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Bonita Unified School District

  • Bonita Unified Choir Students Celebrate Selection to SCVA Junior High Honor Choir

    Now in her 12th year, Ramona Middle School music teacher Caitlin Shaw has provided the crucial link between elementary school novice singers and Bonita High School’s prestigious Concert Choir and Chamber Singers. With more than 270 students in her program, Shaw teaches singers how to harmonize, read music, and prepare for auditions and live performances. Channeling Shaw’s mentorship and guidance, 11 Ramona music students, along with three Bonita High School freshmen, have been selected to join the Southern California Vocal Association’s (SCVA) 2025 Junior High Honor Choir, underscoring the hard work and dedication that epitomize Bonita Unified’s successful and award-winning Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA) programs. Ramona placed more students in the honor choir than any other Southern California school. The SCVA Junior High Honor Choir 2025 spring performance will be held at 6 p.m. on Saturday, May 3 at Portola High School in Irvine.

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  • Bonita Unified Middle School Theater Performances Receive Awards, Accolades

    The Ramona Middle School Drama Society is celebrating another season of outstanding performances, earning awards and accolades at prestigious theater festivals across California in February, then returning home to stage its showstopping annual musical, “Shrek Jr.” for three performances, including a sold-out, standing-room-only show on the final night. A touring group of 24 Ramona Drama Society students traveled to Sacramento for the 2025 Junior Theatre Festival – the world’s biggest theatre festival – featuring drama programs from across the United States, as well as Canada, New Zealand, South Korea, China, and Australia. Ramona Drama Society members performed a 15-minute section from their 2024 production of “Annie, Jr.,” earning an exclusive Excellence in Ensemble award, presented to only five groups in the 55-team field. Not to be outdone, a group of 11 Ramona Drama Society students attended the Junior Thespian Festival at the Orange County School of the Arts, with seven students competing in the Solo Musical or Duet Musical categories. Ramona eighth-graders Lillian Krane and Tia Kaldas received “Superior” rankings and Judges Choice Awards in the Duet Musical category, while eighth-grader Peyton Lokar received a “Superior” ranking in the Solo Musical category.

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  • Bonita Unified Students Celebrate Black History Month with BCA Art Exhibit

    Energized by the pioneering legacy of Black and African American artists, San Dimas High School art students have created work in a diverse range of styles, themes, media, and cultural influences, assembling them for the exhibit, “Inspired by Black: Student Reflections on African American Artistry,” currently on display at the Bonita Center for the Arts (BCA). Curated by San Dimas High visual and performing arts chair and art teacher Dominic Black, the exhibit features drawings, paintings, sculptures, and mixed media pieces from dozens of art students, who engage and reflect on the work of Black or African American historic and contemporary artists.

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Bonita Unified Partners with Redlands USD as Food Service Continues

Bonita Unified School District received fresh produce and gallons of milk from Redlands Unified School District to supplement its meal program and food distribution efforts. Bonita Unified will serve free meals to the community children throughout the summer. Meals are available from 9 to 11 a.m. Mondays through Thursdays at Roynon Elementary School, 2175 E St., La Verne, and at the Central Kitchen behind Chaparral High School, 121 W. Allen Ave., San Dimas.

Bonita Unified Board Member Announces Retirement

Bonita Unified School District Board of Education member Diane Koach is retiring at the end of her term in December 2020. The announcement came during the June 10 regular board meeting, where members acknowledged retirees throughout the District. Koach was elected to the Board in November 2007 and has served three terms in office.

Bonita Unified Culinary Arts Students Find Recipe for Success at Cooking Competition

The Bonita Unified culinary arts program is truly a family affair. Led by the husband-and-wife team of Nick and Laurie Brandler – instructors at San Dimas High and Bonita High, respectively – the pair are preparing their students for highly competitive food service jobs through a rigorous curriculum that encompasses all aspects of running a restaurant. The Brandlers and their students found the recipe for success during the 2020 Virtual ProStart Cup held in April, winning several major awards including California ProStart Student of the Year and California ProStart Instructor of the Year, with first-place finishes in the Innovation Cup and Management Cup competitions.

Bonita Unified Board of Education Appoints New Member to Fill Vacancy

The Bonita Unified School District Board of Education on May 6 appointed Krista Chakmak – a parent, school volunteer, Save the Heartbeat Foundation volunteer and member of the City of La Verne Youth and Family Action Committee – as its newest member. Chakmak, who will serve the seven months remaining in the term of retired member Matthew Lyons, was chosen unanimously from among four candidates interviewed by the board.

Bonita Unified Teacher Uses 3-D Printer to Make Safety Items for First Responders

The Bonita Unified School District Board of Education on May 6 appointed Krista Chakmak – a parent, school volunteer, Save the Heartbeat Foundation volunteer and member of the City of La Verne Youth and Family Action Committee – as its newest member. Chakmak, who will serve the seven months remaining in the term of retired member Matthew Lyons, was chosen unanimously from among four candidates interviewed by the board.

Bonita Unified Superintendent Shares Video Update with Community

Bonita Unified School District Superintendent Carl J. Coles participated in a digital interview via Zoom, answering frequently asked questions to update the Bonita Unified community on resources such as free meals for students, Chromebook distribution to support remote learning and grading, graduation and fall enrollment.

Bonita Unified Staff Honor Seniors with Congratulatory Lawn Signs

Bonita Unified seniors from San Dimas High School are being honored with congratulatory lawn signs all across the city. Teachers, coaches and parents are posing with the signs and sharing them on social media to honor the class of 2020 graduates. The District continues to find innovative and creative ways to celebrate the students, for whom in-person graduation ceremonies are likely postponed or cancelled due to social distancing regulations.

Bonita Unified Seniors Practice Financial Planning at ‘Bite of Reality’

San Dimas High School seniors got a crash course in money management and financial planning during the school’s annual Career Day on March 4, using the app-based simulation “A Bite of Reality” to mimic real-world budgetary decisions. Students were given occupations, families and a net monthly income, along with a list of debt obligations. They were tasked with paying recurring expenses – such as housing, clothing and entertainment – with a goal of retaining a positive bank balance by the end of the exercise.

Bonita Unified Celebrates Students Achievement At State Of The District

Bonita Unified School District shared student success stories, celebrated achievements in academics, athletics, arts and activities, and presented awards to students and community partners at the 2020 State of the District luncheon on Feb. 25 at the Hillcrest Meeting House. Superintendent Carl J. Coles shared stories of students who have discovered their purpose at Bonita Unified – like Chaparral Vista High School senior and student board representative Justine Plowman, who is working to become a sheriff’s deputy, and Ekstrand Elementary second-grader Jordan Mulgado, who is looking at colleges that will teach him to design race cars.