Page 2 May 7, 2020 EL SEGUNDO HERALD
Obituaries Beatrice Pollard School Spotlight
ESUSD Superintendent Moore Remains
Optimistic During These Trying Times
By Duane Plank
With El Segundo Unified School District
(ESUSD) classrooms shuttered since mid-
March, Superintendent Dr. Melissa Moore and
District staff have had to quickly implement
innovative programs to facilitate continued
student-learning.
Moore said that the ESUSD had accomplished
a lot in a short period of time. “I
am extremely proud of what we have been
able to do,” Moore said while noting that
not all school districts in the country were
up-and-running on day one that online
learning was implemented. She touted a “high
degree of collaboration” among teachers,
administrators, parents and students. She went
on to say, “while we were well equipped
to take on this challenge,” there is always
room for improvement, continuing to guide
teachers who are at “different points on the
spectrum, with different levels of comfort”
in implementing current teaching practices.
“Our goal is to work with our teachers
to increase levels of student achievement,”
she said.
Moore said the District’s mandate is to “worry
about the kids and their well-being first. It is a
big shock to any child to be in school on Friday,
and be home on Monday, learning remotely.”
She said that ESUSD administrators and teachers
are toiling under the premise that competing for
online assignments “can’t outweigh a student’s
anxiety or individual needs.”
The District is adhering to an educational
“do no harm” policy for student grading,
which means that a student will not be
issued a grade lower than what they had
achieved prior to the March 13 closure of
the classrooms. Grading structures have been
adjusted, with the elementary schools adopting
a ready/approaching/could not assess rubric;
the middle school sticking with assigning the
standard grades, and the high school pivoting
to an A/B/credit/ no credit format.
The goal, Moore said, is to ensure “every
opportunity” for all students, including those
who may not have optimum at-home learning
capabilities. “Our kids are resilient,” Moore
said, “but we must think of them first, realizing
that this is not business as usual.”
Moore and her administration team are
looking at innovative ways to virtually
celebrate graduation and promotion
ceremonies during the second week of
June. Yard signs have started sprouting in
El Segundo, congratulating soon-to-be high
school graduates on their accomplishments.
In a recent update from high school Principal
Dr. Melissa Gooden to the class of 2020,
Gooden wrote that the District was working
with a production company to produce a
video tribute to the graduates, and welcomed
submissions from all seniors to be included
in the movie.
Moore marvels at El Segundo residents
and District alumni who have offered to
help in any way possible. “This community
is very generous,” she said, noting how she
has received multiple inquiries asking how
people can help, whether it be a donation or
offering a skill or ability so that the upcoming
grads get their well-earned kudos.
“We are trying to applaud and make our
students feel special,” Moore said.
Moore, who began her tenure in the District
after the unexpected departure of Dr. Geoff
Yantz, and the brief interim tenure of Alan
Rasmussen, came to the ESUSD in July of
2014. Under her leadership, the ESUSD was
able to sell their excess Imperial Street School
property in 2017 for more than $22-million,
which led to an ongoing $16-million
endowment fund from the proceeds of the
sale, which provide ongoing annual revenue
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W O R K + D I N E
ESUSD
Dr. Melissa Moore
March 5, 1923 – May 1, 2020
El Segundo’s longest lived
resident “Bea” was gifted with
the art of crochet. A busy bee,
she crocheted animals, clothes,
and so many afghans till her last
days. Charismatic she was and so
adventurous. Bea loved life! Her
younger years on a Oklahoma farm
taught her to be grateful. Picking
cotton, harvesting watermelons as
early as 5 years old. She learned
to be frugal.
It was there that she met Juan & together
they opted for the California experience.
In 1947, they purchased a home at 857 Center
Street in El Segundo. Bea waitressed and Juan
delivered milk door to door. She had a calling
in the food industry, which too became another
passion. Bea worked her way to purchasing
agent at the ESUSD. Hearing impaired, she
eventually lost all her hearing in her early 60s
when she started developing an
even finer palate. Her sweet desserts
will linger with us forever!
Though predeceased by Juan
(1997), she wasn’t alone since
she baited the Crannell children
with sweets, became the adoptive
“Grandma Bea”, and weekly joined
the Crannells’ Sunday dinner.
A smart, positive & determined
woman with a great sense of
humor, she never missed a beat!
May 1st, she left us to join Juan & her cat
Rocky. Bea is survived by her daughter, Cheryl,
husband Gordy, grandsons Eric & Doug, daughter
in law Debra, grandson Gavyn and adoptive
Crannell family: Jerome, Francoise, Serafina,
Coraline, and Lucien-Thomas. What a loss for
the Lakers too! She was their biggest fan!
Send condolences to cherylvandebrake900@
msn.com •
“The best and most beautiful things
in the world cannot be seen, nor touched,
but are felt in the heart.”
– Helen Keller
See Dr. Melissa Moore, page 5