Whittier High School will host a mental health drive-thru for students from 1 to 3 p.m. Friday Dec. 11, to strengthen student well-being. Counselors and administrators will greet families, distributing stress balls, fidget spinners, snacks and office supplies. The drive-thru event is one of several mental wellness interventions Whittier High is offering as part of a focus on well-being.
The Whittier Union High School District Board of Trustees approved new curriculum for the 2020-21 school year that will help seniors assess their post-secondary education opportunities as well as add rigor to its career technical education (CTE) pathways. The new courses include a College and Career Seminar for seniors, a Project Lead The Way Honors course in digital electronics, an advanced architectural design and graphics course for its Industrial Technology pathway, and a college prep English course, Rhetoric and E-Sports, for its Marketing pathway. All the new courses are one-year in length and will fulfill UC and Cal State admission requirements.
Whittier Union’s Frontier High School, Sierra Vista High School and Whittier Union Adult School are launching a new tradition to recognize student achievement during remote learning and support their efforts to unify the district’s alternative education sites. Beginning at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 18, all three schools will acknowledge their Student of the Term during a virtual award ceremony.
Whittier-area families in need will receive Thanksgiving dinner fixings and a $25 gift card to help purchase a turkey at 9 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 15 during a drive-thru donation coordinated by local nonprofit Helping Homeless Vets - LA at the Pioneer High School student parking lot, 10800 Benavon St., Whittier. The donation event will continue while supplies last. The nonprofit hopes to supply up to 100 families with Thanksgiving meals. All COVID-19 protocols will be observed during the donation. Media contact: Andrea Garcia, (909) 279-9840 (cell)
Whittier Union’s California High School kept spirits high during distance learning by transforming its homecoming festivities into virtual celebrations throughout October. Cal High’s ASB announced a virtual spirit week – held Oct. 5 to 9 – that encouraged students to dress up for theme days, take pictures and share on social media. Students embraced the idea, sharing photos of themselves in sports attire, monochromatic outfits, wacky pajamas and more. ASB students also honored the tradition of naming a homecoming court, designed to recognize the students who best represent the Class of 2021. Cal High seniors voted for their picks using Google Forms and winners will be announced at the end of the month. Visit Cal High’s Instagram for more.
Santa Fe High School senior Isabella Padilla was recognized by the Whittier Union Board of Trustees with an Award of Merit for academic, excellence and leadership during an Oct. 13 board meeting. Padilla maintains a 4.30 GPA, has completed 32 semesters of AP and Honors classes and competes on the Santa Fe soccer and track teams. Padilla serves as a Link Crew mentor, Academic Affairs ASB commissioner and is a member of film club and Black and Gold Nation. She is a semi-finalist for a Posse Foundation scholarship to Tulane University.
Twelve Whittier Union parents celebrated their graduation from a District mentoring program on Oct. 14 by presenting videos demonstrating how they will teach parents to find online school resources, monitor grades and strengthen children’s social-emotional well-being. The virtual graduation ceremony, held largely in Spanish to reflect the first language of many Whittier Union families, marked the District’s culmination of this fall’s Parent Mentor training. The program is committed to closing the gap for students in the English learner program and supporting Spanish-speaking parents.
Whittier Union’s California High School auto shop teacher Bill Buttinelli has found a creative approach to keeping students engaged in class, even though the course relies heavily on hands-on training. Buttinelli uses video to provide students with demonstrations of the tasks and subjects they are covering. After Zoom class is completed, he re-records the tasks with a higher-quality camera that shows more details and a closer view of the work being performed. Additionally, Buttinelli created a YouTube channel that is available for his automotive students and is specifically designed to reinforce the tasks students would have performed in-person.
Whittier Union’s Whittier High and Frontier High School students are benefiting from Spirit Awakening, an after-school program that helps students build confidence and raise self-awareness, using creative writing, visual arts, mentorship, service and leadership training. Its facilitating artists and teaching assistants connect with students through empathy and authenticity. The after-school program has adapted to COVID-19 restrictions by replacing in-person lessons with Zoom conferences three days a week. From 20 to 50 Whittier High and five to 10 Frontier High students participate. Click HERE for more information about the program.
La Serna High School’s Associate Student Body (ASB) has found a way to keep its school community connected and informed by releasing weekly YouTube videos, known as La Serna’s Friday Announcements. With the guidance of ASB Teacher Jenna George, students come together weekly via Zoom after extensive planning, collaboration and work completed outside of class to film the weekly announcements. The video announcements highlight upcoming events, elections and fundraisers, and also include a “Flashback Friday” portion, which highlights an event that took place last school year.