Monrovia’s Clifton Middle School robotics team, the Hippie Bots, has been selected to represent the United States in the FIRST Tech Challenge Barcelona Championship in Vic, Spain. The competition, open to middle and high school students, will take place Thursday, Feb. 27 and Friday, Feb. 28.
Baldwin Park Unified’s Foster Elementary School will host its fourth annual science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) Family Night at 5 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 30 at 13900 Foster Ave., Baldwin Park. Students, parents and siblings will work together on interactive projects and experiments that explore science-themed lessons.
The Inglewood High School Band will compete at Inglewood’s annual Kingdom Day Parade, which begins at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 18 and celebrates the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The band took first place in the 2019 competition and will showcase its woodwind, percussion and brass instrument sections, along with a drumline and cheer squad. The band is led by Conrad Hutchinson who has overseen the Inglewood band since 1977.
Sixty-one Buena Park School District students were recently honored for achieving the highest possible scores on state standardized tests for English language arts (ELA) and math taken in spring 2019, earning them praise from friends, family members and the District. Friends, family members and District staff cheered on the students, who range from grades four through eight, during a special ceremony on Nov. 13 at the Buena Park Community Center. Of the 61 awardees, 13 students were honored for achieving perfect scores on both ELA and math state tests.
More than 700 Paramount High School students came together during a five-day Breaking Down the Walls event meant to encourage a campus culture of understanding, inclusivity and positivity. Breaking Down the Walls is a program sponsored and led by the nonprofit organization Learning For Living, which seeks to create a thriving school culture where everyone works together to stay engaged, excited and empowered.
Merced Elementary School has been recognized as a 2020 California Distinguished School by the California Department of Education, praised for taking an innovative approach to bolstering English language arts, reading and math skills. This is Merced’s second designation as a Distinguished School. It was previously honored in 2010.
A push by Río Hondo College and other supporters has secured recognition of the Homeland Security field as the newest academic discipline by the California Community Colleges Board of Governors. The recognition, granted Monday, means individuals who earn advanced degrees in the field will be considered qualified for instructional positions in the college system. It is seen as a significant endorsement of the multi-discipline field recently developed from other public safety fields.
Baldwin Park Unified’s Santa Fe School has been honored as a 2020 California Distinguished School for closing the achievement gap and attaining exemplary student performances on state standardized tests. Santa Fe is one of 42 elementary schools in the San Gabriel Valley to earn a spot on the 2020 Distinguished Schools list, with 323 institutions statewide securing a place.
Two Baldwin Park Unified teachers were surprised with $100 grants from the California Retired Teachers Association. Baldwin Park High School architecture and engineering teacher Jeffrey Warden and Central Elementary School fourth grade teacher Melissa Leopoldo will use the funds to purchase classroom tools and materials.
Whittier Union High School District recently received the inaugural Lifesaver Award from the Los Angeles County Child and Adolescent Suicide Review Team for its robust and proactive suicide prevention protocols. The California Legislature in 2016 passed Assembly Bill 2246, which mandates student suicide prevention and intervention policies for every California school district. Whittier Union established its Student Well-Being Program in 2014 to address challenges impacting student health and wellness, increase school-site support and provide resources for families.