The Lynwood Unified Board of Education will recognize eighth-graders Zion Bennett and Jose Laguna, who have been selected to journey to Rwanda from July 3-16 to showcase their acting and writing talents as a part of the District’s Building Relationships and Inspiring Dialogue through Global Exchange (BRIDGE) Theatre Project. Bennett and Laguna were chosen from more than 500 District students who participate in the program. Bennett co-wrote an original play, “Great Minds Alike,” a story about female empowerment which will be performed at the annual Ubumuntu Arts Festival next month. In exchange, the Lynwood students will perform a play written by Rwandan students at the festival.
Lynwood Unified held graduation ceremonies in for its comprehensive high schools and alternative high school; all ceremonies were held at Lynwood High School. Vista High School held its ceremony on June 13 in the gym; Firebaugh High School held its ceremony on June 14 on the field; Lynwood High School celebrated on June 15 on the field.
Five Lynwood Unified high schoolers have been recognized for outstanding artwork, highlighting the strengths of the District’s visual and performing arts program. Lynwood High School senior Evelyn Granados earned the top prize in the 44th District Congressional Art Competition for her work, “Love is Love.” Honorable mentions for the contest went to Lynwood High seniors Emily Medrano, Miguel Sanchez and Malaysia West. Katherine Espinoza, a visual art student from Vista High School, was awarded an Otis College of Art and Design scholarship to attend the college’s Summer of Art program.
Roosevelt Elementary sixth-grader Stephanie Reyes’ eyes lit up when she described the famous alumni of Princeton University – from former First Lady Michelle Obama to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and President James Madison. Reyes joined classmates Estevan Sandoval and Kianna Jimenez as representatives of Princeton for their school’s fourth annual College Fair on May 22. Nearly 650 Roosevelt students in preschool through sixth grade were taught college options by their peers, detailing school colors, mascots and programs of more than two dozen universities.
Lynwood Unified School District students experimented with static electricity, observed models of city landscapes and reviewed book reports during the annual Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) Fair where students explored the work of their peers across the District. Each of Lynwood Unified’s 18 schools contributed projects that were publicly displayed on May 16 in the city’s Bateman Hall, where the community could take the educational tour. Elementary schools visited the showcase in shifts throughout the day, while some children brought their parents for demonstrations of engineering, science, history and world geography.
Lynwood Unified students Zion Bennett and Jose Laguna, acting as American cultural ambassadors, performed at the Ubumuntu Arts Festival, held July 13-15 in Kigali, Rwanda. Bennett and Laguna represented Lynwood, showcasing their talents as part of the District’s BRIDGE Theater Project. They collaborated with students from the Mashirika Performance Arts Company on two plays, “Great Minds Think Alike,” written by Cesar Chavez Middle School BRIDGE students, and “Arthur’s Diary,” a Rwandan student-written play that centers on two brothers orphaned during the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. Bennett and Laguna are the first students to travel outside the U.S. as part of the BRIDGE Project, which uses theater to build international relationships.
Roosevelt Elementary students will educate their peers on college majors, programs and campuses during the school’s College Fair from 9 to 11 a.m. Tuesday, May 22. Each Roosevelt classroom adopted a college to research at the beginning of the year. Students will present their findings with visual aids such as pamphlets from universities and graduation regalia. Roosevelt is at 10835 Mallison Ave., Lynwood.
Lynwood Unified to Hold 4th Annual Parent University Commencement
More than 200 Lynwood Unified parents are expected to celebrate their participation in the District’s parent education program during the fourth annual Parent University commencement event from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday, May 19. Parents who completed Parent University workshops throughout the year will gather at Marshall Elementary School, 3593 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Lynwood.
Students at Lynwood Unified’s Hosler Middle School walked, jogged and ran to support their community during the second annual Autism Walk, raising $2,000 for the Autism Speaks organization. The My Buddy Club, which consists of seventh-graders in special education, reached out to peers, teachers and parents to help raise funds for autism awareness – tripling the amount raised during last year’s walk.
Lynwood High School Biomedical Sciences teacher Deena Smith was named the District’s Teacher of the Year for her ability to challenge students while providing hands-on, practical instruction. Smith leads students through autopsies, and other projects as they explore a range of careers in biomedical sciences. Smith was recognized during a Lynwood Unified Board of Education meeting on May 10.
