Breakers’ girls lose in CIF Open Division Championship game 

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Photo by Scott Brashier

No. 2 ranked Breakers’ Ava Knepper with the ball

Water Polo

The No. 2 ranked Laguna Beach girls water polo team fell behind early in their CIF Southern Section Open Division Championship match with Newport Harbor and never recovered. 

The Sailors scored the first five goals of the contest, eventually winning 11-6.

Senior Ava Houlahan led the Breakers with three goals, while Kara Carver, London Boyd and Ava Knepper each contributed one.

Still, the Breakers now move on to the CIF State Southern California Regional playoffs this week.

Basketball

The Breakers girls basketball team moved into the semifinals of the CIF Southern Section Championships, with a 45-33 victory Friday over Yeshiva from Los Angeles.

Laguna Beach plays again Wednesday against the winner of Desert Christian Academy or Milken Community.

LBHS Amigos Alliance Club hosts Ethnic Diversity and Black History Month Celebration for Children 

The Amigos Alliance Club from Laguna Beach High School is thrilled to host the Ethnic Diversity and Black History Month celebration for children to spread the positive message of having a culturally diverse community as well as excite youngsters to explore the world.

Students are partnering with the Laguna Beach Library, Laguna Art Museum and the City of Laguna Beach to bring storytelling across diverse ethnic groups. Their goal is to inform other students about diverse cultures and give them an opportunity to dig deeper into their ethnicity.

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Courtesy of Natalie Sutton

LBHS Amigos Alliance Club students

During the weekly Zoom meetings, the high school club members read a book, have fun discussions and create artwork with the children in grades K-5. The Zoom meetings take place every Monday from 4:30-5:30 p.m. throughout February.

According to organizer Natalie Sutton, “We will invite them to explore the world of differences, look at similarities and spread a positive message of living in a culturally diverse community.”

If you are a student who would like to sign up, go to https://forms.gle/aTEtjLFyv2qTyPfc8.

 Students can pick up packets at Top of The World and El Morro elementary school offices and Laguna Beach Library. Parents need to be in attendance at the meetings.

LBUSD launches new anonymous tip reporting system 

Yesterday, February 7, Laguna Beach Unified School District (LBUSD) launched a new anonymous tip reporting system called WeTip2.0.

This tip reporting service enables students, parents, staff and community stakeholders to make anonymous (or non-anonymous if the reporter chooses this feature) tips to site safety team members to launch an investigation, provide support, intervene and resolve school-related safety matters.

The WeTip2.0 service in LBUSD is called, “See Something, Say Something” and anonymous tips may be placed by:

–Live Phone Tip Line: Dedicated LBUSD tip phone number where a trained live call center staff member takes tips in English or Spanish 24 hours per day, 365 days per year;

–Text Line: The same LBUSD tip line can field tips that are initiated via text messaging and the reporting party is immediately provided a weblink to the online tip reporting platform with English or Spanish tip forms; tips placed outside of school hours are received by a trained WeTip staff member who triages the response level and connects the tip to the appropriate reporting agency.

–Homepage website links on all four school sites and district office pages with the “See Something, Say Something’ cloud-based reporting links and the WeTip LBUSD phone number; and

–Scanning the QR code web link on the “See Something, Say Something” posters in multiple areas around each school campus and in classrooms for the 24/7 tip reporting system or the dedicated LBUSD tip phone number for voice or cloud-based forms submission.

“Creating an environment where students feel empowered to take actions that keep our campuses physically and emotionally safe is a top priority. This innovative and widely adopted tip reporting technology provides timely investigation and support for important school-related concerns,” said Dr. Chad Mabery, assistant superintendent of instruction.

According to Dr. Michael Keller, director of social emotional support, “Our top priority is always student and staff safety. The new LBUSD WeTip “See Something, Say Something” campaign is one of many best-in-class safety strategies that LBUSD already implements across the district. We strongly encourage students and individuals who directly observe school-related safety issues, including threats, vandalism, bullying, or other misconduct to submit their concerns to the LBUSD WeTip reporting system so site safety teams can investigate, intervene and support a resolution. The power of WeTip is in the default option for tip reporters to remain anonymous during the tip reporting process, which is now available 24 hours/day, seven days/week, to further encourage bystanders, witnesses, or victims to make actionable tip reports to improve school safety, culture and climate.”

Laguna Beach Unified School District is committed to ensuring all students have a safe and nurturing environment to learn and thrive in. By launching WeTip2.0 and introducing an anonymous platform, LBUSD provides students a safe space to report safety concerns and alleviate any anxieties or worries associated with reporting.

LBHS wrestlers on their way to CIF

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Courtesy of LBHS

Four members of the Laguna Beach High School wrestling team are on their way to the CIF Championships this week. The four (L-R) are junior Micah Chavez (152 lbs., 4th in league), junior Jeremy Kanter (182, 4th), freshman James Kramer (138, 4th) and junior Malik Hassan (195, 3rd).

Thurston’s newly remodeled field is open and ready for play

Laguna Beach Unified Board of Education (LBUSD) announced the opening of the newly renovated 2.86-acre Thurston Middle School athletic field.

Last Friday, Feb. 4, a small group led by Principal Joe Vidal, the facilities team, ASB Co-Presidents Brighton Welch and Ariana Ghane, second-period PE students and LBUSD Board members commenced at the entrance of the athletic field with the TMS band playing in the background. 

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Photos courtesy of LBUSD

(L-R) ASB Co-Presidents Ariana Ghane and Brighton Welch get ready to cut the ribbon

“A new field is very motivating,” exclaimed Ghane, as she gazed across the field.

The Board of Education began discussions regarding the renovation of the field in 2015 as part of the facilities master planning process and then approved the renovation in August 2020. 

The new field expands playability for TMS students, community sports, and is now a CIF regulation field for varsity softball, soccer and lacrosse. The renovation repaired significant erosion damage, improved drainage and stabilized the slope. The field is environmentally sustainable with organic infill and uses significantly less water.

“It is my honor, on behalf of Laguna Beach Unified School District and our Board members now and those before us – to say we are grateful to Jason Viloria for leading the District administration team, all who worked with pride and diligence to utilize the Capital Improvement Program and realize a new and stunning athletic field in this historically celebrated setting,” said Carol Normandin, school board president. 

“The school district couldn’t be more excited to reopen our facility to the community,” said Jason Viloria Ed.D., superintendent. “This new field will provide desperately needed, year-round access to all students and community members in Laguna Beach, reduce our water usage and provide an amazing new field for our LBHS Softball program as well.”

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The field is officially opened!

Principal Vidal added, “This amazing project would not be possible without the hard work and dedication of Ryan Zajada, director of facilities, and the Thurston Middle School facilities team comprised of Ken Konkel, Todd Foote, Eddie McReynolds and Roger Romero Sr. 

“I would also like to acknowledge and thank Mr. Wade and our band for setting the vibe on this beautiful day and to our PE teachers and students who have the extraordinary privilege of being the first Thurston students and staff to embrace our newfound space.”

“It has been an honor watching this incredible project come to fruition,” shared Dr. James Kelly, board member. “I have truly enjoyed listening to Jeff Dixon provide regular updates at our board meetings and couldn’t be more excited for our students and community members to have a second track to run on. Our new field is absolutely superb!”

After several years of planning, hard work and dedication, the TMS field is officially open and ready for our community. LBUSD plans to host an official ribbon-cutting ceremony in late March 2022.