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.
Bonita Unified Selects New Asst. Superintendent of Business Services
Bonita Unified School District appointed Sonia Eckley as its new Assistant Superintendent of Business Services during the May 4 Board of Education meeting. Eckley, a certified public accountant who has served as the Senior Director of Fiscal Services since 2017, will step into her new role on July 1. She brings 16 years of leadership experience to her new position; prior to joining Bonita Unified, Eckley worked in local school districts and as an accountant for private firms.
Lynwood Unified Celebrates Student Talent at Annual Festival of the Arts
Hundreds of students, families and community members gathered to enjoy show-stopping performances, arts and crafts activities, and art displays from schools across the District during Lynwood Unified’s eighth annual Festival of the Arts and District Showcase, held April 30. The festival showcased the creative talents of LUSD students through dance, drama, painting and other artistic mediums, presenting their work and demonstrating how creativity can blossom when provided with a robust visual and performing arts curriculum. Attendees also had the opportunity to participate in raffles and giveaways.
Hacienda La Puente Honored for Innovation During School Closures
Hacienda La Puente Unified School District has been recognized by the California Department of Education with the 2022 California Pivotal Practice (CAPP) Award for implementing innovative strategies to support students and keep them connected with their studies during state-mandated distance learning in 2020-21. Hacienda La Puente Unified was among 121 school districts in California to receive the CAPP award on April 26. Twenty-eight individual HLPUSD schools, including all four of the District’s comprehensive high schools, also received the award.
Baldwin Park Unified, Kiwanis Club to Host Golf Tournament Fundraiser
Baldwin Park Unified is partnering with the Kiwanis Clubs of Baldwin Park and La Puente to host the Tees Up for Kids Golf Tournament at 7 a.m. Monday, June 6 at the California Country Club, located at 1509 Workman Mill Rd., Whittier. Presented by Balfour Beatty, the charity golf tournament will benefit the Kiwanis Clubs of Baldwin Park and La Puente and will raise scholarship funds for local high school students. To sponsor or register, visit TeesUpforKids.org.
Dolores Huerta International Academy sixth-grade Spanish dual-language immersion teacher Ashley Silva is constantly looking for new approaches to blend STEAM concepts into the school’s transdisciplinary International Baccalaureate curriculum. Silva, who models herself after Ms. Frizzle from “The Magic School Bus” TV series, will have the opportunity to expand her teaching skills after being accepted to the Teacher Innovator Institute professional development program, to be held in July at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. She is among just 10 teachers in the U.S. accepted to the program this year.
