UPDATE www.aala.us Week of October 7, 2019 NATIONAL PRINCIPALS AND IN THIS ISSUE ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS MONTH NATIONAL PRINCIPALS AND ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS MONTH FALL RECEPTION HIGHLIGHTS Each October, National Principals Month recognizes HEALTHCARE FAQs – BREAST the essential role that principals play in making CANCER AWARENESS schools successful. They set the academic tone for BLUE RIBBON SCHOOLS their schools, and it is their vision, dedication, and CALBRIGHT COLLEGE EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR determination that provide the mobilizing force in IN MEMORIAM student achievement. The U.S. Senate and House of CALENDAR Representatives officially recognize October UCLA WOMEN’S SCHOOL as National Principals Month and many national LEADERSHIP ACADEMY organizations, including National Association of LMU ED.D. PROGRAM EDUCATION, ARTS, & SOCIAL- Secondary School Principals, National Association of EMOTIONAL LEARNING Elementary School Principals, and American CSUN MASTERS & PASC PROGRAM Federation of School Administrators, as well as, POSITIONS ACSA and AALA, honor these unsung heroes during the month for their tireless efforts in pursuit of excellence in education. Board Members and former principals Scott Schmerelson and Dr. George McKenna cosponsored a resolution passed by the Board of Education on October 1, commending the work of school-site leaders and their “efforts to ensure that our students have the greatest opportunities, most effective educators, and strongest, safest learning environments.” This well-deserved recognition was supported by Board Members who spoke glowingly of these educational leaders, called rock stars by Board President and former principal Dr. Richard Vladovic. Superintendent Austin Beutner said, “The job of the principal is the toughest job at a school. Principals develop relationships with students, families, and teachers. They oversee instruction in every classroom, serve three or four meals a day, fix broken air conditioners, and replace light bulbs. And, they do this with a smile. Los Angeles Unified is built on the strength of our principals’ leadership and the work they do every day.” FALL RECEPTION HIGHLIGHTS This year’s AALA Annual Fall Reception at The Center at Cathedral Plaza was a resounding success as administrators converged for an evening of networking, enjoying refreshments, meeting with colleagues, and making new friends. Lucky attendees won TVs, portable carts, and gift cards. The reception was attended by Superintendent Austin Beutner who commended AALA members for their exemplary service. He was joined by many Local A s s o c i a t e d A d m i n i s t r a t o r s o f L o s A n g e l e s RECEPTION (Cont.) District Superintendents and senior staff members who were engaged in conversation with frontline managers throughout the evening. Board President Dr. Richard Vladovic and Members Mónica García, Kelly Gonez, Dr. George McKenna, and Nick Melvoin all brought greetings and recognized the critical roles that frontline managers play in student achievement and the day-to-day operations of the District. As always, Dr. McKenna brought the house down with his wit and wisdom. A highlight of the event was the giveaway of two televisions. Names of members who signed up to become AALA Angels, donating $5 a month (or more) to the Friends of AALA scholarship fund, were placed in a receptacle and at the end of the evening two lucky AALA members walked away with televisions! Members also received gift cards and portable carts as door prizes. All attendees received a portable cell phone charger. 2 A s s o c i a t e d A d m i n i s t r a t o r s o f L o s A n g e l e s RECEPTION (Cont.) The reception is always a wonderful event, but it takes careful planning and much legwork. We thank our coordinator, Jane Pollock, who works on all the details. We also must acknowledge the AALA office staff, whose hard work makes it all come together: Lorraine Bush, Gema Pivaral, Gloria Souquette, and Javier Melendez. Many thanks go to Nery Paiz, AALA Elementary Vice President, who was an outstanding emcee and kept the program moving. And last, but certainly not least, we want to thank our generous reception sponsors. They were individually acknowledged and those with representatives present were asked to stand and receive our thanks. They are listed below: PLATINUM LEVEL BRONZE LEVEL Amplify Education, Inc. Edge Foundation Arey Jones Educational Solutions Friesens Yearbooks America Edlio Great Minds in STEM Francie Alexander – Child 360 Imagine Learning GED Testing Service Lifetouch NTA Life Masters Contracting Corporation Pearson Education Merrill Lynch, The Macbeth Group Promethean MIND Research Institute Renaissance PARS Retirement Choices of California Studentnest Foundation Sanford Harmony at National University Specialists in Long-Term Care Insurance Scholastic Education WorldStrides Schools Federal Credit Union XMedius Teamsters Local 2010 Toshiba GOLD LEVEL California Credit Union Complete Business Solutions Curriculum Associates Kaplan Test Prep National Geographic Learning/Cengage Learning School Device Coverage Shmoop University, Inc. Voya Financial 3 A s s o c i a t e d A d m i n i s t r a t o r s o f L o s A n g e l e s HEALTHCARE FAQs― OCTOBER IS BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH What is the occurrence rate of breast cancer? The American Cancer Society estimates that 271,270 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed in 2019, making it the most common cancer among women in the United States. Of all cancers, breast cancer accounts for 30% of the total, having the 4th highest death rate, estimated at 42,260, behind lung, colorectal, and pancreatic cancers. About 11% of all new cases of breast cancer in the U. S. are diagnosed in women under 45 years of age. Continued awareness, early detection, and advances in treatment provide more optimism for increasing survival rates. What are the risk factors for breast cancer? The major risk factors are being a woman and getting older. Most breast cancers occur in women 50 years or older. Other risk factors one cannot control include: having dense breasts, having a personal history of breast cancer, inheriting risk of breast cancer, early menstrual periods and/or starting menopause after age 55, previous radiation to chest or breasts, and being a woman who took the drug DES between 1940 and 1971 to prevent miscarriage. Risk factors a woman can control are: physical inactivity, being overweight or obese after menopause, taking hormones for menopause symptoms, getting pregnant after age 30, not breastfeeding, never being pregnant, and drinking alcohol. Besides adopting a healthy lifestyle―regular exercise, a healthy diet, maintaining a healthy weight, and alcohol consumption in moderation―what other strategies will reduce my risk for breast and other cancers? Do not smoke, protect yourself daily from the sun by covering up and using sunscreen, and avoid unnecessary medical imaging tests to reduce exposure to radiation. Also, remember that a healthy diet includes cutting out or down on processed meats. Early detection of breast cancer is key to increasing the chances of surviving cancer. Early detection involves annual physical exams, getting a mammogram, and doing monthly self-exams of your breasts. Taking into account age and other potential risks, talk to your doctor about how often you should get a mammogram. What can I do to help support breast cancer awareness? Think pink—pink ribbons, pink clothes, pink trinkets. Your “pink” will stimulate conversations to share stories from breast cancer survivors, reminders to get an annual “well-woman” physical that includes screening for breast cancer, and discussions about what other women are doing to reduce their risk for cancers. You can also donate to your favorite cancer or breast cancer charity to support awareness campaigns and continued research for curing breast cancer. For more information about breast cancer risks and prevention, go to: NIH, National Cancer Institute, Breast Cancer For information about male breast cancer, click HERE. 4 A s s o c i a t e d A d m i n i s t r a t o r s o f L o s A n g e l e s NATIONAL BLUE RIBBON SCHOOLS Two LAUSD elementary schools were among the 30 California public schools that have been chosen as 2019 National Blue Ribbon Schools. Congratulations are extended to the entire school communities of Clover Avenue Elementary School (Sharon Fabian, Principal) and Fairburn Avenue Elementary School (Pamela Marton¸ Principal), both in Local District West, for achieving this exemplary status. The U. S. Department of Education’s Blue Ribbon Schools Program recognizes public and private elementary, middle, and high schools based on their overall academic excellence or their progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups. More than 9,000 schools across the country have received this award since the program’s inception in 1982. State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond congratulated the winners saying, “Congratulations to these schools that have tremendous programs dedicated to, and invested in, creating state-of-the-art learning and teaching environments. This recognition is well-deserved, and special thanks go to the educators and the school communities that meet students’ unique needs in order for all of their students to reach their full potential.” We echo that sentiment. Well done. CALBRIGHT COLLEGE GRAND OPENING Calbright College is the state’s online-only newest two-year institution. Registration opened on Tuesday, October 1, for nontraditional adult students, targeting those ages 25 – 34. The online community college was a pet project of former Governor Jerry Brown and was funded by the Legislature last year in an effort to improve the workforce prospects of Californians who are underemployed, working multiple part-time jobs, or stuck in jobs that don’t pay living wages.