Mark Twain Elementary School will commemorate the opening of a new Early Childhood Education classroom with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 2 p.m. Friday, Sept 14. Superintendent Gudiel R. Crosthwaite will attend the celebration at Mark Twain, 12315 Thorson Ave., Lynwood. The District is expanding its ECE program, which has been commended by the state for creating a quality educational environment at its 12 sites.
Beginning this school year, El Monte Union is transitioning to a new meal program that will provide all students, regardless of income, with free breakfast and lunch. The change comes in response to Senate Bill 138, signed into law in January 2018 requiring school districts in high-poverty areas to provide free meal service to all students. Applications for free and reduced-price meals are available at each school, the District office and on the District Nutrition Services website at https://bit.ly/2NyayY3.
Baldwin Park Unified School District is recognizing Sept. 9 through Sunday, Sept. 15 as Suicide Prevention Week and will join the nation in marking September as National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month in an effort to erase the stigma associated with mental health. Students and teachers from Baldwin Park, North Park Continuation and Sierra Vista high schools’ National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) clubs are hosting events throughout the month to teach the warning signs and risk of suicide and to share stress-relieving and conflict-reducing activities.
The El Monte Union High School District is supporting the state’s High School Voter Education Weeks by promoting civic engagement and education at its schools, which will serve as early voter registration sites for 16- and 17-year-old students in September. The Board of Trustees passed a resolution earlier this year declaring Sept. 17-28 as a time when students can pre-register to vote on their high school campus so they will automatically become active voters once they turn 18. The District has partnered with advocacy group OCA-Greater Los Angeles to provide voter registration support and training to select student leaders who will promote civic engagement in the schools and classrooms
El Monte Union collaborates with local law enforcement, including the El Monte Police Department and Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, to ensure campuses are safe and students are prepared for any circumstance. The Sheriff’s Department recently held an active shooter training session at Rosemead High School, and the El Monte Police Department conducted an active shooter session for students at El Monte, Arroyo and Mountain View high schools. Lockdown drills were also performed.
More than 50 Lynwood High School students who are learning English received an introduction to high school expectations and keys to success during a special assembly on Sept. 6 in the campus library. District staff and LHS counselors offered support and shared their personal stories about mastering English.
Lynwood Unified is launching science, technology, engineering, arts and technology (STEAM) tinker labs at its 18 schools this fall, allowing students to explore inventions and think creatively. Each school will design its own space dedicated to pursuing science and technology. The program will feature robotics, video production, coding and other hands-on curriculum to challenge students to think critically. The labs are set to launch on Monday, Oct. 1.
Members of South El Monte High School’s inaugural Early College Academy – conducted in partnership with Rio Hondo College – will tour the Whittier campus, visit career technical education classes, participate in a time management workshop and meet staff on Sept. 7. Under the Early College plan, SEMHS students can earn a high school diploma and up to two years of college credit in four years, or about 40 credits, which are transferable to UCs or CSUs. Students can take the college-level general education courses for free at South El Monte High or at the Rio Hondo College campus, reducing the cost of attaining a college degree.
San Gabriel Police Department Officer Dane Woolwine will serve as San Gabriel Unified’s School and Community Engagement Team (SCET) officer in 2018-19. SCET is a joint outreach program between SGPD and SGUSD tasked with fostering positive relationship between the police and schools.
Baldwin Park Unified students and family members attended the District’s 12th annual College Fair on Sept. 29, exploring a variety of higher education options, including four-year universities, private colleges, community colleges, technical schools and U.S. service branches. Workshops provided information on financial aid, scholarships, how to write a college essay and how to select a major.
