Whittier Union to Hold Trustee Area 3 Oath of Office Ceremony
Whittier Union High School District will conduct an oath of office ceremony for Josefina E. Canchola, representing Trustee Area 3, during an upcoming Board meeting on Tuesday, July 18. The ceremony will begin at 7 p.m. and be held in the District Board Room, located at 9401 S. Painter Ave., Whittier. Canchola will fulfill the remainder of former Board member Dr. Ralph Pacheco’s term from July 2023 through December 2024. Pacheco retired from the Board on July 8 after 32 years of service to the District. Canchola currently serves as the director of secondary programs for the Puente Project.
Ahead of the 2023-24 school year, the Whittier Union High School District Board of Trustees has taken significant steps in prioritizing student wellness and educational inclusivity by unanimously approving a Land Use Acknowledgement policy and an Alcohol and Other Drugs policy during its June 13 Board meeting. The newly adopted Land Use Acknowledgement policy actively recognizes the rich history, art and culture of Native Americans. The policy is slated to be integrated into the District’s comprehensive Ethnic Studies curriculum, and will also be read at various District and school-specific events. The Board also approved a revised Alcohol, Marijuana and Other Drugs policy, which updates District protocols for addressing alcohol and drug-related activities, acknowledging the detrimental effects that issues related to drug use have on the District community. The policy emphasizes the development of comprehensive intervention programs and restorative activities that promote safe, healthy environments free from alcohol, marijuana and other drugs.
Whittier Union Adult School English as a Second Language (ESL) students are enhancing their technological skills and advancing their workforce literacy through the integration of career technical education (CTE) curriculum into the ESL program. The successful integration has earned the Adult School the Promising Practice Award in Adult Education from the California Department of Education and the Comprehensive Adult Student Assessment Systems (CASAS). Schools can self-nominate for the Promising Practice Award through CASAS by showcasing their innovative programs, practices or ideas that support students in achieving their goals and preparing them for the workforce. By integrating CTE curriculum into the ESL program, the Adult School has successfully achieved its goal of enhancing literacy among ESL students and equipping them with the skills necessary to pursue successful careers upon graduation.
Whittier Union High School District’s Board of Trustees voted to appoint Josefina E. Canchola to serve the remainder of retiring Board Member Dr. Ralph S. Pacheco’s term during a special Board meeting on June 10. Following the announcement of Dr. Pacheco’s retirement from the Board, which will be effective Friday, July 7, the Board of Trustees unanimously voted in favor of a provisional appointment to fill the Trustee Area 3 seat during a May 9 meeting. During the special Board meeting, the Board of Trustees interviewed six candidates in an open session following a public comment period. At the conclusion of the interviews, the Board deliberated during open session and voted to appoint a provisional seat to Canchola, who will take the oath of office and begin her tenure on Tuesday, July 18.
Whittier Union Board to Fill Vacancy During Special Board Meeting
The Whittier Union High School District Board of Trustees will interview six eligible candidates to fill the vacancy for the Trustee Area 3 seat, following Dr. Ralph S. Pacheco’s retirement from the Board on July 7, 2023. The candidates, all from Santa Fe Springs and Norwalk, will participate in a candidate orientation during a Special Board Meeting beginning at 8 a.m. on Saturday, June 10 at the District Board Room, 9401 S. Painter Ave., Whittier. Following the orientation, candidates will be interviewed during open session. At the conclusion of the interviews, the Board will deliberate during open session and vote to appoint a provisional seat to the Whittier Union Board of Trustees.
Whittier Union High School District’s Class of 2023 scholars celebrated their academic achievements and triumphs as they crossed the graduation stage, hearing heartfelt speeches that reflected on their time in the District, during commencement ceremonies held June 5 to 7. The District celebrated graduates from the District’s five comprehensive high schools, two alternative high schools and adult school. Nearly 2,700 graduates, accompanied by educators, administrators and families, shed tears of joy as they enjoyed exhilarating performances from the District's band and choir groups. Santa Fe High School, Sierra Vista High School and Frontier High School seniors, along with Whittier Union Adult School graduates, were cheered on by their families and friends during ceremonies on June 5, followed by California High School and Whittier High School graduations on June 6. La Serna and Pioneer high schools concluded the festivities with ceremonies on June 7.
Six local residents have been declared eligible to fill a vacancy in the Whittier Union Board of Trustees created with the retirement of Dr. Ralph S. Pacheco. Pacheco, who currently serves Trustee Area 3 and is the Board’s vice-president, informally announced his retirement during the April 11 Board meeting, which will bring his service to the District to a close after 32 years as a trustee. Dr. Pacheco submitted his formal resignation letter to Los Angeles County Office of Education Superintendent Dr. Debra Duardo on May 8. His final day as a Whittier Union trustee will be Friday, July 7. Following the formal announcement, the Board unanimously voted in favor of a provisional appointment to fill his seat during a meeting on May 9, setting in motion a comprehensive selection process that gave Trustee Area 3 residents an opportunity to apply for the position.
Santa Fe High School sophomore Lucas De La Loza has been writing short stories since elementary school and has more than 100 original works stored on his Google Drive. Now, De La Loza can add “professional playwright” to his resume after his one-act play was selected to be staged as part of Los Angeles-based Theatre of NOTE’s 2023 Young Writer’s Project (YWP). De La Loza’s play, “A Wicked Hallucination,” which centers on the Salem Witch Trials, ran for two consecutive weekends in May, and was one of five YWP high school student plays chosen to be performed by the Theatre of NOTE. On the final weekend, De La Loza and the other YWP student winners were presented with stipends and certificates that identified them as professional writers.
Students from the Whittier Union High School District’s five comprehensive high schools, two alternative high schools and adult school will celebrate the conclusion of their academic journeys during stadium commencement ceremonies beginning at 6 p.m. Ceremonies will be held at the District’s two stadiums: Sandra Sanchez Thorstenson Stadium at California High School, 9800 Mills Ave., Whittier, and Dick Torres Memorial Stadium at Pioneer High School, 10800 Benavon St., Whittier. Ceremonies begin on Monday, June 5, with the United Sierra Education Center, which includes Frontier High School, Sierra Vista High School and the Whittier Union Adult School, at Thorstenson Stadium; and Santa Fe High School, at Torres Stadium. Tuesday, June 6 will have ceremonies for California High School at Thorstenson Stadium and Whittier High School at Torres Stadium. The ceremonies conclude on Wednesday, June 7 with La Serna High School at Thorstenson Stadium and Pioneer High School at Torres Stadium.
There are few things that Santa Fe High School architectural design teacher Mike Griffie enjoys more than a good tailgate party and seeing his community come together to share a hamburger or hotdog before a home football game. As Santa Fe’s football announcer, Griffie revels in the opportunity to be the tight-knit school’s No. 1 booster. Griffie, who has been at Santa Fe High for 30 years and is the director of the school’s Mechanical and Architectural Drafting (MAD) Academy, is fully committed to student achievement, whether by encouraging students to pursue careers in fields that interest them or by helping struggling students get back on track for graduation. For his dedication and generosity, Griffie was named Whittier Union’s 2023 Teacher of the Year. The Whittier Union Board of Trustees presented Griffie with his award during the May 9 Board meeting.
