Two Fontana Unified School District schools, Sequoia Middle and Fontana High, have been honored for their success in boosting student achievement and fostering college and career readiness. Fontana High and Sequoia Middle schools were both re-designated as Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) National Demonstration Schools, retaining statuses held since 2016 and 2019 respectively, that reflect the site’s implementation of AVID instruction school-wide. Sequoia had even more reason to celebrate when it was also redesignated a 2024 California Middle School to Watch on March 8.
Fontana Unified Schools to Observe Upcoming Solar Eclipse
All 30 Fontana Unified School District elementary schools will use the upcoming solar eclipse on Monday, April 8 as an opportunity to spark curiosity and a love for science among its students. Each District elementary school has been provided with solar eclipse viewing kits, including safety-certified eclipse glasses, to ensure students can safely observe the natural phenomenon. Teachers will integrate the eclipse into their science curriculum throughout the day, turning this natural phenomenon into a hands-on learning experience. Students will also take educational materials home with them, giving them a chance to discuss the significant astronomical event at home.
All 30 Fontana Unified School District elementary schools will use the upcoming solar eclipse as an opportunity to spark curiosity and a love for science among its students. Each FUSD elementary school will hold observations and classroom lessons about the upcoming solar eclipse. Teachers will integrate the eclipse into their science curriculum throughout the day, turning this natural phenomenon into a hands-on learning experience.
Fontana Unified School District students will showcase their art during the District’s second annual Film Festival, featuring an evening of standout pieces that illustrate the growth of FUSD’s Career Technical Education (CTE) TV Production pathways. Awards will be presented in categories ranging from Avant Garde to screenwriting and from live-action dramas to news story packages.
Fontana Unified Public Service Pathways Certified for Excellence
Fontana High School’s highly acclaimed Fire Technology and Law Enforcement Public Service pathways were each certified as National Programs of Excellence by the Law and Public Safety Education Network (LAPSEN), representing the commitment to excellence and quality of both programs. Both of FOHI’s career technical education Public Service pathways join a prestigious cohort of secondary and post-secondary schools across the country to receive the honor. The LAPSEN recognition signifies a program has reached the apex in terms of preparing students for careers in law enforcement, firefighting, emergency management, legal studies, and related fields.
Fontana Unified Set to Host Second Annual Student Film Festival
Fontana Unified School District student filmmakers will showcase their craft during the District’s second annual Film Festival at 5 p.m., Thursday, May 2, at Steelworkers’ Auditorium. The event showcases standout student films that illustrate the growth of FUSD’s career technical education TV Production pathways. Awards will be presented in categories ranging from Avant Garde to screenwriting, and feature genres including live-action dramas and news reports. Steelworkers' Auditorium is located at 8437 Sierra Ave., Fontana.
Eric Birch High School earned its first-ever Model Continuation School designation from the California Department of Education for its alternative programming designed to empower at-promise youth to pursue academic and personal success. Birch High joined an esteemed list of 31 schools to secure Model Continuation School status in 2024. Model Continuation Schools retain their designation for three years and will be formally recognized during the 2024 California Continuation Education Association Plus State Conference in Los Angeles on April 25-28.
Summit High School senior Nicole Bell aspires to reshape the landscape of the film and television industry one day and pursue a career where she can champion Black representation and contribute to fostering positive diversity and inclusion in the industry. Bell's leadership qualities and goal to blaze trails for the Black community led to her being recognized and receiving a $1,000 grant during a virtual Celebrating Black Success event on Feb. 24. She currently serves as co-director of SkyHawk Productions, Summit High’s TV Production program, where she is exploring potential career pathways where she can make an impact in film and television.
Summit High School’s cheer team continued its historic run of success with standout postseason performances, which included the SkyHawks winning both a regional and national championship this season. Summit High won the program’s fifth straight and 10th overall United Spirit Association Spirit Nationals title in Anaheim during the Feb. 16-18 competition after taking home their third straight and fourth overall California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section division championship this postseason.
Surrounded by cheering students, Chaparral Academy of Technology teacher Alexandra Cruz was surprised when Fontana Unified School District administrators and colleagues came into her classroom carrying a bouquet of flowers and a sign to announce she had been named the 2023-24 District Teacher of the Year on Feb. 20. Cruz was recognized as the FUSD Teacher of the Year for her dedication to supporting both her students and colleagues, along with her engaging classroom lessons and how she has embraced new technology in the classroom.
