supplies. The boxes were showing their age, having been at the campus for 10 years.
“Now they’ll probably be good for another decade,” Hobkirk said, giving credit to Cheung’s hard work, which included sanding and replacing boards and fittings, painting and upgrading hinges. “Garrett is a terrific kid. The Cheungs are a great family.”
In addition to the bins, Cheung and his group of younger scouts painted concrete trash cans donated by City Hall. Cheung used paint that matched the school’s colors to create a more aesthetically appealing campus.
“They were just gray and looked really awful,” Hobkirk said. “They look much better now.” Hobkirk believes the Boy Scouts are still an important organization and in particular Troop 2, which draws from families from Santa Monica, Brentwood and West Los Angeles. Despite the national arm of the Boy Scouts’ stance on gays and lesbians serving in the troop, Hobkirk said Troop 2 does not discriminate, which is why it is so diverse. Openly gay families participate with their children and women serve as assistant scout masters.
“I think it is good for the kids to see that and learn tolerance in addition to the survival skills and other valuable lessons that Boy Scouts provides,” Hobkirk said. “My son matured tremendously and has become more responsible. Most boys, myself included, when they are 11,12,13 just want to have fun, have a blast and not pay much attention to what is going on around them. Then you see these older scouts in high school and learn about all the fun they are having and it looks attractive as a kid. You start thinking about all the great trips, backpacking through the Grand Tetons, canoeing around Catalina or hiking in Yosemite.
“Kids just thrive on it and then there comes the whole community service portion, with older scouts helping the younger ones along, singing at local senior centers, there are so many elements that are very positive.”
Intern Miriam Finder contributed to this report.
Volume X Number 2 Where Local People Are The Celebrities February 2010
Congratulations to Buca di Beppo Students
of The Month from Saint Anne School
Being recognized for their outstanding work at Saint Anne School were,
from left, with teacher Nicole Battung, Megan Peña, Buca di Beppo Assistant
Manager, Gabriel Enciso, students Phoebe Peña and Yamileth Sosa.
December 17, 2009
Saint Anne School Alumnae Train for 2010 L.A. Marathon
Class of 2008 Alumae Melissa Luis and Monique Robinson
Featured with Students Run L.A.On the Cover of The Argonaut
Local band will donate all profits from sale of its holiday CD to group that helps youth
ALL TOGETHER � Members of the Gumbo Brothers Band and
youths from Students Run L.A. at the Santa Monica
Police Activities League gymnasium in Santa Monica.
Seated in front are musician Kristen Toedman (left)
and project organizer Kristen Pulsifer.
Behind them are Johan Stein (left) and Jon McBride,
producer of the Gumbo Brothers band.
(Argonaut photo by T.W. Brown)
Click here to read the full article on The Argonaut's website.
Vol. XI, Issue 31 |
December 31, 2010 |
An enthusiastic, cold water-fearless group of swimmers ages five to 90 will race into the ocean for the 50th annual Venice Penguin Swim to jumpstart the new year.
The Penguin swimmers will take off at the Venice Beach Breakwater near Windward Avenue in Venice at noon Friday, January 1st. The group of thrill seeking individuals ranges from master’s swimmers to amateur waders, an event spokesperson notes.
A Penguin King and Queen will be chosen from the participants as well as a Penguin Prince and Princess who will qualify by winning the competitive race.Last year’s event was held with calm seas and mild temperatures and included 80 participants.
Parking is available in the beach parking lot at the end of Venice Boulevard for a fee of $5.
Event sign-ups begin at 11 a.m. January 1st. A special commemorative 50th anniversary T-shirt will be available for purchase for $10.
For information, Mary McGuirk, event coordinator, at (310) 821-8136.
Volume IX Number 10 Where Local People Are The Celebrities October 2009
Congratulations to Buca di Beppo Students
of The Month from Saint Anne School
Each month Buca di Beppo recognizes students who have put out extra effort in their schoolwork. Saint Anne School students, from left, are Jensen Nunez, Alexander Luis, Andrea Diaz, and Gaby Contreras. Standing are eighth grade teacher, Anna Brown, Gabriel Enciso, Buca di Beppo Assistant Manager, and Katy Abel, sixth grade teacher.
Click the link below for a printable PDF version of this news article
SMStarStudentsBuccadiBeppo100509
Saint Anne School Named 2009 Best Religious School
in Santa Monica By U.S. Commerce Association
Saint Anne best of the best |
Volume IX Number 9 Where Local People Are The Celebrities September 2009
Enrichment Programs At Saint Anne
School Bring the Arts to Lucky Students
In an educational climate rife with cutbacks, Saint Anne School in Santa Monica is a gem waiting to be rediscovered. Located at the intersection of 20th Street and Colorado Avenue, this full certified and credentialed, 101 year-old school, founded in 1908, recently was named the Best Religious School in Santa Monica for 2009, and for good reason.
Saint Anne School offers some exciting academic and arts enrichment programs. Tuition at Saint Anne School for 2009-2010 is only $3,300 per year. Saint Anne School is open to anyone, Catholic and non-Catholic. In addition, unlike the public schools in Santa Monica, families need not either live in Santa Monica or work for the City of Santa Monica for their children to be able to attend.
Saint Anne School’s century-strong excellent academic program is enriched in the areas of science and music. In science, Saint Anne School serves as the pilot site for P.S. Science, a program developed by neighbor Crossroads School for the Arts and Sciences, which provides hands-on science education for students in grades one through four. Upon completion of this program, fourth graders participate in an after-school Science Club.
Saint Anne School’s music program is also enriched. This fall the school will enter its third year of its Instrumental Music Program. Every student, from kindergarten through 8th grade, receives a weekly group instrumental music lesson. The lessons and instruments are provided to students by volunteer music educators at no added cost to the families.
Enriched after-school care until 6 p.m. is offered for a modest additional fee. Financial aid, multi-child discounts, and tuition assistance is available for qualified families. For more information, visit the school’s website, www.saintanneschool.com, or call 310/829-2775 to schedule a school tour.
Saint Anne School 2009 Graduates Featured
on Front Page of Santa Monica Daily Press
