Whittier High School celebrated the grand opening of its Whole Child office at the Whittier High School campus on Aug. 21, marking the launch of the Whittier Union High School District’s Student Well-Being initiative. The Whole Child, a Whittier-based nonprofit, provides on-site mental health services to more than two dozen schools in the community, including Whittier High, where the office, dubbed “The Gallery,” will provide comprehensive mental health services to students on a full-time basis. The district plans to expand services to its other high school sites. Congresswoman Linda Sanchez was a special guest. Photos of the event are available.
Follow-up Story: The Whittier Union High School District celebrated the 50th anniversary of its Horizons Program, which launched in 1964 in effort to close the opportunity gap and catapult students, particularly Latino Americans, to success. The Horizons program offers academic support, career and college-prep advisement, and numerous enrichment services to ensure that every student in the community is given equal opportunity to pursue college and career and flourish in a 21st century world. The program, which started at Whittier High School, found success in its student achievement and was eventually expanded to the District’s four other comprehensive high schools – Pioneer, Santa Fe, California and La Serna – under the name Expanded Horizons. The celebration, held on Sept. 16 recognized the program’s founder, Dr. Henry M. Ramirez, as well as former directors, parents and students who have directly benefited from the program.
Follow-up Story: The Whittier High School community came together on Friday, Aug. 1 to honor former coach and teacher Donald Wade Kelly, who died on July 13. The memorial service was held at the school where he dedicated nearly 60 years of his life. Clad in red attire and gathered in the Vic Lopez Auditorium, former students, colleagues, athletes and family members laughed and cried as they told stories of Kelly, who died at the age of 86. Fondly known as the “Voice of the Cardinals,” Kelly was a longtime football coach, track and field coach and game announcer throughout his decades-long career at Whittier High. Photos of the memorial are available. Media Contact Juliette Funes, 909-447-2404 (Office)
The Whittier Union High School District will welcome freshman to its Freshman First Day orientation program from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 12. California High School will welcome 675 new students for its program, which includes meeting new classmates, bonding with upper classmen and taking part in fun activities. Cal Hi will also debut a student-made music video – inspired by the Pharrell Williams’ song, “Happy” – that nearly 150 Cal Hi students helped create over the summer break to promote Condor PRIDE. The event will include fun activities, bonding games, food, a preview tour of their classes and a chance for students to meet their new teachers and administrators, as well as Link Crew members who will serve as mentors. The Freshman First Day program takes place annually at each Whittier Union High School District campus in order to help smooth the students’ transition from middle to high school. Media contact Juliette Funes, 909-447-2404 (office)
Follow-up Story: Pioneer High School is wrapping up 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 attending the exciting event, which runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Pioneer High School, 10800 E. Benavon St., Whittier. The camp concludes 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. 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.
Follow-up Story: Hundreds of local middle and high school students received certificates on July 17 for their achievements in math. Pioneer’s Math Academy, named after famous math educator Jaime Escalante who died in 2010, offers classes in pre-algebra, algebra I, algebra II, geometry and math analysis and calculus prep. Participants include seventh- and eighth-grade students and students from Whittier Union’s five comprehensive high schools. Organized each year by Pioneer math teacher Javier Gonzalez, local math teachers and volunteer tutors help make the academy a success. Photos are available. Media contact: Juliette Funes, 909-447-2404 (office)
The Whittier Union High School District will be approving its first Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) at its Board meeting on Tuesday, June 24. The planning document includes funding for increasing programs and services to students such as more summer school courses and lowering class size. Media contact: Laura Flores, 562-668-7833
Summer school biology students at La Serna High School in Whittier Union High School District are getting hands-on experience through a newly refurbished greenhouse that the school’s AP biology and environmental science students have transformed into an Outdoor Environmental Education Center. Photos are available. Media contact: Laura Flores, 562-668-7833 (office)
Gov. Jerry Brown has appointed Whittier Union High School District Superintendent Sandra Thorstenson to serve on the new five-member governing board of the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence. The new state board will advise and assist school districts, county superintendents of schools and charter schools in achieving the goals set forth in Local Control and Accountability Plans (LCAPs) which are now required under the new Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF). Media contact: Laura Flores, 562-668-7833 (office)
The Whittier Union High School District Class of 2014 will graduate at commencement ceremonies to be held on Tuesday, June 3 and Wednesday, June 4. Ceremonies for Frontier and Pioneer high schools and Whittier Adult School/Sierra Vista begin at 6 p.m. on Tuesday. On Wednesday, graduation for Whittier High School begins at 5:30 p.m., La Serna and Santa Fe High Schools ceremonies begin 6 p.m., and California High School graduation starts at 6:30 p.m. Media contact: Laura Flores, 562-668-7833 (office)
