El Monte Union High School District students and families learned about how to succeed in high school, achieve their personal goals and prepare for college and career during the annual College and Career Family Conference, held Oct. 22 at the Pacific Palms Resort. The event, hosted in partnership with the District, El Monte City School District, El Monte Promise Foundation, Río Hondo College and the University of California, Irvine, welcomed more than 500 El Monte-area middle and high school students and families who participated in several information workshops, enjoyed a complimentary breakfast and received swag bags.
Jacqueline Garcia's third-grade class from Kenmore Elementary School received a first-place blue ribbon for their group poster, depicting a paper mâché tiger surrounded by cutouts of hands to mimic a jungle, at the eighth annual East San Gabriel Valley SELPA Community Advisory Committee Arts Festival on Oct. 24. More than 180 Baldwin Park Unified special education students celebrated a morning of arts education and engagement with activities ranging from decorating superhero masks to face painting, yoga and making beaded jewelry.
Buena Park Elementary School Upgrades During IB Candidacy
Buena Park School District’s Pendleton Elementary School has entered its first year of International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme (PYP) candidacy, during which administrators and staff members are receiving special training while students are learning how to take ownership of their own learning. The PYP offers an inquiry-based, transdisciplinary curriculum framework that promotes advanced learning opportunities in students ages three to 12. IB challenges students to become open-minded, empathetic leaders, achieved by integrating lessons on social-emotional growth, understanding the environment, enhancing critical thinking skills and more into the curriculum.
Whittier Union Adult School Course Provides Hands-On Experience
Whittier Union Adult School launched its inaugural Handy-Person Maintenance & Tech class during Fall Quarter 1, providing students with hands-on experience with industry equipment and real-world scenarios. Students worked on projects such as installing and removing toilets and faucets, patching drywall, basic electrical, door framing and more. Students enrolled in the class learn valuable skills and concepts that will help them to approach home maintenance repairs in a correct and safe manner. For more information on the Handy-Person Maintenance & Tech class, as well as other adult school offerings, visit their website.
Buena Park School District to Host Series of ‘Trunk or Treat’ Events
Buena Park School District welcomes parents to show off their brightly decorated cars while students receive spooky gifts, delightful treats and participate in fun activities during a series of “Trunk or Treat” events at Corey and Whitaker elementary schools on Friday, Oct. 28, providing District students with a safe place to trick or treat during the Halloween season. Whitaker School’s will take place from 4:30 to 7 p.m.; Corey School’s will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. Whitaker School is located at 8401 Montana Ave., Buena Park; and Corey School is located at 7351 Holder St., Buena Park.
Covina-Valley Unified School District is partnering with nonprofit organizations Food Finders, Shepherd’s Pantry and Project 29:11 to donate campus-generated food and beverage items that would otherwise be discarded. Nonprofit volunteers began picking up food items in September and donating them directly to families in need in surrounding communities. Donated food items often include produce, dairy and unserved hot entrees prepared for breakfast and lunch service. The three nonprofit organizations provide food, resources, and services to those in need. Volunteers from the organizations began picking up food items from schools in the District on Sept. 19 and donating them directly to families in need in surrounding communities. Donated food items vary from day to day based on meal participation trends and student preferences, but often include items such as produce, milk cartons, and unserved hot entrees prepared for breakfast and lunch service. The District has made periodic donations to food banks in the past, and has also taken part in other food-saving initiatives to reduce waste at schools.
The Sierra Vista High School girls flag football team spent the last year training daily to develop physical skills, confidence and to solidify personal bonds, as they built a team that has become a pioneer of the sport in the San Gabriel Valley. Baldwin Park Unified’s Sierra Vista High School is one of eight high schools selected for the pilot launch of the California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section (CIF-SS) girls flag football league. More than 70 teams applied for a coveted spot. The CIF-SS voted on Sept. 29 to make flag football an official girls high school sport, with the goal of making the game official in California by the 2023-24 school year.
El Monte Union High School District continued the annual tradition of celebrating its graduates, placing more than 450 banners throughout the District that feature the photos and academic accomplishments of its Class of 2022 grads from El Monte, South El Monte, Rosemead, Arroyo, Mountain View and Fernando R. Ledesma high schools. Created through a partnership between the cities of El Monte, South El Monte and Rosemead, the El Monte Promise Foundation and Los Angeles County First District Supervisor Hilda Solis, the banners display names and commencement photos of the graduates, as well as their post-graduation plans for college, trade school or military service.
Lynwood Unified School District schools have been recognized with Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) awards for their outstanding efforts in creating and maintaining a positive campus climate and creating an engaging school environment where students can succeed. Lynwood Unified is the only district in Los Angeles County to receive PBIS awards for each school this year. The awards were presented to principals and students during the Oct. 13 Board of Education meeting.
Gordon H. Beatty Middle School’s Debate Program students are researching current events, practicing their diction and challenging their preconceived ideas to sharpen their skills as they prepare for debate tournament season, which this year returns to the standard in-person format. More than 60 Beatty Middle School students, in grades six to eight, are part of the Debate Program, with 50 students participating in tournaments this year. The team is gearing up for its first Orange County Debate League tournament on Saturday, Oct. 22 at the Fall Friendship Scramble, which will be hosted at Buena Park Middle School, 6931 Orangethorpe Ave., Buena Park.
