BP STEM Academy qualified three additional robotics teams for the VEX Robotics State Championship, to be held in March, including two elementary-level teams that advanced in their first year of competition. A third secondary-level team qualified after being named robotic skills champions on Jan. 21 at the Rio Hondo League finals. This year, six of the eight robotics teams at BP STEM Academy qualified for the State Championship.
Whittier-area students came together for a fun-filled day of singing and making new friends and memories during the District’s Whittier Sings event on Jan. 25. Whittier Sings is a one-day choir camp for middle and high school students in the District’s attendance area. During the event, students were provided with lunch, dinner, a t-shirt and the opportunity to make music with one another. The event, which took place at the Vic Lopez Auditorium in Whittier High School, saw students participate in teambuilding games and rehearsals as they prepared for an informal free concert in the evening.
San Dimas High School has been recognized by the College Board for its work in establishing equal gender representation in its Advanced Placement Computer Science Principles (AP CSP) class, honoring the school with its 2022 AP Computer Science Female Diversity Award. This is the first year that San Dimas High has been recognized with the award since initiating its program in 2019. The award is given to schools that have AP CSP classes with 50% or more female exam taker representation, or a percentage of CSP exam takers that meets or exceeds that of the school’s female population. San Dimas is one of just 832 high schools across the United States to receive the award in 2022.
Sierra Vista High School junior Jinhui Liu was recognized as a first-place winner in the high school division of the National Association for Bilingual Education (NABE) student essay contest. Liu delivered a passionate essay about how being a bilingual student has helped him connect with others and be a source of good while he serves those around him. Liu received a $500 scholarship, trophy and certificate. Liu will present his essay in English and Mandarin at the annual NABE conference in Portland on Feb. 24, joined by his mother and Sierra Vista High teacher Charlene Fried. This is the third year in a row that Fried has taught and mentored a NABE essay winner.
Covina-Valley Unified School District will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its new Health and Wellness Center and Family Resource Room at 4 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 30. The center will provide a full-service location for students and families to access resources that help eliminate barriers to school success, and serve as a hub for the District’s social workers while providing a variety of no-cost and low-cost programs and services to C-VUSD children, youth and families. The Covina-Valley Health and Wellness Center (formerly Lark Ellen Elementary School) is located at 4555 N. Lark Ellen Ave., Covina.
Covina High School senior Kevin Nguyen will take his studies to the East Coast in fall 2023 after receiving early admission to New York University for his impactful academic and personal achievements. Nguyen is a first-generation Asian American student whose parents emigrated from Vietnam during the Vietnam War. Nguyen has worked at his family’s nail salon since he was eight years old, an experience that has inspired him to study business at NYU.
The El Monte Union High School District will host a groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate the start of construction and upgrades to Arroyo High School’s athletic field at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 31. The project will feature a new rubberized track and field, bleachers, concession stands and restrooms and a grand stadium entrance. The AHS athletic field project aims to promote healthy living, school spirit and will serve as a gathering place for physical fitness activities, athletic events, health and wellness instruction, student performances and school community functions. Arroyo High School is located at 4921 Cedar Ave., El Monte.
Lynwood and Firebaugh high school students received more than $3 million in scholarships from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) schools during a Black College Expo Caravan event on Jan. 23, hosted in partnership with the National College Resources Foundation. Lynwood and Firebaugh juniors and seniors came prepared with transcripts to meet with 30 HBCU representatives from across the country. With no application fees, many students received on the spot acceptances and full-ride scholarships.
Fontana Unified School District has named Tim Yelin, a proven leader with extensive classroom experience, to serve as the new principal of North Tamarind Elementary School. Yelin brings 17 years of educational experience – all spent in Fontana Unified – to his role as North Tamarind’s top administrator. Throughout his career, Yelin taught at the elementary, middle and high school levels, before stepping into an administrative role as assistant principal at A.B. Miller High School.
Hacienda La Puente Unified showcased student, staff and District accomplishments and highlighted the various ways it is embracing this year’s theme, “Explore, Learn, Grow: Inspire Deep Learning,” during the eighth annual State of the District event on Jan. 19. Superintendent Dr. Alfonso Jiménez led the presentation in front of a high-spirited audience of distinguished guests, HLPUSD Board members, administrators, staff and community members after two years of hosting the event virtually.
