Students from the Whittier Union High School District’s five comprehensive high schools, two alternative high schools and adult school will celebrate the conclusion of their academic journeys during stadium commencement ceremonies beginning at 6 p.m. Ceremonies will be held at the District’s two stadiums: Sandra Sanchez Thorstenson Stadium at California High School, 9800 Mills Ave., Whittier, and Dick Torres Memorial Stadium at Pioneer High School, 10800 Benavon St., Whittier. Ceremonies begin on Monday, June 5, with the United Sierra Education Center, which includes Frontier High School, Sierra Vista High School and the Whittier Union Adult School, at Thorstenson Stadium; and Santa Fe High School, at Torres Stadium. Tuesday, June 6 will have ceremonies for California High School at Thorstenson Stadium and Whittier High School at Torres Stadium. The ceremonies conclude on Wednesday, June 7 with La Serna High School at Thorstenson Stadium and Pioneer High School at Torres Stadium.
Nine Henry J. Kaiser High School Class of 2023 graduates will attend UC Berkeley in the fall, an achievement supported by their involvement in the school's numerous college readiness programs and resources. Daisy Alatorre-Cervantes plans to double major in business administration and management, technology, and entrepreneurship, with a minor in legal studies; Melvin Damper will major in media studies with a tentative career path in law; David Valenzuela will major in aerospace engineering; Frida Monreal will pursue public health; Fernando Martinez will study applied mathematics and computer science; Brianna Valadez will major in molecular and cellular biology to become a pediatric surgeon; Adrian Garcia will pursue political science with a focus on public policy; Jasmine Landeros will study music in pursuit of her goal of becoming a concert violinist; and Emily Lara will major in literature with the hopes of becoming a university professor. All nine students are part of Kaisers Advanced Placement program, and three are also part of the college-prep AVID program.
Set to the backdrop of cheering families and sweeping orchestral music, Baldwin Park Unified School District celebrated more than 900 graduates in the Class of 2023 for their hard work and accomplishments during commencement ceremonies for the District’s adult school, continuation high school and two comprehensive high schools. The Baldwin Park Adult and Community Education program kicked off the festivities on June 1, with more than 230 graduates receiving career technical education certificates, diplomas and high school equivalency certificates. North Park Continuation High School seniors walked down the red carpet before accepting their diplomas on June 7, followed by Baldwin Park and Sierra Vista high school grads on June 8 in front of hundreds of families, friends, educators and administrators.
Hacienda La Puente Unified’s Class of 2023 graduates paraded across the stadium stages bedecked in school colors, exchanging handshakes with distinguished guests and receiving their diplomas amidst enthusiastic cheers from their families during high-energy commencement ceremonies on May 16 and 18. The District honored nearly 1,300 graduates from its four comprehensive high schools and alternative high school. Valley, William Workman and La Puente high schools held their ceremonies on May 16, followed by Glen A. Wilson and Los Altos high schools on May 18. The festivities included stirring solo vocal and instrumental performances, motivational speeches from valedictorians, salutatorians and leadership students and closing remarks from Board President Christine H. Salazar.
The Fontana Unified School District and the City of Fontana will host a second Community Roundtable, featuring small breakout groups, to continue meaningful discussion regarding concerns of diversity, equity and inclusion within the District and city and identify actionable solutions. The second roundtable will be held at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 31 at the Jessie Turner Health and Fitness Community Center, 15556 Summit Ave., Fontana.
There are few things that Santa Fe High School architectural design teacher Mike Griffie enjoys more than a good tailgate party and seeing his community come together to share a hamburger or hotdog before a home football game. As Santa Fe’s football announcer, Griffie revels in the opportunity to be the tight-knit school’s No. 1 booster. Griffie, who has been at Santa Fe High for 30 years and is the director of the school’s Mechanical and Architectural Drafting (MAD) Academy, is fully committed to student achievement, whether by encouraging students to pursue careers in fields that interest them or by helping struggling students get back on track for graduation. For his dedication and generosity, Griffie was named Whittier Union’s 2023 Teacher of the Year. The Whittier Union Board of Trustees presented Griffie with his award during the May 9 Board meeting.
A trio of Fontana High School scholars will pursue their goals of higher education at elite universities across the United States after earning prestigious scholarships that will allow them the freedom to work toward their dream jobs. Jasmin Hurtado-Mendez will attend UC Berkeley after being named a 2023 UC Regents’ and Chancellors’ Scholar; Josue Arias-Ramirez will attend Boston College after being named a Questbridge National College Match scholar; and David Munoz-Padilla will attend Columbia University in New York after earning a Big Brothers Big Sisters scholarship. Hurtado-Mendez was home alone, staring in disbelief at her computer, when she discovered that she had been accepted to UC Berkeley. After jumping for joy in celebration, she read a little further down the message and realized the news was even more momentous – she had also been named a UC Regents’ and Chancellors’ scholarship recipient.
Covina-Valley Unified School District (C-VUSD) celebrated its success in fostering “Educational Excellence for Every Student, Every Day” during its first-ever State of the District event on May 16, which featured a one-of-a-kind multimedia presentation that detailed the District’s innovative programs and achievements. Board President Maria Caceres and Superintendent Dr. Elizabeth Eminhizer led the event, featuring heartfelt accounts by students from all three of the District’s comprehensive high schools on the impact of District programming. The multimedia presentation gave an overview of Covina-Valley Unified and highlighted the innovative programs and accomplishments that make the District a standout educational institution in the region.
United by their shared passion for supporting students’ education and the great outdoors, Lynwood Unified students, families and community members laced up their sneakers and hit the ground running for The Lynwood 5K/10K Run on May 13. Held in partnership with the Lynwood Partners Education Foundation (LPEF), the City of Lynwood and Aztlan Athletics, the fundraising event, now in its second year, drew 540 participants who ran or walked between three to six miles through the City of Lynwood and raised over $48,000.
Six Fontana Unified School District employees have gone above and beyond in their leadership, instruction, and commitment to English and multilingual learners, earning them the Multilingual Recognition Award from the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools. The Multilingual Recognition Award was established in 1987 as a way to recognize the outstanding contributors that enrich the educational experience and academic achievement of linguistically diverse students. Awardees from various districts across San Bernardino County were honored at the 36th Annual Multilingual Recognition Celebration on April 28.
