PATH is the non-profit Parent, Teacher organization supporting Castlebay Lane Elementary School.

Current Articles	Restaurants & Coupons
Sign Up For Ralphs!	Jogathon March 25, 2010
LAUSD Budget	Castlebay Artists Win Big
Summer Camps Updated!	Playground Safety

Bear Puts School On Lockdown
Wednesday, May 26 at 8:50 am helicopters started circling over Porter Ranch and Castlebay as a neighbor on Stewarton Drive had discovered a bear in a tree. The bear was about two years old and male. He was about 15 feet up a tree. Rescuers shot the bear with a tranquilizer and he fell onto a safety cushion. See the LA Times article and photo. Video of the bear rescue. He will be tagged and released back into the wild. Meanwhile on campus, the school was on lockdown, which means that the children were required to stay in their classrooms until the bear was captured.

PATH Board Votes On Next Year's Expenditures
Uncertain about next year's budget, board voted at the May 2010 meeting to cut spending on $3,100 for paper, but keep the teacher stipend of $2,700 year. This was the recommendation of teacher representative Sandy Dorfman, who commented that it would be better for teacher morale to keep the stipend.

The board also voted to cut $1,200 for supplemental gardening in the flower and shrub beds. We voted to keep the existing traffic safety position and add an additional person to be funded by the safety budget.

A slate of board officers was presented at the meeting, and with no contested positions, elected to office. The list of officers can be viewed on the board page.

Community Earth Day Clean Up April 17, 2010

Members of the Porter Ranch community gathered at 8:30am at Whole Foods Market prior to painting out graffiti and picking up trash.

Senior Lead Officer Dario Del Core was on hand along with Senior Lead Officer Danny Del Valle to emphasize community involvement in graffiti removal.

Castlebay students get ready to paint!

Many hands make light work. Thanks to all who came and helped.

2010 Jogathon to Fund PE Program
View CBS Coverage of the 2010 Jogathon

The 2nd annual Jogathon was held on Thursday, March 25th. All students participated as part of their PE for the day. Students can collect sponsors for their jogging either for the whole event or by lap. The net total proceeds is just over $20,000.

Last year joggers raised $13,000 which paid for 60% of the weekly Y.M.C.A. PE program. This year we are aiming at exceeding that total. The cost of the PE program is $22,000. If every student brings in $30, the program will be paid for!

On March 23, Principal Ihori sent home a letter explaining that this year's PE is paid for by last year's jogathon, parent contributions through PATH and rent the YMCA pays for the after school bungalows. The YMCA rent is not available to the school this year and because there is not enough funding the PE program will end for this year on April 30, 2010. Principal Ihori's Letter About PE. Now more than ever, it is important to participate in the jogathon sponsorships to pay for next year's PE program.

Thank you to our sponsor: H&R Block.

2009 Jogathon Raised $13,000 for PE

Principal Vivian Ihori leads the charge by jogging, walking or doing the chicken dance with each class.

PATH and the school conducted a Jogathon on April 2, 2009 to raise money to pay for next year's PE program.  The current program gives each student 45 minutes of PE a week conducted by YMCA PE staff. The annual cost of the PE program is $21,000, which is about $26 per student. Currently $17,000 of the program is paid for by PATH fundraising and $4,000 by the school. If each student raises $28 during the Jogathon, then PE is assured for next year!

Students spent 20 minutes running or walking around the backstops in the field and collected sponsors for specific amounts or by backstop. Parents and teachers were invited to run or walk too. Student participation is part of their PE program for the day. Running is also part of the fifth grade physical fitness assessment. A big thanks to Mr. Narin and his committee of parents who made this event successful!

After warming up, students line up at the backstops to begin their jogging.


Students jog around the field, stopping at each backstop to have their progress marked on their card. Parents and fifth graders helped at the backstops.


Parents joined in the jogging fun! Everyone gave it their best and had a great time.

Sign Up Your Ralphs Card
Did you know that PATH and your child benefit when you sign up your Ralphs card to contribute to PATH? It costs you nothing and Ralph's is making more money off you if you don't!

PATH received a check for $1,555 in December for the families that are signed up. Join us: Instructions on how to sign up.

In other fundraising news, the initial results from the magazine drive are that sales dropped from $29,000 to $21,000. This means that we will receive about $5,000 less in income from magazine sales than budgeted. But we could make up for it with 100 new sign ups at Ralphs!

View our current budget

Other fundraisers on the horizon are the talent show and artwork fundraiser. The students are working on artwork that you can order on various products in time for Mother's Day deliver. Orders can be placed in April.

The talent show is scheduled for May 1, at 11:30am and 2:30pm show. Tentative dates are: Applications are due Tuesday, April 6th.  Auditions are Thursday, April 15th after school. The Talent Show Dress Rehearsal is Friday, April 30th after school 2:45-4:45.

Script orders are due by March 5th and will be available for pickup March 12th.

Castlebay Classroom Funding - February 2010
The current LAUSD budget crisis of $640 million has triggered various cost cutting solutions. The school board has voted to put a $100 per parcel property tax on the ballot in June. If passed, the tax would be in force for four years and generate almost $100 million per year. Our school board representative, Tamar Galatzan voted against putting the tax on the ballot saying that the district should focus on structural reforms rather than request more money. Read her newsletter on the tax. Voters must pass the law by two thirds for the law to take effect.

Superintendent Cortines has proposed cutting the school year by six days this year to save $90 million. The alternatives are cutting jobs or declaring bankruptcy. Next year the proposal includes changing the ratios in K-3 grades from 24 students per classroom to 29 students pending UTLA negotiations. For Castlebay that would mean a loss of 3-4 teachers.

Principal Ihori reported in the February PATH meeting that Superintendent Cortines was responding to funding concerns of non-Title I schools. He plans to provide each with $75,000 in funding with no strings attached. That is the equivalent of one teacher, but the School Site Council may choose how to use the funds.

View LA Times Education Section for more education news.

PATH Board Tackles Playground Safety
A key topic at the February meeting was playground safety. Several parents expressed concern about the sufficiency of the current two playground supervisors. Some accidents have occurred on the yard including a concussion and broken arm.

Playground supervisors have recently started wearing bright orange hats to help students find them for help. The board decided that playground supervisors should be assigned specific areas to watch.

The board considered providing extra training to student play leaders in the third, fourth and fifth grades. Volunteers would be needed for that effort. The board considered whether to fund another traffic supervisor or a playground supervisor, but ultimately voted to fund an additional playground supervisor with PATH safety funds to improve supervision and safety. Selection of that supervisor is underway.

Castlebay's Artists Win Big
Our students participated in an poster art contest for the California Department of Public Health's Annual calendar on Lead Poisoning Prevention. Select third graded classes completed a lesson with PATH art teacher Cindy Kamin-Brenek on preventing lead poisoning. With their new found knowledge, they designed and completed posters using crayon, colored pencils and markers.

Cover by Adriana Bidgoli

Winners included James Jihoon Kim, Matthew Takeuchi, Eugene Park, Nicolette Canlian, Kailee Mannak collaborating with Nicole Ramzy, Brett Jariabek, Fatimah Ogunmowo. For more information about lead poisoning prevention see: www.cdph.ca.gov/programs/clppb

Mrs. Kramer's Class The Big Winner!

Mrs. Kramer's class won for the highest percent participation in our Just Think Campaign with 88% participation raising almost $6,300! Well Done!

Sam Dobry Receives Award

Sam Dobry received an award December 2009 from Councilman Greig Smith for his work in organizing clean ups at the school and in the community. Presenting the award L-R is Field Deputy Jim Dillinger, Principal Vivian Ihori, Councilman Greig Smith, Sam Dobry, Mike Dobry and LAPD Senior Lead Officer Dario Del Core.