Forty Ekstrand Elementary School students walked around campus with an extra spring in their step after receiving a surprise gift of brand-new shoes from Bonita Unified Board of Education President Greg Palatto and Ekstrand Principal Gerard Granade on Oct. 21. The donation, made possible by Shoes That Fit and the San Dimas Masonic Lodge, brought smiles and excitement as students eagerly tried on their new footwear, marveling at the size, color, and brand options tailored for them. Each year, the San Dimas Masonic Lodge chooses a local charity to sponsor; in support of Shoes That Fit, members raised more than $1,200 to fund the donation of shoes for Ekstrand students in need, who were identified by school staff.
Recognizing the valuable contributions of strong community partnerships that support Bonita Unified staff, students, and families, Superintendent Matt Wien presented two local volunteers with the Bonita Purpose Award – the District’s highest honor – during the Oct. 9 Board of Education meeting. Wien presented the award to Project Boon executive director and co-founder Chris Suchanek, as well as Bonita Council PTA vice-president Vicky Maliszewski.
When Chaparral-Vista High School culinary students began the semester, they thought they would simply be taking notes and honing their basic skills before moving on to preparing restaurant-quality dishes as the year progressed. What they did not know was that they would immediately be assigned to create a pot of chili that could compete with the best recipes in the District. The students were up to the task and the Chaparral-Vista culinary program once again shocked judges, contestants, and chili lovers alike by winning first-place in the third annual Bonita PTA Council Chili Cook-Off, held in September. Chaparral-Vista students also won the inaugural cook-off in 2022, and have now earned their second “golden ladle” to place on their culinary Wall of Champions.
Bonita Unified School District students achieved record-setting scores on the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) in 2023-24, reflecting the District’s success in fully overcoming the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on academic performance. According to recently released CAASPP results for spring 2024, 72.5% of Bonita Unified students met or exceeded standards in English language arts (ELA) and 60.5% met or exceeded standards in math, marking an all-time high in both subjects for the District. The results indicate a slight increase over 2022-23 scores, which already marked significant progress in mitigating learning loss related to the pandemic.
When San Dimas High School students pass the gym on their way to class, they are greeted by a wall of fame highlighting some of the greatest athletes to ever wear a Saints uniform. Bookended by sibling stars Jocilyn and Jeremy Veal, who anchored the great San Dimas girls and boys basketball teams of the 1990s, the images seek to inspire and instill school pride.
The girls flag football teams at Bonita and San Dimas high schools will engage in a beloved District tradition as they face off for the first time during the inaugural season of CIF Southern Section flag football for the “Smudge Crown” rivalry game. With the undefeated Bonita squad setting its sights on a perfect record in its inaugural season, San Dimas will look to play spoiler. The game – rescheduled due to the Bridge Fire in September – will also feature an unusual, head-to-head family rivalry with a much-anticipated matchup between sisters Ashley and Breanna Sandmark, who will face off on opposite sides of the field for the very first time. Ashley and Breanna, both in their senior years and co-captains of their teams, attend San Dimas High and Bonita High, respectively.
San Dimas High School senior Emily Moore was on a cross-country trip, driving through Utah with her grandmother, when suddenly the music stopped. The pair’s meticulously curated playlist mysteriously disappeared into a data cloud, starting a conversation between the two about the hit-and-miss nature of modern technology, and how most senior citizens are at a loss to understand it. The conversation had an immediate impact. After returning home, Moore began laying the groundwork for a student community service club that would connect with local senior citizens and try to resolve their tech issues. With the assistance of several of her classmates, Moore created the Silver Surfers Tech Club, which debuted during the 2023-24 school year.
Shull Elementary students and families embarked on a literary voyage, diving into an ocean of stories and imagination on Sept. 11 during the school’s Family Reading Night, an event designed to inspire a love for literacy. More than 150 Shull students, parents, and teachers soaked up this month’s aquatic theme of “Dive into Reading” at the first reading night of the school year, with many snacking on gummy sharks as teachers read aquatic-themed books that led families on an adventure across the seven seas.
As a member of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles’ (NHM) teacher advisory council, San Dimas High School art teacher Dominic Black has created art projects and curriculum designed to give students of all ages access to museum exhibits – both in-person and online – and inspire them to learn more about the art process and natural history while creating their own original work. In the earliest days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Black’s ideas on curriculum allowed art students from across L.A. County and beyond to continue their education virtually, through books like “Art Inside and Out” and personal story projects, including a cultural self-portrait assignment where students reimagined a mural by L.A.-based artist Barbara Carrasco.
