Pioneer High School senior Samantha Araujo was a freshman when she was summoned to her counselor’s office and told her father – the man who inspired her to be a scholar – had just died. Araujo spent weeks grieving, lacking the motivation to get out of bed. One day, Araujo began rereading her father’s encouraging text messages and returned to school with renewed enthusiasm. Araujo found an extended family in the Pioneer High Spirit and Dance team and a mentor in Dance Team Director Christine Avila. Araujo, who was honored as Pioneer High’s 2021-22 standout student, was recognized by the Whittier Union Board of Trustees with an Award of Merit during its Nov. 9 board meeting, honoring her resilience and determination in the face of adversity.
Proudly waving certificates and beaming with pride, 11 Whittier Union parents enrolled in the District’s Path to College Success Parent Mentors program celebrated the completion of their three-month parent mentor program, designed to increase parent engagement and support parents of English learners, during a virtual ceremony held Oct. 27. The goal of the Parent Mentor program is to train parent volunteers to promote a Road to College Success mentality for their children, while learning basic technology like accessing Zoom and sending emails. Upon completion of the program, parents serve as ambassadors throughout the District, sharing their knowledge with other parents. The parent graduates were the second cohort to complete the program, joining 12 parents who graduated in October 2020. During the ceremony, parents shared clips of a final video project demonstrating their understanding of a topic they studied, such as the benefits of being bilingual or how to apply for financial aid.
Whittier Union Teacher Creates Award-Winning Lesson Plan
Frontier High School teacher Mary Ann Fajardo was honored with the 2021 Holodomor Research and Education Consortium Educator Award for Holodomor Lesson Plan Development. The award shines a light on powerful educators who teach a unique and impactful curriculum. Fajardo, who has been teaching at the Whittier Union High School District for more than eight years, was recognized for her senior social studies lesson plan, “The Holodomor and Its Children.” Fajardo’s lesson plan encouraged students to dig deeper into the topic of human rights, and through coordinative activities and research, students learned about the impact they have on other people and society.
Whittier Union High School Provides Alternative Learning Options
Whittier Union High School District’s Sierra Vista High School is helping students navigate the changing world through its iSierra program, an online academy that provides students the opportunity to learn from home. Currently, 142 students are enrolled in the online academy from across the District. Students are given remote access to tutoring services, testing and additional support and can communicate with their teachers via Zoom and are encouraged to complete specific amounts of work each day to fulfill their academic requirements.
Whittier Union Transition Programs Partners with Local Businesses
Whittier Union High School District’s Transition Program is continuing to build valuable partnerships with members of the community, providing students with real-life work experience through its partnership with Smart & Final. The partnership has given students the opportunity to gain work experience and expand upon their skills while providing businesses in the community with much-needed help. Smart & Final has partnered with Whittier Union High School District for more than six years, hiring dozens of students on average every year.
Whittier Union Celebrates Parent Mentors During Virtual Ceremony
Proudly waving certificates and beaming with pride, 11 Whittier Union parents enrolled in the District’s Path to College Success Parent Mentors program celebrated the completion of their three-month parent mentor program, designed to increase parent engagement and support parents of English learners, during a virtual ceremony held Oct. 27. During the ceremony, parents shared clips of a final video project demonstrating their understanding of a topic they studied, such as the benefits of being bilingual or how to apply for financial aid. The parent graduates were the second cohort to complete the program, joining 12 parents who graduated in October 2020.
Whittier Union High School Hosts Parent Education Day
Whittier Union High School District’s Santa Fe High School held a Parent Education Day on Oct. 23, providing parents the opportunity to better understand the world of their children by learning more about the issues they face today. Since the launch of the program in 2003, approximately 300 parents have attended Parent Education Day annually. This year, parents chose three of 15 workshops to attend, which discussed relevant topics such as social media, college and careers, substance abuse and more. Parent Education Day, offered at no cost to families, aims to help parents gain knowledge on important topics relating to teens, as well as equip parents with the resources to help their students persevere through the challenges they are facing.
Whittier Union Adult School students are learning the fundamentals of residential plumbing as part of the school’s newly launched plumbing course, which provides students with the opportunity to become apprentices and graduate with work-ready skills. Under the guidance of instructor Giovanni Masia – and with a newly built plumbing model classroom – students are learning the fundamentals of residential plumbing such as measuring, cutting and installation of pipe in accordance with the California Plumbing Code guidelines. Additionally, students will have the opportunity to gain apprenticeships through their local plumbers’ union, enabling them to hone their knowledge and apply their skills while working for local companies.
In the span of two years, California High School senior Elizabeth “Lizzie” Guzman lost both of her parents as her mother succumbed to pancreatic cancer and her father was incarcerated. With help from her maternal grandparents and aunt – who became her caretakers – Guzman found the motivation to work through her grief and excel in school, becoming a star student at Cal High. Guzman has thrived academically, earning a 4.19 GPA, and challenging herself with Advanced Placement (AP) classes. To acknowledge her unwavering courage and perseverance, Guzman was honored with an Award of Merit by the Whittier Union Board of Trustees during an Oct. 12 board meeting.
La Serna High School senior Annabella Rapp’s excellence in the classroom and in the pool has earned her recognition from the Spectrum News 1 Scholar Athlete Program, an honor that comes with a $1,000 scholarship and a feature story on Spectrum News. Rapp, one of Spectrum’s Student Athlete honorees for October, was featured in a segment on Oct. 12. She was chosen based on an excellent academic record – which has earned her a place among La Serna’s top 25 performing students – as well as her community involvement and contribution to La Serna’s varsity swimming and water polo teams.
