Whether in the classroom or out in the community, California High School senior Carter Crail leads with purpose, earning admiration for his academic excellence, strong character, and dedication to continuous growth. Crail boasts a 4.47 GPA, with 26 semester units of honors and Advanced Placement (AP) courses going into his senior year alone. Crail’s dedication to civic service is rooted at home. He grew up being inspired by his mom, a lifelong community servant, and said he believes in supporting the community that nurtured him.
Fontana High School’s dedication to ensure students thrive after graduation has been recognized through their Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) program, with the school being named as one of four finalists for the college prep program’s inaugural AVID Global Achievement Site Team of the Year award. The winner will be announced at the AVID 2025 National Conference in December.
Bonita High School senior Savannah Morua, Chaparral-Vista High School senior Rachelle Torres, and San Dimas High School senior Jacob Pardus stepped into new leadership roles during the Bonita Unified Board of Education meeting on Oct. 8, cheered on by their peers as they took the oath of office to serve as the Board’s student representatives for the 2025-26 school year. Morua, Torres, and Pardus – who are all part of their campus’ Associated Student Body (ASB) or Renaissance leadership classes – will serve as the voices of their peers on a District level, attending regular Board meetings to provide reports on campus news and share feedback or concerns.
Fontana Unified School District’s robotics team from Redwood Elementary School competed in the World Robot Olympiad (WRO), Asia Pacific Open Championships in Manila, Philippines in September, going up against student groups from Asia, Europe, and Africa while serving as United States ambassadors. Redwood Elementary School sixth-grader Dalayza Ponce and fifth-graders Isabella Ruiz and Kylie Moorefield – collectively known as Two Bunny Robots – embarked on the international trip after their top five finish in the WRO National Tournament in July. With a 13th place finish in Manila, the international experience helped equip the Redwood Elementary students with the confidence to continue pursuing their passions.
Las Palmas Middle School teacher and Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) Coordinator Christy Thiel has been named one of only four finalists nationwide for the AVID Staff Developer of the Year Award, which honors educators for outstanding contributions to professional learning, student success, and the advancement of the AVID program. In 2008, Thiel became the school’s first AVID elective teacher and coordinator when the program offered only one section for seventh-graders. Seventeen years later, more than 330 students make up the 10 sections of AVID at Las Palmas, spanning sixth through eighth grade, including three AVID Excel sections for students in need of additional language support.
El Monte High School history teacher Sara Quezada, a 37-year educator known for her innovative teaching and steadfast dedication to students, has been named El Monte Union High School District’s 2025-26 Teacher of the Year. Quezada, who has spent the last decade inspiring learners at El Monte High, was honored during a Board meeting on Oct. 15.
Bonita Unified School District is bringing farm-fresh produce and nutrition education directly to students through new Mini Farmers Markets at various BUSD school sites, supported by a $3,000 California Farm to School Incubator grant. In partnership with Old Grove Orange – a local produce supplier that serves all BUSD campuses – Grace Miller Elementary hosted the first event on Sept. 26, where students were presented with locally grown fruits and vegetables, learned about their nutritional benefits, and gained a better understanding of where their food comes from. The next Mini Farmers Market will take place Nov. 12 at Allen Avenue Elementary.
California State Sen. Susan Rubio, a public school teacher, will return to the classroom to engage San Dimas High School students in a lesson about the legislature and civics process, inspiring student leaders to learn how their voices can have a larger impact on their community.
Jurupa Hills High School opened its doors to nearly 3,000 students and families from across the Inland Empire on Oct. 8 as Fontana Unified School District hosted the annual Regional College and Career Fair for the first time on a District campus. Presented in partnership with Chaffey Joint Union High School District, the fair connected attendees with more than 70 colleges, universities, employers, and career programs from across the country, offering a one-stop shop to explore post-secondary pathways and kept the event local and accessible for students and their families.
When San Dimas High School Class of 2005 graduate and visual designer Kat Bingley – known professionally as “Katbing” – was asked to collaborate with French street artist Kekli to create the towering nine-story “Games 4 All” mural, celebrating the Olympic spirit in the runup to the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, it was a milestone in her career. With her to record the process for a documentary film was her twin sister Barbara Bingley-Verseman, also a 2005 San Dimas graduate. It was an experience that brought the pair even closer together, and a first-time collaboration from two former students of longtime San Dimas High art teacher Dominic Black. The alumnae got a hero’s welcome home when the film, “Le Mural,” received a special screening at the Bonita Center for the Arts on Sept. 26, with the pair sitting for a Q&A after the film, discussing their whirlwind two-week visit to France and reminiscing about their time at San Dimas High. The screening was hosted by Black, with the Q&A moderated by San Dimas High Class of 2020 graduate Eve McFarland.
