California School News Radio

Hacienda-La Puente Unified School District Assistant Superintendent of Instructional Services Dr. Judy Fancher, Valinda School of Academics Principal Elizabeth Bermejo and Valinda School math teacher Wendy Wilson discuss the District’s implementation of C-STEM math instruction, its partnership with UC Davis and the enthusiastic student response to the new curriculum.

Monrovia High School senior Alexia Holt and Mountain Park Independent Study School senior Brianna Campbell discuss being Monrovia Unified student Board of Education representatives, the differences between traditional and non-traditional study and their plans for college and career. 

Río Hondo College business professor Ivan Leon discusses Entrepreneur Camp Río, a two-week online summer camp for high school students that teaches students to hone their management skills and creative thinking abilities, with a chance to win cash prizes for the best business pitch. 

Whittier Union Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services Monica Oviedo discusses the District’s weekly vaccination clinics, the benefits of partnering with an independent pharmacy, and communicating with neighboring school districts to ensure that the entire community has access to vaccinations. 

Lynwood High School teacher Luis Vega, Bishop Strachan School teacher Paul Toth and Robert College teacher Narciso Argüelles discuss the online art exhibit, Without Borders Without Fears, how art is a prism for interpreting current events, and the importance of art education and cross-cultural collaborations.

Monrovia Unified School District Incoming Superintendent Dr. Ryan Smith discusses the excitement and challenges of assuming the top administrative post in Monrovia, meeting with stakeholders, welcoming students back to campus, and continuing the District’s tradition of academic excellence.

El Monte Union High School District Facility and Energy Manager Lena Luna discusses the District’s $9.8 million California Air Resources Board grant and the implementation of the Clean Mobility in Schools pilot program.  

Lynwood Unified Assistant Superintendent of Technology and Innovation Dr. Patrick Gittingriboongul discusses the District effort to provide digital equity to the Lynwood community, which includes high-speed connectivity, technical support and strengthening technological skills.  

La Serna High School Principal Griselda Castro and Pioneer High School Principal Lilia Bozigian discuss the Whittier Union High School District school’s designations at 2021 California Distinguished Schools.  

Fontana High School seniors Fatima Kamara and Michelle Navarrete Vega discuss how Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) helped to prepare them for college, receiving scholarship opportunities, and the highlights of their senior year in high school.    

Santa Fe High School AP Psychology teacher Michele Jones and seniors Elizabeth Serna and Jessika Suos discuss the Santa Fe Psychology Club, providing safe spaces for students, reaching out to teachers and first responders and the importance of listening.    

Rio Hondo College forensics coordinator Grant Tovmasian and speech instructor Patricia Hughes discuss the school’s Speech and Debate Team, which has a transfer rate of more than 90% for students moving on to a four-year university, with students entering such schools as UC Berkeley, UCLA, USC and Concordia.    

Summit High School career technical education teachers Bruce Tuttle and Marco Torres discuss the Fontana Unified school’s mechatronics class, ethical hacking pathway and CTE students who have advanced to the SkillsUSA national finals in June.    

Rio Hondo College biotech professor Robert Bethel discusses the school’s Fermentation Technology course, which explores the science behind brewing beer with the goal of training the next generation of microbrewers.    

Buena Park School District Career Technical Education Coordinator Shelley Andros discusses encouraging students to pursue STEM careers as coders, engineers, and horticulturists, developing a drone program for middle school students, sustainable agriculture, and inclusivity in education.

Canyon Crest Elementary School Principal Dr. Kelly Wilbert joined with fifth-grade student Noah Walker and his mother Candis Walker to discuss a fundraising drive initiated by Noah that raised over $650 to pay for gift cards given to families in need during the Fontana Unified school’s weekly meal distribution.    

Sierra Vista High School NAMI Club adviser Melanie Graf and Kaiser Permanente EOP psychiatric social worker Ruth Padilla-King discuss the Intergenerational Pilot Project, a Baldwin Park Unified internship program where students provide comfort and open lines of communication with older adults through weekly phone calls.

Lynwood Unified Director of Equity Services Patricia Brent-Sanco discusses the academic benefits of allowing students to find their own voice, the importance of parent engagement, what part equity plays in the reopening of schools, and how the District has assisted families hit hard by the pandemic.

Chaparral High School Principal Christine Black discusses the Bonita Unified school’s designation as a 2021 Model Continuation School, the importance of providing social-emotional learning to its students, preparing students for college and career, and Chaparral’s annual Thanksgiving Olympics and holiday meal.

Eduardo Valencia, a counselor for Redwood and Primrose elementary schools in the Fontana Unified School District, discusses an outreach effort that provided teddy bears and care packages to every Redwood student, and the importance of school districts providing social-emotional support to students and families.

Whittier High School economics teacher Kele Perkins and Santa Fe High School English teacher Annette Snow discuss the 2021 LACOE Academic Decathlon, where the Whittier and Santa Fe teams finished first and second in Division III, and the challenges of preparing for an online tournament.

California High School Assistant Principal Shana Jones and Counselor Rosanne Atilano discuss Cal Cares, the Whittier Union school’s program to support the socio-emotional well-being of its students through the distribution of care packages filled with positive messaging, school supplies and mental health resources.

El Monte Union High School District Director of Curriculum and Instruction Hillary Wolfe discusses the District’s commitment to college dual enrollment, new partnerships with Pasadena City College and Los Angeles Trade Tech College, and the future of career technical education.