Bonita Unified Elementary Named a California Distinguished School
Oak Mesa Elementary School has been named a 2023 California Distinguished School by the California Department of Education, an award that recognizes schools for excellence in closing the achievement gap or achieving exceptional student performance. Oak Mesa was one of 356 California schools to receive the designation in 2023. Schools were selected by analyzing data from the 2021-22 school year reported on the California School Dashboard, including assessment results, chronic absenteeism, suspension rates and socioeconomic data. Oak Mesa was previously honored as a California Distinguished School in 2020.
The Rotary Club of La Verne presented Bonita Unified educators with a series of mini-grants, totaling more than $3,300 to support classroom projects and related expenses including supplies and books, during the Jan. 11 Board of Education meeting. Rotary Club president Craig Rubin awarded checks to nine teachers representing Bonita High School, Ramona Middle School and Grace Miller, Oak Mesa and Roynon elementary schools.
4 Bonita Unified Students Named to All-State Honor Choirs
Bonita High School choral students Jhett Buggle, Trinity Moreno and Joe Ensign and San Dimas High School student Ethan Maun were selected for the California Choral Directors Association 2023 All-State Honor Choirs. The students will perform with the top high school musicians from across the state at the annual California Music Educators Association conference, to be held Thursday, Feb. 16 to Saturday, Feb. 18 in Fresno. Buggle, Moreno, Ensign and Maun were also selected to the Southern California Vocal Association Honor Choirs – an honor awarded to just 270 students this year – and showcased their musical talents in a culminating performance in November.
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.
