After four years of developing her skills in Fontana High School’s (FOHI) Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (MCJROTC) marksmanship program, senior Stephanie Mendoza capped the program’s 2025 undefeated season by earning the Junior Distinguished Shooter Badge, the highest honor awarded at the junior level, and becoming the first FOHI student to receive the distinction in more than a decade. The Junior Distinguished Badge is awarded by the Civilian Marksmanship Program to junior shooters who accumulate 30 excellence-in-competition points, including at least 10 from national-level championships. With fewer than 2,000 badges awarded nationwide, recipients of this award are among the best in the country, recognizing their sustained discipline and competitive consistency.
Fontana Unified School District (FUSD), in partnership with the Fontana School Police Department (FSPD), continued a cherished tradition of compassion and community by bringing smiles to more than 300 families during the 28th annual Fontana Santas event on Dec. 20. What began in 1997 as a small act of kindness has grown into one of the District’s most meaningful holiday traditions. Fontana Santas was founded by FSPD Officer Cindy Evaro and FUSD Child Welfare and Attendance Liaison Lydia Salazar Wibert after learning about a boy who ran away from home after not receiving any Christmas presents. Determined to ensure no child felt unseen during the holidays, the pair rallied support for five families in need, laying the foundation for a program that today serves hundreds.
Thirteen student musicians from Fontana Unified School District will perform on one of the world’s most iconic stages on New Year’s Day, marching in the 137th Annual Tournament of Roses Parade as members of the Pasadena City College (PCC) High School Honor Band. Eleven members of Kaiser High School’s Catamount Pride Band & Color Guard and two members of Jurupa Hills High School’s Spartan Regiment were selected for the Honor Band. Of the students selected, five will be making their second appearance with the Honor Band, and two musicians – Kaiser High senior euphonium player Liliana Lobo and Jurupa Hills High senior clarinetist Diego Muro – will be making their third appearance.
Fontana High School’s (FOHI) award-winning Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) program, dedicated to ensuring students thrive after graduation, received the first-ever AVID 2025 Site Team of the Year award during the inaugural AVID Global Achievement Awards ceremony on Dec. 11. The AVID Site Team award recognized FOHI for its outstanding contributions to the implementation and advancement of the AVID College and Career Readiness System.
Fontana Unified School District (FUSD), in partnership with the Fontana School Police Department (FSPD), will host the 28th Annual Fontana Santas, a long-standing event continuing a cherished holiday tradition of service and care. Each year, Fontana Santas serves more than 300 familiesand students across the District, giving them an opportunity to experience the joy and magic of the holiday season.
For A.B. Miller High School junior Jeremy Millias, the Aviation Career Technical Education (CTE) pathway is not only a rigorous, educational program filled with hands-on training, but also a close-knit community that has shaped his high school experience. This year, A.B. Miller’s aviation pathway serves nearly 120 students across introductory and advanced courses. The two-year sequence mirrors private pilot ground school, covering weather, federal regulations, performance calculations, navigation charts, aircraft systems, and aviation communication. Students also gain hands-on experience in flight simulator labs, where they practice maneuvers, plan safe routes, calculate wind corrections, and learn real-world decision-making skills used by licensed pilots.
Fontana High School’s General Construction Career Technical Education (CTE) pathway students brought their craftsmanship, creativity, and teamwork to the community this season by designing and building a parade float that featured Board of Education members, student board representatives, and Fontana Unified’s Superintendent Miki R. Inbody during the 2025 Fontana Christmas Parade on Dec. 13. The team consisted of 14 students who used a full range of construction techniques they learned in the pathway, transforming raw materials into a polished centerpiece for one of the city’s signature annual events. The float, themed “Believe in the Magic of Learning,” features an eight-seat platform, blending Christmas elements with academic inspiration, including an oversized hand-built book displaying the float’s theme.
Monica Jauregui, an English Language Development (ELD) teacher at Harry S. Truman Middle School, shares a similar background with her students: her parents immigrated to the United States when they were in grade school, not knowing any English, and Jauregui herself was an English learner. Her experiences fuel her to ensure students of all backgrounds can thrive, leading her to take on multiple roles as an English Language Learner (ELL) monitor and Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) Excel teacher.
Fontana High School’s (FOHI) General Construction Career Technical Education (CTE) Pathway students will debut their custom-built float “Believe in the Magic of Learning” for the 2025 “I Believe in Magic” Fontana Christmas Parade. Students spent more than a month planning, designing, and constructing the float as part of their hands-on CTE coursework. District administrators, Board of Education members, and student board representatives will ride the float during the parade.
Fontana Unified Class of 2026 graduates who are undecided about where they will attend college now have one guaranteed option: California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB). CSUSB’s Direct Admit Program guarantees admission to the school for all eligible seniors who have completed their A-G admission and grade-point average requirements. Fontana Unified is one of six San Bernardino County school districts to participate in the partnership with CSUSB, which was announced in September. The program aims to increase college enrollment by removing obstacles in the application process.
