Fontana Unified School District will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the world’s first Bio Animakerspace, which provides students the opportunity to gain hands-on experience and skills that prepare them for success in biomedical, biomechanical and biotechnological careers. Housed at Fontana High School (FOHI) and created through a partnership with Garner Holt Education Through Imagination, the Bio Animakerspace provides an environment where students can explore how medical science, engineering, robotics, manufacturing and automation can work together to create solutions to medical and public health challenges.
Fontana High School senior Jimmy Salvador Contreras – a high-achieving student-athlete and avid volunteer – has been named a 2022 Edison Scholar, an accolade that comes with a $40,000 scholarship. Edison International awards the scholarships to 30 high school seniors each year to help them pursue higher education in science, technology, engineering or math. Salvador Contreras, who was also awarded a $20,000 Dell Scholarship for his excellence, will continue his education at UCLA and plans to study mathematics and computer science.
Banning High School Key Club students are devoting their time to the community by participating in Clean-Up Day, a monthly beautification of the city of Banning that allows students to work together and develop their leadership skills. Key Club is a campus group dedicated to acts of service. On clean-up days, members are seen sweeping the streets, collecting trash, pulling weeds, and removing shrubs, as well as volunteering at local community kitchens.Key Club is a campus group dedicated to acts of service. On clean-up days, members are seen sweeping the streets, collecting trash, pulling weeds and removing shrubs.
Los Altos Elementary School Principal Rosalie Sinapi was recognized as a 2022 Distinguished Woman of the Year Honoree, one of 14 women selected by California State Assemblymember Lisa Calderon. The recipients were celebrated during a Woman of the Year Awards ceremony on April 11, honoring Women’s History Month. Calderon recognizes women for exhibiting strength, courage and vision within their community while living, working or volunteering in the 57th Assembly District.
Bonita Unified School District recognized its Classified, Certificated and Management Employees of the Year during the Board of Education meeting on April 6, honoring them for their dedication and hard work in helping District students live their purpose. Bonita Unified named La Verne Heights Elementary School secretary Tanya Bartholomew as the District’s Classified Employee of the Year, Grace Miller Elementary School preschool teacher Tony Garza as Certificated Employee of the Year and Director of Student Services Mark Rodgers as Management Employee of the Year.
El Monte Union High School District received a $5,000 grant from the City of Hope, helping to fund the District’s Burger Swap Project, held Feb. 28 to March 11. Partnering with Impossible Burger, school cafeterias from Rosemead, South El Monte and Mountain View high schools offered the plant-based burger as a lunchtime option, opening the minds and taste buds of students with a goal of promoting healthier living habits and sustainable living.
Covina-Valley Unified has been awarded more than $1 million in funding through the A-G Completion Improvement Grant, advancing the District’s efforts to develop comprehensive programs to increase the number of students who have completed their A-G requirements by graduation. The grant funding, delivered through the California Education Budget Trailer Bill, will support Covina-Valley Unified’s goals of creating a comprehensive college roadmap and calendar for middle- and high-school students, expand the number of tutoring opportunities and summer school A-G course offerings, and ensure low-income students and students of color have equitable access to the District’s most academically rigorous high school programs.
San Dimas High School students Vanessa Sandoval and Eva Yassine were selected to serve on the California Association of Student Leadership (CASL) Board in 2022-23, through which they will work to foster positive and nurturing school environments across the state and empower students to help shape their school communities. The two were selected at the annual CASL leadership conference, held April 2 to 4, where they networked with student leaders from across California and discussed leadership projects.
El Monte High School senior Chau Trinh will pursue her dreams of becoming an architect and supporting the El Monte community through the construction of safe and affordable housing after receiving an $80,000 scholarship to attend Cornell University. Trinh, a campus leader with a 4.1 GPA, will major in architecture, with a goal of providing all families access to comfortable living accommodations. Trinh has established herself as an El Monte High campus leader, serving as varsity tennis captain and debate club president, while furthering her love of learning and community outreach through an internship with El Monte Promise.
Students from Santa Fe High School witnessed the real-life consequences of driving under the influence during the school’s “Every 15 Minutes” program, which featured a simulated car crash that claimed the lives of their peers, an overnight retreat, and a mock funeral. The event, held April 6-7, included a pre-recorded 9-1-1 call that triggered an emergency response by local law enforcement agencies, firefighters and paramedics. “Every 15 Minutes” is a national campaign which focuses on high school junior and seniors, with a goal of challenging students to consider the dangers of drunk driving. The two-day program was held in partnership with the City of Santa Fe Springs; participants included the Whittier Police Department, Santa Fe Springs Fire Rescue, Mercy Air and the California Highway Patrol.
