The much needed rain seems to have passed us and Spring is upon us. As we look ahead to the final few months of the school year, we look forward to having students finish off with warm hearts and smiles. Check out the wonderful things that happened in our schools this month including the rare SOLAR ECLIPSE!

Beckford eagerly anticipated the great solar eclipse last April 8th. This celestial spectacle that captivated people across the globe also captivated Beckford students, teachers and staff. Classrooms went outside protected by solar eclipse glasses and witnessed the partial eclipse. The next total solar eclipse that can be seen in the United States is not anticipated to happen until August 2044!

Last Wednesday April 18th, Beckford held a Walk-A-Thon and teamed up with GetMovin’© to make this event fun and profitable with online mobile friendly technology! The purpose of this fundraiser is to raise money for education. Students enjoyed the beautiful weather while walking, jogging or running to some great music! Every child received a stylish Beckford Bulldog baseball cap for participating!

Double the fun, double the spirit! Last Friday, April 19th was Beckford’s Twin or Multiple spirit day extravaganza! Students, teachers and staff dressed alike. For our friends that didn’t have a matching shirt/outfit with their friends, they wore their Beckford spirit shirt and twinned with our amazing Principal Mrs. Brower.

Our beloved Principal, Shelly Brower was awarded an Educator Emeritus Heroes in Education award last Wednesday, April 24th by the North Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce at the Porter Valley Country Club. Principal Shelly Brower will be retiring this coming June after 14 years as Principal of Beckford Charter. Her outstanding leadership has been a beacon of inspiration that has fostered a nurturing environment where the students, teachers and staff have thrived during her time at Beckford. Principal Brower has cultivated a culture of exceptional learning, growth, and community, shaping future leaders of tomorrow! Thank you, Principal Shelly Brower for 14 years of service at Beckford!

During the month of February and March, Chatsworth Park UPM, with the assistance of our wonderful PSA – Mrs. Jessica Viso, held a contest to see who could “hop into spring” with the highest attendance rate.

The winners of the contest were treated to a cookie and cupcake decoration party. We would like to congratulate 1st Grade (Mrs. Olivares) and 5th Grade (Mrs. Jones: consistently above 96% attendance).

Mrs. Olivares’ class was treated to a cookie decorating party and Mrs. Jones’ class was treated to a cupcake decorating party.

On April 8, 2024, Los Angeles experienced a partial solar eclipse (48%). Our palominos, many of whom have never seen an eclipse, were given solar eclipse glasses and were in awe of such an amazing site.

And even if it was a brief moment in time, the joy of experiencing such an exciting event left an impression on our young palominos.

For the month of April, our students were treated to special assembly; The Environmental Defenders.

The Environmental Defenders - Rock the Planet is an interactive, musical assembly proven to inspire students to take actions and do more to protect the environment.

Our students learned about the Four R’s (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Rethink) as well as organic waste, storm water pollution prevents, and much more. Students are encourage to identify environmental issues and actions that they can take themselves to reduce and prevent pollution.

Each student took the pledge to help defend and to make good choice when it comes to the environment.

Our 5th grade palominos had the opportunity to learn about the Lakota people through the theatre production of The Ballad of Sitting Bull. This production tells the story of the Lakota people – a strong, proud Native American Nation – and the great Chief who would lead them in a fierce bout to save their beloved way of life.

After learning about the story, our palominos showcased their production to families and community members.

WHAT IS ECF? Emergency Connectivity Fund is a program to help students to have technology and internet connectivity in their homes. These ECF devices are for students who informed us that they have an unmet device need at home. A form needs to be completed by their parents at device.lausd.net or through the Parent Portal. These devices were allocated to students for home use. The ECF device is in addition to the device that was provided by schools.

On April 8th, all Topeka students, teachers and staff had the opportunity to witness

the eclipse on campus. Every student received safety glasses to take part in this global event

and learn about astronomy in the process. Sharing the experience of this natural phenomenon

was a magnificent way to spark the student’s interest in science.

The Book Fair took place from April 8th to April 12th and was a fantastic success.

Topeka would like to highlight one student who, inspired by the book fair, took it upon herself to

write and illustrate her very own book! We hope the book fair instills a joy of reading for our

students for years to come.

On Friday, April 19th, Topeka’s Got Talent Show not only showcased our

very talented students, but it also captivated the imagination of the audience. From a rock band,

to a jazz dance performance to a puppet show, Topeka’s very first talent show was a great

success. Students of all ages had the opportunity to perform on stage while a Topeka student

painted a masterpiece on the side of the auditorium. We can’t wait to do it again next year.

April proved to be an exciting month! Beginning with a science adventure as Superior Street students and staff gathered for an eclipse viewing party. Our staff flexed their artistic muscles with a laughter filled evening of painting. Families cheered on our determined students as they ran laps around the track and raised funds for our school. Lunch on the Lawn was a delightful day filled with family, food, friends, and fun. Our Saturday engineering students demonstrated their innovative projects at the STEAM Fest. The Kindergarten team met with a new generation of Superior Street students. That was just a sampling of the immersive events and entertaining activities that occurred in the month of April.

At Hart St. we started a computer class for our parents. We listen to our parents and the principal Ms. Marquez was able to get a class for them. We had a good turnout; our computer lab was full. Many of our parents did not go to school or University and the class give them the opportunity to learn basic computer skills. They are very happy to come and learn so they can help their kids at home. Many of the parents do not want to fall behind because their kids know more about computers and internet than them. Hart street Elementary is committed to help our parents and give them the opportunity to learn new skills.

CPMS Media Arts students have been working on the MMTM Making Movies that Matter project with their Artist in Residence Jamie. Our Media Arts teacher Mr. Seifert has facilitated this for 2 years and the students are excited to present their films. Click the link below and check it out!

Please join this fantastic parent-community workshops on Artificial Intelligence and Social Media.

Light breakfast and goodies for all participants.

See flyer for more information .

All families are invited to join in the fun for the 2nd Annual 5K Kindness Run/Walk on Saturday , May 18 at Piece College. See flyer for all the details. Getting your running/walking shoes on and see you there!

Garden Learning Center Summer Academy: Young Entrepreneurs Camp

Get set for an exciting week of hands-on learning and non-stop fun! Dive into the world of entrepreneurship as you embark on your journey to launch your very own business. See flyer below for more details and sign up today!

Dates: July 8-12 (M-F)

Time: 10am - 2pm

Grades: 4th-8th

Fee: $100 (scholarships available upon request)

Location: 20745 Nordhoff St., Chatsworth, CA

*Contact email: kathyw@gardenlearningcenter.org