Buena Park School District’s students sang about the power of friendship and danced the night away during the fourth annual Choir Festival, which brought the community together for a celebration of melodies on April 12. The District’s Choir Festival featured 237 student performers from elementary and middle school campuses, who sang songs that centered around the theme of friendship. The event was held at Thanksgiving Church in Buena Park and featured songs such as “I’ll Be There for You” from the television show “Friends,” Cole Porter’s “Friendship” and “We’re All in this Together” from “High School Musical.”
Buena Park Middle School welcomed U.S. Representative Young Kim to campus, greeting her with the tastes and aromas of culinary arts, the tech and machinery of robotics and the flora and fauna of horticulture, thanks to the school’s rigorous career technical education programs. Kim, who represents California’s 39th Congressional District, was invited to tour Buena Park School District with its administrators on April 13 and see how state and federal funding can provide more support for academic success and stronger career pathways.
Buena Park School District has been named a 2021 Model School Attendance Review Board (SARB), celebrating its exemplary practices in reducing chronic absenteeism and boosting student attendance. Buena Park School District was one of six school districts awarded the distinction by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond. The District was selected based on meeting and exceeding criteria in early intervention, professional development and added staff and family engagement and school connectedness.
Emery Elementary School students gazed in wonder at constellations, the moon and the highly visible Venus during Astronomy Night, which also included games, music and a visit from popular “Star Wars” characters. Held on March 30, Astronomy Night allowed guests onto campus to increase excitement about science learning and future STEM careers. The event had an arts and crafts section where guests could make constellations from marshmallows and pasta, an information table, and three telescopes set up and run by volunteers from Orange County Astronomers.
Buena Park School District students transformed their voices and demeanor and demonstrated poise as they competed against each other and neighboring district students during the District’s annual Speech Championship. Held via Zoom, the competition for Buena Park School District elementary and middle schoolers along with students from Anaheim Elementary School District, consisted of categories including prose, original oratory, storytelling, declamation, interpretative and impromptu speaking.
Gordon H. Beatty Middle School students made a splash at the Orange County Academic Pentathlon, winning nearly 50 awards during a multi-subject competition and Super Quiz that challenged this year’s contestants on the topic of water. Beatty Middle School’s team of 14 seventh- and eighth-graders competed against 40 other schools in Orange County, taking home 48 medals at the competition, with eighth-graders finishing in first place in their division overall and seventh-graders earning fifth place.
Whitaker School students had the opportunity to interview Buena Park School District alumnus and University of Virginia offensive lineman Ryan Nelson on Feb. 18 to learn about his journey as a scholar athlete and how his teachers, family and education paved the way for his success. Whitaker School student council members Porscha S., Andres S. and Kenjie B. asked Nelson about his favorite Whitaker teachers, his college experience and his favorite sports stars during an interview that was shared with the school’s classrooms via Zoom.
Whitaker School fourth-grade teacher Daniele Fuson aspires to make every day in her class fun and interactive, hosting sing-alongs, learning about her student’s hopes and dreams and playing music that excites her students about learning. Fuson’s lively approach to educating has earned her the distinction of Buena Park School District’s Teacher of the Year and a nomination for 2023 Orange County Teacher of the Year.
Buena Park School District students matched wits and spelling acumen on difficult words such as Darwinism, coronation, and brocade during its annual Spelling Bee, held Feb. 10 at Buena Park Middle School. The competition was held in the middle school’s new performing arts center and welcomed 20 fourth-graders, 20 fifth-graders and 14 sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders for a chance to prove their mental fortitude.
Gordon H. Beatty Middle School English teacher Kelly Harris lives to motivate her students and strives to foster a lifelong love of literacy in them – ambitions that have earned her a place on Parenting OC’s Top 25 Teachers of 2022 list and the Teacher of the Year award at her school. Harris has taught English within the Buena Park School District for 23 years. She currently teaches English and Honors English to seventh graders, is the advisor for the school’s Chess Team and has held many leadership positions in various programs throughout the District.
