El Monte Union Distributes Cap and Gowns to Class of 2020
This week, El Monte Union’s five comprehensive high schools have been distributing caps and gowns, sashes, medals, awards and personalized Class of 2020 yard signs to seniors during Senior Pick-Up events. Mountain View High School held mini parades as administrators, teachers and staff personally delivered over 275 yard signs over two days to students. South El Monte High School will hold a Cap and Gown Tailgate from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 20, where teachers will be parked with decorated cars to send off seniors as they pick up their senior items from the school.
Whittier Union High Schools to Host Drive-Thru Graduation Delivery Events
Starting Monday, May 18, Whittier Union’s five comprehensive high schools will host Drive-Thru Graduation Delivery events for its Class of 2020. Seniors will arrive to their schools at designated times to receive special yard signs, caps and gowns, graduation products, medals and other items as part of the delivery. Pioneer High School will provide yard signs from 8 a.m. to noon May 18 and hold its official distribution event on June 1; Whittier High will hold its event from 12 to 4 p.m. May 18; La Serna High School will hold its event from noon to 5 p.m. May 19; California High School will hold its event from 1 to 6 p.m. May 20; and Santa Fe High School will hold its event from noon to 4 p.m. May 21.
Monrovia High School has been ranked in the top 13 percent of schools in the nation by U.S. News and World Report, recognizing its student achievement and college and career readiness programs. Monrovia High earned a score of 87.08, earning a high ranking among approximately 2,600 high schools in California. Monrovia’s score correlates to its percentile position in the 2020 Best High Schools rankings.
Río Hondo College’s Board of Trustees on May 13 redoubled its commitment to vulnerable communities facing challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic, including undocumented residents, individuals of Asian/Pacific Islander heritage and those who struggle with food insecurity, housing and access to internet and mental health resources. Trustees unanimously adopted three resolutions to assert their support for these communities.
Buena Park Junior High broke ground May 12 on a $3.1 million, nearly 3,200-square-foot performing arts center that will provide space for the school’s growing theater, choir and band programs as well as District-wide events. The center will include a performance space with an acoustical suspended ceiling system, four practice rooms, a teacher’s office and storage rooms.
El Monte High School seniors Juan Saucedo and Kermina Samaan took different paths to the United States, learn a second language and acclimate to a new home. The challenges both faced bolstered their drive to graduate high school and attend a four-year university. Saucedo, who arrived from Mexico in 2017, and Samaan, who arrived from Egypt in 2015, advanced quickly through El Monte High’s English language development (ELD) program, doubling up on English classes and taking summer school classes to complete their college entrance requirements. After challenging themselves to accelerate their education, Saucedo has been accepted to UC Riverside, where he will pursue mathematics, and Samaan was accepted to Cal State Los Angeles, where she will major in chemistry.
The Bonita Unified culinary arts program is truly a family affair. Led by the husband-and-wife team of Nick and Laurie Brandler – instructors at San Dimas High and Bonita High, respectively – the pair are preparing their students for highly competitive food service jobs through a rigorous curriculum that encompasses all aspects of running a restaurant. The Brandlers and their students found the recipe for success during the 2020 Virtual ProStart Cup held in April, winning several major awards including California ProStart Student of the Year and California ProStart Instructor of the Year, with first-place finishes in the Innovation Cup and Management Cup competitions.
Buena Park School District received a donation of 115 Chromebooks from a consortium of local nonprofits that will help special education students with lessons during distance learning. The Chromebooks were donated by the Anekant Community Center (ACC) in partnership with Sarva Mangal Family Trust, part of a campaign that brought hundreds of Chromebooks to Southern California school districts.
West Covina Unified Board of Education members and administrators kicked off the process of filling the Olympic-size pool in the District’s new sports complex on May 11, celebrating the project’s construction progress. The pool will be the centerpiece of the state-of-the-art complex, housed at Edgewood High School. The $18 million project, funded by the voter-approved Measure ES, is expected to be completed by July 1. The complex will also include four locker rooms, two digital scoreboards capable of video playback, and a high-quality sound system.
Santa Fe High School senior Angel Moreno Gallegos has traveled a long road to become the first member of his family to graduate from an American high school and attend a four-year university. Born in the United States but raised in Mexico, Moreno Gallegos came to Santa Fe as a freshman with almost no English language skills. Four years later, he will graduate as a student leader with a 4.12 GPA, with plans to attend Cal Poly Pomona and study chemical engineering. For his ability to rise to numerous challenges and stay focused on his goal of academic achievement, Moreno Gallegos was honored with an Award of Merit by the Whittier Union Board of Trustees during its virtual board meeting on May 12.
