Buena Park School District celebrated National School Counseling Week, recognizing the impact counselors have on academic and personal success, and expanding its counseling services to provide additional resources and support to students and families. Since the start of 2021-22 school year, the District has augmented its counseling services, employing an on-site counselor at each of its schools to ensure students are healthy in their bodies and minds.
Buena Park School District students experienced learning in a way that captured their minds and imaginations as they interacted with flora and fauna, grasped rigorous scientific concepts and acquired wilderness skills during a weeklong science camp in the woods at the Pali Institute. The Pali Institute, located in the San Bernardino National Forest, gives students the opportunity to see the wilderness and combine science techniques with first-hand experience. Some 300 sixth-graders from Gordon H. Beatty Middle School and Buena Park Middle School attended the camp from Jan. 18 to 21.
Buena Park School District students and their families beamed with excitement as they received presents from Santa Claus during the Orange County Union Carpenters’ Christmas Toy and Food Giveaway on Dec. 11. More than 85 Carl E. Gilbert Elementary School families participated in the drive-through event, where they received toys and food to help during the holidays. Participants were also given KN95 masks to protect themselves from the COVID-19 virus and household supplies such as shampoo.
Buena Park School District’s Board of Education selected Jerry Frutos to lead as president and Rhodia Shead to serve as clerk and president pro tem during its annual organizational meeting on Dec. 13. During the same meeting, held via Zoom and in-person at the District office, outgoing President Jason Chong congratulated Frutos and wished him luck for the coming year.
Buena Park Middle School band and choir students dazzled some 200 family and community members with lively renditions of traditional holiday songs, modern family favorites and even classical music during its Winter Wonderland concert. The concert, held Dec. 7 at Thanksgiving Church, was the first in-person winter concert held by the Buena Park School District since 2019. Dylan Locke, Buena Park Middle School’s band and choir director, said he was thrilled to showcase his students' talent to the community.
Buena Park School District kindergartners are learning about compassion and togetherness through the District’s Kinder Kindness program, which recently awarded students medals for creating artwork that reflected the theme of being kind to one another. Some 335 kindergarten students received medals and cheers of praise from classmates, teachers and administrators for creating colorful depictions of goodwill during a series of award ceremonies across District elementary schools on Nov. 30.
Buena Park School District’s Pendleton Elementary School has been named a candidate school for the International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme, which creates a foundation to nurture and develop young students into lifelong scholars. The IB Primary Years Programme offers an inquiry-based, transdisciplinary curriculum framework that promotes advanced learning opportunities in students ages three to 12. Pendleton School began its candidacy period on Nov. 16, and is pursuing authorization as an IB World School, offering challenging academic curriculum that will develop students' conceptual understanding, agency, and international mindedness.
Nearly 70 Buena Park School District students worked with snakes and bugs while learning about water conservation, recycling and plants during the District’s Super Saturday GATE event, a day of learning focused on science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM). The District’s long-standing Super Saturday events are held on a bi-annual basis, with one event in the fall and another in spring. Traditionally, Super Saturdays are engineering competitions – giving Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) students the chance to build objects such as rockets or miniature bridges. This year’s Super Saturday, held Nov. 13, focused on building environmental literacy through collaborative learning for water conservation, wildlife, plant life and recycling.
Buena Park School District has expanded counseling services for its elementary schools, providing its youngest students with additional social-emotional support while teaching them about the importance of physical well-being. Each elementary school in the District now has a full-time dedicated counselor on campus; in addition, the District has contracted with Outreach Concern, a non-profit counseling agency, to have interns work as part-time counselors as they earn credits toward their degrees in social work and psychology.
Buena Park School District and the Board of Education paid tribute to five of its community partners, celebrating the programs, resources and assistance each has provided to students and their families during the COVID-19 pandemic. The District recognized the Buena Park Police Department for campus safety and resources, the Boys & Girls Club of Buena Park for providing support to socio-economically disadvantaged students, St. Jude Medical Center for mental and physical wellness assistance, the Jain Center of Southern California for supplying Chromebooks for at-home learning and Simpson Buick GMC of Buena Park for gifting more than 3,000 backpacks and supplies to students. Photos are available.
