District touts curriculum changes

Two changes to the school district’s curriculum should help student’s

both mentally and physically, district officials said this week.

The two additions will be a math adoption process for kindergartners

through fifth-graders and a lifelong fitness program for all grades, said

Steven Keller, assistant superintendent for the Laguna Beach Unified

School District.

“Both of these programs will have a positive impact on every student

in our district,” Keller said. “The K-5 math adoption process will align

the math curriculum to more nearly correspond to the State Department of

Education math standards.”

A math committee with representatives from each grade is putting

together the program.

The committee is looking at ways to provide students with different

approaches to learning math while continuing to meet state standards and

provide for successful transitions from one grade level to the next.

“We want all our students to benefit from excellent math instruction

and to know success as they move through the grades,” Keller said.

The fitness program is a far cry from old-style physical education

classes.

“Lifelong fitness embodies an individualized, noncompetitive approach

to physical fitness,” Keller said.

As part of the fitness course, the district has hired Jordi Mas,

fitness trainer and Laguna Beach native. She will instruct teachers in

some nontraditional activities that are popular with adults in the

community such as pilates, yoga and strength conditioning.

-- Mary Castillo