The talented marching bands, color guards, pep and cheer squads and a drill team from the Whittier Union High School District’s five comprehensive high schools will give rousing performances for the annual Band Jamboree celebration, which will be held at 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 4 at the Sandra Thorstenson Stadium at California High School, 9800 Mills Ave., Whittier. Tickets are $8 at the gate or $7 if purchased from a band member.
Lynwood Unified has received a California School Boards Association Golden Bell Award for its Guided Planning program, where teachers from the same grade level meet to collaborate, network and share lesson plans that strengthen the District’s curriculum.
Roosevelt Elementary’s award-winning Music Immersion Experience (MIE) program has launched a folkloric dance elective to accompany more than a dozen electives that enhance student learning and achievement through music education. “When we structure our elective classes, we are always thinking about what kind of new cultural and artistic opportunities we can provide to our students,” MIE Coordinator Samantha Theisen said. “We are proud to have a diverse array of MIE classes that help students establish a connection to their community and cultures.”
A bright and colorful altar holds photos of loved ones, candles, papier-mâché flowers and decorative calaveras, or sugar skulls, as guests enter the Día de los Muertos art exhibit at Baldwin Park’s Arts and Recreation Center. Eight Baldwin Park High School students were selected to display their artwork at the exhibit, which runs through Saturday, Nov. 3.
Monrovia city firefighters dropped 12 carved pumpkins from high atop a ladder that extends from a fire engine at Monrovia Unified’s Bradoaks Elementary School on Halloween, scattering candy across the ground for children to collect in treat bags. Photos are available
Rigoberto Sanchez, a parent at Howard Tanner Elementary, donated $2,000 worth of brand new Amazon Fire Kids tablets to his daughter’s first-grade classroom to show his appreciation and support for his daughter Yorley’s education. Sanchez heard his daughter’s teacher, Sheena Mora, mention during a September Back to School Night that she had recently acquired five tablets for her first-grade class through Donors Choose. Mora wanted to integrate child learning technology into her curriculum.
In celebration of Veterans Day, Rio Hondo College will recognize World War II veteran Yoshio C. Nakamura and honor all veterans who have served in America’s armed forces in a ceremony set for 1 to 3 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 13 at the Rio Hondo College Veterans Memorial, Lower Quad, 3600 Workman Mill Road, Whittier. Nakamura, a former Rio Hondo College vice president, was a member of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team composed of Americans of Japanese ancestry that became the most highly decorated unit in U.S. military history for its size and length of service.
Ashlie Chaidez from Baldwin Park High School, Anthony Anibal Delgado from Sierra Vista High School and G Negrete from North Park Continuation High School are the newly appointed student board members for the 2018-19 academic year. Delgado presented the first student board report Oct. 9 at Baldwin Park Unified’s Board of Education meeting. The three seniors are active in campus clubs, activities and sports.
Familiar faces have taken on new roles at Whittier Union, continuing a history of strong leadership that has led to rising student academic achievement. Frontier High School Principal Dr. Margie Moriarty will also lead the Whittier Adult School. Richard Rodriguez will serve as assistant principal of Frontier High School. Allison Huntley will serve as assistant principal of guidance at Whittier High School. Craig Fox will serve as Pioneer High School’s assistant principal of business and activities. Together, the four have served Whittier Union for nearly 60 years.
Fontana Unified School District recognized 14 students at the Oct. 25 Board of Education meeting for earning perfect scores on the state’s 2018 English language arts (ELA) and math standardized tests. For their hard work, the students will each receive a laptop from Presidio Systems, Inc., one of Fontana Unified’s community partners. Fontana Unified students improved their overall performance on the tests, with 38.44 percent meeting or exceeding standards in ELA, up 5 percentage points over 2017, and 23.22 percent meeting or exceeding standards in math, up nearly 4 percentage points from 2017.