Whitter High School will recognize longtime Whittier resident, former art teacher, and decorated World War II veteran Yoshio Nakamura by dedicating its South Campus art building in his honor and unveiling a commemorative plaque. On March 12, the Whittier Union Board of Trustees unanimously voted to dedicate Whittier High’s Q Building to honor the 98-year-old Nakamura, known to his friends as “Yosh.” The highly decorated Nakamura was hired as an art teacher at Whittier High in 1950 and spent 13 years there before leaving to become the first teacher hired at Río Hondo College in 1963.
Across El Monte Union High School District’s (EMUHSD) six schools, large assemblies of staff, student leaders, cheerleaders, marching bands, and school mascots welcomed more than 7,300 students back for the first day of the 2024-25 school year on Aug. 19. Students were greeted with red carpets, lively musical performances, cheers, shaking pom-poms, fist bumps, and high-fives as they walked onto campus. At the same time, parents said their goodbyes and captured the festivities and excitement on camera.
Lynwood Unified School District kicked off the 2024-25 school year with a new Dual Language Immersion (DLI) program at Mark Twain Elementary School, providing students in Transitional Kindergarten and Kindergarten with the opportunity to build their bilingual, biliteracy and bicultural skills from an early age.
Wherever Cypress Elementary School second-grade teacher Elmo Kelley goes, he records mental notes of his surroundings, places them in his memory, and waits until he finds the inspiration to begin writing poetry. Over the last two years, Kelley has compiled all his musings into two separate poetry collections, with the most recent self-published book, titled “Traveling Through My Mind, Vol. 2,” released in June. It continues a journey that began 30 years ago in a UC Riverside creative writing class, where Kelley was first introduced to poetry as a writing discipline. He hasn’t looked back.
Whittier Union Adult School (WUAS) will debut two new professional healthcare certification programs this fall, allowing students who are looking for careers in the medical field an opportunity to expand their skills, earn more money, and have more options as they move forward in the healthcare industry. The two new classes – an EKG technician certification course and a phlebotomy technician certification course – are offered in partnership with CalRegional, a leading private, post-secondary healthcare education provider. Registration for the certification programs – which can both be completed in less than a month – is still open, with both day and evening classes available.
Covina-Valley Unified School District kicked off the 2024-25 school year with colorful balloons, signs, lively rallies, and engaging activities on Aug. 19, welcoming students back for another year of learning, growth, and discovery. The celebrations set a positive tone for the year ahead, reinforcing the District's commitment to providing an “Innovative Education that Inspires Every Student’s Unlimited Potential.”
La Serna High School will host a grand opening for its newly reconstructed Aquatics Center, which includes a ribbon-cutting for the school’s new, state-of-the-art swimming pool. The new pool was paid for with funds from the District’s $183 million Measure AA facilities bond, passed by voters in November 2020. The ribbon-cutting ceremony will be followed by a “Jump In” pool carnival, with relay races, alumni races, raffles, silent auctions, and opportunities to purchase aquatics spirit wear.
Río Hondo College (RHC) ensured Congresswoman Grace Napolitano’s legacy of public service and advocacy for education and workforce development lives on forever on its campus as it officially dedicated the Grace F. Napolitano Quad with a ceremony on Aug. 14.
Students, staff, community members and elected officials, including Congresswoman Napolitano, attended the ceremony at what was once known as Río Hondo College’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) Quad. The ceremony unveiled the new “Grace F. Napolitano Quad” signage and gave a sneak peek at a rendering showcasing the future changes planned for the area, including the installation of new signage, turf, tables and umbrellas for student use.
For more than 35 years, Reneé Gallegos has been dedicated to ensuring Río Hondo College’s (RHC) leadership and governance runs smoothly and efficiently, a commitment that was recognized on Aug. 8 when the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) honored her with the Professional Board Staff Member Award. Gallegos, RHC’s Executive Assistant to Superintendent/President Dr. Marilyn Flores and the Board of Trustees, earned the ACCT award for the Pacific Region in 2024. The ACCT’s five regional honorees are in the running for the national Professional Board Staff Member Award, which will be announced at the 2024 ACCT Awards Gala on Oct. 25 in Seattle.
Covina-Valley Unified School District will host a ribbon cutting to celebrate the completion of the Covina High School tennis courts. The project began in February 2024 and includes a court resurfacing, new fence fabric installation, painted poles, and updated signage.
