Fontana Unified School District Police Department (FSPD), in partnership with San Bernardino Unified, brought together Southern California school district administrators for its Safety Symposium on Nov. 24, providing an opportunity to strengthen partnerships throughout the area and share strategies for maintaining safe and supportive learning environments. The symposium, last held in 2021, hosted 69 members of the school policing community and school district staff from Indio to La Puente and San Diego, featuring a full day of presentations covering current issues impacting schools, including social media and search warrants, human trafficking, fentanyl safety and identification, cannabis and juvenile laws, and building relationships with school administration.
Nearly 800 Fontana Unified special education students were celebrated in October with Achievement Awards recognizing their determination and commitment to learning, presented by the District’s Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA) and Community Advisory Committee (CAC). FUSD special education teachers and staff select the students, from early childhood through age 22, to receive Certificates of Achievement and gift vouchers to local diners including Applebee’s, B.J.’s, and Shakey’s, for their outstanding effort at school.
The Jurupa Hills High School Players of the Palace have come a long way since staging their first performance, “Sleepy Hollow,” in the campus foyer for the school’s inaugural Harvest Festival in 2010. Now the award-winning program will come full circle with a 15th anniversary celebration, debuting a new version of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” on Friday, Nov. 14 at Jurupa Hills’ state-of-the-art Palace of Fine Art Theatre. The new version of “Sleepy Hollow” was written by drama teacher and show director James Griffin, a Fontana High Class of 1994 graduate, and will incorporate the elaborate sets, handcrafted costumes, and student-designed effects that Players of the Palace supporters have enjoyed over the years.
Fontana High School (FOHI) has been recognized with a Golden Bell Award from the California School Boards Association for its transformative College Application Submit Day (CASD), a celebratory event that honors students as they submit their college applications and has reshaped college readiness at FOHI, across Fontana Unified, and beyond. This year, FOHI will celebrate both the recognition and its ongoing commitment to student success during its ninth annual CASD on Thursday, Nov. 20, when students actively submit their college applications to qualifying universities. The day features on-the-spot admissions from local universities – including the University of Redlands, Cal Baptist University, University of La Verne, Azusa Pacific University, and direct admission to Cal State University San Bernardino – along with photobooths, “I Applied to College” stickers, college t-shirts, and a family reception. Each year, more than 400 FOHI families participate in the event, with over 2,400 applications submitted in a single day.
For the eighth year in a row, Southridge Tech Middle School has been recognized as a Microsoft Showcase School for the 2025-26 academic year in recognition of its ongoing commitment to educational innovation and use of digital tools to support student success. Southridge Tech was first welcomed into the global network of Microsoft Showcase Schools in 2018, joining campuses across six continents recognized for their forward-thinking integration of technology to improve student outcomes and promote inclusive learning. Only 32 schools across North America – and just three in California – received this honor this year.
More than 500 families gathered at Jessie Turner Park this fall for Fontana Unified’s 10th annual Early Education Family Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) Night, an interactive, outdoor, community event designed to strengthen family engagement and spark curiosity in STEAM among the District’s youngest learners. Summit High School volunteers, alongside the Early Education instructional teams, guided families with children ages 2 to 5 in a range of play-based, hands-on activities that celebrated creativity and exploration. Organized in partnership with the District’s State preschool, transitional kindergarten, and special education preschool programs, the evening featured various stations that introduced STEAM concepts, including participating in sensory activities, observing color changes by mixing food dye, building catapults, constructing block structures from blueprints, and learning gardening skills.
Fontana High School’s (FOHI) Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (MCJROTC) marksmanship team has begun the 2025 National Sporter Air Rifle League season with precision and focus, securing four consecutive wins and maintaining its standing among the nation’s leading teams. Guided by coach LtCol Denny Meelarp, Fontana MCJROTC has earned a reputation for consistent excellence, qualifying for the national championships four years in a row and routinely placing among the top seven teams nationwide. The program emphasizes discipline, technique, and student independence, with Meelarp encouraging cadets to take ownership of their training.
The Fontana High School Marching Steelers brought their energy and precision to Palm Desert Civic Center Park on Oct. 5, performing for one of their own—Blink-182 drummer and Fontana High alumnus Travis Barker. As the runners laced up for the “Run Travis Run” 5K charity event, the Marching Steelers performed pep tunes on Barker’s arrival and rallying the crowd at the start and finish lines. The event, part of Barker’s “Hit The Pavement” wellness tour, benefitted the nonprofit Community Organized Relief Effort (CORE), which supports disaster response and community resilience around the world.
Fontana High School’s dedication to ensure students thrive after graduation has been recognized through their Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) program, with the school being named as one of four finalists for the college prep program’s inaugural AVID Global Achievement Site Team of the Year award. The winner will be announced at the AVID 2025 National Conference in December.
Fontana Unified School District’s robotics team from Redwood Elementary School competed in the World Robot Olympiad (WRO), Asia Pacific Open Championships in Manila, Philippines in September, going up against student groups from Asia, Europe, and Africa while serving as United States ambassadors. Redwood Elementary School sixth-grader Dalayza Ponce and fifth-graders Isabella Ruiz and Kylie Moorefield – collectively known as Two Bunny Robots – embarked on the international trip after their top five finish in the WRO National Tournament in July. With a 13th place finish in Manila, the international experience helped equip the Redwood Elementary students with the confidence to continue pursuing their passions.
