Fontana Unified students and families performed CPR on manikins, programmed robots, recorded broadcast news segments and learned to pilot a Cessna 172 – all within the two stories of the Lewis Library and Technology Center on Feb. 27. The hands-on demonstrations were among many offered at the District’s inaugural Career Pathway Showcase, which highlighted the array of career technical education (CTE) programs available in FUSD high schools. Such demonstrations included a lesson on pneumatic systems from Jehad Abdallah, a sophomore enrolled in Summit’s mechatronics/automations pathway.
El Monte Union Senior Earns Early Acceptance to Stanford University
South El Monte High School senior Santiago Alvillar has been accepted as a member of Stanford University’s Class of 2024 through its Restrictive Early Action program. Stanford, the most competitive university to gain acceptance to, has an admission rate nearing or below 5%. Alvillar, a student-athlete who also takes college night classes after school, plans to major in engineering physics with a specialty in Quantum Science and minor in environmental systems engineering.
Fontana Unified Elementary Unveils STEAM Room during Family Night
Cypress Elementary unveiled its science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) classroom to the community during its annual Family STEAM Night on Feb. 27. Attendees were welcomed by Spark-E, a robot programmed by students to give greetings, and jazz music performed by the Jurupa Hills High School band. The event featured stations with various family-friendly STEAM activities, including robotics and a mobile planetarium.
Inglewood Unified Robotics Team Advances to Regional Competition
Morningside High School’s Golden Path robotics program is advancing to a regional competition held by FIRST Tech Challenge in March after winning recognition for robot design at a preliminary contest. FIRST Tech challenges students to design, build and program robots.
Buena Park School District Students Thrill Community during Choral Festival
About 220 Buena Park School District students crooned, grooved and danced their way through seven decades of music for more than 600 applauding parents and community members during the District’s third annual Choral Festival. The “Blast from the Past” themed festival on Feb. 20 featured students dressed as rockers, hippies and disco dancers as they sang popular songs from the 1950s through the 2010s at Thanksgiving Church.
Baldwin Park High’s CTE Department Earns Chapter of Excellence Award
Baldwin Park High School’s career technical education (CTE) department was recognized as a Chapter of Excellence during the 2019-20 Skills USA Region 3 Competition. Students representing five CTE programs scored in the top 10 spots, with Cisco Academy and Early Childhood taking gold. Automotive technology, medical assisting and video production students placed in sixth, fourth and eighth respectively.
Río Hondo College Hires Former Arson Investigator to Head Fire Academy
Andrew E. Grzywa, the new director of the Río Hondo Fire Academy, brings more than 35 years of experience as an urban firefighter, wildland firefighter, arson investigator, police detective, fire agency executive and instructor to the post – in addition to being a graduate of the Río Hondo College program. Grzywa, hired by the Board of Trustees in January, succeeds Chief Tracy E. Rickman, who helped lead the academy for 22 years.
Paramount Unified’s Buena Vista Named 2020 Model Continuation School
Paramount Unified’s Buena Vista High School has been named a 2020 Model School by the California Department of Education for closing the achievement gap and creating a nurturing school environment. Buena Vista and 42 other honorees will be recognized at the 2020 CCEA State Conference in May. Continuation high schools provide diploma programs for students ages 16-18 who are at risk of not completing their education.
El Monte Union Senior Awarded Prestigious QuestBridge Scholarship
El Monte High School senior Dana Hua is a competitive computer coding hacker who sacrifices sleep to develop praiseworthy apps and educational games. Those long hours have finally paid off for the first-generation college-goer, who is among 1,127 seniors (out of 15,000 applicants) to be awarded the 2019 QuestBridge National College Match Scholarship. To top it off, Hua has been accepted to Stanford University. The scholarship, worth over $200,000 over four years, will cover tuition and fees, room and board, books and supplies.
Baldwin Park Unified’s North Park Named 2020 Model Continuation School
Baldwin Park Unified’s North Park Continuation High School has been named a 2020 Model School by the California Department of Education for providing academic and social opportunities that ensure students succeed, and fostering a supportive school environment. North Park and 42 other winners will be honored at the 2020 CCEA State Conference, to be held in May in San Diego.
