El Monte Union students, families and community members gathered for a groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate the start of construction for South El Monte High School’s modernization project on April 4, which will feature renovations to the entire campus including redesigned landscaping and outdoor seating, upgraded classrooms, library and administration building and state-of-the-art technology. The modernization project will include spaces that promote college and career readiness for all students, prioritizing flexibility to ensure work and learning spaces can be tailored to maximize the capabilities of both teachers and students.
Pioneer High School students were witness to the real-life consequences of impaired driving during the “Every 15 Minutes” program, a two-day event held April 3-4 that included a simulated live-action car crash, rescue efforts, the dramatized death of students, an overnight retreat and a mock funeral. “Every 15 Minutes” is a national campaign focused on high school juniors and seniors that aims to challenge students to think about the dangers of drunken driving. The campaign encourages students to think about the impact that their decisions can have on their family, friends and community.
Hacienda La Puente Unified is holding an opening ceremony for La Puente High School's new Dream Resource Center, one of eight centers located at schools throughout Los Angeles County that aim to provide a safe, welcoming space for students experiencing bullying and exclusion. The ceremony will celebrate the completion of a newly renovated classroom designed to cultivate social-emotional wellness and community and civic engagement through peer tutoring, social justice programming and much more.
La Serna High School senior Ivonne Perez recognized the importance of being a leader and acquiring an education early in her life. Growing up in a single-parent household, Perez helped raise her two younger siblings and many cousins, tutoring them and serving as a role model, even as she took on the most challenging and rigorous courses in pursuit of her dream career as an aerospace engineer. As a La Serna High freshman, Perez joined Puente, a four-year accelerated college prep program that has greatly enhanced Perez’s academic and leadership skills. As Perez established herself as a mentor who is willing to sacrifice personal time to help her classmates, she developed into one of La Serna’s top students, earning the distinction of summa cum laude. For her leadership skills and academic achievements, Perez was recognized by the Whittier Union Board of Trustees with an Award of Merit during its March 14 Board meeting.
Citrus High School student-athletes hit all the big shots and showed all the right moves during an inspiring 2023 basketball season that saw the team go undefeated with a 13-0 record, on their way to the Inland Empire Alternative Schools League (IEASL) championship. The Jaguars dominated their competition, outscoring them 686 to 337 during their unbeaten streak, highlighted by a stifling defense that on two separate occasions held their opponents to 16 points. This is the second year in a row that a Fontana Unified school has won the IEASL title, following Eric Birch High School’s championship season in 2022.
Hacienda La Puente Unified Fosters Learning with Family Workshops
Hacienda La Puente Unified invited families to participate in the Padres University and Meta Code Remix student and parent workshops, sponsored by the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, on March 25. During the event, guest speakers provided parents with resources regarding science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) college and career pathways. The Meta Code Remix student participants received a lively introduction to music production, engineering and coding, designed to foster an interest in STEM careers.
Whittier Adult School ESL Program Prepares Students for Careers
The Whittier Union Adult School has eliminated barriers to success for its English as a Second Language (ESL) students and received the California Adult Education Program’s Model Program Award of Distinction for its innovation and preparation of ESL students for lifelong careers. Over the past couple of years, the Adult School restructured its ESL program to focus on job readiness and occupational skills rather than solely teaching language. One goal was to increase ESL students’ involvement in career technical education courses and create pathways that were more aligned with the schedules and interests of ESL students.
El Monte Union’s Annual Choral Festival Showcases District Singers
Arroyo High School hosted its 19th Annual Invitational Choral Festival on March 28, where 23 choirs from El Monte, including all El Monte City School District choirs, performed individual songs, concluding the festival with a joint performance featuring all the student performers. The festival also showcased choirs from Arroyo High School, including A Capella Choir, Chamber Singers, Treble Choir and Glee Chorus led by choral director Jennifer Stanley.
Covina-Valley Unified School District’s exemplary reading program ranked highly in the California Reading Coalition California Reading Report Card, which was released on March 23. Out of 285 of the most populous school districts in the state, C-VUSD ranked fifth in the state and third in Los Angeles County. Covina-Valley Unified earned its ranking for its strong number of high-need students that met or exceeded grade-level standards on the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress and English language arts testing in 2021-22.
Bonita High School senior Jeremiah Weetly came to his AP Computer Science class on March 27 and took a seat at his desk, having no idea that his life would change dramatically by the time the dismissal bell rang. In front of his classmates and mom, Weetly was named a 2023 Edison STEM Scholarship winner and was presented with a check for $50,000 from Edison International, money that will help Weetly attend his dream college and study electrical and computer engineering. Weetly is one of just 30 students across Southern California to win the scholarship this year, as well as the first student at Bonita High to ever be named an Edison Scholar.
