fbpx

Bonita Unified School District

  • Bonita Unified Students Sound out Success at 19th Annual District Spelling Bee

    As curtains rose on the 19th annual Bonita Unified Spelling Bee, 53 elementary and middle school students stepped into the Bonita Center for the Arts, ready to battle it out in a war of words on Feb. 3. With vowels and consonants at the ready, students went up one by one, with a cash prize and yearlong bragging rights on the line. The competition unfolded over several rounds and students showcased their skills under pressure as the field narrowed with each passing word. In the end, Gladstone Elementary fifth-grader Iresh Oswal claimed first place, securing a $250 cash prize for himself and an additional $250 for his school’s library. Alex Yang of Shull Elementary finished in second place, followed by Kamsiyochukwu Aniwigbo of Grace Miller Elementary in third.

    Read More

  • Bonita Unified Student, Children’s Rights Advocate Accepted to NYC’s Barnard College

    San Dimas High School senior Jazmine Cardenas is no stranger to advocacy. Through her involvement as a member of the UNICEF National Youth Council, the YWCA San Gabriel Valley and the Harvard Youth Corps, Cardenas has fought for children’s rights and victims of domestic violence, and helped to unite students from different cultural backgrounds. Cardenas, who has a 4.17 GPA and has taken six Advanced Placement courses and nine dual enrollment college courses, will take her love for policy-making to New York City after being accepted into Columbia University’s exclusive Barnard College, which has an acceptance rate of less than 9%. Cardenas plans to major in political science with a concentration on international relations and a minor in public policy.

    Read More

  • Bonita Unified Accounting Students Prepare for Tax Day, Assist Community through VITA Program

    With tax season in full swing, Bonita High School’s IRS-certified accountants-in-training once again are poised and ready to provide tax return filing assistance to local residents free of cost, as part of the IRS’ Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, which has been a fixture at Bonita for more than 20 years. The VITA program will kick off with Tax Day on Thursday, Jan. 30, with a class session dedicated to tax preparation appointments for residents and students. Guided by accounting teacher Madhu Sekhri, who is a Certified Public Accountant, Bonita’s VITA program is available for all students and tax payers who earned $67,000 or less in 2024. Tax preparation services are available through April 11 during the hours of 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

    Read More

Bonita Unified Students Receive New Shoes, Toys for Holidays

Seventy-five Bonita Unified School District students received new pairs of brand-name shoes as the centerpiece of a holiday gift basket created by the District in partnership with Sempra Energy and Claremont nonprofit Shoes That Fit. The baskets are filled with toys donated through the District’s annual toy drive, led by Lone Hill Middle School campus supervisor Cyndy Starkey.

Bonita Unified Board of Education Selects New Officers

Bonita Unified’s Board of Education held its annual reorganization meeting Dec. 11, selecting new leaders for the coming year. The board chose Glenn Creiman as president, Matthew Lyons as vice president and Chuck Coyne as clerk. Derek Bahmanou and Diane Koach round out the board.

Bonita Unified Recognized as 2019 Top Workplace by Inland News Group

Bonita Unified School District is being recognized by the Inland News Group as one of 2019’s Top 35 Workplaces in the Inland Empire. Over 1,200 survey responses from more than 600 employees at all 13 Bonita Unified schools reflected a positive culture at Bonita, with faculty and staff relishing the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of students and help them realize their potential, the camaraderie of co-workers and being rewarded for good work. The Bonita Unified Teachers Association and the California School Employees Association Bonita Chapter said that they were proud to see Bonita recognized and that they are appreciative of everyone who made the recognition possible.

Bonita Unified, Community to Dedicate District Offices

Students, parents, staff and community members from Bonita Unified will hold a reception at 4:45 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 6 to dedicate the recently completed District Office, 115 W. Allen Ave., San Dimas. Superintendent Carl J. Coles will present the District’s mission, vision and core values. The District Office building represents the final project completed with funds from bond measures C and AB.

Bonita Unified Test Scores Among State’s Best

Bonita Unified students are scoring among the highest in the state on standardized tests, boosting scores by as much as 33 percent over five years and achieving proficiency levels in excess of 70 percent in English language arts (ELA) and 60 percent in math. Scores for the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) released this week for tests taken in spring 2019 place Bonita Unified among the top 10 percent of unified school districts in California.

Bonita Unified to Offer Free Conference to Support Parents

The fourth annual Parent Partnership Academy, a free one-day conference for all parents and guardians of Bonita Unified students, will be held from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 12 at Lone Hill Middle School, 700 S. Lone Hill Ave., San Dimas. Over 20 workshops and sessions taught by Bonita Unified educators and local experts will provide training, support and demonstrations on a wide range of topics from classroom technology to individualized services for students with special needs.

Bonita Unified Honors Athletes for Academic Achievement

In a ceremony at the 47th Annual Smudge Pot game on Sept. 14, Bonita Unified Superintendent Carl J. Coles and a representative from the Marine Corps presented awards to a senior from each football team for their outstanding academics. Jacob Horne, Bonita Bearcats wide receiver, carries a 4.4 GPA. San Dimas Saints lineman Nicholas “Nicco” Guerra was honored for maintaining a 4.2 GPA, representing San Dimas High at Boys State and serving as a Link Crew member. Both students exemplify Bonita Unified’s focus on academics, athletics, activities and arts.

Bonita Unified Partners with Community for ‘Principal for a Day’ Program

Business and community leaders from La Verne and San Dimas will tour all 13 Bonita Unified schools from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 24. The event, sponsored by the La Verne and San Dimas Chambers of Commerce, will offer an inside glimpse of each school, opportunities for partnerships, discuss workforce development training demands and explore ways to bridge the gap between the needs of educators and business leaders. An optional tour of Bonita Center for the Arts will be provided from 12:30 to 1 p.m.

Bonita Unified Elementary Students Receive Civics Lessons from Community Leaders

Oak Mesa Elementary School second-graders learned how government laws and regulations aim to ensure community safety during a week of mini-civics lessons from City of La Verne leaders. La Verne City Councilmember Tim Hepburn, La Verne police Cpl. Mark Gutierrez and La Verne fire Cpt. Kevin Wilton visited Oak Mesa second-grade classrooms to augment curriculum introducing students to basic facets of American government.

Bonita Unified, Soroptimists Treat Students to School Clothes, Supplies

In partnership with Soroptimist International of San Dimas/La Verne, Bonita Unified teachers and administrators treated 70 students to a back-to-school shopping spree at the La Verne Target. In addition to receiving backpacks and school supplies, each student received an $80 clothing budget and a shopping assistant from among 50 volunteers from the Bonita Unified school board, police department, fire department and other local organizations. The “Bonita Children’s Shopping Day” has provided the shopping experience to students annually since 1995.