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.
Bonita Unified to Launch 2023-24 School Year Aug. 21
Bonita Unified School District will begin the 2023-24 school year on Monday, Aug. 21, welcoming students from transitional kindergarten to 12th grade back to campuses for another year of learning. Bonita Unified will seek to build on the growth and academic excellence it experienced in the previous year, which included a No. 1 ranking on the California Reading Report Card, a National Blue Ribbon School award and more. Bonita Unified School District’s 14 schools serve the communities of San Dimas, La Verne and part of Glendora.
Both new and familiar faces will step into leadership positions throughout Bonita Unified School District ahead of the 2023-24 school year, bringing years of experience and dedication to supporting academic excellence and fostering equity in education. Sean Casey will lead Chaparral-Vista High School as their principal, Nikole Burgess will serve as an assistant principal at Bonita High School, Kendra Lewis will join Chaparral-Vista High School as its new dean of student services and Dr. Kim Lawe will join the District as the new Senior Director of Secondary Curriculum and Instruction.
