Fontana Unified School District celebrated 25 years of bringing holiday cheer to local families in need during the Nov. 2 Board of Education meeting, when District employees, Board of Education members, Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus provided the first donations to kick off the annual Fontana Santas Toy Drive. Fontana Santas began in 1997 when Fontana School Police Officer Cindy Evaro and District employee Lydia Wibert learned a Fontana boy ran away from home after Christmas because he did not receive any presents. Evaro, Wibert and the Fontana School Police Department collected toys and donations from local organizations and delivered them to students during the holidays, creating a treasured tradition that has provided toys to thousands of Fontana Unified students over the last 25 years.
When Yubleni Cazares came to the Fontana Unified After School Education and Safety (ASES) program as project director in 2018, she immediately realized the potential of the program to provide crucial academic and socio-emotional support to more than 2,000 students across the District. Under the guidance of Cazares, ASES has developed into a model program that continues to grow. For her success in developing activities and lesson plans that resonate with students, the California Department of Education (CDE) has honored Cazares with its Expanded Learning Innovative Leadership Award. Cazares was recognized during the California Afterschool Network’s annual Lights On Afterschool ceremony, held Oct. 17. Cazares represents CDE Region 10, which includes San Bernardino, Riverside, Inyo and Mono counties.
Tokay Elementary School celebrated its 40th anniversary with a schoolwide assembly on Oct. 14, featuring lively songs and chants performed by students, as well as heartfelt speeches and memories shared by former Tokay principals and current student council members. Tokay Elementary opened its doors on Sept. 7, 1982, becoming the first year-round school in Fontana Unified.
The Fontana High School Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (JROTC) program has been designated as the Region 4 Marine Corps Reserve Association (MCRA) Honor unit, one of only four schools in the U.S. to receive the designation for the 2021-22 school year. This is the third time FOHI has received the MCRA, the Marine Corps’ highest unit award, and it is the first MCRA designation since 1999. FOHI was also named a Naval Honor School (NHS) for the 16th time, reflecting the program’s continued excellence in training young students to become role models and community leaders. Each year, the Marine Corps receives reports from approximately 270 MCJROTC units nationwide; programs that are found to be in the top 20% nationwide earn the NHS designation, and the best unit in each of the four regions earn MCRA designations.
Fontana Unified School District has partnered with California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB) to create a teacher pipeline, which will enable the District to recruit a diverse range of teacher candidates to serve the Fontana community for years to come. The District introduced 20 CSUSB resident teacher candidates during a welcome reception held on Sept. 23, where they met with school administration teams and teachers. The partnership will provide tuition assistance for the graduate students, who will potentially become certified teachers upon completion of the CSUSB College of Education credential program.
Twenty-six Fontana Unified schools have earned platinum, gold, silver and bronze awards from California Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) Coalition, recognizing their successful implementation of PBIS to create a positive campus culture and increase student engagement. This year’s group of PBIS Implementation Award recipients is the largest achieved by the District, with the number of honorees increasing year over year. Citrus, Cypress, Date, Redwood and Juniper elementary schools, Dolores Huerta International Academy, and Harry S. Truman and Sequoia middle schools have earned platinum certifications for their stellar execution of PBIS strategies during the 2021-22 school year.
Fontana Students Explore Academic Options at Regional College Fair
Thousands of Inland Empire students filled blue tote bags with prizes, college swag and brochures as they connected with recruiters from more than 50 colleges and universities, explored career technical education pathways and discussed their future aspirations during the annual Inland Empire Regional College Fair, held Sept. 22 at the Ontario Convention Center. Launched in 2019, the Regional College Fair is a collaborative educational initiative between the Fontana Unified, Rialto Unified and Chaffey Joint Union High school districts that connects students with representatives from a variety of public and private institutions.
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.
