Whittier Union High School District's Board of Trustees has recognized Santa Fe High senior Valeria Restrepo with an Award of Merit for helping to build a one-of-a-kind camaraderie at her high school. Santa Fe High School’s award-winning Associated Student Body has played an essential role in making the campus culture a positive and inclusive environment. The only student on the current ASB cabinet to have participated all four years of high school, Restrepo has become a key leader of the spirited team.
Whittier Union Teacher Receives Outstanding Educator Award
Santa Fe High School biology teacher Alejandra Gonzalez has been selected for the University of Chicago’s 2016 Outstanding Educator Award, an honor that recognizes exceptional dedication to her craft and the profound influence she’s had on her students, including on the former Chieftain who nominated her. Gonzalez, a biology and Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) teacher at Santa Fe for nearly 11 years, was nominated by 2015 graduate Daisy Nahoul, who was awarded a $70,000-a-year QuestBridge Scholarship to the University of Chicago. Formerly homeless, Nahoul is a molecular physics major and the first in her family to go to college.
9 Whittier Union Students to Perform in Tournament of Roses Parade
Nine marching band and color guard members from the Whittier Union High School District will represent their schools and exhibit their talents at the 128th Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade at 9 a.m. Monday, Jan. 2. The Tournament of Roses Honor Band, which has marched in every Tournament of Roses Parade since 1930, chose for its 2017 band: California High School students Olivia Huizar (piccolo), Rocio Vega (trombone), Gus Sausedo (tuba), Eric Gonzalez (color guard/tall flag) and Edith Garcia (color guard/banner); La Serna High School students Avery Smith (alto sax), Taylor Medina (trombone) and Ye Lee (baritone); and Pioneer High School student Marco Galvan (trombone).
Ushering in the holiday season with music ranging from uplifting classical works to fun Christmas favorites, the choirs of Whittier Union’s five comprehensive high schools will celebrate through song during the District’s Winter Choral Festival at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 30 at the Whittier College Chapel, 11345 Miller Road, Whittier. The annual concert is an opportunity for the choirs and their directors to come together to listen and learn from each other as well as from a well-respected adjudicator. The choral ensembles have performed in local, regional and national competitions in famous locations such as Carnegie Hall and the Disney Concert Hall.
Some of Whittier High School senior Florencia “Flo” Valenzuela’s earliest memories include watching addiction consume her drug-dependent parents and having child protective services place her and her younger brother in foster care at 5 years old. In and out of foster care for several years, Valenzuela at 13 years old fell under the guardianship of her older sister, Marcy. She has since found empowerment and resiliency, flourishing at home and at school. Holding a 3.8 GPA, Valenzuela is a member of the Associated Student Body, an Academic Mentor to her peers, athlete and community volunteer. She has been selected as a 2016 Children’s Defense Fund-California Beat the Odds® Scholarship program honoree. CDF-CA will provide her with a host of academic and career readiness opportunities – including a $10,000 scholarship. She will be honored at the awards gala on Thursday, Dec. 1 at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel.
2 Whittier Union Marching Bands Qualify for SCSBOA Championships
The Whittier and Santa Fe high school marching bands have qualified for the Southern California School Band & Orchestra Association (SCSBOA) Field Championships and will perform in their respective divisions on Saturday, Nov. 19. The Whittier Cardinal Brigade will perform in the 1A division at Warren High School, 8141 DePalma St., Downey; the Santa Fe Chieftain Tribe will perform in the 2A division at Ramona High School, 7675 Magnolia Ave., Riverside. The SCSBOA field show circuit is the most popular in Southern California.
Follow-up Story: A day before the nation paid tribute to America’s heroes, students at Pioneer High School gathered for a special ceremony honoring staff members who have served in the armed forces and remembering members of the Titan family who died while serving their country. Held Nov. 10, Pioneer High’s Veterans Day Ceremony featured remarks from school officials and students, patriotic performances and recognition of a group of revered veterans in attendance, who lit the school’s iconic Titan Torch before laying wreaths at the school’s two monuments.
The Whittier Union High School District will hold its annual Band Jamboree celebration at the District’s new Sandra Sanchez Thorstenson Stadium at California High School at 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 7. The festive event will feature performances from the District’s five comprehensive high school marching bands, cheer squads and drill teams. Following the band performances, the award-winning drill team from Pioneer High School will perform. The evening will conclude with a parade featuring students from all bands and a mass band rendition of “America the Beautiful.”
Follow-up Story: More than 300 Frontier High School students experienced first-hand the devastating impacts of drinking or texting behind the wheel during a Save A Life Tour presentation on Nov. 2. The program featured a high-impact video showing a re-creation of a distracted driving incident, police response, emergency room scenes, family responses and other footage. Following the assembly, students used a drinking-and-driving simulator and texting-and-driving simulator featuring an iPhone.
Follow-up Story: Hundreds of Santa Fe High School parents packed into campus classrooms on Oct. 22 to learn about issues relevant to teens today – from college and career options to dating and social media – during the school’s annual Parent Education Day. Launched in 2003, Parent Education Day is an informal and free way to engage Santa Fe High parents and provide them with information on ways to help their children succeed, with each having the opportunity to attend three, 45-minute workshops on a variety of topics.