Over the last four years, La Puente High School student-athlete Josiah Hernandez has emerged as a leader, scholar and advocate for his school and District community, participating in various extracurricular activities, clubs and sports, earning him the Hispanic & Latino Excellence in Youth Football Award by the National Football League (NFL). Hernandez was recognized for his exceptional football abilities, academic achievements and dedication to civics. During the selection process, each of the 32 teams in the league selected one male and one female student to be recognized during game day on Oct. 15. The Los Angeles Rams selected Hernandez, leading to his inclusion as one of eight finalists in California eligible to receive a college scholarship.
Hacienda La Puente High School Highlights Culture During Celebration
William Workman High School celebrated its rich and diverse campus culture during its annual Día de los Lobos Community Celebration on Nov. 2, honoring a traditional Mexican holiday and introducing elementary and middle schools located in the Workman community to the various extracurricular activities, friendly staff and great vitality that thrives at the school. The event included the highly anticipated haunted house led by the school’s theater department, traditional Día De Los Muertos ofrenda altars, poetry, crafts, homemade food and recreational games.
Hacienda La Puente Unified Celebrates New Mobile History Museum
Hacienda La Puente Unified partnered with Supervisor Hilda Solis and the National History Museum of Los Angeles to provide Sparks Elementary School students with the new Ice Age Discoveries Mobile Museum, a free resource filled with hands-on activities, such as exploring a dig site and making fossil discoveries. The museum’s launch was celebrated during an event at Sparks Elementary on Oct. 27, where local dignitaries and District representatives gathered to see the students experience the museum for the first time.
Hacienda La Puente Unified Students Explore College and Career Options
More than 200 middle and high school Hacienda La Puente Unified students and their families gathered to explore various education and career booths, connect with more than 70 college representatives and engage in numerous informational workshops during the 56th Assembly District Annual College and Career Fair at Los Altos High School on Oct. 14. The annual affair, hosted by 56th District Assemblymember Lisa Calderon in partnership with the District and the Boys and Girls Club of the East & West San Gabriel Valley, provided a myriad of resources designed to help students and parents learn how to prepare and apply for college, certificate or trade programs, scholarships and financial aid.
Glen A. Wilson High School Principal Dr. Danielle Kenfield and Wedgeworth Elementary School Principal Dr. Paulina Cho have been named two of the nine school leaders from the 2023 cohort of National Blue Ribbon Schools honored with the 2023 Terrel H. Bell Award for Outstanding School Leadership from the U.S. Secretary of Education on Oct. 16. All nine recipients have served as catalysts within their districts, fostering positive school cultures and successfully finding new ways to engage students, families, educators and staff. The U.S. Department of Education will present the award to the administrators during the National Blue Ribbon Schools ceremony on Thursday, Nov. 16 in Washington, D.C.
Hacienda La Puente Unified’s Project Life Experience About Democracy (LEAD) program, designed to foster informed citizens by identifying community issues, developing solutions and participating in real-world civic action, has won the California School Boards Association (CSBA) Golden Bell Award for its excellence in amplifying the student voice and promoting change. This unique program, founded in 2014, was developed as an extracurricular experience for students to get involved in local politics and collaborate with various neighborhood affiliations year-round. The award-winning program continues to grow and is now available at eight HLPUSD schools within the San Gabriel Valley.
The program, founded in 2014, was developed as an extracurricular experience for students to get involved in local politics and collaborate with various neighborhood affiliations throughout the year, including the City of La Puente and its Parks and Recreation Department. Project LEAD is also a multi-year recipient of the California Department of Education’s Civic Learning Award.
Four Hacienda La Puente Unified schools were named 2023 National Blue Ribbon Schools by the U.S. Department of Education, recognizing public and private elementary, middle and high schools' academic excellence and success in closing achievement and opportunity gaps. Superintendent Dr. Alfonso Jiménez and Board of Education President Christine H. Salazar celebrated with the community at Glen A. Wilson High School during a District viewing party. The Hacienda La Puente Unified schools were four of only 33 schools in California and 353 schools nationally to be recognized as 2023 National Blue Ribbon Schools.
Hacienda La Puente Campus Ranked in Top 4% of California Schools
Hacienda La Puente Unified’s Glen A. Wilson High School has been listed among the top-performing public schools in the nation, according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2023-24 Best High Schools rankings. Glen A. Wilson earned a spot in the top four percent of schools, with more than 17,500 schools ranked. The assessment by U.S. News & World Report shows that Wilson Wildcat students have demonstrated outstanding outcomes in math, reading and science, have a high percentage of students taking and passing Advanced Placement courses, and a 96% graduation rate.
La Puente High School students now have an opportunity to immerse themselves in dance and nurture their creative talents, as the school’s popular dance program has been expanded into a three-year career technical education pathway. It is one of three exciting new visual and performing arts programs making their debut in the 2023-24 school year, joining a three-year Graphic Design pathway and a partnership with the Youth Cinema Project, which comes to La Puente High after successful pilot programs at the elementary and middle school level. Applications to join the pathways are still being accepted. For information, go to the La Puente High website.
The energy was electric as Hacienda La Puente Unified students were ushered onto campus with friendly cheers from teachers and staff, motivational speeches, musical performances and lively welcome rallies to celebrate the first day of school on Aug. 9. Across the District, each high school campus varied its celebrations to match their school spirit. The District’s elementary and middle schools greeted families onto campus to help students find their classes, meet their new principals and teachers, and get acclimated to their surroundings.
