Emery Elementary School students gazed in wonder at constellations, the moon and the highly visible Venus during Astronomy Night, which also included games, music and a visit from popular “Star Wars” characters. Held on March 30, Astronomy Night allowed guests onto campus to increase excitement about science learning and future STEM careers. The event had an arts and crafts section where guests could make constellations from marshmallows and pasta, an information table, and three telescopes set up and run by volunteers from Orange County Astronomers.
Less than a year after relaunching its intramural sports program, Eric Birch High School’s boys basketball team is celebrating its first championship as a member of the Inland Empire Alternative School League. The 13-member team, which includes one female player, won the title after defeating Sierra High School, 61-56, on March 16. The basketball triumph follows a third-place finish by Birch’s girls volleyball team during the fall semester. The option for credit-deficient students to participate in sports has provided a more inclusive and welcoming atmosphere on the Birch campus, increasing the students’ motivation to excel in the classroom and get back on track to graduate.
Orange Grove Middle School science teacher Terri Serey has developed a knack for delivering a collaborative and hands-on experience for students and creating a deeper understanding and excitement around science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) learning. For her unique teaching methods and strategies, leadership and lifelong learning in STEAM education, Serey has been named one of six finalists from California for the 2022 Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching.
Buena Park School District students transformed their voices and demeanor and demonstrated poise as they competed against each other and neighboring district students during the District’s annual Speech Championship. Held via Zoom, the competition for Buena Park School District elementary and middle schoolers along with students from Anaheim Elementary School District, consisted of categories including prose, original oratory, storytelling, declamation, interpretative and impromptu speaking.
Pioneer High School senior Oscar Antonio has been honored as a 2022 Dell Scholar by the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation, an award that comes with a $20,000 scholarship spread over four years, textbook credit, and a laptop to support Antonio as he pursues his post-secondary education goals. Antonio, a high-achieving student with a 4.3 GPA and Summa Cum Laude honor, will also have access to Dell Scholars Connect, a mentoring program that offers academic support from other scholarship recipients. Upon graduating high school, Antonio hopes to attend either California State University, Los Angeles, the University of La Verne or California State University, Long Beach and obtain a degree in accounting.
Gordon H. Beatty Middle School students made a splash at the Orange County Academic Pentathlon, winning nearly 50 awards during a multi-subject competition and Super Quiz that challenged this year’s contestants on the topic of water. Beatty Middle School’s team of 14 seventh- and eighth-graders competed against 40 other schools in Orange County, taking home 48 medals at the competition, with eighth-graders finishing in first place in their division overall and seventh-graders earning fifth place.
Baldwin Park Unified Athletes Named Football Foundation Scholars
Baldwin Park High School student-athletes Orlando Gutierrez, Elian Lopez and Dominic Ruiz were recognized with Scholar Athlete awards for their accomplishments on the field and in the classroom by the National Football Foundation San Gabriel Valley chapter, during its 2022 Scholar Athlete Awards Banquet, held March 23. Representing the Braves, Gutierrez, Lopez and Ruiz were celebrated alongside other student-athletes from across the San Gabriel Valley.
Mountain View High School received a donation of $10,000 from RHP Properties through a partnership with the national non-profit organization, AdoptAClassroom.org. The donation will
provide students with tools and materials to help them learn and succeed in school. The funds will be divided equally among Mountain View High teachers, who can register and order the supplies they need through AdoptAClassroom.org.
Baldwin Park Unified Robotics Teams Qualify for World Championship
Baldwin Park Unified BP STEM Academy robotics teams continued to excel, with two teams qualifying for the VEX World Championships, to be held in Texas from May 3 to May 12. Team Something Ain’t Right won the State Championship on March 13, which secured the team’s spot at the World Championship, while Team Hold Up received a formal invitation to the World Championship based on its overall performance for the 2021-22 school year. The two teams will join Team Wait a Minute to compete at the U.S. Open for Robotics, to be held in Iowa from March 31 to April 2.
Lynwood Unified Finalizes New Strategic Planning Process
Lynwood Unified is fostering student and community success through its Strategic Planning Process, a collaborative project that aims to address the needs of the District community and students over the next five years. The Strategic Planning Committee will hold a series of meetings covering topics, such as global and local education trends, that will help the district align its goals and develop a strong vision for the future, receiving input from students, teachers, staff, families, and community partners.
