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.
Whittier Union High School District Hosts Weekly Vaccine Clinics
Whittier Union High School District, in partnership with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, will host weekly vaccine clinics for the community. The clinics will be open from 5 to 7 p.m. every Wednesday until December at the District Board Room, 9401 Painter Ave., Whittier, on the Mulberry Drive side. The next scheduled clinic is Wednesday, Dec. 22. Parent consent is required for students under 18 years of age, and those under 14 years of age must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.
As part of the District’s commitment to providing healthy and safe learning environments, Whittier Union High School District is encouraging students, teachers, staff and community members to get vaccinated against COVID-19 – an effort supported by its recently launched weekly clinics. The free weekly clinics, hosted at the District office in partnership with Paramount Family Pharmacy under the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LACDPH), were established following a successful series of vaccination clinics hosted on WUHSD campuses in late August. Since the launch of the weekly clinics in late September, more than 100 vaccines have been administered to the community.
California High School senior Justin Toyoshiba was struck with inspiration as he watched shopping shift online and home deliveries increase during the COVID-19 pandemic. Equipped with coding skills developed in Cal High’s Advanced Placement computer science class, Toyoshiba designed Delivery Blitz, an interactive game that challenges players to complete an abundance of deliveries while overcoming obstacles along the way. The app, which was brainstormed and developed over the course of six months, has become a hit amongst Toyoshiba’s peers. Delivery Blitz is available for download through the app store for iOS devices.
Whittier Union High Schools Host Homecoming Celebrations
Pioneer High School and Whittier High School staged spirited celebrations honoring students, community, and alumni, hosting Homecoming dances on Sept. 10 and Sept. 18, respectively. Students dressed in formal attire for the dances, where they enjoyed entertainment from local DJs, photo opportunities and dinner meals.
Whittier Union High School District to Host Weekly Vaccine Clinics
Whittier Union High School District, in partnership with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, will host weekly vaccine clinics for the community. The clinics will be open from 5 to 7 p.m. every Wednesday until December at the District Board Room, 9401 Painter Ave., Whittier, on the Mulberry Drive side. The next scheduled clinic is Wednesday, Oct. 6. Parent consent is required for students under 18 years of age, and those under 14 years of age must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.
The clinics will be followed by a weekly vaccine clinic, to be held every Wednesday from 5 to 7 p.m. in the WUHSD board room, 9401 Painter Ave., Whittier. The weekly clinics will run through December.
To register, visit myturn.ca.gov. Those interested in receiving the vaccine may also email covid19vaccine@wuhsd.org with questions or to make a reservation.
Whittier Union High School Celebrates 60 Years of Excellence
Whittier Union’s La Serna High School was vibrantly decorated in red and gold during the school’s 60th anniversary celebration on Sept. 7, which highlighted 60 years of La Serna’s dedication to providing a high-quality education and empowering students to reach their full potential. During the celebration, students and staff received sweet treats and party hats. The festivities will continue during the school’s homecoming football game on Friday, Oct. 15.
Whittier Union High School Welcomes Seniors with Annual Luau
To help students kick off the school year on a high note, Whittier High School's Associated Student Body (ASB) hosted a luau dance for seniors on Aug. 28. Seniors dressed in theme for the dance, where they enjoyed Polynesian food and snow cones, as well as a Polynesian dance performance, an exciting limbo competition and a DJ – all coordinated by ASB.
