Fontana Unified School District administrators were honored for excellence in leadership by the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA) Region 12 Board of Directors, earning 2021 ACSA Administrator Awards. The FUSD honorees are Almeria Middle School Principal Kim Bente, Middle Grades Principal of the Year; Director of Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) Ayesha Brooks, Student Services Administrator of the Year; Director of Family and Community Engagement (FACE) Michael Garcia, Valuing Diversity Administrator of the Year; Fontana High School Assistant Principal Marissa Quintero, Secondary Co-administrator of the Year; and Dolores Huerta International Academy Assistant Principal Janet Rivera, Elementary Co-administrator of the Year.
Bonita Unified School District will welcome elementary school students back to campus for in-person instruction on April 5, following the continued decrease of COVID-19 case numbers and rising vaccination rates among District staff. Elementary students will be taught in a hybrid model, designed to meet state and county health and safety protocols. The District also set an April 12 target date to reopen its middle and high schools – grades six to 12 – using a similar hybrid model. Bonita Unified students will also have the option to remain in distance learning for the remainder of the year.
Fontana Unified School District has approved a phased return to in-person instruction for elementary school students, with plans to welcome transitional kindergarteners through second-grade students back to campus on April 5 and grades three to five on April 12. The target return date was approved alongside a modified hybrid instructional model, which would consist of three cohorts of students, by the Board of Education during a March 3 special meeting.
Baldwin Park Unified Adult School Offers Free Testing for Equivalency Exam
Baldwin Park Unified School District’s Adult and Community Education (BPACE) program is offering free testing for the high school equivalency exam (HiSET). Interested participants only need to enroll in a test preparation class at BPACE and complete a 12-hour course, during which student will create a HiSET exam account and take the pretests. The HiSET exam helps adult learners earn a high school equivalency certificate.
Forty-one Buena Park School District students received $50 gift cards for Vans shoes, thanks to donations from the Boys & Girls Club of Buena Park. The employees and owners of Simpson Buick GMC of Buena Park raised $5,000, which was divided to provide 100 Boys & Girls Club children with gift cards. Students were given their gift cards during a Feb. 26 event; some students also won prizes such as blankets, t-shirts, cup holders and backpacks emblazoned with Vans logos.
El Monte High School senior Oscar Martinez and South El Monte High School senior Marina Limon both joined Academic Decathlon as a way to challenge themselves and enjoy the camaraderie that comes with being an AcaDeca team member. As team captains, Martinez and Limon knew that the 2021 Los Angeles County Office of Education competition would be the most challenging yet, since the El Monte Union High School District AcaDeca teams – including those from Mountain View and Arroyo high schools – could not study and sharpen their skills in-person. Instead, what the teams gained was a lesson in teamwork and perseverance.
Whittier Union scholars made impressive showings at the Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE) 2021 Academic Decathlon. Whittier High School and Santa Fe High School took first and second place, respectively, in Division III during the virtual event held in February. Whittier High was awarded 27 medals, while Santa Fe scored 21 medals and was named LACOE’s Most Improved Team. Santa Fe also took third place in Super Quiz, earning bronze medals for each team member.
Baldwin Park Unified Opens Enrollment for 2021-22 School Year
Baldwin Park Unified is accepting enrollment applications for the 2021-22 school year beginning on Monday, March 8. Baldwin Park Unified School District provides comprehensive learning opportunities that span transitional kindergarten through adult school. The District’s signature programs include the award-winning Dual Language program, career technical education pathways and hands-on STEM opportunities. Families may begin the enrollment process online at www.bpusd.net.
Whittier Union Alternative Schools Host Virtual Awards Ceremony
Whittier Union alternative schools – including Sierra Vista High School, Frontier High School and the WUHSD Transition Program – celebrated its top students for their high academic achievements during a virtual awards ceremony on Feb. 25. More than 120 students were recognized in the categories “Student of the Term,” recommended by teachers, and “Top Producers,” given to students who exceeded the minimum number of credits during the second quarter.
Lynwood Unified Senior Prepares for Higher Education by Serving Community
Lynwood High School senior Alexa Escamilla is preparing for higher education by doing what she loves, helping others. For Escamilla, who has a 4.6 GPA, community service has given her purpose amid the uncertainty of the world over the past year. Escamilla is targeting Columbia University and UCLA as two prospective schools to attend in the fall.
