Student Artists Honored at City HallLocal student artists whose designs are gracing banners on the light poles of Downtown Culver City were recognized at Monday night’s City Council meeting.

A fixture in the Downtown area, the Culver City Winter Banners are displayed throughout the winter season each year, but previous designs have been displayed for the past decade without change and “were in need of a revamp,” according to the city.

A suggestion was made by a Culver City resident to incorporate the students of the Culver City Unified School District into the design. The idea was to ask our future generation to express themselves by drawing pictures for the banner.

Working collaboratively with the Culver City Unified School District, fifth-grade students were selected to create artwork as part of their final year in elementary school, using the theme, “What does winter mean to you?”

Ten semi-finalists were selected from each of the five elementary schools in the district and the top two finalists from each school were submitted to the Culver City High School’s AVPA Advanced Placement art students for their recommendation. The high school students then selected two designs from each elementary school in the Culver City Unified School District.

The 10 students currently have their artwork displayed on the newly designed Downtown Winter Banners, which will be displayed through January 5, 2015.

Culver City Teen Meets President, White House Officials at Education Summit By Culver City Middle School student Sam Parekh

On Wednesday, November 19, I was one of five youth reporters invited to the White House for a ConnectED conference involving superintendents from schools across the nation. ConnectED is President Obama’s initiative to bring high-speed internet access to 99% of schools and increase innovative technology use in American schools. The other young journalists represented Time for Kids, Scholastic News, Student Voice, and HuffPost Teen. I was reporting for KidScoop Media, as I have many times in the past, though never at the White House.

We first asked questions of Cecilia Muñoz, Director of the Domestic Policy Council for the President, and found her very receptive to them. Some questions asked were (not direct quotes): “How is ConnectED going to try to catch up to South Korea’s program of modernization in the classroom?” and “Teachers are often unfamiliar on how to capitalize on technology’s abilities. How can you and the Department of Education fix this?” One of my questions was, “An important part of studying history is having a multiplicity of viewpoints. A single textbook is inadequate to that requirement. How do you envision the Internet helping better the curriculum in Social Studies and History classes?” Ms. Muñoz answered that the Internet can help by providing free and easy-to-find texts which all present different viewpoints. In addition, you don’t have to try to flip through a book to find the relevant section, Google will just bring it up for you.

Questions like these were asked by kids ranging from a senior in high school to a child only eight years old. I fell about in the middle, at thirteen years of age, and being a seventh grade student. Interestingly enough, I was the only boy out of five, and from the farthest away (Los Angeles/Culver City). Then we were taken to the Red Room of the White House, where we were met by the Assistant Secretary of Education, Deborah Delisle. After talking to us about our school’s level of technology, which ranged wildly, from a computer-per-student, to an outdated computer lab of 40 computers and a single cart of Google Chromebooks, several other people came in, including Ms. Hope, President Obama’s personal videographer, and Arne Duncan, the Secretary of Education.Opal, our guide, announced after Mr. Duncan left that President Obama was going to meet with us for 5-10 minutes. We had been told it was a possibility we would meet the President, but with his schedule there were no guarantees. All of us must’ve thought, “Holy cow! We’re going to meet the PRESIDENT!”

We had about 20 minutes before he came, so we all started scribbling down questions for him. When he arrived he said, casually, “Sorry I’m late!” with a grin. We all laughed and then he said, “I hear you hard-hitting reporters have some questions for me. Who would like to go first?” I raised my hand. My question was: “How do the goals of Common Core fit with the goals of ConnectED, and will there be a major revision, or even a complete replacement of Common Core?” The President answered that Common Core was a unified code of education that governors agreed upon to raise the bar on achievement. He added, “ConnectED and Common Core have one thing in common: to prepare America’s youth for the future.”

The senior in high school, Tess, asked about how FCC regulations concerning a school’s connectivity to the Internet would be impacted by ConnectED; the HuffPost Teen reporter was next; then the little girl, who, panicked, and said “I don’t have a question for you!” The President then said, “Well, can I still talk to you?” The President asked her a few questions, then moved onto the 8th grader, Ainsley, who asked, “How is ConnectED going to try to bring Internet connectivity to remote areas, like the island of Molokai?” The President answered her question, then asked why she had used that particular example, whereupon she revealed that she had lived on Hawaii for a time, and had visited the island she talked about, and spoke from experience on how hard it was to get Wi-Fi on Molokai.

When the President had finished answering our questions he moved on, and the Marine officer in the room told us, “If we move really fast, we can catch his speech in the East Room. Follow me, single-file.” So we moved through the Blue and Green Rooms, to come out near the back of the East Room, where all the other press was congregated. We watched the President’s speech, some of us taking notes but most of us, including me, recording it with our phones. After the President finished speaking, everyone except us left the room. The Chief of Food and Drink, who has worked at the White House for over 20 years, let us ascend the podium and take pictures were Obama had been speaking, with a State-of-the-Union-style podium in front of him. We were then led out to the annex where we began, retrieved our coats, and exited the White House grounds.

CCHS PTSA Funds Variety of Local EffortsThe Culver City High School PTSA is proud to announce a number of funding awards to vital school and community resources.

CCHS PTSA has donated $400 to the CCUSD Backpacks for Kids Program, in addition to starting its annual food drive for individual cereal packets. CCHS PTSA also voted to donate an additional $1,500 to the Sandy Segal Youth Health Center beyond the $250 it has already provided to the CCHS Nurse’s Office for supplies and the $300 to provide hand sanitizer across the school.

The Culver City High School library was provided $2,000 towards the purchase of current best sellers and award winners to update the library’s collection. CCHS PTSA also awarded $1050 to the College and Career Center to purchase a set of both ACT and SAT reference books in addition to needed supplies. The CCHS PTSA also responded to a request from teachers to provide funding for incentives (movie tickets, gift cards, athletic admissions and healthy snacks) for the Freshman and Sophomore Academic Support class and donated $300 towards this cause.

In addition, the CCUSD Sustainability Committee requested help to purchase incentives (hats or T-shirts) for the Green 5 roll out at the high school, and CCHS PTSA was delighted to provide the committee with $1,000 for the school year. All this funding is a direct result of the CCHS PTSA’s decision two years ago to start selling graduation caps and gowns as well as the hard work of its fundraising chair.

Backpacks for Kids Program Launches Food Drive at PavilionsThe CCUSD Backpacks for Kids Program will hold a food drive from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on December 13 and 14 at the Pavilions supermarket at 11030 Jefferson Boulevard. The store is setting up a display with needed food items, and the program will have collection tables outside the store. Organizers are also soliciting gift cards for groceries as well as for Subway or other fast food chains to give to families in the program.. For more information, please email: CCBackpacksforKids@gmail.com

Lin Howe PTA Volunteer Earns ScholarshipLinwood Howe PTA volunteer Michelle “Mish” Eagle was recently awarded a California State PTA Continuing Education Scholarship for Volunteers in the amount of $500. Mish, mom of fourth-grader Chloe, is on Lin Howe’s PTA Executive Board as Fundraising Chair, chaired the Fall Festival for the last four years, and is present and working at almost every other PTA event since she’s been at Lin Howe.

In addition, Mish chairs the Boosters Silent Auction fundraiser in the spring. Mish will use the scholarship money to attend the Art Therapy Certificate program at OTIS College of Art and Design, part of her career quest to become a Peer Recovery Coach/Alcohol and Drug Counselor.

Friends of the Library Holds Used Book SaleWe’ve had Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Giving Tuesday. Now, the Culver City Friends of the Library are offering the December Deal in the Book Sale room at the Culver City Julian Dixon Library.

In preparation for the upcoming renovation of the library, the Friends of the Library are clearing out the Book Sale room to start fresh with new inventory, so through December 31, they will be selling gently used books at a bulk rate. The cost is just $5 for anywhere from 1 to 20 books. So, come prepared with a bag to tote your loot home.

The Library will close for remodeling on January 5, 2015, and there will be small satellite library available at the Mayme Clayton Museum and Library at 4139 Overland in Culver City during the closure.

Please note that during the remodel there will be NO ACCESS to the parking lot behind the library, so if that is a school drop off or pick up point, it’s time to create Plan B. Book donations will still be accepted by the Friends of the Library at the MCLM, so please make sure they are boxed or bagged as there will be no donation bin available at that site.

Win A Night of the Town by Donating to CCEFDonate $100 or more to Culver City Education Foundation now through December 31 and be entered in a drawing for a Culver City Night on the Town that includes dinner at one of our favorite local restaurants plus two tickets to Chavez Ravine by Culture Clash at the Kirk Douglas Theatre.

A donation to CCEF is a gift that will support every student in the Culver City Unified School District. Give to the Culver City Education Foundation (CCEF) by going to www.ccef90230.org or sending a check to CCEF, P.O. Box 4178, Culver City, CA 90230-4178.

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