Congratulations to Artesia High School student Oscar Fuentes, a finalist at this year’s California Student Media Festival. His documentary, “History of Laguna Seca,” was chosen to be screened at the Festival. The Festival will award a significant cash prize to the Artesia High School TV and Broadcasting class if Oscar takes the top spot. Well done, Oscar!
Cerritos High School students in the Engineering Pathway class, under the guidance of Mr. Jernigan, have been working alongside the school’s LIFE program over the past school year to develop adaptive equipment designed to overcome barriers for students with disabilities. These impressive projects highlight a sector of engineering often overlooked: assistive technology. This initiative has fostered inclusivity, greater understanding, and mutual respect for all students involved.
Congratulations to the Artesia Automotive CTE Pathway students for being the first students in ABCUSD to take the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) test. The ASE is a prestigious professional certification widely considered the “gold standard” for automotive repair and service professionals. Earning ASE certification demonstrates the knowledge and skills to repair vehicles with precision and care. Well done, students!
The California Department of Education announced that students and families will receive redesigned Student Score Reports for the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASSPP) and the Summative English Language Proficiency Assessments for California (ELPAC). Using feedback from students, families, and educators, the new reports will include links and QR codes to additional resources and information, improved results comparisons, more detailed results from ELA and math, and updated measures. You can learn more about the updated CAASPP reports at https://ca.startingsmarter.org/ and ELPAC reports at https://ca.startingsmarter.org/.
ABCUSD proudly uses Gizmos, a science platform that enhances student learning through simulations with excellent results. Recently, Gizmos recognized some of our outstanding teachers based on how they use this technology to help students. Representatives from Gizmos visited these teachers on Tuesday, May 21, 2024, presenting them with the Gizmos Leadership Awards to recognize their dedication to assisting them to succeed in science.
Top School
Juarez - Top Elementary School
Tetzlaff - Top Middle School
Cerritos HS - Top High School and Overall
All Teacher Leaders Honored
Stephanie Watson, Cerritos Elementary School - Top Elementary School Teacher
Julie Keck-Centeno, Whitney High School - Top Middle School Teacher
Hector Sanchez, Cerritos High School - Top High School Teacher
Kyle Dimla, Tetzlaff Middle School
Joshua Fritz-Calhoun, Cerritos High School
Robert Garcia, Haskell Stem Academy
Elan Goldmann, Juarez Elementary School
Tam Lam, Gahr High School
William Mead, Tracy High School
Angela Neally, Carmenita Middle School
Leslie Pando, Tetzlaff Middle School
Cortney Pyle, Stowers Magnet School of Int’l Studies
Mark Shin, Tetzlaff Middle School
Natalie Torres, Whitney High School
Below is a recap of the ABCUSD Board of Education Regular Meeting held on Tuesday, May 21, 2024.
- Students from Wittmann Elementary School led the flag salute
- The Board recognized First Place CIF Swim Champions: Carlos Valderamma from Gahr High School, Clemence Choy from Cerritos High School, and Anthony Dornoff from Cerritos High School
- The Board recognized Gahr High School for being named one of America’s Best Schools by the National Center for Urban School Transformation
- The Board recognized the 2023-2024 Student Board Representatives
- Myriam Bourdard, Adult School Student Board Representative, provided an update on the Adult School, including the Career Day and Open House, International Day, adding citizenship and English as a Second Language classes, and the upcoming graduation ceremony
- The Board heard a report from the School Facilities Capacities and Declining Enrollment Ad Hoc Committee regarding their work over the past year
- The Board adopted the Los Angeles County Office of Education’s Plan for Expelled Students
- The Board approved the prequalification process of CalSHAPE plumbing contractors and delegated authority to the Director of Purchasing to handle the appeals process
- The Board approved adding two summer session days at each ABC EXCELS site to Action Youth America and YMCA of Greater Long Beach
- The Board approved Bid Award ABC-1655 Whitney High School Soffit Replacement to Corner Keystone Construction Corporation as the lowest responsive and responsible bidder
- The Board approved Bid Award ABC-1656 Rotary Inline Filling Machine to Platinum Packaging as the lowest responsive and responsible bidder
- The Board received a report regarding the results of site visits, reviews, and Uniform Complaint Data for the 2023-2024 Third Quarter, with no findings
The next Regular Board Meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, June 4, 2024, at 7:00 p.m. You may watch a recording of this meeting and all Board meetings on the District’s School Board Meeting YouTube page.