The Lynwood Unified School District has been awarded two 2016 Golden Bell Awards for an initiative that promotes career exploration and college preparation and one that supports the emotional and mental well-being of students for a brighter future. Of the almost 300 entries submitted for the award, now in its 37th year, Lynwood Unified’s Career Technical Education (CTE) Pathways program and Health Collaborative initiative were selected to win the most prestigious honor awarded to California school districts by the California School Boards Association (CSBA).
Follow-up Story: More than 1,000 Lynwood High School students chanted slogans, waved signs and campaigned for candidates and propositions on Oct. 11 during a mock election designed to spark civic engagement. The event is part of the California Mock Student Election program. Students in social studies classes hosted booths to back candidates and explain California propositions. After visiting the booths and hearing the arguments, classmates voted. Photos are available.
The Lynwood Unified School District community will vote in November on a $65 million bond measure that would fund upgrades, repairs and modernization of the District’s 12 elementary schools, three middle schools and three high schools. Bond measures, which must be supported by 55 percent of voters living within the school district, are the primary mechanism used by California schools to fund major capital improvements and construct new buildings. Taxpayers would pay up to $55 annually per $100,000 in assessed property value.
State Superintendent Torlakson and Southland Districts Unite Behind Prop. 51
California State Superintendent Tom Torkalson will join representatives from Lynwood Unified, Montebello Unified, Los Angeles Unified and Lennox Elementary school districts at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 5 to highlight local school facilities needs and why Proposition 51 funds are vital. The event will take place at Lynwood Unified’s Washington Elementary, 4225 Sanborn Ave., Lynwood. If passed on the November ballot, Prop 51 would provide state funds to help school districts boost health and safety standards, renovate aging facilities, including seismic retrofits, upgrade classrooms and build new schools. California last passed a state school facilities bond measure in 2006, but that funding is effectively depleted. Attendees include Torlakson, superintendents of Lynwood, Montebello and Lennox school districts, LAUSD officials and Jesus Holguin, the past president of the California School Boards Association. For more information, contact Erin Shaw at 916-685-7067.
Three- and 4-year-olds in Lindbergh Elementary teacher Maria Ledezma’s Early Childhood Education (ECE) class gathered around her room in eight groups as dads took charge of lesson plans on Oct. 4, leading students in excited recitations of “The Three Bears” and the coloring of “Thank you for being my super hero” pictures. Dads attended ECE classes across the Lynwood Unified School District as part of the second annual Be a Hero Day, where more than 80 fathers, stepfathers, grandfathers, uncles, brothers and other male role models read to children, helped with arts and crafts, and took part in other classroom activities.
Follow-up Story: About 30 Firebaugh High School students gathered Sept. 21 to share knowledge on financial education they have received through a new Master Your Card online course, a community empowerment program sponsored by Mastercard. Students engaged in roundtable discussions with Master Your Card team members during the event, asking and answering financial questions that may impact them in years to come. Firebaugh High is one of two schools in Los Angeles County offering the program to students. Photos are available.
Follow-up Story: Lynwood Unified held a grand opening on Sept. 21 for a Wesley Health Center medical clinic at Lynwood Middle School with local officials, health clinic operators and Superintendent Paul Gothold. Lynwood Unified students, their families and members of the Lynwood community can access the Wesley Health Center for free medical checkups and screenings from 1 to 5 p.m. Wednesdays. Hours will be expanded as demand rises. Photos are available.
Follow-up Story: More than 100 Abbott Elementary students on Sept. 14 peered around at the 3,000 books lining their new reading room in search of the perfect story, while The Cat in the Hat began reading “Green Eggs and Ham” to a group of fascinated youngsters. The students were the first to venture into the Reading Oasis, a literary retreat where students can drop in, relax in a bean bag chair and open their minds to endless possibilities. Abbott Elementary hosted a ribbon-cutting event Thursday to mark the facility’s grand opening, with Lynwood Unified students, parents, administrators and community members all eager to get a first glimpse.
Photos are available.
Ten Lynwood Unified campuses have been awarded with silver and bronze certifications by the California PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) Coalition for promoting safe, positive learning environments and campus cultures. Abbott Elementary School was awarded silver; Lynwood High School, Hosler Middle School and Lindbergh, Helen Keller, Lincoln, Marshall, Rosa Parks, Will Rogers and Wilson elementary schools received bronze. All the schools will be recognized Thursday, Sept. 22 at the Coalition’s first conference in Sacramento.
Lynwood Unified School District alumni welcome students in grades nine through 12 and their parents for the 17th annual Alumni Conference, themed “Rewriting Your Future,” from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 27 at Lynwood High School, 4050 E. Imperial Highway, Lynwood. The event includes workshops on major and career exploration, attending out-of-state schools, scholarships and on the SAT and ACT. A fair featuring 25 colleges represented by Lynwood Unified alumni will showcase opportunities at various campuses. Students and parents can preregister at https:goo.gl/forms/3Vb7l7hFryvxXqff1.
