La Serna High School intervention specialist Lisa Barnes received the surprise of a lifetime on Sept. 19, when a routine meeting with La Serna principal Griselda Castro turned into a celebration for the popular instructor, who was named a 2023 Extra Yard for Teachers recipient by the College Football Playoff (CFP) Foundation and the Pac-12 football conference. UCLA assistant director of marketing Bri Hutchings virtually presented Barnes with a $1,000 donors gift card. The Extra Yard for Teachers program was initiated by the CFP Foundation to reward teachers and elevate the teaching profession by implementing and supporting activities related to resources, recognition, recruitment and professional development.
Fontana Unified School District continued its seven-year streak of excellence in the annual California Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) Coalition Awards for its success in fostering positive learning environments. Twenty-nine schools earned PBIS awards, including nine platinum accolades, to set a District record in total and platinum PBIS awards received in a single year.
Baldwin Park Unified School District will host its 14th annual College and Career Fair for students, parents and families to learn about an abundance of academic resources and support services, including local job opportunities, informational sessions by college and university recruiters and healthcare options available at mental health agencies. The fair will start with a special welcome and introduction from keynote speaker Salvador Arias, followed by a variety of workshops at 10:30 a.m. The event will conclude with a walk-through of college and career booths at noon.
Nearly 75 elementary school students at two Lynwood Unified schools had the experience of a lifetime when they met Los Angeles Dodgers greats, World Series champion Clayton Kershaw and Al “The Bull” Ferrara, as part of the L.A. Reads literacy program. Over two dozen Rosa Parks Elementary School students met Ferrara – a world champion outfielder who made his MLB debut with the Dodgers in 1963 – on Sept. 12, while over 50 Abbott Elementary School students met Kershaw – a left-handed starting pitcher who made his Dodgers debut in 2008 – and his family on Sept. 22. The Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation, in partnership with the Dodgers, Think Together and Lynwood Unified School District, hosted the two L.A. Reads literacy events to promote a lifelong love of reading among the community’s youth.
Thousands of Fontana Unified students across all age groups weighed numerous possibilities for their futures as they researched different college and career opportunities at the Regional College and Career Fair on Sept. 20 and the United College Action Network, Inc. (U-CAN) Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCU) Recruitment Fair on Sept. 21. The Regional College and Career Fair and U-CAN HBCU Recruitment Fair are collaborative educational efforts between multiple school districts and part of Fontana Unified School District’s efforts to boost college and career readiness by removing barriers and increasing access to information and financial support.
The Río Hondo College campus bustled with activity as live music, international cuisine and laughter filled the air on Sept. 15, as the community celebrated the College’s 60th anniversary and its history of service and commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility and anti-racism. A giant inflatable archway in bright Río Hondo gold welcomed the entire community – from College students, staff, the Board of Trustees and REX the Roadrunner to local dignitaries and the general public ¬– to share in the milestone event. Many in the crowd wore commemorative 60th anniversary t-shirts with “see my color, see my identity, see all of me” on the back. Among the esteemed dignitaries who attended the 60th anniversary celebration were Pico Rivera Mayor Erik Lutz, South El Monte Mayor Gloria Olmos, South El Monte City Councilmembers Rudy Bojorquez and Manuel Acosta, Whittier Mayor Pro Tem Fernando Dutra, Whittier City Councilmember Octavio Cesar Martinez, representatives from the offices of California State Sen. Bob Archuleta, State Assemblymember Blanca Pacheco and Los Angeles County Supervisors Janice Hahn and Hilda Solis, along with a host of officials from Río Hondo College’s K-12 partner school districts.
Río Hondo College received a $20,000 donation from Janice Hahn, Chair of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, to help continue its efforts to support students experiencing housing insecurity. Hahn presented the donation to Río Hondo College and other K-12 school districts to assist in meeting the basic needs of students at a Whittier Area Schools Trustee Association mixer on Sept. 21.Hahn presented her donation to Río Hondo College and other Whittier area K-12 school districts to assist in meeting the basic needs of students at a Whittier Area Schools Trustees Association mixer on Sept. 21.
Baldwin Park Unified Promotes Suicide Prevention Awareness Month
Across Baldwin Park Unified, campuses are decorated with mental health and wellness posters and reminders, recognizing September as Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. In recognition of Suicide Prevention Awareness Week, held Sept. 11 to 15, students and staff reflected on the theme “Share Hope Together for Suicide Prevention” and reviewed the signs and stigmas as well as support services available to the BPUSD community.
Santa Fe High School students received an opportunity to join the democratic process during a National Voter Registration Day rally on Sept. 19, hosted in partnership with Assemblywoman Blanca Pacheco. During the event, nearly three dozen Santa Fe students registered to vote or filled out paperwork to ensure they are “Vote Ready” when they turn 18 years old.
Baldwin Park Unified Students Train to Become Chess Masters
Baldwin Park Unified students are learning about the strategies and tactics of chess through Chess Masters, a 10-week program that will culminate in a final tournament at the Elwin Professional Development Center in November. The chess experience is open to students in Think Together in transitional kindergarten to eighth grade, as well as Geddes and Tracy elementary students in the District’s pilot program. Chess Masters launched at the start of the 2023-24 school year with more than 1, 700 students participating.
