EL SEGUNDO HERALD April 4, 2019 Page 5 School Spotlight Sports Kitasuna Wins Local Tournament Again Story and Photos by Gregg McMullin The Eighth Annual Beach City Baseball Academy International Tournament was won for the eighth consecutive year by a Little League team from Kitasuna, Japan. The team, which is made up of 12-year-olds from a Kitasuna baseball academy, demonstrated why its successful history has included three Little League World Series titles in the past six years. Kitasuna rolled through the tournament by defeating the Torrance Samuari 12-1, the South Bay Pony from Manhattan Beach 8-0, the Torrance Tsunami 5-0 and the Beach City Red team 12-0. Kitasuna annually puts on a clinic on how baseball is played, along with its respect for opponents, sportsmanship and discipline. The key ingredient to these successes on and off the diamond starts with discipline and that element of success starts in each player’s home. It continues when the players arrive at the field and culminates when they bow in respect to their opponents after they soundly defeat them. When you watch the team on the field or away, you see their devotion to each other and their teamwork that is second to none. When they play the game, it is poetry in motion that puts opposing coaches from our continent in awe. Their precision during pre-game extends into their game. Giving 100 percent is not an option: it is a way of life that also stretches far beyond baseball. These young athletes will be successful in all walks of life and their endeavors after they stop playing. The way Kitasuna players approach the game of baseball is something that each Little League coach would hope their players would take on. For example, they stretch routine singles into doubles. A ground ball hit to the opposing first baseman means an opportunity to outhustle the defense to the bag for a hit. Want an extreme example? El Segundo Little League’s RJ Puffer blasts a 250-foot solo home run. WUSD Wiseburn Board Views Anza STEAM Presentation By Duane Plank Anza Elementary Principal Alberto Paredes and Anza instructor Suzanne Guidi were front and center at last Thursday’s meeting of the Wiseburn School Board, extolling the virtues of their school’s Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math (STEAM) program. Their presentation began with a slide showing how the Anza Elementary mission statement dovetails with that of the Wiseburn Unified School District (WUSD) as well as the California Science Framework. The WUSD mission statement touts that students will acquire the necessary skills to become “capable lifelong learners and productive citizens.” Anza’s mission statement aims to help students with developing a “positive self-image, achieve academic excellence and become responsible citizens.” The California Science standards stress the need for students to become “informed citizens and future scientists. As the presentation continued, it noted the goal to achieve “anytime, anywhere collaboration” for teachers and students, utilizing all tech options to support highlevel instruction and implement personalized learning strategies.” Stakeholder interactions were briefly detailed, with the delineation of the “mystery science” license that was on-boarded in the fall of 2018, allowing students to explore “ready-made” science mysteries. Project Lead the Way training was noted, with a dozen Anza teachers taking part in the recent District-wide professional development training opportunity. The presentation concluded with Anza Elementary Engineering lessons and the import of Arts learning to the program, as well as “coding” opportunities that are being made available at Wiseburn. Upcoming Anza Elementary events include the April 10 Open House, the April 25 Family Math Night and the May 21 Around-the-World Multi-Cultural Night. Paredes talked about educational “flashlights” aimed specifically at the STEAM program, and action plans to make the program a success. “But we didn’t stop there,” he said. He talked of development of the action plan, and how all District stakeholders were given a chance to be involved, making sure “everything was connected, so that we can move in the right path.” Guidi, in her comments, spoke about the focus of the “flashlight” and how she realized that she needed to be in-tune to the necessity to incorporate all stakeholders’ inputs to make the program successful. She also noted the import of taking the time to listen and learn, pointing out the strong core of teachers currently working at Anza. She, as well as Paredes, fully embraced the “Ok to fail,” mantra, deemed “fail forward,” which encourages students to not be afraid to espouse an idea that may not be currently feasible, but “as long as you find something that you learned and moved forward, that was success.” Paredes spoke of the benefits of “failing forward,” which he said allows students to “revise” their thinking and postulations. Superintendent Dr. Blake Silvers lauded the efforts being made at Anza to integrate STEAM into the curriculum. He spoke of the “phenomenal work at Anza” and the District-wide embracement of “working through challenging tasks, and to fail forward,” noting how these lessons will be integral to how students will learn to operate in their future endeavors. Silvers said Guidi has taken on a leadership role at Anza, tasking students with solving tech-related conundrums. “She has been awesome, with her commitment to tech,” he said, adding that she helps students to be bold enough to make mistakes and learn from those. Siobhan Scott of Wiseburn Watch next addressed the Board, citing her concerns about the need for a proposed District traffic light on Douglas Street where, she said, multiple accidents have occurred. She also mentioned the dearth of baseball fields available in the District. “We don’t have one,” she said, speaking of any baseball field. Board reports followed, with Dr. Neil Goldman touting the work of the Wiseburn Education Foundation. Vice President Roger Banuelos recognized District retiring teachers, adding that he was also heartened to see the involvement of young ladies in the STEAM program that indicates a “broader culture of inclusion.” In her comments, Board President JoAnne Kaneda was “disturbed” by District retirements, but thanked the retirees for their years of service and how their work has been so valuable. During his comments, Silvers shared that he was happy to attend the recent Anza Elementary Variety Show. He also spoke of the recent State of the City with El Segundo, and the fact that he was looking forward to his stint in the dunk tank at the April 6 Rock Around the Block festivities. At the tail-end of the 55-minute meeting, the District honored retiring long-time employee Edgar Sanchez after 23 years of service. He worked in multiple positions with Wiseburn’s maintenance division. He saves the day,” Silvers said. “He goes out there always, with a smile. One of those go-to-guys who takes pride in what he does. A wonderful human being...” District resignations on the agenda included teachers Mary Nies and Karen Rafalski-Fraser. Silvers said their resignations were a “great loss to the District.” Noting how he had personally worked with Nies, he called her “an incredible person, innovative, forwardthinking and intuitive. She is such a model and tech guru, helping to bring the District into the 21st Century.” In other news, Silvers reported his attendance at the Anza Elementary Variety Show and that he was blown away with the talents that he saw demonstrated during the See WUSD, page 6 See Sports, page 15 Burkley Brandlin Swatik & Keesey LLP AT T O R N E Y S AT L AW Lifetime El Segundo Residents Living Trusts/Wills, Probate, Employment Law, Personal Injury Trust and Estates Litigation, Business Litigation, Civil Litigation 310-540-6000 *AV Rated (Highest) Martindale - Hubbell / **Certified Specialist Estate Planning, Trust & Probate Law, State Bar of California, Board of Legal Specialization
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