El Monte Union Swears in New and Re-Elected Board Members
El Monte Union hosted a swearing-in ceremony for its newly elected Board member Qui Nguyen and re-elected Board members Florencio Briones and Ricardo Padilla, as well as a farewell recognition for outgoing Board member David Diaz, during its Dec. 14 Board meeting. During the ceremony, Nguyen, Briones and Padilla recited the Oath of Office, giving their word to accomplish their duties as a Board member and to uphold the values of the District throughout the next four years.
A new era for the Whittier Union Board of Trustees was ushered in during its Dec. 13 Board meeting, with the Whittier Union community welcoming two newly elected Board of Trustee members, Irma Rodríguez Moisa and Gary Mendez, as well as returning member, Dr. Russell Castañeda Calleros. Rodríguez Moisa and Mendez were officially seated as Board members after taking the Oath of Office during a celebratory ceremony where they were joined by family, friends and community supporters. This is the first time in the Board’s more than 100-year history that it has seated an all Latino/a Board. The Board reorganization meeting, which followed the ceremony, saw Trustee Jaime Lopez step into his new role as president. The Board also selected Dr. Ralph Pacheco to serve as vice president and Mendez to serve as clerk, with outgoing Board president Dr. Castañeda Calleros and Rodríguez Moisa rounding out the Board.
Fontana Unified Students’ Creativity Displayed in City Art Showcase
Jurupa Hills High School seniors Danielle Turner, Kaitlin Cervantes and Daniela Garcia were selected to feature their art in the City of Fontana’s High School Artist Showcase, recognizing their creative talent, technique and conceptual skills. The exhibition at the Art Depot Gallery – which runs through Sunday, Jan. 8 – features more than 50 artworks of high school students throughout the city. Turner won the Best in Show award for her piece “Black Identity,” a mixed medium self portrait, symbolizing both the positive and negative history of Black people in America and highlighting elements of Black culture. Cervantes’ self portrait, “In All Directions,” won the Discipline and Innovation award for her representation of how anxiety feels. The Art Depot Gallery is located at 16822 Spring St., Fontana.
Jurupa Hills High School seniors Danielle Turner, Kaitlin Cervantes and Daniela Garcia were selected to feature their art in the City of Fontana’s High School Artist Showcase, recognizing their creative talent, technique and conceptual skills. The students were selected for the showcase – which runs through Sunday, Jan. 8 – by Aubry Grosso, who teaches International Baccalaureate (IB) Art at Jurupa Hills High School. The exhibition features more than 50 artworks of high school students throughout the city.
Hacienda La Puente Unified’s new Board of Education members, Gino Kwok and Nancy Loera, as well as returning Board member Jeffrey De La Torre, took the Oath of Office during the Board meeting on Dec. 13. State Senator Bob Archuleta swore in Kwok and Loera, while De La Torre was sworn in by daughter Anna Maria De La Torre, mother Maria De La Torre and wife Elena De La Torre. During the meeting, the Board reorganized for one-year terms, electing Christine H. Salazar as Board president, Stephanie Serrano as vice president and Jeffrey De La Torre as clerk, with Leora and Kwok serving the community as Board members.
Cheered on by family, friends and community members, re-elected Fontana Unified Board of Education members Adam Perez, Mary Sandoval and Marcelino “Mars” Serna took the oath of office during the Board’s organizational meeting on Dec. 14. The District participated in its first by-trustee area election in 2022, which saw the community vote to keep intact the Board of Education that has served Fontana Unified since 2020. The Board of Education also held its annual organization of officers during the meeting, selecting Serna to serve as president and Perez as its vice president/clerk for 2023. Fontana Unified alumni Dr. Jennifer Quezada and Joe Armendarez complete the Board of Education.
Baldwin Park Unified held its annual Board reorganization meeting and Oath of Office ceremony on Dec. 13, recognizing returning Board of Education member Deanna Coronado Robles and newly elected member John Bernard de Leon. Before the reorganization, outgoing Board President Betsabel Lara was celebrated for her four years of service and for helping lead the District over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. During the organizational meeting, the Board selected member Diana E. Miranda-Dzib to serve as Board president and Christina Lucero to serve as clerk/vice president.
Buena Park School District is revamping its curriculum and bolstering support through a partnership with University of California, Irvine that puts doctoral students into classrooms to observe and share feedback for improving instruction, and through its popular Math Academy, which challenges students to apply real-world scenarios to boost understanding. Now in its second year, the Math Academy focuses on small group breakout sessions and fun activity-driven lessons in grades three through five, providing individual coaching and Cognitively Guided Instruction for student-centered teaching.
Hacienda La Puente Unified’s Board of Education celebrated two of its longest-standing Board members, honoring the contributions of clerk Dr. Joseph K. Chang and member Anthony Duarte during a ceremony on Dec. 7. During the ceremony, the retiring members were recognized with Certificates of Recognition from La Puente Mayor Charlie Klinakis, words of appreciation from dignitaries and community applause.
Almeria Middle School Principal Felix Jones was named the IACUE 2022-23 Administrator of the Year, celebrating his vision to provide equity and social justice to all students through technology. Jones will receive his award during the IACUE Reimagine EDU Conference in January 2023. Jones, who grew up in Fontana and became Almeria’s principal in 2021, is an advocate of blended learning – a combination of in-person and computer-based learning – and making educators the facilitators of the learning experience. For Jones, the IACUE award reflects the hard work and dedication of the Almeria faculty and staff.
