Six El Monte Union students have been recognized as QuestBridge 2022-23 National College Match scholars, and will receive four-year full-ride scholarships worth more than $200,000 while also being granted early admission to a QuestBridge partner college. The students are South El Monte senior Ruben Carrazco; Mountain View High seniors Aiden Ngo and Ruby Saldivar; Arroyo High senior Karita Nguyen and Colin Nguyen; and Rosemead High senior Erick Diaz. QuestBridge partners with elite universities across the United States to offer financial assistance to underrepresented students so that they can fulfill their dream of pursuing higher education.
Hacienda La Puente Unified Superintendent Honored for Leadership
Hacienda La Puente Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Alfonso Jiménez has been selected as a 2022 Superintendent to Watch by the National School Public Relations Association, emphasizing his leadership and dedication to students, staff and the District. The annual award is presented to 25 school district leaders who have demonstrated dynamic, fast-paced leadership with strong communication at its core. Dr. Jiménez, who is in his third year as Superintendent for Hacienda La Puente Unified, brings nearly 27 years of expertise in the field to the District.
4 Bonita Unified Students Named to All-State Honor Choirs
Bonita High School choral students Jhett Buggle, Trinity Moreno and Joe Ensign and San Dimas High School student Ethan Maun were selected for the California Choral Directors Association 2023 All-State Honor Choirs. The students will perform with the top high school musicians from across the state at the annual California Music Educators Association conference, to be held Thursday, Feb. 16 to Saturday, Feb. 18 in Fresno. Buggle, Moreno, Ensign and Maun were also selected to the Southern California Vocal Association Honor Choirs – an honor awarded to just 270 students this year – and showcased their musical talents in a culminating performance in November.
Fontana Unified Selects Finalist Candidate for Superintendent
Following a nationwide search and a lengthy process of gathering input from District employees and community members, which included the review of 21 applicants recruited by Leadership Associates, the Fontana Unified District Board of Education has selected Miki Inbody as the finalist candidate for District superintendent. Inbody has deep ties to Fontana Unified, having attended schools and working as an administrator in the District. The Fontana Unified Board of Education will consider an offer of employment and contract at its Board meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 1. Inbody is currently the Assistant Superintendent of Education Support Services at San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools.
Río Hondo College to Provide Pre-Apprenticeship Training
Río Hondo College will host Careers For a Cause, an eight-week, pre-employment training program to prepare residents for careers in social services, such as homeless service employers, and will provide first aid/CPR training and assist students in acquiring a mental health first aid certificate of completion. Attendees will receive a stipend and case management to support their participation in the training. On campus, in-person classes will run from Monday, Jan. 30 to Friday, March 24 from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Río Hondo College is at 3600 Workman Mill Road, Whittier, CA. Contact cperez@amityfdn.org for more information.
Buena Park School District will celebrate its youngest students as they learn to spread the concept of kindness, during Kinder Kindness Week, to be held from Monday, Jan. 23 to Friday, Jan. 27. Kinder Kindness Week will focus on kindergarten students learning about concepts such as sharing, empathy and compassion and putting those ideas into practice through artwork and other presentations. At the end of the week, all kindergarten students will receive medals to show their excellence in kindness.
Fontana Unified Drama Program to Perform at CETA Theater Festival
The Kaiser High School Artistic and Theatrical Society (KATS) wowed judges and won numerous accolades for their repertory fall stage performances, and will perform two plays in their entirety at the California Educational Theater Association 2022-23 High School Theater Festival, to be held Friday, Jan. 13 to Sunday, Jan. 15 at Los Osos High School, 6001 Milliken Ave., Rancho Cucamonga. KATS will reprise their performances of “Mojada, a Medea in Los Angeles,” which earned a second-place finish and an invitation to perform on the festival’s main stage, and “Lazurus Rising,” which earned a ninth-place finish and will be performed on festival’s second stage.
Santa Fe High School students have been saying “Oui, j'aime ça!” (“Yes, I love it!”) in world language teacher Isabelle Teraoka’s French class for more than 15 years, immersing themselves in French culture while channeling the Belgium native’s passion for language, words and sound. For her outstanding leadership and excellence in teaching and service, the American Association of Teachers of French (AATF) Southern California chapter has awarded Teraoka its 2022 Recognition of Merit in French Education. Teraoka received her award at the AATF end-of-year dinner at TAIX restaurant in Los Angeles in December 2022. Teraoka teaches four sections of French, Advanced Placement French and Spanish. She also encourages her students to attend extracurricular events, such as Whittier College’s annual French play and the American French Film Festival in Los Angeles.
The El Monte Union High School District community came together in celebration of Mountain View High School’s Athletic Field Project during a groundbreaking ceremony on Jan. 10. The renovations will include a high-performance rubberized track and field, bleachers, concession stands and restrooms, enhanced landscaping and a grand stadium entrance. The MVHS Athletic Field Project will provide students with a space that promotes healthy living and 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. The project is expected to be completed in January 2024.
Hacienda La Puente Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Alfonso Jiménez has been selected as a 2022 Superintendent to Watch by the National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA), emphasizing his great leadership and dedication to students, parents, staff and the District. The annual award is presented to 25 school district leaders with less than five years of experience as a superintendent who has demonstrated dynamic, fast-paced leadership with strong communication at its core. Dr. Jiménez, who is in his third year as Superintendent for Hacienda La Puente Unified, brings nearly 27 years of expertise in the field to the District. According to the NSPRA, Dr. Jiménez was chosen to receive this honor from a record number of nomination submissions that they received this year.
