Taking on powerful subjects such as suicide prevention, mental illness, and systemic racism, nearly a dozen Jurupa Hills High School student filmmakers were recognized by the Directing Change Film Project for excellence in producing 60-second public service announcements. Jurupa Hills sophomore Kashmir Garnica won a regional first place award for her suicide prevention film, “Keep an Eye Out,” and will advance to the Directing Change state finals. Junior Kimberly Do earned an honorable mention in the Directing Change statewide Hope and Justice category for her film, “Racism is the Real Virus.” Six other Jurupa Hills-produced films received regional honorable mentions.
Drawing on her passion for advocacy and community betterment, Fontana High School junior Miranda Ordoñez will provide a voice for Fontana Unified students and serve as the Board of Education student representative in 2021-22. Ordoñez was selected from a pool of five finalists following a virtual interview during the April 28 Board of Education special meeting. As a first-generation, college-bound Latina, Ordoñez takes her education seriously and has made the most of the learning and extracurricular opportunities in Fontana Unified. She is a high-achieving scholar at the top of her class, balancing Advanced Placement classes with clubs and activities and an array of volunteer roles.
Fontana Unified School District will bid farewell to the Class of 2021 from Tuesday, June 8 to Thursday, June 10, honoring their achievements with socially distanced commencement ceremonies that allow for lively and safe celebrations. Fontana Unified will honor graduates with modified in-person ceremonies at the San Manuel Stadium, home to the minor-league Inland Empire 66ers baseball team, located at 280 S. E Street, San Bernardino.
Summit High School has been named a 2021 California Distinguished School, celebrating its success in boosting student achievement, attaining strong graduation rates and fostering college and career readiness. The California Distinguished School award is the state’s top honor for high-achieving schools. Given to 241 middle and high schools this year, the award recognizes schools for their excellent work in closing the achievement gap and achieving exceptional student performance.
Sequoia Middle School has been recognized in the 2021 California Schools to Watch program, celebrating its continued success in boosting student achievement, creating a positive campus culture, bridging the technology gap and reducing suspensions. Sequoia Middle School is among 31 high-performing California middle schools to be honored this year. First designated as a School to Watch in 2018, Sequoia was re-evaluated to retain the designation – a process that occurs every three years.
A.B. Miller High School Class of 2001 graduate Lourdes Alcaraz was so intent on learning photography that she would spend hours after school in the darkroom perfecting her images. Known to family and friends as “Lulu,” the skills Alcaraz acquired at A.B. Miller led to a successful career as a professional photographer, specializing in weddings and portraiture. Alcaraz was just hitting her stride as a professional when she was diagnosed with cancer and died in 2011. Family and friends gathered at A.B. Miller High’s fine arts building to pay tribute to her, dedicating a mural in Alcaraz’s honor on April 30.
Fontana Unified STEM students showcased their talent for innovation and creativity at the 39th annual San Bernardino, Inyo and Mono Counties (SIM) Science and Engineering Fair, earning two gold medals, three silver medals, and garnering several special area awards. Alder Middle School eighth-grader Barbara Gonzalez Lagunas and Almeria Middle School eighth-grader Alejandra Delgado were awarded gold medals in the Junior Division during the March regional fair and advanced to the California Science Fair, held April 13. Kaiser High School students Jose Centeno, Amitoj Lobana and Frida Monreal were awarded silver medals in the Senior Division during the regional fair.
Fontana Unified School District has been designated as a 2021 Model School Attendance Review Board (SARB) in California, honoring the District’s efforts to reach disengaged students during the COVID-19 pandemic and connect families with resources and support. Fontana Unified is among 20 Model SARB Award winners this year, which include 19 school districts and one county office of education, and is the only SARB in San Bernardino County recognized this year.
Almeria Middle School Principal Kim Bente will retire at the end of the 2020-21 year after 25 years of service in the District, all at the same campus. Felix Jones will serve as Almeria Middle School’s principal in 2021-22, bringing nearly 20 years of education experience to the role. Bente came to Almeria Middle School in 1995 and has worked there ever since, serving as a seventh- and eighth-grade math and science teacher, then as assistant principal and principal. Jones, a Fontana Unified alumnus and resident, began his education career in 2002, working as a special education teacher and then as a math intervention teacher in the District. He returned to Fontana Unified in 2018 as the assistant principal of instruction at Henry J. Kaiser High School.
Summit High School senior Emilio Ovando and A.B. Miller High School junior Jazmin Gonzalez both see the world through an artistic lens, allowing them to express themselves in creative ways. Their talent was recently recognized at the Young Artists’ Gallery, where both students received first place in the film and animation and drawing categories, respectively. The Young Artists’ Gallery is a juried exhibition for visual arts students in middle and high school that allows them to exercise their creativity and explore the expression of ideas through various mediums. Ovando and Gonzalez were honored by San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools Ted Alejandre during an awards ceremony in March.
