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Whittier Union High School District

  • Whittier Union Chamber Singers Find Their Voice as Honor Choir Performers

    California High School’s acclaimed Chamber Choir offers a safe space for its singers, with the inclusive environment in Cal High Choir Director Dan Hawkins’ classroom encouraging students to showcase their talents without prejudice and find their voice as performers who are prepared to take their vocal gifts to the next level. This year, four Cal High Chamber Choir members have been recognized for their excellence by being named to prestigious regional honor choirs. Seniors Roxie Navarro and Larissa Ortega and junior Allison Orellana-Mejia were selected to the Western American Choral Directors Association’s (WACDA) High School Honor Choir. The three singers performed together at the 2024 WACDA Pasadena Conference Honor Choir concert, held March 9. Ortega was also selected, along with sophomore David Gutierrez, for the Southern California Vocal Association (SCVA) Honor Choir, with both students performing at the SCVA Honor Choir concert at Redlands University in November 2023.

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  • Whittier Union Senior Receives Award of Merit for Academic, Personal Perseverance

    Whittier High School senior Fabiola Ramirez stands as a testament to resilience, facing and conquering challenges that few encounter in a lifetime. From the moment she was born with severe hearing loss in both ears and labeled medically hard of hearing, Ramirez has defied stereotypes and refused to let her unique journey be defined by her hearing loss. Ramirez, a lifelong Whittier resident, has worn hearing aids since childhood, enduring the isolating experience of being the only student in her class with such devices. Amid instances of bullying, she transferred elementary schools twice. However, her journey took a positive turn when she enrolled at Katherine Edwards Middle School, where she began to find her stride. For her ability to overcome challenges and excel in her academic and personal pursuits, Ramirez was recognized with an Award of Merit by the Whittier Union Board of Trustees during a March 12 meeting.

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  • Whittier Union School Recognized as 2024 Model Continuation High School for Exemplary Instructional Strategies

    Frontier High School has been named one of California's 2024 Model Continuation High Schools by the California Department of Education (CDE), highlighting the school for excelling in providing innovative programs addressing the academic and socioemotional needs of its students. Frontier High’s academic program offers students instruction designed to match their needs, learning style, and skill level. The school’s smaller class sizes and individualized learning experiences allow students to make up missing credits. The school also offers robust support for social-emotional and student well-being, a diverse range of extracurricular activities, and the chance for students to concurrently complete college courses. Frontier was one of 31 schools recognized by the CDE for their exceptional commitment to providing comprehensive services to at-promise youth.

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Whittier Union Student Earns Recognition for Academic Turnaround

When Janice Palapa enrolled at Frontier High School as a junior in August 2016, she was far behind in her school credits, in low spirits and planned to stay only for as long as it took her to get back on track to graduate. Since then, Palapa has marched in the 2017 Rose Bowl Parade as a Gold Award Girl Scout, joined the school’s Associated Student Body and Soroptimist student club, and serves as a student representative on Frontier’s Site Council and LCAP Advisory Board, all while earning a year’s worth of credits in one semester. Now, Palapa will walk as an FHS class of 2018 graduate. The military-bound student was recognized by the District with an Award of Merit on April 11.

Whittier Union AVID Students Receive Dell Scholarships

Santa Fe High School seniors Isaac Zarate, Jesus Muneton, Nicolas Mabey and Angie Torres will graduate this year with $80,000 in collective scholarships. The students are participants in AVID – Advancement Via Individual Determination – and were named Dell Scholars for their accomplishments in high school and essays highlighting personal and financial obstacles. Zarate will attend UC Irvine for political science, Mabey will attend UCLA as a business major and Torres will study mathematics at UC San Diego. Muneton is on track to graduate as valedictorian and will study chemical engineering at UCLA.

Whittier Union Star Singer Selected for Choral Scholar Program

California High School junior Hannah Ridge has been selected for the Choral Scholar Program for Vox Femina, a nationally acclaimed professional women’s choir based in Los Angeles. Ridge will perform in “Women on the Rise,” a June concert that marks the end of Vox Femina’s 20th year anniversary season. This is Ridge’s third year with her school choir.

Whittier Union Schools Celebrate Students with College Signing Day Events

Follow-up Story: Pioneer High School, which was recently named a National AVID Demonstration School, Whittier High School and Santa Fe High School held AVID College Signing Days for seniors on April 26. The schools provided a venue for students to celebrate their accomplishments and declare which college or university they are attending. AVID, which stands for Advancement Via Individual Determination, is designed to close the achievement gap and provide students with tools for college and career success.

Whittier Union Partners with Rio Hondo College to Offer College Course

Whittier Union High School District has partnered with Rio Hondo College to offer students in its three alternative programs the opportunity to take a college-level course at their home campus this semester. Nearly 40 students from Frontier High School, a continuation school, Sierra Vista High School, an independent studies school, and Whittier Adult School are taking a three-unit introductory sociology course that is transferable to a community college, four-year California State University or University of California institution. It is the first time in eight years that a Rio Hondo College course has been offered at the Sierra Education Center campus, where the three schools are based.

Whittier Union Drama Teacher Tapped for National Advocacy Role

Santa Fe High School drama teacher Alison Johnson has been selected for the inaugural class of the Advocacy Leadership Network, a three-year pilot initiative designed to train and empower members of the Educational Theatre Association. Johnson brings experience and enthusiasm to the project, having taught theater arts at Santa Fe, her alma mater, for 26 years. She is a co-director of Advocacy for the California Educational Theatre Association and has served on the California State Thespians board for over 20 years, acting as its student board liaison.

Second Whittier Union School Named AVID National Demonstration Site

Pioneer High is the second Whittier Union High School District school to be named an AVID National Demonstration School for creating a college-going culture and raising student achievement through quality curriculum. AVID is offered at more than 5,600 campuses across the country, but fewer than 3 percent of the participating schools earn the distinction of being a demonstration school. Pioneer High School will begin to serve as a model for teachers and administrators from schools across the country that are in the process of implementing or refining AVID programs. Santa Fe High was first named an AVID Demonstration School in 2001 and has maintained its status since.

Whittier Union Schools to Hold Future Frosh Night for Eighth-Graders

The Whittier Union High School District is inviting eighth-graders and their parents to attend Future Frosh Night on Thursday, March 23. 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. Times and locations for the informative event are as follows: California High School, 9800 S. Mills Ave., 6 p.m., in the main gym; La Serna High School, 15301 Youngwood Drive, 6 p.m., in the Locke gym; Pioneer High School, 10800 Benavon St., 6 p.m., in the quad; Santa Fe High School, 10400 S. Orr & Day Road, Santa Fe Springs, 6 p.m., in the Mendez gym; and Whittier High School, 12417 E. Philadelphia St., 5:45 p.m., in the auditorium. For information, call 562-698-8121.

La Serna High School Student-Athlete Headed to Ivy League University

A La Serna High School senior who has combined talent in the swimming pool and determination in the classroom, while being continually inspired by her family, is heading to the storied halls of Brown University to play water polo and pursue a degree in biomedical engineering. Carissa Perez is the high school’s three-time girls water polo captain and all-time leader in goals scored with 463. Her prowess in the water is matched by her academic brilliance, maintaining a 4.31 GPA. Perez’s parents are both first-generation Americans who have instilled a culture of high expectations.

Santa Fe High Re-Validated as an AVID National Demonstration School

Santa Fe High School has been re-validated as a National Demonstration School for AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination), a college-readiness system designed to increase the number of students who enroll in four-year colleges. An AVID campus for more than 20 years and a National Demonstration School since 2001, Santa Fe serves as a model to other schools wishing to implement the college preparation program. Only the top 3 percent of AVID schools reach this status.