Monrovia Unified will host a ribbon-cutting celebration at 8:15 a.m. Tuesday, March 17 for the newly renamed Bradoaks Science Academy, featuring presentations from district administrators, Board of Education President Rob Hammond and local and state officials. Bradoaks is at 930 E. Lemon Ave., Monrovia.
Rio Hondo School students will showcase their singing and dancing talents during musical theater productions of “Mary Poppins Jr.” at 8:30 a.m. Monday, March 16 and 5 p.m. Thursday, March 19. Rio Hondo School is at 11425 Wildflower Road, Arcadia.
Río Hondo College will hold its first-ever Major Declaration Day from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday, March 3, working with students to envision a clear path to their goals as a way of helping to ensure success. The event will feature a chance to network with faculty, counselors and staff from across all academic disciplines, learn about key transitional skills and the connection between majors and career options. The College is at 3600 Workman Mill Road, Whittier.
Fontana Unified will continue efforts to reduce air pollution and transportation energy costs with 10 new electric school buses, thanks in part to a $3.9 million grant from the California Energy Commission. The grant will help fund the replacement of 10 diesel buses with 10 electric, zero-emission buses, as well as an electric bus charging infrastructure. The California Energy Commission announced the grant in 2018 to replace old, public school buses with electric-powered vehicles.
Fontana Unified School District is aiming to narrow the achievement gap with the launch of a 1:1 device initiative that will equip every student with a laptop to foster digital literacy. The first phase of the initiative rollout – which provides over 11,000 high school students with a Dell Latitude 3190 laptop, stylus, protective case and earbuds – began in January at Jurupa Hills High School, followed by Fontana, A.B. Miller and Summit high schools. Rollout at Henry J. Kaiser, Eric Birch and Citrus high schools will run from late February through mid-March. Middle schools are expected to receive devices in 2020-21, followed by elementary schools in 2021-22.
Monrovia Unified School District representatives gave presentations on how intervention and support programs are building stronger ties with parents to boost student achievement during the California School Boards Association’s (CSBA) 2019 Annual Education Conference (AEC) and Trade Show held Dec. 5-7 at the San Diego Convention Center. The conference featured over 120 workshops on topics that included teaching and learning, advocacy, engagement and community relations, equity, opportunity and access, wellness and safety, and funding, finance and facilities. Monrovia Unified School District was selected to present two of those workshops.
When El Monte High School senior Dana Hua competes in a 24-hour computer coding hackathon, her ambition and drive compel her to sacrifice sleep so she can concentrate on helping her teammates develop praiseworthy apps and games that are educational and fun. Those long hours of hard work have finally paid off. Hua – a first-generation college-goer with a 4.41 GPA and 1550 SAT score – is among 1,127 seniors (out of 15,000 applicants) to be awarded the 2019 QuestBridge National College Match Scholarship, guaranteeing her a full four-year ride to a college partner.
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.
South El Monte High School senior Santiago Alvillar has been fascinated with science, technology, engineering and math since he was a young child reading his older siblings’ high school textbooks. Now he has the opportunity to study the disciplines in Silicon Valley, learning from some of the country’s top educators at one of the most elite universities in the world. Alvillar, a first-generation college student, has been accepted as a member of Stanford University’s Class of 2024 through its Restrictive Early Action program. Stanford, which has an admission rate nearing or below 5%, will cover all expenses.
Firebaugh High School students joined Lynwood Unified Board members and community leaders on Feb. 21 to unveil a new campus mural as a crowd of nearly 500 celebrated arts and student achievement. Superintendent Gudiel R. Crosthwaite welcomed the Office of Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon to Firebaugh, Lynwood Mayor Aide Castro, Board President Gary Hardie Jr., PepsiCo North America West Division President Johannes Evenblij and Los Angeles Lakers great A.C. Green to the ceremony.
