Lynwood Unified School District students will benefit from a unique and immersive learning experience through the District’s recently expanded Dual Language Immersion (DLI) program, which fosters bilingualism and biliteracy among students using a two-way learning model. The program aims to help students achieve excellence through cross-cultural understanding, and will introduce one transitional kindergarten and two kindergarten classes to Mark Twain Elementary School beginning in the 2024-25 school year.
Arroyo High School alumnus and girls basketball coach Mike Gorball is celebrating multiple achievements during his 34th season at Arroyo High, after becoming the first girls basketball coach in San Gabriel Valley history and only the 12th coach in CIF Southern Section history to earn 500 victories. Gorball completed the milestone when Arroyo defeated Schurr High School 40-22 in December 2023. The El Monte Union Board of Trustees will honor Gorball during a meeting in February.
FUSD Theater Program Gears Up for Second Performance of Season
Fontana Unified’s career technical education program (CTE) is continuing its theater season with a second and final production for 2023-24, the Harry Potter satire “Puffs, or Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic” on Thursday, Feb. 1 and Friday, Feb. 2 at the historic California Theater for the Performing Arts in San Bernardino, under the guidance of A.B. Miller High School multimedia design and drama teacher Joseph Henson. The FUSD Theater Conservatory was established so that young students could discover the joys of theater and work as actors in a professional show, as well as get involved in CTE projects at an early age. The California Theater is located at 562 West 4th St., San Bernardino.
Southridge Tech Middle School seventh-grade math teacher Linh Nguyen-Carlyle draws upon her own life experiences and challenges to connect with her students, making an impact in the classroom that has earned her recognition as the California League of Educators (CLE) Region 10 Educator of the Year Runner-Up. Nguyen-Carlyle was one of 10 CLE finalists from across the Riverside, Inyo, Mono and San Bernardino counties honored at the Region 10 awards ceremony held last December at the Riverside Mariott.
Bonita Unified School District will host its 2023-24 State of the District Address for local business partners, community leaders and families, in which Superintendent Matt Wien will provide an update on the District’s accomplishments, highlight academic, arts, athletic and extracurricular programs, and discuss BUSD’s vision and mission. In addition to Wien’s keynote address, the event will include refreshments prepared by the District’s culinary students and choral performances from Bonita and San Dimas high schools.
Río Hondo College received a four-year reaffirmation of accreditation from the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) on Jan. 16, highlighting the College’s commitment to excellence in institutional effectiveness and ensuring a high-quality education for its students. The ACCJC, a division of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), announced Río Hondo College’s reaffirmation after a comprehensive review from a peer-review team that included two site visits where they examined evidence and interviewed Río Hondo College representatives.
Fontana Unified’s Career Technical Education (CTE) program opened its theater season with live musical productions of “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” as District elementary and middle school students got the holiday season off to a spirited and nostalgic start. “A Charlie Brown Christmas” is the latest production presented by Fontana Unified’s Theater Conservatory and brought together the talents of Canyon Crest Elementary School, Dorothy Grant Innovations Academy and Wayne Ruble Middle School students at the historic California Theatre for the Performing Arts in San Bernardino. For the first time, it featured an all-student cast, who once again worked with A.B. Miller High School multimedia design teacher Joseph Henson. The FUSD Theater Conservatory was established so that young students could discover the joys of theater and work as actors in a professional show, as well as get involved in CTE projects at an early age.
Bonita Unified teachers received a welcome boost from the Rotary Club of La Verne when the service organization continued its annual tradition of awarding District educators mini-grants to promote learning during the Jan. 17 Board of Education meeting. Rotary Club president Diana Laguna, joined by members Craig Rubin, Steven Johnson and Deborah Deacy, distributed $3,200 in mini-grants to 10 Bonita Unified teachers. The grants, which are worth up to $500 each, will help fund projects and resources that include a two-person tricycle for preschoolers, dramatic play centers, a sensory light table and an assistive technology library. Two Grace Miller Elementary School teachers are ready to implement their projects. Transitional kindergarten teacher Gayle Cervantes will use her grant to install a sensory light table in her classroom, to better enhance her student’s learning experience.
Santa Fe High School senior Ezra Tetteh learned how to advocate for herself at an early age. Born in Gabon, Africa, Tetteh moved with her family to the United States in 2015, settling in Houston, Texas. As a native French speaker with no English language skills, Tetteh realized that she would need to stay focused if she wanted to earn an education, as her family continually relocated over the next several years. Coming to Santa Fe High as a freshman, Tetteh began taking intermediate classes in English, quickly moving on to Honors and Advanced Placement (AP) courses in her sophomore year. With a 3.31 GPA, Tetteh is on track to complete her A-G course requirements and attend a four-year university in the fall. For her resilience and ability to overcome adversity, Tetteh was presented with an Award of Merit by the Whittier Union Board of Trustees during its Jan. 16 meeting.
Río Hondo College will continue its mission to remove barriers to educational opportunity for students, as the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office (CCCCO) selected Río Hondo as one of 10 community colleges statewide to implement the Hire UP pilot program. Hire UP is a five-year program designed by CCCCO to acknowledge and address historic racial inequity and socioeconomic barriers to workforce participation. Students who participate in the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) and RISE Scholars Program, along with former foster youth, are eligible to apply for the Hire UP program, where they will be provided with stipends to help them meet the true cost of college attendance and gain clear access to academic programs and workforce support.
