EDUCATION A fresh chance for the chancellor...

EDUCATION

A fresh chance

for the chancellor

The National Academy of Sciences has tapped UC Irvine Chancellor

Ralph Cicerone to be its next president, starting in July of 2005.

University officials on Tuesday announced Cicerone’s unanimous

nomination to the academy, a prestigious society of scholars and

researchers. Cicerone is expected to leave his post at UCI next

summer to take the position in Washington, D.C.

* Newport-Mesa Unified School District announced last week the

hiring of five new principals and the reassignment of five others for

the next school year.

Two new positions -- principal on special assignment for special

education and principal on special assignment for secondary education

-- have also been created. Denise Knutsen, former principal of

Newport Elementary School, is in the special eduction role, and

Cheryl Galloway is taking the secondary education position.

* Parents, teachers and students gathered at a neighborhood fiesta

at Whittier Elementary School to bid adieu to Principal Sharon

Blakely, who is retiring after nearly nine years at the school.

Many credit Blakely for helping to increase both parent

involvement and test scores at the school. During her tenure, a new

preschool and an adult education program were started, and PTA

participation grew from six people at each meeting to more than 100.

* Back Bay High School student Jorge Alvarez hit the high seas

this week, sailing to Hawaii on a replica 1812 ship.

Jorge, 17, is making the roughly two-week-long voyage on the

privateer Lynx, with a crew that includes four other students. The

group will learn about navigation, history and sailing along the way

and will spend about five days in Hawaii.

* Students at all of Newport-Mesa’s high schools graduated with

the requisite pomp and circumstance.

In ceremonies with similar themes yet unique interpretations,

thousands of seniors from Corona del Mar, Costa Mesa, Estancia,

Newport Harbor and Back Bay and Monte Vista high schools graduated on

Thursday. Schools also held grad night celebrations after the

commencements.

-- Marisa O’Neil