Fontana Unified School District students and families were treated to the sights, sounds and spirit of the holiday season as they received gifts and goodies from cheerful volunteers during the District’s 25th annual Fontana Santas event on Dec. 17. Almond Elementary principal Tim McCaffrey served as emcee for the event, playing upbeat holiday music and hyping up families from Fontana Unified’s elementary schools as they drove through the District office parking lot, receiving stuffed stockings, backpacks, books and school kits, a variety of non-perishable food items, stuffed animals and more. The final stop on the families’ journey was a visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus, who greeted students as volunteer elves hand-selected toys from a sleigh full of gifts.
Río Hondo College honored its re-elected Board of Trustees members Oscar Valladares, Anais Medina Diaz and Rosaelva Lomeli with an Oath of Office ceremony at the Río Café on Dec. 14. Valladares and Medina Diaz took the Oath of Office during the event, affirming that they will continue to fulfill the duties of Board of Trustees members and uphold the vision, mission and values of Río Hondo College. Lomeli, who was unable to attend the event, will have her oath administered at a later date. The ceremony included an introduction of the elected officials by Director of Government and Community Relations Dr. Russell Castañeda-Calleros and a few words by Superintendent/President Dr. Marilyn Flores.
Baldwin Park Unified School Shares Holiday Cheer with Winter Fair
Baldwin Park High School’s quad was aglow from strings of Christmas lights, students and families laughing over hot pozole and music from the Braves orchestra during the school’s Multicultural Winter Festival on Dec. 8. Open to the public, the BPHS quad was filled with community members enjoying the evening festivities, including photos with Santa Claus and special student and club performances.
Lynwood Unified Hosts Wellness Fair, Provides Health Services
Lynwood Unified held a “Health for the Holidays” Community Wellness Fair on Dec. 7 and provided students and families with a variety of resources, health services and complimentary meals. Attendees had the opportunity to receive free flu and COVID-19 vaccines, health exams, eye exams and glasses, as well as other essential health services during the event. They also enjoyed free snacks, meals and giveaways. State Deputy Superintendent of Public Instruction Steve Zimmer also attended the community event.
Río Hondo College has received a $3 million Title V grant to create an invention education and social entrepreneurship program, which aims to encourage students’ social, emotional, academic and career development. The grant was awarded by the U.S. Department of Education to create a program known as Communities Uniting to Model and Build Regional Entrepreneurial Success (CUMBRES). CUMBRES will create a new degree pathway at Río Hondo College to inspire anyone regardless of age, race, geography, and professional status to be an inventor and/or social entrepreneur with a focus on LatinX students and adult learners.
Buena Park Middle School Students Enchant During Winter Concert
Buena Park Middle School’s band and choir students filled the halls of Thanksgiving Church and thrilled family and community members with the sounds of classical music standards and holiday favorites during its “Let it Snow” Winter Concert on Dec. 8. The concert was directed by Buena Park Middle School band and choir Director Dylan Locke with help from California State University, Long Beach student-teachers Alix Aber and Kelsey Lih, who served as co-conductors for the evening. Some 250 guests were in attendance for the event.
Bonita Unified School District welcomed one new and two returning Board of Education members during its Dec. 14 Board meeting, ushering in a new era on a night that also saw longtime Board member Chuck Coyne retire after serving 17 years on the Board. Returning Board members Derek Bahmanou and Jim Elliot joined newly elected member Chris Ann Horsley to take the oath of office; Horsley was also selected to serve as Board clerk. Bahmanou and Elliot were elected to four-year terms, while Horsley was elected to serve a two-year term. Board president Glenn Creiman, who was elected in 2003 and Board vice president Greg Palatto, elected in 2020, complete the Board of Education.
El Monte Union Swears in New and Re-Elected Board Members
El Monte Union hosted a swearing-in ceremony for its newly elected Board member Qui Nguyen and re-elected Board members Florencio Briones and Ricardo Padilla, as well as a farewell recognition for outgoing Board member David Diaz, during its Dec. 14 Board meeting. During the ceremony, Nguyen, Briones and Padilla recited the Oath of Office, giving their word to accomplish their duties as a Board member and to uphold the values of the District throughout the next four years.
A new era for the Whittier Union Board of Trustees was ushered in during its Dec. 13 Board meeting, with the Whittier Union community welcoming two newly elected Board of Trustee members, Irma Rodríguez Moisa and Gary Mendez, as well as returning member, Dr. Russell Castañeda Calleros. Rodríguez Moisa and Mendez were officially seated as Board members after taking the Oath of Office during a celebratory ceremony where they were joined by family, friends and community supporters. This is the first time in the Board’s more than 100-year history that it has seated an all Latino/a Board. The Board reorganization meeting, which followed the ceremony, saw Trustee Jaime Lopez step into his new role as president. The Board also selected Dr. Ralph Pacheco to serve as vice president and Mendez to serve as clerk, with outgoing Board president Dr. Castañeda Calleros and Rodríguez Moisa rounding out the Board.
Fontana Unified Students’ Creativity Displayed in City Art Showcase
Jurupa Hills High School seniors Danielle Turner, Kaitlin Cervantes and Daniela Garcia were selected to feature their art in the City of Fontana’s High School Artist Showcase, recognizing their creative talent, technique and conceptual skills. The exhibition at the Art Depot Gallery – which runs through Sunday, Jan. 8 – features more than 50 artworks of high school students throughout the city. Turner won the Best in Show award for her piece “Black Identity,” a mixed medium self portrait, symbolizing both the positive and negative history of Black people in America and highlighting elements of Black culture. Cervantes’ self portrait, “In All Directions,” won the Discipline and Innovation award for her representation of how anxiety feels. The Art Depot Gallery is located at 16822 Spring St., Fontana.
