Emery School students filled the halls of Thanksgiving Church with laughter and applause as they spent their final elementary school day reflecting on friendships, hugging and saying goodbye during their school’s sixth-grade promotion ceremony. The school’s ceremony took place May 31 with 76 students awarded for finishing their elementary school years, participating in clubs and achieving academic milestones.
Rio Vista School cafeteria transformed into 1960s Baltimore for 90 minutes as students filled the air with songs about healthy self-images and diversity during a “Hairspray Jr.” performance, complete with big hairdos, groovy tunes and outrageous dance moves.
Monrovia Unified celebrated 223 graduates from the District’s Adult School, Canyon Oaks High School and Mountain Park School during graduation ceremonies on May 30, June 4 and June 5. During the ceremonies, students were awarded more than $15,000 in scholarships from community groups such as Monrovia Rotary Club, Monrovia Kiwanis Club, Latino Heritage, Citrus College Bright Futures and more.
Whittier Union High School District’s Board of Trustees recognized the lifetime contributions of La Serna High School physical education teacher and former varsity softball coach Ginger Larsin, approving the dedication of the school’s new softball field in her honor. Larsin – who retired in June after serving in the District almost four decades – developed into one of the most acclaimed high school athletic coaches in the nation during her tenure at La Serna. Her legacy includes more than 500 victories, 14 league titles and three CIF championships. Larsin was also a three-time CIF Coach of the Year and nurtured the talents of more than 400 scholar athletes. A dedication is planned for next year.
Five West Covina Unified schools were recognized for narrowing the achievement gap among underserved students, earning places on the 2019 Top Los Angeles County Public Schools for Underserved Students list. Merlinda, Merced and Vine elementary schools joined Walnut Grove Intermediate and Hollencrest Middle schools on the Top Schools list, based on continued improvement on the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress test, reduced suspension rates and performance on the California Dashboard.
Abraham Lincoln and Wesley Gaines elementary schools have been named to the Educational Results Partnership 2018-19 Honor Roll for demonstrating consistent high levels of student academic achievement. Both schools were identified as having improvement in achievement levels over time, and a reduction in achievement gaps. Each school will receive a banner of recognition.
Family and friends, teachers, staff and administrators cheered on 367 graduates from Monrovia High School during a commencement ceremony at the school’s Wildcat Stadium on June 5. The ceremony included performances by the school’s band and orchestra, and camerata singers, as well as valedictorian and class president addresses.
El Monte Union High School District celebrated more than 2,000 members of the Class of 2019 during commencement ceremonies that brought together teachers, staff, families and community members, who cheered on graduates as they received their diplomas and leaped into the next chapter of their lives. The District celebrated graduating seniors from its six high schools on June 6. The adult school celebrated high school diploma recipients on May 29.
Lynwood Unified’s Class of 2019 will visit elementary and middle school students during a special Senior Walk event at 9 a.m. Tuesday, June 11. Seniors will arrive at campuses dressed in their caps and gowns and speak to students about their educational journeys. The visits will begin at Hosler Middle School, 11300 Spruce St., Lynwood.
Whittier Union High School District celebrated the Class of 2019 during commencement ceremonies that featured poignant speeches, tears of joy and cheers of excitement from families and staff, and close to 2,800 seniors ready to pursue the next step of their academic and professional careers. Frontier and Sierra Vista high schools, the Whittier Adult School and the District’s Transition program held ceremonies on June 3. California and Santa Fe high schools held celebrations on June 4. La Serna, Pioneer and Whittier high schools held commencements on June 5.