The La Serna High School Lancer wrestling team brought holiday warmth and cheer to cancer patients at UCLA Medical Center in Santa Monica on Dec. 15, handing out more than 50 blankets donated by La Serna students and honoring the doctors and nurses who provided a touching final Christmas gift to a La Serna family member in 2017. La Serna freshman Elijah Villatoro created the donation drive to honor his late uncle, Henry Morales, and the caregivers who helped fulfill Morales’ wish to spend a last Christmas day in the snow with his young daughter.
Artwork created by Wilson Elementary School fifth-grade students Tatiana Cato, Leonardo Guzman, Jessie Ramirez, Carla del Villar, Mario Guerrero and Isaac Morales was featured in a 3-D projection on the Los Angeles City Hall building on Dec. 31. The art appeared as part of the Grand Park and the Music Center's New Year's Eve celebration and was made possible by the Lynwood Unified school’s Turnaround Arts: California program.
Baldwin Park Unified School District saw growth in multiple areas on the California School Dashboard, a tool that gives parents, students and educators access to important school and district data. Released on Dec. 6, the updated Dashboard shows that BPUSD students improved their performance on California’s English language arts (ELA) and mathematics tests, continuing an upward trend. ELA scores increased by 7.8 points from 2017-18 and math scores strengthened by 4.6 points from 2017-18.
Paramount High School senior Osvaldo Galaz is affectionately known around his campus as “the chef,” a title he has earned due to his considerable culinary talent. Galaz showcased his ability for all to see in October when he faced off against a handful of select high school students and won the Marukan Cup of Culinary Excellence at Cerritos College.
As the Kaiser High School Catamount Pride Band and Color Guard marched down Colorado Boulevard during their inaugural Tournament of Roses performance on New Year’s Day, they were cheered on by scores of supporters shouting, “Kaiser is Number One!” Kaiser High hopes its appearance as the Premier Band in the 2019 parade – a historic first for the school and the district – marks the beginning of a long relationship with the organization.
Rio Hondo College has launched a free tutoring program for area public schools in its Adopt-A-School program, providing college students who are studying child development and related fields to assist K-12 students during and after school. The program was piloted in spring at Scott Avenue Elementary in East Whittier City School District and is now offered there and at Dean Shively Middle School in Valle Lindo Elementary School District. It is expanding to encompass others in the College’s Adopt-A-School program, which has linked the campus to area schools for several years.
Baldwin Park Unified held an Oath of Office Ceremony on Dec. 10. for returning Board of Education member Betsabel Lara and newly elected members Deanna Coronado Robles and Robert Guzman Varela. During the organizational meeting, Board of Education member Christina Lucero was nominated as board president and Lara was selected to serve as vice president and clerk.
At El Monte City School District’s new Kindergarten Parent Academy, parents are learning fun and engaging ways to teach children about the alphabet with word-matching games, the importance of jumping and skipping to stay physically active and how to read print books in a technology-filled world. The Kindergarten Parent Academy, which started in November, teaches parents how to guide their children in mastering motor skills, English language arts, math and social and emotional development in a series of four workshops throughout the school year. Each District school hosts its own workshops for parents with children in transitional kindergarten and kindergarten.
San Gabriel Unified School District’s Governing Board selected Cheryl Shellhart as its new president, Dr. Gary Thomas Scott as vice president and Rochelle Kate Haas as clerk during a reorganization meeting on Dec. 11. Newly elected member Haas and re-elected members Dr. Scott and Cristina Alvarado also took the oath of office during the meeting.
Fontana Unified Honors School Police Officers for Life-saving Efforts
Fontana School Police Chief Martin Sissac and Fontana Unified School District honored school police officers during the Dec.12 Board of Education meeting for life-saving measures they took to help a local resident. Board members commended the school police department for their work in serving the school community as well as the city of Fontana.
