Lynwood Elementary Students to Teach Families about College Life
From her childhood days of teaching Cabbage Patch Kids to more than two decades of inspiring students in English and theatre at Marco Antonio Firebaugh High School, Kathleen Thomas Butiu has always been driven by a love for education. Lynwood Unified School District named Thomas Butiu its 2024-25 Teacher of the Year on May 8, recognizing her exceptional teaching, community involvement and dedication to student-centered learning.
Lynwood Unified School District is teaming up with SLA Inc. to transform 10 school sites and campuses into sustainable green spaces in which to learn and grow through The Lynwood Greening Initiative, a project funded by nearly $2 million in CAL FIRE grants. The initiative, which will roll out over the next three years, will revamp 10 sites – Firebaugh High School, Hosler Middle School and Mark Twain, Helen Keller, Lincoln, Lugo, Roosevelt and Washington elementary schools, and the Early Childhood Education (ECE) centers at Lindbergh and Will Rogers elementary schools – into eco-friendly hubs that reflect the community’s vision while providing students with hands-on environmental learning experiences.
It is with profound sadness that Lynwood Unified School District announces the death of Deputy Superintendent Shawna Dinkins, Ed.D., who passed away on Saturday, March 1, following a sudden and courageous battle with cancer. Her passing is a heartbreaking loss for Lynwood Unified and the many lives she touched throughout her extraordinary career. Dinkins’ unwavering commitment to student success and nearly seven years of leadership at Lynwood Unified have elevated the District to new heights, establishing it as a model for equity and excellence.
Washington Elementary School students will give presentations on college options for classmates and families during a College Fair at 9:15 a.m. Thursday, March 28 at the school’s campus, 4225 Sanborn Ave., Lynwood.
Lynwood High School senior Alan Lopez was awarded the $40,000 Edison International STEM Scholarship, given to just 30 high school seniors pursuing majors in science, technology, engineering and math. Lopez has a 4.6 GPA and plans to study computer science. Alan’s sister, Abieiden, won the scholarship in 2018.
Washington Elementary School was recognized on May 4 as one of LA's Top Public Schools for underserved students during the Top Schools LA: Leading the Way for Educational Equity conference at the University of Southern California. Washington received the distinction for serving a significant number of low-income students and narrowing the achievement gap during the 2017-18 school year. Results from the 2017-18 California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress in English language arts (ELA) and mathematics were a component to the evaluation process. At Washington Elementary, 49.4 percent of students met or exceeded state ELA proficiency standards – up from 45.2 percent the previous year.
Fifth- and sixth-grade students from across Lynwood Unified will test their math skills during the annual Math-A-Thon competition at 1 p.m. Wednesday, March 13 at Firebaugh High School, 5246 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Lynwood. Each Lynwood Unified elementary school will send six-person teams to take on mental math, problem solving and group work.
U.S. Rep. Nanette Diaz Barragán and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon joined the Lynwood Unified Board of Education and community members on Feb. 22 to celebrate Roosevelt Elementary School earning a Bronze Award for work in its Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports program. The program featured remarks from Superintendent Gudiel R. Crosthwaite as Roosevelt’s students and PBIS team were recognized for exceptional work in PBIS.
Nearly 250 Lynwood Middle School students will receive free eyeglasses through the District’s partnership with Vision To Learn, a nonprofit dedicated to eliminating vision issues as a barrier to education. The students who will receive new eyewear went through free screenings in fall 2018. The recipients have chosen their own frames. VTL specialists have partnered with Lynwood’s Rotary Club and will join LMS staff members to distribute the glasses on the school’s campus Tuesday, Feb. 26 at 9 a.m.
Lynwood Unified will host its fifth annual Parent University to celebrate community engagement at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, March 30 at Marshall Elementary School, 3593 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Lynwood. The event will provide parents and families with workshops to empower them to become academic partners with their children.
Lynwood Unified is set to hold open houses at each of its 12 elementary schools to provide information to parents about preschool, transitional kindergarten and kindergarten programs. Lugo and Roosevelt elementary schools will host families at 9 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 12, while Mark Twain Elementary will welcome families at 9:15 a.m. and 5 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 13.
Nearly 200 Lynwood Unified African American students received messages of empowerment from professionals and discussed leadership during the 2019 Martin Luther King Jr. Leadership Conference on Jan. 29 at Firebaugh High School.