SAN DIMAS/LA VERNE – Bonita Unified School District students showcased their passion and skill for math at the Los Angeles County Office of Education’s 2025 Math Field Day, earning top honors in a rigorous academic competition that challenged students to think critically, collaborate, and problem-solve.

Teams of students from grades four through eight represented the District at the competition on April 26, after placing first at Bonita Unified’s own Math Field Day in March. The District’s top-performing teams advanced to the county level, where they continued weeks of training and preparation under the guidance of their coaches.

“I felt so happy that I could represent my school,” Ramona Middle School sixth-grader Alicia Chong said. “I learned a lot about working together as a team to do math. I love math because you can use it for so many things in your regular life.”

The competition consisted of two written assessments – one focused on conceptual understanding and the other on sense making. Bonita Unified’s fourth-grade team from Ekstrand Elementary earned first place in the sense making category, while the fifth-grade team from Gladstone Elementary took third place in the same category. The sixth-grade team from Ramona Middle School placed second in conceptual understanding and earned the best overall award for their grade level. These students brought home medals and a trophy to celebrate their success.

“We’ve been going to County Math Field Day since fourth grade, and this is our second year in a row we placed first,” Ramona Middle School sixth-grader Audrey Ye said. “It felt really good to be on a winning streak, and I hope we can keep it going next year!”

Although they did not place at the county event, BUSD was also represented by a seventh-grade team from Lone Hill Middle School and eighth-grade team from Ramona who displayed their hard work, resolve, and resilience.

“Participating in events such as these strengthens higher-level critical thinking and teaches students how to collaborate and persevere to solve problems,” BUSD math teacher on special assignment Deb Brownlee said. “We often celebrate our athletes and artists, but this was a special opportunity to celebrate academic achievement and highlight our incredible mathletes.”

The Math Field Day continued with MATHCHELLA and STEM Fair events, allowing students to participate in math puzzles, games, and activities while the teams’ tests were being graded.

“Our students continue to inspire us with their curiosity, dedication, and collaborative spirit,” Bonita Unified Superintendent Matt Wien said. “Their outstanding performance at Math Field Day is a testament to their hard work and to the strength of Bonita Unified’s commitment to academic excellence. We are incredibly proud of how they represented our schools.”

PHOTOS:

BUSD_MATHFIELDDAY1: Ramona Middle School sixth-graders Audrey Ye, Alicia Chong, Leo Wang, and Josiah Lee – alongside their coach Alina Sturgis – are honored during the May 7 Board of Education meeting for their first-place finish at the Los Angeles County Office of Education’s 2025 Math Field Day.

BUSD_MATHFIELDDAY2: Ekstrand Elementary fourth-grade students Elijah Lacanilao, Presley Carrillo, James Wong, William Bahmanou, and Jude Laing – as well as principal Gerard Granade and coach Larissa Gotto – celebrate receiving gold medals in the sense making task at the Los Angeles County Office of Education’s 2025 Math Field Day. Bonita Unified’s Board of Education honored the students during the May 7 Board of Education meeting.