By the time California High senior Denisse Palominos arrives to campus for zero period at 7:20 a.m., she has already prepared her three younger siblings for school while her mother departs for work in Downtown Los Angeles at 6 a.m. For Palominos – who maintains a 4.1 GPA and is captain the Cal High volleyball team – taking responsibility for the care of others while balancing a full schedule of classes and extracurricular activities comes naturally, earning her respect from classmates, teachers and administrators alike for her cheerful demeanor and leadership skills.
Nearly 180 El Monte City School District students in grades three through eight achieved the highest possible scores on state standardized tests for English language arts (ELA) or math taken in spring 2019, according to recently released state data. They were honored at the District’s Board of Education meeting on Nov. 12.
Rosa Parks Elementary School parent Erica Rodarte remembers how her busy parents were sometimes unable to attend school events and has vowed to participate in the school functions of her three children – including the District’s celebration on Nov. 21 of National Parent Involvement Day. Hundreds of Lynwood Unified parents and guardians received curbside coffee and were treated to student presentations and performances across the District on the special day, which presented a variety of involvement opportunities.
Corey School students are learning to sing, dance and appreciate symphonic music with aid from Disney dance and vocal coaches through a Disney Musicals in Schools grant and from professional symphonic musicians through the Frieda Belinfante Class Act Program. These new offerings are part of the school's revamped visual and performing arts program.
Thurgood Marshall Elementary School fourth- and fifth-grade students shared stories of struggle, hope and triumph during two emotionally charged dramatic performances staged Nov. 15 as part of Lynwood Unified’s Building Relationships and Inspiring Dialogue through Global Exchange (BRIDGE) Theatre Project. The two student-written plays – “Career Day” and “Lemonade Powder” – were received with ovations by parents and fellow students. The plays were followed by a community dance performance that celebrated multiculturalism.
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. Story Maker, which was introduced at the start of the 2019-20 school year, is an element of the school’s development into a Communications and Media Arts Academy. Story Maker teaches fourth- and fifth-graders to use digital media equipment and applications such as Vimeo and Audacity for video hosting and audio editing.
Baldwin Park Unified’s Olive Middle School Celebrates 50 Years of Educating
Past and present educators, students, principals and community members shared a day of joy and remembrance during Olive Middle School’s 50th anniversary celebration. Olive Middle School educators and alumni spoke about the school’s legacy in preparing students to be civic and engaged leaders. During the event, the school unveiled a mural painted by Baldwin Park Adult and Community Education Vice Principal Vanessa Arevalo that depicts the school’s Lancer mascot with the years 1969 to 2019.
Henry J. Kaiser High School sophomore Samantha Martinez sees the effects of hunger in her community and would love to establish a food pantry on campus, as well as make more community services available during summer and the holidays. Martinez was one of nearly 500 Kaiser sophomores who listened to a panel of experts on the subject of hunger on Nov. 20, as part of a Thanksgiving break project-based learning (PBL) research assignment designed to encourage students to find solutions to real-life problems.
Lynwood Unified Students Share Powerful Stories at Stage Performance
Thurgood Marshall Elementary School fourth- and fifth-grade students shared two emotionally charged dramatic performances on Nov. 15 as part of Lynwood Unified’s Building Relationships and Inspiring Dialogue through Global Exchange (BRIDGE) Theatre Project, which teaches students to write and perform short plays as they study other cultures. The two student-written plays explored themes of anxiety and displacement, as well as hope and reconciliation.
Whittier Union Senior, Future Businesswoman Recognized for Leadership
By the time California High School senior Denisse Palominos arrives at campus for zero period at 7:20 a.m., she has already prepared her three younger siblings for school. For Palominos – who maintains a 4.1 GPA and is captain the Cal High volleyball team – taking responsibility for others while balancing a full schedule of classes and extracurricular activities comes naturally, earning her respect from classmates, teachers and administrators alike. She was recognized with an Award of Merit by the Whittier Union Board of Trustees on Nov. 12.
