Baldwin Park Unified School District announced that distance learning will continue for K-12 students after winter break. Following guidance from state and county health officials, BPUSD will remain in remote learning until further notice. District officials released a parent survey on Nov. 12 to gauge whether or not families are open to a hybrid model of learning for the spring semester, should health data make it safe to do so.
Whittier Union High School District announced on Nov. 12 the extension of remote learning to the end of December 2020. Whittier Union will remain in Stage 1 of the District’s 4-Stage Back to School Plan until the end of December and reevaluate health data when spring semester begins in January. In the meantime, the District continues to check in with individual schools to ensure all sites have the resources needed to keep students and staff safe for their return to classrooms.
Whittier High School will host a mental health drive-thru for students from 1 to 3 p.m. Friday Dec. 11, to strengthen student well-being. Counselors and administrators will greet families, distributing stress balls, fidget spinners, snacks and office supplies. The drive-thru event is one of several mental wellness interventions Whittier High is offering as part of a focus on well-being.
Fontana Unified’s Fontana Adult School is offering District students and families a free five-session workshop on “Getting Started with Computers,” beginning Monday, Nov. 16. Attendees can choose from two sessions, 9 a.m. to noon, or 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Workshops will be offered in-person and cover topics such as using Microsoft Teams, using QR codes, PowerPoint presentations and the basics of Microsoft Excel. To register, call (909) 357-5490. Fontana Adult School is at 10755 Oleander Ave., Fontana.
Buena Park School District buzzed with excitement as 1,454 students reunited with old friends and favorite teachers for the first day of in-person instruction for the 2020-21 school year. Students were welcomed to the District’s eight schools by teachers and administrators eager to have them back after nearly eight months of virtual instruction. Each campus was fortified with protections against COVID-19, including hand washing stations, hand sanitizer stations, transparent desk shields, physical distancing markers and temperature checks.
over Fontana Unified’s Division of Teaching and Learning on Nov. 23. Fontana Unified’s Board of Education on Nov. 4 hired Dr. Monica Makiewicz to head the division as the new associate superintendent of teaching and learning. In her new role, Makiewicz will oversee the planning, organization and administration of curriculum development to ensure a comprehensive, articulated curriculum and instructional program.
An engineering review of Lynwood High School buildings launched after a collapse of exterior soffit ceiling panels in June has yielded preliminary findings that indicate more extensive construction issues may exist at the 22-year-old facility, Lynwood Unified officials announced Monday. The review, which is still in progress, was launched out of an abundance of caution after the unexpected failure of a section of the exterior panels, called soffits, in one of the high school’s buildings during summer break. LUSD’s Board of Education initiated an independent engineering review by Peter Sarkis-Petra Structural Engineers of all campus structures.
Río Hondo Police Academy celebrated the graduation of 49 cadets in Class No. 210 during a special drive-through ceremony held Nov. 5 at the College’s Whittier campus. The event featured the Los Angeles Police Emerald Society Pipe and Drums Corps, a presentation of colors by the Pasadena Police Department Honor Guard and an invocation by Covina Police Chaplain Ron Butler. The class, which had been paused because of the pandemic, was trained in constitutional law, criminal law, domestic violence, traffic enforcement, emergency vehicle operations, tactical first aid and CPR, mental health, lifetime fitness, firearms, among other subjects mandated by Peace Officer Standards and Training.
West Covina Unified is accepting 2021-22 enrollment applications for the West Covina High School Performing Arts Academy, which offers an exclusive fine arts education in a free, public school setting. Highly motivated students with a passion for the performing arts will receive valuable industry insight from teaching artists, gain internships and prepare for advanced educational and career opportunities at the Academy. Spaces are limited; interested students may apply through www.wchspaa.org.
The Whittier Union High School District Board of Trustees approved new curriculum for the 2020-21 school year that will help seniors assess their post-secondary education opportunities as well as add rigor to its career technical education (CTE) pathways. The new courses include a College and Career Seminar for seniors, a Project Lead The Way Honors course in digital electronics, an advanced architectural design and graphics course for its Industrial Technology pathway, and a college prep English course, Rhetoric and E-Sports, for its Marketing pathway. All the new courses are one-year in length and will fulfill UC and Cal State admission requirements.