El Monte Union High School District will expand its dual enrollment program through new partnerships with Pasadena City College (PCC) and Los Angeles Trade Tech College (LATTC), providing students with more opportunities to get a head start on their post-secondary education by earning college credits while concurrently enrolled in high school.
Beginning in 2021-22, Rosemead High School will offer a Professional Theater and Stagecraft pathway through PCC, with all courses to be taught at the Rosemead High Auditorium. El Monte, South El Monte and Fernando R. Ledesma high schools will offer a Construction and Carpentry pathway through LATTC. These pathways will be taught at the school sites by PCC and LATTC professors.
Whittier Union Junior Honored as Boys & Girls Club 2021 Youth of the Year
La Serna High School junior Keyaira Bascus was honored as the Boys & Girls Club of Whittier’s 2021 Youth of the Year for her outstanding bravery, resilience, and courage. Bascus was one of three Whittier Union finalists, including La Serna High junior Norberto Reyes and Whittier High School senior Isaac Guerrero, with each finalist receiving a $3,333 scholarship to support their post-secondary academic goals. Pioneer High School senior Jeremiah Parra received the Whittier Union Outstanding Member Award for his character and citizenship.
As a sophomore at Baldwin Park High School, Veronica Sanchez always pushed herself to succeed, taking AP and college prep courses and serving her community as a member of the BPHS Leo Club. To honor Sanchez’s memory after her sudden death in March 2020, the BPHS Leo Club created the Veronica Sanchez Memorial Scholarship and organized an online fundraiser to support seniors continuing their post-secondary education.
El Monte Union High School District will host its 2021 Lunar New Year Celebration from 5 to 8 p.m., Friday, Feb. 26, at the District Office, 3537 Johnson Ave., El Monte. The festive event, celebrating the Year of the Ox, will feature traditional décor, dancing, and cuisine, with families receiving red envelopes filled with chocolate coins in a socially distanced drive-thru ceremony.
Monrovia Unified Community Webinar Details Hybrid Instruction Model
Monrovia Unified School District will present its finalized Hybrid Instructional Model for grades TK-5, 6 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 25. The presentation will include an in-depth overview of the schedule, as well as a discussion on the next steps moving forward in the reopening of elementary schools.
Redwood Elementary School counselor Eduardo Valencia has seen firsthand the socio-emotional toll that COVID-19 has taken on his students and their families, hearing countless stories of personal and financial loss that are causing students to disengage from their studies. To assist in providing comfort to Redwood families and to reestablish much-needed personal connections, Valencia and Redwood Elementary distributed teddy bears and care packages to every student, teacher, and staff member – 600 in all – during a weeklong, after-school event from Feb. 22-26.
Río Hondo College will boost interest in choral music and the performing arts through a virtual workshop with acclaimed composer/conductor Eric Whitacre. Whitacre is a Grammy Award-winning composer, known for his ground-breaking virtual choirs. Guests are welcome to register by visiting here: https://bit.ly/3dnrIEo.
Baldwin Park Unified will partner with TeenLine, a teen-to-teen hotline that provides 24-hour personalized, inclusive support and resources for adolescents as part of its commitment to promote the healthy development of students and their families. The Board of Education approved the partnership for the nonprofit, community-based organization funded by Cedars-Sinai Hospital, to provide emotional support for its students through peer-based education, community outreach and online support.
Fontana Unified students will receive live, 24/7 aid in core subjects and an array of electives through a new District partnership with digital tutoring service Paper Education. The service will launch in March, providing students in grades three to 12 with access to one-on-one tutoring 24 hours a day, seven days a week in English and Spanish. The partnership is the latest effort in the District’s longtime mission to ensure equity in education, aided by initiatives that tackle the digital divide and achievement gap. The service will launch in March, providing students in grades three to 12 with access to one-on-one tutoring 24 hours a day, seven days a week in English and Spanish.
Baldwin Park Unified Board Requests Waiver for Standardized Testing
The Baldwin Park Unified Board of Education urged Gov. Gavin Newsom to direct the State Board of Education to request a waiver for standardized testing in spring 2021 amid the recent COVID-19 spike during a Feb. 9 board meeting. The District stated that using standardized testing this spring will not provide an equal comparison from prior years, impacting the reliability of the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress. The U.S. Department of Education waived requirements for the 2019-20 testing during the school closures in spring 2020.
