El Monte Union Board Votes to Reduce Use of Styrofoam Products
The El Monte Union Board of Trustees at its Aug. 7 meeting unanimously voted to reduce the use of polystyrene, a synthetic resin known by the brand name Styrofoam, from its campuses and administrative offices effective Jan. 1, 2020. Under the resolution, the District, excluding the Nutrition Services Department, is prohibited from purchasing, using and distributing polystyrene products in business or school activities; the District will seek more environmentally friendly alternatives to school polystyrene lunch trays. Faculty, staff and students will also be urged to reduce use of the foam product.
Buena Park School District Wellness Garden to Promote Emotional Growth
A lush, green surprise will be waiting for Whitaker School students when they return to school on Tuesday, Aug. 13 – a new wellness garden, complete with native California plants, fruit-bearing trees and herbs to benefit the entire school. Funding for the wellness garden project, which included leveling the ground, clearing weeds, spreading mulch and planting vegetation, was provided by BayWa Renewable Energy and United Way.
Summit High School honors English teacher Dina Bartholomew has been named a 2019 Teacher of Distinction by College Board for her effective and innovative use of its SpringBoard instructional program to create lesson plans that prepare students for college and careers.
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.
Jurupa Hills High School senior Juleny Ortiz-Contreras wants to be a voice for her peers, effect change and inspire others to get involved in the community, all of which she hopes to achieve as Fontana Unified’s 2019-20 Board of Education student representative.
West Covina Unified will offer California’s only TK-12 International Baccalaureate (IB) Continuum – providing a globally focused education in a free, public school setting – when school begins Aug. 15 through its recently named International World Schools of West Covina. International World Schools of West Covina consist of Orangewood Elementary and Edgewood middle and high schools, which house the IB-authorized Primary Years Programme, Middle Years Programme and Diploma Programme. All three programs use a service-learning approach, encouraging students to make local and global connections to their education.
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.
