Upland Unified School District’s 14 schools have been honored by the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools for their strong implementation of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), highlighting the District’s ongoing work to build supportive, inclusive campuses where students feel connected and ready to thrive. This year marks the first time that 13 out of 14 schools in Upland Unified earned recognition at the gold or platinum levels. Upland Elementary and Cabrillo Elementary received platinum recognition for the second time, while Baldy View and Pepper Tree elementary schools earned platinum for the first time. Citrus Elementary and Hillside High School achieved gold recognition for the first time and Foothill Knolls, Magnolia, Sierra Vista, Sycamore, and Valencia elementary schools earned repeat gold recognition. Upland High School received a repeat silver recognition.
Whittier Union High School District Board Member Gary Mendez will step down from the Board of Trustees effective Tuesday, Dec. 9, following Board action taken in closed session on Nov. 18. After closed session, the Board reported out that it approved a settlement agreement with Mendez, in which he submitted his resignation. Mendez will offer his final remarks at the start of the Dec. 9 Board meeting.
Ben Lomond Elementary School students are strengthening their understanding of character traits and learning to put them into action through the Character Strong program, ensuring students treat one another with respect, care, and integrity every day. The Character Strong program focuses on three key outcomes: “Be Strong, Be Kind, and Be Well.” Each month, students explore a new character trait through grade-level specific lessons and songs that reinforce positive behavior, helping them develop respect, responsibility, empathy, gratitude, honesty, and more.
Nearly 200 staff, faculty, and administrators from across the country gathered in San Diego on Nov. 12-14 for three days of connection, collaboration, and fresh thinking at the inaugural Caring Campus Conference: Building a National Culture of Care. The interactive event left attendees inspired and energized, equipped with new ideas, strategies, and tools to strengthen student success efforts on their own campuses. The conference highlighted the impact of Caring Campus, which empowers staff and faculty to cultivate cultures of care that boost student persistence, retention, and success.
Thirty-three Bonita Unified School District educators received more than $13,000 in teacher mini-grants from the La Verne/San Dimas Educational Foundation (LVSDEF) during the Nov. 5 Board of Education meeting, aimed at bolstering hands-on and engaging educational experiences. The grants will fund projects that strengthen instruction in literacy, science, arts, technology, and collaborative learning. Educators will use the funds to purchase classroom tools, and provide resources that support growth in key academic areas.
For more than 40 years, Bonita Unified School District has brought Tongva culture to life through “Hands on History: Native American Days,” an interactive field trip highlighting the artistry, traditions, and daily life of the Tongva people, who once lived throughout the region. Fourth-grade students from across the District participated in this year’s program at the California Botanical Garden in Claremont, engaging with six learning stations led by substitute teachers and parent volunteers, experiencing traditional games, ceremonies, crafts, food gathering and preparation, and hunting practices.
The South El Monte High School Lady Eagles volleyball team made history when it captured its first-ever CIF-Southern Section (CIF-SS) Div. 9 championship, defeating Nogales High School in a nail-biting five-set thriller on Nov. 8. The championship provided a memorable sendoff for a tight-knit coterie of seniors who came close to a title in 2024, and a homecoming for coach and South El Monte physical education teacher Kristina Puckett, who returned to lead the team after a yearslong hiatus.
Whittier Union High School District is one step closer to bringing its much-anticipated Performing Arts Center (PAC) to life, celebrating the beginning of construction of its vibrant, 450-seat, state-of-the-art theater with a community groundbreaking on Nov. 10. Construction is set to begin shortly, with a completion date of fall 2027. The PAC, created to spotlight Whittier Union’s visual and performing arts (VAPA) students and programs, was meticulously designed by SoCal-based LPA Design Studios. The firm collaborated closely with a wide range of stakeholders to create a space that is both visually striking and highly functional, while honoring the history and spirit of Whittier Union’s VAPA community.
Nearly 800 Fontana Unified special education students were celebrated in October with Achievement Awards recognizing their determination and commitment to learning, presented by the District’s Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA) and Community Advisory Committee (CAC). FUSD special education teachers and staff select the students, from early childhood through age 22, to receive Certificates of Achievement and gift vouchers to local diners including Applebee’s, B.J.’s, and Shakey’s, for their outstanding effort at school.
Pioneer High School students shared their high school experiences with future teachers during a field trip to Cal State University, Fullerton (CSUF) in October, designed to assist aspiring CSUF grad students as they learn the best strategies for providing equity in the classroom. Nine Pioneer High students lent their perspectives on school life during a panel titled “Speaking Our Truth: Young Men’s High School Perspectives on Culture and Belonging” to CSUF Diversity in Education students looking to earn their teaching credential.
