Banning Unified School District will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the grand opening of its new Performing Arts Center, which will provide all Banning Unified students with a state-of-the-art facility where they can develop their creative talents. Housed at Banning High School, the Performing Arts Center features a 27,000 square-foot auditorium that includes a professional stage, orchestra pit, dressing rooms, and media and TV production facilities with built in, high-tech equipment. A showcase of student performances from each school will follow the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Hacienda La Puente Unified School District has been named a top employer among veterans in the workforce according to Forbes' 2021 America's Best Employers for Veterans survey, released on Nov. 9. The District ranked among the top 200 companies receiving the highest total scores, from all industry sectors, across the country. In partnership with research and analysis firm Statista, Forbes surveyed more than 5,000 U.S. veterans who served in the United States Armed Forces – either in the active military, National Guard or military reserves.
Río Hondo College has been named a 2021 Equity Champion for Higher Education by the Campaign for College Opportunity, which recognized the College’s Associate Degree for Transfer program as an exemplary supporter of Latinx students. Río Hondo College will receive the award during a virtual ceremony on Nov. 16, alongside other esteemed community colleges who support Black and Latinx students through Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT) programs. By earning an ADT, students meet all the general education requirements at a four-year university and are guaranteed acceptance to a California State University.
One hundred and eighty Fontana Unified School District seniors were recognized by the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools for their proficiency in bilingualism and biliteracy, an achievement that will earn them the State Seal of Biliteracy (SSB) at graduation. The District’s 180 seniors, who are on track to meet the state’s rigorous SSB eligibility requirements by graduation, were recognized by San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools Ted Alejandre during a virtual ceremony on Oct. 16.
Baldwin Park Unified is joining the City of Baldwin Park for its 24th annual Santa Clothes Project, to be held at 6:45 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 7 at Wal-Mart, 3250 Big Dalton Ave., Baldwin Park. This year, 416 students in kindergarten through high school will shop for a new winter wardrobe. Donations of any amount will be accepted through Friday, Dec. 3, and can be turned in to District School Community Liaison Maria Guevara.
Hacienda La Puente Unified School District’s Board of Education celebrated the completion of several Measure BB-funded classroom modernization projects and approved a new funding strategy to resume construction and planning for the remaining District campuses during the Special Board Meeting on Oct. 21 and continuance meeting on Oct. 26. Modernization projects are divided into nine phases that encompass every school in the District. After completing all projects in phases one and two, the District will further outline the plan for completing the last seven phases.
Whittier Union Transition Programs Partners with Local Businesses
Whittier Union High School District’s Transition Program is continuing to build valuable partnerships with members of the community, providing students with real-life work experience through its partnership with Smart & Final. The partnership has given students the opportunity to gain work experience and expand upon their skills while providing businesses in the community with much-needed help. Smart & Final has partnered with Whittier Union High School District for more than six years, hiring dozens of students on average every year.
Baldwin Park Unified Students Join Lights On Afterschool Event
Baldwin Park Unified’s Geddes Elementary School students enjoyed the annual Lights On Afterschool event, hosted by Think Together, on Nov. 1. Think Together educators centered this year’s BPUSD event around a harvest festival theme, with students creating seasonal art pieces using clay, paint, wood and multicolor pom poms. Lights On Afterschool is a nationwide celebration of the importance of after-school programs.
Bonita Unified Teachers Receive Mini-Grants from Rotary Club
Twelve Bonita Unified School District teachers were awarded mini-grants from the La Verne Rotary Club, providing financial support for educators who seek new ideas to enrich classroom experiences.The mini-grants, totaling $3,229.56, were presented to this year’s awardees during the Nov. 3 Board of Education meeting.
Whittier Union Celebrates Parent Mentors During Virtual Ceremony
Proudly waving certificates and beaming with pride, 11 Whittier Union parents enrolled in the District’s Path to College Success Parent Mentors program celebrated the completion of their three-month parent mentor program, designed to increase parent engagement and support parents of English learners, during a virtual ceremony held Oct. 27. During the ceremony, parents shared clips of a final video project demonstrating their understanding of a topic they studied, such as the benefits of being bilingual or how to apply for financial aid. The parent graduates were the second cohort to complete the program, joining 12 parents who graduated in October 2020.
