Bonita Unified School District Honors 2024 Employees of the Year
Bonita Unified's Executive Cabinet announced the 2024 Certificated, Classified and Management Employees of the Year on March 20 with surprise visits, banners, and flowers, honoring three employees for their dedication to Bonita Unified students and contributions to the District. La Verne Heights Elementary first-grade teacher Elizabeth Quezada is the 2024 Certificated Employee of the Year; she is joined by Classified Employee of the Year Melissa Romanek, a buyer in the purchasing department, and Director of Food Services Edna Mckenna, the Management Employee of the Year. All three Employees of the Year will be honored at the April 10 Board of Education meeting.
Bonita High School’s Concert Choir and Chamber Singers were emotional as they sang through their pieces during the final dress rehearsal for the San Diego Heritage Festival – reflecting on the past nine years in the District’s choral program, and the significance of sharing one last formal show together. For many of the students, their journey in Bonita Unified’s choral program started in elementary school, allowing them to forge lasting bonds as they grew through song and as individuals. The Bearcats took their poise and energy to the stage on March 22 and swept the competition with eight accolades, including Gold Ratings for both Chamber Singers and Concert Choir, Maestro Awards for two standout individual performers, first place in their division, the Adjudicator Award, Outstanding Choral Group and the Sweepstake for Choral Program award for becoming the top-scoring choir at the competition.
Chaparral-Vista High School was once again designated as a California Model Continuation High School by the California Department of Education (CDE), recognizing the school for providing comprehensive services to at-promise students through exemplary instructional strategies, flexible scheduling, and guidance and counseling services. Chaparral-Vista was first designated as a Model Continuation High School in 2021. The award is sponsored by the California Continuation Education Association Plus (CCEA+), which advocates for the betterment of alternative education. CCEA+ representatives praised Chaparral-Vista’s approach to socio-emotional learning through its Serenity spaces, its culinary arts curriculum and students’ commitment to their education.
Grammy Award-winning jazz musician and band leader Gordon Goodwin returned to Bonita Unified with his world-famous Big Phat Band for a concert that showcased All-District Jazz Ensemble musicians and served as a tribute to longtime Bonita High music teacher Robin Snyder, who is credited with introducing jazz into Southern California school music programs in the 1960s. Goodwin, who graduated from Bonita High School in 1973, performed double duty at the March 16 Bonita Center for the Arts show, jamming with All-District players during their opening set, then leading a nearly two-hour performance with his 19-member group. In between songs, Goodwin took time to reminisce about his years at Bonita High, and how Snyder helped develop his career.
San Dimas High School senior Peter Fang has won the California Art Education Association’s (CAEA) Banner and Flag program contest for his artistic depiction of California, and will represent the state with his banner on display at the National Art Education Association’s (NAEA) Youth Art Month convention in April. Fang created his banner with a mix of markers and fine liners, drawing his inspiration from what has made California into the state we know today. Fang discovered his passion for art at an early age, when he found himself drawing as a way to express himself and let his creativity flow. He is currently in the school’s Advanced Art class, with plans to enroll in Advanced Placement Studio Art in his senior year.
Bonita High School was recognized for providing Advanced Placement (AP) computer science courses to a large range of students and increasing the percentage of female students in the course, earning the school the College Board AP Computer Science Female Diversity Award. Bonita High is one of 834 schools nationwide honored in the category of AP Computer Science Principles (AP CSP) for reaching a high percentage of female student representation in the course during the 2022-23 school year. Both of Bonita Unified’s comprehensive high schools have been honored for boosting enrollment of female students in their computer science courses; San Dimas High School received the recognition from College Board for the 2021-22 school year.
Shull Elementary fifth-graders put their reading and comprehension skills to the ultimate test during the school’s annual Dr. Seuss trivia competition on March 5, sporting themed costumes and bursting with team spirit. The event has been held at Shull for more than 15 years and celebrates Read Across America Week, which highlights the importance of literacy for young learners. Three teams of five students gathered in the Shull Elementary cafeteria, joined by an enthusiastic audience of students and parents, to test their knowledge of all things Dr. Seuss and his world-famous stories. The event is part of Shull’s commitment to boosting literacy, supported by Family Reading Night activities, as well as a data-driven curriculum to enhance reading comprehension across all grade levels.
Local residents needing help filing their tax returns have received IRS-certified help from Bonita High School accounting students free of cost for more than 20 years, thanks to the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. Through the guidance of Bonita High accounting teacher Madhu Sekhri, who is a Certified Public Accountant, students immerse themselves in the fundamentals and complexities of tax law, with Sekhri training them in basic and advanced skills using software, testing guidelines, and tests provided by the IRS under the VITA program. Bonita High is the only high school in Southern California that provides the service to its students and local residents.
Bonita Unified Principal Named New Sr. Director of Student Services
Oak Mesa Elementary School Principal Steven Patterson has been named Bonita Unified’s new Senior Director of Student Services. The promotion was announced at the District’s March 6 Board meeting. Patterson has 27 years of experience as a math teacher and administrator, with the last 10 years at Bonita Unified, and served as an assistant principal at Ramona Middle School prior to leading Oak Mesa. Patterson is married with three children, including one son who is a Bonita High School graduate, and twin sons who are currently sophomores at Bonita High. His wife, Bobbi, is an elementary school teacher in a neighboring school district. Patterson will begin his new position on July 1.
10 Bonita Unified Students Named to Regional Junior High Honor Choir
Four Lone Hill Middle School students were selected to perform with the Southern California Vocal Association (SCVA) Junior High Honor Choir, a prestigious group that consists of students in grades six to nine selected by audition. This year’s Lone Hill honorees – Cristian Figueroa, Julian Gonzalez, Layla Lopez, and Rachel Wu – mark the largest group of Lone Hill students selected in a year. Six Bonita High School freshmen were also selected to perform in the SCVA Junior High Honor Choir this year: Harper Gaudart, Serenity Ng, Kennedy Salazar Nieves, Allison Shutts, Ava Sierra, and Bailey Zylstra. In total, 20 Bonita Unified students, from grades six to 12, were selected for SCVA Honor Choirs this school year. The SCVA Junior High Honor Choir will perform on May 4 at Portola High School in Irvine.
