Buena Park Middle School Percussion Team Ends Successful First Year
Buena Park Middle School’s Percussion Program ended its inaugural year with a trip to the Southern California Percussion Alliance (SCPA) Finals, garnering praise from friends, family, audience members and industry professionals. The Percussion Program, which consists of 26 Buena Park Middle School students, competed against five different area schools at the SCPA Finals at Azusa Pacific University on April 8 after competing in two previous events this year. Buena Park Middle School earned a first-place distinction at the SCPA Regional Show on Feb. 11.
Summit High School’s instrumental and vocal music programs blew the judges away with their melodious sounds at the Heritage Festival hosted by WorldStrides on March 24, earning them multiple awards and placements. Summit’s Madrigal Choir earned a silver medal in the chamber choir category, putting on a strong performance in their first year of participating in the festival. The Wind Ensemble and Advanced Orchestra groups won 3A division national titles, both earning the Adjudicator award for scoring above 95%. Additionally, the Advanced Orchestra took home the sweepstakes title in the orchestral division for the second year in a row, indicating they received the highest score of any competing orchestra.
Bonita Unified Sports Medicine Team Advances to Nationals
San Dimas High School’s sports medicine competition team placed sixth in the state and ninth overall in the small schools division of the American Academic Competition Institute (AACI) Sports Medicine Competition, held in March at Cal State Northridge. The competition tests students’ knowledge and practical skill in anatomy and physiology, CPR/AED, first aid, orthopedic assessment and general medical conditions through an extensive written exam, a practical exam and an interactive anatomy challenge. The team’s strong performance will advance them to the AACI National Sports Medicine Competition in May.
Santa Fe High School senior and student leader Christian Sanchez has become a prominent figure on campus for his tenacity and commitment to fostering a sense of community amongst his peers, as well as his unwavering dedication to creating unforgettable experiences for those around him. As a member of Santa Fe High School’s Associated Student Body (ASB), Sanchez's contributions to the school's social and academic life are undeniable, as he sometimes spends his weekends tirelessly preparing for student activities and assemblies. While juggling his ASB responsibilities, Sanchez has managed to complete 25 honors and Advanced Placement credits in the span of three semesters. For his motivation to be a student leader and his numerous academic achievements, Sanchez was recognized by the Whittier Union Board of Trustees with an Award of Merit during its April 11 Board meeting.
Covina High Senior Named National Merit Scholarship Finalist
Covina High School senior Heidi Alhannat dreams of breaking down barriers and showing others that they can do anything they set their minds to. This passion has driven Alhannat to outstanding achievement in her academic and personal pursuits, earning her recognition as a National Merit Scholarship finalist. Alhannat has been accepted to several prestigious schools, including Harvard University and Stanford University. Both schools boasted incredibly low acceptance rates for the 2022-23 applying class, with Harvard maintaining a 3.4% acceptance rate according to Crimson Education, and Stanford holding a 3.7% acceptance rate according to the Stanford Daily.
Bonita Unified School District continued to outpace school districts across the state in reading competency, ranking No. 1 in the state on the California Reading Coalition’s (CRC) California Reading Report Card, based on California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress English language arts test scores from 2021-22. Among districts with at least 100 economically disadvantaged Latino third-grade students, Bonita Unified led the way with 53% of the subgroup meeting or exceeding California grade-level standards. Bonita Unified’s No. 1 ranking is the result of a years-long District commitment to boost reading comprehension across all grade levels, embracing a data-driven method that reflects teaching practices proven by extensive research to effectively teach children how to read.
Bonita Unified Culinary Students Advance to National Competition
San Dimas High School ProStart restaurant management students punched their tickets to Washington, D.C. after their idea for an unapologetically delicious, fast-casual restaurant specializing in guilty pleasure entrees won first place in the California Restaurant Foundation’s 2023 ProStart Cup. Following their victory at the state competition in March, the winning students will now advance to the nation’s capital to compete in the National ProStart Invitational, to be held Tuesday, May 2 to Thursday, May 4 at the Washington Hilton. The first-place victory was the capper in a historic day for the Bonita Unified ProStart culinary program, with five San Dimas High and Bonita High teams placing in the top five in both the culinary and restaurant management categories, and more than a dozen students winning a total of $80,000 in scholarships. Photos are available.
Sixty-five of the top instrumental music students from all five of the Whittier Union High School District’s comprehensive high schools will take to the stage during the District’s annual Honor Band Concert at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, April 21. The concert will take place at the Vic Lopez Auditorium, 12417 Philadelphia St, Whittier. Students will be under the baton of guest conductor Anthony Parnther, who has forged a career that melds his love for the music of all genres with his prowess as a conductor, bassoonist, opera singer, producer, storyteller, comedian, and activist. The District’s Honor Band represents the best instrumental music students in the District who all had to put their skills to the test and pass an audition to be part of the prestigious ensemble.
Buena Park School District students demonstrated new and exciting teaching techniques, such using Apple apps to design video games and learning geometry and architecture by programming Cue robots to draw two-dimensional houses, during the District’s second annual Innovation Showcase, held April 6 at Buena Park Middle School. The Innovation Showcase is designed to show the progress students are making as they expand their knowledge and creative skills in science, technology, engineering and math subjects.
Santa Fe High School senior and student leader Christian Sanchez has become a prominent figure on campus for his tenacity and commitment to fostering a sense of community amongst his peers, as well as his unwavering dedication to creating unforgettable experiences for those around him. As a member of Santa Fe High School’s Associated Student Body (ASB), Sanchez's contributions to the school's social and academic life are undeniable, as he sometimes spends his weekends tirelessly preparing for student activities and assemblies. While juggling his ASB responsibilities, Sanchez has managed to complete 25 honors and Advanced Placement credits in the span of three semesters. For his motivation to be a student leader and his numerous academic achievements, Sanchez was recognized by the Whittier Union Board of Trustees with an Award of Merit during its April 11 Board meeting.
