100 Bonita Unified TK-12 Students to Star in ‘Mary Poppins’ Musical
The San Dimas High School Drama Club is staging a winter production of "Mary Poppins," bringing together more than 100 TK to 12th-grade students from nine Bonita Unified schools for a heartwarming display of musical and theatrical talents. There will be two shows per day from Friday, Feb. 9 to Sunday, Feb. 11 at the Bonita Center for the Arts, 822 W. Covina Blvd., San Dimas. For show times and tickets, visit www.bonitacenterforthearts.com.
Hacienda La Puente Unified School District’s high school students are gaining insight into different cultures, histories and perspectives through the District’s Intersectional Ethnic Studies classes, which provides them with a deeper understanding of the nuances and complexities that have helped shape society. The District currently offers 11 sections of Ethnic Studies courses across its five high schools. These University of California A-G approved courses include curriculum and pedagogy that focus on the struggles and oppression of minority and marginalized groups and center on the importance of movement toward educational and social justice.
Covina-Valley Unified School District’s Adult Transition Program (ATP) is helping students at Mt. San Antonio College (MSAC) gain hands-on experience working with people with disabilities, allowing them to develop the skills they need for a career as a psychiatric technician. In their introductory courses, MSAC students focus on a curriculum that encompasses biological, psychological, social, medical, and behavioral characteristics of developmental disabilities and etiologies. These students are then presented with the opportunity to intern with Covina-Valley Unified, where they help ATP students both in the classroom and with their community-based instruction.
The Institute for Evidence-Based Change (IEBC) is bringing Caring Campus to Texas A&M University – Kingsville (TAMUK), the first university to adopt the program as IEBC expands its reach to establish a culture of care on campuses nationwide. TAMUK joins the more than one hundred community colleges across the country who have implemented Caring Campus at their institutions, thereby improving student connectedness and boosting their determination to succeed. Data shows that if students do not feel connected to the institution they attend, they are far less likely to persist and graduate. With that in mind, IEBC has developed its Caring Campus program to increase students’ sense of belonging and increase student success for all students.
More than 25 Fontana High School (FOHI) students flashed joyful smiles as they huddled around a fire engine and helped deliver it into the school’s Fire Technology and Emergency Services classroom, McGinnis Station 815, during a traditional push-in ceremony on Jan. 10. Members of the Fontana Rotary Club and San Bernardino County Fire Department, who teamed up to donate the fire engine to Fontana High, joined students and staff in cheers and a round of applause during the ceremony. FOHI’s Fire Technology and Emergency Services CTE students will continue to perform hands-on activities with the retired San Bernardino County fire engine throughout the school year.
Bonita Unified Students Explore Career Options at General Atomics
Thirty Bonita Unified students gained insight into a variety of jobs available within a corporation – from assembly work to manufacturing engineering – during a Jan. 21 field trip to General Atomics in Poway, which develops advanced technology for government and commercial applications. Students toured the facility, experienced each stage of the development of unmanned aircrafts, and learned about paid internship opportunities. The field trip is one of many offered this year as part of Bonita Unified’s increased focus on expanding work-based learning opportunities for students.
El Monte Union Annual Open House Showcases Programs, Facilities
Mountain View High School (MVHS) students and families gathered for the school’s annual Open House on Jan. 18, which featured food and refreshments, classroom tours, department showcases, informational workshops and a raffle for MVHS merch, including a brand-new letterman jacket. Showcases included highlights of the school’s Visual and Performing Arts program, ASB and Link Crew, CTE pathways, AVID, Zoo Crew and Engineering and Robotics. Families learned about Advanced Placement options, college preparation, facilities changes and updates, campus clubs and athletics, and a Cash for College workshop. Visitors also took a tour of the school’s wellness center.
La Verne Heights Elementary School third-grade students spent a day learning the ABCs of finance and received valuable lessons in money management and entrepreneurship when the school hosted its Third Grade Business Day, held in December. With business names like “Mya and Esmay’s BFF Shop” nascent La Verne Heights business owners enthusiastically hawked their merchandise, which included stress balls, dog treats, lava lamps, snow globes, mini stuffed animals and mystery boxes. The event is designed to let students apply finance knowledge they have learned since the beginning of the school year and spend “play money” earned by completing assignments on time, scoring 100% on a test and helping others.
Whittier Union Students Improve Social-Emotional Wellbeing
Frontier High School students are improving their social-emotional wellbeing and engaging in physical exercise by participating in Feet First, a cardio boxing program that builds character, confidence, and coping skills. More than 20 Frontier High students meet weekly for a one-hour session that includes a cardio boxing workout session and a lesson on topics including managing stress, motivation, emotional intelligence, and healthy self-regulation, led by local Feet First boxing coaches. Frontier High launched the program in Dec. 2023 and will continue hosting the program through the remainder of the 2023-24 school year.
El Monte Union Senior Garners Acclaim for Debut Novel
South El Monte High School senior and student author Aaron Morales unveiled his debut book titled, "Legacy: After Effects, A Red America Novel" to the El Monte Union community and was acknowledged for this outstanding achievement by the District’s Board of Trustees during a meeting in December. Set against a backdrop of societal upheaval, the book delves into the complexities of a post-apocalyptic world and explores the aftermath of a world-changing event in the heart of a divided America. "Legacy: After Effects, A Red America Novel" is now available for purchase on Amazon.
