West Covina Unified to Honor Class of 2020 with Drive-thru Ceremonies
West Covina Unified will celebrate the Class of 2020 with drive-thru ceremonies on Thursday, Aug. 13, providing families the opportunity to celebrate graduates while adhering to county health guidelines. Edgewood, West Covina and Coronado high schools will all begin their drive-thru celebrations at 9 a.m., with students arriving at staggered times based on their last names. Graduates will be required to wear face coverings and are limited to one vehicle each, which can be decorated.
Whittier Union rolled out the red carpet and gave over 2,700 members of the Class of 2020 the star treatment during one-of-a-kind drive-up graduations that saw students walk across grand stages on their campuses and collect diplomas as families, sounding air horns and holding custom big-head cutouts, cheered from decorated vehicles, limousines and party buses. Every day during the week of July 20, each Whittier Union campus hosted socially distanced graduation ceremonies that provided students and families safe venues in which to celebrate after traditional ceremonies were canceled due to public health restrictions.
Whittier Union High School District will begin the 2020-21 school year with a 100% distance learning schedule, converting the fall semester into a quarter system in which students will take three online classes in each of two nine-week periods starting Wednesday, Aug. 12. The Board of Trustees unanimously approved the 3x9 instructional model and launching the school year in Stage 1 of the District’s four-stage reopening plan during a July 28 virtual board meeting.
Longtime El Monte Union Educator Named Principal of Arroyo High School
Longtime El Monte Union educator Gabriel Flores, an El Monte High School Class of 1992 graduate, has been selected to serve as Arroyo High School’s principal. Flores, who has spent his 22-year education career in El Monte Union, succeeds Angelita Gonzales, who retired in June.
El Monte City School District Students Explore CTE, STEM Fields
Forty-eight El Monte City School District students explored life-saving techniques and constructed catapults and cars from July 20-24 during a Río Hondo College CTE Career Exploration Camp that meshed online classes with hands-on projects. Students learned first aid and CPR techniques and science, technology, engineering and math projects, such as building a catapult and a race car.
Monrovia Unified Offers Online Summer Intervention Program
Through a variety of online intervention summer programs that include Camp Read-A-Lot, Camp Infinity and Middle School Bridge, Monrovia Unified is helping students meet grade level proficiency and reach greater academic goals. The programs, which conclude on July 31, include reading and math intervention courses for elementary, middle and high school students.
Baldwin Park Unified High Schools Earn WASC Accreditation
Baldwin Park Unified’s North Park Continuation High School and Sierra Vista High School were recognized by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) with a three-year accreditation, coming after mid-cycle visits completed this year. Both schools were commended for their supportive school communities and rigorous, high-quality career and college preparatory programs.
El Monte City School District Migrant Students Master Coding, 3-D Design
More than 60 migrant students served by the El Monte City Consortium mastered coding skills, 3-D design and virtual reality programming through summer programs in June and July. The consortium serves about 330 children and youths up to age 22 in the Migrant Education Program, including about 160 students at El Monte City School District. Other students hail from Rosemead School District, Alhambra School District, Garvey School District and El Monte Union High School District.
New El Monte High School Principal Channels His Inner Lion’s Roar
Eddie Cuevas first learned the significance of the El Monte High School Lion’s Roar when he arrived on campus as a freshman. As a Class of 1989 graduate, Cuevas began a successful career as a project manager in the private sector, but always felt his community calling him back. Today, Cuevas, a first-generation college-goer who came to the U.S. when he was 2 years old, is preparing for his first year as El Monte High School’s principal, determined to give back to the school that provided him the vehicle for educational opportunities and the path in which to prosper.
Buena Park School District Teachers Honored for Math Innovation
for their skill in boosting understanding of math concepts to students through personalized instruction. Mathspace recognized teachers Sean Hamilton, Courtney Hsu, Scott Magnin and Jon Christensen on July 6, making Buena Park School District one of only two districts in California to earn four Esteemed Educator Awards.
