Firebaugh High is taking steps to “protect the nest” with a unity rally at 12:10 p.m. Friday, Nov. 18 to help its Falcons cope with the results of last week’s presidential election. Students will be clad in white and surrounded by patriotic red, white and blue decorations as they express their concerns in front of peers, teachers and staff, banding together to show support for one another. By signing and stamping their hand prints upon a unity wall, students will pledge to make a positive impact on society by being the change they wish to see. Firebaugh High School is at 5246 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Lynwood.
Follow-up Story: After all the coffee and pastries had been passed around, Lynwood Unified parents learned and asked a lot about their children’s schools on Nov. 17 during National Parental Involvement Day. Lynwood Unified’s 12 elementary, three middle and three high school campuses greeted parents at the front gate with a variety of involvement opportunities, including coffee with the principal, informational sessions with campus staff and security, and workshops on supporting the educational process at home. Photos are available.
Lynwood High School is hosting a U-Knight rally at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 16 to support student concerns relating to the results of last week’s presidential election. Students will have the opportunity to express what America means to them with teachers, staff and peers, and will wear the color purple to demonstrate unity among all parties. LHS is also participating in a safety pin movement, with students and staff wearing safety pins to show their strong support for one another. The school is at Lynwood High School courtyard, 4050 Imperial Highway, Lynwood.
Washington Elementary School students have a whole new excitement for after-school learning following the Nov. 29 unveiling of a $40,000 computer lab donated by International Game Technology (IGT). Washington Elementary was chosen for this donation by IGT’s After School Advantage (ASA) Program due to its robust after-school assistance for students. The school hosts about 90 students every day, helping students who might not have computers at home with homework, projects and tutoring sessions. Stocked with 40 Chromebooks, 20 iPads, coding system programs, printers, a flat-screen television and movable furniture, the lab is the first donated by IGT that features robotic equipment.
Follow-up Story: Some 400 STEM and auto tech students from Lynwood and Firebaugh high schools will get to experience driving in a self-driving/autonomous vehicle during a virtual reality demonstration at 11 a.m. Monday, Nov. 14 courtesy of industry leader Wind River®, an Intel subsidiary that created Mars Rover software and which is producing innovative in-dash technology for automakers on Earth. The event serves as Wind River’s kickoff for AutoMobility LA, the Nov. 15-17 tech showcase for the global auto industry, and the Nov. 18-27 Los Angeles Auto Show. The demonstration will be at Lynwood High School Performing Arts Center, 4050 Imperial Highway, Lynwood.
Seven high school students from Bellflower and Lynwood unified school districts will join dozens of peers across the region in graduating from a Los Angeles Fire Department training program at a 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 5 ceremony at Frank Hotchkin Memorial Training Center, 1700 S. Stadium Way, Los Angeles. Students will demonstrate rescue operations, hose deployment and ladder drills learned during the eight-week course, which is a companion program to new firefighting training courses offered through California Advancing Pathways for Students, a partnership between Bellflower and Lynwood unified. Students are seniors Luis Estrella, Raquel Martinez, Emilio Flores; juniors Moises Uribe, Jose Fernandez, Jose Fonseca, and sophomore Antonio Parks.
Lynwood Unified’s Roosevelt Elementary Principal Sandra Verduzco is raising awareness for reading through a Principal Challenge, where she will rotate through classrooms from 9:15 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday, Nov. 7 reading to every Roosevelt class. The challenge celebrates National Young Readers Week, running Nov. 7 to 11. By completing the challenge, Verduzco will enter the campus for a chance to win Kate DiCamillo books for the entire school. Roosevelt Elementary is at 10835 Mallison Ave., Lynwood.
Follow-up Story: Nearly 100 Lynwood Unified students and family members took advantage of health, legal and higher education services at Firebaugh High School’s inaugural AB540 Dreamers Conference, which empowers immigrant students and family members with valuable support and resources. Workshops, speakers and activities educated the public on issues such as the California Dream Act, AB540, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), immigration legislation, driver licenses for the undocumented and other resources. Passed in 2001, Assembly Bill 540 was authored by the late Marco Antonio Firebaugh, for whom the high school was named, and grants in-state college tuition rates for undocumented California high school graduates who meet specific criteria.
Follow-up Story: About 120 fifth-graders from lynwood Unified's Will Rogers Elementary displayed works of art and watched dance performances with special needs peers on Oct. 21 at the 38th annual Very Special Arts Festival, an event celebrating the talents of all students, especially those with disabilities. The festival, themed “Heroes,” was held at the Music Center in downtown Los Angeles, with students from across Los Angeles County participating. A grant from the Los Angeles County Office of Education funded specialized visual arts instruction for fifth-graders prior to the festival. Photos are available.
Lynwood Elementary Kindergarten Class Chosen for J.B. Hunt Adopt-A-Class
Follow-up Story: A class of kindergarteners from Lynwood Unified’s Lugo Elementary School received $1,000 in school supplies on Oct. 13 through freight shipping services company J.B. Hunt’s Adopt-A-Class program. The class is one of 10 across the nation chosen by the company. As part of the experience, a J.B. Hunt freight truck filled with supplies parked in front of the elementary school, welcoming members of Onehiome Francis’ kindergarten class for a special tour as it delivered a load of magnetic letters, books, crayons and colorful paper.
Photos are available.
