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Bonita Unified School District

  • Bonita Unified Seniors, Coach Selected for L.A. Rams All-Star Flag Football Game

    The first full year of CIF-sanctioned high school flag football was a resounding success for Bonita Unified schools, with both Bonita and San Dimas high schools making great strides in their inaugural seasons, led by top players establishing themselves as fierce competitors and passionate coaches eager to develop their athletes as winners on and off the field. Four of the District’s standout seniors will get an opportunity to play one final high school game after being selected for the Los Angeles Rams/National Football Foundation Senior All-Star Flag Football Game, to be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 21 at Simi Valley High School. Ashley Sandmark and Anelly Alba from San Dimas High will join Bonita High seniors Breanna Sandmark and Kayla Heinlein on the San Gabriel Valley/Pasadena roster. They will play against a team of San Fernando Valley/Ventura area all-stars. Bonita High head flag football coach Mike Mann will coach the SGV/Pasadena squad.

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  • 24 Bonita Unified Students Synchronize Harmonies in Southern California Regional Honor Choirs

    Bonita Unified School District’s choir program has found the secret ingredient to success: cultivating a community of singers from elementary to high school, supported by passionate educators who nurture talent, and preparing students for professional opportunities on elite stages. This year, a record-breaking 24 choir students from Bonita Unified’s two comprehensive high schools were chosen for the Southern California Vocal Association’s (SCVA) Honor Choirs. Bonita High School choir students made history with 21 individuals named to the prestigious group – the most students selected from a single campus across eight counties.

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  • Bonita Unified Celebrates Retiring Board Member Glenn Creiman for 21 Years of Service to Community

    Amid a festive backdrop of Hawaiian shirts and colorful leis, the Bonita Unified School District community said a final aloha and farewell to longtime Board of Education member Glenn Creiman during a retirement ceremony on Dec. 11 at Lone Hill Middle School. Creiman’s 21-year tenure on the Board was defined by his unwavering desire to do what was right for Bonita Unified students. Creiman made a lasting impression on the District, which saw the four-time Board President as honest, kind, humble, and devoted, with a homespun civility that put people at ease. During Creiman’s years on the Board, he oversaw two bond measures that helped finance three new gymnasiums, the Bonita Center for the Arts, a new District office, and many other modernization projects. In his tenure, the District also improved its relationships with the cities of San Dimas and La Verne; achieved its highest-ever scores on state assessments and mitigated learning loss from the pandemic; expanded its career technical education offerings; and more.

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Bonita Unified Board of Education Selects New Officers

Bonita Unified School District’s Board of Education held its annual reorganization meeting on Dec. 8, voting members into new leadership roles. The Board selected Derek Bahmanou as president, Glenn Creiman as vice president and Greg Palatto as clerk. Members Chuck Coyne and Jim Elliot round out the Board.

Bonita Unified Auto Shop Students Hone Technical Skills, Restore Truck

Bonita High School advanced auto shop students are getting a glimpse of La Verne’s past as they learn skills for the future, working in partnership with the La Verne Historical Society to restore a 1938 International D-35 pickup truck in time for the city’s 2022 Fourth of July parade. Under the guidance of Bonita High auto shop teacher Rob Zamboni, students are working toward a full restoration of the truck throughout the school year, rebuilding the engine and transmission, adding new tires and brakes, and refurbishing the interior and flatbed. The truck’s rustic exterior will be preserved to retain its authenticity. The restoration is a full one-year project.

Bonita Unified Special Education Students Gain Future-Ready Skills through WorkAbility I Program

Bonita Unified School District special education students are acquiring the tools for future success through Bonita’s WorkAbility I/Transition program, which provides comprehensive pre-employment training, paid work experience and job placement, while promoting self-advocacy and life skills exploration. More than 400 Bonita Unified students in grades eight to 12 have access to the program, which helps them find the right fit for them in the community and provides assistance with job applications and resumes. Working with the La Verne and San Dimas Chambers of Commerce, the District has established partnerships with local businesses to provide students with short-term and long-term job assignments.

Bonita Unified Auto Shop Students Hone Technical Skills, Restore Vintage Truck for Community

Bonita High School advanced auto shop students are getting a glimpse of La Verne’s past as they learn skills for the future, working in partnership with the La Verne Historical Society to restore a 1938 International D-35 pickup truck in time for the city’s 2022 Fourth of July parade. The vintage truck has a long and colorful history, representing a time when La Verne served as a hub for southern California’s booming citrus industry, and future three-time All-American halfback Glenn Davis led Bonita High to an undefeated season and its first football championship in 1942. Under the guidance of Bonita High auto shop teacher Rob Zamboni, students are working toward a full restoration of the truck throughout the school year, rebuilding the engine and transmission, adding new tires and brakes, and refurbishing the interior and flatbed. The truck’s rustic exterior will be preserved to retain its authenticity. The restoration is a full one-year project.

Bonita Unified Teachers Receive Mini-Grants from Rotary Club

Twelve Bonita Unified School District teachers were awarded mini-grants from the La Verne Rotary Club, providing financial support for educators who seek new ideas to enrich classroom experiences.The mini-grants, totaling $3,229.56, were presented to this year’s awardees during the Nov. 3 Board of Education meeting.

Bonita Unified Recognized in 2022 ‘Best K-8 Schools’ Rankings

Seven Bonita Unified elementary and middle schools have been recognized among the top performing public schools in California, according to the 2022 Best K-8 Schools rankings by U.S. News & World Report. Shull Elementary School and Oak Mesa Elementary School ranked in the top four percent and five percent, respectively, of elementary schools in the state. They are joined by Grace Miller Elementary, ranked in the top 12 percent, and Gladstone Elementary and Roynon Elementary, both in the top 13 percent. Ramona Middle School and Lone Hill Middle School were also recognized, ranking in the top 11 percent and top 16 percent, respectively. The inaugural K-8 rankings are based on student proficiency and performance in mathematics and reading.

Bonita Unified Offers Drive-Thru COVID-19 Testing to Community

Bonita Unified School District is offering a free drive-thru COVID-19 testing clinic to students, parents, employees, and community members, held 8 a.m. to noon on Saturdays. The next clinic is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 20 at San Dimas High School, 800 W. Covina Blvd., San Dimas. The clinics will run through Saturday, Nov. 27. Appointments are not necessary to receive the PCR test, but every participant must complete a patient test request form.

Bonita Unified Receives No. 1 Ranking on California Reading Report Card

Bonita Unified School District has been ranked No. 1 out of 287 of the most populous school districts in the state for excellence in reading comprehension according to the California Reading Coalition California Reading Report Card. Among California school districts with 100 or more socio-economically disadvantaged Latinx third-graders, Bonita Unified topped the Reading Report Card with 64% of the subgroup meeting or exceeding California grade-level standards, according to the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress English language arts testing from 2017-18 and 2018-19. The District’s No. 1 ranking is the capstone of a 15-year commitment to boost reading comprehension across all grade levels.

Bonita Unified, Soroptimists Partner for Student Shopping Day

Bonita Unified elementary school students descended on the Target in La Verne on Sept. 15, eager to pick out new clothes and shoes with the help of volunteers during the Bonita Children’s Shopping Day. A collaboration between Bonita Unified School District and the Soroptimist of San Dimas/La Verne, the shopping experience provides students who are selected by their schools with a budget to purchase school clothing basics. The shopping day is funded through a combination of donations, fundraisers and grants garnered by the Soroptimist organization.

Bonita Unified Names Jim Elliot as Provisional Appointee to Fill Vacant Board Seat

The Bonita Unified Board of Education appointed Jim Elliot to fill an open seat on the Board during a special meeting on Sept. 15. After a lengthy interview process with seven candidates, Elliot – a former BUSD board member – was selected to fill the seat vacated by Krista Chakmak when she resigned in August. Immediately after the selection, Board President Chuck Coyne administered the Oath of Office. Elliot’s appointment will run until the general election to be held in Nov. 2022. Elliot previously served 14 years on the Board, from 2003 to 2017, and has two children who are Bonita Unified graduates.