California High School’s Model United Nations (CondorMUN) program is giving students a real-world perspective on global issues and allowing them the opportunity to learn the importance of diplomacy by serving as delegates, role-playing and writing position papers on a diverse array of topics such as maritime piracy and mental health in humanitarian crises. Available as an afterschool extracurricular since 2007, Condor M.U.N. has increased its profile among southern California M.U.N. programs, with Cal High adding an AP Comparative Government class compatible with MUN research areas and boosting its M.U.N. club membership enough so that Cal High could host its first Condor M.U.N. conference in December 2023. The program is coordinated by Cal High social science teachers Sean Reagan and James Palmer. Cal High students who have participated have gone on to such prestigious universities as UCLA, Harvard, UC Berkeley, NYU and Stanford.
Demolition of Lynwood High School Expected to be Complete in February
Demolition crews charged with taking down the primary classroom building at the Lynwood High School Imperial Campus are moving swiftly and on time, with the structure expected to be fully demolished by mid-February. The structural demolition of Building G began in Nov. 2023. The work to prepare the soil for the building’s foundation is scheduled to begin later this summer. Once the foundation work is complete, construction of the new 175,000-square-foot building will begin. The restored campus – which has been shuttered since June 2020 when a portion of ceiling soffits collapsed due to major structural failures – is expected to welcome back students and staff in fall 2027.
Whittier Union Students Learn Communication, Leadership Skills
La Serna High School student leaders engaged in the school’s annual Student Leadership Conference on Jan. 23, where they received valuable training on effective leadership strategies and learned how to connect with their peers to enhance the high school experience. Link Crew leaders, academic mentors, academy leads, sports captains, Associated Student Body members, and Oasis/Haven leaders attended the conference. Throughout the day, students actively participated in breakout sessions that delved into diverse leadership topics such as mastering emotional intelligence, harnessing the power of storytelling and understanding the significance of effective communication and conflict resolution.
Lynwood Unified Students Receive Free Prescription Glasses
Dozens of young learners at Roosevelt Elementary School received free prescription glasses through the District’s partnership with Vision to Learn, a nonprofit dedicated to eliminating vision issues as a barrier to education, during an exuberant ceremony on Jan. 25. The students previously went through free screenings at Vision to Learn’s mobile eye clinic, where optometrists conducted full exams, wrote prescriptions and fitted students for glasses with frames of their choice. The collaboration between Vision to Learn and Lynwood Unified underscores the power of championing accessible and quality eye care and creating a brighter future for Lynwood’s youth.
Bonita Unified Alumna Goes Pro in National Women’s Soccer League
San Dimas High School Class of 2022 graduate Ally Lemos was drafted by the Orlando Pride in the first round of the 2024 National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) Draft on Jan. 12. Ally graduated early from San Dimas High School in Dec. 2021 and went on to have two stellar seasons with the UCLA women's soccer team, which included a NCAA Championship title in 2022, an ESPY Award nomination for "Best Play," and multiple selections for the U.S. U-20 Women's Youth National Team. Ally is the fourth-youngest draftee in NWSL history.
Whittier Union Mentoring Group Inspires Male Students
At California High School, a group of sophomores are bonding over meals, conversations and hobbies while they navigate life in high school and prepare for their post-graduation opportunities through the school’s Fresh Air Mentoring (FAM) group. Cal High counselors Humberto Solorio and Matthew Tremper started the FAM group in 2019 to connect with male students who were otherwise disconnected from campus life. The counselors saw an opportunity for these students to connect with one another by spending quality time outdoors and bonding over a love of food and community. Since its launch, FAM has quickly turned into a group of brothers and mentors. Now with the second cohort of FAM members – consisting of 26 sophomores – counselors Tremper and Solorio are creating an ecosystem of support.
Almond Elementary School is asking its scholars to “take a book and share a book” as it kicks off its new Little Free Library Program, designed to increase access to literature and promote a reading culture beyond the classroom. Almond Elementary installed a wooden box shaped like a little house in the front of the school and stocked it with library books in Nov. 2023, inviting students to borrow and return books at any time. The school’s goal is to provide Little Free Libraries throughout the Almond community by encouraging families to post little libraries on their front lawns during the 2024 spring semester.
100 Bonita Unified TK-12 Students to Star in ‘Mary Poppins’ Musical
The San Dimas High School Drama Club is staging a winter production of "Mary Poppins," bringing together more than 100 TK to 12th-grade students from nine Bonita Unified schools for a heartwarming display of musical and theatrical talents. There will be two shows per day from Friday, Feb. 9 to Sunday, Feb. 11 at the Bonita Center for the Arts, 822 W. Covina Blvd., San Dimas. For show times and tickets, visit www.bonitacenterforthearts.com.
Hacienda La Puente Unified School District’s high school students are gaining insight into different cultures, histories and perspectives through the District’s Intersectional Ethnic Studies classes, which provides them with a deeper understanding of the nuances and complexities that have helped shape society. The District currently offers 11 sections of Ethnic Studies courses across its five high schools. These University of California A-G approved courses include curriculum and pedagogy that focus on the struggles and oppression of minority and marginalized groups and center on the importance of movement toward educational and social justice.
Covina-Valley Unified School District’s Adult Transition Program (ATP) is helping students at Mt. San Antonio College (MSAC) gain hands-on experience working with people with disabilities, allowing them to develop the skills they need for a career as a psychiatric technician. In their introductory courses, MSAC students focus on a curriculum that encompasses biological, psychological, social, medical, and behavioral characteristics of developmental disabilities and etiologies. These students are then presented with the opportunity to intern with Covina-Valley Unified, where they help ATP students both in the classroom and with their community-based instruction.
