Tag Archives: Pomona Unified School District

Pomona: PUSD Supports Educational Success

BY JULIETTE FUNES 

Pomona – Pomona Unified parents and educators recently gathered at Harrison Elementary School for the 3rd Annual Readiness Conference, a program geared toward providing African American parents guidance on how to support the education of their children from birth to 8th Grade.

To support the continued success of PUSD students, the mini-parent conference, sponsored by the Pomona Alliance of Black School Educators (PABSE) and Pomona Unified, provided information on the new Common Core State Standards, the Accelerated Reader program and locally available resources to promote literacy, math and overall student enrichment.

“This parent program is just one of many that we encourage PUSD families to engage in as it enables them to have a direct impact on their child’s development and learning,” said Board of Education member Adrienne Konigar-Macklin. “Our students deserve the very best education possible and building partnerships and relationships with our parents and entire community is critical to ensuring their bright futures.”

This year’s Readiness Conference took place Oct. 25 and aimed to teach parents skills and strategies to promote student readiness. Educators prepared hands-on activities and individual workshops by grade level. Speakers also emphasized the parental role in academic achievement through strong, nurturing home environments while reinforcing positive proactive parent/teacher relationships and promoting programs that respond dynamically to students and their parents for overall well-being and success.

Parents also received information on how to support a nutritious and healthy lifestyle, which is foundational for academic readiness.

“Our goal is to adequately prepare our parents for their child’s future and getting their children ready for the next level in their academic career,” said Harrison Elementary School Principal and PABSE President, Shandria Richmond-Roberts. “With the help of our excellent instructors and staff, parents were able to gain newfound skills and strengthened those which they already had.”

Jointly, PUSD and PABSE have developed several programs that take place throughout the school year to provide students in all grade levels with resources and enrichment activities to ensure their success in school and career.

“It takes a whole community to help develop a whole child, and thanks to this collaborative partnership, we are able to provide students and their families the resources that will lead to academic success and achievement at PUSD,” said Superintendent Richard Martinez. “It’s exciting to see our parents join in these efforts and continue to be the inspiration and encouragement their children need.”

 

Pomona: PUSD Celebrates 2014-15 Teacher of the Year

BY JULIETTE FUNES

Monica Whisenhunt-PUSD Teacher of the year 2014

Madison Elementary School teacher, Monica Whisenhunt, was named the 2014-15 Teacher of the Year for PUSD. (Photo Courtesy: Juliette Funes)

Pomona – The Pomona Unified School District has recognized Madison Elementary School teacher, Monica Whisenhunt, as the 2014-15 Teacher of the Year for PUSD.

            Whisenhunt – who has taught Grades 3 to 6 throughout her 12-year teaching career at Madison Elementary – was honored for the achievement at the Los Angeles County Teachers of the Year Announcement and Awards Luncheon on Fri., Sept. 19.

“Monica grew up surrounded by educators, following in her mother’s footsteps, so it’s no surprise that she has come to be one of the best teachers we have in the District,” said Board of Education President, Frank Guzman. “I want to congratulate Monica for the excellent work she has done to make a difference in the lives of our students in the Pomona Unified community.”

Whisenhunt was nominated by her colleagues at the school and other teachers in the District. She was selected for the accolade by the Associated Pomona Teachers and the Pomona Unified School District.

“While I’m surprised that I was selected out of the hundreds of talented teachers we have in the district, it’s really nice to be acknowledged and recognized for working hard and being a dedicated teacher to my students,” Whisenhunt said.

Whisenhunt said she was inspired to become an educator after seeing her mother, a teacher at a continuation school, get stopped by former students to express their gratitude for what a positive influence she had been in their lives.

“It was obvious that my mother had made an impact on their lives through her kindness and dedication as a teacher,” she said. “Growing up with teachers, I would see the constant sacrifice and endless hard work they did to ensure success for their students.”

Last year, Whisenhunt partnered with Cambridge Education and immersed herself in the Common Core and best practices, and has served on several committees to learn and prepare for the changing dynamics of education.

“Although being a teacher has many challenges, I believe in my students’ potential, and it is always my goal to provide learning opportunities that will motivate and encourage them to be high achievers,” Whisenhunt continued.

In addition to her teaching responsibilities, Whisenhunt also serves as an executive board member with APT.

“Monica is a prime example of the committed teachers we have at Pomona Unified,” said Superintendent Richard Martinez. “Just like her mother, I know Monica will have a positive influence on her students’ lives.”

 

 

 

Pomona Unified Launches Dual Language Immersion Program

BY JULLIETTE FUNES

 

Pomona – The Pomona Unified School District (PUSD) has launched a Dual Language Immersion program for the 2014-15 school year at Westmont Elementary, where more than 50 kindergarten students will learn how to read, write and communicate effectively in an English and Spanish language setting while achieving high levels of academic success.

The inaugural program is starting in two full-day kindergarten classes at Westmont, and will continue through the 6th Grade, ensuring students receive an exciting and challenging educational opportunity where they will gain the bilingual skills needed to succeed in a 21st Century world.

“The great thing about Pomona Unified providing this enrichment program is that it gives our kids the opportunity to gain new skills, learn a new language and become prepared for success in a multicultural society,” said Board of Education President Frank Guzman. “Students enrolled in this program also have the chance to earn a State Seal of Biliteracy Award, which will go on their high school diploma and increase their marketability in an advancing global economy.”

The program follows a 50:50 model, where 50 percent of native English speakers and 50 percent of native Spanish speakers are enrolled in each class, enabling both sets of students to interact and learn new vocabulary skills. Teachers work in tandem to design lesson plans that incorporate and provide equal instructional time to both languages. All instructions are written and spoken in Spanish and English, and 30 minutes of daily English Language development is dedicated to English learners.

The program follows PUSD’s core curriculum and uses state-adopted materials. It also supports the Common Core State Standards, which is strengthened by the language-rich environment in which students are constantly communicating, creating, collaborating and using critical thinking skills.

As students advance in the program, they will demonstrate proficiency in both languages, navigating complex material in English and Spanish.

“We have various cultures in the class and they have been thriving and adapting really well since the first day of classes on Aug. 12,” said Westmont Principal Cynthia Badillo. “They will leave sixth-grade being fully biliterate, bilingual and bicultural. We have hard-working, excellent teachers who are going to help us be very successful with this program.”

Registration for the program begins in February for children who will be 5 years old by Sept. 1. Parents must complete an application, which will be assessed to determined students’ language proficiency. Fifty percent of the slots in the kindergarten program are reserved for native Spanish speakers. For those families who are not selected, the child will be placed on a wait list and parents will be notified by the end of June if a placement is available for the fall school year.

“Studies have shown that dual language students experience increased cognitive benefits and improved academic growth compared to their counterparts,” PUSD Superintendent Richard Martinez said. “It’s an excellent program supported by parents and the community for its goals of promoting biliteracy and bilingualism, leading these young learners to a brighter future.”

PUSD is also developing additional Dual Language Immersion programs in other parts of the District for the coming years, including a second English/Spanish program and a new English/Mandarin Chinese program.

For more information on the program, visit www.pusd.org/DLI.

 

Pomona: Diamond Ranch Named Top U.S. School

diamond-ranch-high-school

Photo Courtesy: Diamond Ranch High School

STAFF REPORTS

Pomona – The Daily Beast news organization has ranked Diamond Ranch High School as one of the most successful public high schools for 2014, out of thousands reviewed across the nation.

In its quest to find the top public educational institutions in America, The Daily Beast surveyed approximately 1,200 schools with above-average graduation rates of at least 85 percent. After taking academic rigor into consideration, the list was whittled down to just over 700 finalists.

According to the Pomona Unified School District, Diamond Ranch has a graduation rate of 99.3 percent and has a college-bound rate of 89.3 percent – ranked 308 out of 735.

“There are hundreds of excellent schools on this list, so for one of our schools to be recognized out of thousands across the nation for its academic prowess and rigorous program is a great feat for Pomona Unified,” said Board of Education President Frank Guzman. “I couldn’t be prouder of our teachers and staff for working so hard to make Diamond Ranch stand out as one of the best high schools in the region to best prepare our students for the 21st century.”

The criteria used to compile the list included graduation and college acceptance rates, which were weighed most heavily; academic rigor using Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) classes and test scores; the number of students qualifying for free or reduced lunches; and student performance on college admission exams – all indicators of how well a school prepares students for college and career.

At Diamond Ranch, nearly 100 percent of students graduate, almost 90 percent are college-bound, and students score highly on the SAT (1453) and ACT (20.7) college admission tests. The number of students enrolled in the school’s AP/IB courses is 31.6 percent and the exam pass rate on those two rigorous academic tests is 43.8 percent.

“As a principal, I am thrilled with the high academic standards our students, staff and parents have,” Diamond Ranch Principal, Suzanne Ripley, said. “We have a strong tradition of excellence at Diamond Ranch High School and it is wonderful to have major news agencies acknowledge the top high schools in the nation, and we are proud to be one of them.”

In addition to The Daily Beast’s ranking, Diamond Ranch was recognized as one of America’s most challenging high schools by the Washington Post and as one of the best high schools by U.S. News and World Report. Diamond Ranch is also a two-time California Distinguished School and successfully earned a six-year WASC accreditation term.

Other key components that make Diamond Ranch a standout school include establishing AP and Honors courses, achieving Digital High School status, having cutting-edge technology, athletic success and powerful co-curricular programs.

“Our vision at Pomona Unified is to prepare students to become first-class citizens with a world-class education, and these rankings only validate the success of that vision,” PUSD Superintendent Richard Martinez said.  “Congratulations to our great teachers, parents and community for supporting our kids in achieving significant academic growth.”