Baldwin Park Unified’s Central, Elwin and Pleasant View elementary schools were granted $50,000 by the Masons of California to implement Raising a Reader, an early reading intervention program. Eleven transitional kindergarten and kindergarten classes will participate in the program, in which each student receives three different books a week to read with their parents and family members.
Fontana Unified School District on April 17 renamed Dorothy Grant Elementary School and Southridge Middle School to reflect the schools’ efforts to prepare students for the challenges of the future. Grant will be known as Dorothy Grant Innovations Academy, paying homage to the school’s science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) academy and Code to the Future program. Southridge is now Southridge Tech Middle School, reflecting the school’s efforts to prepare students to boost academic achievement through technology and celebrating its status as a Microsoft Showcase School.
West Covina Unified’s Edgewood Schools will host the third annual Subterranean Edgewood Tribute Concert, featuring the songs of Sam Cooke and original spoken word poetry. Performances will begin at 5 p.m. Thursday, April 25, at 6 p.m. Friday, April 26 and at 6 p.m. Saturday, April 27. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased at the door. Edgewood Schools are at 1625 W. Durness St., West Covina.
Bradoaks Elementary students will showcase art projects they have worked on throughout the school year during an open house from 6:15 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 23 at 930 E. Lemon Ave., Monrovia.
Gidley School award winning orator seventh-grader Lauren Tran said she drew her inspiration from her father’s journey to America as a Vietnam War refugee for her speech at the District’s fourth annual speech competition. Tran and 25 other El Monte City School District students in sixth, seventh and eighth grades debated whether conflict improved everyday life on subjects including homelessness, the women’s rights movement and mental health.
San Gabriel Unified School District has selected Chris Guyer as Jefferson Middle School’s principal and Tuoi Nguyen as McKinley Elementary’s principal. Guyer brings 17 years of education experience and served as an assistant principal at Gabrielino High School for two years before being named Jefferson’s interim principal in January. Nguyen has served as McKinley’s assistant principal since 2015 and brings 18 years of experience. Guyer and Nguyen will begin their new posts in the 2019-20 school year.
Dressed in Dolores Huerta-inspired T-shirts while chanting “Si Se Puede,” students from Fontana Unified’s Dolores Huerta International Academy welcomed Huerta to campus on April 15 to celebrate her 89th birthday. Students showcased dancing skills while holding flags from different countries, showing what it means to be a part of an international academy, and performed a skit about Huerta’s life as an activist.
Sierra Vista High School senior Jose de Leon is looking forward to participating in commencement exercises in June and pursuing a career as a probation officer. But it wasn’t very long ago that the idea of graduating from high school was more fantasy than reality for de Leon. As a freshman, de Leon spent two days at the comprehensive high school before being transferred to Sierra Vista, the District’s independent study campus. There, he was placed in the evening program, where he received one-on-one support. He now plans to attend Rio Hondo College and become a probation officer. For overcoming personal barriers, de Leon was honored with an Award of Merit by the Board of Trustees.
More than 700 guests are expected to sample artisan cuisine, fine wine and craft beer during the Rio Hondo Foundation’s seventh annual “A Taste of Rio” event at 6 p.m. Friday, April 26. The event, which supports Rio Hondo student programs and scholarships, will feature more than two dozen local restaurants, music and over 100 opportunity drawings.
As Gabrielino High School students arrived on campus on April 18, they were faced with a decision: walk through a gate adorned with the word “Beautiful” or one that read “Average.” The exercise kicked off Gabrielino’s final Mental Health Day of the year – focused on body image issues – and encouraged students to reflect on how everyone struggles with self-esteem at times. Gabrielino also provided presentations from a mental health advocate and stylist and an author/entrepreneur/social media influencer.