Math Field Day Winners Advance to Regional Competition

Winning Math Field Day Teams Advance to LACOE Competition

Fourth through eighth grade students at eight elementary schools and two middle schools competed in the 8th Annual Math Field Day at Lone Hill Middle School on March 25, 2017. Teams that won first place (listed below) advance to the LA County Office of Education’s (LACOE) Math Field Day on April 29, 2017.

4th Grade: Oak Mesa Elementary School

5th Grade: Roynon Elementary School

6th Grade: Lone Hill Middle School

7th Grade: Lone Hill Middle School

8th Grade: Lone Hill Middle School

“A big thank you to all of our coaches,” La Verne Heights Principal Patrick McKee said.  “They did an amazing job working with their teams. Also, thank you Principals Jason Coss (Lone Hill), Derek Bub (Bonita High School), and James Ellis (Gladstone) for proctoring and the District’s Director of Educational Technology Kris Boneman for helping us to go digital. I truly appreciate all of your support.”

The competition consists of three rounds including Conceptual Understanding, Problem Solving, and Computational/Procedural. Scores are calculated from a combination of the results in all three rounds. While students waited for calculations, students from San Dimas High School presented a Science Fair for the competitors and their families.

“We have an amazing group of coaches who work hard behind the scenes helping to make this event a success,” La Verne Heights Principal Patrick McKee said. “They collaborate monthly as a coaching committee, sharing ideas and resources. They truly believe in the spirit of collaboration because we want all teams to be prepared and successful. We truly believe we are Bonita ‘Unified,’ and we unify to create the best teams to move forward to represent us at the county level.”

New State Accountability Dashboard Launched by CDE

Out with the API, in with the California School Dashboard

In February, the California Department of Education (CDE) gave school districts their first look at the new state accountability tool, the California School Dashboard. Instead of measuring only standardized test scores and ranking schools from high to low as the Academic Performance Index (API) did, the new system is based on the State’s eight educational priorities and gives schools insight into how they are doing in six key areas: standardized test scores in mathematics and English language arts, English Learner progress, suspension rate, graduation rate, and college/career preparedness.

The Dashboard is an online tool that parents, teachers, and administrators can use to see the status of performance in the areas mentioned above. Each area is measured both by “Status,” or the current school year’s score, and “Growth,” or improvement since the prior school year. A visual system of shapes and colors shows the school’s performance. Bonita Unified’s Dashboard was made available to the public March 15.

Two of the measures included in the Dashboard are student performance on standardized test scores in mathematics and English language arts. The test used for this measure, the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP), is in its third year of implementation in the State. This year’s CAASPP testing window for Bonita Unified School District opens the second week of April and runs for two or three weeks at each school. The CAASPP includes computer adaptive tests in English language arts and mathematics as well as  a new online pilot assessment for science.

For more information on the California School Dashboard, watch this video on You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJ2SHzt6PPo&feature=youtu.be.

Foundation: Golf Tournament and Mini Grants

Notes from the La Verne / San Dimas Ed Foundation

2017 Golf Tournament

The 12th Annual Ed Jones Memorial Golf Tournament presented by the La Verne / San Dimas Education Foundation will be held on Friday, April 28 at the beautiful San Dimas Canyon Golf Course nestled in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains. Proceeds benefit the Ed Foundation that supports teachers and students of Bonita Unified School District. All Tournament details and registration information can be found at: http://www.lvsdefgolftournament.com/.

Ed Foundation Mini Grants Awarded for 2017

At the March 1 Board of Education meeting, Ed Foundation President Alta Skinner with the Ed Foundation Board members awarded mini grants to teachers of the Bonita Unified School District. The mini-grants totaled over $5,000 ranging from $100 to $400 intended to address specific needs identified by teachers, such as yoga mats, wobble chairs, bouncy bands, balance disks, Snap Circuits Discovery kits, geometric shapes building sets, a circle tool for woodworking, Google virtual reality cardboard viewers, and Be Nice posters for an anti-bullying program. Grants have also been used to assist in funding field trips and small programs for students.

To learn more about The Ed Foundation visit the website at http://www.lvsdef.com/www/ and to make a donation, please visit http://www.lvsdef.com/www/donations/.

Encouragement from the Parent Partnership Academy

Bonita's Specialized Services Hosts Parent Partnership Academy at BCA

Parents, it's normal to feel shame and embarrassment about imperfect parenting and challenging relationships with teenagers. In fact, it's pretty common to feel primarily regret for mistakes of the past and fear about how your kids will turn out in the future. But it's that regret and fear that often keep us from experiencing the small joys in the now.

Tyler Durman, a Bonita Unified favorite, spoke at the Parent Partnership Academy at the Bonita Center for the Arts on February 4, 2017, encouraging parents with his empathy and insights. "We make choices in our parenting based on what we think will get us to our goal," Durman said. "The problem is that we haven't changed our goal since our kids were two years old."

Babies need two basic functions from their parents--protection and provision (first pie chart below). But as they grow, they need a third, critical function in order to become independent. They need to be prepared...and parenting with that goal in mind can be the key to more harmonious relationships and more successful outcomes.

 

The event started with a performance by the students in the Functional Academic Skills Training (FAST) class at Allen Avenue Elementary. Each of the children had a role in demonstrating their knowledge of core words. As the students left stage, one turned to his classmates and cheered, "We did it!"

Director of Specialized Services Carl Coles praised the students for their courage in coming on stage. "We are here to celebrate what these students can do, and what they can't do yet," Coles said.

After Durman's address, parents attended multiple break out sessions to collaborate and learn.

Many thanks to the Parent Partnership Academy Committee:
Carl Coles, Kris Boneman, Alicia Cantwell, Sheri Dill, Liberty Grammer, Marissa Little, Margaret McDonald, Kenny Ritchie, Melissa Vercautren, Dolores Vigneault, and Danielle Walker

Thanks to the following volunteers:
Best Buddies from both Bonita High School and San Dimas High School, Bonita Unified Workability Students, FAST classes from Allen Avenue Elementary, Lone Hill Middle School Leadership, and Ramona Jazz Band

Thanks to the following contributors/Vendors:
Autism Spectrum Athletics
Dr. Justin Shuffer
ESGV SELPA Community Advisory Committee
Law Office of Christopher A. Poulos
National Alliance on Mental Health
Parent's Place
Pathways at UCLA Extension
Red Dragon Karate
Wayfinder Program/Fresno State University
Bonita Unified School District Workability Program

Bonita Unified State of District Address at Hillcrest Home in La Verne

Chambers of Commerce and Rotary Clubs Host State of the District Address

The Bonita Unified School District invites the public to the State of the District Address on February 23, 2017, at The Meeting House at Hillcrest, 2705 Mountain View Drive, La Verne. Superintendent Christina Goennier, Ed.D. will speak about the District’s successes and challenges encountered in 2016 from the perspective of the schools, the students, and the District as a whole.

Attendees will be entertained by the Bonita High School Jazz Band and the 4th and 5th grade choir from Gladstone Elementary School. A soloist from Bonita High School will sing the National Anthem and a student board representative from Chaparral High School will lead the Pledge of Allegiance.

The event is sponsored by the Rotary Clubs and Chambers of Commerce of both San Dimas and La Verne and includes a $23 buffet lunch. Reservations are required for the meal and must be received by February 18. Check-in begins at 11:15 AM, followed by the meal at 11:30. The program begins at 12:30. Attendance without lunch is free after 12:15 PM.

To purchase tickets for lunch, call Hillcrest at 909-392-4362.

For more information about the State of the District Address, contact Dr. Christina Goennier at 909-971-8200 or Goennier@bonita.k12.ca.us.

Guaranteed Access to College for Bonita Students

Bonita Unified Partners with University of La Verne and 11 Additional Districts to Provide Guaranteed Access to College

Students in the Bonita Unified School District now have guaranteed access to college acceptance at the University of La Verne thanks to the Partnership for Access to College Education (PACE). Area school districts have partnered with ULV to provide the following for their students:

• Access to college preparatory courses
• Guaranteed college admission
• Guaranteed financial aid of at least $10,000 per year
• Application fee waivers
• And a range of programs to assist with college readiness and the application process

University of La Verne, 12 Public School Districts Partner to Guarantee College Access for Students (University of La Verne Magazine, VOICE)

Bonita Unified Superintendent Christina Goennier and University of La Verne President Devorah Lieberman sign the partnership agreement to provide guaranteed access to college.

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.