Baldwin Park Unified Educators Present at TELA Leadership Meeting
Administrators and educators from Baldwin Park Unified’s Geddes and Margaret Heath elementary schools shared their experiences in helping pilot a federally funded education program for English Learners during a Teaching English Learners Through the Arts (TELA) end-of-the-year celebration on May 12. Both elementary schools participated in the TELA program over the last five years, and their presentation highlighted the students and educators’ educational journeys, which included dance, fine arts and theater. The information shared will be part of the final report sent to Washington, D.C. and Congress for review and potential implementation in K-12 education across the country.
Henry J. Kaiser High School theater students are enjoying their time in the spotlight after taking top honors in two recent drama competitions and, in a separate competition, qualifying to participate in a national thespian festival. Kaiser High seniors Caitlin Porter and Giselle Albavera Burgette were recognized as superior monologists at the California Educational Theater Association Thespian Festival in early April, and will advance to the International Thespian Festival in June. Burgette was also named a state finalist at the English-Speaking Union High School Shakespeare Monologue Competition, held virtually in February. Additionally, seven Kaiser teams advanced to the semifinals at the recent Drama Teachers Association of Southern California Shakespeare Festival, with five Kaiser teams ultimately ranking in the top 10 and winning honorable mentions.
San Dimas High School culinary arts students found the recipe for success at the 2022 California ProStart Cup, where they matched their culinary and entrepreneurial skills against the top high school programs in the state, taking home more awards than any other school during the competition. San Dimas High finished in the top three in the ProStart Cup’s two signature team competitions, the Culinary Cup and the Management Cup, and earned numerous accolades during the fast-paced individual condiment topping competitions. San Dimas High was the only school to place in every contest, held at the Long Beach Convention Center.
Lynwood Unified Student Named 2022 Edison Scholar
Luis Sanchez, a Firebaugh High School senior with a passion for science and technology, has been named a 2022 Edison Scholar, receiving a $40,000 scholarship from Edison International to support his college education. Sanchez honed his engineering skills as a member of Firebaugh’s Project Lead The Way program, maintaining a 4.6 GPA while also serving as Firebaugh’s volleyball team captain and participating in numerous extracurricular activities. Sanchez will attend Stanford University, where he plans to major in electrical engineering technology. Sanchez hopes to develop innovative renewable technologies to help fight climate change in his future career.
Hacienda La Puente Unified will host commencement ceremonies to honor approximately 1,310 students from the District’s four comprehensive high schools and alternative high school. Hacienda La Puente Unified’s Class of 2022 graduates have been accepted to 122 colleges and universities in 29 states and five countries.
The Whittier Union High School District has selected Mary Chapman, Pioneer High School’s current assistant principal of curriculum and instruction, to take the helm as the school’s new principal. Chapman, who has more than 15 years of experience as a teacher and administrator, came to Pioneer in 2016 as the assistant principal of guidance and counseling. Chapman will succeed current Pioneer Principal Lilia Bozigian, who will join Whittier Union’s executive cabinet as assistant superintendent of educational services. Photo
Frontier High School was recognized for its commitment to providing students with a caring and supportive alternative education environment, receiving multiple honors from the California Continuation Education Association Plus (CCEA+) during its Professional Awards Luncheon, held May 7 at the Renaissance Long Beach Hotel. Frontier High Principal Dr. Margie Moriarty was named CCEA+ Administrator of the Year, Frontier High counselor Roberto Tamayo was named CCEA+ 2022 Counselor or Support Person of the Year and Frontier High junior James Martinez was recognized as the CCEA+ Student Essay Contest second-place winner. Frontier High is an eight-time CCEA+ Model Continuation School recipient.
Buena Park School District has expanded its Early Learning Program for the 2022-23 year, providing preschool classes for children ages two through four, offering part- and full-day options, and creating parent participation opportunities to develop strong academic foundations. The Early Learning Program will continue to focus on a balance of child-initiated and teacher facilitated activities, as well as purposeful play to build kindergarten readiness, language, and literacy skills. The program’s three-hour morning or afternoon sessions include a mealtime, while the full-day classrooms – which run from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday – have morning and afternoon snack times and a lunch provided.
Río Hondo College is meeting the high demand for more electric vehicle technicians by joining Tesla’s Pathway to START Program – an intensive training course that prepares new high school graduates to enter the College’s Tesla’s START program. Launched in 2021, the Pathway to START Program places recent high school graduates into an eight-week online program to work with Southern California Tesla service centers, during which they learn the basics of servicing electric vehicles.
Río Hondo College Superintendent/President Teresa Dreyfuss, Board of Trustees Member Rosaelva Lomeli and Cooperative Agencies Resources for Education Specialist Laura Verdugo joined City of South El Monte officials and dignitaries for a National Day of Prayer event on May 5. The event, which was held at the El Monte Community Center, included an introduction from the City of South El Monte Mayor Gloria Olmos and a color guard presentation featuring the El Monte American Legion Post 10.
