Briefly In Education

Patriots Day winners announced

The Laguna Beach Patriots Day Parade Assn. has chosen the winners of the Thurston Middle School Essay Contest and Laguna Beach High School Program Cover Art Contest. The parade begins at 11 a.m. March 6 at Laguna Beach High.

Thurston sixth-grader Lorenzo Gomez, from Gaye Pivaroff’s language arts class, won a $100 savings bond for his essay on the parade theme “Freedom’s Legacy.” His essay will be printed in the 2010 parade program.

Laguna Beach High School Class of 2011 student Devin Altieri won the Program Cover Art Contest and will also receive a $100 savings bond.

Devin is a member of Kerry Pellow’s computer art class.

The two savings bonds have been donated by Union Bank and Citizens Business Bank of Laguna Beach.

The students will be honored at the Honorees Brunch, 11:30 to 1:30 p.m. Sunday, at Tivoli Terrace, Festival of Arts Grounds, 650 Laguna Canyon Road. The cost is $25 per person and reservations may be made by contacting Sandi Werthe at (949) 494-6016 at [email protected].

Morea Arthur is student of month

Laguna Beach High student Morea Arthur was recognized as Student of the Month by Laguna Beach Rotary at the club’s Jan. 29 luncheon at Aliso Creek Inn. Arthur was accompanied by her instructor Mark Alvarez of the high school social studies department.

Arthur’s academic accomplishments are many, and numerous colleges are vying for her attendance. She is considering a major in biology wherever she decides to further her studies.

Third-graders get pocket dictionaries

Students at Top of the World and El Morro elementary schools were presented with pocket dictionaries Jan. 13 by Bill Parrish and Pamela Polzin of Laguna Beach Rotary Club.

The 215 books were very much appreciated by the teachers and principals, and, for the Rotarians, it was a delight and a continuation of an annual tradition.

Based upon some of the thank-you notes Rotary received from the third-graders, the dictionaries should come in handy.

Kindergarten orientation in March

El Morro Elementary will host its 2010-11 Kindergarten Orientation for parents of incoming kindergartners at 6 p.m. March 16 at the school.

Parents will receive an overview of the kindergarten program and procedures for registering children. Enrollment will be from 9 a.m. to noon April 14 in the multi-purpose room.

To enroll, children must be 5 years old on or before Dec. 2, and live within the El Morro attendance boundaries.

For more information, call (949) 497-7780 or visit www.lbusd.org.

PTA launches new website

In an effort to go “green,” the Top of the World Elementary School PTA recently started a new website in order to keep in touch with parents.

Visit www.towpta.org to access the calendar, fundraisers, activities and events, online registration and more.

Festival scholarship program open

The Festival of Arts 2009-10 scholarship program, open to all high school seniors who live in Laguna Beach, is open through March 5.

The four-year, highly competitive scholarships are awarded to students who excel in film, performing arts “” like dancing and theater “” and writing.

For more than 50 years, the scholarship program has supported rising young artists by making it possible for students to pursue college studies in the arts.

Auditions and interviews will be scheduled in March and April.

Scholarship awards begin at $1,000 and can be renewed for a total of four one-year scholarships. Students must return each summer to reapply for a continuation of scholarship status.

Last year, the Festival of Arts awarded $30,000 to 17 graduating seniors. Many scholarship winners pursue successful careers in the arts, and some even return to the festival as exhibiting artists.

Applications are available at www.lagunafestivalofarts.org or at the Festival of Arts office, 650 Laguna Canyon Road.