Southridge Tech Middle School students programmed robots, raced battery-powered motorcars, performed science experiments and displayed their college-bound spirit during the school’s second annual Educational Technology Showcase on Dec. 4. Students exhibited their computer skills, navigating through more than a dozen digital learning platforms used in the classroom, including Microsoft, Google, Discovery Education, C-STEM and ConnectEd.
Fontana Unified Celebrated for Financial Aid Application Completion Rate
Fontana Unified’s Jurupa Hills High School was recognized for achieving the state’s sixth-highest rate of completed student financial aid applications during the inaugural California College Affordability Summit, held in November. Jurupa Hills beat out more than 1,000 California High Schools in the Race to Submit, a statewide campaign that aims to increase the number of financial aid applications for California high school seniors.
FUSD Robotics Team to Lead Fontana Christmas Parade as Grand Marshals
Randall Pepper Elementary School’s international robotics success will be celebrated community wide at 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 14, when robotics students, coaches and administrators serve as the grand marshals in the 2019 Fontana Christmas Parade. The Randall Pepper team was selected after representing the District and city on a world stage at the World Robot Olympiad Friendship Invitational, where they netted the International Friendship Award. The parade will be held at Sierra Avenue and Arrow Boulevard in Fontana.
Summit High School will advance its two JV Ethical Hacking teams to the CyberPatriot XII National Youth Cyber Defense Competition semifinals on Friday, Jan. 24, after scoring in the top 25% of their Gold tier in the state competition.
Randall Pepper Elementary School’s international robotics success will be celebrated community wide on Dec. 14, when robotics students, coaches and administrators serve as the grand marshals in the 2019 Fontana Christmas Parade. Randall Pepper Elementary students Heydi Pena, Mariah Torres-Osborne-Lewis, Daisy Santiago and Anthony Cuamatzi will lead the parade of floats and community groups, joined by coaches Alice Strout and Jeff Rich, Principal Dr. Annette Beasley and Assistant Principal Theresa Gomez.
Henry J. Kaiser High School sophomore Samantha Martinez sees the effects of hunger in her community and would love to establish a food pantry on campus, as well as make more community services available during summer and the holidays. Martinez was one of nearly 500 Kaiser sophomores who listened to a panel of experts on the subject of hunger on Nov. 20, as part of a Thanksgiving break project-based learning (PBL) research assignment designed to encourage students to find solutions to real-life problems.
Fontana Unified Named PBIS District of the Year
Fontana Unified on Nov. 14 was named the 2019 Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) District of the Year for the West End and East Valley regions of San Bernardino County. This District’s use of PBIS strategies to foster a positive school climate and increase student engagement was celebrated at the fourth annual PBIS Showcase, hosted by the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools’ PBIS program.
Fontana Unified School Receives IB Middle Years Programme Candidacy
Southridge Tech Middle School has been named a candidate school for the International Baccalaureate (IB) Middle Years Programme (MYP), marking a milestone in the District’s efforts to establish an IB Continuum. As a candidate school – a status achieved ahead of the District’s schedule – Southridge Tech is beginning trial implementation of the MYP and seeking authorization as an IB World School. MYP provides a rigorous, globally focused and inquiry-led framework of learning that fosters creative and critical thinking.
Fontana Unified, Fontana School Police Department and community members kicked off the holiday season with the first toy donations in the 22nd annual Fontana Santas Toy Drive, which aims to bring holiday cheer to families in need.
Fontana School Police Officer Cindy Evaro and district employee Lydia Wibert began Fontana Santas 22 years ago when they learned a Fontana boy ran away from home after Christmas because he did not receive any presents. Evaro, Wibert and Fontana School Police collected toys and donations from local organizations and delivered them to students during the holidays.
Seventeen Fontana Unified schools were recognized at the fourth annual Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) Showcase, held Nov. 14 in San Bernardino. The showcase highlighted schools that have effectively used PBIS strategies to foster a positive school climate and increase student engagement, netting platinum, gold, silver and bronze awards.
