The Summit High School Majorettes delivered their first dance routine backing the Summit High marching band during its Sept. 15 football game, with students, parents and staff roaring their approval as they watched an inspired performance of hip hop, jazz and modern dance in a debut that made history. The 27-student SkyHawk team is the first Majorette team in Fontana Unified history and the first organized high school team in the Inland Empire. The Majorettes began as a club during the 2022-23 school year, embracing dancing traditions that are hugely popular in the South and have been made famous by pioneering performers at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU).
In celebration of Latino Heritage Month, Lynwood Unified will host a Health and Wellness Fair from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 7 at Holser Middle School. The fair, which is free and open to the public, will feature live music, folklorico dancing, photo booth, spa, game trucks, food and opportunities for families to explore resources on healthy living from partners of the District’s award-winning Health Collaborative, including Baby 2 Baby, Big Smiles Dental and the LA County Department of Mental Health, among others. Holser Middle School is located at 11387 Bullis Rd., Lynwood (Pathway High School entrance).
Three Whittier High School seniors have taken a significant step towards achieving their dreams of attending a top-tier university after high school by securing coveted spots in the prestigious and highly-selective University of Southern California’s (USC) Bovard Scholars program. Whittier High seniors Diana Nguyen, Fabiola Ramirez and Cynthia Flores participated in a three-week intensive program this summer that began with a week of online preparation, followed by two weeks on USC’s campus free of charge. The USC Bovard Scholars program connects underrepresented, first-generation students with higher education resources and coaching opportunities, helping them to gain admission and succeed at the nation’s top universities.
Fontana Unified School District’s plan to expand its work-based learning (WBL) opportunities shifted onto the fast track after it was one of two school districts in California and 81 nationwide to secure a semifinalist spot in the U.S. Department of Education’s Career Z Challenge, a $2.5 million multi-phase prize competition. Fontana Unified earned semifinalist honors in the inaugural Career Z Challenge for its proposal to launch the Future Shapers Academy (FSA), a systemic WBL ecosystem within its career technical education (CTE) program, in 2023-24. Through the Career Z Challenge, the federal government will provide FUSD with technical assistance, learning workshops, peer collaboration, and a monetary prize for rolling out the FSA during this school year.
Representatives from Río Hondo College celebrated the impact of its educator pathway at the Center of Collaborative Education’s (CCE) gala on Oct. 3. The CCE gala commemorated the impact the Community Partnerships for Teacher Pipeline, a teaching exploration program Río Hondo College and two other community colleges have offered since 2020, has had in strengthening the teaching profession by increasing the number of teachers of color.
Covina-Valley Unified School District supports students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing (DHH) from across the San Gabriel Valley by offering crucial services, ensuring that every student has the resources and opportunities to achieve success in their personal and educational goals. DHH students are supported by the Covina-Valley Children’s Center’s Early Start Program through the Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA).
Bonita High School students are diving into the world of video production through their partnership with LVTV-3 and the University of La Verne to produce Local Lens, a magazine show that highlights interesting people, stories and events in the community. Video II teacher Paul Eichen has partnered with LVTV station manager Ken Pucci over the past several years to help students with various Bonita High projects, including filming at sports games and graduations. This year, Eichen and Pucci brought the idea of Local Lens to students as a project they could complete for their Purpose-Driven, Active, Career Exploration (PACE) graduation requirement. Local Lens is a student-produced show from start to finish – including writing, reporting, directing and editing.
Lynwood Elementary Students Meet Dodgers Greats Kershaw, Ferrara
Nearly 75 Lynwood Unified elementary school students received a once-in-a-lifetime experience when they met two Los Angeles Dodgers greats, World Series Champion Clayton Kershaw, and Al “The Bull” Ferrara, as part of the L.A. Reads literacy program. The Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation, in partnership with Lynwood Unified and Think Together, hosted two L.A. Reads literacy events to promote a lifelong love of reading among the community’s youth. All participating students received a book at the end of the visit.
The Coalition for Clean Air met with El Monte Union school leaders and air quality experts at the District’s Bus Depot to speak with the press while spotlighting a fleet of vehicles that are among the first electric school buses in Los Angeles County, celebrating California Clean Air Day on Sept. 28. Attendees received the opportunity to take a ride on the all-electric buses following the event, which also introduced a student-driven campaign to address air quality issues, including the creation of an El Monte Union Clean Mobility in Schools animation which encourages students to use clean energy to get to school.
Baldwin Park Unified Educator Named LACOE 2023 Teacher of the Year
Alejandra Covarrubias, an Olive Middle School teacher in Baldwin Park Unified’s Dual Language Program, was honored as one of 16 Los Angeles County Office of Education’s 2023 Teachers of the Year at the LACOE Banquet on Sept. 22. Covarrubias was joined by Baldwin Park Unified Board of Education President Diana E. Miranda-Dzib, Board Clerk/Vice President Christina Lucero, Superintendent Dr. Froilan N. Mendoza, Assistant Superintendent Dr. Angela A. Salazar, Olive Middle Principal Pamela Cruz and Baldwin Park Education Association President Andrea Grimm. Along with Dual Language, Covarrubias teaches English language arts, a study skills class, and the school’s Associated Student Body leadership class.
