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Bonita Unified School District

  • Bonita Unified Teacher Receives Ruth Jansen Distinguished Art Educator Award from CAEA

    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.

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  • Bonita Unified Football Teams to Showcase School Spirit in 52nd Annual Smudge Pot Rivalry Game

    As the 2024-25 school year gets underway in Bonita Unified School District, the countdown is officially on for the 52nd chapter of the storied Smudge Pot Rivalry Game between the Bonita and San Dimas high school football teams. The annual, friendly rivalry is a District staple, celebrating school unity by showcasing not only the athletic but artistic talents of its students. The game features spirited halftime performances from the schools’ cheer and dance teams, marching band, and color guards that reflect the rich culture at both Bonita and San Dimas high schools.

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  • Bonita Unified Female Athletes Ready to Dominate in Inaugural Flag Football Season

    It appeared to be a typical summer football practice at Bonita and San Dimas high schools, with new and returning players performing running and passing drills, conferring with their coaches, and looking to find team spirit and chemistry as the teams prepare for the 2024-25 football seasons. This year, however, it is not just the boys suiting up in football jerseys, looking to make memories. Female athletes now have the thrill of making a touchdown run or maintaining a goal line stand, following the official CIF Southern Section debut of girls flag football in August after a year as a pilot program. Both Bonita and San Dimas are fielding teams and ready to battle for a CIF championship.

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Bonita Unified Appoints New Principals, Senior Director for 2024-25

Bonita Unified School District announced four new administrators who will step into new roles or join the District for the 2024-25 school year during the June 12 Board of Education meeting. Phil Heng will serve as Gladstone Elementary School’s principal in 2024-25 after serving as assistant principal at San Dimas High for three years; April Leon joins Roynon Elementary as its principal after five years in the role at Covina-Valley Unified School District; and Christine Wilson will serve as Shull Elementary’s principal following five years as a school administrator in Chino Valley Unified School District. Jessicka Mears comes to Bonita Unified as the new senior director of specialized services after serving as a special education administrator in Compton Unified School District.

Bonita Unified Culinary Team Breaks New Ground at National ProStart Invitational

Bonita High School’s ProStart culinary team wrapped up their most successful year in spectacular fashion, earning a 10th-place finish in their first-ever appearance as Team California during the National ProStart Invitational, held this spring at the Marriott Baltimore Waterfront Hotel. The five-student team, led by captain Charli Padilla, team manager Laura Mangiafreno, and team members Nicolas Caballero, Cameron Turoci and Michael Vera, wowed the judges with a three-course gourmet meal consisting of raviolo doppio, pan-seared elk tenderloin and a slice of entremet layer cake, propelling the team to a top-10 finish, the highest placement for a California team in many years.

Bonita Unified Elementary Students Bury Time Capsule for 2044

La Verne Heights Elementary School’s fifth-grade class and Associated Student Body celebrated the end of a memorable school year together by creating a time capsule, which was buried on campus on May 31. The time capsule included letters to future students, a yearbook, an aerial photograph of the school, and student-suggested items that are representative of 2024, such as a pair of Crocs, Stanley beverage cups, and Takis. La Verne Heights Elementary will invites its current families to return in 20 years to open the time capsule.

Bonita Unified Graduate Honored for Volunteer Work with Habitat for Humanity Award

Bonita High School Class of 2024 graduate Rishika Ravichandran never passes up an opportunity to help others. Whether she is participating in a local food drive, assisting in a National Honor Society clothing drive, or preparing incoming freshmen for high school life as Bonita’s Link Crew senior director, Ravichandran is committed to helping others in need. Ravichandran’s volunteer spirit was recently recognized by the Pomona Valley Habitat for Humanity, who presented her with its Community Builder award, given to young community leaders and high-achieving students, during a ceremony held April 28 at the Fairplex Sheraton. Ravichandran, who maintained a 4.8 GPA her senior year, will attend the University of California, San Diego in the fall to study mathematics-computer science.

Bonita Unified Celebrates Accomplished Class of 2024 with Dynamic Commencement Ceremonies

Celebratory music swelled and streamers cascaded through the evening skies as nearly 800 graduates tossed their caps and shared tearful hugs during Bonita Unified School District’s commencement ceremonies, which marked the end of an award-winning year for the Class of 2024. Chaparral-Vista and San Dimas high schools kicked off the festivities on June 4, followed by Bonita High School on June 6. Each school recognized graduates for their academic, artistic, and athletic excellence, highlighting CIF champions, regional and state honors for arts and music, and nationally recognized career technical education programs. Bonita Unified’s Class of 2024 will continue their education at institutions that include Harvard University, UC Berkeley, Johns Hopkins University, and the California Institute of Technology; many others will enlist in the U.S. Armed Forces or enter the workforce.

Bonita Unified High School Seniors Learn Lessons in Finance During ‘Bite of Reality’

Bonita High School seniors received a taste of what their financial responsibilities will be once they leave high school during Bite of Reality, a money management app-based simulation that guides students through real-life scenarios where they must decide how much money they can spend and balance their budget without incurring significant debt. Sponsored by Chaffey Federal Credit Union, Bite of Reality, held May 23, randomly assigns students new identities, and provides them with fictional occupations, a fixed monthly income, a spouse, and a child. From there, students must decide how to spend their money and prioritize essentials such as transportation, housing, child care, and groceries.

Bonita Unified Students Honored by Educational Foundation for Perseverance, Community Impact

More than 100 Bonita Unified students received a moment in the spotlight to honor actions that often go unseen – from launching an initiative to teach senior citizens digital literacy skills to providing shelter for a peer whose family experienced hardship and ensuring they graduated with their class – during the 2023-24 La Verne/San Dimas Educational Foundation (LVSDEF) Awards.

Bonita Unified Culinary Students Take Top Prizes at LA County Fair

Bonita Unified School District’s ProStart program concluded its competition season with two awards at the 2024 LA County Fair’s Seasonal Fruits Culinary Contest, held May 12. In the 13- to 17-year-old category, Bonita High School junior Charli Padilla took first place for her orange mocha tart, and San Dimas High School student Gabriel Costa took third place for his strawberry panna cotta. The awards culminate a school year that saw Bonita Unified ProStart students take first place in the culinary competition at the California ProStart Cup, followed by a 10th place finish at the National ProStart Invitational.

Bonita Unified Alumnus Makes Big Splash as Coach of CIF Champion Swim, Water Polo Teams

When the Bonita High School boys swim team captured its first-ever CIF Southern Section (CIF-SS) Division 3 championship at Mt. San Antonio College on May 3, the triumphant Bearcat athletes gave coach Dillon Unsoeld the water polo version of the traditional Gatorade victory shower, celebrating the moment by playfully pushing their mentor into the swimming pool. The swim team’s CIF championship caps off the most successful year ever for Bonita swimmers, coming on the heels of the boys water polo team’s first-ever CIF-SS Division 3 title last November. For Unsoeld, a Bonita High Class of 2010 alumnus, the twin triumphs underscore the positive energy and stability he has brought to the program since he was hired in 2016.

Bonita Unified School District to Honor Accomplished Class of 2024

Bonita Unified School District will conclude a successful academic year by celebrating the achievements of the Class of 2024, which includes graduates headed to Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University, and Caltech, during commencement ceremonies for its two comprehensive high schools and continuation school. Chaparral High School will kick off the festivities with a 5 p.m. ceremony on Tuesday, June 4 at the Bonita Center for the Arts, 822 W. Covina Blvd., San Dimas; San Dimas High School will follow with a spirited ceremony at 7 p.m. at the school’s stadium, 800 W. Covina Blvd., San Dimas; and Bonita High School will close out the District’s commencement celebrations with a 7 p.m. ceremony on Thursday, June 6 at Glenn Davis Stadium, 3102 D St., La Verne.