The Inglewood High School Band marched and played its way to a first-place finish at the annual Kingdom Day Parade, a Los Angeles event that celebrates the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Showcasing its woodwind, percussion, brass instrument sections, along with a drumline and cheer squad, Inglewood High outperformed local high schools. The band is led by Conrad Hutchinson, who has overseen the Inglewood band since 1977.
Southridge and Wayne Ruble middle schools are among 16 newly designated schools in the state to join the 2019 California Schools to Watch List, recognized for bridging the technology gap, boosting student achievement and improving campus culture. The Schools to Watch list, created by the National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades Reform, identifies schools across the U.S. that share three features: academic excellence, developmentally responsive to early adolescence and social equity.
Nearly 250 Lynwood Middle School students will receive free eyeglasses through the District’s partnership with Vision To Learn, a nonprofit dedicated to eliminating vision issues as a barrier to education. The students who will receive new eyewear went through free screenings in fall 2018. The recipients have chosen their own frames. VTL specialists have partnered with Lynwood’s Rotary Club and will join LMS staff members to distribute the glasses on the school’s campus Tuesday, Feb. 26 at 9 a.m.
An educator known for her unconventional classroom tactics brought more than 700 Clifton Middle School students to tears on Feb. 14 with stories of how her “unteachable” students have blazed paths to college and successful careers. Erin Gruwell, a former Wilson High School teacher in Long Beach Unified School District featured in the film “Freedom Writers,” discussed the transformative power of education during a Freedom Writers Foundation assembly, leading students through activities demonstrating the impact of such obstacles as financial hardships, homelessness, and depression.
Bonita Unified Superintendent Carl J. Coles will share the District’s successes, highlight academic, activity, arts and athletic programs and discuss BUSD’s vision and mission during the State of the District at 12:15 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 26. The event will be held at Hillcrest, 2705 Mountain View Drive, La Verne. A luncheon will begin at 11 a.m. Tickets can be purchased for $25 at Hillcrest. Call 909-392-4362 for more information.
La Serna High School senior Olivia Genao is a budding artist whose lifelong passion for art, science and math has fueled a remarkable educational journey that has brought her District-wide recognition for gaining early admission to Yale University. Genao, La Serna’s 2019 Student of the Year, was granted early admission to the elite Ivy League in December. She is one of 794 applicants from around the world selected to join the Class of 2023 through the Early Action program. Genao, who plans to major in neuroscience, was offered a full tuition scholarship.
Carlos Pondevida and Kevin Quach – seniors at San Gabriel Unified’s Gabrielino High School – were named National Merit Scholarship finalists, placing them in the running for the prestigious award thanks to exemplary scores on the Preliminary SAT.
Students, teachers and staff at three Whittier Union high schools were treated to thousands of free Chick-fil-A sandwiches as part of Kindness Week, an annual weeklong celebration aimed at uniting schools, communities and homes through random acts of kindness. To demonstrate kindness to their classmates, the Associated Student Body (ASB) organizations at Whittier, California and La Serna high schools signed up to participate in an outreach program hosted by the Chick-fil-A in the Whittwood Town Center.
Four Inglewood Unified School District students were honored by the Board of Education on Feb. 20 for winning the District’s Martin Luther King Jr. Speech Contest. Second-grader Pete Asafor of La Tijera K-8 Academy, fourth-grader Tatyana Aubry of Payne Elementary School, seventh-grader Mahana Gurung of Crozier Middle School and junior Daisy Robles of Inglewood High School crafted speeches that addressed the idea of “Something That Moves America,” winning campus contests before advancing to the District competition. Photos are available.
Students filled the Baldwin Park High School gym on Feb. 21 with passionate debates on topics ranging from Roe v. Wade and the Tet Offensive to the #MeToo movement and the fall of the Berlin Wall. The discussions were part of Triumph and Tragedy in History Day, which featured more than 80 poster boards articulating perspectives on historical topics along with presentations in website formats, as dioramas and interactive displays. Students prepared – individually and in groups – for the event over the past few months. Photos and video available.