Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services Larry Cecil has retired from the El Monte Union High School District, concluding a career of more than 36 years dedicated to fostering educational excellence and student success. Surrounded by family and long-time colleagues in the District, Cecil was celebrated and adorned with memorabilia representing his extraordinary career, kind words that highlighted his character and work ethic, and gifts to enjoy throughout his retirement during a reception on June 15.
Baldwin Park Unified Students Explore Through Expanded Learning
Baldwin Park Unified Think Together students spent their summer touring SoFi Stadium, where they ran football drills, enjoyed field days complete with games and sports, and explored the Natural History Museum as part of the District’s Expanded Learning Opportunities Program (ELO-P). ELO-P provides funding for after-school and summer enrichment activities and incorporates community partnerships to provide student-centered opportunities that complement the curriculum taught during the school day. ELO-P is a six-week program that runs Monday to Friday and includes academic enrichment in English language arts and mathematics.
Bonita Unified School District has been recognized by the California Early Childhood Special Education (CalECSE) Network for its BLAST Preschool Program, which provides a comprehensive early education experience for children ages three to five. The CalECSE Network, a project funded by the California Department of Education, supports school districts, special education local plan areas (SELPAs), county offices of special education and other agency partners in addressing and eliminating barriers for California’s youngest children with disabilities throughout the state. BLAST, which stands for "Building Lifelong Academic Skills Together," serves both children who are typical learners and children with special needs. The program, offered at Grace Miller and Shull elementary schools, provides a research-based curriculum taught by an early childhood special education teacher with the support of two instructional aides.
Río Hondo College Director of Dance, Dr. Alyson Cartagena, has been selected to serve an additional one-year term on the American College Dance Association (ACDA) Board of Directors, where she will continue to support both national and regional ACDA conferences and festivals for the Baja region, which includes Southern California. Cartagena, known for her passion for dance education and for opening doors to community college students who are looking to earn a degree in dance and/or transfer to a four-year college or university, has already completed two consecutive three-year terms on the ACDA Board of Directors.
Fontana High School’s (FOHI) Marine Corps JROTC (MCJROTC) Marksmanship team completed its most successful year ever, capturing fourth place at the 2023 CMP National Three-Position Air Rifle Championship, held in June at Camp Perry, Ohio. It is the highest finish ever recorded by the FOHI program, and represents a final triumph for Class of 2023 graduates Ashley Padilla and Yaira Castro, as well as departing FOHI MCJROTC Marine Instructor MSgt. Wayne Harkley, who is retiring after running the program for the last 15 years. Padilla, who walked away with $1,500 in scholarships, finished in fifth place in the Sporter final division – a competition that featured the top eight shooters from an original field of 164 entrants. Padilla will attend Cal State Los Angeles in the fall.
World Champion Wrestler Inspires El Monte Union Community
Freestyle wrestler Adeline Gray, a six-time World Champion and Olympic Games silver medalist, paid a special visit to Mountain View High School on July 11, leaving an incredible mark on students and the entire school community. Gray came to the school as part of her rigorous training regimen in preparation for the 2024 Olympic Games, to be held in Paris. During her time on campus, Gray immersed herself in the wrestling program, working out and practicing with fellow athlete and world champion Amit Elor. Additionally, Gray took the time to connect with students on a personal level, answering questions and inspiring them with stories of her own struggles, triumphs and resilience that propelled her toward greatness.
Río Hondo College to Hold Healing Circle for Loss of Professor
Río Hondo College will hold a healing circle and grief counseling at the L Tower breezeway from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Thursday, July 20, to support the community as it grieves the loss of Professor Julius B. Thomas, who passed away on July 9. The event will provide students, faculty, staff and alumni the space to share thoughts and feelings on the loss of Thomas. Río Hondo College is located at 3600 Workman Mill Rd., Whittier.
Whittier Union to Hold Trustee Area 3 Oath of Office Ceremony
Whittier Union High School District will conduct an oath of office ceremony for Josefina E. Canchola, representing Trustee Area 3, during an upcoming Board meeting on Tuesday, July 18. The ceremony will begin at 7 p.m. and be held in the District Board Room, located at 9401 S. Painter Ave., Whittier. Canchola will fulfill the remainder of former Board member Dr. Ralph Pacheco’s term from July 2023 through December 2024. Pacheco retired from the Board on July 8 after 32 years of service to the District. Canchola currently serves as the director of secondary programs for the Puente Project.
Children throughout the San Gabriel Valley will have access to free, essential nutrition through Covina-Valley Unified School District’s Community Summer Meals Program. Any child 18 years or younger in the surrounding Covina-Valley community can receive one free breakfast and lunch meal every day through the Summer Meals Program, which runs at 10 different locations until Wednesday, Aug. 16.
Hacienda La Puente Unified Siblings Take Passion for STEM to MIT
Sarah, Jessica and Michelle Lam, sisters who thrived in their educational pursuits at Hacienda La Puente Unified, demonstrated remarkable achievements during their time at Glen A. Wilson High School. Fueled by their passion for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), they embarked on a journey to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) after completing their studies at HLPUSD. Engaging actively in numerous programs, clubs, and pathways, they each graduated with a 4.6 GPA. Michelle, who was part of the District’s Class of 2023, will attend MIT this fall to pursue a mechanical engineering degree alongside her sister, Jessica.
