Whittier High School to Host WUHSD College Fair
The Whittier Union High School District is inviting students and parents to attend its annual District College Fair at Whittier High School, where they can take advantage of the opportunity to meet with dozens of college representatives and get first-hand information about the college application process and financial aid. The District-wide event will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 24 at Whittier High School, 12417 E. Philadelphia St., Whittier. The fair will feature more than 50 college representatives and several college workshops.
Whittier Union Welcomes Students, Parents with Back-to-School Nights
The Whittier Union High School District will conclude its high school Back-to-School Nights with Whittier High School at 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 17, Whittier High School Vic Lopez Auditorium, 12417 E. Philadelphia St., Whittier. The nights offer parents a chance to learn more about school programs and how to ensure student success. Media contact: Juliette Funes, 909-447-2404 (office)
Follow-up Story: Whittier Union High School District kicked of the 2015-16 school year on Aug. 11, giving nearly 3,000 members of the Class of 2019 a preview of student life at its campuses. Students were treated to opening pep rallies with colorful balloons, spirited music and displays of Condor, Lancer, Titan, Chieftain and Cardinal Pride, eliminating first-day jitters before the official start of school on Aug. 12. As part of the 11-year-old Freshmen First Day program, incoming ninth-graders toured schools, attended abbreviated class sessions, met teachers and classmates, and took part in fun and interactive activities.
A teacher who has led a Whittier High School technology revolution has been named the Whittier Union High School District Teacher of the Year for 2015-16. As Cardinal Computer Academy lead teacher since 2007, Kathleen Bailey has exposed students to technology careers, workplace skills and community connections that have helped them develop into 21st century pros. Bailey has been teaching at Whittier High since 2001.
Renovation and improvement projects – including the construction of a new 7,000-seat stadium at California High School – are in full swing this summer at the Whittier Union High School District. Workers are busy upgrading facilities across the District to increase school safety and provide 21st century learning environments for students, who will head back to school Wednesday, Aug. 12. Construction and modernization for Whittier Union’s five comprehensive high schools began in 1998, when voters passed the $98 million Measure C Bond. The bond was augmented by the $75 million Measure W bond in 2008. The proceeds from the voter-approved bonds, as well as state and federal matching grants, have greatly enhanced classrooms, libraries, cafeterias, gymnasiums and athletic fields, infrastructure and facilities Districtwide.
Whittier High School will welcome new students at 7:45 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 11 for its Freshman First Day orientation program, which includes meeting new classmates and taking part in fun activities. Students will get a preview tour of their classes and a chance to meet their teachers and administrators, as well as Link Crew members, called Senators, who will serve as mentors. The program takes place annually at each Whittier Union High School District campus to help smooth students' transition from middle to high school, and has proved very successful in increasing academic achievement. The first day for the rest of the students is Wednesday, Aug. 12. Whittier High School is at 12417 Philadelphia St., Whittier.
Anthony Ayala held his breath as he strode onto the Main Stage of the sold-out auditorium in Lincoln, Nebraska, facing the International Thespian Festival judging panel and ready to deliver two short monologues, each evoking laughter and pathos. These were the finals and the recent Santa Fe High graduate was nervous. One judge noticed and immediately deducted a point. Ayala quickly recovered, mesmerizing the crowd and judges alike with a near-perfect performance. After exiting the stage to a tremendous ovation, Ayala was selected as one of 2015’s top three high school monologists by the Educational Theater Association, the nation’s preeminent professional association for theater education. The accolades awarded to Ayala at the June festival marked the culmination of a distinguished portfolio of work at Santa Fe, a Whittier Union High School District campus, from the starring role in “Macbeth” to student director of plays.
In anticipation of another rigorous year at the Whittier Union High School District, instructors are spending their summer months attending professional development workshops at the Sierra Education Center, breaking into teams and setting an ambitious agenda designed to promote student achievement, academic growth and development. Starting in mid-June, the District-wide summer professional development program has involved five week-long sessions focusing on collaborative assessments, technological breakthroughs and preparing students for the Smarter Balanced tests, which assess the rigorous California Standards and which all 11th-grade students completed in the spring. The workshops, now in their eighth year, are a traditional Whittier Union summertime activity and have proven effective in helping the District increase graduation rates and close the achievement gap.
Pioneer High School kicked off its third Team Science Summer Camp, a three-weekend program for K-12 students designed to ignite kids’ interest in science through hands-on classes taught by professionals who work at such companies as Boeing and Southern California Edison. More than 350 students from throughout the region are expected to attend the exciting event, taking place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Pioneer High School, 10800 E. Benavon St., Whittier. The second weekend event was held July 17 and 18. The program will conclude Friday, July 24 and Saturday, July 25. The science camp offers workshops on an array of STEM subjects, including aerodynamics, robotics, biology, astronomy, forensics, physics and engineering. Such classes include “Game Coding and Computer Science” and “Energy, Today and Tomorrow,” in which students learn about various energy sources and how they are being used to power cars, cook food, launch projectiles and heat homes.
La Serna Softball Team Honored for Clinching CIF Championship
The Whittier Union High School District Board of Trustees on June 23 recognized the La Serna Girls Softball Team for clinching the CIF Southern Section Division 3 title earlier this month, securing the title with a 5-4 victory over Grand Terrace. The Lancers, their coaches and families were honored for winning the championship. The team has an overall record of 26-6 and a Del Rio League record of 9-1. The Lancers have been Del Rio League champions four years in a row and have a state ranking of 23 and CIF Southern Section ranking of 15. Six seniors will attend major universities on full-ride softball scholarships. Photos are available.
