District Honors Career/Tech Student Achievement

Career/Technical Education Students Recognized

with Awards and Scholarships

 On May 4, 2017, the Board of Education, school principals, teachers, and District administrators gathered at Lone Hill Middle School to recognize outstanding students in the Career/Technical Education (CTE) Program. Twenty-eight students were identified by their teachers for outstanding performance in their respective classes. Seven students were awarded college scholarships.

$500   Aidan Ferguson

$500   Aleksandre Howes

$300   Madison Chillas

$300   Mikayala Mitchell

$300   Makenzie Bentson

$300   Kristi Faro

$300   Charisma Manriquez

The students recognized at this event represented outstanding performance in 28 different classes from seven industry sectors, including Arts & Media, Information Technology, Health & Medical Science, Transportation, Hospitality & Tourism, Public Services, and Product Development. Each year, students in these courses develop specialized skill sets oriented toward a specific career. The annual ceremony is a unique celebration of the accomplishments and creations of these students.

"Shrek the Musical" Opens at Ramona Middle School April 19!

Beauty is in the eye of the ogre in Shrek the Musical jr., based on the Oscar-winning DreamWorks Animation film and fantastic Broadway musical. 

It's a "big bright beautiful world" as everyone's favorite ogre, Shrek, leads a cast of fairytale misfits on an adventure to rescue a princess and find true acceptance.  Part romance and part twisted fairy tale, Shrek the Musical is an irreverently fun show with a powerful message for the whole family. 

Ramona Middle School Drama is proud to bring to you our version of Shrek the Musical (jr).  Come enjoy an entertaining evening with Shrek and the entire cast. 

Dinner Theater at San Dimas HS Presents "Cabaret" April 19-22

San Dimas High School Drama is proud to present the Sainted Players performance of Cabaret, an entertaining, yet harrowing look at our world at the brink of Hitler’s regime.

Check out the troupe's Eventbrite page at sdhscabaret.eventbrite.com to make a complimentary reservation for this delightful dinner theatre event.

Dinner will be served by the SDHS Hospitality class. 

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