Lynwood Unified has been awarded a $25,000 grant from the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture Advancement Arts Grant Program. LUSD is one of 41 school districts to receive the grant to expand access to instruction in dance, media arts, music, theater, and visual arts.
El Monte Union students, families and alumni displayed their ‘Viking Pride’ during Mountain View High School’s 50th anniversary celebration on Oct. 15, which brought the community together for an evening of activities and student performances that highlighted the school’s enduring culture of collaboration, inspiration, and achievement. Guy Richard, a member of Mountain View’s first graduating class in 1974, helped to set a tone of gratitude and celebration, reflecting on his Mountain View experience as one that provided a stepping stone to college and career and empowered him to fulfill his dreams.
In the span of two years, California High School senior Elizabeth “Lizzie” Guzman lost both of her parents as her mother succumbed to pancreatic cancer and her father was incarcerated. With help from her maternal grandparents and aunt – who became her caretakers – Guzman found the motivation to work through her grief and excel in school, becoming a star student at Cal High. Guzman has thrived academically, earning a 4.19 GPA, and challenging herself with Advanced Placement (AP) classes. To acknowledge her unwavering courage and perseverance, Guzman was honored with an Award of Merit by the Whittier Union Board of Trustees during an Oct. 12 board meeting.
Río Hondo College students are delivering vibrant expressions of Chicano/a and Latino/x culture through their work on a Día de Los Muertos altar, which is on display at the Self Help Graphics & Art exhibition in Los Angeles, ‘Everything Connected: Land, Body, Cosmos. The exhibition, which runs through Nov. 24, is part of an ongoing partnership between Río Hondo College Arts and Cultural Programs and Self Help Graphics & Art – a community arts center that encourages and promotes Chicano/a and Latino/x artists. Río Hondo students Art Aguilar, Meliza Lopez, Emily Lopez and Esbeidy Nuñez created the altar to acknowledge the meaning of Día de Los Muertos, or Day of the Dead – a celebration associated with the joyful observance of death and life. The altar was created under the direction of master altaristas Ofelia Esparza and Rosanna Esparza Ahrens, and Río Hondo College’s Assistant Professor of Photography Miyo Stevens-Gandara.
Baldwin Park High School’s Dual Language program hosted the school’s 10th annual Día de los Muertos Celebration on Oct. 21, an event that featured live music, face painting, family games, an art gallery, and an altar-decorating competition. Musical performances included special guests Erik Antonio and the Mariachi Lindas Mexicanas.
Buena Park School District has expanded counseling services for its elementary schools, providing its youngest students with additional social-emotional support while teaching them about the importance of physical well-being. Each elementary school in the District now has a full-time dedicated counselor on campus; in addition, the District has contracted with Outreach Concern, a non-profit counseling agency, to have interns work as part-time counselors as they earn credits toward their degrees in social work and psychology.
After only four years of teaching, Mountain View High School instructor John Mann has been named the 2021-22 Teacher of the Year by El Monte Union High School District. Mann’s enthusiasm, dedication and innovation have inspired students in the school’s VISTA Academy to go on to careers in digital communications. One of his achievements has been to provide seniors with access to professional-grade RED cameras and training with industry professionals, as well as access to a full-service production facility and working backlot, where they partner with Mountain View’s drama program to direct and film their own short movies.
All Baldwin Park Unified students will receive free breakfast, lunch, and supper for the remainder of the 2021-22 school year. Families can also plan their meals ahead by visiting Nutrition Services’ weekly food menu. Students who take packed lunches to school will be eligible to take home three meals for free.
Compton Health Bar founder Dani Solorio, who has been featured on the CBS show “Destination LA” for bringing organic recipes to her community, paid a virtual visit to Lynwood Unified’s Lugo Elementary School to share a new menu item with parents during a special parent meeting on Oct. 21. Solorio shared the recipe for “Fire Cider,” a natural way to boost the immune system. Solorio graduated from Lynwood High School before becoming renowned for her journey as a Mexican immigrant who created a unique and vital health space in the Compton area that offers free health consultations, custom herbal remedies, homemade superfood formulas and natural dietary supplements.
Media students in Sierra Vista High School’s video production class, led by teacher Jenna Guerrero, released the new episode of Sierra Vision on Oct. 14 – a student-led video series that showcases Dons pride and excellence throughout the Sierra Vista campus. The newest episode recaps the month of September, including breakout moments in sports, club events and student activities. Watch the video.