California School News Radio

Monrovia High School Principal Kirk McGinnis discusses the District’s renovation of Wildcat Stadium, the school’s math and humanities learning academies and arts conservatory, its Early College Dual Enrollment partnership with Citrus College and its upcoming College Fair.

Baldwin Park Unified Senior Director of Student Services Noreen Iwai-Ito and Sierra Vista High School Vince Pratt discuss the District’s 13th annual College and Career Day, which will provide families an opportunity to talk to college recruiters and employers, attend workshops focusing on financial aid, the college application process and improving their SAT scores, and Harvard University’s Baldwin Park connection.

Janet Shirley, principal of West Covina Unified’s Orangewood Elementary School, and Mandarin teacher Yuyan Chen discuss the debut of Orangewood’s Mandarin Dual Language Program. Shirley and Chen, a native Mandarin speaker from the Sichuan province in China, talk about the program’s instruction model, the importance of being bi-lingual, and West Covina Unified’s International Baccalaureate K-12 continuum.

Arthur F. Corey School will increase its commitment to visual and performing arts (VAPA) curriculum this year after being selected for a Disney Musical in Schools grant and Pacific Theater Class Act grant. Corey School Principal LaRonda Ortega discusses providing equity to all students through VAPA, honoring the school’s rich history of performing arts and how music helps students achieve their academic goals.

Randall Pepper Elementary School is one of two Fontana Unified schools to compete in the World Robot Olympiad Friendship Invitational in Aarhus, Denmark. The school combined with German and Nigerian students to win the International Friendship award. Randall Pepper fourth-grader Mariah Torres and her coaches, Jeff Rich and Alice Strout and Engineering for Kids directors Herman and Ericka Kreimann discuss robotics programs within Fontana, meeting new friends and the thrill of competing internationally.

El Monte Union High School District students can take college courses for credit during the regular school day through a new dual enrollment partnership with Rio Hondo College. EMUHSD Director of Curriculum and Instruction Hillary Wolfe and Rio Hondo Dean of Student Success Dr. Melba Castro discuss the myriad ways students can earn college credit in high school, including the Early College Academy

Potrero School math teacher Elizabeth Torres served as principal of Wright School’s Summer STEAM program, overseeing 300 K-7 students who used the four-week session to learn science concepts and participate in musical theater. Torres discusses the importance of summer school and the challenges of preparing for an administrative role during the final weeks of the regular school year.

In 29 years as Director of the Pioneer High School Summer Math Academy and Escalante Program – an accelerated math program for middle and high school students – Pioneer math teacher Javier Gonzalez has channeled the groundbreaking teaching approach of his friend and mentor, former Garfield High School calculus teacher Jaime Escalante, whose exploits were chronicled in the 1988 movie, “Stand and Deliver.” Joined by Pioneer Class of 2017 graduate and Math Academy tutor Alejandro Vazquez, Gonzalez discusses Escalante’s legacy, making math fun for students, and meeting President Bill Clinton in the Oval Office after being named California Teacher of the Year in 1996.

In 29 years as Director of the Pioneer High School Summer Math Academy and Escalante Program – an accelerated math program for middle and high school students – Pioneer math teacher Javier Gonzalez has channeled the groundbreaking teaching approach of his friend and mentor, former Garfield High School calculus teacher Jaime Escalante, whose exploits were chronicled in the 1988 movie, “Stand and Deliver.” Joined by Pioneer Class of 2017 graduate and Math Academy tutor Alejandro Vazquez, Gonzalez discusses Escalante’s legacy, making math fun for students, and meeting President Bill Clinton in the Oval Office after being named California Teacher of the Year in 1996.

Whittier Union Adult School Principal Dr. Margie Moriarty discusses career technical education opportunities (including its acclaimed bus driver training course), Love and Logic parenting classes, the school’s partnership with Rio Hondo Adult Education Consortium and her dual role as the top administrator for Frontier High School.

Whittier Union Adult School Principal Dr. Margie Moriarty discusses career technical education opportunities (including its acclaimed bus driver training course), Love and Logic parenting classes, the school’s partnership with Rio Hondo Adult Education Consortium and her dual role as the top administrator for Frontier High School.

Bassett Adult School Principal Albert Michel discusses the school’s new GED testing center that will open in the fall, its three high school options that can lead to a diploma, its seven career technical education programs (which include the acclaimed electrician certification program), the major facilities upgrades underway at the campus and the thrill of seeing former students in the community.

Bassett Adult School Principal Albert Michel discusses the school’s new GED testing center that will open in the fall, its three high school options that can lead to a diploma, its seven career technical education programs (which include the acclaimed electrician certification program), the major facilities upgrades underway at the campus and the thrill of seeing former students in the community.

Fontana Unified is one of the only school districts in the country to offer an elective that trains students to pilot an unmanned aircraft system. Kaiser High School graduate Rodrick Reed and senior Angela Alanis discuss the fundamentals of working with drones and the training that prepared them to receive a Remote Pilot Certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration.

Baldwin Park Unified Senior Director of Adult and Community Education Dr. John Kerr is retiring after a distinguished career at the District that spanned 39 years. Kerr discusses the changing nature of adult education, the value of providing personalized student services, the importance of a well-trained staff and District partners, and the joy of serving the community he grew up in.

Rio Hondo College’s RioSource Room serves as a campus food pantry and resource hub, helping students struggling with food insecurity and homelessness. Rio Hondo Director of Student Life Shaina Phillips discusses the changing nature of student services in the 21st century and partnering with local organizations for food donations.

Buena Park School District’s Kid Connection offers child development and early learning options that include two field trips a week throughout the summer. Corey School Kid Connection lead teacher Merilee Perini discusses why the program remains popular after more than 30 years and the social and educational benefits of field trips.

La Verne Heights Elementary School fifth-grade teacher Lauren Barnes and Bonita High School junior Spencer Gardner were among the celebrants as students and alumni recently dug up a time capsule buried at the Bonita Unified campus in 1994. Barnes and Gardner discuss what surprised them the most about the contents, what items should go in the next time capsule and the restoration of a historic oak tree slab in front of the school.

Turnaround Arts California President and co-founder Malissa Shriver discusses partnering with renowned architect Frank Gehry to create an arts education advocacy organization, the importance of arts integration in classrooms, how art therapy heals cognitive functions of the brain, pairing celebrity influencers with regional arts organizations and making art a foundational part of school curriculum.

El Monte City School District Ed Tech Coordinator Jessica Pardini discusses the District’s inaugural Tech Fair, the rollout of Lego Robotics curriculum, training students to become tech leaders in the classroom through Generation YES and the coalition of district personnel, administrators, faculty, tech specialists and community volunteers helping El Monte City students realize their potential in tech.