Follow-up Story: Baldwin Park High School hosted its first-ever Posada de Unidad, a multicultural celebration of holiday traditions from around the world on Dec. 14 at the high school gymnasium. Organized by four students in the school’s Dual Language Immersion program, the festival featured a procession, or posada, through 19 booths set up by school clubs and organizations. Each booth focused on a different holiday tradition, offering displays and activities for participants. The event also included piñatas, performances by the school’s marching band, jazz band and choir, as well as tamburazo and cumbia music.
About 150 student musicians from Baldwin Park Unified’s Sierra Vista High School band and choir will perform as part of the California Highway Patrol’s annual CHiPs for Kids Toy Drive from 4 to 5 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 20 at Plaza West Covina, 428 Plaza Drive, West Covina . The event is the final of five daylong toy collections held over three weeks.
Baldwin Park Elementary to be Featured in Rod Dixon Documentary
Follow-up Story: Cameras rolled as 38 students from Baldwin Park Unified’s Vineland Elementary stretched and jogged alongside 1972 Olympic medalist Rod Dixon for a documentary on his life and work. The students started their journey toward healthy living during the 2016-17 school year when they joined Rod Dixon’s Kids Marathon, an international program that teaches the benefits of regular exercise. Dixon and his film crew visited Vineland this autumn, inspiring an additional 44 students to join the 2017-18 marathon team.
Baldwin Park Unified schools are accepting donations of canned goods through Wednesday, Dec. 13 as part of the City of Baldwin Park’s Christmas Food Basket Program, which provides food to residents in need. The city will distribute baskets on Saturday, Dec. 16 to the first 400 families to fill out applications. For information on how to help or to obtain an application, go to www.baldwinpark.com.
Sierra Vista High senior Jose Garcia, who has dreamed of performing at the Tournament of Roses with the Pasadena City College Honor Band since his freshman year, will get his wish this January. Garcia, a baritone saxophone player, qualified for the prestigious band in October. He has since practiced with the honor band twice in preparation for the 129th Tournament of Roses Parade on Monday, Jan. 1, 2018.
Marching bands at Baldwin Park and Sierra Vista high schools have concluded one of their strongest fall performance seasons yet, collecting awards at field shows across the area and performing in a variety of public venues. The bands will cap the season with performances at Disneyland – Sierra Vista on Tuesday, Dec. 12 and Baldwin Park on Friday, Jan. 26. Baldwin Park High School’s band started the season by performing at the Los Angeles County Fair on Sept. 14 before moving into the competitive marching band season. The team, which has 128 musicians and 20 students in color guard competed at Rowland, Sierra Vista, Los Altos and Savanna high school field show tournaments. At the Sierra Vista field show, Baldwin Park took the overall sweepstakes and the percussion sweepstakes awards. Sierra Vista High School’s band – about 130 students strong – earned a first-place award for band and third place for color guard at the Baldwin Park High School field show, and first places for band, percussion and color guard at the Duarte tournament. Both bands also performed at public events, including Baldwin Park’s annual city parade. Sierra Vista performed at the Covina Christmas Parade as well as at USC’s annual band day.
Baldwin Park Unified, collaborating with the City of Baldwin Park and community partners, will take an estimated 300 students in need on a shopping trip to buy winter clothes as part of the 21st annual Santa Clothes Project. Students will shop with helpers at the Baldwin Park Walmart at 6:45 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 5.
Baldwin Park Unified Middle School Takes Second in Robotics Contest
Follow-up Story: Holland Middle School’s robotics team placed second in the middle school category at the VEX Robotics Competition on Oct. 28., the team’s first such competition. The Bulldogs are eagerly preparing for a rematch on Saturday, Dec. 9. Sponsors and parents raised donations of nearly $3,000 to purchase more materials for the upcoming match. Photos are available
Follow-up Story: More than 80 students attend the Independent Learning Center at Baldwin Park High School -- an innovative independent study program that offers a rigorous, blended online learning curriculum with flexible hours for students who struggle with traditional education formats.
Follow-up Story: Baldwin Park Unified Cornerstone program students joined together Oct. 30 to create beaded bracelets, pencil sketches, colorful tissue paper flowers and sidewalk chalk creations during the annual Festival of the Arts hosted by the Community Advisory Committee of the East San Gabriel Special Education Local Plan Area. Twenty special education classes from Olive Middle and Foster, Central, De Anza, Pleasant View, Margaret Heath and Vineland elementary schools took part in the event, which featured displays of student art, a live performance and stations allowing students to engage with interactive art. Photos are available
