As cheerleaders chanted “We are Southridge Tech,” Fontana Unified board members, administrators, educators and students celebrated Southridge Tech Middle School’s honor as one of 16 California schools newly chosen for the 2019 Schools to Watch list. The Schools to Watch list, created by the National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades Reform, identifies schools across the U.S. that share three features: academic excellence, developmentally responsive to early adolescence and social equity.
Fontana Unified School District on April 17 renamed Dorothy Grant Elementary School and Southridge Middle School to reflect the schools’ efforts to prepare students for the academic and professional challenges of the future. Grant becomes the Dorothy Grant Innovations Academy, paying homage to the school’s science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) academies. Grant is also home to one of Fontana Unified’s two Code to the Future programs, which engages students in technology-based lessons and develops block coding, robotics and scripted coding skills.
Fontana Unified Students Accepted to UC Summer STEM Programs
Jurupa Hills High School students Carlos Ortega-Cuellar and Elian Lintang will explore college-level science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects through the California State Summer School for Mathematics and Science (COSMOS), a four-week residential program for high-achieving math and science students. Ortega-Cuellar will study engineering mechanics at UC Davis while Lintang will study engineering at UC San Diego.
Fontana Unified Renames Elementary School, Middle School
Fontana Unified School District on April 17 renamed Dorothy Grant Elementary School and Southridge Middle School to reflect the schools’ efforts to prepare students for the challenges of the future. Grant will be known as Dorothy Grant Innovations Academy, paying homage to the school’s science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) academy and Code to the Future program. Southridge is now Southridge Tech Middle School, reflecting the school’s efforts to prepare students to boost academic achievement through technology and celebrating its status as a Microsoft Showcase School.
Dressed in Dolores Huerta-inspired T-shirts while chanting “Si Se Puede,” students from Fontana Unified’s Dolores Huerta International Academy welcomed Huerta to campus on April 15 to celebrate her 89th birthday. Students showcased dancing skills while holding flags from different countries, showing what it means to be a part of an international academy, and performed a skit about Huerta’s life as an activist.
Fontana Unified board members, administrators, educators and students on April 24 celebrated Southridge Tech Middle School’s selection as one of 16 California schools newly chosen for the 2019 Schools to Watch list. The event featured performances, remarks from Southridge Tech’s principal, ASB president and Teacher of the Year, and was attended by California Schools to Watch Co-Director Carole Carlson, Fontana Superintendent Randal S. Bassett and past president of the National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades Reform Dr. Irvin Howard. Photos and video are available.
Wayne Ruble Middle School on April 12 celebrated its selection as one of 16 California schools chosen for the 2019 Schools to Watch list for bridging the technology gap, boosting student achievement and improving campus culture. Wayne Ruble Middle School’s ceremony featured performances by the school band, choir and cheerleaders, and was attended by Superintendent Randal S. Bassett, Schools to Watch Executive Director Scott Steele, Maha Rizvi, representative of Assemblymember Eloise Reyes, District leaders, parents, more than 1,200 students and the educator for whom the school was named, Wayne Ruble.
Fontana Unified to Hold 2019 State of the District Scholarship Breakfast
The Fontana Public Schools Education Foundation will host Fontana Unified’s State of the District scholarship breakfast from 8 to 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, April 23 at the Center Stage Theater, 8463 Sierra Ave., Fontana. Superintendent Randal S. Bassett and Student Board Member Jashandeep Lobana will highlight District successes and announce new programs and initiatives at the event.
Fontana Unified Recognized by Model School Attendance Review Board
Fontana Unified has been recognized by the state’s 2018-19 Model School Attendance Review Board (SARB) Recognition Program, celebrating district strategies to reduce chronic absenteeism and increase student attendance. The District is among just 23 in the state to receive the award and will be celebrated at the California Association of Supervisors of Child Welfare and Attendance conference on Friday, April 19 in Napa.
Fontana Unified IB Student Art Show Raises Scholarship, Charity Funds
Showcasing their creative talents in a variety of media, more than 40 Jurupa Hills High School International Baccalaureate (IB) art students contributed artwork for sale at the IB Charity Art Show on April 5. Proceeds from the show will be split between a charity selected by IB art students and the Fontana Foundation of Hope’s IB Scholarship Fund.
