Luther Burbank Middle School

Dawn Brookey had a career change after dropping by a friend’s class at Luther Burbank Middle School. The attorney would often visit Anita Schackmann’s class as students read the play “12 Angry Men.” Brookey would speak about juries, the legal system and what she does as a lawyer. Then she became a history teacher. “It inspired me to go back to school,” she said. On Tuesday, that decision paid off in spades, and a $1,000 prize, when she was honored at the Universal Hilton as one of 16 people named Los Angeles County Teachers of the Year, and the only one from Burbank Unified School District.

BURBANK - Luther Burbank Middle School is nearing completion of the first phase of its modernization process, and it's doing so on schedule, officials said. The first phase, which includes four renovated science rooms, three classrooms, a new culinary-arts room, locker rooms and gymnasium, is scheduled to be completed in November, the district's Chief Facilities Officer Craig Jellison said. The school will also have a 20-year maintenance-free roof for every building, and underground infrastructure complete with electrical, sewer and water lines, he said.

Students danced, posed and strutted their way down a red carpet in front of Luther Burbank Middle School on Friday to celebrate their recent progress on pivotal statewide tests. A few students made several trips down the red carpet, and two students intentionally tripped on the celebrity matting as students, faculty, parents and administrators praised their achievements. The school’s results have increased by about 100 points the last five years, pushing Luther Burbank past an important threshold in the Academic Performance Index.

BURBANK — Contractors at Luther Burbank Middle School are struggling this month to recover from several foul-ups that have left the school's modernization project behind schedule. Senior Facilities Director Craig Jellison reported to the School Facilities Oversight Committee on July 10 that the project was 4 1/2 weeks behind schedule. Board of Education Vice President Larry Applebaum walked the premises last week and said the project, which includes an overhaul of the entire school, seems to be almost caught up. "By the time [students]

BURBANK — Math and science students at Luther Burbank Middle School clamored for a chance to make marks on a new whiteboard last week, without the use of ink. Teachers and students in three classrooms got their first cracks at a new tool called the Smart Board, an interactive whiteboard that incorporates touch-screen technology and Internet access, among other capabilities. “There are so many different applications,” said Joe Reed, sixth-grade science and math teacher.

Romancing the Bean coffee shop was the site of more than a few serenades on Friday night. About 30 performers from Luther Burbank Middle School sang to a packed audience of mostly parents and family members as a fundraiser for their Vocal Music Assn. The coffee shop on San Fernando Boulevard opened its stage to the singers, all between the ages of 12 and 14, and gave the association 10% of its proceeds for the night. As Elizabeth Chadwick, 13, the first performer of the evening, grabbed the microphone, patrons were still gathering their soups, salads, sweets and specialty coffee drinks.

Liam Taylor surveyed a large pile of conked-out computers, televisions and cell phones like a fisherman admiring his catch. As the founding president of Imagine Green Eco Club, he spent weeks imploring the community to drop off unused or spent appliances at the club’s inaugural e-waste collection and recycling event Saturday at Luther Burbank Middle School. The goal, he said, was to prevent toxic and hazardous materials from clogging landfills and polluting the environment.

The following incidents were taken from police reports. NORTHWEST DISTRICT 1000 block of Florence Street: A 20-year-old Burbank man was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of possessing a handmade pistol that police found in a dresser at his home. TOLUCA LAKE 100 block of Pass Avenue: A Burbank couple told police Tuesday a diamond wedding ring was stolen from their home. NORTHWEST DISTRICT 3700 Jeffries Ave.: A 13-year-old Burbank boy, a student at Luther Burbank Middle School, was arrested on suspicion of carrying a concealed weapon Tuesday after pointing a replica handgun at another boy in a school bathroom.

Gary Moskowitz BURBANK -- The school board officially recognized seven Burbank teachers as Teachers of the Year at the board's Oct. 18 meeting. The seven teachers, who were selected by their peers, were awarded for their exceptional service, teaching excellence and dedication to children and the profession during the 2001-02 school year. Pictured is Joe Peterson of Monterey High School, Randy Badders of Magnolia Park School, Carol Flesher of John Muir Middle School, Valerie Beidelman of Burbank High School, Joanne Naus of David Starr Jordan Middle School and Lisa Raluy of Luther Burbank Middle School.

David Meyerhof of Burbank is a published poet, and now everyone in his hometown knows it. Meyerhof received recognition from the city of Burbank, the State Assembly and the U.S. House of Representatives on Friday at the Little White Chapel during the first public presentation of his book of poetry, “Look Beyond.” It is now available on more than 100 websites around the world, he said. The event included a piano recital by Sophie Wiegand, who is an eighth-grader at Luther Burbank Middle School.

BOYS' BASKETBALL Yeshiva, 88, Providence 84 : Despite 50 points and 16 rebounds from Patrick Gonzalez, the Pioneers lost the Liberty League game Saturday on the road Tyler Kidd added 18 points for Providence. GIRLS' BASKETBALL Muir 67, Burbank 51 : Burbank couldn't muster a win against second-place Muir in a Pacific League game Monday on the road. Burbank (12-9, 4-4 in league) fell behind, 23-11, after one quarter and was at a 39-18 disadvantage at halftime.

A Burbank middle school is on a list released Thursday of schools that have not met federal proficiency targets on standardized tests. Luther Burbank Middle School in Burbank Unified and Roosevelt Middle School in Glendale Unified were among the roughly 2,500 schools statewide that are being monitored for not meeting either math or English student achievement standards two years in a row. If the campuses do not meet their benchmarks within...

Liam Taylor surveyed a large pile of conked-out computers, televisions and cell phones like a fisherman admiring his catch. As the founding president of Imagine Green Eco Club, he spent weeks imploring the community to drop off unused or spent appliances at the club’s inaugural e-waste collection and recycling event Saturday at Luther Burbank Middle School. The goal, he said, was to prevent toxic and hazardous materials from clogging landfills and polluting the environment.

DOWNTOWN— As the U.S. prepares to expand its aid in and outside Haiti, students across Burbank and Glendale are gearing up to do their part with donation drives throughout the next two weeks. Nearly every school in Burbank Unified School District will be donating goods to one or several charities involved in the relief effort. Former Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton have said money is the most sorely needed commodity, and students from Clark Magnet High School in La Crescenta will send every penny donated to UNICEF’s Haiti relief fund, the U.S. Fund.

Carolyn Hennesy has a knack for being versatile. On the nighttime TV series “Cougar Town” she plays Barbara, a woman without scruples. She’s fun-lovin’ mob lawyer Diane Miller on the daytime drama “General Hospital.” And when not in front of the camera, the Burbank resident is writing books for young adults. Hennesy has three visits planned to Burbank public schools to talk about her “Pandora” series, which include the titles “Pandora Gets Lazy,” “Pandora Gets Jealous” and “Pandora Gets Vain.

POSTER CONTEST SPONSORED BY BURBANK NOON LIONS CLUB While students in Germany celebrated the 20th anniversary of the destruction of the Berlin Wall, Burbank students were sharing their images of world peace as part of the Burbank Noon Lions International Peace Poster Contest award ceremony. The 14th annual contest is open to middle school students, and those selected were from John Muir, Jordan and Luther Burbank middle schools along with middle school students at the Boys & Girls Club of Burbank.

WEST BURBANK — After calls from parents and administrators complaining of near-miss vehicle accidents at and around school campuses, authorities this week beefed up parking and traffic enforcement. Police officers, after several near misses at Bret Harte Elementary and a recent accident at Luther Burbank Middle School, began cracking down on double parkers, speeders and parents running stop signs, Sgt. Robert Quesada said. Parking enforcement and motor officers issued multiple citations this week after the Police Department agreed to target jaywalkers and wayward motorists, he said.