Baldwin Park Unified Bond Projects Focus on Facility, Safety Upgrades
Baldwin Park Unified students and employees are benefiting from new air conditioning systems, upgraded athletic facilities and improved safety thanks to Measure K, a bond approved by voters in 2006, and Measure AE, a bond approved in 2018. Combined bond funds are being used for the Safe Schools Initiative to increase security across the District, including the installation of security cameras, a new PA system and clock speakers.
Several undocumented Río Hondo College future students will soon receive scholarships to attend college, thanks to a pledge from Mexican singer Alejandro Fernández to donate a portion of concert proceeds from his “Amor y Patria” tour this fall. Fernández will donate partial proceeds from his exclusive and limited “Amor y Patria” run in September, to Río Hondo College as a means of funding the education of undocumented students under Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), also known as ‘Dreamers.’ To be considered for the scholarship, students need to submit a Río Hondo College Foundation Scholarship Application. Río Hondo College, which is the only southern California organization receiving the donation, plans to utilize this gift to provide five ‘Dreamers’ with scholarships for the 2022-23 school year, with additional awards to be confirmed.
The Randall Pepper Elementary School robotics team will seek a return trip to Europe when it competes in the 2022 WRO-USA National Championship and International Friendly. More than 100 teams from across the United States and 30 international teams will participate in the tournament, including students from Fontana Unified’s Southridge Tech Middle School. Winners will qualify for World Robot Olympiad, to be held in Dortmund, Germany in November 2022. The WRO-USA National Championship will be held on Saturday, Aug. 27 at the Ontario International Airport Hangar, 1923 E. Avion Ave., Ontario. The main competition will run from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m.; a dinner and awards ceremony will follow at 7 p.m.
Bonita Unified School District students descended upon cheerfully decorated campuses – bedecked with vibrant welcome signs and filled with cheers of encouragement – on Aug. 22, marking the start of a new school year that is focused on empowering students to live their purpose and ensuring new levels of achievement. Roynon Elementary School welcomed new and returning students with cardboard cutouts of superheroes representing every grade level, including transitional kindergarten (TK), which is being offered to more students than ever, thanks to the rollout of a universal TK program that has welcomed nearly 430 young learners to classrooms this year.
Sequoia Middle School has been honored for its stellar implementation of Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) – a college-prep elective that works to narrow the achievement gap between the lowest- and highest-performing students – and named one of three San Bernardino County schools to earn a 2022 AVID Teacher Advocacy Award. The AVID Teacher Advocacy Award honors and supports outstanding California AVID teachers and school site teams while encouraging the implementation of AVID schoolwide and the sharing of best practices among peers. Sequoia was awarded $10,000 to be used for further implementation of AVID.
Río Hondo College's Honors Transfer Program is celebrating an 81% transfer rate to UCLA, with nearly 100% of all students that complete the program being accepted to four-year colleges or universities. This transfer rate is exceptional, according to Río Hondo College Honors Transfer Program Coordinator and Professor of Sociology Melissa Rifino Juarez, because UCLA is one of the most prestigious colleges in the world.
Buena Park School District has teamed up with several local entities to boost its focus on literacy through the “Leaders are Readers” campaign, which aims to showcase how reading can allow children to reach great heights. Buena Park School District Superintendent Dr. Ramon Miramontes met with leaders from the City of Buena Park, the Buena Park Library District, the Buena Park Police Department and Centralia Elementary School District on Aug. 9 to discuss what literacy meant to them.
Hacienda La Puente Unified Elementary School Fosters Positivity
The Hacienda La Puente Unified Board of Education and Superintendent Dr. Alfonso Jiménez introduced Dr. Marci Chavez as Nelson Elementary School’s new principal during its board meeting on Aug. 11. Dr. Chavez, who has been with the District for more than 15 years, most recently serving as Nelson Elementary’s interim principal, is known for providing her students with a safe and nurturing learning environment, while focusing on improving school culture with positivity.
Banning Unified Welcomes New Principal of Cabazon Elementary School
Banning Unified School District has selected Dr. Ricky Anderson, an enthusiastic educator and administrator with a long-standing passion for leading in education, to take the helm as Cabazon Elementary School’s principal. Cabazon Elementary School held its Back to School Night on Aug. 9, allowing parents to meet Anderson and familiarize themselves with their children’s teachers and classrooms.
Baldwin Park Unified’s BP STEM Academy expanded its award-winning middle school robotics program to the elementary level this summer, with students on the elementary and middle school teams preparing for the new academic year during a robotics summer camp from Aug. 1 to Aug. 12. Students learned about this year’s VEX competitions and started the design-phase for the robots that will compete in the upcoming season.
