Taking on powerful subjects such as suicide prevention, mental illness, and systemic racism, nearly a dozen Jurupa Hills High School student filmmakers were recognized by the Directing Change Film Project for excellence in producing 60-second public service announcements. Jurupa Hills sophomore Kashmir Garnica won a regional first place award for her suicide prevention film, “Keep an Eye Out,” and will advance to the Directing Change state finals. Junior Kimberly Do earned an honorable mention in the Directing Change statewide Hope and Justice category for her film, “Racism is the Real Virus.” Six other Jurupa Hills-produced films received regional honorable mentions.
Dr. Robert Gilchick, of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, joined a livestream discussion with Lynwood Unified to share his positive outlook on students returning for in-person instruction and give the District his blessing ahead of its secondary school reopening on May 3. Gilchick and LUSD Superintendent Gudiel R. Crosthwaite convened on April 22 for a Facebook Live audience where they talked about safety protocols, the improving health outlook of LA County, and the District’s strong work in welcoming back children to campuses.
Drawing on her passion for advocacy and community betterment, Fontana High School junior Miranda Ordoñez will provide a voice for Fontana Unified students and serve as the Board of Education student representative in 2021-22. Ordoñez was selected from a pool of five finalists following a virtual interview during the April 28 Board of Education special meeting. As a first-generation, college-bound Latina, Ordoñez takes her education seriously and has made the most of the learning and extracurricular opportunities in Fontana Unified. She is a high-achieving scholar at the top of her class, balancing Advanced Placement classes with clubs and activities and an array of volunteer roles.
Whittier Union Students Receive Scholarships from Community Organizations
Eight students from La Serna High School’s Organized Academic Support in School (OASIS) and HAVEN program received $500 scholarships from Lions Club of Whittier and Credit Union of Southern California for their academic achievements. The scholarship winners were announced during a Celebration of Learning virtual event on April 23, which acknowledged the students’ efforts in overcoming obstacles in their education and achieving the necessary credits to graduate from high school.
Whittier Union’s Pioneer High School Hosts Drive-Thru Senior Rally
Pioneer High School began the celebrations for the Class of 2021 with a drive-thru senior rally on April 28. During the rally, seniors picked up celebratory yard signs, received senior goodies such as T-shirts and Pioneer High masks, shared their college commitments and plans after high school, and received yearbook, prom and graduation information. Students, families and staff who participated in the event wore masks and remained socially distant during the event. Photos are available.
El Monte Union High Schools Celebrated in 2021 Best High Schools List
El Monte Union high schools have been listed among the top-performing public high schools in the state and the nation, according to the 2021 Best High Schools rankings by U.S. News and World Report. Arroyo, El Monte, Mountain View, Rosemead and South El Monte high schools earned high rankings among approximately 1,675 high schools in California. El Monte Union’s graduation rate among its five comprehensive high schools is more than 90 percent.
Whittier Union Students Return to Campus Two Days a Week
Whittier Union High School District moved into Stage Three of its reopening plan – with students receiving in-person instruction two days a week – on April 27. Under Stage Three, students are divided into Cohort A and Cohort B, and attend school on Tuesday/Wednesday and Thursday/Fridays, respectively. Students and teachers continue to follow strict health and safety protocols such as participating in a daily health screening, wearing face coverings, social distancing from one another, and following directional signs and floor markers throughout campuses.
Monrovia High School senior Charlie Heatherly, who has helped build the school’s prestigious game development team Forge Interactive, will take his talents to the next level as he attends USC – home to the top game design program in the country. Forge Interactive works to develop team members that specialize in all aspects of the game design process, with a goal to graduate students who are knowledgeable about the game industry. Heatherly developed his first game, Gossip Inc., as a junior, then brought a team together to design Forge’s first digital game, Red Dungeon.
Fontana Unified School District will bid farewell to the Class of 2021 from Tuesday, June 8 to Thursday, June 10, honoring their achievements with socially distanced commencement ceremonies that allow for lively and safe celebrations. Fontana Unified will honor graduates with modified in-person ceremonies at the San Manuel Stadium, home to the minor-league Inland Empire 66ers baseball team, located at 280 S. E Street, San Bernardino.
Río Hondo College’s Fire Crew 77 has been deployed to Baltimore, Maryland to assist with COVID-19 vaccine distribution, providing aid to federal officials as they inoculate thousands of citizens against the virus. Fire Crew 77 sent 15 members on the 14-day assignment, which could turn into a 21-day assignment, after being called into action by the United States Forest Service (USFS). During their stay, they will provide logistical support – moving supplies, setting up and disassembling work and mobile vaccine sites and monitoring citizens during their 15-minute post-vaccine observation period.
