Wherever Cypress Elementary School second-grade teacher Elmo Kelley goes, he records mental notes of his surroundings, places them in his memory, and waits until he finds the inspiration to begin writing poetry. Over the last two years, Kelley has compiled all his musings into two separate poetry collections, with the most recent self-published book, titled “Traveling Through My Mind, Vol. 2,” released in June. It continues a journey that began 30 years ago in a UC Riverside creative writing class, where Kelley was first introduced to poetry as a writing discipline. He hasn’t looked back.
Celebrations spread around Fontana Unified School District’s 45 schools as students embraced their peers, teachers, and administrators as they returned to campus to officially usher in the 2024-25 school year on Aug. 5. Lively music, smiling staff, welcome banners, photo backdrops, and even waving, inflatable tube men warmly greeted students as they stepped back on campus for a historic day in Fontana Unified. Redwood Elementary School celebrated its 75th anniversary to open the new year, while several schools commemorated new campus developments.
Nine Fontana Unified schools will enter the 2024-25 school year with new principals as part of a strategic reorganization designed to leverage existing leadership skills within the District and best meet the unique needs of each school community. Almond, Citrus, Locust, Maple, Virginia Primrose, and West Randall elementary schools, along with Chaparral Academy of Technology; Alder Middle; and Summit high schools will start the new school year with new leadership. Eight of Fontana Unified’s nine new principal appointments were already employed in the District, including six who served as principals at other schools in 2023-24, while a former FUSD principal is transitioning to the District office.
Fontana Unified School District celebrated its commitment to conservation and mindful resource management with a ribbon-cutting ceremony held jointly with the Fontana Water Company on July 29 at Henry J. Kaiser High School to mark the completion of a reclaimed water project. Six FUSD schools in the south end of Fontana connected their existing landscape irrigation water supplies to recycled water, which is estimated to save enough drinking water to provide more than 200 Fontana residences with water for one year, which amounts to approximately $190,000 in savings each year for both the District and taxpayers.
Sequoia Middle School’s commitment to equity, excellence, and innovation led to it being designated as a National School to Watch by the National Forum Advancing Excellence in the Middle Grades. The recognition serves as a redesignation for Sequoia, which first received the honor in 2017, for the school’s dedication to helping all students belong, learn, and grow. Fontana Unified School District and Sequoia Middle School staff were presented with the accolade at the National Schools to Watch Conference in Washington, D.C. in June.
Fontana Unified School District (FUSD) and the Fontana Water Company will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the completion of a recycled water project and dedication to making conservation a way of life. The conversion of six FUSD schools to recycled water estimates to save enough drinking water to supply more than 200 residences with water for one year.
All 46 Fontana Unified School District schools are gearing up for the start of the 2024-25 school year, with an especially historic day for Sierra Lakes Elementary School, which will celebrate the completion of a school renovation. Sierra Lakes Elementary or District representatives will be available for pre-arranged, on-camera interviews during the first day of school from 8 a.m. to noon on Monday, August 5. The three-phase project included the construction of a two-story building holding 15 new fourth- and fifth-grade classrooms, a second-level outdoor classroom area overlooking the San Bernardino Mountains, and a new playground area for students. Sierra Lakes Elementary is located at 5740 Avenal Place, Fontana.
A.B. Miller High School students wowed judges with their original artwork, as five students earned top honors, including two Best of Show awards, at the 2024 San Bernardino County Fair (SBCF)’s highly competitive Youth Arts Competition. Evalena Carbajal and April Garcia won Best of Show awards in the SBCF’s Youth Arts poetry and Día De Los Muertos divisions, respectively. The competition was open to all San Bernardino County residents. A.B. Miller students took first and second in both divisions and swept the top three places in poetry, with Jasmine Mojica and Bella Rojas taking second and third place in poetry, while Adriana Sánchez took second in the Día De Los Muertos division. All five works resulted from projects A.B. Miller students worked on throughout the school year in Spanish teacher Dr. Sybil Acevedo’s class. Each year, Dr. Acevedo collects and submits the pieces to the SBCF – covering the cost of submission herself.
Fontana Unified School District’s work to increase student attendance and reduce chronic absenteeism culminated in the District’s School Attendance Review Board (SARB) being recognized as one of California’s 23 model SARBs for 2024. FUSD posted a 94% attendance rate while dropping its chronic absenteeism rate from 30% to 20% for 2023-24. Throughout the year, the District hosts campaigns to help boost its attendance and also organizes its annual Perfect Attendance Spells Success event, which celebrates and rewards students for their exceptional attendance and academic achievements.
Virginia Primrose Elementary School Kitchen Operator Nailly Salib has been recognized for her dedication to fighting child hunger and commitment to supporting school meals, earning a 2024 Hunger Hero Award from the No Kid Hungry national campaign. City of Fontana Mayor Acquanetta Warren and No Kid Hungry School Meals Access Manager Robin Hernandez presented the award, along with a certificate, a trophy, and goodie bags, to Salib during Primrose Elementary’s fifth-grade promotion ceremony. Warren honored Salib’s dedication to ending hunger with a speech during the event, which was also attended by Fontana Unified Superintendent Miki R. Inbody and Board of Education President Marcelino “Mars” Serna, on May 24. Every May, No Kid Hungry – a campaign of Share Our Strength, a nonprofit organization dedicated to ending childhood hunger – celebrates school employees and programs that ensure every child has the nutrition they need to reach their full potential.
