Fontana Unified will bring holiday cheer to families in need on Saturday, Dec. 18 with its annual Fontana Santas Toy Drive distribution, a drive-thru event that will provide students with toys and gifts. Held at the District office, 9680 Citrus Ave., Fontana, the event will culminate Fontana Unified’s 24th annual holiday toy drive, for which community organizations, District employees and Fontana residents donated toys and gifts cards.
Río Hondo College solidified a partnership with Whittier College, which allows Río Hondo College students to stay in the Whittier College residence halls in exchange for re-housing vouchers, during the Dec. 8 Board of Trustees meeting. The partnership between Río Hondo College and Whittier College aims to alleviate the housing issues faced by some socio-economically disadvantaged students. This partnership was approved to start in Spring 2022 and end June 30, 2026.
Fontana High School Class of 2021 graduate Therelin Segura was honored by the National Latino Peace Officers Association (NLPOA) Inland Empire Chapter, receiving a $500 scholarship during its 2021 Officer Down Memorial Scholarship banquet on Dec. 5. A four-year member of FOHI’s Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps, Segura rose to the rank of Cadet Lieutenant Colonel and served as Cadet Commanding Officer for the entire program in her senior year. Segura is currently attending Cal Baptist University and studying law enforcement while working toward becoming a commissioned officer in the Marine Corps.
Lynwood Unified School District and the Lynwood Teachers Association have reached an agreement that will provide teachers with a 5 percent bonus for the 2020- 2021 school year, acknowledging educators for their unrelenting service during the pandemic. The one-time bonus is only for the past year and will be funded using the COVID relief funds the District received to provide needed student resources and services to help mitigate learning loss while supporting activities necessary to maintain the operation and continuity of the District and continuing to employ existing staff. The District and LTA are still in negotiations for the 2021-2022 school year.
Fontana Unified was named the district winner for San Bernardino County in the Race to Submit campaign for achieving the highest percentage of financial aid applications completed by the Class of 2021 in the county. The District was recognized by the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools for the achievement, verifying that 60.46 percent of Fontana Unified students in the Class of 2021 had completed financial aid applications. Race to Submit is a statewide campaign to increase the number of financial aid applications completed by high school seniors in California.
The Covina-Valley Unified School District welcomed Board of Education members to new leadership positions at their reorganization meeting held on Dec. 13. The Board of Education selected Rachael Robles as the new president. Sue L. Maulucci was selected as vice president and Gary C. Rodriguez was selected as clerk. Members Maria M. Caceres and Maria E. Roman round out the Board of Education.
For overseeing the successful implementation of an innovative curriculum designed to help struggling students discover a love for mathematics, Fontana Unified Superintendent Randal S. Bassett was recognized by the UC Davis C-STEM Center as its 2021 Superintendent of the Year. North Tamarind Elementary School fourth-grade teacher Janice Taylor and Elementary Education Coordinator Honey Sacro Swem were also recognized as C-STEM Teacher of the Year and C-STEM Administrator of the Year, respectively, during the center’s virtual conference, held Nov. 29 to Dec. 2. FUSD introduced C-STEM into its middle school curriculum in 2018; it is now available at 23 FUSD elementary schools, five middle schools, and one high school.
Whittier Union High School District Superintendent Martin J. Plourde has announced he will retire effective June 30, 2022, bringing to a close a storied 40-year career in education in which he has served in nearly every capacity, beginning as an English teacher and basketball coach and finishing as top administrator of a diverse and thriving district that serves more than 11,000 students. Hired as Whittier Union Superintendent in 2016, Plourde has overseen a host of successful initiatives, building upon the core values embraced by the District to achieve and maintain excellence in providing a comprehensive education and establishing a culture of success and academic achievement for all students. The Whittier Union Board of Trustees will reach out to community members in the new year for input in helping shape the hiring process for Plourde’s replacement.
Buena Park School District students and their families beamed with excitement as they received presents from Santa Claus during the Orange County Union Carpenters’ Christmas Toy and Food Giveaway on Dec. 11. More than 85 Carl E. Gilbert Elementary School families participated in the drive-through event, where they received toys and food to help during the holidays. Participants were also given KN95 masks to protect themselves from the COVID-19 virus and household supplies such as shampoo.
El Monte High School teacher Joel Whisler has been named the 2021-22 recipient of the Bobby Salcedo Esperanza Award, a distinction given to educators who exemplify Bobby Salcedo’s commitment to education. Whisler, who has taught music at El Monte High School for 27 years, was honored with the award during the El Monte Promise Foundation’s 18th Annual Tamalada on Dec. 9.
