Baldwin Park Unified Athletes Set to Compete in CIF Flag Football
Baldwin Park Unified’s Sierra Vista High School is one of eight high schools that is set to compete in the pilot launch for the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Southern Section girls’ flag football league. The CIF-SS voted on Sept. 29 to make flag football an official girls’ high school sport, with the goal of making the game an official sport in California by the 2023-24 school year. Sierra Vista High School’s girls flag football team is going into its second year, with more than 15 student athletes on the team.
Lynwood Unified to Provide Community with Mental Health Resources
Lynwood Unified School District is expanding its mental health initiatives through the Mind and Body Awareness Program, with the goal of informing educators and students on the foundations of trauma, mindfulness and self-care practices. The program provides specialized resources for teachers who might be struggling with wellness issues, so that they can better teach students who are having similar experiences. The District will host sessions where participants learn a wide spectrum of techniques that can be used in the classroom or at home, as well as during office hours and coaching sessions. As part of Lynwood Unified’s Youth Leadership Program, the Mind and Body Awareness program is set to begin during spring 2023.
Rosemead High School’s AP U.S. History teacher Michelle Ban was named El Monte Union’s 2022-23 Teacher of the Year for her ability to connect with her students and create lesson plans that are both relevant and challenging. The El Monte Union Board of Trustees recognized Ban with a bouquet of flowers and added her name to the honoree plaque at its Oct. 5 Board meeting. The Board room was filled with Ban’s colleagues and supporters, who came out to celebrate her accomplishments. Ban has also been named a 2022 Los Angeles County Teacher of the Year by the Los Angeles County Office of Education, one of just 16 teachers to earn this distinction.
La Serna High School student leaders participated in the school’s inaugural Student Leadership Conference on Sept. 27, where they received training on how to be effective student leaders on campus and how to best connect with their peers to create a fulfilling high school experience. Link Crew leaders, academic mentors, academy leads, sports captains, Associated Student Body members and OASIS/HAVEN leaders made up the nearly 300 students who attended the conference and heard from keynote speaker Felix Bobo, an accomplished educator, businessman and leader who supports and coaches individuals on how to achieve higher levels of success. During the conference, students engaged in breakout sessions that covered a wide range of leadership topics including emotional intelligence, the power of a story, and the importance of communication and conflict resolution.
The Fontana High School Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (JROTC) program has been designated as the Region 4 Marine Corps Reserve Association (MCRA) Honor unit, one of only four schools in the U.S. to receive the designation for the 2021-22 school year. This is the third time FOHI has received the MCRA, the Marine Corps’ highest unit award, and it is the first MCRA designation since 1999. FOHI was also named a Naval Honor School (NHS) for the 16th time, reflecting the program’s continued excellence in training young students to become role models and community leaders. Each year, the Marine Corps receives reports from approximately 270 MCJROTC units nationwide; programs that are found to be in the top 20% nationwide earn the NHS designation, and the best unit in each of the four regions earn MCRA designations.
Río Hondo College will welcome educational leader Dr. Marilyn Flores as its eleventh Superintendent/President with an installation ceremony filled with appetizers and drinks, honored guests and entertainment. The outdoor event will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 14 at the College’s upper quad breezeway of the L Tower. The Board of Trustees will be in attendance for the ceremony, which will feature remarks from Board President Vicky Santana, in addition to Director of Government and Community Relations Dr. Russell Castañeda-Calleros as the master of ceremonies, a welcome message from Río Hondo College Foundation President Bryan Tabizon, and Associated Students of Río Hondo College President Matthew De Haro who will lead the pledge of allegiance.
Río Hondo College Alternative Fuels/Electric and Fuel Cell Vehicles Professor John Frala will serve as the academic advisor for the California Energy Commission’s Clean Transportation Program, providing guidance on how to communicate educational matters to the public. In his role, Frala will work to ensure that community colleges, colleges and universities receive funding to train future clean energy technicians to support Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Executive Order N-79-20, which states that 100 percent of in-state sales of new cars and trucks will be zero-emission by 2035.
Hoffer Elementary School students immersed themselves in a morning full of activities and games rooted in science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) subjects during the school’s inaugural STEAM Day, held Sept. 28. Kindergarten through fifth-grade students collaborated with staff to plan the event by completing a survey of potential activities and included feedback for future occasions. The day before the event, students were delighted to receive their schedules comprised of two pre-selected STEAM events and discuss their expectations with peers and teachers.
Covina-Valley Unified School District will host a College and Career Fair to provide students with important resources as they consider their educational and professional options for the future.
More than 50 colleges and universities, trade schools, and the armed forces will be present at the event, including the University of Southern California (USC), Chapman University, Grand Canyon University (GCU), Los Angeles Trade-Technical College, the U.S. Naval Academy, and more.
Fontana Unified School District has partnered with California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB) to create a teacher pipeline, which will enable the District to recruit a diverse range of teacher candidates to serve the Fontana community for years to come. The District introduced 20 CSUSB resident teacher candidates during a welcome reception held on Sept. 23, where they met with school administration teams and teachers. The partnership will provide tuition assistance for the graduate students, who will potentially become certified teachers upon completion of the CSUSB College of Education credential program.
