Bonita Unified School District Board of Education member Diane Koach is retiring at the end of her term in December 2020. The announcement came during the June 10 regular board meeting, where members acknowledged retirees throughout the District. Koach was elected to the Board in November 2007 and has served three terms in office.
Over 60 seniors from Canyon Oaks High School and Mountain Park Independent Study School were cheered on as they walked the stage to receive their diplomas during a drive-thru commencement ceremony on June 3 at Monrovia High School. When the ceremony began, cars lined up and graduates exited their vehicles with masks on and lined up 6 feet apart from one another. Teachers were invited on stage to share their memories of each student and ended with words of encouragement for the future.
South El Monte High School has been named to the 2020 Top Los Angeles County Public Schools for Underserved Students list for helping to close the opportunity gap for low-income Latino students in Los Angeles County and helping them flourish despite the obstacles. The Innovate Public Schools list, developed in partnership with USC, features 278 schools that are beating the statewide average for low-income Latino or African American students in one or more factors, including math and reading scores and college eligibility rates, while maintaining low suspension rates.
Four Whittier Union high schools have been named to the 2020 Top Los Angeles County Public Schools for Underserved Students list for narrowing the opportunity gap for low-income students of color, particularly Latino students, in Los Angeles County and helping them thrive despite barriers. Among the 2,075 schools in Los Angeles County, 1,346 schools serve at least 43% of low-income Latino students. Of these, only 254 schools have been recognized as Top Schools for closing the gap for low-income Latino students. Whittier Union schools that are leading the way include La Serna, Pioneer, Santa Fe and Whittier high schools.
Class of 2020 graduates from A.B. Miller High School’s Conservatory of Dance are receiving national recognition for their excellence – as students and artists – from the National Honor Society for Dance Arts (NHSDA). Every Class of 2020 graduate from A.B. Miller High School’s Conservatory of Dance received honors or elevated honors status from the NHSDA, celebrating their outstanding artistic merit, leadership and academic achievement. Every Class of 2020 graduate from A.B. Miller High School’s Conservatory of Dance received honors or elevated honors status from the NHSDA, celebrating their outstanding artistic merit, leadership and academic achievement.
El Monte City School District is celebrating the promotion of 975 eighth-graders in the Class of 2020 through a mix of lawn signs, banners and virtual ceremonies that were streamed via YouTube from June 2 to 5. Visit emcsd.org for links to each event.
Principals from Fontana Unified’s five comprehensive high schools waved the checkered flag as Class of 2020 graduates and their families drove by, honking their horns and signaling the end of their high school journey during drive-thru commencement ceremonies at the Auto Club Speedway. The socially distanced ceremonies, held June 2-4, featured graduates disembarking from their cars in school-branded masks to accept their diplomas in front of classic cars. The ceremonies were accompanied by a virtual presentation of speeches from students and staff, built into a livestream of the diploma conferral. The ceremonies concluded the District’s commencement festivities, which included drive-thru ceremonies for the adult school and continuation schools at Ontario International Airport on May 28.
On June 4, El Monte Union recognized more than 1,800 members of the Class of 2020 during Car Parade celebrations, during which seniors – clad in caps and gowns and other graduation regalia – received their diplomas with family members cheering from their vehicles. Each school also live-streamed virtual celebrations as a tribute to the six graduating classes.
Río Hondo College Police Academy is a leader in progressive police training, following a teaching philosophy known as Principled Policing that encourages strong community relationships, respect for diversity and an understanding of constitutional rights. College leaders are providing insight into the police training program in the aftermath of the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers and subsequent demonstrations over treatment of African Americans by law enforcement.
El Monte City School District will continue to provide four daily grab-and-go meals every weekday throughout the summer to community children ages 18 and younger. Meals include breakfast, lunch, dinner and a snack. They will be distributed from 9 a.m. to noon Monday, June 8 to Monday, Aug. 17 at Durfee, Gidley, Potrero and Shirpser schools.