Baldwin Park Unified’s Santa Fe School has been honored as a 2020 California Distinguished School for closing the achievement gap and attaining exemplary student performances on state standardized tests. Santa Fe is one of 42 elementary schools in the San Gabriel Valley to earn a spot on the 2020 Distinguished Schools list, with 323 institutions statewide securing a place.
Two Baldwin Park Unified teachers were surprised with $100 grants from the California Retired Teachers Association. Baldwin Park High School architecture and engineering teacher Jeffrey Warden and Central Elementary School fourth grade teacher Melissa Leopoldo will use the funds to purchase classroom tools and materials.
Baldwin Park Unified’s Santa Fe School has been honored as a 2020 California Distinguished School for closing the achievement gap and attaining exemplary student performances on state standardized tests. On the California School Dashboard, Santa Fe earned the second-highest rating in English language arts scores on state tests, with the school coming in 32.6 points above the state standard and increasing 5 points from 2018.
Santa Claus and Baldwin Park Unified administrators surprised students in its Early Head Start program with bags full of toys, ranging from puzzles and coloring books to stuffed animals and doctor kits. Baldwin Park’s Organization of Supervisors and Administrators and the District’s Early Childhood Education program organized the collection.
Baldwin Park Unified is adding five electric buses to its school bus fleet – with the first three arriving Dec. 20 – thanks to a $1.8 million California Energy Commission grant. The grant will cover the cost of charging stations and the vehicles, which replace five diesel-powered buses. These upgrades will help to improve air quality and increase the use of renewable fuels in the community.
Joel Diaz, a Baldwin Park Adult and Community Education (BPACE) student known for his culinary skills and creativity, has made history for crafting a barbeque chicken salad that pulled in record-breaking sales at two cafés run by the culinary program. Diaz and his classmates sold 65 lunch specials and earned $590, the highest revenue in one day at the Main Street and District cafés since opening in 1991.
Sierra Vista High School students are pulling in stellar SAT and PSAT scores, including senior Robert Sotelo’s nearly perfect score of 1560 on the SAT, bolstered by a District focus on college readiness. SVHS junior Leyna Huynh scored 1400 on the PSAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualification Test and junior Winston Le received a 1370, both top-level performances that could put them in the running for National Merit Scholarships.
In partnership with Faith Church of West Covina, Baldwin Park Unified’s Early Childhood Education program provided more than 80 meals for ECE families on Nov. 28. More than 25 families with infants and children up to the age of 4 enjoyed a Thanksgiving feast that included turkey and all the trimmings.
Baldwin Park Unified students enjoyed a $60 shopping spree for winter clothes, shoes and even a few toys on Dec. 10 as part of the 23rd annual Santa Clothes Project. In collaboration with the City of Baldwin Park, Walmart in Baldwin Park and other community partners, BPUSD raised $21,000 for 350 students.
Past and present educators, students, principals and community members shared a day of joy and remembrance during Olive Middle School’s 50th anniversary celebration. Olive Middle School educators and alumni spoke about the school’s legacy in preparing students to be civic and engaged leaders. During the event, the school unveiled a mural painted by Baldwin Park Adult and Community Education Vice Principal Vanessa Arevalo that depicts the school’s Lancer mascot with the years 1969 to 2019.