Tag Archives: Corona Norco Unified School District

CNUSD Students Win Awards

Photo Courtesy: Brian Kenney

The City of Corona honored four CeHS computer science winners during the April City Council meeting.

Staff Reports

Corona – Congratulations to all the CNUSD students who won various awards in April.  Students from different schools in the Corona-Norco Unified School District were honored at several recent events. 

Five Centennial High School (CeHS) students placed 2nd and 3rd at the 2019 Inaugural Riverside County Programming Competition.  This competition introduced students to the world of coding and featured 129 students from nine Riverside County school districts. Participants had the opportunity to compete individually or as a team of two to four students. 

The second place winners for the Team Competition included the following: Anthony Villegas, Dararith Sao, William Chen, and Vincent Alexander.  The third place winner for the Individual Competition was Noe Martinez. 

Other CeHS students received the Aspirations in Computing Award from the National Center for Women and Information Technology (NCWIT).  The NCWIT Aspirations in Computing Award applicants represent “young women highly qualified to enter the computing and information technology workforce,” according to a CNUSD news release.

The winners included the following: Chloe Santos, 2019 California Inland Empire Affiliate Honorable Mention; Jasmine Bae, 2019 California Inland Empire Affiliate Honorable Mention; Madison Hill, 2019 California Inland Empire Affiliate Winner; and Monica Sanchez, 2019 California Inland Empire Affiliate Rising Star.

CeHS Teacher, Brian Kenney, commented on how important these awards are.  “The mission is to increase diversity in Computer Science and Gaming by encouraging young women into these high demand job fields.  These young ladies and NCWIT Aspirations in Computing Award winners are part of that diversity change,” said Kenney.  “With all of this talent, it is also the intent of Centennial High School to keep highly qualified students in Corona by producing career-ready individuals, and to bring more of these jobs to our area,” added Kenney.

Lastly, from April 2-3, twenty-four CNUSD students earned gold medals at the Riverside County Science and Engineering Fair.  “Nineteen Junior & Senior division students advanced to the California State Science Fair and a 9th-grade student is headed to the Intel International Science Fair,” according to CNUSD.

Nearly 500 students from 36 affiliate fairs competed at the Riverside Convention Center.  Among the awards were community organization awards, in addition to Gold and Silver medals.  “Gold medal winners from the Junior and Senior divisions will advance to the California State Science and Engineering Fair on April 29-30 at the California Science Center in Los Angeles,” stated CNUSD.  Congratulations to the sixty-nine CNUSD students who participated and brought home 24 Gold medals, 42 Silver medals, and 13 community and regional awards.  The winners are listed below.

Among the winners was Amanda Mata, of Orange Elementary School, who won the Elementary Sweepstakes Award – Best Overall Project in Grades 4-5.  The Project she created was a Rigatoni Pasta Rocket Engine.  Another winner was Dimple Garuadapuri, of eSTEM Academy at Roosevelt High School.  Dimple earned one of three spots in the county to compete at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF).  The Project that was created was a Na/Ca/K Pollution Scrub: A Domestic Approach to Chemical Carbon Capture.

Community and Regional Awards include the following:

American Meteorological Society: Dimple Garuadapuri, Eastvale STEM Academy at ERHS

American Psychological Association: Sandra Rodriguez, Centennial High School

California Society for Biomedical Research: Kenny Nguyen, of Eastvale STEM Academy at ERHS, received a plaque and $250 monetary award

Chemistry and Air Pollution Research Center at University of California Riverside: Kayla Cunningham, of Eastvale STEM Academy of ERHS, received a trophy and a $50 gift card

HDR, Inc.: Gavin Joyce, of Corona High School, received a certificate and a book

Inland Empire Professional Engineers in California Government: Gavin Joyce, of Corona High School, won $1,000

Intel Excellence in Computer Science: Jiahan (Peter) Cheng, Thomas Rife, and August Wetterau, Eastvale STEM Academy of ERHS

Mojave Environmental Education Consortium: Dimple Garuadapuri, of Eastvale STEM Academy of ERHS, won a $50 gift card, and received a certificate and ribbon

Mu Alpha Theta: Malika Nindra and Avantika Rozario, Centennial High School

NASA Earth System Science Award: Dimple Garuadapuri, Eastvale STEM Academy of ERHS

Naval Science Award: Andre Huerto, Eastvale STEM Academy of ERHS

Science and Technology Education Partnership (STEP): Amanda Mata, of Orange Elementary School, won $50

Stockholm Jr Water Prize: Nicolas Almeida, Alexander Nguyen, and Nicholas Tan, Eastvale STEM Academy of ERHS

GOLD MEDAL WINNERS (all Gold medal students in grades 6-12 advance to State):

Clara Barton Elementary: Anneliese Brasher, James Glenny, and Zachary Brasher

Home Gardens Academy: Hope Howard

Eastvale Elementary: Thomas Sherrill

Orange Elementary: Amanda Mata

Temescal Valley Elementary: Carter Gilliatt and Nicholas Gomez

Auburndale Intermediate: Aisha Randhawa, Nala Stewart, Sarah Stutsman

Raney Intermediate: David Ouk and Suraj Jayaraman

Norco High: Spencer Krock

ESTEM at Roosevelt High: August Wetterau, Dimple Garuadapuri, Jiahan Cheng, Kenney Nguyen, Thomas Rife, Faith Inverary, Kayla Cunningham, Lana Lim, Wenxuan Tang, and Jillian Labador

SILVER MEDAL WINNERS:

Clara Barton Elementary: Aiden Stinson and Andrew Glenny

Corona Ranch Elementary: Gavin Cypher

Eastvale Elementary: Joel Licera

Garretson Elementary: Jake Felton

Orange Elementary: Hailey Hild

Prado View Elementary: Jackson Rhodes, Kyla Ishii, and Spencer Tran

Corona Fundamental Intermediate: Ethan Alferez, Sophia Pham, Aidan Bunch, Anisha Prasad, Derek Hsieh, Lucas Dyal, and Ryan Friedman

River Heights Intermediate: Alexander Stewart

Centennial High: Briana Meza, Ellorie Mariano, Jahnavi Issar, Sandra Rodriguez, Brendan Morgan, and Jasmine Bae

Corona High: Gavin Joyce

ESTEM at Roosevelt High: Jeewan Kaur, Kristine Caneda, Paige Prescott, Samuel Alston, Serena Patel, Alexander Nguyen, Andre Huerto, Harshikasai Kellampalli, Jamal Karim, Natalie Hobson, Nicholas Tan, Nicolas Almeida, Noel Simon, Raam Naveen, Sanskriti Balaji, Brian Chen, Hailee Hammond, and Joever Orillosa

Coronita Elementary Selected By Crayola

Staff Reports

Photo courtesy: CNUSD A CNUSD student uses Crayola products to paint.

Photo courtesy: CNUSD
A CNUSD student uses Crayola products to paint.

Corona– Coronita Elementary School was selected by Crayola and the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) to receive a “Champion Creatively Alive Children” school grant.

Crayola and NAESP together selected 20 schools to receive the grants, which will fund innovative programs aimed at fostering children’s critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and communication skills.

“The Champion Creatively Alive Children grants are intended to help schools build creative capacity, nurture children’s creativity and inspire other schools to do the same,” according to a CNUSD news release. Coronita received a $2,500 monetary grant and $1,000 worth of Crayola products.

The Champion Creatively Alive Children grant program asks principals to explore a “what if…” learning opportunity. For example, what if arts-infused learning thrived every day in schools? What if schools relied more on project-based authentic assessment rather than standardized tests? What if parents and schools found ways to document and articulate the value of creative experiences? The entries were judged on innovation, collaboration, and sustainability.

“From the moment I stepped onto Coronita Elementary School, I saw students happily and deeply engaged in purposeful, creative academic work,” said Celena Turney, Western Regional Manager, Education Leadership in a CNUSD news release. “A culture of collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and creativity is evident throughout this campus.  Kudos to Principal Kevin Kazala, his staff, students, and parents!”

“Principals understand the value of using arts-infused education to ignite deep learning for all students,” said NAESP Executive Director Gail Connelly. “We’re proud to work with Crayola and the Champion Creatively Alive Children grant program to provide schools with this unique opportunity for resources to enhance students’ creativity and success.”

“Coronita is extremely excited about receiving the Champion Creatively Alive Children Grant from Crayola in association with the National Association of Elementary School Principals,” said Principal, Kevin Kazala in a news release. “Art is in an integral part of learning for students to visualize content.  If you look carefully at the Common Core State Standards for California, you will find that art elements are woven throughout.  There is amazing learning happening at Coronita, and the Coronita family is proud to be recognized.”

To view the complete list of the 20 Champion Creatively Alive Children grant recipients, visit www.naesp.org/creativity. To learn more about Crayola and view free professional development resources, visit www.crayola.com/educator. For more information about NAESP, please visit www.naesp.org.

This information was courtesy of Corona Norco Unified School District.

Corona Norco Unified School District 2016 Retirees

Photo courtesy: CNUSD On May 3, Corona Norco Unified School District 2016 Retirees were recognized and celebrated for their service to the district and for their dedication to CNUSD students. CNUSD reported that the retirees provided a combined total of 1600 years of service.

Photo courtesy: CNUSD On May 3, Corona Norco Unified School District 2016 Retirees were recognized and celebrated for their service to the district and for their dedication to CNUSD students. CNUSD reported that the retirees provided a combined total of 1600 years of service.

 

18th Annual Unity Awards Honors CNUSD Students and Teachers

Photo courtesy: CNUSD Seven students and teachers from Corona Norco Unified School District were honored at the 18th Annual Unity Awards.

Photo courtesy: CNUSD
Seven students and teachers from Corona Norco Unified School District were honored at the 18th Annual Unity Awards.

Courtesy of CNUSD

Corona – The 18th Annual Unity Awards honored seven individuals, many of them students and teachers from Corona Norco Unified Schools. The award winners exemplify UNITY’s mission to promote community involvement in the positive development of children, youth, and families.

Student Awards:

Abigail Hwang-Nable – 10th Grade – Centennial High School

Rachel Mershon – 12th Grade – Corona High School

Alyssa Penn – 12th Grade – Centennial High School

Adult Awards:

Jill Castillo – Team Victoria

Clark Eveland – Officer – Corona Police Department

Marisela Ibarra – DELAC, VP – Parkridge Elementary

Veronica Perez – Teacher – Highland Elementary

 

Auburndale Intermediate Shines

Photo courtesy: CNUSD Auburndale Intermediate Pre-AP class

Photo courtesy: CNUSD
Auburndale Intermediate Pre-AP class

Courtesy of CNUSD

 

CORONA– As Auburndale Intermediate School began to prepare for their Trimester 2 Awards Assembly, they realized they had a problem. They had too many students that qualified for the award to host only one assembly. The school recently converted their trimester awards to a GPA-based Honor Roll system. This change, along with a more focused effort on the part of students, families and staff, has resulted in 271 students qualifying for either Principals Honor Roll or Honor Roll.

The standard for Principals Honor roll is 3.5-4.0 and for Honor Roll it is 3.49-4.0. Overall, 57% of the students in the school qualified for one of these honors, with 59% of 8th graders qualifying and 55% of 7th graders qualifying.

The key to the change, according to Principal Ben Sanchez, has been, “intentional instruction, strategic support and intervention programs, improved connections with students and families, and improved school engagement by the students due to elective programs like music, AVID, and STEM. We are thrilled to have this problem!”

 

The 8th grade Trimester 2 Honor Roll Assembly was held on March 18 and the 7th grade assembly was held on March 21.

 

 

More Students Qualify For Diplomas

Courtesy of Corona Norco Unified

 

Corona/Norco– On October 7, 2015, Governor Brown signed Senate Bill 172, suspending the administration of the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) as a condition of receiving a diploma of graduation or a condition of graduation from high school. The bill provides for the granting of a diploma of graduation from high school to any pupil who completed grade 12 during the years in which the CAHSEE was in effect, and has met all applicable graduation requirements other than the passage of the high school exit examination. With the passage of this bill, the effective date of granting the diploma can be no earlier than January 1, 2016.

Please assist us in spreading the word and notifying former CNUSD students who may be eligible to receive their high school diplomas. The Corona-Norco Unified School District staff is committed to granting high school diplomas to all eligible persons. We are currently in the process of reviewing transcripts to verify that all graduation requirements of the senior year when you were enrolled.

If you or someone that you know are eligible to receive a Corona-Norco Unified School District high school diploma, submit it either online, or in person to the CNUSD Student Services Office, located at 2820 Clark Avenue, Norco, CA 92860. After the high school transcript is evaluated, and it is determined that you have fulfilled all graduation requirements, you will be notified and mailed the diploma to the address you provide. If you have questions, please call the Student Services office at 951-736-5111.

Santiago Student Perfect in Art

Courtesy of CVUSD

CORONA– Sarah Ki, a junior at Santiago High School, earned perfect scores and every point possible on her AP Studio Art Drawing Exam taken last year. Sarah was one of 16 students among 4.5 million high students in the world who earned every point possible.

The AP Exams are scored on a scale of 1 to 5, where a 5 is equivalent to a grade of A in the corresponding college course. On top of her score of 5, Sarah was one of 16 students in the world to earn every point possible on the AP Studio Art Drawing Portfolio Exam, receiving the maximum score on each portion of the exam.

“I was simply exalted!” said AP visual art teacher Carlotta Maggi. “AP Studio Art readers actually judge up to a 6 for excellence and high quality and original artwork. So Sarah earned straight 6’s and could be eligible to represent the College Board on the website. Sarah was also competing as a sophomore when she submitted her work, probably being the first student in our school district ever to have earned this well deserved honor for fine art! I am so proud of all her hard work, dedication and original talent!”

“This outstanding accomplishment is a direct reflection of the top quality education being offered at Santiago High School.” wrote Trevor Packer, senior vice president of AP and Instruction at the College Board. “We applaud Sarah’s hard work and the AP teacher responsible for engaging students and enabling them to excel in a college-level course.”

Sarah Ki is also a 4.87 GPA Scholar Athlete at Santiago High.  She was the Big VIII League golf champion her freshman year.

 

Garretson Elementary Girl Heading to Scripps

Photo courtesy of CNUSD

Photo courtesy of CNUSD
Aisha Randhawa qualifies for National Spelling Bee

Courtesy of CNUSD

CORONA– Two-time CNUSD Spelling Bee Champion Aisha Randhawa finally achieved what she has dreamed about since the third grade: She is going to Washington D.C. to compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

Aisha was the last speller standing in the 39th Annual Riverside County Spelling Bee at the Moreno Valley Conference and Recreation Center. She will represent the county at the National Spelling Bee in May.

Competing against the top spellers in the county, Aisha overcame 18 grueling rounds of intense spelling, finding herself a little bewildered on “succulent” early on. She persevered and spelled toe-to-toe with her peers. In the 17th Round, 8th grader John Terry from Palm Springs Unified misspelled “obdurate”, setting the stage for Aisha’s win. She clinched the round by spelling “cologne”, and emerged victorious after spelling “ambrosia”, which means something very pleasing to taste or smell. After the final moments, Aisha shared, “I thought about it for a second but I was pretty sure I knew it.”

When asked about what she is most looking forward to in Maryland, she replied, “Probably competing at the event and maybe getting to see the Washington Monument.”

The Scripps National Spelling Bee takes place from May 22 to 27. The ESPN channel has been known to broadcast portions of the competition. Perhaps Garretson’s spelling wunderkind will make an appearance!

 

Norco: Special Ed Art Exhibit Draws a Crowd

Courtesy of CNUSD

Courtesy of CNUSD

Courtesy of CNUSD

NORCO– The CNUSD Special Education Community Advisory Committee hosted their 11th annual art show at the District Office. This year’s theme was “My Imagination” and students created a variety of projects, including paintings, drawings, mixed media, sculpture, and transfer art.

The event drew parents, students and teachers and packed the room as they supported the students and their work. Each piece of art was given a number and attendees were asked to vote for their favorites in each age bracket (Preschool, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, High School, Transition). All participating students received a certificate for their work.

Students enjoyed a dinner courtesy of Chick-Fil-A Norco, Crusty’s Pizza, and Vito’s Pizza.  They were entertained by a magician and had the opportunity to take pictures with Disney’s Rapunzel and Belle.

A mixed media collage by William Karim, a fifth-grader at Prado View took top honors and was named “Best in Show”.

Former ERHS Students Sign with NFL

Photo Courtesy of CNUSD ERHS Alumni celebrate their NFL signing (L-R: Superintendent Michael Lin, Austin Hill, Tyler Slavin, Josh Mitchell, and ERHS Principal Jeremy Goins.)

Photo Courtesy of CNUSD
ERHS Alumni celebrate their NFL signing (L-R: Superintendent Michael Lin, Austin Hill, Tyler Slavin, Josh Mitchell, and ERHS Principal Jeremy Goins.)

Courtesy of CNUSD

EASTVALE– Gleaming smiles and new NFL hats were proudly worn by three former Eleanor Roosevelt High School students from the class of 2010, all of whom have signed with teams in the NFL. Austin Hill signed with the Seattle Seahawks, Josh Mitchell with the Indianapolis Colts and Tyler Slavin with the St. Louis Rams.  This marks a significant moment for Roosevelt High School, its football program and the entire CNUSD community. Josh, Austin and Tyler are Eleanor Roosevelt High School’s first athletes to play in the NFL.

During the students’ football career at ERHS, all three players made First Team All-League.  Austin Hill was awarded Riverside County Player of the Year and Most Valuable Player.

The three Roosevelt Alumni were the first graduating class to attend Roosevelt all four years. “When Austin, Josh and Tyler joined the football team, Roosevelt HS football stadium was still under construction, causing them to practice at Harada Park and go to Auburndale Intermediate for weightlifting”, recalls Coach Stacy.

“I am honored to have coached them and it is an honor that they have turned out to be such great young men,” said former ERHS Football coach, Coach Stacy.

36 Students Compete in District Spelling Bee

Photo courtesy: CNUSD Aisha Randhawa of Garretson Elementary spells out her winning word to claim the District’s Spelling Bee title.

Photo courtesy: CNUSD
Aisha Randhawa of Garretson Elementary spells out her winning word to claim the District’s Spelling Bee title.

Courtesy of CNUSD

Corona – The Annual District Spelling Bee brought together the best spellers grades 4-8 to compete at Santiago High School for the District Spelling Bee title. 36 schools, elementary and intermediate, were represented.

Contestants held strong for the first few rounds, but by Round 5, the field whittled down to 18. The dictionary opened up into words with foreign words and the field dropped down to 11 by Round 6.

By Round 9, the spelling bee came down to two students, Max Chen from Citrus Hill Intermediate and Aisha Randhawa from Garretson Elementary.

Aisha defended her title by correctly spelling “effluent”, earning the right to represent the district in the Riverside County Spelling Bee Feb. 23 in Moreno Valley.

Corona-Norco Unified School District K-12 Teacher Job Fair

By Nicole Leiva

On Saturday, Jan. 30, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., the Corona-Norco Unified School District held a job fair to recruit teachers for kindergarten through high school. When the district announced the event, they advised teachers to visit EdJoin.org to complete an application before attending the fair.  Those who completed their applications on EdJoin.org were given numbers that allowed them admittance to the fair before those who had not yet completed their applications online.

Throughout the morning, teachers arrived every few minutes and joined an already lengthy line. Attendees made up a diverse pool; both experienced teachers and new, young teachers came from various parts of Southern California.

One woman is finishing her schooling in Idaho, and wants to come home to Southern California and teach arts in high school.  Another teacher, from Los Angeles, has taught 6th grade for fifteen years. She came to the job fair to compare pay wages. A teacher from the Inland Empire, with ten years of experience teaching math, wanted to consider her options with Corona-Norco Unified.

One attendee, who moved to the Inland Empire from Kentucky, taught high school math and English and led school activities at her last school.  She said, “I really love teaching and seeing the students thrive and that is why I am here today!”

A young male teacher who attended has great passion for teaching special education in high school, which he has done for two years. He proudly stated, “I love teaching special education and would be happy teaching at-risk students as well.” This young, incredibly positive teacher has the potential to change many young lives for the better.

The success of this job fair can be credited to Administrative Director Glen Gonsalves and all the staff that made this happen. Mr. Glen Gonsalves said “this was an exciting job fair and really pleased to see all these people.” Additionally, he said “this was a great way to showcase the District as a great place to teach and work…” Glen and his staff didn’t anticipate the amount of interest in their district and the teaching positions, and were happy to see the fair was such a success.

Former Corona Teacher Arrested in Sex Crimes with Students

Photo Courtesy: Corona Police Department

Photo Courtesy: Corona Police Department
Anthony Joshua Perez

Staff Reports

CORONA – Former Lee V. Pollard High School teacher was arrested on Tuesday, Nov. 17, on charges that he had a four-month sexual relationship with a minor student, officials said.

Anthony Joshua Perez, 28, of Corona was arrested by Corona police officers for unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor and possession of child pornography.
Corona detectives determined that Perez engaged in a dating relationship with a minor student while teaching at Lee V. Pollard High School. Detectives determined that Perez and the minor had an ongoing inappropriate sexual relationship between December 2010 and April 2011.

In March 2015, Fontana Police Department notified the Corona Police Department regarding a child annoyance investigation involving Perez.

Fontana detectives discovered evidence that revealed Perez was engaging in inappropriate sexual acts with at least two minors in Corona, according to the Corona Police Department report.
Detectives are asking anyone with information regarding this investigation to please call Senior Detective Gail Gottfried at 951-817-5873.

Arrests in False Bomb Threats at Two Corona High Schools

Staff Reports

CORONA – Corona Police have arrested a 17-year-old Lee V. Pollard High School student on suspicion of making two false bomb threats.

On Tuesday, Oct. 20, shortly after 12:07 p.m., the Corona teen called Pollard High School stating there was a bomb on campus. Shortly after the first call, the minor placed a second call stating the bomb would go off in five minutes.

The next day, Oct. 21, at about 2:40 p.m., the same teen placed a call to Corona High School stating that a bombs were placed at all exits and would go off when the final school bell rang.

In both incidents, high school resource officers and school personnel conducted a thorough search of the campus and were unable to locate any explosive devices.
“The Corona Police Department will continue to investigate bomb threats to their fullest extent, as these types of incidents instill fear in students, their parents, faculty, and our community,” said Public Information Officer Sergeant Paul Mercado. “These types of investigations draw significant amounts of public safety resources away from legitimate purposes. Those found to be engaged in making false bomb threats will be held accountable.”
The teen was arrested and taken to Riverside County Juvenile Hall for making false bomb threats and criminal terrorist threats.
The school district will also take disciplinary actions against the student.

“Our district will not tolerate this type of behavior,” said Michael G. Cobarrubias, Associate Superintendent Corona-Norco USD.

CNUSD School Resource Officers Honored

Courtesy of CNUSD

Corona/Norco – The School Safety Advocacy Council recently awarded the Corona-Norco Unified School District (CNUSD) with the 2015 Exemplary School Safety Initiative Award for its Project Safety Net Program.

CNUSD was the only district in California to receive this award, and one of eight in the entire nation.

The Project Safety Net Program is a partnership between CNUSD and the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, whose mission is to provide a safe and caring environment so students can excel in their academic studies. The principal goal of Project Safety Net is to identify and anticipate safety concerns and systematically address each concern through the application of best practices.

On Sept. 15, the Riverside County Board of Supervisors recognized and honored CNUSD and Riverside County Sheriff’s Deputies Cooper, Huggins, and Thompson for receiving this prestigious award. These Deputies serve as school resource officers for Eleanor Roosevelt High School, Norco High School, and five middle schools in CNUSD.  Each of these Deputies utilized hard work, dedication, and integrity to serve the staff and promote a safe learning environment for the students.

Arrest Made In Centennial Bomb Threats

Staff Reports

Corona – After an extensive investigation by local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, the Corona Police Department (CPD) has confirmed the arrest of a Colorado Springs minor for making false bomb threats at Centennial High School in Corona, on Tues., Sept. 8.

According to the CPD, the false bomb threats made to the school resulted in significant monetary costs for law enforcement, and the Fire Department’s response and investigation. The CPD’s costs alone exceeded $21,000. The costs for additional security totaled approximately $20,000. In addition, there was the cost of wages and benefits paid to Centennial staff, unable to teach due to the campus closure.

The City of Corona and CNUSD officials intend to pursue restitution for those costs from the responsible parties.
“The Corona Police Department takes threats to our schools very seriously and will devote all necessary resources to investigating threats to their full potential so that people who engage in these crimes can be held accountable,” said Chief of Police Mike Abel. “The safety of our children and schools is our top priority.”

Norco High – A Model Of Innovation

Staff Reports

Norco – Future Farmers of America selected Norco High as a finalist for the National Chapter Award Program Model of Innovation in the area of Student Development. Norco High joins an exclusive list of just ten schools nationwide to be nominated for this distinction.

Student development in Norco High’s Agricultural Program focuses on the creation of a Food Pantry, Supervised Agricultural Experience projects that build student skills in Animal Husbandry, Agriscience, Floral Design, and Horticulture; and finally, the $5 Challenge, a community service project.

Representatives of the program will travel to Louisville, KY in October to give a final presentation and interview. It will be televised on RFD-TV.

“We are honored and humbled to be among the select national 3 out of 3 star chapters in the National FFA Organization,” said Robin Grundmeyer, who teaches Floral Design at Norco High. “Of those nationally, we are proud to be considered a finalist for the model of innovation in the student category. Our students have worked hard in their service of the community and as advisors we are ecstatic to see the recognition of their hard work.”

Norco High continues to offer an excellent Agriculture Education Model that prepares students to become future leaders in the agriculture industry.

To read more, visit https://pulse.ffa.org/index.php/2015/08/10/finalists-2015-national-chapter-awards/Norco HS Agriculture Department

CNUSD Receives National School Safety Honor

Staff Reports

Corona/Norco – The Corona-Norco Unified School District’s Project Safety Net Program has been selected to receive the 2015 Exemplary School Safety Initiative Award by the School Safety Advocacy Council, a recognized leader in school safety based services and training. CNUSD was honored at the National School Safety Conference on July 27, in Las Vegas, NV.

The Exemplary School Safety Initiative Award honors Districts nation-wide that have implemented programs that have had a significant impact in school safety and the community. The Project Safety Net Program serves over 53,000 students and their families in the District.

Under the outstanding leadership of Associate Superintendent of Instructional Support, Michael Cobarrubias, Project Safety Net was implemented in the summer of 2013 to ensure that each and every member of the school community experiences a safe and caring educational environment.

The overarching goal of Project Safety Net is to identify and anticipate safety concerns and systematically address each concern through the application of best practices. A key component to the success of the program is the development of innovative partnerships between the District and the Corona Police Department, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, students, parents and community organizations.

School safety is of paramount importance to CNUSD, and this accolade confirms the District’s ongoing commitment to keeping its campuses safe.

Inland Empire: CNUSD Receives National School Safety Honor

Staff Reports

Corona/Norco – The Corona-Norco Unified School District’s Project Safety Net Program has been selected to receive the 2015 Exemplary School Safety Initiative Award by the School Safety Advocacy Council, a recognized leader in school safety based services and training. CNUSD will be honored at the National School Safety Conference on July 27, in Las Vegas, NV.

The Exemplary School Safety Initiative Award honors Districts nation-wide that have implemented programs that have had a significant impact in school safety and the community. The Project Safety Net Program serves over 53,000 students and their families in the District.

Under the outstanding leadership of Associate Superintendent of Instructional Support, Michael Cobarrubias, Project Safety Net was implemented in the summer of 2013 to ensure that each and every member of the school community experiences a safe and caring educational environment.

The overarching goal of Project Safety Net is to identify and anticipate safety concerns and systematically address each concern through the application of best practices. A key component to the success of the program is the development of innovative partnerships between the District and the Corona Police Department, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, students, parents and community organizations.

School safety is of paramount importance to CNUSD, and this accolade confirms the District’s ongoing commitment to keeping its campuses safe.

Eastvale’s “Dr. D” Is CNUSD Principal Of The Year

Photo courtesy: CNUSD Principal of the Year, Trevor Dietrich

Photo courtesy: CNUSD
Principal of the Year, Trevor Dietrich

By K.P. Sander

Eastvale – At a Corona-Norco Unified School District (CNUSD) event held on Tues., May 7, Trevor Dietrich, Ed.D, was named Principal of the Year.  Dr. Dietrich is the Principal at McKinley Elementary in Corona.

“Principal of the Year” is an Association of California School Administrators (ACSA) award, and those in consideration must demonstrate exemplary performance in criteria for exceptional leadership in managing school programs, strong support of school management teams, and commitment to educational quality and student achievement (and much more).

Each year ACSA sends out ballots with the names of those who are eligible in multiple categories, and administrators vote for who they think are deserving of the awards.

Says Dietrich, “Every year I try and take the process seriously and vote for who is doing a good job.”

Obviously Dietrich’s peers thought the same thing when they nominated him.

“Dr. D,” as he is fondly called by his students, has been with CNUSD for 15 years.  He began as a 5th Grade teacher at John Adams Elementary in Corona, and in 2009 became principal of that school.

Evita Tapia, Public Information Officer for CNUSD says about Dietrich, “He is the perfect fit to be an elementary school principal, with his high energy and amiable personality.”

Two years ago, the District moved Dietrich to William McKinley Elementary to implement some of the successes he had realized at John Adams.

In Dietrich’s tenure, McKinley is definitely enjoying some success.  McKinley is the first in the Inland Empire to become a “Leader in Me” site, a whole-school transformational process that teaches students how to be leaders of themselves, and how to work with other people using the soft skills of the 21st century (focusing on Franklin Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People).

Implemented in over 2,000 schools worldwide, the Leader in Me process has schools consistently reporting an increase in students’ self-confidence, teamwork, initiative, creativity, leadership, problem solving, communication, diversity awareness and self-directed learning – as well as dramatic decreases in disciplinary issues (according to the Leader in Me website).

“What’s great is that the Leader in Me program has bonded the staff at McKinley; it’s given us something to be proud of.  And, its turning heads, making other schools notice us,” says Dietrich.  “Other District schools are now in the process of becoming Leader in Me schools because of what we are doing.”

Surprised that he won the award, Dietrich says, “It’s validating for what is happening at McKinley.  I’m the one getting the recognition, but it’s all about what the team is doing.”

In fact, Dietrich’s team was just notified that they are receiving the Models of Academic Excellence and Innovation award from the Riverside County Office of Education; and they are one of CNUSD’s three nominations for the California Golden Bell award, a prestigious recognition from the California School Board Association.

“Individuals are getting recognized, but it is all because of what’s happening in the totality of the Leader in Me process,” says Dietrich.  “Parents are recognizing that what we are doing is much more impactful for the whole child in preparing them for the future.”

When asked what his biggest hope for McKinley is, Dietrich says, “Our WIG (Wildly Important Goal) is

Photo Courtesy: Dietrich Family (L-R) The Dietrich Family, Emma, Sarah, Luke, Trevor and Justin

Photo Courtesy: Dietrich Family
(L-R) The Dietrich Family, Emma, Sarah, Luke, Trevor and Justin

to become a Lighthouse School by the end of next year.  To become a Lighthouse School means you have checked off every box and have done all the things that you can do to ensure that the leadership theme has been built into the culture.  If the principal leaves, the program doesn’t.  My hope is that what we are doing with the Leader in Me program is so impactful that eventually it has nothing to do with me – but it has everything to do with McKinley and what they are doing.”

Dietrich holds a Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science and Master’s degree in Curriculum Instruction from Concordia University, and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership and Administration from La Sierra University.  He and his wife, Sarah, have three children:  Emma, Justin and Luke.  He is active in his church, extremely handy around the house, and enjoys sports – as an avid St. Louis Cardinals and San Diego Chargers fan; he also enjoys the Lakers (“Just not lately,” he says).  “Dr. D” also teaches leadership classes at Concordia University.  The Dietrich family lives in Eastvale.