California School News Radio

Warren Lane Academy of the Arts Music Director Claudia Zuniga discusses the Inglewood Unified school’s transition from TK-6 to TK-8, equitable access to music programs for every student, the value of building and maintaining a library of musical instruments and the importance of District partners in arts education.

Sunkist Elementary School Education Specialist Ryann Mora – Bassett Unified’s 2018-19 Teacher of the Year – helped coordinate the second annual Best of Bassett showcase in May. She discusses Mora’s Kids, students with disabilities who have a 100 percent high school graduation rate, and the thrill of watching her students become scholars.

Monrovia Unified celebrated its visual and performing arts program during Monrovia Days, a three-day annual festival. Director of Performing Arts Patrick Garcia discusses the importance of immersing students and their families in the arts, local partnerships with music and theater companies, and the District’s five-year plan to expand arts curriculum.

Buena Park Junior High STEM teacher Shelley Andros has helped develop a strong robotics and coding program, with beginning and advanced classes for all grade levels. Joined by Buena Park students Veronica Diaz and Edwin Martinez, Andros discusses project-based learning, funding challenges, hosting Robot Nation competitions and preparing students for the jobs of the future.

Buena Park School District Superintendent Dr. Ramon Miramontes discusses learning and literacy, the new Buena Park mission and vision, 1:1 iPad technology rollout, International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme, Advanced Placement courses at Buena Park Junior High and the Disney Musical Elementary School program.

Inglewood Unified School District is restructuring four campuses into K-8 schools, with facilities upgrades that include new classrooms, playgrounds and libraries. Executive Director of Elementary Education Ugema Hosea James discusses the District commitment to STEAM curriculum, the benefits of community feedback and reflects on her 26 years as a District teacher and administrator.

Bonita Unified School District culinary arts students found the recipe for success during the 2019 California Restaurant Association ProStart Cup, winning awards and scholarships for their innovation, management and culinary skills. Bonita Unified teachers Nick and Laurie Brandler discuss what compelled them to leave jobs in the restaurant industry to become educators, and Bonita and San Dimas High students talk about the ProStart competition.

Kaiser High School senior Kelly Bouslaiby loves theater and has worked hard to perfect her craft. The Fontana Unified senior made a name for herself at the 2019 ESU National Shakespeare Competition in New York with a third-place finish and $500 cash prize. Bouslaiby discusses her first audition, her dream roles and the thrill of performing at the Lincoln Center.

El Monte Union’s inaugural Cooking Showdown was a huge success, with students from Mountain View, Rosemead and Arroyo high schools competing to see who could make the best gourmet dish. Culinary arts teachers Patricia Sahagun and Genevieve Wobrock join student chefs to discuss the fast-paced career technical education pathway.

In April, Pioneer High School senior Ana Cortez received $60,000 in scholarships from Southern California Edison and the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation. Cortez credits the college-prep program Advancement Via Individual Determination, or AVID, for helping her to acquire the skills to pursue higher education. Pioneer High Principal Lilia Bozigian and AVID tutors Jennifer DeBaca Sandoval and Dyan Acevedo join Cortez to discuss the Whittier Union High School District school’s commitment to first-generation students and Pioneer’s designation as an AVID National Demonstration Site.

El Monte Union High School District’s South El Monte High School will provide a modern take on Shakespearian tragedy when it stages “The Punk Rock Story of Romeo and Juliet” on May 8-10. The production will feature a student band playing live punk rock music, and will challenge gender norms by casting a female in the role of Romeo. South El Monte drama teacher Nicole Wessel and members of the cast discuss the challenges of performing the Elizabethan-era drama.

04/23/19 West Covina Unified has established a TK-12 International Baccalaureate Continuum where families can enroll their child in one of three IB programs – Primary, Middle Years or Diploma – that will guide them on the path to being engaged, lifelong learners. Edgewood Schools Principal Dr. Roni Maddox discusses IB curriculum, Edgewood Diploma Candidates’ 100 percent acceptance rate into 4-year universities, and being an IB parent. Lifelong Learners in West Covina

Paramount High School held its annual Unity Day on March 30, a day of music, dance and straight talk on issues of importance for LGBT students. Paramount counselor and Unity Day co-founder Ariana Bates joins Paramount sophomore Eneles Vega to discuss the origins of Unity Day, the importance of providing resources for the LGBT community, standing up to bullies, and the joys of silent disco.

For nearly 15 years, Monrovia Unified School District has staged the Monrovia Elementary Olympics, a one-day track and field competition that features 150 fourth- and fifth-grade students from all five District elementary schools. Wild Rose School of Creative Arts teacher and event founder Dana Elliott joins Wild Rose students Joshua Menlove and Amirah Sorra to discuss school spirit and how physical education brings out the best in students.

San Gabriel Unified District was recently recognized by the National Association of Music Merchants Foundation (NAMM) as a Best Communities for Music Education district. Jefferson Middle School orchestra director Esther Minwary discusses the District’s TK-12 pipeline of music education, the Music Immersion Experience program, and what she has learned from students in her classroom.

John Mann came to El Monte Union’s Mountain View High School VISTA Academy in October 2017 with more than 20 years of experience as a professional photo-journalist. As VISTA Academy Director, Mann has worked to bring project-based learning to his students and integrate the curriculum into a career technical education pathway. Mann joins VISTA students Zaid Mendoza, Maribel Zavalza and Gisselle Zuniga to discuss the Cooking Showdown competition.

El Monte Union staged its inaugural Cooking Showdown in March, a TV-style competition in which student chefs from the Arroyo, Rosemead and Mountain View high school culinary arts programs received an hour to prepare a gourmet meal, while being filmed by students from Mountain View’s VISTA Academy. EMUHSD Director of Curriculum Hillary Wolfe discusses how the Cooking Showdown came together and what it means for El Monte Union CTE Pathway programs.

Two Monrovia Unified School District robotics teams – the Kings and Queens from Monrovia High and the Hippie Bots from Clifton Middle School – have advanced to the First Tech Challenge World Championships in Houston on April 17-20. Robotics directors Tom Dobson and Paul Flores, Kings and Queens member Zach Szymkowski and Hippie Bots member Ian Hughes discuss the development of the robotics program and the challenges of high-level robotics competitions.

West Covina Unified School District’s Mt. SAC Early College Academy opened its doors in August 2018 with 60 freshmen motivated to take dual enrollment classes and earn up to 50 transferable college credits by the time they graduate. Principal Candace Leuthold discusses what the Academy is looking for in a student, what resources are available from Mt. SAC and what it takes to design a school from scratch.

Students from Paramount Unified’s Hollydale School are immersed in a college-going culture that includes regular campus visits to local universities such as USC, UCLA and Cal State L.A. The K-8 school coordinates these trips for its Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) students, as well as all seventh-grade students. AVID coordinator Rosa Edwards and Hollydale sixth-grader Alyssa Little discuss the benefits of college preparation for middle school students.