Three New Assistant Principals Join the Hart District
The Hart School District is pleased to welcome three new assistant principals for the new school year. Chad Powell, who has served as a teacher and ASB Director in the Hart School District since 2002, Melanie Hagman, a counselor for Granada Hills Charter School and Sherry Rickenbach, an assistant principal at Lynwood Middle School, have been named new assistant principals for the District. The District’s Governing Board approved the appointments at its meetings on June 22 and July 20 and all three have started their assignments. Powell will divide his time between Rio Norte Junior High and Arroyo Seco Junior High, Hagman has been assigned to Hart High School and Rickenbach will split her time between Placerita Junior High and Rancho Pico Junior High. Three Assistant Principal positions became available following the retirement of Patricia McHorney from La Mesa Junior High School, the acceptance of a position as principal in Northern California by Larry Oshodi from Hart High School and the acceptance of a position out-of-state by Sam Yuhan, from Rancho Pico Junior High School. The District conducted a statewide search that fielded 200 candidates from many counties from throughout California and included teachers, counselors and sitting assistant principals and principals from other districts. Additionally, 30 applicants from within the District applied for the three open positions.
Left to right: Chad Powell, Melanie Hagman and Sherry Rickenbach
Hart District Partners with Natural Resource Agencies to Move Mountains
The William S. Hart Union High School District’s Career Visions and Regional Occupational Program (ROP) recently combined forces to partner with various federal, state and local resource management authorities, offering a unique and exciting paid work training opportunity to students interested in gaining outdoor work experience during the summer break. During the two week, 60-hour offering, student participants cleared more than five miles of hiking trail maintained by various local resource agencies including the U.S. Forest Service, Pacific Crest Trails Association, City of Santa Clarita, LA County Parks and Recreation, and California Mountain Recreation Conservation Authority. Training also offered practical exposure to career pathways related to conservation and resource management as well as land management practices including: trail maintenance and construction, wildlife conservation, backcountry navigation and safety awareness, tactical radio communication and environmental stewardship. For more information about Career Visions and ROP Forestry, visit www.cvworks and www.hartrop.com/forestry or contact ROP Forestry Lead Instructor Kevin Sarkissian at ksarkiss@hartdistrict.org Photos: Left - Trailblazers Jessica Carino, Canyon High Grad, 2011, and Golden Valley Senior Stephanie Velazquez with “Alvin,” a baby chipmunk rescued while working in the Angeles National Forest. Right - School of Hard Rocks: Transition Learning Charter’s Royer Patton gives new meaning to working in the trenches.
Two Hart District High Schools Garner National Recognition
Hart High School and Valencia High School have been ranked on the recent Washington Post’s top schools in the country. “The High School Challenge” is based on quality of college-preparatory programs, number of graduating seniors and several other factors. The challenge is meant to rank a high school’s commitment to preparing a student for college and life beyond high school, according to the website. Hart High and Valencia High were ranked 858 and 1209, respectively, on a list of 1,900 schools nationally. The two schools are amongst 300 California high schools that earned a spot on this prestigious list. “We are proud of the work of staff and administrators at all of our schools, and congratulate Hart and Valencia to be named to this list,” Superintendent Rob Challinor, said. “It is quite an achievement to be ranked amongst the highest performing schools in our nation.” Rankings note the percentage of a school’s students whose family incomes are low enough to qualify for federally subsidized lunches and who also apply for that program. The portion of subsidized-lunch applicants is a rough indicator of a school’s poverty level. They also note the Equity and Excellence rate, and the percentage of all seniors who have had at least one score on an Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate or Cambridge test that would qualify them for college credit. The Washington Post previously conducted this research for Washington DC-area public schools and expanded it to a national list this year.
Hart High School Swimming & Diving Celebrated 41 Years of Success
The Hart High School Swimming & Diving 41-year Reunion was on campus earlier this month, with nearly 100 in attendance. Coaches Steve Neale and Becky Cianessi headed up the reunion committee with a group of swim team parents and planned a fabulous event! Alumni from the graduating classes of 1970 through 2011 attended. Food was provided by Rattlers, student DJs played music from all four decades and a silent auction and raffle fundraiser were held. A slideshow and old photos and books of swim results from year’s past, gave alumni a chance to relive moments of their swimming careers at Hart as well as a chance to renew old friendships and make new ones. Alumni came from as far away as Italy. Coach Joel Barr, Hart High Swim Coach from the 70s and 80s, was in attendance, as well as 1999 Hart graduate and two-time Olympic medal winner, Anthony Ervin (pictured here with a group of students). Coach Barr sang his famous rendition of “Sherry Baby” and Anthony Ervin took time out to chat with a group of current Hart High students and swimmers. A great time was had by all!
Placerita Students Enjoy Summer Drama Camp Experience
Placerita Junior High School Theatre Arts Department conducted a Musical Theatre Arts camp in early August providing 40 seventh and eighth graders with the opportunity to learn basic theatre techniques including singing, dancing, acting, costuming and technical skills, lighting and sound design. On the last day of camp the students completed the weeklong program by suiting up into costume and taping a video that will be aired on SCVTV and on the Placerita morning student-run television show. Drama teacher Vicki Kennedy directed the program, and several Hart High School performing arts students volunteered to assist with the camp program. The theatre arts program at Placerita is an after school program on campus that meets three to four days per week to produce three productions per year. The Placerita theatre program is designed to suit any Placerita student on campus who is interested in performing, no matter what their ability. It is a great activity for the students after school and provides them the chance to meet other students who are also interested in performing arts.
Contact for more information: Gail Pinsker, Community Liaison Officer, gpinsker@hartdistrict.org, 661.259.0033 x. 227
William S. Hart Union School District website: www.hartdistrict.org