Covina-Valley Unified School District will start its new school year on Monday, Aug. 21. The District serves the communities of Covina, West Covina, Glendora, San Dimas, and Irwindale with 19 school sites, including an early childhood center and two adult education campuses.
Ahead of the 2023-24 school year, Covina-Valley Unified School District has taken significant steps in prioritizing student safety, equipping every campus with an unprecedented level of security, following the District launch of the innovative CENTEGIX CrisisAlert System.
El Monte Union High School District welcomed more than 7,000 students to campuses for the first day of school on Aug. 17, where they were greeted by peers, cheer teams, marching bands, campus leaders, mascots and school staff who helped create an inviting atmosphere and excite students for the 2023-24 school year. Each El Monte Union campus held its own special celebration, with brightly decorated balloons and posters, as new and returning students connected over summer happenings and compared schedules for their classes.
Lynwood Unified School District launched the 2023-24 school year on Aug 16, marked by anticipation and optimism and bolstered by a $24.5 million state grant awarded in May to provide social-emotional services and community resources to students across 16 schools over the next five years. Through the California Department of Education’s Community Schools Partnership Program grant, the District this year will implement a “whole-child” school improvement strategy, extending learning time and opportunities, providing integrated student support, and collaborating with families and the community to elevate student success. The campuses join Lynwood High, which has been a Community School since 2019.
More than 10,000 Baldwin Park Unified students returned for the first day of the 2023-24 school year on Aug. 17, welcomed by energetic staff, cheer teams, colorful posters, balloons, photo backdrops, and Associated Student Body (ASB) and Where Everybody Belongs (WEB) student leaders across District campuses. From Early Childhood Education to the Baldwin Park Adult and Community Education, and transitional kindergarten through high school, Baldwin Park students were met with enhanced academic and enrichment opportunities, as well as bolstered mental health and wellness resources, including onsite wellness rooms, therapists and guidance counselors.
Southridge Tech Middle School staff and students smiled and hoisted “Thank You” signs on Aug. 11 as Walmart employees delivered a truck filled with donations to the school as part of a series of back-to-school giveaway events unfolding across Fontana Unified School District. More than 3,000 Fontana Unified students have started the 2023-24 school year equipped for success with new backpacks – often stuffed with school supplies – thanks to the generosity of eight community organizations that collected the items through in-house, back-to-school drives and donated the items to the District or its students.
Bonita High School Auto Shop students looking to expand their skill set and gain more experience under the hood of a car participated in the Citrus College High School Summer Academy, a four-day seminar that gave them an opportunity to work with Citrus Automotive Technology professors, and explore its Medium and Heavy Diesel Truck Tech program. More than a dozen Bonita High students attended the academy, offered for the first time this summer. Students received advanced instruction, watched demonstrations, then got hands-on lab experience with cars and trucks as they worked towards Summer Academy certificates of completion issued by Citrus professors. Among the highlights were crankshaft balancer and engine dynamometer demonstrations, and two days working exclusively with diesel trucks.
Amid an air of excitement and anticipation, more than 10,000 Whittier Union High School District students stepped onto campuses adorned with vibrant posters, balloons and red carpets on the much-awaited first day of school on Aug. 16. Across the District, students were welcomed onto campuses and greeted by energetic ASB and Link Crew members, cheer and song teams, principals and administrators. During the morning rush, band and color guard ensembles played exhilarating tunes, creating an engaging and positive campus atmosphere for students and setting the stage for a successful 2023-24 academic year. The District also hosted its annual Freshman First Day on Aug. 15 – a tradition that seeks to build camaraderie between incoming freshmen and their new school community.
More than 400 families left the Covina-Valley Unified School District Health and Wellness Center with huge smiles and backpacks brimming with free school supplies, thanks to the District’s first-ever “Back to School Extravaganza” held Aug. 10. The event – a resource fair aimed at preparing District families for the first day of school on Monday, Aug. 21 – included a complimentary pancake breakfast, free haircuts, health screenings, and mental health resources from the District’s Student Services team of counselors, social workers, and nurses.
Fontana Adult School (FAS) has received the Promising Practices Award from the California Department of Education (CDE) for its efficiency in conducting exit interviews with graduates and alumni. These interviews, which are required for all adult schools that receive funding from the state, ask the students if they have found work, how much money they are earning, and whether they are pursuing higher education. Fontana Adult School reaches out to students directly to conduct the survey, either through emails, phone calls, or text messages. The personal approach has proven successful, making former students feel comfortable and allowing FAS to gather additional information on how to improve the school, which offers a wide range of both free and fee-based courses across various career pathways.
