After scoring a perfect 1520 score on his PSAT, La Serna High School senior Kyle Lien has been named one of 16,000 National Merit Scholarship semifinalists for 2018, placing him in an elite group of students who constitute less than 1 percent of seniors in the nation who received the highest scores in their state. National Merit Scholarship participants are selected based on how they score on their Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) scores, generally taken in junior year. Of the 1.6 million students who took the exam for a chance to win the prestigious $2,500 scholarship, 34,000 top scorers received a commendation and 16,000 were selected as semifinalists.
Pioneer High Homecoming Festivities to Feature Elvis Performance
Pioneer High School will host homecoming festivities at 5 p.m. Friday, Sept. 29 at Torres Memorial Stadium, 10800 Benavon St., Whittier. Themed “Fabulous Las Vegas,” the event will include a tailgate and concert featuring DJ Charles Boogie, an Elvis tribute artist, a balloon artist, food booths sponsored by Pioneer pepsters, a dessert table and a jumper. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. A queen will be crowned at halftime, which includes a firework show.
As the son of immigrants, Christian Israelian never had far to look for inspiration and strength; he learned early the virtues of hard work and giving back to his community. This month, his academic excellence and dedication as a student leader earned him an Award of Merit from the Whittier Union High School District Board of Trustees. Israelian serves as a tutor and helps freshmen navigate their new campus. He is poised to graduate with 300 credits under his belt, well beyond the 220 required to earn a high school diploma.
Follow-up Story: Monrovia High School on Sept. 12 hosted its annual college fair, featuring more than 60 colleges, military service branches and test prep organizations. Monrovia High junior Imani Martin’s track performances have already caught the attention of University of Oregon coaches, but her ambitions for a career in sports medicine or as a business entrepreneur inspired her to explore financial aid packages offered by the participating college fair universities. Photos are available
Follow-up Story: William C. Gordon may have graduated from Whittier High School more than 60 years ago, but the philanthropist, attorney and author has never forgotten the school that provided him refuge as a teen nor his commitment to upholding what it means to be a Cardinal. Gordon returned on Sept. 8 to his alma mater to provide more than 800 students the inspiration to overcome obstacles, succeed and give back to the community. Gordon has donated dozens of books and more than $230,000 to the school to fund technology upgrades, campus murals and renovate the library. The facility was dedicated the William C. Gordon Library in 2015.
Follow-up Story: Santa Fe High School partnered with the City of Santa Fe Springs to unveil a new street sign on Aug. 25 to honor the Whittier Union school’s mascot. The new street name – Chieftain Way – replaced Clarkman Street, a small road that turns into the school’s staff parking lot. The ceremony featured performances from the school’s pepsters and band. Principal Craig Campbell opened the ceremony, followed by remarks from Santa Fe Springs Mayor Bill Rounds, the school’s ASB president and Whittier Union Superintendent Martin Plourde.
Whittier Union High School District is holding Back-to-School nights across its comprehensive high schools so parents can meet teachers and administrators, learn about curriculum and discover how students participate in campus clubs. Whittier High's event is at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 13; Pioneer's night is at 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 14. Frontier High School will hold a recognition for students who earned awards based on summer and/or quarter four performance at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 26. Santa Fe, La Serna and California high schools have concluded their events.
Whittier Union Launches Year with Freshman First Day, Welcomes 1,000s
Follow-up Story: Whittier Union High School District kicked off the 2017-18 school year on Aug. 15, giving nearly 3,000 members of the Class of 2021 a preview of the schools they will call home for the next four years. In an effort to eliminate any first-day jitters before the official start of school, each comprehensive high school welcomed freshmen with opening pep rallies with colorful balloons, spirited music and displays of Condor, Lancer, Titan, Chieftain and Cardinal pride as part of Freshman First Day. On Aug. 16, Whittier Union welcomed close to 11,900 new and returning students for the official first day of school year.
Pioneer High School’s incoming ninth-graders will get a chance to preview their classes, meet teachers, make new friends and learn more about the Titan campus – their home for the next four years – on Tuesday, Aug. 15 as part of Whittier Union High School District’s Freshman First Day. The student orientation program will feature Link Crew student leaders, who will teach freshmen the ins and outs of high school life before the official first day of school the following day. The program takes place annually at each Whittier Union High School District campus to help smooth students’ transition from middle to high school.
Follow-up Story: Whittier Union High School District welcomed nearly 3,000 incoming freshmen for Freshman First Day on Aug. 15. Freshman First Day is an orientation program that enables new students to meet classmates and take part in fun activities. Students previewed their classes and had a chance to meet their teachers and administrators, as well as Link Crew students, who will serve as mentors. The program takes place annually at each comprehensive high school to help smooth students' transition from middle to high school, and has proved very successful in increasing academic achievement.
