Baldwin Park Unified’s Elwin Elementary Closes with Final Farewell
Baldwin Park Unified hosted a farewell event for the Elwin Elementary School community on May 25 to celebrate and honor the legacy of the school and its students, teachers, staff and alumni. More than 300 Elwin Elementary community members reminisced on the years gone by while enjoying an outdoor barbeque with current students and families. The Board of Education took action on March 22 and approved the closure of Elwin Elementary School after the 2021-22 school year because of continued declining enrollment.
Baldwin Park Unified Celebrates Class of 2022 Graduates
Decked out in caps, gowns and tassels, nearly 1,000 Baldwin Park Unified Class of 2022 graduates celebrated the final moments of their high school journeys during commencement ceremonies held on June 1 and 2. With raucous crowds of family and friends cheering wildly, Baldwin Park, Sierra Vista and North Park high school grads gave each other farewell hugs, listened to inspirational speeches, and proudly walked on stage to receive their diplomas, with many acknowledging their supporters with waves and smiles. The Class of 2022 boasted many distinguished scholars who will move on to universities such as Stanford and Washington University in St. Louis.
Almeria Middle School eighth-grade student Alejandro Irineo waited two years for the chance to showcase his archery skills at the national level. Taking advantage of his opportunity, Irineo shot his way to a sixth-place finish in the middle school boys division of the 2022 Olympic Archery in Schools (OAS) National Championship. Facing off against dozens of highly skilled competitors from California and Florida at the April 23 championship, Irineo started strong, hitting a bullseye on his first shot, and ended stronger, making 11 of his 19 bullseyes in the final five rounds of the 12-round competition. Irineo finished with 342 total points, only 18 points shy of a perfect score.
El Monte Union High School District will host commencement ceremonies for the District’s five comprehensive high schools, alternative high school, adult school and transition center. The ceremony schedules are as follows: Granada Adult Transition Center at 10 a.m. Thursday, June 2 at the Adult Transition Center; Fernando R. Ledesma High School at 5 p.m. Thursday, June 2 at Fernando R. Ledesma High School; Arroyo High School at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 2 at Bergstrom Stadium; Mountain View High School at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 2 at Viking Stadium; El Monte High School at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 2 at Lion Stadium; South El Monte High School at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 2 at Eagle Stadium; and Rosemead High School at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 2 at Panther Field.
Covina-Valley Unified will host commencement ceremonies to honor approximately 1,000 graduates from the District’s three comprehensive high schools and alternative high school. Covina-Valley’s 2022 graduates have been accepted to colleges and universities including the University of California, Berkeley, Columbia, Stanford, USC and UCLA.
Buena Park School District honored teachers, administrators and staff for reaching milestones such as years of service, boosting student achievement, commitment to the District and students and upcoming retirements during an Employee Recognition Celebration on May 18. The event was held at the Buena Park Community Center, where families and friends of recognized employees gathered to cheer on their loved ones. More than 60 employees were celebrated during the ceremony and guests included a field representative from Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva, Chairman of the Board for Orange County Supervisors/4th District Supervisor Doug Chaffee, City of Buena Park Mayor Sunny Park and City of Buena Park City Council members Beth Swift and Connor Traut.
Baldwin Park Unified Elementary Students Perform at LA Live
Baldwin Park Unified students from Geddes and Margaret Heath elementary schools will showcase their dancing skills from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 10 during a Spring Celebration at L.A. Live. The 12 BPUSD fourth and fifth grade students are members of Conga Kids, an organization that brings dance to elementary schools, and were selected to advance to the Conga Kids Grand-Finale Competition. L.A. Live is located at 800 W. Olympic Blvd. Los Angeles. For more information, visit www.congakids.org/comp.
South El Monte High School honored its first cohort of Early College Academy Graduates with a lively dinner/social hour, awards and presentations and remarks from District administrators during a special Gala and Awards Night on May 17. The evening celebrated the successful participation of 82 members of the Early College Academy Class of 2022 in the dual enrollment program with Río Hondo Community College. A number of students completed more than 18 units, taking courses such as American Sign Language, Chicano Studies and Sociology.
Baldwin Park Unified Seniors Recognized as District Scholarship Winners
Baldwin Park Unified celebrated 10 exceptional seniors on May 12 during the District’s virtual Joint Scholarship Awards Ceremony. Scholarships included a $5,000 award from the Ramona Burnham Foundation, named in honor of long-time BPUSD educator Ramona Burnham; four $750 scholarships from the Baldwin Park Organization of Supervisors and Administrators; three $500 scholarships from the Baldwin Park Education Association and two $750 Delta Kappa Gamma Society International scholarships.
Hacienda La Puente Unified Recognizes Seniors at Award Ceremony
Celebratory spirit filled the gymnasiums of Hacienda La Puente Unified’s four comprehensive high schools during the District’s annual Senior Awards presentations, held May 10 and 12. Graduating seniors who achieved academic, athletic, artistic and philanthropic excellence received certificates and scholarships from teachers, principals, HLPUSD Board members and District sponsors as audience members cheered.
