Malibu
Schools All Open; District Set for Major Summit Next Week
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By Lookout Staff
October 30 -- Every District school was opened Monday
for the first time since devastating fires swept through Malibu,
scorching more than 4,500 acres and sending nearly 1,500 residents
fleeing from their homes.
PTA's have been working overtime to get out the latest information
and coordinate mutual aid for Webster Elementary, which was shut
down after sustaining damage in last week’s fires, PTA officials
said.
“Everyone is extremely thankful to the firefighters for saving
homes and saving our school,” said Anne Blackwood, co-president
of Webster’s PTA, whose daughter’s classroom was damaged.
“Everyone is very tired and very thankful.”
Last week, all Malibu public schools were closed Monday and Tuesday
due to continued fire threat and the closure of Pacific Coast Highway.
Malibu High, Point Dume Marine Science Elementary and Cabrillo Elementary
all re-opened on Wednesday.
“Point Dume is fine,” said its PTA president Kelley
Meyer, “and everyone is happy to be back at school.”
Cabrillo’s president, Tracy Weirick agreed.
“Juan Cabrillo didn’t sustain any damage,” Weirick
said. “All the children returned to school on Wednesday and
everything is returning to normal. Cabrillo would like to help Webster
and is eager to know what we can do to help.”
Malibu High, which includes both of the upscale city’s middle
and high school also reopened on Wednesday.
The school’s PTA President, Sandy Thacker, spent hours communicating
with parents, school authorities and local officials to help provide
critically needed information to parents, students and the community,
school officials said.
Due to the fires, Public Schools Week, previously scheduled to
open schoolhouses across Malibu and Santa Monica on the week of
November 5t, has been rescheduled for the week of December 2.
The “State of our Schools” events will take place as
scheduled, Monday, November 5 from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the Santa Monica
Public Library, Martin Luther King, Jr. Auditorium, 601 Santa Monica
Blvd., Santa Monica, and again on Wednesday, November 7 at the Webster
Elementary School Auditorium in Malibu.
The “State of our Schools” is a public education forum
and is free and open to all members of the public. Refreshments
will be served following the program.
The program will be include Julia Brownley, California Assembly
member, Chair of the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Education Finance,
and former SMMUSD Board of Education President speaking on the state
of education funding in California.
SMMUSD Superintendent of Schools Dianne Talarico will present the
“State of our Schools” keynote address, while Kathy
Wisnicki and Oscar de la Torre President and vice-President, SMMUSD
Board of Education will present “The Top Ten things you should
know about Santa Monica and Malibu Schools.”
The evening will conclude with teachers and students discussing
their perspectives and experiences. The State of our Schools Events
are co-sponsored by CEPS (Community for Excellent Public Schools)
and The Santa Monica Malibu Council of PTAs.
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