The Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) is pleased to announce the selection of Benita Scheckel as Principal of Altadena Arts Magnet. Ms. Scheckel was promoted after a competitive process that included input provided by Altadena Arts Magnet stakeholders, students, employees, and parents that informed the development of the new principal profile.
School Profile
Grade Levels: Preschool-5th
Number of Students: 275
Class Size: 24
Student-Teacher Ratio: 1:24
Welcome to Altadena Arts Magnet
Dr. Benita Scheckel Head of School
The Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) is pleased to announce the selection of Benita Scheckel as Principal of Altadena Arts Magnet. Ms. Scheckel was promoted after a competitive process that included input provided by Altadena Arts Magnet stakeholders, students, employees, and parents that informed the development of the new principal profile.
“Ms. Scheckel’s accomplishments as an educator and her extensive arts background will be assets to the Altadena Arts Magnet community,” said Superintendent Brian McDonald. “I am pleased to promote Ms. Scheckel to Principal of Altadena Elementary.”
Ms. Scheckel was named the 2017 Most Promising New Administrator by the Association of California School Administrators Region VX. Since 2015, she has served as Assistant Principal of Marshall Fundamental Secondary School, where she led the Academy for Creative Industries, the college and career pathway program. She was previously the K-8 curriculum resource teacher at McKinley School. From 2011-2015, Ms. Scheckel was coordinator of the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme at Blair School and served on the team that brought the dual language immersion program to Blair. She began her teaching career at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts (LACHSA) in 1999 and joined PUSD in 2007 as an English and Music teacher at Blair School.
“I am passionate about joining together with the talent at Altadena Arts Magnet to create a premiere school for the arts and dual language immersion,” said Scheckel. “I look forward to making Altadena my home for a very long time.”
As a lead soprano in an opera touring company, Ms. Scheckel has sung internationally in several languages and performed in regional musical theater. She co-wrote Bend in the Road: The Anne of Green Gables Musical that premiered at the Pasadena Playhouse’s Carrie Hamilton Theatre, and was an official selection of the 2013 New York Musical Theatre Festival.
Ms. Scheckel has a bachelor of arts in vocal performance from California State University, Los Angeles, a Master’s in Cross Cultural Education from National University, and is currently pursuing a doctorate in Educational Leadership at Azusa Pacific University.
A native of Alhambra, Calif., Ms. Scheckel lives in Pasadena with her family.
Ms. Schekel replaces Ana Maria Apodaca, who served as principal of Altadena Arts Magnet since 2016, and of Field Elementary since 2007, and is now taking a year-long sabbatical to pursue other educational opportunities.
Arts Magnet: At Altadena Arts Magnet, visual and performing arts are an integral
part of a well-rounded education, boosting engagement and achievement.
Altadena Arts is one of three schools in PUSD to receive a $15 million dollar
federal arts magnet grant. This grant puts us in the top 3% in the nation of
elementary schools at which students receive instruction in all four art forms:
Dance, Music, Theatre and Visual/Graphic. We integrate arts with academics for
a rich, meaningful learning experience for all students.
French Dual Immersion: The goal is for students to become bilingual,
bi-literate, bi-cognitive, culturally sensitive citizens of the world. With the 90/10
model, our students leave with skills that prepare them for success in a dynamic,
competitive global society.
Supportive Culture: At Altadena Arts Magnet, children are taught how to think,
not what to think. Our dedicated teachers use evidence-based approaches
including, Balanced Literacy and Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports to:
empower students by celebrating each child’s unique abilities, perspectives, and
interests, provide opportunities for voice and choice, so students feel control over
their own learning, promote positive interactions with other students in a diverse,
connected learning community, build on students’ strengths to increase academic
achievement and social-emotional competencies, and to prepare students for
college and careers as illustrated in the PUSD Graduate Profile.
Arts Partnerships:
Every student builds a strong musical foundation through weekly classes taught
by EducationThrough Music -Los Angeles (ETM-LA). Students experience
fundamentals of dance with AMAN Dance, and students learn classical, modern,
and contemporary technique from Lineage Dance. Students learn music
composition with Southland Sings, and students in grades 3-5 may participate in
band, orchestra and strings with district Music Specialist, Karen Klages.
School, Community, and Business Partners include:
Parent/Teacher Association, School Site Council, English Learner Advisory
Committee, African American Parent Advisory Council, D’Veal Family Services,
Healthy Start, NAACP Altadena, Altadena Library, Altadena Historical Society,
MonteCedro, Caltech, and the Consulate General of France in Los Angeles,
French American Cultural Exchange (FACE) Foundation, and Pasadena Church.
Attendance Area and Open Enrollment
Altadena Arts is a neighborhood school with an attendance area of families who
have the privilege of enrolling based on their home address. Visit www.pusd.us to
see if you reside in the attendance area. Families not in the school’s area may
apply through the District’s annual Open Enrollment process. Please check
openenrollment.info for more information, including how to apply online.
