Two Buena Park School District student-made videos that encourage empathy and compassion toward people experiencing mental health issues received honorable mentions in the statewide Directing Change film contest. Winners were announced virtually in May. Whitaker School and Buena Park Junior High received the honors from the film contest sponsored by nonprofit Directing Change, a leader in statewide efforts to prevent suicide and reduce the stigma related to mental health awareness.
Rosemead High School senior Tristan Tanchanco sees his life as a series of challenges he’s had to overcome, whether it was learning English, editing the school newspaper, mastering the guitar or understanding the intricacies of molecular biology and biochemistry. Tanchanco’s outgoing personality and ability to weather those and other challenges have earned him a full-tuition Posse Foundation scholarship to Middlebury College, a private Vermont liberal arts and research university known as a “Little Ivy.” Tanchanco will pursue a medical degree and a career as a pediatrician.
Fontana Unified School District will partner with Auto Club Speedway and Ontario International Airport to provide the Class of 2020 with a remarkable sendoff – drive-up graduation ceremonies that will allow students to celebrate together while observing health safety guidelines. District festivities will take flight at Ontario International Airport, starting with Fontana Adult School, Eric Birch High School and Citrus High School’s commencement ceremonies on Thursday, May 28. The District will then switch gears to the Auto Club Speedway, where the comprehensive high schools will hold their graduations alongside victory lane. Summit and A.B. Miller high schools’ ceremonies will occur on Tuesday, June 2; Kaiser and Fontana high schools will take place on Wednesday, June 3, and Jurupa Hills High School will celebrate its graduates on Thursday, June 4.
La Serna High School Assistant Principal Griselda Castro – an educator in the Whittier Union High School District for the past 25 years – has been appointed to serve as the Lancer campus’ newest principal. Castro, a National Board Certified teacher, will replace longtime La Serna Principal Ann Fitzgerald, who will begin her new role as assistant superintendent of personnel services July 1.
When Kahanu Zimmerman graduated from Río Hondo College Fire Academy’s Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) program in 2019, he never dreamed that less than a year later he would be employing his disaster training in the epicenter of a global pandemic. In April, Zimmerman, who is an EMT with a Southern California ambulance service, volunteered to join a FEMA call to action and was deployed to New York City. For two weeks, Zimmerman ran intra-facility transfers between NYC hospitals in the Bronx, transporting patients, most of whom were COVID-19 positive, and helping to ease overcrowded conditions.
One of Whittier Union’s most popular academic programs – the Summer Math Academy at Pioneer High School – will celebrate its 30-year anniversary as an online learning program, continuing its rich tradition of challenging students to complete a year’s worth of advanced math in six weeks. Due to the impacts of COVID-19, the math academy, held in partnership with East Los Angeles College’s Jaime Escalante Program, will be administered online and is open to incoming ninth through 12th grade Whittier Union students only.
Whittier Union Appoints New Principal for La Serna High School
La Serna High School Assistant Principal Griselda Castro will take the helm as the school’s newest principal, bringing 25 years of education experience to the role. Castro will replace longtime La Serna Principal Ann Fitzgerald, who has been appointed assistant superintendent of personnel services effective July 1, 2020.
Fontana Unified Students Advance to National History Day Competition
Summit High School students Leslie Madrigal and Brian Garay and Almeria Middle School student Alyha Madrigal are headed to nationals after being named National History Day California champions. All three students competed in the virtual contest, earning top scores for their exhibits in the senior and junior divisions, respectively. They will compete in the National History Day contest, held virtually from Sunday, June 14 to Saturday, June 20. This year, four FUSD students qualified for the state competition after their success at the San Bernardino County History Day.
El Monte City Maintenance Crews Keep Campuses Tidy during Dismissal
Community members are noticing how El Monte City School District campuses – despite the absence of students during the extended dismissal – continue to beautify their neighborhoods with well-groomed fields, tidy exteriors and clean facilities. While students learn remotely, District maintenance crews have jumped at the chance to intensify their cleaning, groundskeeping and repair work often delayed until summer. The team also is assisting with grab-and-go meal distribution and even delivering meals to select students whose medical challenges make it difficult for them to pick up meals.
• Fontana Unified Senior Wins State Contest for Mental Health PSA
Summit High School senior Nicole Quinonez-Frias’ raw and emotional approach to highlighting cultural stigmas around depression and suicide, captured in a 60-second film, has earned statewide recognition as a category winner in the Directing Change Program and Film Contest. Quinonez-Frias’ film, titled “Our Story,” captured first place statewide in the Through the Lens of Culture – Suicide Prevention category, earning her a $1,000 prize. She is the first Summit High TV Production student to win an event in the competition. The Directing Change Program and Film Contest is part of Each Mind Matters: California’s Mental Health Movement. The program offers students an opportunity to lend their perspective to the movement by creating PSAs about suicide prevention and mental health, which are used to support awareness, education and advocacy efforts. Quinonez-Frias plans to attend UC Riverside in the fall.
