Roosevelt Elementary sixth-grader Stephanie Reyes’ eyes lit up when she described the famous alumni of Princeton University – from former First Lady Michelle Obama to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and President James Madison. Reyes joined classmates Estevan Sandoval and Kianna Jimenez as representatives of Princeton for their school’s fourth annual College Fair on May 22. Nearly 650 Roosevelt students in preschool through sixth grade were taught college options by their peers, detailing school colors, mascots and programs of more than two dozen universities.
Lynwood Unified School District students experimented with static electricity, observed models of city landscapes and reviewed book reports during the annual Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) Fair where students explored the work of their peers across the District. Each of Lynwood Unified’s 18 schools contributed projects that were publicly displayed on May 16 in the city’s Bateman Hall, where the community could take the educational tour. Elementary schools visited the showcase in shifts throughout the day, while some children brought their parents for demonstrations of engineering, science, history and world geography.
Six San Gabriel Unified schools – Coolidge, McKinley, Washington and Wilson elementary schools, Jefferson Middle School and Gabrielino High School – were named to the 2017-18 California Honor Roll for narrowing the achievement gap and performing well on state standardized tests. All six schools were honored as Star Schools, a category for high-performing schools with substantial populations of socioeconomically disadvantaged students.
More than 250 seniors from Baldwin Park Unified’s Baldwin Park and Sierra Vista high schools visited their elementary schools on May 24 and 25 to thank teachers for guiding them on their educational journeys and to inspire younger pupils to pursue their dreams. At the events, seniors received high-fives, posters and leis from the schools. Seniors, often tearfully, urged the younger students to treasure their time at Baldwin Park’s schools.
Rosemead High School will add an unusual component to its student-run organic herb and vegetable gardens – a garden of weeds to examine how common intruders such as dandelions, clover and nettles can benefit the ecosystem. The “Wisdom of Weeds” program will be developed with a $3,000 Budding Botanist Grant, awarded to the school for its commitment to environmental sustainability and biodiversity. The grant – consisting of a $2,500 check and books/materials valued at $500 – was provided through a joint partnership between Klorane Botanical Foundation and KidsGardening.org. It was presented during a ceremony and garden tour on May 17.
Two Santa Fe High School graduating seniors, who have developed a passion to give back to their community and inspire those around them, have collectively earned $30,000 in scholarships from the Santa Fe Springs Chamber of Commerce to pursue their dreams as first-generation college students. Students Sarah Garcia and Jennisa Casillas are among seven recipients of a Destiny Scholarship, awarded by the Chamber/League Youth Enrichment Fund. Casillas won $10,000 while Garcia was named the winner of the $20,000 Destiny Scholarship, aimed at providing students the opportunity to change their direction in life, or their “destiny.”
One of just two Tesla service technician training programs currently operating in the United States will graduate its first cohort of students from Rio Hondo College during a special ceremony from 4 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 23. The students – three women and seven men – have completed a 12-week Tesla START program that included more than 800 hours of training, providing them with the skills necessary to be hired as service technicians at Tesla service centers across North America. The graduation and recognition ceremony will take place in the Rio Hondo College Automotive Shop. The event will feature remarks from Superintendent/President Teresa Dreyfuss, Board of Trustees President Madeline Shapiro, Tesla North American Service Senior Manager Michael Ojaghian and Tesla START graduate Natalie Dovales-Flores. Representatives of local, state and federal officials are also expected to honor students. Rio Hondo College is at 3600 Workman Mill Road, Whittier.
Monrovia High senior Rebecca De La O proudly signed a symbolic letter of commitment to attend the University of California, Los Angeles during the school’s lunchtime series of college signing celebrations, Sign on the Line, from April to May. De La O will study mathematics of computation, a major she discovered that blends her interests in computer science and gaming when she became a member of Monrovia High’s Math and Science Academy (MASA) to explore how she can become a video game programmer.
Baldwin Park Unified’s Jones Junior High School has launched a pair of classes emphasizing science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) topics along with a new lab that allows seventh- and eighth-graders to bring their ideas to life. Seventh-graders in the new Design and Modeling class are translating two-dimensional ideas into three-dimensional designs using specialized software and dedicated laptops while eighth-graders are constructing cars that demonstrate how kinetic energy can be transferred. Both courses are designed by Project Lead The Way, the national leader in STEM curriculum. Jones is the second of Baldwin Park Unified’s middle/junior high schools to emphasize a STEM pathway. The lab, which can accommodate more than 30 students, features state-of-the art electrical systems, upgraded storage and lighting, and reconfigurable work areas so students can collaborate.
Fontana High Student Wins $1,000 Scholarship from Carson Scholars Fund
Fontana High School student Andres Larias was named a 2018 Carson Scholars fund recipient, earning a $1,000 college scholarship aimed to support students who display academic excellence and humanitarian qualities. Larias, a high-achieving AP scholar and student-athlete, volunteers at his church, as a peer tutor and on a youth advisory committee.
