Band and Orchestra Association (SCSBOA), as part of its 2021 All-Southern California High School Honor Symphonic Band. As band president and section leader of the Arroyo Knights Band and Color Guard, Luutuyen leads the group in performances and competitions, greatly enjoying the bonding and togetherness that comes with the band experience. Luutuyen will attend a SCSBOA professional development master class on March 13.
El Monte High School senior Oscar Martinez and South El Monte High School senior Marina Limon both joined Academic Decathlon as a way to challenge themselves and enjoy the camaraderie that comes with being an AcaDeca team member. As team captains, Martinez and Limon knew that the 2021 Los Angeles County Office of Education competition would be the most challenging yet, since the El Monte Union High School District AcaDeca teams – including those from Mountain View and Arroyo high schools – could not study and sharpen their skills in-person. Instead, what the teams gained was a lesson in teamwork and perseverance.
South El Monte and El Monte high school students won a total of 24 awards during the 2021 Future Business Leaders of America Virtual Inland Section Leadership Conference, securing an opportunity to compete in the state finals in April. The winning students demonstrated their excellence in categories including business communication, entrepreneurship, accounting, marketing, management decision making, international business and public speaking.
El Monte Union High School District will expand its dual enrollment program through new partnerships with Pasadena City College (PCC) and Los Angeles Trade Tech College (LATTC), providing students with more opportunities to get a head start on their post-secondary education by earning college credits while concurrently enrolled in high school. Beginning in 2021-22, Rosemead High School will offer a Professional Theater and Stagecraft pathway through PCC, with all courses to be taught at the Rosemead High Auditorium. El Monte, South El Monte and Fernando R. Ledesma high schools will offer a Construction and Carpentry pathway through LATTC. These pathways will be taught at the school sites by PCC and LATTC professors.
El Monte Union High School District will host its 2021 Lunar New Year Celebration from 5 to 8 p.m., Friday, Feb. 26, at the District Office, 3537 Johnson Ave., El Monte. The festive event, celebrating the Year of the Ox, will feature traditional décor, dancing, and cuisine, with families receiving red envelopes filled with chocolate coins in a socially distanced drive-thru ceremony.
Arroyo High School was recognized by the College Board with the 2020 Advanced Placement (AP) Computer Science Female Diversity Award, one of 831 schools across the United States honored for expanding access to young women in AP Computer Science Principles classes. The award is given to schools that show 50% or higher female exam taker representation in AP computer science courses or have a percentage of female computer science exam takers that meets or exceeds that of the school’s female population.
South El Monte High School math teacher Oscar Castillo was named a 2020 Bobby Salcedo Esperanza Award recipient at the 17th annual Tamalada fundraiser on Dec. 10. The award – named for a respected El Monte Union educator who died in 2009 – is given to outstanding educators who exemplify Salcedo’s tireless commitment to education. The El Monte Union Nutrition Services Department was also recognized at the event, which is sponsored by the El Monte Promise Foundation, for its heroic efforts since the start of the pandemic. Juan Munoz from El Monte City School District and Ruby Huesca from the Mountain View School District were also recognized as Bobby Salcedo Esperanza Award winners.
More than 400 families drove through a tunnel of Christmas lights, enjoyed performances by Folklorico dancers, received an authentic tamale dinner and treats from Santa, including pan dulce, during El Monte Union High School District’s third annual Posada holiday event on Dec. 4. Blending Mexican and American traditions, the District’s Posada offered parents and students the opportunity to gather safely for a night of good food and fun. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s Posada was transformed by staff and parent volunteers into a drive-thru parade.
El Monte Union High School District will hold its third annual Posada at 4:45 p.m. Friday, Dec. 4 at the District Office as a drive-thru celebration, honoring Mexican and American holiday traditions. Over 400 families registered for the drive-thru, where staff and parent volunteers will give families a hot tamale meal, toys and pan dulce. Media contact: Kendra Craighead, 626-529-4864
Arroyo High School’s Farm Lab, developed through a partnership with EcoUrban Gardens and the City of Hope, provides a template for sustainability that can help transform urban food deserts into rich sources of nutrition and biodiversity, while opening doors for students eager to pursue careers in biology, environmental science and urban agriculture. The Farm Lab includes an organic garden, fruit orchard, eco-lab, butterfly garden, compost area, bioswale, hügelkultur and regenerative learning center. Produce picked from the garden has been made available to the Arroyo community during weekly drive-through meal services. A video showcasing the benefits on the Farm Lab is available on YouTube.