La Serna High School senior Ivonne Perez recognized the importance of being a leader and acquiring an education early in her life. Growing up in a single-parent household, Perez helped raise her two younger siblings, even as she pursued her dream career as an aerospace engineer. As a La Serna High freshman, Perez joined the college prep program Puente, which greatly enhanced her academic and leadership skills. As Perez established herself as a mentor willing to sacrifice personal time to help her classmates, she developed into one of La Serna’s top students. For her leadership skills and academic achievements, Perez was recognized by the Whittier Union Board of Trustees with an Award of Merit during its March 14 Board meeting.
The Associated Student Body (ASB) at San Dimas High School creates a community of inclusivity where every Saint feels like they belong. This service-minded leadership and encouragement of students has earned San Dimas High ASB the Outstanding Leadership Program Award (OLPA) by the California Association of Student Leaders. The OLPA is a distinguished award presented only to 5% of eligible schools whose student leadership programs demonstrate that students are growing as ethical, responsible and servant-minded leaders. San Dimas High ASB students were recognized for exhibiting their skills at adapting activities and events, providing resources, supporting staff and students, working toward creating an equitable campus and more.
Buena Park School District Education Foundation Hosts Casino Night
The Buena Park School District Education Foundation welcomes residents 18 and over to participate in Casino Night, which is being held to raise funds to support teachers, grants and support programs for the Buena Park School District. Casino Night will be held at the Buena Park Community Center from 6 to 10 p.m., Saturday, May 6. The Buena Park Community Center is located at 6688 Beach Blvd., Buena Park. To purchase tickets, go to https://buff.ly/402C6q4.
Fontana Unified Students to Showcase Creativity in IB Art Exhibition
Students in Jurupa Hills High School’s International Baccalaureate (IB) program will showcase their creative talents in a variety of media during the school’s annual IB Art Exhibition, to be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, April 7, at 8657 Sierra Ave., Fontana. Student artwork will be for sale at the exhibit, which is held in partnership with the Fontana Foundation of Hope.
Bonita Unified Choirs to Embark on Performance Tour Across Hawaii
Bonita High School’s Chamber Singers and Concert Choir will spend spring break showcasing their vocal talents as they travel across Oahu, Hawaii during a performance tour from Sunday, April 1 to Tuesday, April 4. Bonita choral students will perform at various venues, visit with high school and college choirs, take a master class and more. Bonita High School’s award-winning choral ensembles have performed at festivals and concerts at storied venues across the nation, including Carnegie Hall, the Lincoln Center in New York and Symphony Hall in Chicago.
The El Monte Union High School District will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the newest upgrades to Mountain View High’s Cafetorium, to be held at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, March 29. The project features retractable auditorium seating, an open stage for performances, and more. The event will include a welcome reception with speeches and food prepared by Mountain View Culinary Arts program. Following the reception, there will be student performances within the cafetorium to give the school community a look into the new facility. Mountain View High is located at 2900 Parkway Dr., El Monte.
Fontana Unified Students to Showcase Carpentry Skills in Design Build
Fontana High School’s Career Connections students will put their design and construction skills to the test during the 38th annual Construction Industry Education Foundation Design Build Competition, to be held Wednesday, March 22 and Thursday, March 23. Design Build challenges students to design, plan, and construct a 96 square-foot structure that meets a set of criteria established under the advisement of industry professionals. In the 2022 competition, with only five months of carpentry construction to guide them, the FOHI team outpaced more experienced teams with twice the number of builders and finished in second place. The competition will be held in Lot D at Golden West College, 15744 Goldenwest St., Huntington Beach.
Miki R. Inbody returned to Fontana Unified School District – which she attended as a student, and where she in turn served the next generation of students as an educator and administrator – on March 13 to begin her tenure as the District’s new superintendent. Inbody, an alumna of Fontana High School, also served as a teacher, principal and administrator for Fontana Unified. She returns to her hometown and home district as the top administrator after a few years as the Assistant Superintendent of Education Support Services at the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools.
LUSD was awarded $440,000 in Local Agency Technical Assistance (LATA) grants by the California Public Utilities Commission, allowing the District to break down learning barriers by providing digital equity for students. The funds will be used to develop a citywide broadband feasibility study that determines the viability of launching a broadband service in the city. Lynwood partnered with SiFi Networks to build an open-access fiber network called ONE Lynwood, in the hopes of bringing free and low-cost broadband to the community. The LATA funding will help support the developmental and operational costs of the network and broadband efforts.
The National Alliance on Mental Illness and the Gay-Straight Alliance clubs at Baldwin Park High School provide resources and activities to support students' mental and emotional health. Baldwin Park High’s Peace, Pride and Produce Garden, launched in 2021, was designed to be a safe and welcoming space for the school’s LGBTQIA+ community. Since then, the school has expanded mental health and wellness resources available to students. The garden is just one part of a campus-wide mental health initiative that includes monthly activities such as Mindful Mondays, Thoughtful Thursdays and Foodie Fridays.
