Lynwood Unified Parent Academy to Share Ways to Boost Student Success
Parents and guardians of children enrolled in Lynwood Unified Schools are invited to a Parent University workshop from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday, May 30 at Marshall Elementary School, 3593 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Lynwood. The workshop will give parents the opportunity to learn about such topics as reading together, summer enrichment activities and transition to middle school and high school. Continental breakfast, lunch and childcare will be provided. For information, contact Lynwood Parent Involvement Specialist Jasmine Muñoz-Velasco at 310-886-1600, ext. 76438, or jasmine.e.munoz@lynwood.k12.ca.us.
USC’s Galen Center will host Lynwood High School’s commencement ceremonies at 6 p.m. Monday, June 1, with nearly 400 students receiving their diplomas. About 88 percent of the graduates have committed to entering colleges, universities or the military. More than 36 percent will attend University of California, Cal State, private or out-of-state universities. Speakers include valedictorian Rebeca Canche, who will attend UCLA and who earned a 4.63 grade point average, and salutatorian Luis Lara-Espinoza, who is headed to St. Martin’s University. The Galen Center, 3400 S. Figueroa St., Los Angeles, is home to USC’s men’s and women’s basketball and volleyball teams.
Follow-up Story: Lynwood city officials, community and school leaders, along with Southern California business partners, came together this spring to dedicate the Erica Lott Munn Memorial Garden during a special Beautification Day at the Lynwood campus. Munn, 44, a beloved kindergarten and fourth-grade teacher, died earlier this year. Three raised-bed vegetable gardens were created on the campus for the project. Mars Foods North America supplied labor for the Munn Garden, donated gardening materials, and provided sustainably grown seeds to plant a wealth of spices, flowers, vegetables as well as a peach tree and nectarine free. Volunteers from the company presented a gold-plated plaque in Munn’s honor, carved with the inscription: “The influence of a great teacher can never be erased.”
Follow-up Story: About 40 Lynwood High Advanced Placement students took over classes on Wednesday at Lynwood Unified’s Washington Elementary to give younger students a taste of Spanish as part of a program that concludes Thursday, May 21 at Will Rogers Elementary, 11220 Duncan Ave, Lynwood. Teams of three to four high school students will take over classes at different grade levels from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. to provide language lessons. Washington Elementary first-graders, for example, learned the alphabet, numbers, colors and months of the year. Lynwood High junior Mike Inocencio, 17, even brought his guitar and played “La Bamba” during his lesson Wednesday. This is the second year that teacher Viviana Vargas has brought her AP Spanish students to District elementary schools to share what they’ve learned.
Firebaugh High Rocks During Lunchtime Hip-Hop Concert
Follow-up Story: Hundreds of students crowded into the Firebaugh High courtyard May 13 for a short, lunchtime concert from emerging hip-hop artists as part of a visit from the Celebrity High Magazine tour. Singers Eva Universe, JaNINA and Hero shared anti-drug and anti-bullying messages along with their talents. The event featured dance contest. Hero, who grew up in Long Beach said he hopes the concert helps bring together students and give them a spirit of community.
Lynwood High Students Gain Financial Savvy from Simulation
Follow-up Story: About 120 Lynwood High seniors received a hands-on lesson in financial responsibility during a real-world scenario May 8. The exercise required students to deposit money in accounts and visit tables representing such life expenditures as homes, cars, dining, childcare and shopping. To survive the simulation, they had to balance their income and spending. Held in the gym, Mad City Money was funded by SCE Federal Credit Union and its nonprofit arm, the Center for Financial Empowerment Learning.
Lynwood High Students Construct Gazebo as Campus Legacy
Follow-up Story: A group of Advanced Building Construction Trades students at Lynwood High are leaving a legacy in the form of a gazebo they designed, engineered and built. The project was unveiled during a ceremony May 8 in the campus courtyard. Initiated in November 2014, the gazebo was prefabricated by a team of 14 sophomores, juniors and seniors. The pieces were assembled over the past month, including a shingled roof with a cupola. Students had to work through plans and apply math skills to create and assemble the structure. About $3,000 in materials was provided with the help of Dr. Jean Jones, principal of the Lynwood Community Adult School and head of the Regional Occupational Program.
International Drama Program Introduces Lynwood Students to Theater
Building Relationships and Inspiring Dialogue through Global Exchange (BRIDGE), an internationally known drama program, is introducing Lynwood elementary students to playwriting while also teaching them to collaborate, direct and speak in front of an audience. Led by BRIDGE co-founders Joe Quintero and Adam Kalesperis, students at four elementary schools spent two months this spring developing ideas and turning them into short plays, which they later performed in front of an audience. In the process, the children learned their experiences are similar to those of other children. Media contact: Andrew Landeros, 909-445-1001 (office)
Firebaugh High Invites Community to Help Plant Trees for Scientific Garden
With the help of a $5,000 Tool Box Grant from Lowe’s Home Improvement, students and staff will plant gingko, pine and mulberry trees from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, May 16 to develop a scientific garden at Firebaugh High School, 5246 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Lynwood. The new trees will not only beautify the campus, but will enable students to use the new plantings for scientific purposes, such as growing silkworms in the mulberry trees. The community is invited to help with the effort. For information, call 310-886-5200.
Former Lynwood High School basketball standout Tyonna Outland, a 2010 graduate, has taken a step toward taking the floor at Staples Center as a professional player. Outland has signed a training camp contract with the Los Angeles Sparks. The former Knight recently earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from California State University, Bakersfield. While at Lynwood, she helped lead her to team to three league titles.
