Buena Park Junior High broke ground May 12 on a $3.1 million, nearly 3,200-square-foot performing arts center that will provide space for the school’s growing theater, choir and band programs as well as District-wide events. The center will include a performance space with an acoustical suspended ceiling system, four practice rooms, a teacher’s office and storage rooms.
Buena Park School District received a donation of 115 Chromebooks from a consortium of local nonprofits that will help special education students with lessons during distance learning. The Chromebooks were donated by the Anekant Community Center (ACC) in partnership with Sarva Mangal Family Trust, part of a campaign that brought hundreds of Chromebooks to Southern California school districts.
Emery School third-grade teacher Amy Biesiada is using her love of technology to not only boost excellence in her students during at-home learning sessions, but also to assist her Buena Park School District colleagues. Biesiada said her expertise in apps like ParentSquare and Seesaw create a smooth transition to online learning – picking up right where she left off in her classroom. Both programs are online communication tools. ParentSquare is used for parent communication and Seesaw is a digital portfolio of students work, which can be shared with teachers.
Corey School will allow students to showcase their musical, artistic, acting and even martial arts talents to the Buena Park School District public on Wednesday, May 20 during its inaugural Virtual Community Share. Corey School’s Community Share was launched as a live talent show in 2018-19 to boost interest in visual and performing arts. Since Buena Park School District is practicing distance learning through the end of the school year, the Corey School leaders decided to move the popular community event to online.
Corey School is now accepting videos and photos of students showcasing their talents for the school’s second annual Community Share. The event, which is scheduled for Wednesday, May 20, will display the visual and performing arts talents of students to the community. The photos and videos will be shared throughout the community through ParentSquare. Submissions can be emailed to Program Specialist Jay Beckelheimer at JBeckelheimer@bpsd.us.
Buena Park School District has launched online enrollment for the 2020-21 school year, providing families with a fast and easy process to register children and take advantage of the District’s rigorous academics and enriching extracurricular activities. Buena Park School District offers extensive programs and activities, including coding and STEM classes, visual and performing arts, video production, college preparation and multimedia and communication.
Whitaker School second-grade teacher Jennifer Feeney is sparking creativity and academic interest in her students by creating engrossing activities during at-home learning sessions. Feeney, a 22-year veteran of the Buena Park School District, said she’s found major success with online learning by following one simple rule: make learning fun.
Buena Park School District is continuing to boost positive behaviors and motivate students to achieve their dreams while building a welcoming community during at-home learning sessions with its new Virtual Spirit Days. The District’s first Virtual Spirit Day was started by Emery School’s Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) team to bring the school’s community together amid the temporary dismissal of in-person classes. The school challenged its students to dress in their favorite sports team’s jerseys or athletic gear and share their photos with the District.
Career Technical Educator (CTE) Shelley Andros works tirelessly to encourage her students to reach their “aha” moment when they revel in achieving a hard-earned goal during coding classes, robotics sessions or even in the school’s garden. Andros’ gumption and inspiring spirit at Buena Park Junior High earned her a spot of the 2020 Top 10 Educators of Orange County list by Parenting OC. She was also named Buena Park School District’s Teacher of the year.
Gidley School’s Science Olympiad team won seven medals and placed sixth overall at the 2020 Los Angeles Regional Tournament, earning a spot at the Science Olympiad State Tournament in April. The Science Olympiad team earned awards by completing tasks such as investigating viral outbreaks, using math to measure density levels and answering questions about genetics.