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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Associated Student Body leaders at Bonita and San Dimas high schools are busy gathering supplies for brightly colored spirit signs and planning events for spirit week, while their bands are practicing pep tunes and half-time shows and cheerleaders are rehearsing routines and chants to keep the crowds pumped during the annual Smudge Pot football game at 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 14. The San Dimas Saints will vie to recapture the trophy from the Bonita Bearcats, who claimed it last year in a 28-14 victory. The game will be held at Citrus College Stadium, 1000 W. Foothill Blvd., Glendora.
About 10,000 Bonita Unified students at 13 schools across La Verne and San Dimas greeted one another with warm hugs, fist-bumped teachers and high-fived principals as they arrived Aug. 19 for the first day of the 2019-20 school year. San Dimas High School students started the day with Senior Sunrise, and staff joined the ASB to welcome new and returning students with fresh donuts. PTAs across the district set up breakfast and snack bars for staff members and hosted welcome events for parents, such as the Yahoo/Boo Hoo Parent Breakfast at La Verne Heights Elementary. Middle school students in matching shirts clustered around the campus entrance at Ramona Middle School with signs reading “Ramona: Where Everyone Belongs,” “We love 6th graders!” and “Welcome Back.”
Bonita Unified will start the 2019-20 school year on Monday, Aug. 19 with a renewed focus on achieving academic goals through the core values of equity, mastery and a focus on results. A staff orientation day and an all-staff Welcome Back assembly helped energize educators and staff throughout Bonita Unified for their work in guiding about 10,000 students to live their purpose.