Covina-Valley Unified School District is bolstering its mental wellness efforts through partnering with Yale University’s Center for Emotional Intelligence, which will promote the significance of social and emotional learning across the District. Through this partnership, Covina-Valley Unified has implemented social-emotional taskforces at their schools and aims to teach students and staff the RULER program—an acronym that stands for recognizing, understanding, labeling, expressing and regulating emotions. The District has augmented its counseling services since the start of the 2021-22 school year—sharing mental health resources on the District website, opening wellness centers at their schools and employing an on-site counselor at each school to ensure students have the resources they need to support their emotional wellbeing.
El Monte Union High School District has prepared School Mobility & Active Transportation Plans as part of their participation in the Clean Mobility in Schools Pilot Project. Funding for the plans was made possible by the statewide initiative, California Climate Investments. The plans were developed to help identify school-related mobility needs and solutions that will encourage active transportation for students within the El Monte Union High School District and studied seven schools serving El Monte area students including: Arroyo, El Monte, Fernando R. Ledesma, Mountain View, Rosemead, and South El Monte High Schools and the Granada Transition Center.
El Monte Union Teacher Prep Academy Returns for Spring Semester
Mountain View High School’s Teacher Preparation Academy has returned for the spring semester, with MVHS juniors and seniors tutoring and providing one-on-one instruction to transitional kindergarten through sixth-grade students in the neighboring Mountain View School District, while focusing on the development of their teaching skills. Teacher Preparation Academy co-directors Amy Minick and Mary Boutté lead the Golden Bell Award-winning program that provides aspiring educators a pathway toward pursuing a teaching career.
Lynwood Unified Unveils Art Murals at Rosa Parks, Will Rogers Schools
Lynwood Unified celebrated the unveiling of new art murals at Rosa Parks and Will Rogers elementary schools on Feb.22. Artist Eric “Cre8” Walker created the mural at Rosa Parks, which features the words “Prepare, Inspire, Empower.” Artist Lilia Ramirez produced the social justice themed piece at Will Rogers, titled “Another World Is Possible.”
Bonita Unified to Begin Universal Transitional Kindergarten in 2022-23
Bonita Unified School District will roll out its universal transitional kindergarten program in the 2022-23 school year, providing students with developmentally appropriate and differentiated instruction at an early age. The 2022-23 TK program will be available initially to students who turn five on or before June 8, 2023 and are not already enrolled in another program within the District. Pre-registration for the TK program is now open; interested families can begin the process by visiting: https://bit.ly/3p07ANw.
El Monte Union Releases School Mobility & Active Transportation Plans
El Monte Union High School District has prepared School Mobility & Active Transportation Plans as part of their participation in the Clean Mobility in Schools Pilot Project. The plans were developed to help identify school-related mobility needs and solutions that will encourage active transportation for students within the El Monte Union High School District. A presentation on the plans is scheduled at the next Board of Trustees meeting on Wednesday, March 2. For more information visit the District’s Clean Mobility website www.emuhsdmobility.com.
Testing their capacities for endurance and perseverance, nearly 150 La Serna High School Oasis/HAVEN/Guided Studies students and their academic mentors worked to build their leadership skills and bond with one another during the intervention program’s annual Spring Reward Field Trip, held at the Orange County Ropes Course on Feb. 9. At a height of more than 60 feet and clasped securely to an overhead zip line, students navigated the challenging course, climbing up ropes, stepping precariously on ramps and boards, then repelling back down, all the while being cheered on by their classmates.
Whitaker School students had the opportunity to interview Buena Park School District alumnus and University of Virginia offensive lineman Ryan Nelson on Feb. 18 to learn about his journey as a scholar athlete and how his teachers, family and education paved the way for his success. Whitaker School student council members Porscha S., Andres S. and Kenjie B. asked Nelson about his favorite Whitaker teachers, his college experience and his favorite sports stars during an interview that was shared with the school’s classrooms via Zoom.
Whitaker School fourth-grade teacher Daniele Fuson aspires to make every day in her class fun and interactive, hosting sing-alongs, learning about her student’s hopes and dreams and playing music that excites her students about learning. Fuson’s lively approach to educating has earned her the distinction of Buena Park School District’s Teacher of the Year and a nomination for 2023 Orange County Teacher of the Year.
At an age when many of his classmates are learning to drive a car, Henry J. Kaiser High School senior Amitoj Lobana will be packing a bag filled with science books and cold-weather gear in preparation for the next step in his academic journey after receiving a full-ride scholarship to attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. For the 16-year-old Lobana, who skipped ahead two grade levels prior to entering Kaiser High and has a 4.95 GPA, it will be an opportunity to pursue his twin passions: studying computer science and working to bring equity in education and a better quality of life to underrepresented communities.
