Bonita Unified School District continued to outpace school districts across the state in reading competency, ranking No. 1 in the state on the California Reading Coalition’s (CRC) California Reading Report Card, based on California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress English language arts test scores from 2021-22. Among districts with at least 100 economically disadvantaged Latino third-grade students, Bonita Unified led the way with 53% of the subgroup meeting or exceeding California grade-level standards. Bonita Unified’s No. 1 ranking is the result of a years-long District commitment to boost reading comprehension across all grade levels, embracing a data-driven method that reflects teaching practices proven by extensive research to effectively teach children how to read.
Bonita Unified Culinary Students Advance to National Competition
San Dimas High School ProStart restaurant management students punched their tickets to Washington, D.C. after their idea for an unapologetically delicious, fast-casual restaurant specializing in guilty pleasure entrees won first place in the California Restaurant Foundation’s 2023 ProStart Cup. Following their victory at the state competition in March, the winning students will now advance to the nation’s capital to compete in the National ProStart Invitational, to be held Tuesday, May 2 to Thursday, May 4 at the Washington Hilton. The first-place victory was the capper in a historic day for the Bonita Unified ProStart culinary program, with five San Dimas High and Bonita High teams placing in the top five in both the culinary and restaurant management categories, and more than a dozen students winning a total of $80,000 in scholarships. Photos are available.
San Dimas High School student-athletes demonstrated their excellence on the field and in the classroom with the release of the CIF Southern Section’s (CIF-SS) 35th annual FORD Academic Awards, in which the Saints earned 23 team academic awards and two individual awards. Each year, CIF-SS issues team awards in 27 sports; all 23 of San Dimas’ eligible squads were honored this year for maintaining team GPAs of 3.0 or higher. The San Dimas High girls’ tennis team secured the Academic Award Team Championship, presented to teams from schools with an enrollment below 1,499.
Bonita Unified’s San Dimas High to Stage ‘High School Musical’
The San Dimas High School drama club will stage a spring production of “High School Musical on Stage!” at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 12 and Thursday, April 13; at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, April 14; and at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturday, April 15 at the Bonita Center for the Arts. Tickets are available for purchase online at https://www.bonitacenterforthearts.com/. The Bonita Center for the Arts is located at 822 W. Covina Blvd., San Dimas.
Bonita High School senior Jeremiah Weetly came to his AP Computer Science class on March 27 and took a seat at his desk, having no idea that his life would change dramatically by the time the dismissal bell rang. In front of his classmates and mom, Weetly was named a 2023 Edison STEM Scholarship winner and was presented with a check for $50,000 from Edison International, money that will help Weetly attend his dream college and study electrical and computer engineering. Weetly is one of just 30 students across Southern California to win the scholarship this year, as well as the first student at Bonita High to ever be named an Edison Scholar.
Cheered on by a full house of teachers, staff and families, nearly 100 Bonita Unified students were honored with a moment in the spotlight – for achievements that often go unrecognized – during the 2022-23 La Verne/San Dimas Educational Foundation (LVSDEF) Awards. Held March 13 at the Bonita Center for the Arts, the awards ceremony is one of the foundation’s signature annual events. Founded in 1983, LVSDEF aims to enhance educational opportunities for students within Bonita Unified. Through various fundraisers and sponsorships, the foundation also awards teacher mini-grants every year to support classroom projects, donates funds to each school’s arts programs and more.
Bonita Unified Middle School Students Excel in Math Competition
Lone Hill Middle School’s Mathletes showcased their academic excellence during the 11th annual Middle School Math Competition, held March 18 at Damien High School. The event brought together local seventh- and eighth-grade students for an exciting day of contests designed to test students’ math skills. The Lone Hill Mathletes took second place in the Seventh Grade Super Quiz Bowl, a collaborative team contest, and one Lone Hill student was named the top seventh-grader in the geometry exam.
San Dimas High School has been recognized by the College Board for its work in establishing equal gender representation in its Advanced Placement Computer Science Principles (AP CSP) class, honoring the school with its 2022 AP Computer Science Female Diversity Award. This is the first year that San Dimas High has been recognized with the award since initiating its program in 2019. The award is given to schools that have AP CSP classes with 50% or more female exam taker representation, or a percentage of CSP exam takers that meets or exceeds that of the school’s female population. San Dimas is one of just 832 high schools across the United States to receive the award in 2022.
The Associated Student Body (ASB) at San Dimas High School creates a community of inclusivity where every Saint feels like they belong. This service-minded leadership and encouragement of students has earned San Dimas High ASB the Outstanding Leadership Program Award (OLPA) by the California Association of Student Leaders. The OLPA is a distinguished award presented only to 5% of eligible schools whose student leadership programs demonstrate that students are growing as ethical, responsible and servant-minded leaders. San Dimas High ASB students were recognized for exhibiting their skills at adapting activities and events, providing resources, supporting staff and students, working toward creating an equitable campus and more.
Bonita Unified Choirs to Embark on Performance Tour Across Hawaii
Bonita High School’s Chamber Singers and Concert Choir will spend spring break showcasing their vocal talents as they travel across Oahu, Hawaii during a performance tour from Sunday, April 1 to Tuesday, April 4. Bonita choral students will perform at various venues, visit with high school and college choirs, take a master class and more. Bonita High School’s award-winning choral ensembles have performed at festivals and concerts at storied venues across the nation, including Carnegie Hall, the Lincoln Center in New York and Symphony Hall in Chicago.
