Two longtime Whittier Union high school principals will help lead the District as assistant superintendents in the wake of Superintendent Sandra Thorstenson's impending retirement and the naming of Assistant Superintendent of Business Services Martin Plourde as her successor. Pioneer High School Principal Monica Oviedo will replace Plourde. Santa Fe High School Principal Kevin Jamero will replace Assistant Superintendent of Personnel Services Rich Russell, who is retiring after a 42-year career in education. Additionally, Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services Loring Davies will become deputy superintendent, a position created to support Plourde through the transition. All new roles will go into effect in June.
Follow-up Story: When Lisbeth Lozano enrolled at Frontier High School in January 2015 as a second-semester sophomore with zero credits, she didn’t let that quell her desire to graduate early. Lozano had not attended school for three years leading up to her enrollment at Frontier, having moved from Riverside to her family’s home country of Guatemala. Still, the Aztec worked her way to the top of her class, earning a 3.89 GPA and completing 136 credits in one calendar year. Lozano now takes in 11th- and 12th-grade classes en route to early graduation. For rising above these challenges, Lozano received an Award of Merit from the Whittier Union Board of Trustees on March 8.
The Whittier Union High School District Board of Trustees on March 8 voted to name the new football stadium complex being built at California High School the "Sandra Sanchez Thorstenson Stadium" in honor of Superintendent Thorstenson, who is retiring in June after 39 years with the District. The complex, to be completed by August, will be shared by Cal High, Whittier High School and La Serna High School students.
Follow-up Story: Follow-up Story: More than 300 students attended the 21st annual Women’s Conference, themed “Courage to Dream,” a joint venture between the Whittier Union High School District, Rio Hondo College and Soroptimist International of Whittier in celebration of Women’s History Month. The program featured three sessions of workshops focusing on women’s wellness in body, mind and soul, with topics ranging from relationships and financial literacy to college survival and self-defense. ABC7 Eyewitness News traffic reporter Alysha Del Valle delivered the keynote address on her extensive experience as a news reporter.
Elizabeth Israelian is set to take the stage at the end of her senior year as one of three La Serna High School valedictorians, a feat she attributes to growing up as the daughter of immigrants who dreamed of pursuing educational opportunities that were unattainable in their native countries. Israelian’s parents Linda and Hratch came to the United States from opposite corners of the world — Linda from Indonesia and Hratch from Armenia — together providing the nurturing foundation on which their two children would thrive. The straight-A scholar, who holds a 4.52 GPA and is taking six Advanced Placement classes, has earned recognition as a Top 25 student for four years. Israelian – who has already received early acceptance offers from Cornell University and USC – received an Award of Merit from Whittier Union for her dedication to learning.
California High School arts teacher Julie Tonkovich is one of 10 public school teachers appointed to the Instructional Quality Commission (IQC), an advisory body to the State Board of Education that develops and strengthen education statewide standards. Tonkovich – who has been teaching visual arts at her alma mater for 24 years – will begin serving her four-year term in January 2017. She will work with the 18-member commission to update the framework for education, drawing on her experience as a visual and performing arts teacher, and her English and social science credentials.
As football fans around the world revel in the Denver Broncos’ victory in Super Bowl 50, Whittier Union is celebrating five coveted Golden Footballs that four of its comprehensive high schools received from the National Football League to recognize distinguished alumni who participated in 10 Super Bowls and amassed eight championships. Whittier Union schools earned a place in the NFL’s Super Bowl High School Honor Roll for graduates and NFL greats: Joe Gibbs (Santa Fe High School ’59); Jim Vellone (California High School ’62); George Buehler (Whittier High School ’65); Bob Chandler (Whittier High School ’67); and Dave Dalby (La Serna High School ’68)
The Whittier Union High School District Board of Trustees on Feb. 9 selected Assistant Superintendent of Business Services Martin Plourde, who has served the District in various leadership capacities for 15 years, as its next Superintendent. The selection follows extensive discussions by the Board of Trustees and widespread outreach to solicit input on the qualities, skills and abilities most valued in a superintendent, which included being collaborative and student-centered – tenets Whittier Union has long embraced.
Plourde will succeed Superintendent Sandra Thorstenson, who will retire in June after 39 years as an educator and administrative leader in the District, including 14 years as superintendent.
Whittier Union High Schools Honored for Contributing to Super Bowl History
Four Whittier Union high schools were recently honored with NFL 50th Golden Footballs and a place in the NFL’s Super Bowl High School Honor Roll. The honor roll initiative is part of the NFL’s Super Bowl 50 outreach program, which links the past 49 Super Bowls with this year’s game and honors the high schools and communities that have contributed to the game of football. Schools receive a Wilson Golden Football for each graduate who was a Super Bowl player or head coach. California High School was honored for Jim Vellone, who graduated in 1962 and played for the Minnesota Vikings. La Serna High School was honored for Dave Dalby, who graduated in 1969 and played center for the Raiders. Santa Fe High School was honored for Santa Fe alumnus and four-time NFL Coach of the Year Joe Gibbs. Whittier High School was honored for former Oakland Raiders George Buehler and Bobby Chandler.
Michael Fullan, a Canadian education researcher and former dean of the Ontario Institute of Studies in Education at the University of Toronto, visited the Whittier Union High School District on Feb. 3 to observe how collaborative cultures support teachers and increase student learning. Whittier Union is one of four California districts selected for a three-year case study administered by Fullan, who met with a team of English teacher leads to discuss best practices and the importance of teamwork. Fullan will be able to both validate and recommend improvements in the collaborative work being done at Whittier Union, which is now in year two of the case study.
