Sporting their favorite Los Angeles Dodgers gear, Whittier High School students created a sea of blue and white in the school’s gym as they received a special visit from the Dodgers during a schoolwide Hispanic Heritage-themed pep rally on Feb. 3. Whittier High’s 1,700 students had the opportunity to meet Dodgers players and legends and play a variety of games with them during the pep rally, which was part of the team’s Love LA 2023 Community Tour. The Cruz Show from Real 92.3 pumped up students and emceed the event. The Whittier High School visit was part of several other stops on the Dodgers 19th annual community service tour, which focused on expressing gratitude and providing fun-filled activities and experiences for Dodger fans throughout Los Angeles County.
Baldwin Park Unified Community Learns from Dual Language Author
Baldwin Park Unified students and parents in the District’s Dual Language program learned about the additional benefits and resources for cultivating bilingual, biliterate and bicultural homes through a special guest lecture from award-winning author and speaker Maritere Rodriguez Bellas on Jan. 25. Bellas, a bilingual parent mentor and writer, visited multiple Baldwin Park Unified schools to speak with Dual Language students and teachers, including Foster, Geddes, Margaret Heath, Tracy and Walnut elementary schools. She concluded her trip at Olive Middle School, where she led a special parent discussion for more than 60 parents.
Fontana Unified Appoints Alumna as New Superintendent
Following a nationwide search and a lengthy process of gathering input from District employees and community members the Fontana Unified School District Board of Education appointed Miki Inbody as the District’s next superintendent during the Feb. 1 Board meeting. Inbody has deep ties to Fontana Unified, having attended schools in and previously working for the District.
Bonita Unified Board Approves Matt Wien as Superintendent
The Bonita Unified School District’s Board of Education unanimously approved Matt Wien as superintendent during its Feb. 1 meeting, earning deafening cheers and a standing ovation from a packed room of District teachers, staff, community leaders and families. The approval of Wien’s three-year contract for superintendent follows his success as acting and interim superintendent over nearly six months, during which he continued to serve in his previous position as assistant superintendent of educational services. Wien has more than 20 years of experience in education, nearly 13 of which have been spent in Bonita Unified.
4 Bonita Unified Students Named to All-State Honor Choirs
Bonita High School choral students Jhett Buggle, Trinity Moreno and Joe Ensign and San Dimas High School student Ethan Maun were selected for the California Choral Directors Association 2023 All-State Honor Choirs. The students will perform with the top high school musicians from across the state at the annual California Music Educators Association conference, to be held Thursday, Feb. 16 to Saturday, Feb. 18 in Fresno. Buggle, Moreno, Ensign and Maun were also selected to the Southern California Vocal Association Honor Choirs – an honor awarded to just 270 students this year – and showcased their musical talents in a culminating performance in November.
Hacienda La Puente Unified Students Celebrate Lunar New Year
Hacienda La Puente Unified students performed lion and dragon dances, created handmade lanterns and engaged in fun-filled Asian American and Pacific Islander lesson plans as they heralded the Year of the Rabbit with Lunar New Year celebrations and exhibits across the District. Hacienda La Puente Unified will conclude its festivities with a Districtwide Lunar New Year celebration from 6 to 8 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 3 at the Hacienda Heights Community Center, located at 1234 Valencia Ave, Hacienda Heights.
La Serna High School has been recognized by the College Board for expanding young women’s access to Advanced Placement (AP) Computer Science classes, presenting the school with its 2022 AP Computer Science Female Diversity Award. This is the second year La Serna has received the award. The Female Diversity award is given to schools that have 50% or more female exam-taker representation in its AP Computer Science Principles (AP CSP) class or a percentage of CSP exam takers that meets or exceeds that of the school’s female population. La Serna is one of just 832 high schools across the country to receive the award in 2022. AP CSP is an introductory course that provides a thorough overview of computer science, from learning programming languages like Python, to website building with HTML and CSS. Glass compares the class to sampling different flavors at an ice cream shop, allowing students to discover which aspects of computer science appeal to them.
New Year’s 2023 will hold a special place in the memories of an elite group of Bonita Unified students, who were selected to don traditional red and white uniforms, march down Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena and showcase their musical talents on a world stage as part of Pasadena City College’s (PCC) Tournament of Roses Honor Band. Six students from Bonita and San Dimas high schools were among the 230 musicians to march with the prestigious group, which consists of high school students from throughout Southern California and members of the PCC Lancer Marching Band, down the 5.5-mile parade route on Jan. 2.
Covina-Valley Unified students, families, and dignitaries were greeted with a red carpet and balloons as they gathered at the new C-VUSD Health and Wellness Center for a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Jan. 30, marking a new chapter in the District’s history of increasing access to vital mental and physical wellness resources. The Health and Wellness Center, located at the former Lark Ellen Elementary School, has been in development for the past year. The space will offer students and families services and resources that help eliminate barriers to school success, including medical screenings, mental health screenings, counseling services, and more.
The Lynwood Partners Educational Foundation (LPEF) received a $200,000 two-year grant from the California Community Foundation that will allow LPEF to support the Lynwood Unified School District (LUSD) to increase college readiness through the Lynwood College Pledge and Alumni Center, award scholarships to students, and provide additional financial support to inspire success in higher education. The grant from the California Community Foundation is a part of the Los Angeles Scholars Investment Fund that combines multi-year scholarships with additional support resources proven to help students graduate.
