Bonita Unified Elementary Named 2022 National Blue Ribbon School
Shull Elementary School has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as a 2022 National Blue Ribbon School, celebrating its exceptional efforts to close the opportunity gap and maintain a high level of student achievement. This is Shull’s second National Blue Ribbon School designation, and it is among just 29 California schools honored this year. Shull Elementary was recognized for its family-centered approach, which features strong parent-guardian engagement, dedicated teachers who work hard to create memorable activities for their students, constant lines of communication among its stakeholders, and a volunteer spirit embraced by teachers and parents alike.
Tokay Elementary School will celebrate its 40th anniversary with a schoolwide assembly at 9:30 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 14, featuring students performing songs and chants, and former Tokay principals and current student council members sharing stories and history about the school. Tokay Elementary opened its doors on Sept. 7, 1982, becoming the first year-round school in Fontana Unified. The event is free and open to the entire Fontana Unified community. Tokay Elementary is located at 7846 Tokay Ave., Fontana.
Fontana Unified School District will partner with Chaffey Joint Union High School District and Rialto Unified School District to host the Inland Empire College and Career Fair from 4 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 22 at the Ontario Convention Center. The free event will feature representatives from more than 50 colleges and universities from across the country, including USC, UCLA, UC Berkeley, California State University, Los Angeles, Scripps College, University of La Verne, University of Arizona, Maryville University, New Mexico State University, and Loma Linda University. The Ontario Convention Center is located at 2000 E. Convention Center Way, Ontario.
Fontana Unified School District has named Monica E. Young as Sequoia Middle School’s new principal, promoting the veteran administrator from her current position as Henry J. Kaiser High School assistant principal, where she has worked since 2017. During her time at Kaiser High, Young led the professional development for teachers, supervised and evaluated the science, math and world languages departments, worked with stakeholders to identify school needs, and conferred with students, parents and teachers to resolve academic and behavioral issues and concerns.
Fontana Unified to Co-Host Annual Regional College and Career Fair
Fontana Unified School District will join forces with Chaffey Joint Union High School District to host the annual Regional College and Career Fair from 4 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 20 at the Ontario Convention Center. The free event will introduce more than 60,000 students from the two school districts to representatives from dozens of colleges and universities across the country. Students can also explore potential career pathways, trade schools and more. The Ontario Convention Center is located at 2000 E. Convention Center Way, Ontario.
The Randall Pepper Elementary School robotics team will seek a return trip to Europe when it competes in the 2022 WRO-USA National Championship and International Friendly. More than 100 teams from across the United States and 30 international teams will participate in the tournament, including students from Fontana Unified’s Southridge Tech Middle School. Winners will qualify for World Robot Olympiad, to be held in Dortmund, Germany in November 2022. The WRO-USA National Championship will be held on Saturday, Aug. 27 at the Ontario International Airport Hangar, 1923 E. Avion Ave., Ontario. The main competition will run from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m.; a dinner and awards ceremony will follow at 7 p.m.
Sequoia Middle School has been honored for its stellar implementation of Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) – a college-prep elective that works to narrow the achievement gap between the lowest- and highest-performing students – and named one of three San Bernardino County schools to earn a 2022 AVID Teacher Advocacy Award. The AVID Teacher Advocacy Award honors and supports outstanding California AVID teachers and school site teams while encouraging the implementation of AVID schoolwide and the sharing of best practices among peers. Sequoia was awarded $10,000 to be used for further implementation of AVID.
Fontana Unified Launches 2022-23 School Year with Lively Celebrations
Fontana Unified School District welcomed students back to campuses filled with upbeat music, cheerful decorations and smiling faces on Aug. 3, ushering in a new school year focused on empowering students to achieve their full potential. A.B. Miller High School celebrated the first day of school bright and early with a Senior Sunrise event for the Class of 2023. ASB leaders, many wearing cowboy hats, handed out donuts and juice to seniors while a DJ played music. School pride was on full display at Tokay Elementary School, where Student Council members waved red pompoms and greeted their peers as they entered the campus.
The Fontana Unified Board of Education selected longtime educator Juan M. López to serve as the District’s interim superintendent, effective Sept. 6, 2022, during the Aug. 10 Board meeting. Per the Board-approved contract, López will serve as the District’s top official through Jan. 13, 2023, providing leadership as the Board conducts a search for a permanent superintendent. He will succeed Dr. Monica Makiewicz, Fontana Unified’s associate superintendent of teaching and learning, who was appointed acting superintendent following the retirement of Randal Bassett.
Canyon Crest Elementary School fifth-grader Dominic Romanio’s track and field career is off to a strong start, after he helped his 10 East track club teammates sprint to a third-place finish in the 4x100 relays during the 2022 USATF National Junior Olympic Track & Field Championships, held July 31 in Sacramento. Racing against the top relay teams in the country – ages nine and 10 – Romanio took the anchor leg in the relay as the team completed one lap around the track in 54.93 seconds, narrowly edging the fourth-place finisher by .08 seconds and securing their place on the winner’s podium as bronze medalists.
