Hawthorne Press Tribune
Herald Publications - Inglewood, Hawthorne, Lawndale, El Segundo, Torrance & Manhattan Beach Community Newspapers Since 1911 - Circulation 30,000 - Readership 60,000 (310) 322-1830 - May 3, 2018
Inside
This Issue
Calendar of Events.............3
Certified & Licensed
Professionals.......................7
Classifieds............................3
Entertainment......................2
Hawthorne Happenings....3
Food.......................................7
Lawndale...........................4,5
Hawthorne High Volleys to Silver
The Hawthorne High School boys volleyball team (pictured above) recently won the silver bracket at the Chadwick Tournament. The Cougars posted one-set playoff wins over both Marshall and Chadwick.
Photo: Hawthorne High School.
Legals.................................4,6 Peter Burnett Team Presents to
Weekend
Forecast
Wiseburn School Board Members
By Duane Plank
As the 2017/18 school year enters its final
months, the Wiseburn School Board met last
Thursday evening to witness a presentation
from Peter Burnett Elementary, helmed by
first-year principal Kim Jones. Jones was
joined in the 40-plus-minute presentation
by Cotsen math mentor Andrea Kwabasa,
Cotsen fellow and fifth grade teacher Dorothy
Sweeney, and arts instructor Tiffany Graham.
A nine-member delegation representing
Wiseburn and Burnett Elementary traveled to
the Disneyland Hotel today (May 3) to witness
the school’s recognition as a “California
Distinguished School.” Superintendent Tom
Johnstone called it “a huge honor.”
Thursday evening’s presentation highlighted
the areas of discipline that the Burnett staff
focused on when they were submitting their
Distinguished School application. Jones and
the presenters entitled their theme “Bringing
out our BEST,” with the BEST acronym standing
for “Be responsible, Effort all the way,
Safety first, and Treat people with respect.”
Jones shared the efforts to establish a
cogent vision at Burnett, and how that vision
-- along with the “tremendous pride
[teachers and staff] they have in working at
the school, and the joy they have in working
with one another” helped the campus received
Distinguished School status.
Jones noted that Burnett personnel worked
with a consultant who helped administrators
define what made education there unique,
identifying “signature practices,” and cultivating
a “culture of continuous improvement.”
Slides were then shown that portrayed
problem-solving questions posed to Burnett
students and how they generated possible
solutions, with the students being allowed to
“naturally solve” cognitive problems and not
rely on coaching from teachers to reach their
final answers. One of the conclusions listed
in the presentation: “Student confidence has
soared because of becoming more accountable
for their learning.”
The impact of the school’s arts program
was highlighted near the final segment of the
presentation, providing “greater opportunities
for creative exchange, collaboration and
reflection.” The presentation concluded with
perceived “next steps,” including the goals to
“continue to celebrate our passion for teaching
and learning, and “continue to develop
confident and creative life-long learners.”
The second presentation came from Director
of Facilities Planning Vince Madsen, who
has spearheaded the Wiseburn High School
construction project. Madsen quickly briefed
the Board on the work continuing to be performed
by Multivista, a digital documentation
company that has been recording -- through
photography -- every step of the construction
process since the demolition began at the
structure that is now the new high school.
Board member Neil Goldman, who was
unable to attend the meeting, had requested
information on the Multivista endeavors.
Madsen said he would be more than happy
to make a more detailed presentation to the
full Board later.
“We now have 2 ½ years of the progression
of the high school building, the transition of
the gym, and now it is looking at the pool,”
Madsen said, speaking of the Multivista work.
“It is a great service -- there are a lot of cool
features.” Madsen added that the tentative
grand opening of the El Segundo Aquatics
Center will be on Sept. 8, with the gym
tracking in a similar timeline and the soccer
field completion slated afterwards.
Towards the end of the meeting, Director
of Psychological and Child Services Cathy
Waller provided a quick update to the Board
on the progress made at the Wiseburn Child
Development Center (CDC) with the beforeand
after-school programs. Waller said the CDC
will make every effort to reduce wait lists and
stay in prompt communication with parents.
Board President JoAnne Kaneda commended
Waller for her and staff’s efforts,
saying that “in a very short time, you have
brought order to what everybody thought
was chaos, setting a real good foundation
for the future.”
Board members and District administrators
then made their reports. Members shared
their recent interactions with students and
staff and congratulated the Burnett contingent
on their Distinguished School award. Board
member Nelson Martinez noted that while
a substantial amount of time is focused on
maintaining and upgrading District facilities
that “it is what is taking place inside those
classrooms” that is paramount.
During his report, Johnstone, who will
retire in less than two months, noted that Da
Vinci Board President Chet Pipkin will be
feted by the Hawthorne Historical Society and
inducted into their Hall of Fame on May 19.
Pipkin has a long history of District service,
graduated from Dana Middle School, and is
the founder and CEO of Belkin International.
See Wiseburn, page 8
Friday
Sunny
71˚/60˚
Saturday
Mostly
Sunny
73˚/59˚
Sunday
Mostly
Sunny
71˚/58˚
The Weekly Newspaper of Hawthorne