El Monte City School District will host its 11th annual band festival at 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 21 at Durfee School, 12233 Start St., El Monte. The festival will feature toe-tapping melodies from band classes from Gidley, Columbia, Potrero, Wright, Durfee and Rio Hondo schools. This event is free and open to the public.
West Covina Unified will celebrate Mental Health Month with a free Mental Wellness Festival for WCUSD families and community members from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, May 18. Guests can enjoy a free pancake breakfast, giveaways, community resources and live entertainment as they learn about active parenting, anxiety and depression, healthy relationships, improving well-being and cyber safety. The festival will be at Edgewood Schools, 1625 W. Durness St., West Covina.
Rio Hondo College will celebrate its first cohort of 16 students to earn four-year Bachelor of Science degrees in automotive technology during a ceremony from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Friday, May 17 at the College’s Automotive Technology Lab, 3600 Workman Mill Road, Whittier. The graduates are part of a historic state effort to allow community colleges to award four-year degrees.
Monrovia Unified Students will entertain crowds during Monrovia Days with performances that include “High School Musical Jr.” by Clifton Middle School Students, “Once on this Island,” by Santa Fe Computer Science Magnet School students and a drama presentation by Monrovia High School students. Performances begin at 5 p.m. Friday, May 17 at Library Park, 321 S. Myrtle Ave., Monrovia. The festivities continue with additional student participation on Saturday, May 18 and Sunday, May 19.
Fourth-grade students from Plymouth Elementary School excited the audience during a California Dance Institute (CDI) Showcase on May 14. Thanks to a grant from the Boone Foundation awarded to the schools, students participated in weekly dance lessons with CDI and learned how to tell stories through movements and sounds.
Rio Hondo College will hold a groundbreaking for its new transportation hub – dubbed Rio Plaza – at 10 .m. Tuesday, May 14 atop the grassy knoll in front of the campus marquee, 3600 Workman Mill Road, Whittier. Rio Plaza will feature a transit bus facility with restrooms, vending machines, bike lockers and shade structures.
Lynwood High School senior Alexa Hernandez fought back tears as she expressed her appreciation to her former Cesar Chavez Middle School history teacher Adolph Lopez, who inspired her through his belief and enthusiasm. Hernandez was one of a handful of LHS students who returned to their former elementary and middle schools on April 30 to thank teachers for the impact they’ve had on their success. The surprise visits were in honor of Teacher Appreciation Week and came with invitations to next month’s LHS graduation ceremony.
Buena Park School District is announcing new mission and vision statements that celebrate new college partnerships, facilities and technology efforts designed to ensure students are superbly prepared for high school, college and careers.
Roosevelt Elementary students and families enjoyed the sounds of Mariachi and the flair of folkloric dance during an early Cinco de Mayo celebration on May 3, which highlighted the school’s Music Immersion Experience (MIE) electives and promoted intercultural understanding. Roosevelt fourth- and fifth-grade Mariachi band students sang and played guitars, violins and trumpets to the tune of “Cerca del Mar,” “La Bamba” and “De Colores” while second- through fifth-grade folkloric dance students performed traditional dances from Chihuahua, Guadalajara and other cities in Mexico.
Buena Park Junior High School eight-grader Gabrielle Barrios loves participating in the Faley Special Games, because it allows her to showcase her baseball skills and “cut a rug” on the event’s dance floor. Buena Park School District sent about 80 students to participate in the 34th annual Faley Special Games at California State University, Fullerton on May 4. The annual event was created to give special education students a day of sports, food, awards and entertainment.
