Follow-up Story: Nearly 250 students from Lynwood Unified’s high schools attended the District’s fifth annual Black Teen Summit on Feb. 22. Guest speakers and workshops aimed to extend opportunities to the District’s African-American students.
Follow-up Story: Five-time NBA champion Michael Cooper, who played on the Los Angeles Lakers alongside Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the 1980s, shared secrets of his success with about 100 Lynwood Unified students at Cesar Chavez Middle School on Feb. 6. Cooper put students to the test during shooting drills and imparted his five Ds of success: determination, dedication, desire, discipline and decision-making.
Follow-up Story: Jon Bernthal, star of “Marvel’s The Punisher,” shared his life story with about 75 drama students from Firebaugh High and Lynwood Middle schools on Feb. 6. Bernthal, who also had pivotal roles in “Baby Driver” and “The Walking Dead,” struggled to find direction as a high school student before discovering acting. He urged Lynwood Unified students to pursue their passions.
Follow-up Story: Washington Elementary School hosted students and their families for a night of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) experimentation at the Family STEM Night on Feb 7. Guests experienced a gaming truck that featured science activities and explored a portable planetarium. An opportunity drawing awarded one lucky winner with a tablet.
Thurgood Marshall Elementary School will gather community members to enhance its campus during a beautification day at 8 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 3. Students will receive school credit as they join parents and staff for the campus cleaning. Water, snacks and gloves will be provided. Marshall is at 3593 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Lynwood.
Twenty-five Lynwood Unified parents will hold a commencement ceremony at 9 a.m. Friday, Feb. 2 to celebrate completing a program that taught them how to build digital-age bridges with their children and the community. The 12-week parent workshop, called Project-2-INSPIRE, was hosted by the California Association for Bilingual Education. The ceremony will be at Cesar Chavez Middle School, 3898 Abbott Road, Lynwood.
Banda Nueva Dinastia de Zoochila – a second-generation Oaxacan philharmonic brass band composed of current and former Lindbergh Elementary School students – will give a free performance during the inaugural Oaxacan Philharmonic Bands Audition from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 27 outside the UC Riverside Performance Lab Arts 166 building, 900 University Ave., Riverside. Musical director Jessica Hernandez, a Lynwood High Class of 2006 graduate, is the first female Oaxacan brass band director in California.
More than 200 Lynwood Unified African American students were inspired when they connected with successful leaders at the Martin Luther King Jr. “Against All Odds” Leadership Conference on Jan. 19. Young Black Achievers Student Union Members from Firebaugh, Lynwood and Vista high schools were joined by guest panelists as the group explored ways that students can make a positive impact. Ten presenters guided panel discussions, including Lynwood Unified Board of Education Member Gary Hardie as well as YBASU coordinators from each high school.
Follow-up Story: Nearly 60 Lugo Elementary School third-graders, inspired by talks from Delta Air Lines employees during a Drop Everything and Read (DEAR) celebration on Jan. 11, studied the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and wrote letters thanking the civil rights leader for fighting to obtain racial equality during the 1950s and 60s. Photos are available
Lynwood Unified families will learn how to use email to connect with teachers during a 21st-century learning workshop at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 30 at Abbott Elementary School, 5260 Clark St., Lynwood.