More than 580 Fontana Unified School District seniors who are set to earn the California State Seal of Biliteracy for a high level of proficiency in bilingualism and biliteracy were recognized by the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools during a recent ceremony. Seniors from all seven Fontana Unified high schools – Fontana, A.B. Miller, Henry J. Kaiser, Summit, Jurupa Hills, Citrus and Eric Birch – were honored at the ceremony and received a certificate and medal from the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools on Nov. 1. The nearly 600 Fontana Unified seniors honored this year marked a more than 200% increase over the last two years, when 180 Fontana Unified seniors were recognized at the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools event in 2021.
Fontana Unified School District’s tradition of sharing holiday cheer with local families will continue with its 26th annual Fontana Santas Toy Distribution. The Fontana Santas Toy Drive will culminate with a drive-thru event, to be held from 9 to 11 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 16 at the District office where families in need identified by schools will enjoy a festive holiday celebration as they receive age-appropriate gifts. Donations of unwrapped toys and gift cards can be dropped off at the Fontana School Police Department, located at the District Office, 9680 Citrus Ave., Building 9, Fontana.
Four Fontana Unified School District high school students have distinguished themselves as some of the best high school musicians across Southern California, earning spots in Pasadena City College’s 2024 Tournament of Roses Honor Band. Henry J. Kaiser High School senior David Mireles (marching snare drum), sophomore Liliana Lobo (euphonium) and Jurupa Hills High School senior Antonio De La Torre (baritone sax) and sophomore Diego Muro (clarinet) all qualified to march with the Tournament of Roses Honor Band in the 135th edition of the iconic Rose Parade on New Year’s Day.
Fontana Unified School District will host a dedication ceremony of the O’Day Short Family Unity Garden to commemorate the lives of O’Day, Helen, Carol Ann and Barry Short. The unity garden will also serve as a symbol of an ongoing commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion by Randall Pepper Elementary School and the greater Fontana Unified community. The Short 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. The Short family purchased and began building a home on a vacant, five-acre lot at Randall Avenue and Pepper Avenue in Fontana at a time when African-Americans were forbidden to live south of Baseline Avenue. The Short family received threats of violence and offers from the Chamber of Commerce to buy back the property before their house was set ablaze. An arson investigator hired by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) determined the fire was deliberately set from the exterior, according to a 2016 article from the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin. Randall Pepper Elementary School was later built on the site in 1950.
Students Summit High School’s Madrigal Choir will put on the performance of a lifetime, letting their voices shine at the prestigious California Music Educators Association’s (CMEA) All-State Honor Festival and drawing the curtain on a two-year-long dream turned reality. The All-State Honor Festival, which will be hosted at Sonoma State University’s Green Music Center on April 26, 2024, is an exclusive opportunity, with the CMEA choosing only six or seven high school choirs to perform from the entire state. Only schools that received a superior rating from a festival the previous year were eligible to apply.
Southridge Tech Middle School has been redesignated as a Microsoft Showcase School, reaffirming the school’s commitment to providing its students with access to digital platforms and bridging the technology gap. Southridge Tech was first designated in 2018. Southridge Tech is one of just three schools in California and 30 schools across the United States to receive the designation in 2023, joining a global network of schools from Europe, Asia, Africa, North and South America, and Australia.
Michael McGinnis dedicated his life to protecting others as a firefighter and then empowering the next generation of public servants to do the same, playing an instrumental role in developing Fontana High School’s Fire, Medical and Emergency Response pathway as its fire technology and career technical education (CTE) instructor. The Fontana Unified School District Board of Education ensured the legacy of McGinnis, who died in 2021, will not be forgotten when they unanimously voted at a recent meeting to rename Fontana High’s Fire Technology and Emergency Services classroom to McGinnis Station 815.
A Fontana Unified School District banner reading “New Foundations, Endless Possibilities” served as a fitting backdrop as District staff, community members and dignitaries gathered for a groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate the start of construction on a new 150,000-square-foot middle school in the north end of Fontana on Nov. 14. Construction of the new middle school, which will accommodate up to 1,200 students, is set to begin in January 2024 with an expected completion date of August 2026. Fontana Unified’s new middle school will help prevent overcrowding and ensure all students have access to small class sizes and high-quality academic instruction as the District strives to meet the growing needs of Fontana.
Fontana Unified School District commemorated the grand opening of its one-of-a-kind Innovation Empire with a pair of celebrations that included a ribbon cutting ceremony and tours of the creative learning environment, which is equipped with tools and technology to inspire curiosity, experimentation and entrepreneurship for District students of all ages. Elected officials and distinguished guests attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony on Nov. 7, which was followed by the center’s official grand opening for the public on Nov. 9. The Innovation Empire’s two-building complex includes a Makerspace and collaborative space that are designed to serve as a hub for students to get hands-on experience and training in machine and design software, robotics, programming and entrepreneurship.
Fontana Unified School District will host a groundbreaking ceremony to commemorate the start of construction on a new District middle school from 10 to 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 14. The new school, located in the north end of Fontana, will span more than 150,000 square feet and accommodate up to 1,200 students. The school is scheduled to open in August 2026. The construction site is located at Citrus Ave. and Casa Grande Ave.
