Bonita Unified School District students descended upon cheerfully decorated campuses – bedecked with vibrant welcome signs and filled with cheers of encouragement – on Aug. 22, marking the start of a new school year that is focused on empowering students to live their purpose and ensuring new levels of achievement. Roynon Elementary School welcomed new and returning students with cardboard cutouts of superheroes representing every grade level, including transitional kindergarten (TK), which is being offered to more students than ever, thanks to the rollout of a universal TK program that has welcomed nearly 430 young learners to classrooms this year.
Sequoia Middle School has been honored for its stellar implementation of Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) – a college-prep elective that works to narrow the achievement gap between the lowest- and highest-performing students – and named one of three San Bernardino County schools to earn a 2022 AVID Teacher Advocacy Award. The AVID Teacher Advocacy Award honors and supports outstanding California AVID teachers and school site teams while encouraging the implementation of AVID schoolwide and the sharing of best practices among peers. Sequoia was awarded $10,000 to be used for further implementation of AVID.
Río Hondo College's Honors Transfer Program is celebrating an 81% transfer rate to UCLA, with nearly 100% of all students that complete the program being accepted to four-year colleges or universities. This transfer rate is exceptional, according to Río Hondo College Honors Transfer Program Coordinator and Professor of Sociology Melissa Rifino Juarez, because UCLA is one of the most prestigious colleges in the world.
Buena Park School District has teamed up with several local entities to boost its focus on literacy through the “Leaders are Readers” campaign, which aims to showcase how reading can allow children to reach great heights. Buena Park School District Superintendent Dr. Ramon Miramontes met with leaders from the City of Buena Park, the Buena Park Library District, the Buena Park Police Department and Centralia Elementary School District on Aug. 9 to discuss what literacy meant to them.
Hacienda La Puente Unified Elementary School Fosters Positivity
The Hacienda La Puente Unified Board of Education and Superintendent Dr. Alfonso Jiménez introduced Dr. Marci Chavez as Nelson Elementary School’s new principal during its board meeting on Aug. 11. Dr. Chavez, who has been with the District for more than 15 years, most recently serving as Nelson Elementary’s interim principal, is known for providing her students with a safe and nurturing learning environment, while focusing on improving school culture with positivity.
Banning Unified Welcomes New Principal of Cabazon Elementary School
Banning Unified School District has selected Dr. Ricky Anderson, an enthusiastic educator and administrator with a long-standing passion for leading in education, to take the helm as Cabazon Elementary School’s principal. Cabazon Elementary School held its Back to School Night on Aug. 9, allowing parents to meet Anderson and familiarize themselves with their children’s teachers and classrooms.
Baldwin Park Unified’s BP STEM Academy expanded its award-winning middle school robotics program to the elementary level this summer, with students on the elementary and middle school teams preparing for the new academic year during a robotics summer camp from Aug. 1 to Aug. 12. Students learned about this year’s VEX competitions and started the design-phase for the robots that will compete in the upcoming season.
Fontana Unified Launches 2022-23 School Year with Lively Celebrations
Fontana Unified School District welcomed students back to campuses filled with upbeat music, cheerful decorations and smiling faces on Aug. 3, ushering in a new school year focused on empowering students to achieve their full potential. A.B. Miller High School celebrated the first day of school bright and early with a Senior Sunrise event for the Class of 2023. ASB leaders, many wearing cowboy hats, handed out donuts and juice to seniors while a DJ played music. School pride was on full display at Tokay Elementary School, where Student Council members waved red pompoms and greeted their peers as they entered the campus.
El Monte Union High School District welcomed more than 8,000 students back onto campuses for the first day of school on Aug. 17, when they were greeted by peers, cheer teams, campus leaders, mascots, teachers and administrators who helped create an inviting atmosphere and excite students for the start of the 2022-23 school year. Each El Monte Union campus was brightly decorated with balloons and posters displaying school colors. At Rosemead High School, Superintendent Dr. Edward Zuniga was present to welcome students with fist bumps and high fives
Baldwin Park Unified celebrated the return of more than 10,000 students to schools across the District for the 2022-23 school year on Aug. 18, with sites decorated in balloon arches, colorful posters and photography backdrops enveloped in school spirit. Students were greeted by administrators, teachers and staff before walking into another academic year, filled with new learning opportunities and expanded mental health support. BPUSD bolstered mental health services at Baldwin Park and Sierra Vista high schools with a new social worker who will help students further develop coping strategies and provide immediate school support.
