Bonita High School senior Andrew Watson, Chaparral-Vista High School senior Riley Koscielski and San Dimas High School senior Beatrice See stepped up to the podium – and into new leadership roles – before the Bonita Unified Board of Education on Oct. 4, receiving applause and cheers of encouragement as they took the oath of office to serve as the Board’s student representatives for the 2023-24 school year. Watson, Koscielski and See will serve as the voices and advocates of their peers throughout the school year, attending all regular monthly Board meetings to provide school reports and share feedback and concerns. All three students also serve in leadership positions on their campuses.
Bonita High School students are diving into the world of video production through their partnership with LVTV-3 and the University of La Verne to produce Local Lens, a magazine show that highlights interesting people, stories and events in the community. Video II teacher Paul Eichen has partnered with LVTV station manager Ken Pucci over the past several years to help students with various Bonita High projects, including filming at sports games and graduations. This year, Eichen and Pucci brought the idea of Local Lens to students as a project they could complete for their Purpose-Driven, Active, Career Exploration (PACE) graduation requirement. Local Lens is a student-produced show from start to finish – including writing, reporting, directing and editing.
La Verne Police Detective Janessa Gonzalez and La Verne Firefighter/Paramedic Tristan Janeway trailed behind eager Bonita Unified elementary students at Target La Verne, taking note and filling handbaskets with each child’s choice of brightly patterned jackets, stylish shoes and other clothing essentials during the annual Bonita Children’s Shopping Day on Sept. 14. This is the first year Gonzalez and Janeway had the opportunity to participate in the shopping experience, a collaboration between Bonita Unified School District and Soroptimist International of San Dimas/La Verne that provided nearly 70 students in need from the District’s eight elementary schools with a $75 budget to pick out new school clothing basics.
Grace Miller Elementary has been honored as a 2023 National Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education, a coveted recognition that celebrates the school’s remarkable efforts to close the achievement gap and help students achieve academic excellence. Grace Miller Elementary is among just 33 schools in California to receive the award this year and is the second Bonita Unified school overall to earn the honor – joining Shull Elementary School, which was named a National Blue Ribbon School in 2012 and 2022. Grace Miller Elementary was celebrated for its collaborative learning environment, which Sandoval credits as the school’s key to success in establishing a campuswide culture of inclusion, successful early intervention practices, and holistic support of student achievement.
Bonita High School Auto Technology students will have the opportunity to work toward an Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) entry-level certificate during the 2023-24 school year, a vital step for students looking to join the private sector or continue their education at a trade school or community college in pursuit of a career as a mechanic or auto technician. ASE certifications – the industry standard for auto repair – are available for entry-level, professional and master technicians. Throughout the school year, BHS Auto Tech students will pursue multiple projects, including: building an electric car from scratch, participating in National Hot Rod Association race-day events and working to restore vintage and classic vehicles.
Bonita High School’s ProStart culinary students will seek to enhance their technical skills in the new school year, bolstered by their success in the California Restaurant Foundation’s Culinary Clash over the summer. Students both volunteered and competed at the annual event, which brings the restaurant community together to raise funds for high school culinary arts programs. In the Culinary Clash, restaurants are paired with a ProStart student sous chef to create a menu item using required ingredients. In this year’s competition, Bonita High students and alumni represented Outback Steakhouse and Black Bear Diner.
Bonita Unified School District’s emphasis on student achievement – which includes strong academic performance and a culture of college and career readiness – has earned both Bonita and San Dimas high schools recognition among the top-performing public high schools in the state and country, according to the 2023-24 Best High Schools rankings by U.S. News & World Report. Bonita High was ranked in the top eight percent of public high schools nationwide; San Dimas High was listed among the top 15 percent of schools nationwide.
Bonita Unified Rival Football Teams to Vie for Smudge Pot Victory
San Dimas and Bonita high schools will seek ultimate bragging rights – and an unusual trophy – in the 51st annual Smudge Pot football game, set for 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 9 at the Citrus College Stadium, 1000 W. Foothill Blvd., Glendora. The friendly rivalry, which began in 1972, has become a beloved District tradition and display of school spirit, athletic prowess, and awe-inspiring halftime shows performed by cheer, dance and marching band students. The teams will compete for an iconic silver Smudge Pot, an oil-burning tool used to shield fruit trees from frost and a symbol of the cities’ roots in the region’s citrus industry.
Bonita Unified students returned to campuses for the 2023-24 school year on Aug. 21, full of excitement and undeterred by rainy weather as they renewed old friendships, reviewed class schedules and met their new teachers. The District has welcomed four new campus administrators for the new school year, as well as a new senior director of secondary curriculum and instruction. Bonita Unified will also seek to expand its career technical education program by building partnerships with more industry professionals and introducing additional work-based learning opportunities.
Bonita High School Auto Shop students looking to expand their skill set and gain more experience under the hood of a car participated in the Citrus College High School Summer Academy, a four-day seminar that gave them an opportunity to work with Citrus Automotive Technology professors, and explore its Medium and Heavy Diesel Truck Tech program. More than a dozen Bonita High students attended the academy, offered for the first time this summer. Students received advanced instruction, watched demonstrations, then got hands-on lab experience with cars and trucks as they worked towards Summer Academy certificates of completion issued by Citrus professors. Among the highlights were crankshaft balancer and engine dynamometer demonstrations, and two days working exclusively with diesel trucks.
