Bassett High Activities Director Christina Topjian-Covington will use a $20,000 California Teacher Association grant to fund Bassett Connects, a program that will guide students on their college and career pathways. Students will have access to Thrively, an online tool that assesses strengths and interests, and provides online courses and lessons on topics that include study skills, financial literacy and career exploration.
Bassett Unified students in grades six through 12 listened to motivational speaker Jeff Yalden share his life stories on Sept. 24 and 25 as part of a program on healthy social and online interactions. Parents also attended a workshop regarding healthy relationships with their children and the negative effects of extensive online social interactions.
Lynwood Unified School District will add a new all-electric school bus to its fleet this fall, reducing air pollution and cost while improving child safety. The new eLion Type C bus can travel 75 miles when fully charged. The bus is funded through a pair of grants totaling nearly $800,000 from the South Coast Air Quality Management District and the Hybrid and Zero Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Project.
Torch Middle School on Sept. 26 hosted its second annual Grandparents Day, in which families participated in fall-themed activities and made fleece scarves to donate to the East San Gabriel Valley Coalition for the Homeless
Lynwood Unified has expanded its collegiate partnership program, which will provide graduates with priority registration, guaranteed admission and financial aid assistance, to include Cal State University, Dominguez Hills and the University of La Verne. Lynwood Unified has a similar partnership with Compton College. The schools will assist Lynwood graduates in completing the steps to register and apply for financial aid.
La Serna High School English teacher Shelly DeSimone was named a top 16 Los Angeles County public school teacher for 2018-19 by the Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE) during the organization’s annual banquet on Sept. 21. DeSimone was selected to represent the profession’s “best of the best” from among 72,000 L.A. County teachers. DeSimone will advance, along with other county teachers of the year from around the state, to the California Teachers of the Year competition.
Gabrielino High School will host a Cash for College workshop from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, Oct. 13, providing free one-on-one financial aid assistance for families on the FAFSA and California Dream Act applications. Gabrielino High School is at 1327 S. San Gabriel Blvd., San Gabriel.
Mountain View High School will host a community resource fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 13 in conjunction with the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services. The event will feature a construction trades and jobs fair, health services, blood pressure screening and after-school program information. Mountain View is at 2900 Parkway Drive, El Monte.
Coolidge Elementary School kicked off National Bullying Prevention Month on Oct. 1 with its first-ever Friendship Week, a series of campus-wide activities that promoted kindness. Students painted “friendship rocks” with positive messages, took part in a drum circle and learned about the school’s new friendship bench, intended to help them bond with their peers.
Monrovia High School Senior Nathan Hickey rode 550 miles from San Rafael to Los Angeles from Sept. 30 to Oct. 5 to raise awareness and support for pediatric cancer research. Hickey will rode about 100 miles a day to help raise funds for the Pablove Foundation.
