Baldwin Park Unified Schools Support Students with Wellness Rooms
Baldwin Park Unified students are benefiting from an additional level of support through the creation and implementation of wellness rooms on nine campuses across the District. Sierra Vista High School launched its Wellness Center this month, with the guidance and oversight from Kaiser Permanente’s Educational Outreach Program and Sierra Vista’s social worker, to create a space that allows students to disconnect and unwind from the stressors of life. De Anza and Walnut elementary schools have also recently formed wellness rooms that will enable students and teachers to benefit from a calming atmosphere, complete with sensory activities and emotional decompressing stations.
Bonita Unified Students Perform in 2023 Rose Parade Honor Band
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. Bonita Unified was represented by Bonita High senior Matt Siasoco (trombone), Bonita High juniors Aidan Millan (trombone), Charlotte Gann (xylophone), Evan Wang (clarinet) and Lake Ericson (cymbals), as well as San Dimas High School sophomore Maisie Phan (trombone).
6 Baldwin Park Unified Robotics Teams Qualify for State Finals
BP STEM Academy qualified three additional robotics teams for the VEX Robotics State Championship, to be held in March, including two elementary-level teams that advanced in their first year of competition. A third secondary-level team qualified after being named robotic skills champions on Jan. 21 at the Rio Hondo League finals. This year, six of the eight robotics teams at BP STEM Academy qualified for the State Championship.
Whittier Union Students Display Talents During Whittier Sings Event
Whittier-area students came together for a fun-filled day of singing and making new friends and memories during the District’s Whittier Sings event on Jan. 25. Whittier Sings is a one-day choir camp for middle and high school students in the District’s attendance area. During the event, students were provided with lunch, dinner, a t-shirt and the opportunity to make music with one another. The event, which took place at the Vic Lopez Auditorium in Whittier High School, saw students participate in teambuilding games and rehearsals as they prepared for an informal free concert in the evening.
Bonita Unified High School Receives AP Female Diversity Award
San Dimas High School has been recognized by the College Board for its work in establishing equal gender representation in its Advanced Placement Computer Science Principles (AP CSP) class, honoring the school with its 2022 AP Computer Science Female Diversity Award. This is the first year that San Dimas High has been recognized with the award since initiating its program in 2019. The award is given to schools that have AP CSP classes with 50% or more female exam taker representation, or a percentage of CSP exam takers that meets or exceeds that of the school’s female population. San Dimas is one of just 832 high schools across the United States to receive the award in 2022.
Sierra Vista High School junior Jinhui Liu was recognized as a first-place winner in the high school division of the National Association for Bilingual Education (NABE) student essay contest. Liu delivered a passionate essay about how being a bilingual student has helped him connect with others and be a source of good while he serves those around him. Liu received a $500 scholarship, trophy and certificate. Liu will present his essay in English and Mandarin at the annual NABE conference in Portland on Feb. 24, joined by his mother and Sierra Vista High teacher Charlene Fried. This is the third year in a row that Fried has taught and mentored a NABE essay winner.
Covina-Valley to Hold Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony for Wellness Center
Covina-Valley Unified School District will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its new Health and Wellness Center and Family Resource Room at 4 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 30. The center will provide a full-service location for students and families to access resources that help eliminate barriers to school success, and serve as a hub for the District’s social workers while providing a variety of no-cost and low-cost programs and services to C-VUSD children, youth and families. The Covina-Valley Health and Wellness Center (formerly Lark Ellen Elementary School) is located at 4555 N. Lark Ellen Ave., Covina.
Covina High School senior Kevin Nguyen will take his studies to the East Coast in fall 2023 after receiving early admission to New York University for his impactful academic and personal achievements. Nguyen is a first-generation Asian American student whose parents emigrated from Vietnam during the Vietnam War. Nguyen has worked at his family’s nail salon since he was eight years old, an experience that has inspired him to study business at NYU.
The El Monte Union High School District will host a groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate the start of construction and upgrades to Arroyo High School’s athletic field at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 31. The project will feature a new rubberized track and field, bleachers, concession stands and restrooms and a grand stadium entrance. The AHS athletic field project aims to promote healthy living, school spirit and will serve as a gathering place for physical fitness activities, athletic events, health and wellness instruction, student performances and school community functions. Arroyo High School is located at 4921 Cedar Ave., El Monte.
Lynwood and Firebaugh high school students received more than $3 million in scholarships from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) schools during a Black College Expo Caravan event on Jan. 23, hosted in partnership with the National College Resources Foundation. Lynwood and Firebaugh juniors and seniors came prepared with transcripts to meet with 30 HBCU representatives from across the country. With no application fees, many students received on the spot acceptances and full-ride scholarships.
