Río Hondo College and the Board of Trustees has appointed Dr. Marilyn Flores as its new Superintendent/President to continue leading the College on the path of prosperity, achievement and success. The Board unanimously appointed Flores on March 24. Flores will succeed Superintendent/President Teresa Dreyfuss, who retires on June 30, 2022. Flores is currently the vice president of academic affairs at Santiago Canyon College in Orange County and previously served as interim president for Santa Ana College.
Baldwin Park Unified Launches ParentSquare for Families
Baldwin Park Unified is launching ParentSquare, a secure, all-in-one tool that will streamline communications with families to keep them more connected to their children’s teachers, schools, and District news. The first phase of the launch will begin Monday, March 21, with all Baldwin Park Unified communications coming from the two-way platform. ParentSquare will be fully implemented at the beginning of the 2022-23 school year.
Sierra Vista High School Class of 2022 graduate Julio Zermeno has been recognized with an Award of Merit by the Whittier Union Board of Trustees for his resolve, effective use of time and determination. When Zermeno was a junior at Pioneer High School, he was reeling academically due to COVID-related school closures and the additional responsibilities of caring for his ailing father. Behind in school credits, Zermeno transferred to Sierra Vista High School, finding its independent study program ideal for dealing with the peaks and valleys of his life. As a mid-year graduate, Zermeno remains connected to Sierra Vista, taking advantage of the school’s new College and Career Center and exploring the variety of career pathways at local community colleges.
South El Monte High School held a groundbreaking ceremony for its new quad renovation project on March 16, with the El Monte Union High School District community celebrating the first shovels of dirt and launch of construction for a wide range of improvements – including a concrete stage, seat walls and walkways, trees and landscaping, audio connections, and outdoor furnishings. The El Monte Union Board of Trustees has approved a new round of funding to support facilities upgrades at every EMUHSD campus.
Río Hondo College has announced four finalists for the position of superintendent/president after an extensive national search by the College’s Presidential Search Committee, which considered the applications of many professionals from across the country. The final four candidates are Marilyn Flores, Ph.D., Don Miller, Ph.D., Cynthia Olivo, Ph.D. and Tammy Robinson, Ed.D. The search for the new superintendent/president started in November 2021 with a series of virtual open forums to solicit feedback from students, faculty, staff, and community members. An employment profile was created by the Search Committee and the Association of Community College Trustees. Upon their selection, Río Hondo College’s new leader will succeed Superintendent/President Teresa Dreyfuss when she finishes her contract in June 2022. The College will begin its final selection process, in which Flores, Miller, Olivo and Robinson will participate in a virtual public forum from 1 – 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 22. The event, which will be held via Zoom, will provide 60 minutes to each of the finalists as they introduce themselves and their future goals.
Fontana High School Bio Animatronic and Neuro Prosthetic students got a glimpse of what is possible when imagination meets science on March 13 after receiving a visit from a children’s author whose life changed when animatronics specialists at Garner Holt Productions created a realistic, fully functional prosthetic arm for her. June Durr, a former San Bernardino-based marketing consultant, told her story accompanied by Garner Holt, the founder of the animatronics firm, relaying how a chance visit to the studio 19 years ago netted her a new arm and a new lease on life. Holt designed the arm for Durr in 2003, using techniques that FOHI students are currently learning in their bio animatronics lab.
Glen A. Wilson High School robotics team "AlphaGenesis" will advance to the 2022 FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) World Championships after ranking first in robot performance and earning strong overall scores at the Southern California FTC Regional Championship on March 12. More than 150 Southern California high schools participated in the FTC program this season, which included six qualifying tournaments, with 36 teams advancing to regionals and the top three teams progressing to the World Championships. The program is run by For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), an international science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) non-profit organization.
Lynwood Unified School District and St. Anne’s Family Services leaders joined LUSD Board members, elected officials, and educators to celebrate a ribbon-cutting ceremony on March 14 that commemorated a new early learning center that was two years in the making. The facility, which features newly modeled classrooms with state-of-the-art learning tools, as well as kitchen and laundry areas, is the result of a partnership between the District, St. Anne’s, and the Los Angeles County Office of Education. Five classrooms, serving a total of 164 children, have been added at Lugo and Abbott elementary schools.
St. Anne’s Family Services will celebrate the opening of its ninth Early Learning Center at Lugo Elementary in Lynwood, California on Monday, March 14, 2022 from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. In partnership with Lynwood Unified School District and the Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE), St. Anne’s will deliver comprehensive resources for infants and toddlers along with supportive services for their families at Lugo and Abbot Elementary School campuses respectively. With nearly 20 percent of the Lynwood population living below the poverty line, St. Anne’s will address a critical need by providing educational and social services to help families thrive.
Fontana Unified School District will transition from an “at-large” to by-trustee area elections system for the Board of Education in November 2022, following the adoption of Resolution No. 22-05 and the selection of a final trustee map and sequence of elections during the March 9 Board meeting. The Board of Education adopted Scenario 6 – a map submitted by a group of Fontana citizens that had gained the most public support – following a series of public hearings that solicited input from the community. The Board also approved Trustee Areas 1, 2 and 5 to be included in the 2022 election and for Trustee Areas 3 and 4 to be elected in 2024.
