Bonita Unified School District is being recognized by the Inland News Group as one of 2019’s Top 35 Workplaces in the Inland Empire. Over 1,200 survey responses from more than 600 employees at all 13 Bonita Unified schools reflected a positive culture at Bonita, with faculty and staff relishing the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of students and help them realize their potential, the camaraderie of co-workers and being rewarded for good work. The Bonita Unified Teachers Association and the California School Employees Association Bonita Chapter said that they were proud to see Bonita recognized and that they are appreciative of everyone who made the recognition possible.
Monrovia Unified Trustees Offer Workshops for State Education Leaders
Monrovia Unified representatives – including members of the Board of Education – are giving presentations on how intervention and support programs build stronger ties with parents to boost student achievement during the California School Boards Association’s (CSBA) 2019 Annual Education Conference and Trade Show held Dec. 5-7 at the San Diego Convention Center. The conference features over 120 workshops on topics that span teaching and learning, to advocacy, engagement and community relations; equity, opportunity and access; wellness and safety; and funding, finance and facilities.
Buena Park School District Students Shine at Speech Contest
More than 90 students from across Buena Park School District took to the Whitaker School stage to showcase their public speaking skills during the District’s inaugural speech competition on Nov. 16. Highlights included Emery fourth-grader Apollo Meneses, who won first place in storytelling for delivering a spirited telling of the Greek legend of Adonis complete with sound effects.
Monrovia Unified’s Plymouth Elementary Students Display Coding Skills
Plymouth Elementary students demonstrated how they created animated characters for digital stories and video games during the school’s annual Epic Build Showcase on Nov. 15, an event that celebrated the school’s computer science immersion program, Code to the Future. Through Code to the Future, students work with block-based coding and JavaScript and engage in hands-on programming, robotics and analog activities.
Sierra Vista High School students are pulling in stellar SAT and PSAT scores, including senior Robert Sotelo’s nearly perfect score of 1560 on the SAT, bolstered by a District focus on college readiness. SVHS junior Leyna Huynh scored 1400 on the PSAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualification Test and junior Winston Le received a 1370, both top-level performances that could put them in the running for National Merit Scholarships.
West Covina Unified Students Engage in Mental Wellness Learning
West Covina Unified held its second annual Mental Wellness Summit on Dec. 3, inviting leaders of campus mental health clubs to discuss how they can support student wellness on campus. West Covina Unified established mental health clubs on each middle and high school campus in 2018-19 and is working to expand mental health awareness to the WCUSD community.
Buena Park School District Students Master Video Production Skills
Students at Whitaker School are acting out voice-over dialogue, editing video and audio files and writing scripts to prepare themselves for digital media careers thanks to the school’s Story Maker academic initiative.
Baldwin Park Unified ECE Families Receive Thanksgiving Feasts
In partnership with Faith Church of West Covina, Baldwin Park Unified’s Early Childhood Education program provided more than 80 meals for ECE families on Nov. 28. More than 25 families with infants and children up to the age of 4 enjoyed a Thanksgiving feast that included turkey and all the trimmings.
Monrovia Unified’s Canyon Oaks Staff Serve Students Thanksgiving Dinner
The staff at Monrovia Unified’s Canyon Oaks High School and Mountain Park School served about 160 students a Thanksgiving dinner featuring turkey, a host of side dishes, and pumpkin and apple pies, all in honor of a 10-year tradition that celebrates community, perseverance and kindness. Community volunteers, retired staff, Board of Education President Ed Gililland, Board Vice President Rob Hammond and Board Member Selene Lockerbie all pitched in to help serve students a traditional Thanksgiving meal.
Fontana Unified Celebrated for Financial Aid Application Completion Rate
Fontana Unified’s Jurupa Hills High School was recognized for achieving the state’s sixth-highest rate of completed student financial aid applications during the inaugural California College Affordability Summit, held in November. Jurupa Hills beat out more than 1,000 California High Schools in the Race to Submit, a statewide campaign that aims to increase the number of financial aid applications for California high school seniors.
