Nearly 750 incoming ninth-graders at California High School will preview classes, meet teachers, make new friends and learn more about the Condor campus – their home for the next four years – on Tuesday, Aug. 13 as part of Whittier Union High School District’s Freshman First Day program. This year, Whittier Union will welcome over 2,700 freshmen and over 11,000 overall. The first day of school for all students is Wednesday, Aug. 14.
Yuyan Chen, a native Mandarin speaker from China’s Sichuan Province, will take the reins of Orangewood Elementary School’s Mandarin Dual Language Immersion program when the class debuts Thursday, Aug. 15. Chen will use a 50:50 model, employing both English and Mandarin 50 percent of the time throughout the instructional day. The program will also use Simplified Chinese characters, aligning with West Covina’s middle and high school Mandarin programs.
Rio Hondo College California Repertory has brought its summertime paean to Christmas to the world stage, showcasing the original work at the 2019 Edinburgh Festival Fringe from Aug. 3-6 and 8-10.
West Covina Students Receive School Supplies at Back to School Kickoff
Nearly 100 West Covina Unified students and families in need will be ready for the 2019-20 school year after receiving new shoes, backpacks, hygiene kits and school supplies during the District’s third annual Back to School Kickoff, held July 31 at the WCUSD Family Resource Center. The Back to School Kickoff was coordinated by the West Covina Unified Foster and Homeless Youth Center, which provides students who face severe hardships with opportunities to thrive on and off campus.
Paramount Unified High School Students Celebrate Summer Graduation
Nearly 40 students from Paramount Unified’s Buena Vista High School turned their tassels and celebrated graduation during a summer commencement ceremony on July 25. The District provides an opportunity for students to take or retake courses over summer that are required for graduation.
West Covina Unified’s Edgewood High School Welcomes Class of 2023
Edgewood High School’s incoming freshmen raced to hug each other during an ice-breaker exercise at the sixth annual freshman orientation on July 31, building bonds as they prepared for the rigors of high school. Hosted by Edgewood High’s Associated Student Body and Bridges program, the event brought together students – including those who are new to the Edgewood Schools – for a day of interactive games, presentations and a campus tour led by student leaders.
Lynwood Unified has received a $45,000 grant from Kaiser Permanente that will go toward a wellness project supporting elementary and middle school students who face emotional and behavioral challenges. The project, which begins in fall, will provide intensive, individualized therapeutic services over nine to 16 weeks.
West Covina Unified Students Win Top Prizes at West Covina Film Festival
West Covina Unified students showcased their filmmaking skills at the inaugural West Covina Film Festival on July 25, submitting original short films under six minutes to a panel of city officials, residents and business owners. West Covina High School’s video production students won first place in all but one category and took home seven prizes, including the top prize of the evening for the category “What I Love About West Covina.”
El Monte High Alumna Recognized as 2019-20 District Teacher of the Year
When Sonia Lamas was a junior at El Monte High School in the early 1990s, she made a bold prediction to her math teacher that she would one day return and take his place in the classroom. She came close to fulfilling her promise when she was hired as a math teacher at the Lion campus just a few short years later. While she didn’t displace her former mentor, Lamas, a precalculus and AVID teacher, she has made a considerable impact at her alma mater and its students over the course of 20 years. Her enthusiastic presence in the classroom and willingness to make time for every student has culminated in Lamas being recognized as El Monte Union’s 2019-20 Teacher of the Year.
Bassett Unified Schools Host Coffee with the Principal
Edgewood Academy, Torch Middle School and Van Wig Elementary school will each host their first Coffee with the Principal events of the 2019-20 academic year, an opportunity for parents to learn about instructional programs and ask questions from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. Friday, August 16 at Edgewood Academy 14135 Fairgrove Ave., La Puente; Torch Middle School, 751 Vineland Ave., Industry; and Van Wig Elementary, 1151 Van Wig Ave., Bassett.
