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.
Paramount High School senior Noah Endo captured first place in the 40th Congressional District’s 25th annual Student Art Competition held by U.S. Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard. Endo won a $1,000 scholarship, $200 for art supplies and a trip to Washington, D.C., with a parent to attend the national exhibit opening. Endo was honored for his piece, titled “A Growing Threat,” created with color pencil, marker and pen. Fellow senior Susana Muñoz took third place, earning a $500 scholarship and $150 for art supplies. Photos are available.
Lynwood Unified students Zion Bennett and Jose Laguna, acting as American cultural ambassadors, performed at the Ubumuntu Arts Festival, held July 13-15 in Kigali, Rwanda. Bennett and Laguna represented Lynwood, showcasing their talents as part of the District’s BRIDGE Theater Project. They collaborated with students from the Mashirika Performance Arts Company on two plays, “Great Minds Think Alike,” written by Cesar Chavez Middle School BRIDGE students, and “Arthur’s Diary,” a Rwandan student-written play that centers on two brothers orphaned during the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. Bennett and Laguna are the first students to travel outside the U.S. as part of the BRIDGE Project, which uses theater to build international relationships.
Abraham Lincoln and Wesley Gaines elementary schools were named to the 2017-18 California Honor Roll for demonstrating consistently high levels of student academic achievement while closing achievement gaps. The Educational Results Partnership and the Campaign for Business and Education Excellence present the annual honor, which includes a banner to display at each campus.
