Bonita Unified School District recognized its Classified, Certificated and Management Employees of the Year during the Board of Education meeting on April 6, honoring them for their dedication and hard work in helping District students live their purpose. Bonita Unified named La Verne Heights Elementary School secretary Tanya Bartholomew as the District’s Classified Employee of the Year, Grace Miller Elementary School preschool teacher Tony Garza as Certificated Employee of the Year and Director of Student Services Mark Rodgers as Management Employee of the Year.
San Dimas High School students Vanessa Sandoval and Eva Yassine were selected to serve on the California Association of Student Leadership (CASL) Board in 2022-23, through which they will work to foster positive and nurturing school environments across the state and empower students to help shape their school communities. The two were selected at the annual CASL leadership conference, held April 2 to 4, where they networked with student leaders from across California and discussed leadership projects.
San Dimas High School seniors took part in the City of San Dimas’s Students in Government Day on March 23, which provided students with a real-world look at the challenges and rewards of running a city. Fifteen San Dimas High students had the opportunity to tour City departments, run the March 22 City Council meeting and discuss the pros and cons of a fictitious housing development.
Twenty-five Bonita Unified School District teachers were awarded mini-grants from the La Verne/San Dimas Educational Foundation, providing financial support for educators who aim to enrich classroom experiences for their students. The mini-grants, totaling nearly $9,500, were presented to this year’s awardees during their March 2 Board of Education meeting. Since 1983, the La Verne/San Dimas Educational Foundation has been committed to enriching and enhancing educational opportunities for Bonita Unified students and teachers.
Bonita Unified High School Athletes Recognized by Board of Education
The Bonita Unified School District Board of Education recognized student-athletes from San Dimas and Bonita high schools for their CIF championship wins, during the Board’s March 2 meeting. The Board of Education recognized Bonita High School’s girls water polo for winning the CIF-SS Division 3 championship, and recognized San Dimas High School’s Juliana Marquez, Esperanza Dorantes, and Cameron Ortiz for placing at the CIF wrestling state championship.
Bonita Unified to Begin Universal Transitional Kindergarten in 2022-23
Bonita Unified School District will roll out its universal transitional kindergarten program in the 2022-23 school year, providing students with developmentally appropriate and differentiated instruction at an early age. The 2022-23 TK program will be available initially to students who turn five on or before June 8, 2023 and are not already enrolled in another program within the District. Pre-registration for the TK program is now open; interested families can begin the process by visiting: https://bit.ly/3p07ANw.
Bonita Unified School District recognized the San Dimas Sheriff’s Station, Incycle and the Southern California Velo Cycling Club (SCVelo) at their Board of Education meeting on Feb. 2, celebrating their generous donation of bicycles, helmets and toys to students during the holiday season. Incycle and SCVelo donated bicycles to the sheriff’s station, which then coordinated with the District to identify students in need. In total, 73 bicycles and helmets were distributed to Bonita Unified students and their siblings in December.
Bonita Unified School District has been recognized as a 2022 Inland Empire Top Workplace by the Inland Valley News Group, reflecting the District’s ongoing commitment to providing a culture of success that embodies its values of equity, mastery and a focus on results. This is the third year in a row that Bonita Unified has been named a Top Workplace by the Inland Valley News Group, which surveys more than 800 organizations and 30,000 employees annually about workplace culture.
Bonita Unified Band Director Performs in 2022 Rose Parade
In 1991, Bonita Unified band director Kelly Leyva showcased her musical talent on a world stage, marching in the Tournament of Roses Parade as a student in Los Angeles Unified School District’s All District Honor Marching Band. In a full-circle moment, Leyva returned to march the 5.5-mile parade route in the 2022 Tournament of Roses Parade on Jan. 1 – this time, as part of a 270-member marching band consisting of band directors from across the United States. As part of the Saluting America’s Band Directors project, Leyva and her fellow band directors performed in the Band Directors Marching Band and accompanied a colorful, animated float that embodied the theme “America’s Band Directors: We teach music. We teach life.”
In 1991, Bonita Unified band director Kelly Leyva showcased her musical talent on a world stage, marching in the Tournament of Roses Parade as a student in Los Angeles Unified School District’s All District Honor Marching Band. In a full-circle moment, Leyva will return to march the 5.5-mile parade route in the 2022 Tournament of Roses Parade – this time, as part of a 270-member marching band consisting of band directors from across the United States. As part of the Saluting America’s Band Directors project, Leyva and her fellow band directors will perform in the Band Directors Marching Band and accompany a colorful, animated float that embodies the theme “America’s Band Directors: We teach music. We teach life.” Leyva will play the mellophone, the same instrument she played in the parade 31 years ago.
