Local residents needing help filing their tax returns have received IRS-certified help from Bonita High School accounting students free of cost for more than 20 years, thanks to the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. Through the guidance of Bonita High accounting teacher Madhu Sekhri, who is a Certified Public Accountant, students immerse themselves in the fundamentals and complexities of tax law, with Sekhri training them in basic and advanced skills using software, testing guidelines, and tests provided by the IRS under the VITA program. Bonita High is the only high school in Southern California that provides the service to its students and local residents.
Bonita Unified Principal Named New Sr. Director of Student Services
Oak Mesa Elementary School Principal Steven Patterson has been named Bonita Unified’s new Senior Director of Student Services. The promotion was announced at the District’s March 6 Board meeting. Patterson has 27 years of experience as a math teacher and administrator, with the last 10 years at Bonita Unified, and served as an assistant principal at Ramona Middle School prior to leading Oak Mesa. Patterson is married with three children, including one son who is a Bonita High School graduate, and twin sons who are currently sophomores at Bonita High. His wife, Bobbi, is an elementary school teacher in a neighboring school district. Patterson will begin his new position on July 1.
10 Bonita Unified Students Named to Regional Junior High Honor Choir
Four Lone Hill Middle School students were selected to perform with the Southern California Vocal Association (SCVA) Junior High Honor Choir, a prestigious group that consists of students in grades six to nine selected by audition. This year’s Lone Hill honorees – Cristian Figueroa, Julian Gonzalez, Layla Lopez, and Rachel Wu – mark the largest group of Lone Hill students selected in a year. Six Bonita High School freshmen were also selected to perform in the SCVA Junior High Honor Choir this year: Harper Gaudart, Serenity Ng, Kennedy Salazar Nieves, Allison Shutts, Ava Sierra, and Bailey Zylstra. In total, 20 Bonita Unified students, from grades six to 12, were selected for SCVA Honor Choirs this school year. The SCVA Junior High Honor Choir will perform on May 4 at Portola High School in Irvine.
Bonita Unified School District will be represented at the National ProStart Invitational for the second year in a row, following Bonita High School’s success at the California ProStart Cup, held Feb. 21 and 22. Bonita High School’s culinary team “Chicks” punched their ticket to nationals after winning first place in the Culinary Cup at the state contest. San Dimas High School students also excelled at the ProStart Cup; students Gabriel Costa and Austin Garcia took first and third, respectively, in the “Dress Your Dog” competition and senior Christina Jones took first place in the Loaded Idaho Potato competition – both of which tasked competitors with creating inventive toppings for their respective items. Bonita High School’s culinary team will represent California at the National ProStart Invitational, held April 26 to 28 in Baltimore. San Dimas High School’s ProStart team placed third in the restaurant management contest at the national competition in 2023.
Bonita Unified Alum, Grammy Winner to Perform with BUSD Students
Bonita High School alumnus and Grammy Award-winning jazz composer Gordon Goodwin will return to support his high school music program – which helped launch his prolific music career – when he performs with his Big Phat Band at 7 p.m. Saturday, March 16 at the Bonita Center for the Arts. During the concert – which will benefit the San Dimas and La Verne Band Boosters – Goodwin will perform a set as a guest artist with Bonita Unified’s All-District Jazz Ensemble, featuring performers from Bonita and San Dimas high schools, before he takes the stage for a full concert with his band. The concert will also feature a tribute to the late Robin Snyder, the former Bonita High band director credited with introducing jazz into high school music education and inspiring Gordon to pursue a career in music. To purchase tickets, visit bonitacenterforthearts.com. The Bonita Center for the Arts is located at 822 W. Covina Blvd., San Dimas.
Grammy Award-winning jazz musician and band leader Gordon Goodwin returned to Bonita Unified with his world-famous Big Phat Band for a concert that showcased All-District Jazz Ensemble musicians and served as a tribute to longtime Bonita High music teacher Robin Snyder, who is credited with introducing jazz into Southern California school music programs in the 1960s. Goodwin, who graduated from Bonita High School in 1973, performed double duty at the March 16 Bonita Center for the Arts show, jamming with All-District players during their opening set, then leading a nearly two-hour performance with his 19-member group. In between songs, Goodwin took time to reminisce about his years at Bonita High, and how Snyder helped develop his career.
Bonita Unified to Host Career and Community Resources Fair
Students from Bonita, San Dimas, and Chaparral-Vista high schools will have the opportunity to explore local mentorship, employment and volunteer opportunities during the District’s annual Career and Community Resources Fair, to be held from 6 to 8 p.m. on Monday, March 18. The event brings together local organizations, colleges and universities, and businesses to connect with students and families, provide information on available resources and training opportunities, and get students thinking about their future. The fair will be held at San Dimas High School, 800 W. Covina Blvd., San Dimas.
Bonita Unified School District students’ achievements in their academic, athletic, artistic and extracurricular endeavors took center stage during the 2024 State of the District address, held Feb. 8 at the Bonita Center for the Arts. Hosted in partnership with the La Verne and San Dimas Chambers of Commerce, the State of the District brought together nearly 200 local elected officials, representatives from businesses and community organizations, residents, parents and District employees, who listened to Superintendent Matt Wien reflect back on the District’s accomplishments in 2023 and share its vision for the future. The event culminated with the premiere of Bonita Unified’s 2024 showcase video titled “The Bonita Way,” an uplifting reflection on the District’s award-winning academic and co-curricular programs, dedicated employees and high-achieving students.
Bonita Unified educators will see their classroom projects come to life after receiving mini-grants from the Rotary Club of San Dimas that will support a campus wellness center, outdoor play areas and resources for math students, as the service organization continued its tradition of supporting District initiatives during the Feb. 7 Board of Education meeting. Rotary Club of San Dimas members distributed $1,500 in mini-grants to Chaparral-Vista High School counselor Val Herrera, Shull Elementary School kindergarten teacher Somer Estrada and Shull Elementary School fourth-grade teacher Susan Hsiung.
Bonita Unified elementary school students are discovering the joys of having a high school mentor and best buddy through a new career technical education partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters Los Angeles, which provides mentoring specialists to lead programs for Grace Miller Elementary and La Verne Heights Elementary students who desire afterschool companionship. Big Brothers Big Sisters pairs older students, known as “Bigs,” with younger students, known as “Littles.” The Bigs consist of Bonita High School volunteer mentors who meet once a week at the elementary school campuses to connect and spend time with their Littles. The program, which debuted in Oct. 2023, will run for the rest of the 2023-24 school year.
