Fontana Unified to Host Black History Month Celebration
Fontana Unified School District and the FUSD African American Parent Advisory Council will honor the rich contributions of African and African American heritage during a Black History Month celebration at Fontana High School from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 3. With its theme of “Harmony in Heritage and Knowledge,” the event will be split into two parts, with a Black Excellence Awards Ceremony, to be held in the FOHI theater beginning at 10 a.m., and continuing with a Black History Celebration Fair, beginning at noon in the school quad. The Celebration Fair will include live performances, traditional African dancing, arts, crafts and exhibits. Fontana High School is located at 9453 Citrus Ave., Fontana.
Fontana Unified School District students and staff from Summit and A.B. Miller high schools will partner with students in Baldwin Park High School’s sports media club to share best practices and mentorship in preparation for BPHS’ launch of a news broadcast, the Braves Sports Network. Summit and A.B. Miller students will share filming and editing techniques they have learned through their schools’ career technical education pathways in TV/film and video production.
Summit High School senior Imran Chaudhery’s passion for robotics has not only taught him important life skills, lessons and shaped his goals for the future, but taken him around the world – with his latest stop coming at the 2023 World Robotics Olympiad in Panama. Chaudhery joined a robotics team outside of school and began earning team victories at numerous competitions. He previously earned a spot in the World Robotics Olympiad Friendship Tournament in Denmark in 2019. Chaudhery and his teammates represented America again at the 2023 World Robotics Olympiad, which was held in November.
A.B. Miller High School Class of 2023 graduate Nathan Aguilar was named one of 50th District Assemblymember Eloise Gómez Reyes’ 2023 “30 Under 30” recipients, honoring the initiative he displayed in becoming A.B. Miller’s first aviation student to earn his private pilot’s license. The recognition honors 30 residents under the age of 30 from California’s 50th District – which includes Fontana – for their dedication, innovation and service. Aguilar was recognized along with his peers at the seventh annual “30 Under 30” ceremony, which was hosted by Reyes at the Esri campus in Redlands.
Members from across the Fontana Unified community, including staff, students and elected dignitaries, gathered at Randall Pepper Elementary on Dec. 15 for the dedication of the O’Day Short Family Unity Garden that will serve as a living symbol of the District’s ongoing commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. The O’Day Short Family Unity Garden commemorates the lives of O’Day, Helen, Carol Ann and Barry Short. The family is remembered for breaking Fontana’s color barrier in 1945. All four members of the African American family died after their house burst into flames on Dec. 16, 1945, and Randall Pepper Elementary was later built on the site in 1950.
Fontana Unified students, staff and community members loaded up cars with gifts of toys, food and information on community resources during the District’s annual Fontana Santas event on Dec. 16. Fontana Santas began in 1997 when the Fontana School Police Department learned a Fontana boy ran away from home after Christmas because he did not receive any presents. Since then, the Fontana School Police Department and Fontana Unified employees have collected toys and donations from local organizations and delivered them to families in need during the holidays, creating a treasured tradition that has provided toys to thousands of Fontana Unified students over the last 26 years.
More than 60 Fontana High School students across a variety of campus clubs and organizations made the less than one-mile walk across Citrus Avenue, with many carrying gifts or dressed ready to perform for the residents at Citrus Nursing Center (CNC) on Dec. 13. Students in FOHI’s Steelers for Christ, a religious club on campus, ballet folklórico, choir and nursing programs paused their busy schedules during Fontana Unified School District’s finals week to visit with the CNC residents, with the school’s Madrigals choir and ballet folklórico programs putting on vibrant song and dance performances, while other students delivered gifts throughout the 99-bed skilled nursing facility.
Four Fontana Unified high schools were recognized by the College Board as Advanced Placement (AP) Honor Roll schools, highlighting the District’s commitment to fostering a college-going culture across its campuses, based on data compiled from the schools’ Class of 2023 graduates. Summit High School earned a Silver Award, while Fontana, A.B Miller and Henry J. Kaiser high schools were honored with Bronze Awards. Summit, Fontana and Kaiser also earned the AP Access Award, which recognizes the schools for providing underrepresented students access to advanced coursework. Of the three Honor Roll data sets, Fontana Unified schools scored the most impressive marks in college optimization, with Summit earning platinum status, Kaiser gold, A.B. Miller silver and Fontana High bronze.
Fontana Unified Jurupa Hills Football Team to Play for CIF State Title
Jurupa Hills High School football will look to add to its trophy case in the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Division 4-AA State Championship Bowl Game against Soquel High School at Pasadena City College’s Robinson Stadium at 8 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 8. The Spartans have already won the CIF Southern Section Division 8 and CIF State Division 4-AA Southern California Regional championships this season. Jurupa Hills is one of 30 high school teams still playing football across California, and carry a 9-6 record into its final of the game of the year against a 12-2 Soquel squad. Robinson Stadium is located at 1570 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena.
Fontana High School students will visit the Citrus Nursing Center (CNC) to spread holiday cheer to residents. Students in Fontana High’s Steelers for Christ (SFC), a religious club on campus, ballet folklórico, cheerleading, choir and nursing programs will put on performances and deliver gifts to residents. SFC has been organizing and gathering donations of stuffed animals and other gifts for CNC residents before the District heads into winter break. Fontana High’s choir and ballet folklórico students will also put on performances for the residents.
