Bonita High School’s ProStart culinary team wrapped up their most successful year in spectacular fashion, earning a 10th-place finish in their first-ever appearance as Team California during the National ProStart Invitational, held this spring at the Marriott Baltimore Waterfront Hotel. The five-student team, led by captain Charli Padilla, team manager Laura Mangiafreno, and team members Nicolas Caballero, Cameron Turoci and Michael Vera, wowed the judges with a three-course gourmet meal consisting of raviolo doppio, pan-seared elk tenderloin and a slice of entremet layer cake, propelling the team to a top-10 finish, the highest placement for a California team in many years.
Bonita Unified Elementary Students Bury Time Capsule for 2044
La Verne Heights Elementary School’s fifth-grade class and Associated Student Body celebrated the end of a memorable school year together by creating a time capsule, which was buried on campus on May 31. The time capsule included letters to future students, a yearbook, an aerial photograph of the school, and student-suggested items that are representative of 2024, such as a pair of Crocs, Stanley beverage cups, and Takis. La Verne Heights Elementary will invites its current families to return in 20 years to open the time capsule.
Bonita High School Class of 2024 graduate Rishika Ravichandran never passes up an opportunity to help others. Whether she is participating in a local food drive, assisting in a National Honor Society clothing drive, or preparing incoming freshmen for high school life as Bonita’s Link Crew senior director, Ravichandran is committed to helping others in need. Ravichandran’s volunteer spirit was recently recognized by the Pomona Valley Habitat for Humanity, who presented her with its Community Builder award, given to young community leaders and high-achieving students, during a ceremony held April 28 at the Fairplex Sheraton. Ravichandran, who maintained a 4.8 GPA her senior year, will attend the University of California, San Diego in the fall to study mathematics-computer science.
Celebratory music swelled and streamers cascaded through the evening skies as nearly 800 graduates tossed their caps and shared tearful hugs during Bonita Unified School District’s commencement ceremonies, which marked the end of an award-winning year for the Class of 2024. Chaparral-Vista and San Dimas high schools kicked off the festivities on June 4, followed by Bonita High School on June 6. Each school recognized graduates for their academic, artistic, and athletic excellence, highlighting CIF champions, regional and state honors for arts and music, and nationally recognized career technical education programs. Bonita Unified’s Class of 2024 will continue their education at institutions that include Harvard University, UC Berkeley, Johns Hopkins University, and the California Institute of Technology; many others will enlist in the U.S. Armed Forces or enter the workforce.
Bonita High School seniors received a taste of what their financial responsibilities will be once they leave high school during Bite of Reality, a money management app-based simulation that guides students through real-life scenarios where they must decide how much money they can spend and balance their budget without incurring significant debt. Sponsored by Chaffey Federal Credit Union, Bite of Reality, held May 23, randomly assigns students new identities, and provides them with fictional occupations, a fixed monthly income, a spouse, and a child. From there, students must decide how to spend their money and prioritize essentials such as transportation, housing, child care, and groceries.
More than 100 Bonita Unified students received a moment in the spotlight to honor actions that often go unseen – from launching an initiative to teach senior citizens digital literacy skills to providing shelter for a peer whose family experienced hardship and ensuring they graduated with their class – during the 2023-24 La Verne/San Dimas Educational Foundation (LVSDEF) Awards.
Bonita Unified Culinary Students Take Top Prizes at LA County Fair
Bonita Unified School District’s ProStart program concluded its competition season with two awards at the 2024 LA County Fair’s Seasonal Fruits Culinary Contest, held May 12. In the 13- to 17-year-old category, Bonita High School junior Charli Padilla took first place for her orange mocha tart, and San Dimas High School student Gabriel Costa took third place for his strawberry panna cotta. The awards culminate a school year that saw Bonita Unified ProStart students take first place in the culinary competition at the California ProStart Cup, followed by a 10th place finish at the National ProStart Invitational.
When the Bonita High School boys swim team captured its first-ever CIF Southern Section (CIF-SS) Division 3 championship at Mt. San Antonio College on May 3, the triumphant Bearcat athletes gave coach Dillon Unsoeld the water polo version of the traditional Gatorade victory shower, celebrating the moment by playfully pushing their mentor into the swimming pool. The swim team’s CIF championship caps off the most successful year ever for Bonita swimmers, coming on the heels of the boys water polo team’s first-ever CIF-SS Division 3 title last November. For Unsoeld, a Bonita High Class of 2010 alumnus, the twin triumphs underscore the positive energy and stability he has brought to the program since he was hired in 2016.
Bonita Unified School District to Honor Accomplished Class of 2024
Bonita Unified School District will conclude a successful academic year by celebrating the achievements of the Class of 2024, which includes graduates headed to Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University, and Caltech, during commencement ceremonies for its two comprehensive high schools and continuation school. Chaparral High School will kick off the festivities with a 5 p.m. ceremony on Tuesday, June 4 at the Bonita Center for the Arts, 822 W. Covina Blvd., San Dimas; San Dimas High School will follow with a spirited ceremony at 7 p.m. at the school’s stadium, 800 W. Covina Blvd., San Dimas; and Bonita High School will close out the District’s commencement celebrations with a 7 p.m. ceremony on Thursday, June 6 at Glenn Davis Stadium, 3102 D St., La Verne.
Bonita Unified Appoints New Oak Mesa Elementary Principal
Bonita Unified School District announced during the May 1 Board of Education meeting that Dr. Christine Malally will serve as principal of Oak Mesa Elementary in the 2024-25 school year. Malally comes to Bonita Unified after 15 years of service in Claremont Unified, where she is currently an elementary school principal. Malally, a resident of La Verne and parent of two Bonita Unified alumni, holds a doctorate in educational leadership from Azusa Pacific University, a master’s degree from Cal State San Bernardino, and a bachelor’s degree from Cal Poly Pomona. She will take the helm at Oak Mesa, a California Distinguished School, following current principal Steven Patterson’s promotion to BUSD’s Senior Director of Student Services, effective July 1.
