June 1, 2006

SCHOOL SCENEin Almaden Valley

Williams Elementary honors deceased teachers
and students with memorial bench

By Jeanne Carbone Lewis
Staff Writer

Williams Elementary School honored deceased students Iris Lee and Christiana Powery, second grade teacher Jana Elway Sever and well-known librarian Doris Dillon with the dedication of a memorial bench this past week.

“Thank you for coming to celebrate the four lives of past Williams Whales, two teachers and two students,” said Principal Karen Heverling in her opening remarks. “We’re going to remember all four of them today before we dedicate this beautiful bench.”

Principal Karen Heverling dedicates the memorial bench in honor of Doris Dillon, Iris Lee, Christiana Powery and Jane Elway Sever. Photo by Jeanne Carbone Lewis

Doris Dillon was a librarian at Williams Elementary School where she encouraged young readers to love the written word. She was honored by student council Secretary Rohit Mukherjee and husband Gary Dillon who said he was “thrilled to be here.”

“Mrs. Dillon was a very special lady to me,” said Mukherjee. “Her gentleness was boundless … she inspired us to do the very best.”

Fourth grader Iris Lee was remembered by student council Vice President Andy Lee.

“Irises come in so many colors,” said Lee. “Blue and purple, white and red, pink and orange … and even black. We’ll remember you Iris especially when we see a rainbow.”

Iris was killed in 2002 when her father shot and killed Iris, her younger brother and her mother before turning the gun on himself in their Almaden Valley home.

Fifth grade student Christiana Powery, who died at the end of 2005 at 10 years old, was remembered by student council Treasurer Shayan Manteghi as well as her father Dwight Powery, basketball coach Greg Pitzen and teacher Rhoda Mirabeau.

Dwight Powery thanked the students for visiting Christiana in the hospital and sending her cards, letters, e-mails and how much she appreciated them.

“There are three things that were important to Christiana,” said Powery. “One was friends … the other thing was faith … she believed that God would heal her and he did but he did it in his own way. Not the way we expected her to be healed. Love was the third thing. For Christiana, love was shown by her smile. She wanted us always to be kind to one another and laugh a lot … to journal your thoughts. We love to talk about Christiana, call us or e-mail us or go to her Web site www.alsotouch.com. I want to thank all of you for coming out. We really appreciate it.”

The Williams’ student council president recalled second grade teacher Jana Elway Sever, saying he “thought of her often.”

“It’s great to be here, myself and my children,” said husband Al Sever. “A few years ago they put a little whale on the wall that had a tennis racket in his hand and that was a special thing for us because Jana enjoyed playing tennis … now with the bench it is even more of an honor for myself and my family.”

Williams’ leadership student Sheena Men then recited “Some People.” Teacher Rhoda Mirabeau introduced the fifth grade students who sang “Shooting Star,” a song they chose to remember their deceased friends. The memorial bench states “I am always with you” with the names Doris Dillon, Iris Lee, Christiana Powery and Jana Elway Sever. It was sponsored by Forever Etched, Billy Johnston, Orchard Supply Hardware, Girl Scout Troup 902 and the Williams Student Council. A lemonade reception followed the dedication hosted by the PTA outreach committee. The memorial bench will be placed in the Doris Dillon Sunshine Garden on the school grounds.

“I knew all four of the people that we are honoring,” said Almaden School Board Representative Leslie Reynolds. “This is a hard day, but also an awesome day at the same time that we are able to come together and honor these four great people.”

SCHOOL BRIEFS

Leland grad night theme is ‘A Night to Treasure’
On June 15, Leland’s class of 2006 will board buses headed for Boomers! in Livermore where they will spend the entire night celebrating their graduation. Incorporating pirate and island themes, this year’s grad night party is named “A Night to Treasure.” The recent grads will enjoy go-kart and bumper boat rides, miniature golf, laser tag, games, prizes, live entertainment, plenty of food and much, much more.

This fun, safe and supervised event is made possible by the cooperative efforts of parent volunteers and businesses. Donations of cash and gift cards for merchandise, services, food and entertainment make the night a memorable one. Businesses and individuals wishing to contribute may contact Sheryl Hydorn at 323-1703 or hydorn@flash.net.

Must love dogs
Because everyone at Williams Elementary School—staff and students—loves dogs, it was only apropos that third graders drew their favorite pooches. The administration saw the completed art works and just had to hang them in the front office. And visitors are just as bemused to see the colorful artwork of everyone’s best friend.

Rhythms of the world

Bret Harte Cultural Fair celebrates ethnic diversity

By Jeanne Carbone Lewis
Staff Writer

Ever seen Kuk Sul Do? Or Jugal Bundhi? How about Tinikling? All were displayed at the Rhythms of the World Cultural Fair at Bret Harte Middle School recently.

The Korea Fan Dance—”Boo Chae Chum"

Kuk Sul Do is a traditional Korean martial art. Jugal Bundhi is an Indian drum fusion. And Tinikling is a Filipino bamboo dance. But with 23 cultural booths vying for attention alongside the rhythms of the world dance and performance art, there was something for every ethnicity.

“The Cultural Fair and Open House highlights the special and unique student community we have here at Bret Harte,” said Principal Donald McCloskey. “Students and their families have set up booths designed for your educational and recreational pleasure. Entertainment is also provided by a number of student performances. It is a wonderful event for all ages to enjoy.”

Other performances included a Chinese nomadic dance and “lan-xian” folk dance. Springtime was celebrated with the Chinese “flower season” dance performed by Lijia Wang and Rachel Lim. The Middle East was represented by an Oriental dance performed at weddings and festivals as well as a girl’s folk dance. A Korean fan dance “boo chae chum” was performed by Bret Harte sixth graders: Anne Chang, Younha Kim, Michelle Lee, Yoonjae Lee, Soljung Park, Elle Lee, Christine Suh and Rachel Min.

The music “tea picking” and “horse racing” depicted the beauty of traditional Chinese music. An Indian boys’ group performed “dhol di awaaz” [sound of the drum]—a warrior dance performed during the harvest season. And then there was the Pakistani fashion show blending traditional and modern styles. Even the U.S. was celebrated with songs and dance steps from every decade from “Blue Suede Shoes” to “The Hustle.”

The Cultural Fair is sponsored by the Bret Harte Community Club—a group of parents as diverse as the event itself. Publicity Chair Trupti Mehta asked sixth graders Brian Gaydon, Nisha Agarwal, Rachel Kabel and Kunal Mehta what the fair teaches the students. They said it helps the kids learn more about their own cultures as they participate in the cultural performances and booth activities, and as they learn about other cultures it gives them a feeling of unity as they see what rhythm means in different parts of the world.

The Parade of Nations featured Bret Harte students in beautiful traditional clothing.

Even the food was a representation of diversity—American, Indian, Chinese and Mexican—which the attendees enjoyed as they strolled the cultural booth exhibits.

And at the same time classrooms were open to the community showcasing students’ work this past year.
But perhaps the best summary of the event comes from a student.

“There are many rhythms in the world, many different morals and principles that people live up to,” wrote eighth grader Cultural Fair essay winner Kasey Cheng. “There are over 6,800 different languages and dialects spoken throughout the 200 countries on Earth … we are all similar. A person laughing shows amusement. … A tear of sadness flowing down their face illustrates grief. Though we might all sing different melodies, dance to different tunes, in the end, we all come together to form one song, one rhythm—the one rhythm of the world.”

Diplomas hang in the balance

For the San Jose High School seniors who have passed their classes but not the high school exit exam, diplomas hang in the balance.

The state supreme court has returned the exit exam requirement for now, overturning a decision a week before by an Alameda County judge. A decision from a state appeals court is expected in July, but until then some students won’t be getting their diplomas or donning caps and gowns in their classes’ graduation ceremonies.

Students met in the Californians for Justice office last week near Independence High School to watch a student film about the lack of resources in some east side schools—examples they claim prove the states inability to equally equip all schools in the state, as ordered in the settlement of the Williams lawsuit. Until all students have equal opportunities, these students say the exit exam is an unfair obstacle to a diploma and a better life.

Proponents of the exam say getting rid of the exam would lower standards and lower the value of a diploma. Many other states in the country have two exams, one for lower performing schools and a standard exam.

—By Daniel DeBolt

Los Alamitos Gold Rush Day brings mining to life for fourth graders

Fourth graders at Los Alamitos Elementary School recently took a trip back in time with the help of their teachers and volunteer parents as they relived the Gold Rush days.

Andrea Mendoza, Kelly Richardson and Peter Lymberopoulos squeeze lemons for lemonade.

Students came to school dressed in era-appropriate clothing to enjoy and learn about various activities that happened during the Gold Rush.  The fourth graders had been studying the Gold Rush period in California and this day helped bring it to life. 

The main attraction was panning for “gold.” Along with the “gold” were various rocks to identify. They had learned about the rocks in their science classes prior to the event. In addition, the children made fresh butter and strawberry jam, embroidered their gold sacks, went to the "saloon" for cards and root beer, and drew various "wanted" posters and were often put into the "jail" by the friendly sheriff.  The kids had their photos taken at a mine shaft entrance, visited the assayer’s office, ate beans and franks for lunch, and then got to spend their money at the general store.  They also saw a traditional wagon and listened to stories of the original 1849 miners. 

This yearly tradition at schools throughout the district is held to help children have fun while learning and living as the miners did during their quest for gold.