Jurupa Hills High School senior Jesse Juarez’s talent as a photographer was first recognized when he posted photos on Instagram in middle school. At Jurupa Hills, Juarez began honing his skills under the guidance of photography teacher Rebecca Cauchon, who encouraged him to expand his horizons and consider a career in visual and digital arts. Juarez is one of five Jurupa Hills students whose work was recognized for excellence by the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, with Juarez winning a coveted Gold Key Award at the 2023 Scholastic Art & Writing West Coast Region Awards for his photo collage “Many Me.” The collage will be featured as part of the Alliance’s annual National Exhibition, to be held in New York City in the spring. Juarez was joined by seniors Rosemary Atkins and Roxana Silva, who received Silver Key Awards. Jurupa Hills senior Anita Rodriguez and junior Sam Aguba received Honorable Mentions for their work.
Fontana Unified Appoints Alumna as New Superintendent
Following a nationwide search and a lengthy process of gathering input from District employees and community members the Fontana Unified School District Board of Education appointed Miki Inbody as the District’s next superintendent during the Feb. 1 Board meeting. Inbody has deep ties to Fontana Unified, having attended schools in and previously working for the District.
Fontana Unified School District has named Tim Yelin, a proven leader with extensive classroom experience, to serve as the new principal of North Tamarind Elementary School. Yelin brings 17 years of educational experience – all spent in Fontana Unified – to his role as North Tamarind’s top administrator. Throughout his career, Yelin taught at the elementary, middle and high school levels, before stepping into an administrative role as assistant principal at A.B. Miller High School.
The Kaiser High School Artistic and Theatrical Society (KATS) wowed judges and won numerous accolades for their repertory fall stage performances, earning a main stage invitation to the California Educational Theater Association (CETA) 2022-23 High School Theater Festival, to be held Jan. 13 to 15 at Los Osos High School. After staging two separate plays on alternate nights, the CETA judges rewarded the KATS actors and crew members for their hard work, selecting both plays to be performed in their entirety at the festival, with “Mojada, a Medea in Los Angeles” earning a second-place finish and a spot on the festival’s main stage. The second play, “Lazarus Rising,” earned a ninth-place finish and will perform on the festival’s second stage. Additionally, every KATS member who participated received a CETA certificate of merit, a first for Kaiser High School.
Fontana Unified Receives Federal Grant for Mental Health Training
Recognizing a need to increase mental health awareness throughout the school district and community, Fontana Unified will begin a comprehensive mental health and wellness training initiative after being awarded a Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA) grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services worth more than $400,000. The SAMSHA grant, which will be split over four years, will go to the District’s Multi-Tiered System of Supports department to fund specialized training in detecting the signs of mental illness so that District staff can respond in a timely manner to avert a mental health crisis. Training will also be provided to the community so that families can better identify early warning signs of mental illness.
Fontana Unified Selects Finalist Candidate for Superintendent
Following a nationwide search and a lengthy process of gathering input from District employees and community members, which included the review of 21 applicants recruited by Leadership Associates, the Fontana Unified District Board of Education has selected Miki Inbody as the finalist candidate for District superintendent. Inbody has deep ties to Fontana Unified, having attended schools and working as an administrator in the District. The Fontana Unified Board of Education will consider an offer of employment and contract at its Board meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 1. Inbody is currently the Assistant Superintendent of Education Support Services at San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools.
Fontana Unified Drama Program to Perform at CETA Theater Festival
The Kaiser High School Artistic and Theatrical Society (KATS) wowed judges and won numerous accolades for their repertory fall stage performances, and will perform two plays in their entirety at the California Educational Theater Association 2022-23 High School Theater Festival, to be held Friday, Jan. 13 to Sunday, Jan. 15 at Los Osos High School, 6001 Milliken Ave., Rancho Cucamonga. KATS will reprise their performances of “Mojada, a Medea in Los Angeles,” which earned a second-place finish and an invitation to perform on the festival’s main stage, and “Lazurus Rising,” which earned a ninth-place finish and will be performed on festival’s second stage.
Following a nationwide search and a lengthy process of gathering input from District employees and community members, which included the review of 21 applicants recruited by Leadership Associates, the Fontana Unified District Board of Education has selected Miki Inbody as the finalist to replace outgoing Superintendent Randal Bassett. Ms. Inbody has deep ties to Fontana Unified, having attended schools in the District and previously worked for the District. The Fontana Unified Board of Education will consider an offer of employment and contract at its regularly scheduled Board meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 1.
Fontana Unified School District students and families were treated to the sights, sounds and spirit of the holiday season as they received gifts and goodies from cheerful volunteers during the District’s 25th annual Fontana Santas event on Dec. 17. Almond Elementary principal Tim McCaffrey served as emcee for the event, playing upbeat holiday music and hyping up families from Fontana Unified’s elementary schools as they drove through the District office parking lot, receiving stuffed stockings, backpacks, books and school kits, a variety of non-perishable food items, stuffed animals and more. The final stop on the families’ journey was a visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus, who greeted students as volunteer elves hand-selected toys from a sleigh full of gifts.
Fontana Unified Students’ Creativity Displayed in City Art Showcase
Jurupa Hills High School seniors Danielle Turner, Kaitlin Cervantes and Daniela Garcia were selected to feature their art in the City of Fontana’s High School Artist Showcase, recognizing their creative talent, technique and conceptual skills. The exhibition at the Art Depot Gallery – which runs through Sunday, Jan. 8 – features more than 50 artworks of high school students throughout the city. Turner won the Best in Show award for her piece “Black Identity,” a mixed medium self portrait, symbolizing both the positive and negative history of Black people in America and highlighting elements of Black culture. Cervantes’ self portrait, “In All Directions,” won the Discipline and Innovation award for her representation of how anxiety feels. The Art Depot Gallery is located at 16822 Spring St., Fontana.
