Lions and Lionesses in the Local, County, and State News
Lions and Lionesses in the
Local, County, and State News
April
15, 2005 - The Eureka Reporter, Eureka, California
It's been 30 years since Teresa Ramos
of Fresno attended Lafayette Elementary School in Eureka, but her love of books
frequently brings her back. With the help of a friend, Ramos frequents
garage sales and second-hand stores looking for children's books in good
condition to donate to Lafayette's library. These library patrons have
donated more than 500 used books in excellent condition this school year.
Shown with fourth-graders and a wheelbarrow of 268 books are Teresa, her mother
Pat Davis, her friend Terrell Fortner, and her sister (far left) Angela
Caturegli.
April 3, 2005 (Times Standard
Newspaper) Eureka, California
TSUNAMI DONATION
Lafayette Elementary School students have been collecting money since January
for Asian tsunami survivors. Containers were placed in all classrooms and
the school's office. In March, $870 in donations were sent to OXFAM and
UNICEF.
Sunday, March 20, 2005 (Times Standard
Newspaper) Eureka, California
Remembering A Teacher
Lindsay Thomas, Gian Tuccori, Skyler Davey, from left, and other members of the
Lafayette Elementary School student body and staff members recently planted a
prairie fire crabapple tree in memory of a beloved teacher, Jim Berta, who died
last summer. In attendance were Berta's wife, son and parents.
Students and staff sang Berta's favorite song, "What a Wonderful
World" during the special ceremony.
Thursday, February 10, 2005 (Times Standard
Newspaper) Eureka, California
Community Recognizes Lafayette's Library
Volunteer
Lafayette School library volunteer
Betty Harmon received a Literacy Award from the Humboldt Reading Council on
January 30th at the Humboldt County Library. Mrs. Harmon was recognized
during the "Mother Goose Tea" to benefit the Humboldt County Library
Children's Services. Betty has made an outstanding contribution to
literacy through her love for both libraries and children. She is known as
the Lafayette Library Angel.
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The Eureka
Reporter/Leann Whitten
Lafayette Launches Chicken
Lafayette Elementary School third-grader Casey Thomas launches a chicken in an
attempt to shoot it into a hula hoop for a prize. Student council member and
fifth-grader Amber Brooks watches. The chicken launch was held Tuesday as an
incentive for students who brought in cans for the canned food drive. Ken
Merideth, teacher and student council adviser, led the activity for classes.
Merideth said he and his wife, a Winship teacher, have been involved in chicken
launches for almost 30 years. Merideth brought the chicken-launch tradition to
Lafayette from Worthington Elementary, where he taught last year. Thomas’
class -- Mrs. Intersimone’s -- brought in 34 cans on Tuesday. The class that
brings in the most percentage of cans will be awarded the tin-can trophy.
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Sunday, March 30, 2003 (Times Standard
Newspaper) Eureka, California
FIRST of the FEST
Lafayette School fifth-graders Jordan Gonzalez and Brady Williams join
dozens of other students from Lafayette and Grant school dancing at a youth
concert at the Eureka Municipal Auditorium on Friday, the first full day of the
Redwood Coast Dixieland Jazz Festival.
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Sunday, March 23, 2003 (Times Standard
Newspaper) Eureka, California
More than 60 Lafayette Elementary School students will present
"Scenes from Alice in Wonderland"
at 7 pm Tuesday and Wednesday in the Eureka High School auditorium.
This will be Lafayette PTA's Musical Theater Group's 8th performing year.
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Thursday, October 17, 2002 (Times Standard
Newspaper) Eureka, California
Apple A Day
Lafayette School kindergartner Rose Levy, 5, cranks an apple
crusher and press as third-grader Brittany Phillips, 8, and Levy's classmate Ana
Hill,6, look on Wednesday. As part of Apple Days, the school's 348
students had a chance to make apple cider the old-fashioned way.
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Thursday, September 12, 2002 (Times Standard
Newspaper) Eureka, California
Front Page News
Lafayette students proudly display the
American Flag September 11, 2002!
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SUMMER SCHOOL'S OUT
Lafayette student Talina Boze and others perform in Carrie Matson's summer
school class "Julius The Baby Of The World" on the last day of
summer school. Summer session included eight field trips, an emphasis on
reading and math, and the librarian coordinating with the county library's
summer reading program.
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Thursday, June 27, 2002 (Times Standard
Newspaper) Eureka, California
Little Spiders play at Alder Bay
First and Second grade students from
Lafayette Elementary School in Eureka recently put on a musical theater
presentation of "Anansi The Spider" for Alder Bay Retirement Community
residents. The students are in the classes of teachers Kay Green, Lee Ann
LaFaunce, and Karen Wright. Since 1998, Lafayette School and Alder Bay
have sustained a community partnership that includes activities such as art
projects and musical performances.
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Monday, May 27, 2002 (Times Standard
Newspaper) Eureka, California
So Many Books, So Little Time:
A school librarian spreads the love of reading
Hey, all you adults who say it's only because
of your children or grandchildren that you're reading children's books:
It's time to admit that you're reading them for yourself, and that you're
enjoying them! "Come out of the closet," urges Carol
Skaggs. And that's an expert opinion. Skaggs is the librarian
at Lafayette Elementary School. She's read all of the 3,000 "easy
reading" books in the library as well as most of the fiction for upper
graders.
"I think I could read, digest, and totally love children's books
forever," Skaggs said. She said hers is the best job in the
school. She doesn't have to assign homework or discipline children on the
playground -- she just gets to have fun with them. She said she's the only adult in school who gets to talk to each of Lafayette's
nearly 400 children once a week all year round. She watches them grow from
kindergarten through fifth grade.
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Saturday, May 25, 2002 (Times Standard
Newspaper) Eureka, California
Two Peacemakers Honored with Awards
Out of eight people nominated for this year's
Peacemaker Prize, two winners and one finalist were chosen.
BETTY CHINN and Rose Baker were each awarded the Peacemaker Prize for
their efforts, internationally and locally, respectively, to find peaceful
solutions. . . . . . . . .
Betty Chinn was recognized for her international efforts to bring peace through
her student exchange program with China. As a native of china her family
was persecuted for their Christian beliefs. Vowing not to hold a grudge
against the government that persecuted her family and denied her an education,
Chinn worked diligently for more than two years to obtain the required Chinese
government clearances, select local students, raise the necessary funds, and
find local host families. . . . . . . .*******************************************************
Thursday, May 23, 2002 (The Humboldt Beacon)
Fortuna, California
Starbucks helps support reading at Lafayette Elementary School
Starbucks of Eureka has a unique partnership with neighboring
Lafayette School that helps promote literacy at the school. The coffee
cafe gives a free coffee certificate to any customer who brings in a children's
book. According to Starbucks manager Sam Glass, the store only accepts
children books that are in good condition. So far Starbucks has donated
over 150 books to the school's library and RAH!
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Saturday, May 11, 2002 (Times
Standard Newspaper) Eureka, California
The Humboldt County Peacemaker
Prize committee has announced the eight nominees for its 2002 prize. The
prize, which includes a $4,000 grant, is awarded to a local community
member working toward peaceful solutions to issues and conflicts. The
prize is administered by the Eureka Interfaith Fellowship in partnership with
KEET-TV. It is funded by a grant from the Andree Wagner Peace Trust.
This year's nominees are Rose Baker, William Bertain, Betty Chinn, Billy Ford, Delores Haskamp, Abbe Hess, Peggy Kirkpatrick, and David Meserve. They represent a diverse array of peacemaking activities -- ranging from offering public apology to local Native American groups to resolving conflicts between high school students and from teaching families non-violent methods of communication to encouraging individuals to turn away from drugs.
BETTY CHINN, whose family was persecuted in her native China because of their Christian beliefs, is an international peacemaker through her efforts to build better grassroots understanding between China and the United States. Her hope was realized when Chinn established a student exchange program between Eureka High School students and students from her village in China. Chinn worked diligently for more than two years to obtain the required Chinese government clearances, select local students, raise necessary funds, and find local host families. The Eureka students were the first Americans ever to visit the village where Chinn was born.
PEGGY KIRKPATRICK,
is a special education teacher and founder of the Reading At Home! (HRAH!)
Program. The RAH! program is based on the belief that to reach peace in
the world one must begin by bringing peace to children. The RAH! program
has reached more than 100 families and is a model for educators throughout the
state. Kirkpatrick is also involved in a number of more private
peacemaking activities, including providing meals to the needy on holidays and
providing support to many individuals -- many of them strangers -- during
traumatic times in their lives.
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"Proud Lions" Participate in Eureka's Rhody Parade
April 27, 2002
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Friday, March 19, 2002 (Times-Standard
Newspaper) Eureka, California
California's First Lady pays visit to
Lafayette Elementary School
California First Lady Sharon Davis reads a story and answers question in Kay
Green's first grade classroom while visiting Eureka's Lafayette Elementary
School on Thursday, April 18, 2002. Davis visited several classrooms at
Lafayette and told children about the importance of reading. A
fifth-grade class studying the U.S. Constitution asked Mrs. Davis about the
similarities and differences between the state and federal governments.
Students were eager to shake Mrs. Davis' hand and have their pictures
taken. She asked teachers, principals, and students what's on their minds
and brings ideas about education back to the Governor, she said.
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April 10, 2002 (Times Standard Newspaper)
Eureka, California
EDITORIAL PAGE
Lafayette School Was
Just The Right Place
It was the day before spring break and just as you
would expect on an elementary school campus, there was a buzz in the air at
Lafayette Elementary School in Eureka. It wasn't about the vacation or the
ice cream party that was being held thanks to good attendance. It wasn't
because the school just finished a week of wonderful performances of their
school musical. It wasn't even because it was wacky hair day. With
everything that was happening at the school, the buzz was about meeting and
surpassing the one million page reading goal set by the library.
What an impressive goal! Teachers, parents, and all students worked together all year long. Up to the last day students and parents were packing the library to check out books, with the complete understanding that they could make a difference. On the last day, teachers kept dropping into the library to ask about progress or to bring in more reading sheets from their class, obviously as excited as the children.
Today represented everything I have grown to love about Lafayette School since my children started in the fall. The extra-curricular enrichment activities, like the musical, and school-spirit days are great additions to an already sound educational program But if our kids learn -- not just to read, but to love reading -- they will have developed one of the most important attributes to helping them succeed in school and beyond.
This is the time of year when many people are shopping for new schools. I was in that position last year and looked closely at several schools. I am reminded regularly that I made the right decision.
Susan Seaman, Eureka
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Sunday, March 24, 2002 (Times-Standard
Newspaper) Eureka, California
Planting a Tree
Students from Lafayette School teacher Scott Campbell's class pose with students
from teacher Vikki Smith's class in front of a magnolia ballerina tree
Campbell's students planted in the school's reading garden on Arbor Day.
The flowering tree was donated to Lafayette by the Peterson family who have had
three children attend Lafayette School.
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August 2001 (Northcoast Parents' Forum)
Egyptian Technology comes to
Lafayette School
"Lafayette's staff makes
brilliant use of available materials and human power to create a fun,
one-of-a-kind learning opportunity for its students while recycling resources
that might otherwise have gone to waste." ". .
. looking for a way to honor reading specialist Peggy Kirkpatrick . . . they
created a READING GARDEN using recycled cement city
benches." ". . . parents, students, and community
members moved these benches as archeologists believe the Ancient Egyptians moved
the enormous stones to construct the pyramids."
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Thursday, July 12, 2001 (Times-Standard
Newspaper) Eureka, California
Reading program nets state
cash for local schools
Lafayette School student Stormie Watkins read
the estimated one-millionth page in her school's reading contest.
Lafayette Receives
Governor's Reading Award Grant
Second Year in a Row! Three Eureka schools will receive $5,000 each from
the Governor's Reading Award Program due to their students' reading efforts from
October to April.
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Sunday, July 8, 2001 (Times-Standard Newspaper)
Eureka, California
Student Art
Hotel Vance in Eureka recently
exhibited Lafayette Elementary School student artwork during Arts Alive!
The artwork was done by students in Sherry Grazda's kindergarten class and Lisa
Bethune's fourth grade class.
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Wednesday, June 27, 2001 (Times-Standard
Newspaper) Eureka, California
Washington Mutual Donates To
School
Fatima Thompson, Washington Mutual
financial center manager, presents a $1,700 check to a group of students and
principal Jim Sanders of Lafayette School as part of the bank's "WaMoola
for Schools" donation. Since 1991, for every checking account opened,
Washington Mutual has made a $1 donation to North Coast schools.
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Tuesday, June 26, 2001 (Times-Standard
Newspaper) Eureka, California
The Rewards of Reading
Rick Rico, driver for Ultra Limousine of
Eureka, holds the door for a group of Lafayette School students last week.
Thirty-five Lafayette students each read at least 175 books at home this past
year, qualifying them for limousine rides around Eureka.
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Sunday, June 17, 2001 (Times-Standard Newspaper) Eureka, California
So Many Ways To Volunteer!
Phylis Liscom looks over a book
with Kelly Rice, who is in the second grade at Lafayette Elementary School in
Eureka. Liscom has been volunteering at the school for more than 14
years.
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Monday, April 30, 2001 (Times-Standard
Newspaper) Eureka, California
Rhododendron Parade Prize
Winners
FLOATS: Grand
Marshall (Best Theme)
Awarded to: Lafayette
Elementary School
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Thursday, February 1, 2001 (Times-Standard
Newspaper) Eureka, California
"Lafayette Elementary School Principal Jim Sanders gets "creamed" by his students. The idea began last year when the membership chairwoman of the school's PTA, Libby Yee, came up with the idea as an incentive to increase PTA membership. When that goal was reached, the entire school would get a chance for some good-natured "creaming" of the Principal. With the membership goal reached, the celebration -- with whipped cream and Cool Whip -- took place on Friday. Some students in the line, however, ate their spoonfuls of cream before they reached the Principal. After the creaming, Yee tied a big red cherry on Sanders' head as a finishing touch." Lafayette School has a Principal who is a GREAT SPORT.