Whittier Union Volleyball Team Has Breakthrough Year, Advances to CIF
Santa Fe High School girls volleyball team had a breakthrough competition year, returning to the CIF playoffs for the first time since the 2018-19 school year and making it all the way to the semifinals after finishing the season with a 20-12 overall record and tying for second place in the Del Rio League. The team credits their successful season to their willingness to work hard and put in the extra effort needed during practices.
Fontana Unified Launches 25th Annual ‘Fontana Santas’ Toy Drive
Fontana Unified School District is celebrating 25 years of bringing holiday cheer to local families in need with the kickoff of the annual Fontana Santas Toy Drive. Donations of unwrapped toys and gift cards can be dropped off at the Fontana School Police Department, 9680 Citrus Ave., Building 9, Fontana. The Fontana Santas Toy Drive will culminate with a drive-thru distribution event, to be held on Saturday, Dec. 17 at the District Office. There, families in need identified by school sites will enjoy the sights and sounds of cheerful holiday decorations, festively dressed volunteers and classic holiday music as they receive age-appropriate gifts.
Baldwin Park Unified, in collaboration with the City of Baldwin Park and community partners, is seeking donations for its 25th annual Santa Clothes Project to provide 375 students in need with new cold-weather clothes and shoes. Anyone wishing to make the holiday season brighter for BPUSD students can make a check donation or apply to be a volunteer or personal shopper. Students will be provided an $80 shopping trip on Tuesday, Dec. 6 to Walmart, located at 3250 Big Dalton Ave., Baldwin Park. For more information, contact District Community Liaison Maria Guevara in the Baldwin Park Unified Student Support Services Office at 626.962.3311, ext. 86025.
Whittier Union Students to Participate in Annual Band Jamboree
Whittier Union High School District band, color guard, percussion, cheer, song and drill team students will have the opportunity to showcase their talents to the community during the District’s annual Band Jamboree. The event will take place at 7 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 7 at California High School’s Sandra Sanchez Thorstenson Stadium, located at 9800 S Mills Ave., Whittier. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at https://bit.ly/BandJamboree. Children under five are free and doors open at 6:15 p.m.
Buena Park School District will host its biannual Gifted and Talented Education Super Saturday event to teach students about how science is using biomimicry – emulating designs found in nature – to improve objects such as planes, trains and even buildings. The event will be held at Buena Park Middle School from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Nov. 5 and will be co-hosted by the Orange County Department of Education’s “Inside the Outdoors” program. Buena Park Middle School is located at 6931 Orangethorpe Ave., Buena Park 90620.
Buena Park School District’s revamped preschool program is ensuring its youngest students thrive by using data collected from the Desired Results Development Profile (DRDP) to create personalized and focused plans that prepare students for success in kindergarten and beyond. Through DRDP data collected during the first two months of the 2022-23 school year, teachers at all preschools in the District are now providing in-depth student progress reports to track readiness, acknowledge strengths and determine if students need additional support in their learning.
Tri-Community Adult Education/Pioneer Center English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher Cornella VerHalen has always had a love of teaching and a passion for sewing. In her more than 50 years as an ESL and sewing teacher, VerHalen has worked to enrich the lives of newly arrived immigrants and residents, giving them the tools and confidence to succeed in a new country. VerHalen, who just celebrated her 90th birthday, will retire from the Pioneer Center at the end of the fall semester, closing a chapter in a teaching career that began when Richard Nixon was president, “Marcus Welby M.D.” was the top-rated television program and the Jackson 5 were emerging as America’s newest pop music sensations.
Fontana Unified School District celebrated 25 years of bringing holiday cheer to local families in need during the Nov. 2 Board of Education meeting, when District employees, Board of Education members, Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus provided the first donations to kick off the annual Fontana Santas Toy Drive. Fontana Santas began in 1997 when Fontana School Police Officer Cindy Evaro and District employee Lydia Wibert learned a Fontana boy ran away from home after Christmas because he did not receive any presents. Evaro, Wibert and the Fontana School Police Department collected toys and donations from local organizations and delivered them to students during the holidays, creating a treasured tradition that has provided toys to thousands of Fontana Unified students over the last 25 years.
Banning High School students dressed up in college gear, completed college and career interest surveys and questionnaires and participated in a College and Career Fair during the annual Riverside County Office of Education College Kickoff Week. The campaign, held Oct. 10 to Oct. 14, was designed by the county to prepare and motivate students for the future. During the event, students had the opportunity to speak one-on-one with university representatives, military branches, law enforcement and various career technical education program advisors.
Hacienda La Puente Unified is embedding augmented reality (AR) technology into its curriculum, which allows smartphone and tablet users to combine the real world with computer-generated content to bring C-STEM lessons to life. The District’s technology teachers on special assignment have been providing professional development and induction training in AR and virtual reality to teachers and administrators throughout the District and are greatly encouraged by the excitement generated by the demonstrations.
