Student chefs from three El Monte Union high schools squared off to prepare a full meal – complete with a protein, vegetable and starch – in Cooking Showdown, the District’s first-ever cooking contest on on March 15. Filmed by Mountain View's VISTA Academy video production class, the game show-style competition featured three teams of six students receiving identical surprise ingredients and being given 75 minutes to plan and prep their dishes. The show will “air” through each school’s YouTube channel on May 1, with winners announced at the Board of Trustees meeting later that evening.
Rio Hondo College Superintendent/President Teresa Dreyfuss has been named a 2019 Distinguished Woman of the Year for the 57th Assembly District in recognition of her contributions to the community. Assembly Majority Leader Ian C. Calderon, who represents the 57th District, will honor Dreyfuss and nine additional distinguished women at 6 p.m. Thursday, March 28 at The Clarke Estate, 10211 Pioneer Blvd., Santa Fe Springs. Dreyfuss, who retires on June 30, has served Rio Hondo College in multiple capacities for more than 30 years. During her service, she helmed a $250 million construction program that remade the aging hilltop campus into a modern institution, as well as establishing three regional education centers to serve students close to their homes. Dreyfuss has been praised for guarding Rio Hondo College’s finances through the Great Recession and increasing student graduation, completion and transfer rates during her tenure as superintendent/president.
Holland eighth-grader Lorenzo Gomez had a flash of panic at the VEX State Championship when he realized his USB drive with programming for the team robot was left in the classroom. Gomez, lead programmer for the Bulldog’s robotics team, pored over his laptop to identify and input correct coding instructions prior to the day’s series of competitions. The underdog team pulled off a surprise win, qualifying for the upcoming VEX World Championship in Kentucky. Photos and video available.
Bonita Unified covered the SAT registration costs for more than 600 students, prompting a 44 percent jump in participation over 2018. The District funded the SAT testing costs for all members of Bonita and San Dimas high schools’ Class of 2020 as part of Bonita Unified’s commitment to equity and to preparing every student to live their purpose.
Gidley School’s SeaPerch underwater robotics program took home two first-place awards and ranked third overall for demonstrating excellence in engineering against 26 area schools at the Southern California SeaPerch Challenge in Fullerton. SeaPerch is a robotics program that focuses on aquatic applications while teaching students about the different levels of engineering including concepts, process, problem-solving, teamwork and technical applications.
Clifton Middle School students excited audiences with fan-favorite sing-alongs as they performed a new, fresh approach to “High School Musical Jr.,” directed by Clifton alumna Keely Milliken, on March 21-22. A total of 44 Clifton students participated in the production, working on stage and behind-the-scenes. The “High School Musical Jr.” production addressed the stereotypes and conflicts in the day-to-day life of students and showed how characters take the high road and accept the differences in people.
El Monte City School District’s Cleminson School demonstrated growth in multiple areas on the California School Dashboard, a tool that gives parents, students and educators access to important school and district data. Cleminson students boosted scores on California’s English language arts (ELA) and mathematics tests. The school’s ELA scores increased 15.8 percentage points from 2017-18 while math scores increased 19.4 percentage points.
Cleminson School students improved their performance on California’s English language arts (ELA) and mathematics tests, building on their strong performance in the previous school year. The school’s ELA scores increased 15.8 percentage points from 2017-18 while math scores increased 19.4 percentage points.
San Gabriel Unified Elementary Celebrates Cultural Diversity, Inclusivity
Coolidge Elementary School celebrated diversity and inclusivity during International/Indigenous Week from March 11-15. Students enjoyed presentations about a variety of cultures from parents, staff, community members and native experts; represented their own heritage during a dress-up parade; and practiced artwork and staged musical performances highlighting various holidays. Highlighted cultures included Lebanese, Filipino, Ghanaian, Gujarati, Burmese, Tongva, Sikangu Lakota, Dutch, Chinese, Mayan, Jewish and Irish. Photos are available.
Baldwin Park Unified Chooses North Park Student as Board Representative
North Park Continuation High School junior Jasmeen Sanchez is the new student board member for the remainder of the 2018-19 academic year. A member of North Park’s Associated Student Body and leadership team, Sanchez will present her first report on Tuesday, April 23 at Baldwin Park Unified’s Board of Education meeting. Photos are available.
San Gabriel Unified’s Governing Board on March 12 selected Jim Symonds as assistant superintendent of educational services, effective for the 2019-20 school year. Symonds, who has served as McKinley Elementary’s principal in San Gabriel Unified since 2014, brings more than 29 years of public education experience to his new role.
