Page 4 October 10, 2019 EL SEGUNDO HERALD
ESUSD
ES School Board Gets Updates on
Richmond Street Elementary
By Duane Plank
Richmond Street Elementary School (RSS)
Principal Dr. Alice Lee and Assistant Principal
Carie Oulashian took center stage on Tuesday
evening to inform El Segundo School
Board members about the strides being made
at the campus. Lee and Oulashian focused
on the highlights from the 2018/19 school
year, including special events as well as accumulated
test data that offered the Board
members “a glimpse of our instructional
focus for 2019/20,” Lee said.
The presenters encapsulated their vision
under the acronym “W.A.T.E.R,” which
translates to “we activate, transform and empower
at Richmond.” The 2018/19 highlights
included utilization of 1:1 Chromebooks in
third through fifth grade, increased usage of
Personalized Learning tenets, and increased
professional development opportunities.
In introducing Lee and Oulashian, Superintendent
Dr. Melissa Moore said how
proud El Segundo Unified School District
administration was of the successes at RSS.
Oulashian took to the podium to share collected
data that showed an uptick in student
enrollment, as well as attendance, and a slight
decrease in behavioral issues that would lead
to a student office referral.
Student survey data showed that 82 percent
of the students feel safe about being on
campus, 91 percent believe that their teacher
“cares about me,” and 84 percent of the respondents
believe that RSS has established
clear rules dictating student behavior.
Parent survey data was also shared, with
93 percent of the respondents believing that
RSS has nurtured a positive, respectful,
friendly environment. Teacher survey data,
which involved 30 respondents, found all
the teachers believing that the campus is
a supportive and inviting place to work, a
safe place for students and staff, and that the
administration clearly articulates a vision for
teaching and learning.
Prior to the RSS presentation, El Segundo
High School Principal Dr. Melissa Gooden
introduced eight students who excelled in
their participation in the National Merit
Scholarship (NMS) program. The students
recognized included Jonas Bar-on, who has
received a semi-finalist notification from
NMS. Andrew Solanto, Thomas Seli, James
Matlosz, Hyun Kim, Madison Kellum, Stephen
Kaminska and Felipe Da Costa Lima
earned Letters of Commendation from the
NMS. Each student received a certificate of
recognition from the Board.
More than 1.6 million students took part
in the testing that was required as part of
the initial screening for NMS consideration.
About 16,000 students, roughly one-third of
the 50,000 high scorers on the test, are notified
that they have achieved semi-finalist status.
“We are proud to honor the academic
achievement of these eight students,” Gooden
emailed. “In addition to being strong academically,
each of them participates in at
least one extra-curricular activity. They all
have promising futures ahead.”
El Segundo Education Foundation CEO
Carol Pirsztuk thanked the community
members for their recent contributions, noting
upcoming fundraising efforts for the
organization, including the Oct. 27 SKECHERS
Friendship Walk, and the annual Ladies
Night Out that will take place on Nov. 21.
Pirsztuk also touched on athletic programs
that the Ed! Foundation funds at District
school sites.
Next the Board dealt with consent agenda
items, including the upcoming screening of
the documentary Like in the El Segundo
Performing Arts Center on Nov. 14. The film
will highlight the impact social media has
on our daily lives with an attempt to create
awareness. The PTA Council is sponsoring
the screening, which will also include a panel
discussion after the film that will encompass
community members and students who are
well-versed on the diverse effects of social
media immersion.
Board member Emilee Layne spoke passionately
about growing the attendance for
the Like screening, and how important it
is to deal with the social media onslaught
in a proactive way. In an email prior to
the meeting, Board President Nancy Cobb
noted, “Hopefully the film and panel will
spark some healthy discussion and help all
of us to better understand and manage this
phenomenon.”
The Board also modified the funding for
a continuing agreement with Straight Up
communications, which has worked with the
District for more than four years to enhance
branding and increase parent engagement
through targeted communications.
Action items were next on the agenda,
with the Board approving a Telacu Construction
Management proposal that would yield
additional staff support to the Bond Project
Manager as the District steams ahead to
make facility upgrades that dovetail with
the Long-Range Facilities Master Plan. The
additional staffing would be in the form of
a project engineer, who will help oversee
construction activities, work in concert with
the program manager in pre-construction
activities for upcoming projects, attend meetings,
and close out certified Division of State
Architects projects.
With no information pending action items on
the agenda, Moore then briefed the members
on upcoming events, which include town hall
meetings on Oct. 14 and 23 to discuss District
goals and address safety concerns, as well
as the annual “Great Shakeout Earthquake
Drill” that will take place on Oct.17.
Board member reports then followed,
with member Paulette Caudill stressing the
importance of attending the Oct. 23 safety
town hall meeting.
The next regularly scheduled El Segundo
School Board meeting is calendared for
Tuesday, Oct. 22. •
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Eagle Water Polo Making Waves
By Gregg McMullin
For more photos go to Facebook/esherald
and Instagram@esherald
The El Segundo High School boys water polo
team, ranked third in the latest CIF Southern
Section, opened up Ocean League play and
also hosted one of the Southern Section’s
longest-running and prestigious tournaments.
The Eagles dispatched Culver City 12-2 to
start league play and then faced some ranked
teams in the Henry Stuart 50th Annual South
Bay Tournament to end up sixth.
The Ocean League will be up for grabs, but
El Segundo looks to be the team to beat. The
Eagles started off their league schedule by
Eagle goalie Caden Kastigar was one of the top goalies during the
50th Annual Henry Stuart South Bay Tournament.
taking care of Culver City. The team rattled
the cage for nine first half goals, paced by
Mason Jaeger’s three tallies. Aleks Nisavik
contributed two goals and had two assists as
El Segundo took an 8-0 lead. In the second
half the Eagles attacked inside where Ethan
Kelch scored twice on no-look hook shots,
each on assists from Brian Schodorf and
Kalan Smith.
El Segundo’s defense forced the Centaurs
into turnovers and poor shot selections. Senior
goalie Caden Kastigar shut down the Centaurs
with seven saves while Schodorf, Smith and
Jaden Vanderwoude were instrumental in
taming a good Culver City team that was
ranked seventh in Division 5.
The Henry Stuart 50th Annual South Bay
Tournament was first played at Aviation and
Mira Costa high schools in 1969. In 1978,
under the direction of Eagle head coach
Henry Stuart, the tournament was and is
hosted by El Segundo. With the new pool
in operation, it serves as the perfect setting
for the tournament.
This year’s tournament included CIF-SS
ranked teams including Palos Verdes (Division
1 ranked 10th), Redondo (Division 3 ranked
fourth), Westlake (Division 3 ranked ninth)
and Chadwick (Division 4 ranked ninth).
Two other teams in the tournament Rancho
Bernardo (San Diego Section) and Palisades
(City Section) are both highly touted.
El Segundo opened with Rancho Bernardo
where the Eagles rallied for a 16-10 win over
the Broncos. The Eagles trailed 2-0 early
before Kelch scored back-to-back goals to
even the game at 2-2 and then Smith gave
his team a 3-2 lead. Vanderwoude scored two
goals before the end of the first quarter. The
first was on a five-meter free shot. He then
took a pass from Smith and powered it into
Mason Jaeger helped lead El Segundo’s defense in the 50th Annual
Henry Stuart South Bay Tournament.
the back of the cage for an Eagle 6-3 lead.
In the second period, Smith’s three goals
helped give his team a 10-5 lead.
Rancho Bernardo made a comeback
attempt in the second half. Bennett Axiine’s
four goals helped keep the Broncos in the
game. The Eagles countered with tallies of
their own. Jaeger and Ryan Whalen each
scored down the stretch as the Eagles won
16-10.
The Eagles faced Chadwick in the second
round and lost a heartbreaker 5-4. Kastigar
had 12 saves, but couldn’t stop a five-meter
attempt with 18 seconds left in regulation.
The Eagles faced Ocean League rival
Santa Monica in the consolation bracket.
This was a highly contested game that the
Eagles would win 8-7. El Segundo would
take a 1-0 lead into the second period when
goals by Jaeger and Vanderwoude made it
3-0. Samo scored back-to-back goals, the
second just before halftime to make it 3-2.
To open up the third period, Smith bounced
a goal in and Schodorf fired a goal in from
the left side for a 5-2 lead.
Sports
Future Eagle cheerleaders assisted today’s cheerleaders during halftime.
See Eagles, page 11