Three Fontana Unified administrators are advancing to new positions within the District, building on years of educational leadership as they assume their new roles at Hemlock, Cypress and Oleander elementary schools. Adam Andersen will move from Cypress Elementary, where he has been principal since 2015, to become principal at Hemlock Elementary; Lorena Michel will take the helm as principal at Cypress Elementary, where she has served as assistant principal since 2016; and Julie Hansberger will step in as principal at Oleander Elementary, following seven years as the school’s assistant principal
Fontana Unified School District is partnering with Chaffey Joint Union High School District and Rialto Unified School District to host the Inland Empire Regional Virtual College and Career Fair from 4 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 16. Students of all ages and their families are invited to attend the free virtual fair, where they can learn about admission requirements and available programs for more than 50 colleges and universities from across the country and gain insight on career opportunities and planning through breakout sessions. To register, visit www.ow.ly/vt7A50FXZEj.
Fontana Unified to Co-Host Regional Virtual College and Career Fair
Fontana Unified School District is partnering with Chaffey Joint Union High School District and Rialto Unified School District to host the Inland Empire Regional Virtual College and Career Fair from 4 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 16. Students of all ages and their families are invited to attend the free virtual fair, where they can learn about admission requirements and available programs for more than 50 colleges and universities from across the country and gain insight on career opportunities and planning through breakout sessions. To register, visit www.ow.ly/vt7A50FXZEj.
Twenty-one Fontana Unified schools have earned platinum, gold, silver, and bronze awards from California Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) Coalition, recognizing their efforts to create a positive campus culture and increase student engagement. Citrus, Cypress and Date elementary schools, Dolores Huerta International Academy, and Alder, Harry S. Truman and Sequoia middle schools have earned platinum certifications for their stellar execution of PBIS strategies in 2020-21. They are joined by gold PBIS Implementation Award recipients Juniper, Oleander, Randall Pepper and West Randall elementary schools, Southridge Tech Middle School and Jurupa Hills High School; silver PBIS Implementation Award recipients Maple, Poplar, Sierra Lakes and Virginia Primrose elementary schools, as well as Almeria and Fontana middle schools; and bronze PBIS Implementation Award recipients Live Oak Elementary and Mango Elementary.
Fontana Unified Welcomes 2021-22 Student Board Representative
The Fontana Unified Board of Education welcomed its 2021-22 student representative, Miranda Ordoñez, to the board during its Aug. 11 meeting. A senior at Fontana High School, Ordoñez is a high-achieving scholar at the top of her class, balancing Advanced Placement classes with clubs and activities such as the Girls & Guys for an Empowered Modern Society club, the California Scholarship Federation, manager for the wrestling team, and more. In her role as a student representative, Ordoñez will serve as the voice for all Fontana Unified students, sharing their perspective with the Board of Education and advocating for their interests.
Fontana Unified celebrated the first day of the 2021-22 school year and the return to full-time, in-person instruction on Aug. 6, welcoming students to campuses bedecked with balloons, banners, and inspirational messages. Fontana High School students reconnecting with their friends were greeted with maroon and white balloons, the sounds of a DJ playing music a chalk art mural and messages across campus that said “welcome back” and “we missed you.” At Truman Middle School, students arrived in waves, receiving their class assignments and having their temperature checked before gathering in the main quad.
Henry J. Kaiser High School and Sierra Lakes Elementary launched the 2021-22 year under the leadership of recently appointed principals Jose A. Espinoza and Maria Talamantes, who bring nearly 38 years of collective experience to Fontana Unified. In their new roles, Espinoza and Talamantes will oversee the administration of all facets of their school’s educational program and focus on the optimal educational development of each student.
Summit High School’s ASE Education Foundation Automotive Program has partnered with General Motors (GM), which will donate a 2020 Chevrolet Traverse to help career technical education (CTE) students enrolled in Summit’s ASE Automotive Maintenance and Light Repair class gain the technological skills necessary to become an automotive technician. Made through GM’s corporate donations program, the gift will bolster Summit’s maintenance class, which is guided by GM’s Automotive Service Education Program (ASEP) curriculum and incorporates advanced automotive technical training with a strong academic foundation of math, reading and electronics, as well as analytical and technical skills.
Fontana Unified Sets Aug. 6 Start for 2021-22, Launches Online Program
Fontana Unified School District will launch the 2021-22 school year on Friday, Aug. 6. Students will return to campuses for in-person instruction, five days a week. Fontana Unified will also provide full-day kindergarten at all elementary sites in 2021-22. Students who wish to remain in an online learning environment may apply for one of the District’s two virtual programs: the new Actively Creating Connections Ensuring Student Success (ACCESS) program, launching this year, or the Virtual Learning Program (VLP), which launched in 2020-21. ACCESS is an independent study program that offers live, synchronous instruction in a digital classroom and mirrors a traditional school day. VLP is an asynchronous curricular program geared towards meeting the needs of students who are self-guided, independent learners.
Fontana School Police Officer Honored for Safe Driving Education
Fontana School Police Department Officer Glen A. Johnsen has been honored with the 2021 Innovation in the Classroom Award, receiving national recognition for his creative approach to teaching students about safe driving. The annual accolade, awarded by the National Road Safety Foundation and the National Association of School Resource Officers, recognizes a police officer for their innovative teaching of traffic safety in schools. Johnsen’s award-winning approach features a computer game, developed with computer science students at Summit High School, that uses role-playing to demonstrate the potential consequences of bad driving decisions – including texting, reckless driving and driving under the influence.
