Bonita Unified School District celebrated achievements in academics, athletics, arts and activities – and honored the students, staff and community partners who have supported these successes – during the 2022 State of the District luncheon, held April 12 at the Sheraton Fairplex Hotel and Conference Center. During the event, Superintendent Carl Coles reflected on the District’s successes over the last year and outlined goals for the coming years, which include the launch of a universal transitional kindergarten program in 2022-23, as well as a recommitment to closing achievement gaps and pursuing proficiency levels in excess of 80 percent in English language arts and 70 percent in math.
Fontana Unified High School Seniors Receive $20,000 Dell Scholarships
Jose Martinez and Jimmy Salvador Contreras – two Fontana High School seniors with a passion for serving others and bettering their community – will further their education with the help of a $20,000 scholarship from the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation. Martinez and Salvador Contreras are among 500 students nationwide to be named 2022 Dell Scholars. From the moment they set foot on Fontana High School’s campus, both students embraced the learning opportunities and resources available to them, including AVID, athletics and Advanced Placement courses. Martinez will head to UC Berkeley in the fall to study political science, and Salvador Contreras will attend UCLA, where he intends to major in applied mathematics and minor in computer science.
Baldwin Park Unified, City to Host Second Annual Mental Health Fair
Baldwin Park Unified, in partnership with the City of Baldwin Park, will host the second annual Mental Health Awareness Walk, Fair and Car Show from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, May 7. The one-mile walk will begin at 11 a.m. at City Hall and conclude at Morgan Park, which will be the site of a classic car show and vendor’s fair, featuring community resources from local organizations, refreshments and live music. All funds raised from the event will be donated to the Baldwin Park High School Braves Entertainment Corps and Sierra Vista High School Band. City Hall is located at 14403 Pacific Ave.; Morgan Park is located at 4100 Baldwin Park Blvd.
Fontana Unified to Host Ribbon-Cutting for Bio Animakerspace
Fontana Unified School District will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the world’s first Bio Animakerspace from 4 to 6 p.m. on Monday, April 25. Housed at Fontana High School and created through a partnership with Garner Holt Education Through Imagination, the Bio Animakerspace provides an environment where students can explore how medical science, engineering, robotics, manufacturing and automation can work together to create solutions to medical and public health challenges. The ceremony will be held at 9453 Citrus Ave., Fontana.
Baldwin Park Unified School District will soon celebrate the opening of the Baldwin Park High School Peace and Pride Garden, a tranquil space for students to relax among beautiful flowers, herbs and greenery. In May, the Peace and Pride Garden will have a grand opening celebration hosted by the National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI) club, who created the space in a joint venture with the Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) club.
Buena Park School District has been named a 2021 Model School Attendance Review Board (SARB), celebrating its exemplary practices in reducing chronic absenteeism and boosting student attendance. Buena Park School District was one of six school districts awarded the distinction by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond. The District was selected based on meeting and exceeding criteria in early intervention, professional development and added staff and family engagement and school connectedness.
Fontana High School junior David Muñoz-Padilla will serve as Fontana’s Unified’s Board of Education student representative in 2022-23, putting his passion for education and advocacy into action and providing a voice for thousands of students. Muñoz-Padilla was selected from a pool of five finalists during the April 13 Board of Education special meeting. Muñoz-Padilla has embraced Fontana High School’s variety of extracurriculars and is engaged in his community – competing in cross country and track and field, serving in in a variety of clubs, and dedicating his spare time to the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization, the Mayor’s Youth Advisory Council, the Young Legislators program and more.
Whittier Union High School District has named Frontier High School social studies teacher Mary Ann Fajardo as its 2022-23 teacher of the year, honoring the instructor who is beloved and respected by students and peers for her humility, love of learning and willingness to share her knowledge and research. Fajardo has proven to be an indispensable member of the Frontier High faculty, promoting diversity and inclusion in her curriculum and engaging her students with rich experiences. Fajardo, who teaches U.S. and World History, Career Studies and Chicano Studies, is part of the Whittier Union team that developed the District’s Ethnic Studies curriculum. She is in her ninth year at Frontier High.
Fontana Unified School District will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the world’s first Bio Animakerspace, which provides students the opportunity to gain hands-on experience and skills that prepare them for success in biomedical, biomechanical and biotechnological careers. Housed at Fontana High School (FOHI) and created through a partnership with Garner Holt Education Through Imagination, the Bio Animakerspace provides an environment where students can explore how medical science, engineering, robotics, manufacturing and automation can work together to create solutions to medical and public health challenges.
Fontana High School senior Jimmy Salvador Contreras – a high-achieving student-athlete and avid volunteer – has been named a 2022 Edison Scholar, an accolade that comes with a $40,000 scholarship. Edison International awards the scholarships to 30 high school seniors each year to help them pursue higher education in science, technology, engineering or math. Salvador Contreras, who was also awarded a $20,000 Dell Scholarship for his excellence, will continue his education at UCLA and plans to study mathematics and computer science.
