The Cypress Senior Center held an Open House luncheon on Tuesday, March 22 sponsored by Community SeniorServ.  The event was a big success with 100 meals served.  In addition to a healthy lunch, the seniors were also treated to live music performed by Tony Lopez.  Cypress Mayor Mariellen Yarc and Council Member Stacy Berry joined in on the fun and helped hand out the event door prizes.
Earlier that day, Mayor Yarc also participated in Mayors for Meals Day by delivering meals to the homes of Linda Lau and Allen Thunselle of Cypress who are participants in the Meals On Wheels program sponsored by Community SeniorServ.  Mayor Yarc joined mayors across the country to show her support for the community’s homebound and hungry seniors.  Community SeniorServ is the largest Meals on Wheels and senior nutrition provider in Orange County and the State of California.
For more information about the lunch program or other Senior Center events, please contact 714-229-2005.  For information about City news and events, like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/cityofcypress or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/City_of_Cypress.

St. Hedwig Catholic School Assistant Principal Erin Rucker  accepted a $2000 scholarship check on behalf of the school. The check was presented by John Coughlin from the Knights of Columbus Council 5568 – Los Alamitos will be awarded at 8th Grade Recognition Night on June 9.
The Knights of Columbus Council 5568 – Los Alamitos was established in 1964 and currently has over 130 members. Knights sponsor family events such as the St. Hedwig Family night at the Angel game, St. Hedwig picnic, dining under the stars, and children’s Christmas party. Membership is open to men over the age of 18 who are practicing Catholics.  For more information please call the Rectory office at 562-296-9000.

Eighteen Oak Middle School Choir students were selected to participate in this year’s American Choral Directors Association’s Western Division Honor Choir. Students auditioned and were selected from five states (California, Hawaii, Arizona, Nevada, and New Mexico) to perform with the Junior High Honor Choir or the Treble Honor Choir. Students arrived in Pasadena and endured a rigorous schedule of rehearsals for two and a half days, which culminated with a concert at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium on Saturday, Feb, 27. Pictured are most of the 7th and 8th grade attendees from Oak Middle School along with Oak teacher/choir director, Mrs. Rachelle Randeen.

In their quest to raise more than $150,000 in one month, The Youth Center kicks-off their 19th annual Community Support Campaign with Randy Scott and his band performing live on Tuesday, April 30 at 6 p.m. at the Affliction headquarters in Seal Beach. Campaigners will enjoy food and libations served by A Taste of Seal Beach and several other restaurants while supporting the mission of keeping kids safe in the community.
Chairman and Seal Beach Police Chief Joe Stilinovich is leading 16 teams of more than 100 campaigners during April as they drum up the bulk of funds for the entire year and beyond to support of the award-winning nonprofit’s on-going programs and activities.
Campaigners and donations are needed to help secure the future of the Youth Center’s programs including their After-School Program, Elementary School Music Program, a drunk-driving determent bi-annual event, Leadership Academy and their Summer Camps. Children and families from all local communities stand to benefit from this year’s campaign.
Recently nearly 50 children of various ages were surveyed on what they specifically liked about coming to the Youth Center’s After School Program. Many children said they really liked the staff who makes them feel like they matter and they loved having a quiet place to do homework, play sports and do activities and the freedom to choose what they would like to do.  Children said they look forward to coming to the After School Program every day. They also shared that without the program they’d either sit at home by themselves or hang out at local shops or around the neighborhood. One 11-year-old girl said, “I would have a very long walk home to Seal Beach because both my parents work and cannot pick me up.”
Local kids being on the streets is something that is unacceptable especially for Chief Stilinovich, who said keeping the Youth Center open is vital to public safety within the community.
“When many of us were young we had two rules: come home when the street lights come on and don’t talk to a guy in a van. It was pretty simple for the parents and kids,” said Chief Joe. “Today we don’t live in that world and the gap time between when kids get out of school until the time many parents come home from work is particularly dangerous. The after school program ensures that children are in a safe environment and protects them from potential bad decisions.”
“The Youth Center has put together a spectacular team of community leaders who have banned together to support our children,” he continued.
Part of the team in keeping kids safe also involves the many campaign volunteers who give their time to help raise funds to benefit local children at the Youth Center.
“We are here for the kids,” said Youth Center Executive Director Lina Lumme. “We want them to thrive, not be lost, in our community, and our campaign helps us keep the doors open for them. Campaigners and donors are key in helping us to do that.”
Future campaign mixers will be held in Los Alamitos at the Brew Kitchen House on Tuesday, April 12 at 6 p.m. and at Griffins Grill on Tuesday, April 19 at 6 p.m., with the finale celebration Afterglow Party on Saturday, April 30 at 6:30 p.m. at the Youth Center just following A Night Among the Stars youth philanthropic awards ceremony.
If you are interested in campaigning or donating to the Youth Center, please contact Executive Director Lina Lumme or Programs and Operations Manager Julie Rubin at 562-493-4043 or visit the website at www.theyouthcenter.org.

American Legion Auxiliary, Unit 716 members have been sending care packages overseas to deployed soldiers for quite some time now.  The soldiers they’ve sent packages to are from the aviation unit at the Joint Forces Training Base in Los Alamitos making them family for some.  Recently, the National Security Chairwoman of Unit 716 was presented with a check from the Sons of the American Legion for a $1,000.  It cost about $40 to fill and ship one box overseas so the donation is quite the uplift for their cause.  The American Legion Riders and Post 716 both donated to the cause as well.  Pictured from left to right are Cindy Mayfield Auxiliary President, Chris Neiffer Son’s Commander, Linda Jefferson National Security, Ron Mag Son’s 1st Vice, Doug Baker Finance Officer, Sharon Starr National Security & Public Relations, back Tom Brown Son’s Past Commander.

Los Alamitos Intermediate Drama students competed at the Fullerton College High School Theatre Festival this past weekend on March 18 and 19.  The festival started in 1981 and has since grown to be one of the most prestigious and competitive in Orange County. Moreover, the size and scope of competition levels make the FJC High School Theatre Festival one of the most accessible in California. In the recent years, between 1,500 and 2,000 students have participated annually in a wide range of dramatic and theatre arts skills competitions that require upwards of 150 judges to adjudicate.
This year, 61 schools competed in a variety of categories over the two days. This was the first time Los Al High School Intermediate Drama students competed, and they produced excellent scores. Milica Vrzic made it to finals in Contemporary Dramatic Monologue, placing her in the top 10 out of over 150 monologues performed. Six students received scores of “superior” in the category they competed.  They include:
• Milica Vrzic- Contemporary dramatic monologue
• Melanie Tanaka- contemporary dramatic monologue
• Tigre Ferguson- Classical Dramatic Monologue
• Kaylee (Jaq) McKay- Classical Humorous monologue
• Ahmad (Ari) Ishqair and Owen Marubayashi- Contemporary dramatic ensemble
• Rylee Burchett, Greg Johnson, Josh Michaels- Contemporary comic ensemble
Los Al students gave successful performances in all other categories as well. They represented Los Al with dignity, maturity, and confidence. They were incredibly supportive of their fellow teammates as well as showing excellent character in supporting other schools.
Under the direction of Drama Teacher, Mrs. Stacy Castiglione, the Los Alamitos Drama Department has grown in its size, number of productions, and number of students earning accolades for their achievements.
The Los Alamitos High School Drama Department will be performing a production of Ian Wooldridge’s adaptation of George Orwell’s Animal Farm.  Performances are April 21, 22, and 23 in the Los Alamitos Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $12 pre-sale and $15 at the door.   Please visit losaldrama.org for more information.

Parenting OC magazine has made their selections for Top Teachers of OC in 2016. One teacher from Los Alamitos Unified was selected, Dr. Joseph Arias, 5th grade at Weaver School, was selected from teachers submitted from 124 district superintendents and principals.
Arias was selected for his inquiry-based approach to engaging students and for developing a S.T.E.A.M. (Science Technology Engineering Arts Mathematics) classroom.
Arias’ students are empowered to ask questions, to gather research, and enjoy learning. Arias is a former Broadway musical performer starring in “Evita” and “Man of La Mancha.” He gave up his life on the stage to give back to the Seal Beach/Los Alamitos community. He has taught 17 years in Los Al USD and 3 years in Norwalk La Mirada. This honor came out last week in the March issue of Parenting OC.
Dr. Arias brings a wealth of knowledge to the district writing a dissertation on “Cultural Proficiency.” earning both MS and Ph.D. from Pepperdine.
He has a Bachelor’s degree from USC and his credential is from UCLA.

The Los Alamitos High School Jazz Program participated in the Western States Jazz Festival held at Upland High School on Saturday, Feb.  27.  Competing against several of the top High School Jazz programs in the area, the Griffin musicians more than held their own—they made their mark.  Jazz 3 (beginning) earned 3rd place, Jazz 2 (intermediate) earned 4th place, and Jazz 1 (advanced) took 4th out of 10 schools and was fewer than two points away from taking first place.  Combo 1 took 3rd and Combo 2 took 1st in their respective divisions. Jazz 3 earned Outstanding Saxophone Section, for demonstrating their skills in rhythm, tone, timbre and cohesion.
One of the most impressive accolades was that 12 Los Al students were recognized with Outstanding Soloist Awards across all of the combos and bands. While learning challenging music and performing it live is itself a major accomplishment, improvising a solo in the same setting is even more impressive. A piece of music is highly reliable considering students can see the notes on the page, see the chord changes, tempo, key signature, and feel confident that they can read the music while playing it. However, soloing, or improvising, does not provide such security and comfort. In essence, a musician “makes it up” on the spot as the music is played. And, the difference between a mediocre solo and one that warrants accolades is significant.
Los Al students have been fortunate to work under the direction of Mr. Robert Harrell this past semester and have spent a significant amount of time on the art of improvising. Harrell said, “Anyone can learn to do it. Students just need confidence and opportunities to get better. The achievement of this past weekend is clear proof that Griffin Jazz students are reaching new heights” Harrell added, “I am proud of the way the students played and the improvements they made in all categories.”

Juliette Morris Elementary School, located in the Cypress School District, has been recognized by the California Department of Education as a Green Ribbon School for its excellence in resource efficiency and environmental education. Awards are based on demonstrated progress towards reaching the goals of reduced environmental impact and effective environmental education, which incorporates STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) instruction, civic skills, and green career pathways.
Teachers and staff at Morris develop environmental literacy through a variety of school programs and hands-on experiences that include recycling, gardening, and composting. Working with parents and community, the staff is committed to empowering and educating responsible 21st century learners who will become tomorrow’s engineers and policy leaders.
“This award represents the hard work of innovative Morris teachers and committed parent volunteers who always go the extra mile for our students,” said Lori Hernandez, Principal.
In addition to the environmental education program at Morris, facility features including centrally controlled heating and cooling, motion sensor lighting, automatic toilets, and low flow faucets were also contributing factors in the school’s award. These energy efficiency upgrades were all made possible through Cypress community support for Measure M in 2008.
Green Ribbon Schools are recognized in three levels: gold, silver, and bronze. Morris was awarded the Green Ribbon at the silver level and was the only school in Orange County to receive this noteworthy recognition.
Superintendent Anne Silavs said, “We are extremely proud of Principal Lori Hernandez, her staff, and the local community for all they do to inspire students and promote environmental education and energy conservation efforts at Morris.”

Captain Jim Engen, Interim Chief Mike McCrary, and Detective Julian Gonzales of the La Palma Police Department recently recognized 65 sixth grade students who graduated from the Police Department’s “Police Interaction with Youth”(PIY) Program.
The graduation, held at Steve Luther Elementary School in La Palma, was also an occasion to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the PIY Program, which 2,500 sixth grade students in La Palma have completed since the program began in 2006.
Sixth grade teacher Margi Sanchez announced the winners of the Essay contest, which was on what students learned from the PIY Program.
The winners were Michelle Waldman, Ebba Adinew and Sky McLean from Sanchez’s class, Kaitlyn Benda, Reuben Park and Jason Nguyen from Elizabeth Elmgreen’s class, and Noah Harper from Sue Ochoa’s class.
The Essay Contest Winners received a special medal for their writing efforts.
After three of the winning essays were read by Michelle Waldman, Kaitlyn Benda and Noah Harper, all 65 students received medals and certificates commemorating their graduation from the PIY Program.
According to Mrs. Teschke, Luther’s PTA  generously donated over $1,000 to purchase tee shirts, medallions and certificates for the sixth graders.
In a letter to parents, Captain Jim Engen said that the PIY Program was designed as an eight-week student safety program to educate sixth grade students about laws pertinent to their age such as bicycle safety, firearms, drugs and alcohol, fireworks safety, disaster preparedness, and internet predators. He said that Officer Gonzales served as a role model and taught conflict resolution skills, which would give students “the ability and motivation to make proper choices when faced with peer group pressure.”
In addition, Gonzales also “discussed how to develop positive self-esteem and make students aware of the negative consequences associated with controlled substance and alcohol abuse.”

Almost four years ago, Steven Pettey heard about the Los Alamitos Senior Lunch and Bread Program and decided to check it out. He has been attending since and continues to enjoy not only the meals, but also the great staff and the company of what he considers “really nice people.”
Judith Hileman began attending the Los Alamitos Senior Lunch and Bread Program in September of 2014 after she read about the program in a local paper.  She has been a regular since, and looks forward to it daily, especially when her favorite dish, roast beef and gravy, is on the menu. She enjoys the warm conversations shared among an intimate group of people who come regularly, as well as meeting new visitors who stop by.
Steven and Judith met through the program, fell in love and have been inseparable.  Both enjoy the wide variety of delicious and healthy meals, as well as the fellowship through which they got to know each other well.  The couple tied the knot on Feb. 13 in Seal Beach in front of family and friends in a beautiful ceremony.  A special treat included a performance by ‘G-Strings,’ a local Ukulele group that plays every Friday at the Senior Lunch and Bread Program.
The newlyweds, who now reside in Leisure World, look forward to a new life together and also intend to continue attending the program that brought them together.
The Senior Lunch and Bread Program is offered by the City of Los Alamitos Recreation and Community Services Department Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to noon in the Youth Center at 10909 Oak Street.
The program offers local pastries and bread in addition to a morning cup of coffee for a suggested donation. Lunch is provided by Community SeniorServ and served on a first-come, first-served basis at 11:15 a.m. Seniors 60 years of age or older, and their spouse can enjoy a healthy and tasty meal while enjoying the company of friends. The program also offers activities like bingo, card games, special holiday luncheons, movies, plus live music every Friday.  Come by and pick up a monthly menu of meals.  The program could also use the help of volunteers.  For more information on the Los Alamitos Senior Lunch and Bread Program call 562-430-1073 ext. 501.

Lee Elementary School in Rossmoor has an outdoor science learning space: a school garden.  All year long students plant, tend, and harvest vegetables and fruit while learning hands-on lessons about soil, insects, plant growth, harvesting and food preparation. These gardens have been in place for over 15 years and have gone through several restoration projects. The original beds were built by an Eagle Scout and funded by a grant from the “Garden in Every School” project.  Most recently, following school modernization, the raised beds were reinstalled in a permanent area. The area was finished off by another Eagle Scout, who installed a fence and a decomposed granite ground cover. This designated outdoor learning space is tended primarily by second and third grade classrooms, but often visited by other students to observe and learn.  Our aim is to teach students how easy it is to grow nutritious and delicious food in their own gardens. The biggest reward is of course, the beautiful harvests.

The Los Alamitos Museum was recently recognized by Travis Allen, 72nd District Assemblyman for preserving the City’s history and its commitment toward educating the community. Pictured is Museum President Dodie O’Keeffe with the award.