Lynwood Unified’s flagship high school reached a significant milestone on Nov. 6, when District leaders held a demolition ceremony to mark the commencement of a new phase in the reconstruction journey. The event was a pivotal moment for the Lynwood Unified community following the 2020 collapse of a classroom building at the Lynwood High School Imperial Campus that led to the Knights being relocated. Notable speakers and staunch advocates of the Lynwood community included Assemblymember Mike Gipson, Assembly Speaker Emeritus Anthony Rendon and Sen. Lena Gonzales, all of whom played a critical role in securing $250 million from the State Legislature to fund the construction of a new 175,000-square-foot classroom building, expected to open in Fall 2027.
Lynwood Unified and Lynwood Alumni Host College Conference
Lynwood Unified high school students preparing to embark on their postsecondary academic journeys got an in-depth look into the higher education system during the District’s 24th annual Alumni College Conference, held in October. Students received wisdom and advice from LUSD alumni, and met with representatives from such colleges as Cal State Fullerton, Compton College and Los Angeles Trade Tech College while participating in workshops in which they learned the difference between community colleges, private universities, and universities in the Cal State and UC systems; how to choose the right major; and the first-year college experience.
Hacienda La Puente High School Highlights Culture During Celebration
William Workman High School celebrated its rich and diverse campus culture during its annual Día de los Lobos Community Celebration on Nov. 2, honoring a traditional Mexican holiday and introducing elementary and middle schools located in the Workman community to the various extracurricular activities, friendly staff and great vitality that thrives at the school. The event included the highly anticipated haunted house led by the school’s theater department, traditional Día De Los Muertos ofrenda altars, poetry, crafts, homemade food and recreational games.
Whittier Union Celebrates Día De Los Muertos with Community Event
Whittier Union High School District students, teachers, staff and families took part in a day of remembrance during La Serna High School’s Día De Los Muertos Community Event on Nov. 1. The event saw attendees dressed as La Catrina – a female skeleton commonly depicted wearing a fancy dress. Students and families also enjoyed live entertainment, food vendors, painting stations, crafts and activities such as flower making.
Baldwin Park Unified students grades one through eight will go head-to-head in a District hosted Chess Tournament from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 8 at the Elwin Professional Development Center. Over the last 10 weeks, students have studied and practiced the strategies and tactics of chess through Chess Masters, a program available to students in Think Together and available as pilot programs at Geddes and Tracy elementary schools. Trophies will be awarded to the top winners in the following grade levels: first to second; third to fourth; fifth to sixth; and seventh to eighth. Elwin Professional Development Center is located at 13010 Waco St., Baldwin Park.
Retired Fontana Unified School District coaching legend Dick Bruich stepped out under Friday night lights once again, as Fontana High School hosted a dedication ceremony to name its newly renovated sports field to Dick Bruich Field before Fontana High’s final regular-season football game on Oct. 27. Bruich was overcome with emotion as he took the microphone at the 50-yard line to address the fans, who showered him and his wife Cathy with a series of enthusiastic cheers during his acceptance speech. He was also presented with a ceremonial plaque by Fontana Unified Superintendent Miki R. Inbody, Board of Education President Marcelino “Mars” Serna and Board member Mary Sandoval.
Roynon Elementary School students crowded around the garden bed with rakes, shovels and hoes, breaking up dirt clods, pulling up weeds and roots, and expelling invasive species like grubs. Meeting every Tuesday after school, the students are proudly upholding a grand tradition at the school: the ongoing and successful Roynon Beautification Project. With nine garden beds to work with, Roynon student volunteers – nearly always accompanied by peers from Oak Mesa and La Verne Heights elementary schools, as well as Ramona Middle School – tend to crops such as tomatoes, zucchini, strawberries, peppers, sage, oregano and green beans. When ripe, the produce is distributed to students, staff and local residents.
Chaparral Academy of Technology’s excellence in implementing innovative programming to close achievement gaps in the world of Computers, Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (C-STEM) has earned the school three C-STEM Awards, presented at the 13th annual C-STEM Conference at UC Davis on Oct. 20. This marks the fifth year in a row Fontana Unified School District educators have been honored by the UC Davis C-STEM Center. Chaparral Academy was honored as a C-STEM Distinguished School, while Principal Dr. Andrea McClain and teacher Alexandra Cruz were named the C-STEM Administrator and Teacher of the Year, respectively. All three awards reflect Chaparral Academy’s exceptional contributions to providing students with equitable access to integrated computing and STEM education, preparing and inspiring students to pursue further studies and careers in C-STEM fields.
Approximately 20 Río Hondo College students recently dove into the world of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) – working in labs, conducting research projects and presenting their findings – through the College’s first-year partnership with Cal Poly Pomona’s Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) Program. The SURE Program has provided more than 100 community college students with the opportunity to participate in high-level, faculty-mentored research projects at Cal Poly Pomona. The program, which first began in 2014, spans eight weeks in June and August and introduces students to the world of scientific research in an immersive, supportive learning environment.
Río Hondo College Board of Trustees Member Oscar Valladares has been reappointed to the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) Board of Directors, in which he will continue the vital work to close the student achievement gap on a national level. Valladares was first appointed to the ACCT Board of Directors in June 2023, and was elected to return to the Board during the ACCT’s Annual Leadership Congress Conference, held Oct. 7-12 in Las Vegas. He will continue to represent the ACCT’s Pacific region, which is made up of Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Washington.
