Winter Holiday Performances in Bonita Unified Start December 7

Vocal and instrumental music groups from the elementary, middle and high schools of Bonita Unified School District are preparing performances for the holiday season. All performances will occur at the Bonita Center for the Arts (BCA) at 822 W. Covina Blvd., San Dimas, unless otherwise listed below. Mark your calendars now and call the District Office for more information.

December 7 7:00 – 9:00 PM	Lone Hill Choral Concert, BCA
December 12 7:00 – 8:30 PM	Elementary Band (La Verne Heights, Oak Mesa, Grace Miller, Shull), BCA
December 12 & 13 7:00 – 9:00 PM	Bonita High School Choir Concert, Church of the Brethren 2425 "E" Street, La Verne
December 13 7:00 – 8:30 PM	Elementary Band (Allen, Roynon, Ekstrand, Gladstone), BCA
December 14 7:00 – 8:30 PM	Ramona Middle School Choir Concert, Church of the Brethren 2425 "E" Street, La Verne
December 14 7:00 – 9:00 PM	San Dimas High School Choral Concert, BCA
December 15 7:00 – 9:30 PM	Bonita High and Ramona Middle School Jazz Band, BCA
December 19 5:30 – 9:00 PM	Elementary Choirs (Oak Mesa and Grace Miller, 5:30 – 7:00 PM; Shull and La Verne Heights, 7:30 – 9:00 PM), BCA
December 20 5:30 – 9:00 PM	Elementary Choirs (Ekstrand and Gladstone, 5:30 – 7:00 PM; Allen and Roynon, 7:30 – 9:00 PM), BCA
December 21 7:00 – 9:00 PM	San Dimas High School and Lone Hill Middle School Beginning and Intermediate Bands, BCA
December 22 7:00 – 9:00 PM	San Dimas High School and Lone Hill Middle School Jazz and Advanced Bands, BCA

For more information, contact Kenny Ritchie at 909-971-8200 or Ritchie@bonita.k12.ca.us.

Koach, Rodgers Present Keys to Foster Youth Partnership Program to California School Boards Association

Bonita Unified School Board Member Diane Koach and Senior Director Student Services Mark Rodgers will speak at the December 2, 2016, California School Boards Association (CSBA) Annual Education Conference on caring for foster youth in a school district. Topics of discussion include forming and nurturing multi-agency partnerships, the direct and unexpected benefits of connection to partners, the role of school boards in facilitating positive outcomes, improved educational outcomes for youth in foster care, improved social success for youth in foster care, and foundations for future growth and innovation.

“Following the filming of a public awareness video, ‘Not Alone,’ the Bonita Unified foster support team was encouraged to submit a presentation to the annual conference,” Rodgers said in a memo to Dr. Christina Goennier, Superintendent. “We are pleased to say that our presentation was approved for inclusion in the conference. In addition, Bonita Unified will be represented on two additional presentations by Jill Rowland, Education Program Director at the Alliance for Children’s Rights, our primary partner in supporting foster youth.” “Not Alone” is a public service announcement video created by CSBA that featured Bonita Unified’s foster youth program.

Rodgers has been instrumental in developing connections to other agencies that support foster youth such as the Department of Children and Family Services, and has improved access to community mental health services for all students through a partnership with McKinley Children’s center.  

Partnerships with the Alliance for Children’s Rights and the McKinley Children’s Center, which will both be featured in the panel presentation at the CSBA conference, have led to numerous benefits for youth in foster care through improved procedures and deeper advocacy. Foster youth are now enrolled more quickly, get more partial credits, are more likely to graduate on time, and have higher rates of being eligible for college. Youth also receive a high level of support from the two foster liaisons to ensure that they have full access to all aspects of their education.

In addition to community partnerships, Rodgers conducts annual drives to collect needed supplies and personal items to support youth in foster homes.

“We are very excited about this opportunity to share the exciting work being done by the foster youth support team in Bonita USD, and are looking forward to state-level connections and influences that we hope will improve support for all foster youth in California,” Rodgers said.

Special Education Adapts to a New Name: Specialized Services

Bonita Unified School District has renamed the Special Education department, now calling it Specialized Services, and is using first person language when speaking about students who receive specialized services in order to promote equality in education.

“The goal of Specialized Services is to integrate services into a singular education system with equal access and support for all students,” Director of Specialized Services Carl Coles wrote in a recent memo to the Superintendent. “‘Special education’ implies there are two systems of education, ‘regular education’ and ‘special education.’ This mindset has led to two very different tracks of education throughout the state. We would like to change this mindset.”

Specialized Services will continue to serve students ages 3-22 with Specialized Academic Instruction and related services such as speech and language, occupational/physical therapy, mental health, and adaptive physical education. The language shift is in line with Superintendent Dr. Christy Goennier’s focus on personalized learning.

“Personalized learning accommodates individualized unique learning needs so all students have equal access and appropriate support in all components of school,” Coles’ memo continues. The use of first person language also supports this cultural direction. For example, instead of using “Special Education Student,” the faculty and staff are encouraged to say, “Student with an IEP.”

Specific changes in line with the department name change include the addition of five co-teaching sections, which include both a core content instructor and a specialized academic instructor, social groups that include students of all abilities, and 21st Century learning furniture that promote movement and collaboration.