The chant of “Angels! Angels! Angels!” echoed throughout the College Park Elementary campus, as Principal Alice Formaneck welcomed “The SportsLodge” radio host Roger Lodge for a special assembly to celebrate College Park being chosen for the Angels Adopt-a-School Program. The excitement intensified as Los Angeles Angels shortstop Zach Neto walked through the crowd of students to join Lodge. 

Throughout the 30-minute schoolwide assembly, Neto and Lodge emphasized the importance of attending school every day. “I love baseball, but there’s no baseball without an education. Before you can play, you have to do your best in school. I know it can be hard to get going in the morning, but you get to come to this amazing school every day,” Neto said.

Neto also shared advice on how perseverance can help students achieve their goals. After he was injured playing sports while in elementary school, he recalls being told maybe he shouldn’t play anymore. “I kept practicing, and I kept working hard, and I never gave up. You have to believe in yourself, and you can make your dreams come true,” he said.

Twenty-five students were invited to a meet-and-greet session with Neto and Lodge in the library, where they were given Angels hats and the opportunity to ask more questions in a quieter setting. First-grader Lillian Drake presented Neto with a card she made that proclaimed her love for the Angels. The shortstop promised to keep the card in his locker so he could see it before every game.

Each year, the Angels Baseball Foundation works with the Orange County Department of Education and Orange County Waste and Recycling (OCWR) to identify five local elementary schools with a commitment to green initiatives that support waste-diversion education among teachers, students, and families.​ College Park is the second Newport-Mesa Unified School District school selected for the honor in the program’s 17-year history. 

College Park students and staff were gifted tickets to the May 25 home game at Angel Stadium, Earth-shaped squishy balls from OCWR, a banner to be hung with pride outside the school, and a $2,000 grant to support continuing EcoChallenge programming. 

Second-grade teachers Michelle Hanscom, Kristin Viramontes, and New-New Lee were recognized at the assembly for their efforts using the academic standards-aligned EcoChallenge supplemental materials to increase students’ awareness of landfill processes, organic waste diversion, and resource recovery. 

EcoChallenge expands Newport-Mesa students’ knowledge of science and global citizenship. It fosters a sense of pride in their efforts to keep their school and their environment clean and healthy. They learn that even small actions can make a big difference.

Visit the district’s online photo gallery to view more photos of the Angels Adopt-a-School assembly at College Park.