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Whittier Union High School District

  • Whittier Union Students Receive Powerful Lesson During DUI Car Crash Simulation

    Pioneer High School students received an opportunity to see how the real-life consequences of driving drunk, distracted, or impaired can have devastating and tragic results for their friends, family, and community during an “Every 15 Minutes” demonstration held in front of the school on March 18. The staged simulation for Pioneer High juniors and seniors – featuring the participation of the California Highway Patrol (CHP), Los Angeles County Sheriff, City of Whittier Police Dept., Los Angeles County Fire Dept., first responders, and Funeraria de Angel Pico Rivera mortuary – took the students through an entire DUI car crash scenario – the initial 911 call, the rescue of victims, a sobriety test, and the subsequent arrest of the driver.

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  • California High School Senior Recovers from Debilitating Illness, Receives Award of Merit

    As an incoming freshman, California High School senior Viridian “Viv” Gonzalez got off to a flying start, earning straight A’s in her first semester, with a challenging schedule that included several Honors classes. Her future looked bright; then calamity struck. Gonzalez fell ill during her second semester and was hospitalized for months, missing a considerable amount of school. When Gonzalez returned to Cal High for her sophomore year, she was still very weak and wheelchair bound but determined to pick up where she left off. Enrolling in Cal High’s Health Academy pathway and with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) to guide her, Gonzalez persevered despite her limited mobility, excelling in all her classes and slowly regaining her health. As a senior with a 3.5 GPA and improved health, Gonzalez said she is looking forward to taking the Certified Nurse’s Assistant (CNA) exam this spring.

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  • Pioneer High Football Makes History with CIF Titles, Launches Fundraiser for Championship Rings

    The Pioneer High School football team made history in the fall 2024 season, taking home the school’s first-ever CIF Southern Section (CIF-SS) title, followed by a regional title – an achievement that has ignited school spirit and set the stage for future generations of athletic excellence. While the team fell to Balboa High School in the CIF State Championship game on Dec. 14, their journey united the school and community in a milestone season. To commemorate this achievement, Pioneer High’s football team is raising funds for championship rings, a lasting tribute to their historic season. Contributions can be made through the school’s dedicated fundraising page or directly at Pioneer’s Business & Activities Office.

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Whittier Union Schools Earn CORE Districts Awards for Achieving High Student Academic Growth

Several Whittier Union High School District schools have been honored for achieving high academic growth, with students consistently making academic gains faster than similar students at similar schools. Pioneer High School was honored with the CORE Districts' Academic Growth Award for achieving three years of success in math. California, Santa Fe and Whittier high schools were honored with High Impact Badges for their success in English language arts (Cal) and math (Santa Fe, Whittier).

Santa Fe High Exemplary Student Earns Award of Merit for Leadership

Santa Fe High School senior Maximas Gomez is an exemplary student whose profound drive for success has propelled him to shine as a role model to his peers and teachers alike. After working summer jobs with his father starting at age 5, Gomez has learned the value of time, the cost of necessities and the tireless amount of work it would take to get ahead in school and in life. Those experiences and efforts have resulted in Gomez’s continued success at Santa Fe. He was recently honored by the Whittier Union High School District Board of Trustees with the Award of Merit.

Whittier Union Student Surprised with $40,000 Edison Scholarship

Pioneer High School senior Ana Cortez was surprised with a $40,000 Edison scholarship while in her AP Chemistry class on March 20, surrounded by friends, classmates and teachers. Cortez is one of 30 Southern California high school students to be named a 2019 Edison Scholar. Cortez plans to major in bio-engineering to prepare for a career creating technological advancements for people with disabilities, including artificial prosthetics at an affordable price.

Whittier Union School to Host Every 15 Minutes Program

Santa Fe High School will host a two-day “Every 15 Minutes” program with a trio of techniques to bring home the dangers of drinking and driving: a graphic staging of a deadly drunk-driving crash, students randomly pulled from classes to represent lives lost to drunk driving and a mock funeral service. The drunk-driving scenario involves firefighters, police and a coroner, as well as students pre-selected from the school – including one who “dies” and another who is arrested for driving under the influence and booked into jail. The crash scene will take place at 11:10 a.m. Wednesday, April 3 at Santa Fe High School, 10400 S. Orr & Day Road, Santa Fe Springs. A mock funeral will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, April 4.

Whittier Union Schools Recognized for Boosting Female Representation in STEM Courses

Two Whittier Union high schools have earned the first College Board AP Computer Science Female Diversity Award for achieving high female representation in their AP Computer Science Principles courses. La Serna and Whittier high schools were recognized for either reaching 50 percent or higher female representation in the AP course or having a percentage of the female computer science examinees meeting or exceeding that of the school’s female population. Out of more than 18,000 secondary schools worldwide that offer AP courses, the schools are among 685 to accomplish this feat.

Whittier Union to Hold Future Frosh Night for 8th-graders, Families

The Whittier Union High School District is inviting eighth-graders and their parents to attend Future Frosh Night at 6 p.m. Thursday, March 21. Teachers, students and administrators at each of the District’s five comprehensive high schools will provide valuable information about the classes and programs available to all students.

Whittier Union Science Students Showcase STEM Skills at District Science Cup

Nearly 100 of Whittier Union High School District’s brightest science students put their knowledge to the test on March 1, when they constructed Rube Goldberg machines, built lamp-powered water heaters, designed and built skeeball catapults and competed in a science quiz bowl during the second annual WUHSD Science Cup. Approximately 20 science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) students from each comprehensive high school competed at the Sierra Education Center gym, with Santa Fe High School taking home the top prize: The Science Cup.

Whittier Union Student Gains Early Admission to Yale University

La Serna High School senior Olivia Genao is a budding artist whose lifelong passion for art, science and math has fueled a remarkable educational journey that has brought her District-wide recognition for gaining early admission to Yale University. Genao, La Serna’s 2019 Student of the Year, was granted early admission to the elite Ivy League in December. She is one of 794 applicants from around the world selected to join the Class of 2023 through the Early Action program. Genao, who plans to major in neuroscience, was offered a full tuition scholarship.

Kindness Week Concludes with Free Chick-fil-A at Whittier, La Serna and California High Schools

Students, teachers and staff at three Whittier Union high schools were treated to thousands of free Chick-fil-A sandwiches as part of Kindness Week, an annual weeklong celebration aimed at uniting schools, communities and homes through random acts of kindness. To demonstrate kindness to their classmates, the Associated Student Body (ASB) organizations at Whittier, California and La Serna high schools signed up to participate in an outreach program hosted by the Chick-fil-A in the Whittwood Town Center.