El Monte Union Students Compete in Business Leadership Conference
South El Monte High School’s Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) students represented the El Monte Union community while competing in the National Leadership Conference in Georgia, held in June. Class of 2023 graduate Anthony Trieu brought home South El Monte’s first National FBLA Award as he took seventh place in the Word Processing event. With over 13,000 competitors from all over the country, South El Monte was recognized as a Gold Seal Chapter and a Gold Champion Chapter for 2022-2023. Throughout the conference, all four student representatives had the opportunity to connect with others and attend workshops focusing on topics such as leadership, college readiness, job interview skills and career exploration.
Río Hondo College has partnered with Lemelson-MIT to guide local students in all disciplines to become a new generation of inventors and entrepreneurs through its Bridge to Invention Río program. The program runs from Monday, July 17 through Friday, July 28 and is available at no cost to Río Hondo College students and high school juniors and seniors. It will be held at Río Hondo College from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will be led by College faculty members in the disciplines of business, engineering, physics and architecture. Students will learn how to form open-ended inquiries to explore solutions, develop interview techniques and communication skills, and generate business plans that cover pitching, prototyping and funding cycles.
Río Hondo College will guide local middle and high school students through the math sequence, pre-algebra through pre-calculus, to prepare them for advanced math levels such as AP calculus and AP statistics, and higher education, with the new summer Río Hondo Math Academy.
Whittier Union Diver Makes Waves as CIF Springboard Champion
La Serna High School senior Steven Figueroa loves the challenge of performing a successful dive. Whether competing on springboard at 1m or 3m or taking the plunge from a platform three stories high, Figueroa is making a name for himself around the Southern California diving community after winning the CIF Div. 3 championship as a junior. Figueroa, who began diving at seven years old, took the championship despite La Serna not fielding a diving team, representing his school as an individual competitor. In the last year, Figueroa has added platform diving to his repertoire, and dives with increasing degrees of difficulty, like reverse 2 ½ and inward 2 ½ dives.
El Monte Union Celebrates Construction Pathway, DesignBuild Success
El Monte Union students are benefiting from a robust career technical education program that features pathways within 15 industry sectors, including South El Monte High School’s Residential and Commercial Construction Pathway, which is offered in partnership with Los Angeles Trade Tech College. Earlier this year, South El Monte students participated in the Construction Industry Education Foundation 2023 DesignBuild Competition, where they put their tools and building skills to the test. South El Monte student Wendy Arias was recognized with an award as the team’s Safety Coordinator, and the school received a top eight recognition with an Award of Merit for safety.
Whittier Union Welcomes New Member to Board of Trustees
The Whittier Union High School District Board of Trustees welcomed Josefina E. Canchola as the newest member of the Board during a July 18 meeting. Canchola, who was joined by family, friends and community members, officially took her seat as Trustee representing Area 3 following her oath of office during the same meeting. Currently, she serves as the director of secondary programs for the Puente Project, a statewide non-profit academic preparation program that focuses on empowering first-generation college students in underrepresented communities. She will fulfill the remainder of Dr. Ralph Pacheco's term from July 2023 through the first Friday of December 2024. Pacheco retired from the Board on July 8 after 32 years of service to the District.
C-VUSD Energy Conservation Program Earns EPA ENERGY STAR Honors
Covina-Valley Unified School District has been honored with ENERGY STAR certifications from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for its dedication to sustainable and fiscally responsible practices through its comprehensive energy conservation program. Twelve District buildings, including 10 school sites, earned ENERGY STAR certifications for meeting ventilation standards set by the EPA and rating in the top 25 percent nationwide for energy efficiency.
LUSD Admins Accepted into Google Education Innovation Fellowship
Lynwood Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Gudiel R. Crosthwaite and Assistant Superintendent of Technology and Innovation Dr. Patrick Gittisriboongul have been accepted into the inaugural 2023-24 Google GSV Education Innovation Fellowship, an achievement that recognizes their steadfast leadership and dedication toward being among the nation’s most innovative and forward-thinking leaders in K-12 education. The Google GSV Education Innovation Fellowship is designed to empower 25 top-level instructional district leaders who are committed to leveraging technology to transform education and drive rigorous outcomes for student achievement within their school districts.
Covina-Valley Unified Prepares for First Day of 2023-24 School Year
Covina-Valley Unified School District will start its new school year on Monday, Aug. 21. The District serves the communities of Covina, West Covina, Glendora, San Dimas, and Irwindale with 19 school sites, including an early childhood center and two adult education campuses.
Baldwin Park Unified Community to Join in Hub City Nature Walk
Baldwin Park Unified families will enjoy a one-mile nature walk and explore the Walnut Creek Nature Park at 8:30 a.m. on Friday, July 28. The Hub City Wellness and Nature Walk is hosted in collaboration with the City of Baldwin Park, Kaiser Permanente and Baldwin Park Unified. Participants will begin the walk at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, located at 1011 Baldwin Park Blvd.
