The LACES Community

School Pride Volunteers worked incredibly hard today. There is so much work to be done and everyone pitched in to help. Watching the numerous LACES community family members volunteer their time is overwhelming. Fathers, Daughters, Grandmothers, Sons, Mothers and Friends spent countless hours volunteering. It really does take a village...and LACES is one incredible village!











Judy W. & Mary H. Welcome Volunteers with a smile :)

Whose House? U-HOUSE of Course!

Hi Danielle! Look how fast she's working...

Jansen's Dad Clearing out Mr. Merriman's Classroom

Bob & Daniel G. Work the Welcome Tent Checking In Volunteers.

Jansen & Friend Take a Break from Packing, Cleaning & Moving

Volunteer Todd NEVER STOPPED working today.

School Pride Count Down and Head Quarters

At the end of my photo shoot with LACES, I stumbled upon SCHOOL PRIDE Headquarters in the cafeteria - "Brain Central" of LACES renovations. In just 5 hours and 6 minutes, the Count Down Clock will be set and start to tick away. GREAT NEWS! We made it to 1000 volunteers! What a FANTASTIC group of people you all are! Hope you don't mind but I will be snapping photos for the blog. I promise to also be working for the next 7 days.

Now it's time for some SPECIAL THANK YOUS on the eve of this amazing project:

School Pride Producers, Designers & Staff;

Contractors, sub-contractors and employees;

NBC-Universal;

LACES parents who participated in all the prep work;

Dr. Kim and her Administrative Team;

LACES Teachers and Staff;

Parents & Students who networked with School Pride Producers;

Parents who refused to take NO for an answer and advocated for this opportunity; when School Pride was turned down by district;

Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times Writer/Editor;

My blackberry (photos);

My kids for waiting in the car for me while I wander around LACES taking photos;

and yes, Superintendant Ramon Cortines for giving School Pride the GREEN LIGHT;

My apologies for any groups or persons I've left out. I also retract my thank you to my 3 kids. I think they wait in the car because they're afraid of getting stuck working at LACES when they're supposed to be on their way to a summer outing.

Big CHANGES for Culinary Arts...maybe the Quad?

Crossing the Quad area to the Blue Building, I noticed the grassy dirt and thought I'd snap a quick photo. I uploaded photos of Pacific Outdoor Living (Landscape Contractors) the other day. I suspect plans are being made to upgrade the quad from dirt to grass. Thank goodness it doesn't rain much in So. Cal.

Dirt + Rain = 1,642 muddy pairs of shoes.

Oh, and I suspect they'll do something about those red brick pavers balancing the quad benches. Special Note to Pacific Outdoor Living...grassy knolls might be nice.

Another big change today was the CULINARY ARTS ROOM! This is especially exciting as my incoming 6th grader professed her desire to be a chef and own a restaurant when she was 7 years old. Anyhow, decades of culinary goods were cleaned out and the room is now stripped to the bare minimum. Those volunteers made some SERIOUS progress. My humble apologies to all those Culinary Arts Volunteers. I strolled in taking photos as they labored tirelessly. I did empty out 1 dining buffet and boxed up some items before taking more pics on my way out. I'm sorry I couldn't stay. But I got some good action shots don't you think?

Both these photos are Center of Classroom shots. Just 3 days ago volunteers were packing!

Front of Classroom - Packing Day Front of Classroom After Packing Day

Music Room...

After passing the AUD chairs, I heard "WORK" noise coming from the Music Room. "Great! I can get some more pics for this School Pride blog!" To my shock (although I really shouldn't have been surprised), there was a WARNING NOTE on a HAZ. MAT looking, zip-front, curtain covering the doorway. This "Chemical Shield" was creepy but even more creepier was the big yellow and black sign: "WARNING: Lead Renovation Work. POISON! DO NOT ENTER WORK AREA. NO SMOKING, EATING OR DRINKING." Three things came to my mind. 1) Poor workers in there! Now THAT'S a tough way to earn a living and make a buck! And then 2) Our student musicians and Dr. Monarch! What have they been breathing? and finally 3) Who would want to EAT in a room spewing chemicals as lead paint is being stripped? (Sorry for rotated photo)

Not to worry LACES parents, unless your kid has been licking the walls in the Music Room, their exposure to lead has been only trace amounts if any. I don't have the research data to prove this, but I did consult with my resident professional engineer. Kids are A-OK...except if they HAVE been licking walls...well...uh...

Where Am I?

OK, so, it's the day before SCHOOL PRIDE so I went back to LACES again to check out the preparations before the BIG DAY. I first made my way to the auditorium. WHAT A SHOCK! THE AUD. WAS MISSING. Was I in the wrong room? School? Where was I? I mean, I knew they were stripping the AUD yesterday but I was still quite surprised. Oh, and the stage? It was half missing! These new developments are both surprising and exciting. A new auditorium is a'coming! Oh, and by the way...I FOUND THE CHAIRS as I sidled out of the Aud. They're nestled safely against the building in the back parking lot. "What's Next?" I thought as I made my way to the Music Rooms and Art Rooms.....

Prep was in FULL SWING the past couple of days with crews stripping the auditorium, cleaning the interior of the main building, prepping Dr. Monarch and Mr. Griffin's rooms...Welcome Tents are set up, areas are fenced off and there are those weird upside down-right side up signs showing where filming is taking place. It is all VERY EXCITING! Look forward to seeing you ALL there!

Mr. Griffin and student volunteers beaming with SCHOOL PRIDE.

HEY! Check out those industrial stainless steel stoves waiting to be used! How sweet is THAT!!

School may be out but there is still a lot of work happening at LACES. Preparations for School Pride Filming and Renovations are under way! Hope you're ready to work and join us in this Once in a Lifetime Experience!

What an amazing group of volunteers. Who's HOUSE? U-HOUSE!!!!!!!!! SCHOOL PRIDE IS ALREADY PART OF THE LACES COMMUNITY!

Phyllis, Alejandro, Luz & Hwan Packing it ALL UP!!!!!!!!

Friday, June 25th was a BUSY day
at LACES. An URGENT call was

put out to LACES families to come

help pack and move furniture

from the Culinary Arts Classroom.

Thank you to all who helped clean,

pack, store and move decades

of culinary supplies!

Elise & Susan ~ Clearing out the Dining Room

Culinary Arts Room Preparations began TODAY! We need HELP. Have an hour? Stop by LACES - Blue Building, Room 235. Clearing out rooms and moving furniture for the the BIG RENOVATIONS! Hope to see you there!

YES! THE PLANNING PHASE OF SCHOOL PRIDE RENOVATIONS ARE ON!!!!!!!! MEET OUR FRIENDLY PRODUCERS, DESIGNERS AND CONTRACTORS! A HUGE THANK YOU TO JOHN M. PRODUCER AND DESIGNER EXTRAOIRDINNAIRE OF SCHOOL PRIDE.

Photo 1: PACIFIC OUTDOOR LIVING SPACES reviewing plans for grounds renovations.

Photos 2 & 3: John M., Daniel Lopez and Colleagues from WEST COAST QUALITY BUILDERS - contractors for SCHOOL PRIDE project.

SCHOOL PRIDE starting filming at LACES on Tuesday, June 15, 2010. LACES students were called out to the infamous ZONE and were greeted with SCHOOL PRIDE CAMERAS & HOSTS for the BIG ANNOUNCEMENT THAT SCHOOL PRIDE WAS COMING TO LACES IN JUST 15 DAYS! A helicopter hovered over the school while filming all the SCHOOL PRIDE excitement!

We ALL need to be at LACES to volunteer for this ONCE IN A LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY JUNE 30 - JULY 7! Pick a day to help paint and renovate!

WE NEEDED 1000 VOLUNTEERS AND WE MADE IT TO 500 AS OF TODAY! THANK YOU TO ALL WHO ARE JOINING THE SCHOOL PRIDE FRENZY AT LACES!!!!!!!!!!!! LACES has the BEST students and parents in all of Los Angeles...I KNOW WE WILL GET OUR 1000 VOLUNTEERS.

6 days left to get 5 more and start the SCHOOL PRIDE Experience! Check out these before photos. The producers, designers and contractors are already at LACES EVERY DAY working on the planning phase before the BIG RENOVATIONS begin.

Photos of RENOVATION
progress once the renovation begin will be POSTED DAILY! CHECK OUT THIS BLOG FOR PHOTO UPDATES

NBC - School Pride

Welcome to the LACES School Pride Blog. We will be updating School Pride information and photos until the completion of the School Pride Renovations.

LACES School Renovations will include makeovers in the Auditorium, Art Rooms, Music Room, and Culinary Arts Classroom. As a special bonus, ALL LACES CLASSROOMS WILL GET A FRESH COAT OF PAINT. Doorways and hallways are being prepped for some paint as well.

Makeover Renovations begin on June 30th. Have you signed up to volunteer yet? Go to schoolpridevolunteers.com to sign up. We need your help! Check back to this site frequently. Photos will be uploaded beginning next week!