Returning leaders of Lynwood Unified School District’s Board of Education took the Oath of Office during the Board reorganization meeting on Dec. 15. Alfonso Morales was re-elected as Board President, and Gary Hardy Jr. will now serve as the Vice-President. Additionally, Dr. Alma Carina Castro will serve as Clerk, with members Julian Del Real-Calleros and Maria Lopez completing the Board of Education. The ceremony also included a lively holiday performance from Firebaugh High School students.
The Rotary Club of La Verne presented Bonita Unified educators with a series of mini-grants, totaling more than $3,300 to support classroom projects and related expenses including supplies and books, during the Jan. 11 Board of Education meeting. Rotary Club president Craig Rubin awarded checks to nine teachers representing Bonita High School, Ramona Middle School and Grace Miller, Oak Mesa and Roynon elementary schools.
Covina-Valley Unified Business Students Gain Professional Skills
South Hills High School students are learning the unique skill sets they need to thrive in the world of business thanks to the school’s Business Management Career Technical Education pathway, which offers students the chance to learn and grow by operating as a real company. The pathway consists of four classes: Entrepreneurship, Sports Management, International Baccalaureate Business Management, and Virtual Enterprise. Virtual Enterprise, the most advanced class in the pathway, groups students into different functional departments -- including executive office, marketing, design, finance, and human resources -- and challenges them to design and develop a product of their own.
Baldwin Park Unified Elementary Students Receive New Shoes
Forty De Anza Elementary School students in kindergarten through fifth grade returned from the winter break on Jan. 10 to a special surprise of new pairs of shoes, socks and other goodies, thanks to Southern California Edison and the nonprofit program Shoes that Fit. After the distribution, students tried on their new shoes and then watched as Southern California Edison workers demonstrated how to operate the crane on their utility truck.
Baldwin Park Unified Robotics Teams Qualify for Championships
The middle school-level robotics program at Baldwin Park Unified’s BP STEM Academy qualified for the VEX Robotics State Championships, to be held in March. Two of the three qualifying teams, comprised of seventh-graders, earned spots in the State Championships as a result of their performance at a tournament in Orange County where they were awarded the Tournament Finalist Award.
Whittier Union French Teacher Receives Recognition of Merit
Santa Fe High School students have been saying “Oui, j'aime ça!” (“Yes, I love it!”) in world language teacher Isabelle Teraoka’s French class for more than 15 years, immersing themselves in French culture while channeling the Belgium native’s passion for language, words and sound. For her outstanding leadership and excellence in teaching and service, the American Association of Teachers of French (AATF) Southern California chapter has awarded Teraoka its 2022 Recognition of Merit in French Education. Teraoka received her award at the AATF end-of-year dinner at TAIX restaurant in Los Angeles in December 2022. Teraoka teaches four sections of French, Advanced Placement French and Spanish. She also encourages her students to attend extracurricular events, such as Whittier College’s annual French play and the American French Film Festival in Los Angeles.
Fontana Unified Receives Federal Grant for Mental Health Training
Recognizing a need to increase mental health awareness throughout the school district and community, Fontana Unified will begin a comprehensive mental health and wellness training initiative after being awarded a Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA) grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services worth more than $400,000. The SAMSHA grant, which will be split over four years, will go to the District’s Multi-Tiered System of Supports department to fund specialized training in detecting the signs of mental illness so that District staff can respond in a timely manner to avert a mental health crisis. Training will also be provided to the community so that families can better identify early warning signs of mental illness.
Six El Monte Union students have been recognized as QuestBridge 2022-23 National College Match scholars, and will receive four-year full-ride scholarships worth more than $200,000 while also being granted early admission to a QuestBridge partner college. The students are South El Monte senior Ruben Carrazco; Mountain View High seniors Aiden Ngo and Ruby Saldivar; Arroyo High senior Karita Nguyen and Colin Nguyen; and Rosemead High senior Erick Diaz. QuestBridge partners with elite universities across the United States to offer financial assistance to underrepresented students so that they can fulfill their dream of pursuing higher education.
Hacienda La Puente Unified Superintendent Honored for Leadership
Hacienda La Puente Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Alfonso Jiménez has been selected as a 2022 Superintendent to Watch by the National School Public Relations Association, emphasizing his leadership and dedication to students, staff and the District. The annual award is presented to 25 school district leaders who have demonstrated dynamic, fast-paced leadership with strong communication at its core. Dr. Jiménez, who is in his third year as Superintendent for Hacienda La Puente Unified, brings nearly 27 years of expertise in the field to the District.
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.
