Magnolia School District

On Thursday, June 6th, the Magnolia School District celebrated 866 years of dedicated service, by recognizing 111 of it's employees. Years of service recognition were given for 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 years and retirees. The event took place at Mattie Lou Maxwell School.

Juliette Low students shared their extraordinary talents at the annual J-Low's Got Talent show on May 23. Some students sang, while others played musical instruments including the piano, violin, and ukulele. There were dancers of various genres, including ballet, Tahitian, and hula. Tim Santos and Isabella Stingaciu, sixth grade students, served as humorous emcees.

Sherrie Todorovic, second grade teacher; Patti Park, Instructional Practices Coach; and Melissa Brakefield, kindergarten teachers, facilitated a most entertaining variety show that was enjoyed by all.

"The Ducks S.C.O.R.E. Shootout on May 11th at the Honda Center gave the Maxwell 4th grade students the opportunity to demonstrate their hockey skills learned through the Ducks Street Team, which came to Maxwell to help teach the sport of hockey, with a focus on safety, sportsmanship, and team building."

Students in Mrs. Bugaren's 5th grade class at Baden Powell had the pleasure of learning about physics with a student Physicist from Chapman University. Luz Jimenez and her Brother Rudy Jimenez came to talk to the class about college and making your dreams come true. Luz who was born in Mexico city and came to the United States when she was ten, is one of a handful of student scientists who are going to CERN Switzerland this summer to conduct experiments with the world famous Hadron Collider. Luz taught the students at Baden Powell about atoms and told them about her experiments she will be conducting. Rudy, who had a tennis scholarship to Concordia University, talked about the importance of doing your best in school and being well rounded. He said if you like sports, or art keep on working on those things, they could help you to go to college. Both Luz and Rudy have worked hard to become United States citizens and make their dreams come true.

On May 15, 2013, The Magnolia School District had three individuals recognized by the Community Advisory Committee (CAC) for their contribution to the academic, social and/or emotional growth of students with special needs. They are: Bill Bailey – Principal at Lord Baden Powell School, Michelle Williams – Behavioral Interventionist at various schools, and Terra O'Rourke – 6th grade Teacher at Robert M. Pyles School. The CAC is an advisory group within the Greater Anaheim Special Education Local Plan Areas (SELPA) that is comprised of a group of parents, along with educators and community representatives who meet regularly during the school year to review programs and procedures, and make suggestions for parent information and support. The primary purpose of the Committee is to facilitate communication and understanding, leading to improved Special Education programs. Congratulations to our three outstanding recipients.

Students from Ms. Sims's crochet club began learning to crochet in April on Tuesdays after school. First, they learned to handle the yarn by finger crocheting. Yards and yards of crocheted "ropes" filled a bag to decorate a tree for Earth Day. After several sessions, they started using hooks to "build" squares and triangles. Each week, students added something new to the tree that they learned. As a result, Disney school has a brightly decorated tree.

 

On Thursday, May 23 an elite group from Maxwell's Conservation Club visited the Pacific Marine Mammal Center in Laguna Canyon. They participated in the Pinniped Pollution Project, which provided a real life application to all the conservation tips they had been learning through year through lessons provided by club advisor Jennifer Cornejo. Many of our ocean's mammals become sick or injured because of the trash that ends up in the water. Students did activities that showed how trash ends up in the ocean through watershed, as well as an activity on how they can reduce trash through careful shopping.

 

Juliette Gordon Low, who loved animals and was dedicated to making a positive difference in her community, would have been extremely proud of our current Juliette Low PAL students. On Thursday, May 23, they dedicated their time and energy to our marine environment by removing trash from Huntington State Beach. Sadly, trash and debris that accumulates on our beaches poses a huge threat to all manners of marine wildlife.

Following the beach cleanup, PAL students engaged in various team building activities.

On Saturday, May 18th, Juliette Low and Baden-Powell's first graders joined with Dale Jr High's 7th and 8th graders for a fun-filled Super Science Saturday! The students participated in a variety of science experiments. Some of their favorite activities were having liquid races, analyzing bubbles in the dark under a flashlight, making their own slime, and eating their homemade slushies!

Can a potato power a clock? What type of soap removes the most grease – dish soap, hand soap, or shampoo? How does the shape of a rocket affect its launch? Of bakery bread or store-bought bread, which grows mold the fastest in the same environmental conditions? What brand of cat food do most cats prefer: Friskies, Fancy Feast, or Sheba? Which baseball bat vibrates less – metal or wood? Which type of cup will keep a hot drink warm longer – paper, plastic, Styrofoam, or glass? Which frozen dessert melts the slowest – ice cream, frozen yogurt, or sorbet? These are but a few of the questions addressed by fifth grade scientists at Juliette Low as they engaged in the scientific process to create intriguing projects.