Smiling faces, colorful decorations and lively celebrations were plentiful across Fontana Unified School District’s campuses on Aug. 3, as students eagerly returned for the first day of the 2023-24 school year. Students walked across red carpets and under balloon arches, greeted by staff and peer leaders holding welcoming signs, and enjoyed music from a DJ and themed photo opportunities as they entered campuses. The first day of the 2023-24 school year continues a series of transformations in Fontana Unified that include the appointment of 15 dynamic new leaders, and the unveiling of the District’s highly anticipated Innovation Empire, which aims to educate and empower a new generation of STEM learners to push their creative boundaries and channel their entrepreneurial spirit.
The sky is the limit for Fontana Unified K-12 students looking to push their creative boundaries and channel their entrepreneurial spirit, as the District’s much-anticipated Innovation Empire debuts in the 2023-24 school year, which began Aug. 3. Fueled by the imagination of young scholars, and buoyed by a Makerspace stocked with a fleet of state-of-the-art 3D, laser and ultra-violet printers, high-powered industrial drills, water cutters and CNC mills, the Innovation Empire is poised to be the nucleus for a new generation of STEM learners desiring to be engineers, coders and business owners.
Fontana Unified School District will welcome new administrators at the District and school levels – many of whom are current employees embracing new leadership roles – during the 2023-24 school year, signaling alignment with the priorities Superintendent Miki R. Inbody heard during her Reconnecting Campaign. The introduction of 15 new administrators follows Inbody’s first 100 days as superintendent, during which she met with employees, students, the Board of Education and the community to listen and learn about the needs of students. Inbody then took action, supported by the Board, to ensure the District is staffed with strong leaders in the right positions to best serve Fontana Unified students and guide the upward trajectory of success in the District.
Fontana High School’s (FOHI) Marine Corps JROTC (MCJROTC) Marksmanship team completed its most successful year ever, capturing fourth place at the 2023 CMP National Three-Position Air Rifle Championship, held in June at Camp Perry, Ohio. It is the highest finish ever recorded by the FOHI program, and represents a final triumph for Class of 2023 graduates Ashley Padilla and Yaira Castro, as well as departing FOHI MCJROTC Marine Instructor MSgt. Wayne Harkley, who is retiring after running the program for the last 15 years. Padilla, who walked away with $1,500 in scholarships, finished in fifth place in the Sporter final division – a competition that featured the top eight shooters from an original field of 164 entrants. Padilla will attend Cal State Los Angeles in the fall.
Fontana Unified’s Theater Conservatory returned to the stage for its final production of the school year, welcoming elementary and high school students to join the star-studded cast for the highly anticipated, “Disney’s The Little Mermaid,” held April 21-23 at the historic California Theater in San Bernardino. The company was comprised of Beech Avenue Elementary and A.B Miller High School students alongside professional actors, as well as several new and seasoned Canyon Crest Elementary and Dorothy Grant Innovations Academy student cast members who recently debuted in their professional show, “School of Rock.”
Fontana Unified School District is rolling out the welcome mat for two veteran administrators who have joined the superintendent’s cabinet, bringing decades of experience in business, finance, education and fostering student achievement. Dr. Leslie Barnes, with 28 years of experience in business administration and finances, has been appointed the new Associate Superintendent of Business Services. She is joined on the cabinet by Dr. Jennifer Bourgeois, a proven leader and educator who will serve as the new Associate Superintendent of Teaching and Learning.
A.B. Miller High School Class of 2023 graduate Nathan Aguilar loves nothing more than soaring above the clouds. As a member of the school’s aviation career technical education pathway, Nathan quickly developed his flying skills, distinguishing himself as the first A.B. Miller student to earn his private pilot’s license.
Fontana High School is sparking students’ passion for hands-on work in manufacturing and product development through its Welding and Material Joining career technical education pathway, where they learn about the operation, standards, and current practices in welding and fabrication. Students in the pathway can earn certifications from the nonprofit American Welding Society (AWS) and test for welding certifications for advanced welding employment through Fontana High’s accredited welding testing facility. The AWS offers nine certification categories designed to address all segments of the welding and joining industry that gives students the opportunity to leverage their expanded knowledge and expertise across their future professional roles.
Summit High School students are able to reimagine the world of robotics through the school’s Mechatronics career technical education pathway, where they learn electrical and mechanical engineering principles fundamental to the creation of robotic and automated systems. The high-demand skills developed in the pathway enables students to register as a pre-apprentice with the State of California, preparing them for future careers in the industry. Nine Summit High School Class of 2023 graduates – Nathaniel Anaya, Daniel Gastelum, Derek Gutierrez, Ruddy Martin Gutierrez, Sebastian Lara, Ricardo Mendiola, Carlos Romero, Orlando Serrato and Esana Tesfaye – received registered pre-apprenticeship certificates in Mechatronics for successfully demonstrating all the industry-driven occupational competencies and essential skills required for the program.
Almond Elementary School Principal Tim McCaffrey has been a legend in Fontana Unified ever since, as an assistant principal at Sequoia Middle School, he threw himself on the gym floor during a pep rally dance-off and performed the “worm.” McCaffrey’s spontaneous energy, which earned him an ovation from students and staff, continues to resonate throughout the District. McCaffrey, now in his fourth year as Almond Elementary’s principal, was honored for his commitment to student achievement and literacy by the Association of School Administrators (ACSA), which named him the Region 12 Elementary School Principal of the Year.
