Bonita Unified School District welcomed one new and two returning Board of Education members during its Dec. 14 Board meeting, ushering in a new era on a night that also saw longtime Board member Chuck Coyne retire after serving 17 years on the Board. Returning Board members Derek Bahmanou and Jim Elliot joined newly elected member Chris Ann Horsley to take the oath of office; Horsley was also selected to serve as Board clerk. Bahmanou and Elliot were elected to four-year terms, while Horsley was elected to serve a two-year term. Board president Glenn Creiman, who was elected in 2003 and Board vice president Greg Palatto, elected in 2020, complete the Board of Education.
Bonita Unified School District celebrated the retirement of Board of Education President Chuck Coyne on Dec. 8, bringing together Bonita Unified families, community members and District leaders for an evening of humorous anecdotes and heartfelt speeches that summarized his 17 years of service on the Board. Coyne, who was first elected in 2005, is one of the longest-serving Board of Education members in Bonita Unified history. During his time on the Board, Coyne helped pass two bond measures that funded the construction of the Bonita Center for the Arts, expansion and modernization of four school gymnasiums, upgrades to two athletic stadiums, the installation of solar panels across the District and more.
San Dimas High School Class of 2016 graduate Kris Lara spent only one year in Bonita Unified’s ProStart culinary education program as a senior, but the training he received inspired him to pursue a career in the restaurant industry. After years of hard work, Lara is now living the dream as pastry sous chef at Californios, a two-star Michelin restaurant in San Francisco. Lara is one of dozens of Bonita Unified students who have participated in ProStart Training, a whirlwind six-day field trip to northern California focusing on culinary and hospitality education, which provides students opportunities to network with chefs and restaurant managers. The training is exclusive to Bonita and San Dimas high school students, and coordinated by Laurie and Nick Brandler, who teach ProStart at Bonita and San Dimas high schools, respectively.
Six Bonita Unified School District students were selected to be part of the prestigious Southern California Vocal Association (SCVA) Honor Choirs, where they showcased their immense musical talents in a culminating performance at the University of Redlands on Nov. 19. Each school year, the SCVA chooses 270 outstanding high school students from approximately 600 auditionees to sing in one of three choirs: SSAA, TTBB, or SATB, which include a mix of sopranos, altos, bass and tenors. San Dimas High School senior Ethan Maun was accepted into the TTBB Choir for the second year in a row; he was joined in the TTBB Choir by Bonita High School junior Eric Romero. Bonita High School seniors Jhett Buggle and Joe Ensign were also accepted into the SATB Choir, while seniors Ellen Chen and Trinity Moreno performed with the SSAA Choir.
Bonita Unified Choir to Perform in Disneyland Candlelight Processional
The Bonita High School Chamber Singers, as well as alumni, have been selected to sing in the mass choir at Disneyland’s annual candlelight ceremony and processional, which will take place in the evening on Saturday, December 3 and Sunday, December 4. Following a vigorous audition process, the Bearcats were selected from a pool of applicants that included high school, collegiate and community choirs from across Southern California. Only 12 choirs were selected to perform in the mass choir. The Candlelight Processional is a 45-minute musical retelling of “The First Christmas” story, which features a mass choir as the centerpiece of the show.
Lone Hill Middle School students are finding their rhythm as artists and leaders, building a community and developing skills to carry them confidently into high school, college and career through the school’s dance team. The Lone Hill Dance Team (LHDT) launched six years ago when a group of students approached their counselor for assistance in forming a team. With oversight from the counselor, LHDT is led by the students – who choreograph their own routines and teach them to each other, becoming strong leaders and collaborators in the process. The team showcases its artistic skill throughout the school year – performing at lunchtime pep rallies, back to school night, open house, holiday events and an end-of-year talent show.
Bonita Unified School District Director of Educational Technology Kris Boneman has been recognized as the California IT In Education (CITE) 2022 Educational Leader of the Year for her efforts to successfully employ information technology in the learning process, with the goal of empowering educators to know their data and use it to improve student outcomes. Boneman will be honored at the 2022 CITE Conference, held Nov. 29 to Dec. 2 at the Long Beach Convention Center.
Nearly 40 Bonita Unified elementary, middle and high school teachers were presented with mini-grants from the La Verne/San Dimas Educational Foundation (LVSDEF), which will fund projects that enrich students’ education and bolster classroom instruction, during the Nov. 2 Board of Education meeting. Nearly $13,000 was awarded to teachers to fund 39 separate special projects at 11 Bonita Unified schools. The grants, which ranged in amounts from $100 to $500, are provided to teachers to encourage projects that benefit students and address a classroom need. LVSDEF works year-round to raise funds through individual donations and special events.
Bonita High School senior Owen Ryan’s hard work both on the soccer field and in the classroom has earned him recognition from the Spectrum News 1 Scholar Athlete Program, an honor that comes with a $1,000 scholarship and a feature story on Spectrum News. Ryan, who was one of Spectrum’s Student Athlete honorees for October, has maintained straight A’s since his freshman year while balancing a full workload with high school and club soccer. Ryan scored six goals and had four assists in 2021-22, which led to him being named the Bearcats’ Most Valuable Attacker as well as earning a slot on the All-Palomares League First Team. His grades also secured him an all-academic award from the Palomares League. Ryan hopes to combine his creative passions and play soccer in college next year while pursuing a degree and career in engineering.
Chaparral-Vista High School Advanced Culinary students are making a name for themselves, pooling their talents and stretching their imaginations to create award-winning dishes under the guidance of hospitality instructor Ben Pando, who trained at the Le Cordon Bleu satellite campus in Pasadena. Against a crowded field that saw entrants serving up time-honored family recipes, a team of five Chaparral-Vista culinary students shocked judges, contestants and chili lovers alike with a stunning first-place finish at the inaugural Bonita PTA Council Chili Cook-Off in September. About 30 students are enrolled in the continuation high school’s culinary classes – learning proper food handling, plating, and knife skills, preparing baked goods and desserts, creating recipes, planning meals, catering and more.
