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Month In Review – A reflection on our communities past month’s achievements, community development and awesomeness! – January 2019

by | Jan 2, 2019 | Community

WiSH Education Foundation’s Year
The WiSH Education Foundation announced that the non-profit organization ended 2018 on a very high note. Through several events and endeavors they have managed to raise well over $235K. WiSH Education Foundations attributes all the success to their staff and of course the community for its continuous support. These funds have gone out to help the William S. Hart School District in funding programs and initiatives that are not paid for by tax dollars.

Sheriff’s Department Cracking Down on
Porch Pirates
December is that time of year where online shopping is at an all-time high. This is also the time where thieves capitalize on this and steal packages right off unsuspecting victim’s porches. This past December the Santa Clarita Sheriff’s Department started an operation to apprehend these thieves. The department began placing fake packages outside of residences. To curb the increase in thefts, deputies in the Crime Prevention Department worked hard to stay on the lookout for those stealing off porches.

COC In the Spotlight
This last year College of the Canyons was recognized as Champion of Higher Education for transfer students. For many years, our local community college has been at the forefront in educating many of the young minds in the Santa Clarita Valley and surrounding areas. Early December marked another acknowledgement for their efforts in increasing the number of students who earn an associate’s degree for transfer. COC offers 27 associate degrees or “degrees with a guarantee” (it offers a guaranteed admission to a CSU) for transfer that allows students to transfer to Cal State University campuses.

FYI Having a Moment
The Foster Youth Independence (FYI) community celebrated the season last Saturday with a fabulous PJs and Pancakes party. All the youth received matching pajamas, which they donned as soon as they arrived. The youth and their Allies were treated to a delicious breakfast lovingly prepared by Dina Briggs and her crew. There was a gingerbread house contest, where groups competed for prizes in several categories. Santa arrived, and each youth received a personalized stocking and a bag of gifts that had been purchased and wrapped by members of our generous Santa Clarita community.

A Young Man Honored for his Sacrifice
Alexander Sonora was honored at this year’s Rose Parade. The 21-year-old was involved in a fatal car crash back in 2011 and was rushed to Henry Mayo Hospital where he was pronounced brain dead. When his family heard the news, they donated his organs to give the gift of life to others in need and to honor his legacy. For his sacrifice, he was honored on the 2019 Donate Life’s “Rhythm of the Heart” Float with a floragraph, a portrait created with floral materials.

Santa Clarita Celebrating 31 Years
The City of Santa Clarita is celebrating 31 years since its inception in the late 1980s. Since it was first founded the city spanned across 39 square miles and included the communities of Saugus, Newhall, Valencia and Canyon Country. Now, we have expanded to 60 square miles. This statistic makes the City of Santa Clarita the third largest city in Los Angeles County. Over the 31 years our community has grown and invested millions of dollars in various developments and programs that we all enjoy today.

iLEAD Recieves Federal Grant
iLEAD Agua Dulce received a federal grant totaling $475,000 from the Federal Public Charter Schools Grant Program. With this grant the iLEAD team will appropriate these funds to creating new educational spaces for students. These spaces are to include a robotics lab and a greenhouse. These funds will also be used for improving learning spaces, some of which, are to promote hands-on learning. Furthermore, the funds are going towards other learning resources such as ActivTables, Apple TVs, gardening tools and several other supplies.

Home Centennial Project Approved
A 19,000-Home Centennial Project was given the green light by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. The board voted in favor 4-1 (the one opposition because of the distance and fire safety concerns.) These homes are set to be built near Tejon Ranch about 35 miles North of the Santa Clarita Valley and 1-mile east of the I-5 Freeway along highway 138. This project will also include parks, schools and a sheriff department. Additionally, there will be 2,900 affordable homes according to developers.

Candle Lighting Ceremony
La Mesa Junior High School hosted a Candle Lighting Ceremony to bring together families that have lost children. This worldwide candle lighting program starts in New Zealand and then across the world creating a wave of lights that surrounds the world. Almost 100 people attended this year’s event. Parents, grandparents, siblings all came out to give each other support for their loss just before the holidays so everyone knows they are not alone.

Gentle Barn Giving Back to Families
Last month, Gentle Barn reached out to businesses and many people with a giving spirit to donate items to families in need. The non-profit organization requested individuals bring items such as gifts for children, clothes, book bags and home goods. The event was projected to serve 1,800 at-risk youth and their families of the South Los Angeles community. This tradition began after it was discovered that children participating in The Gentle Barn Peace Enhancement program were struggling.

Hart School District Hitting the Top Charts Again
The California School Dashboard, created by the California Department of Education and State Board of Education, allows parents, students and educators to see data for both school and the entire district. This gives a way for everyone to see areas where we are excelling and where we need improvement. This new platform can be accessed via smartphone or tablet and is very easy to use. Hart District has high scores in graduation rates and Mathematics.
Please Visit the following website for more information on your district or school: www.caschooldashboard.org

La Mesa Junior High Nominated for Their Efforts!
La Mesa Junior High School has been nominated for a Capturing Kids’ Hearts National Showcase Schools award for the 2018-2019 school year by the Flippen Group. Four and a half years ago, school administrators began an initiative to transform the campus into an emotionally safe and relationally connected place for students, staff, and parents to come together with a love for learning. After researching programs used by many of the nation’s most successful schools, administrators at La Mesa chose to join hands with the Flippen Group to bring Capturing Kids’ HeartsⓇ to its campus.

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Arnold Bryant

Arnold Bryant