The
sign out front warned 'Enter at Your Own Risk', but visitors
flocking to Edison Language Academy didn't let that deter
them. In fact, that was just what they were seeking as
the school opened their Pico Neighborhood campus for their
annual Festival de Otono.
The
event, now in its ninth year, is known locally for its
'House of Horror', a favorite that regularly has people
enduring a long line for entrance.
But
the broad sampling of activities showed there was a great
deal more to the festival than just the vaunted haunted
house.
Performances
by dance troupes, folk singers, and magicians, demonstrations
by martial artists and police dogs, and a chance to either
run an obstacle course or make a leisurely 'cake walk'
for a good cause helped insure that the hundreds of families
attending had plenty to see and do.
The
event both raises money for the school and shows the variety
of programs that Edison has currently underway.
A
booth for the International Studies program, for instance,
detailed the student's, study of Australia and offered
visitors a chance to sample Vegemite on a cracker, an
Australian 'treat' that, if sampler's, expressions were
any indication, was something that might have been more
appropriate for the haunted house.
The
Santa Monica/Malibu School District served visitors the
same Farmer's Market Salad Bar fare that the students
enjoy in their schools, and other City Services, including
the Police Department and Environmental Programs, had
displays on the campus. The success of the event seems
to grow with each edition, an assessment that neighborhood
resident Jeffrey Ramirez confirmed: "It's more crowded
than last year," the parking and safety volunteer
noted.
But
financial considerations, no matter how important to the
school, take a back seat while the event is underway.
"It's a great place for the kids and parents alike,"
noted Cheryl Clark, parent of an Edison student and volunteer
at one of the booths, "everyone comes expecting a
good time."
SCHOOL
HISTORY NOTES by Betty Tomeo
Edison Elementary School is one of Santa Monica's newest
schools, even though it was constructed 50 years ago.
A 1945 bond allowed the construction of Will Rogers on
14th and Webster in Malibu but by 1950 more classrooms
were needed. Six were built on Kansas Avenue. On January
8, 1951, principal Marguerette MacMillian opened with
164, K- 3 students, all transfers from Grant. This move
ended double sessions in the district. In less than a
year enrollment increased 20% and 6 more classrooms were
added by 1952. Dedicated on April 25, 1953 as Kansas Avenue
School, it was later named Thomas A. Edison School, and
is now the Edison Language Academy Charter School.
For
more: Profile/Edison
Program
