Bonita High School advanced auto shop students are getting a glimpse of La Verne’s past as they learn skills for the future, working in partnership with the La Verne Historical Society to restore a 1938 International D-35 pickup truck in time for the city’s 2022 Fourth of July parade. The vintage truck has a long and colorful history, representing a time when La Verne served as a hub for southern California’s booming citrus industry, and future three-time All-American halfback Glenn Davis led Bonita High to an undefeated season and its first football championship in 1942. Under the guidance of Bonita High auto shop teacher Rob Zamboni, students are working toward a full restoration of the truck throughout the school year, rebuilding the engine and transmission, adding new tires and brakes, and refurbishing the interior and flatbed. The truck’s rustic exterior will be preserved to retain its authenticity. The restoration is a full one-year project.
Dr. Emy Flores, a longtime educator with deep experience as a collaborative leader with a focus on student success, has been selected as West Covina Unified School District’s (WCUSD) next superintendent. The appointment is contingent on final Board approval at their meeting on Dec. 7. Dr. Flores currently serves as superintendent of Evergreen School District in San Jose, where she has guided the district through the pandemic and led extensive fiscal re-stabilization efforts. Dr. Flores’ career in education spans nearly three decades as a teacher, principal, executive director, assistant superintendent and superintendent. In 2019, she was named STEAM Educator of the Year by the California State Senate and was honored in 2017 by the California Assembly as a Woman of Distinction. She received an Educator Excellence Award in 2014 and was recognized as an Apple Distinguished Educator in 2013. Most recently, Evergreen received an Excellence in Communication Award from the California School Public Relations Association for the district’s work in community engagement.
El Monte Union High School District has been recognized by the California School Boards Association with a Golden Bell Award for its career technical education (CTE) pathway, Zoo Crew: Engineers Gone Wild! The three-year science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) pathway launched in 2018 at Mountain View High School. The goal of the Zoo Crew engineering pathway is to inspire more female and underrepresented students to enroll in STEM courses. Zoo Crew challenges students to master rigorous CTE coursework by designing and engineering products, habitats, and structures that benefit wildlife, with a curriculum that is fun and relevant.
Fontana Unified Students, Teacher Honored for Improving Math Skills
Truman Middle School eighth-graders Iris Tovar and Keila Molina Hernandez have been recognized 2021 Houghton Mifflin Houghton (HMH) 180 Award winners – an honor given to just 30 students across the country – for their perseverance in overcoming past struggles with math and displaying academic progress. Tovar and Molina Hernandez were lauded for exhibiting engagement, consistency, and perseverance in class, where Truman Middle School math intervention teacher Sahar Yahya uses the HMH Math 180 curriculum to help students learn and grow through a digital framework that provides daily goals and instant assessments. Yahya was also recognized as a 2021 HMH 180 Award winner, one of just 20 educators in the U.S. to receive the distinction.
All three Covina-Valley Unified middle schools – Las Palmas Middle School, Traweek Middle School and Sierra Vista Middle School – have been recognized as 2021 California Schools to Watch, celebrating their efforts in closing the achievement gap, establishing positive learning environments and infusing technology into every aspect of learning. The middle schools are among 31 high-performing California middle schools to be honored this year. All three schools were re-evaluated to retain their Schools to Watch status.
Río Hondo College students, staff and administrators gave firsthand accounts of how studying abroad can expand one’s mind, provide language immersion and teach cultural diversity during an experience exchange forum, hosted by the Indo-Pacific Research Center on Nov. 30. The forum, held at the Courtyard by Marriott Los Angeles Monterey Park, featured Río Hondo College Superintendent/President Teresa Dreyfuss, Computer Science Professor Dr. Shin Liu and 10 students to talk about the College’s partnership with the Taiwanese government for its study abroad program.
Fontana Unified to Host COVID-19, Flu Vaccine Clinic
Fontana Unified School District is partnering with San Bernardino County to provide a COVID-19 vaccine and flu vaccine clinic to the community, to be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 11 at Jurupa Hills High School, 10700 Oleander Ave., Fontana. COVID-19 vaccines are available for anyone ages five and up, and flu vaccines are available for those ages three and up. Parents or guardians must be present for anyone under the age of 18 years old. Appointments are preferred, but not necessary. To schedule an appointment, visit myturn.ca.gov.
The El Monte Union Board of Trustees will continue discussion on and narrow the number of draft trustee area maps for final consideration during a public hearing at the next Board meeting at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 5. As the District’s process to create by-trustee areas moves forward, the public is urged to participate in-person or virtually to share their feedback on the maps. Visit https://emuhsd-by-area-trustees.com/ to view the maps and submit comments.
Lynwood Unified School District leaders, board members, elected officials and students gathered for a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Dec. 7 to recognize the upgrades and renovations to Lynwood High School after transitioning to its original Bullis Road campus. Superintendent Dr. Gudiel R. Crosthwaite and Principal Ana Gonzalez welcomed more than 30 dignitaries and community leaders to see the changes to the campus. The modernized site features new portable classrooms and enhanced labs, a new outdoor eating area and quad, and three art murals that celebrate the Lynwood Knights’ spirit.
Baldwin Park Unified to Host the Promising Learners Project Academy
Baldwin Park Unified is hosting a special, one-day event for visual and performing arts and social-emotional learning through the Promising Learners Project (PLP) Academy that will provide participants the opportunity to experience the arts through the lens of a student. The PLP Academy will run from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 7 at the Performing Arts Center, located at 4640 Maine Ave., Baldwin Park. This is the second year of the three-year grant project with PLP Academy, and the project is supported by the Los Angeles County Office of Education’s Center for Distance and Online Learning.
