More than 400 Whittier Union students engaged in summer sessions and programs with the United Sierra Education Center, tackling new subjects and recovering credits ahead of the 2021-22 school year. The summer program ended on July 23 with Sierra Vista High School celebrating 34 summer graduates, Frontier High School honoring 30 summer graduates and Whittier Union Adult School recognizing five summer graduates.
Whittier Union High School District will receive $45,000 from the Credit Union of Southern California, which was presented to the District during its July 13 Board of Trustees meeting. The funds will be used primarily to enhance sports programs across the District and will also benefit student-athletes for years to come.
The Whittier Union High School District Board of Trustees honored California High School’s girls swim team during a board meeting on July 13. The Lady Condors were celebrated for winning the CIF Southern California Division IV championship. During the recognition, Coach Todd Jacobsen presented each athlete with a certificate of achievement, celebrating their dedication to the sport and perseverance during an unprecedented year.
Whittier Union High School District will benefit from $13.7 million in relief funds, presented by Congresswoman Linda Sánchez during a July 8 distribution event at Pioneer High School. The financial relief stems from the American Rescue Plan, which allotted funding for public education through the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Funds. The funds, supported by Congresswoman Sánchez, will help ensure the District’s recovery out of the pandemic. The financial relief stems from the American Rescue Plan, which allotted funding for public education through the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Funds. The plan, supported by Congresswoman Sánchez, will help ensure the District’s recovery out of the pandemic.
The Baldwin Park High School boys varsity soccer team will be recognized by the City of Baldwin Park during its regular city council meeting at 7 p.m., Wednesday, July 7. The Baldwin Park Unified soccer team won the CIF Southern Section Division V Championship in May – the school’s first title since 2014.
Whittier Union High School District, in partnership with the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, Supervisor Janice Hahn and the City of Santa Fe Springs, will host a food giveaway during a drive-thru distribution event from 9 a.m. to noon, Wednesday, July 7. The event will take place at Santa Fe High School, 10400 Orr and Day Rd., Santa Fe Springs. The event is strictly drive-thru, no walk-ups will be allowed. Face coverings are required, and line formation will begin at 8:30 a.m.
Whittier Union High School District will return to full-time, in-person instruction for the 2021-22 school year, which begins Thursday, Aug. 12. All students have been automatically enrolled for in-person learning, which consists of six-hour days, five days a week. Families who are not yet ready to return full-time have the option to enroll in the District’s Independent Study Program.
Whittier Union’s Food and Nutrition Services Department will offer curbside meal distribution for its community through Thursday, July 15. Meals are available Mondays to Thursdays from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. for those 18 years of age and under. On Thursdays, Whittier Union will distribute bulk meals that include four breakfast and four lunch meals. Meals are available at all five of the District’s comprehensive high schools.
Nearly 2,800 Whittier Union High School District students made their way across the graduation stage during in-person graduation ceremonies held June 1-3, marking their milestone achievement through an unprecedented school year with emotional speeches, musical performances and tears of joy. The socially distanced ceremonies looked vastly different than years past, but provided a sense of normalcy to students, families and staff. Students maintained their distance from each other as they were escorted onto the field and seated six feet apart. Families remained socially distanced in the stands through fixed seating, implemented to ensure compliance with county and state regulations.
When Whittier High School senior Isabel Luna joined the school’s Chess Club, she was looking to challenge herself and connect with her peers in a way that went beyond Zoom conferencing. At first intimidated by what she perceived was a male-dominated sport, Luna learned that chess can be mastered with patience and dedication. Quarantining at home, Luna discovered correspondence chess, which is typically played through the postal system or email. Through correspondence chess, Luna has sharpened her skills in the comfort of her home, gained new friends and exercised her brain. In the process, Luna has emerged as one of the top-ranked female correspondence chess players in the United States.
