Rowland High students get free books today

Rowland High School will hold an “Evening at the Library” event on January 21 from 4 to 6 p.m. where students may come and pick out a book to take home!

There will also be a scholarship presentation from the Navy in the West Wing of the library for students.

Rowland High School Librarian Clare Ruesga is excited to share that 2,400 books were donated to Rowland High School thanks to a grant received from the Molina Foundation.

Their interest is in building home libraries for all children; especially for students in need. The books received vary in topic, author, and genre, but all are geared toward our secondary population.

ELD and special education classes toured the library on Jan. 14 during school to select titles. The rest of Rowland High School students are invited to the “Evening at the Library” event to pick out their book. (It will run on a first come, first serve basis with no rain checks). 

Rowland thanks community for its generousity

Photo courtesy of Rowland Unified

Photo courtesy of Rowland Unified

The Rowland Unified School District would like to thank the community for participating in the annual Adopt and Shop program organized by the Family Resource Center.

On Dec. 13, there were gleeful smiles of joy as more than 100 families and 300 children in need across the Rowland Unified School District were given gifts to open thanks to the generosity of others.

Rowland students and Rotary build holiday baskets

Photo by Gina Ward, courtesy of Rowland Unified

Photo by Gina Ward, courtesy of Rowland Unified

Last Saturday more than 200 students and members from the Walnut Valley Rotary gathered at Alvarado Intermediate to assemble holiday baskets for families in need in the Rowland Unified School District.

Students from Interact clubs at Rowland High School, Walnut High School, ASB students from Nogales and Santana High Schools, along with college students involved with Rotary from Cal Poly Pomona and Mt. SAC gathered at 7 a.m. to assemble the 11,567 cans of food and 250 turkeys that were donated.

There were 320 holiday baskets assembled that families from across the Rowland Unified School District received.

Shelyn students build machines in Rowland Heights

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The room was packed as GATE 4th-6th grade students at Shelyn Elementary presented their projects to classmates that they built at home that demonstrated their learning about “simple machines” and physics.

Led by educator Pam Hessom, students learned about building and designing projects by watching videos from Bill Nye and researched video of Rube Goldberg machines (She invites everyone to check out the video at www.wimp.com/gomachine !)

After studying the many types of simple machines, students designed and built projects selected from different kits that were funded with grant money from the FOR US Foundation and The Shirley Kaufman Grant.

“The idea was to promote to our students to be creative as they can. Even though they are simple machines, they are not so simple – everything from catapults, roller coasters and windmills were presented and on display and we were all so very proud and impressed with their efforts,” said Shelyn Principal Sarah Opatkiewicz.

Rowland Unified readies holiday boutique on Dec. 4

The community is invited to shop at Rowland Unified’s annual holiday boutique on Dec. 4 from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the board room at the district offices on Nogales Street.

Don’t forget if you want to order the popular Tamales, complete order form before Nov. 25 for pick-up at the boutique on Dec. 4.

Some of the many hand-made items you will find at the Boutique are: holiday decorations, country and Victorian gifts, jewelry, doll items, purses, hair items, hats, duct tape crafts, Tupperware, books, knitted and crocheted items, sports novelty items, candied apples, pottery and tamales!

Tables Still Left for Vendors!  

 

Rowland Unified raises money for holiday baskets

For the past 44 years, Rowland employees celebrate the holidays by supporting the HOLIDAY BASKET PROGRAM which helps nearly 250 RUSD families in need.

This donation is carried out through the joint efforts of the students of Nogales, Rowland and Santana High School’s Interact Clubs, ASB, employees of RUSD, members of the Walnut Valley Rotary Club, and other community volunteers.

Superintendent Dr. Julie Mitchell encourages every employee to support this worthwhile program by donating at least $2. *

Please make checks payable to HOLIDAY BASKETS. You may make your voluntary contribution directly to your immediate supervisor now until Friday, December 5.

All proceeds will be collected by Rita Garcia, Executive Secretary, Administrative Services in the District Office. (Letters with additional information were sent to all sites).

Canned Goods are being collected at school sites for the baskets now untilWednesday, December 10.

 

Rowland High celebrates 50th anniversary Friday

By Rowland Unified

The entire community is invited on Friday, starting at 3:15 p.m. to celebrate Rowland High School’s 50th anniversary with a fun-filled, community jubilee.

Rowland began as a small community where students were just as likely to ride a horse to school as drive a car, and the 50th Jubilee will celebrate with a good ole’ fashioned Country Western theme.image001

“Being a lifelong Raider as a student, teacher, and now principal of the school, I am very proud of its history and traditions. I look forward to highlighting the school and its connection to the community at our Jubilee and I hope everyone can join us,” said Rowland High School Principal Mitch Brunyer, who is in charge of the volunteer committee.

Everyone is invited: alumni, students, parents, faculty/staff (past and present), and community members. For the latest information, visit www.rowlandhs.org.

The campus will be filled with free activities such as game and photo booths, entertainment, visit “Memory Lane Displays” and tours of the new modernized facilities will begin at 3:15 p.m. There will also be a variety of food booths.

A special opportunity to meet former and current faculty and staff including every principal in Rowland High’s history will take place at 6:30 p.m. in the gym.

The Rowland Raiders Homecoming Football Game begins at 7 p.m. (Game tickets are $6, students $3.)

VIDEOS: Have fun learning a bit of Rowland High School history with new videos each day this week to celebrate the countdown to the 50th Jubilee with videos posted on You Tube – click HERE.

NEW BUILDING TOURS:

D-Building: This building was expanded to nine classrooms housing science classes (Physics, Anatomy, Biology, Chemistry and Earth Science). Each room features individual lab stations, interactive whiteboards, voice amplification, chemical resistant cabinets, countertops and flooring and the chemistry rooms feature fume hoods. There is also a central common instructor’s work room that includes instrument and chemical storage.

E-Building: This building mainly houses Career Technical Education classrooms. Every classroom has new doors, flooring and tackable wall surfaces. Many rooms have interactive whiteboards and voice amplification or are wired to receive the technology in the near future. The modernization of this building includes four new computer labs, the Rainbow Preschool facility, child care and home economics rooms. The culinary arts room was previously modernized, but recently also included technology upgrades.

Aquatics Center:  The new facility features a designed plaza entrance with an expanded 12 lane pool and deck. It has a shade structure with seating, a digital scoreboard, lighting, new filtering equipment and the infrastructure to add solar technology in the future. Restroom facilities for the athletes and public have been added along with team rooms, outdoor showers and a coach’s office.

The Future:  In the next few years, the community can look forward to: a state-of-the-art performing arts center, a new multipurpose room, eating facilities, student quad area, a two-story administration building with a new library on the top floor, and a new two-story classroom building that will replace portable buildings.

ECOLAB helps Rowland teachers and students

Luis Dominguz ,11, and Henry Lee, 9, build a robot at Villacorta Elementary School in La Puente

Luis Dominguz ,11, and Henry Lee, 9, build a robot at Villacorta Elementary School in La Puente

By Richard Irwin, Staff Writer

Ecolab presented $37,000 in grants to Rowland Unified teachers on Thursday at its plant in Industry. The grants represent an 8 percent increase over the money donated last year to area educators.

“We believe in giving back to the community,” said Logistics Manager Lynda Bobka. “We want to invest in our students, who may actually work with us in the future.”

The company official felt “lucky” to be associated with the Visions for Learning Grants program since it began in 1997. The grants have grown steadily over the years.

“The money has paid for everything from a kindergarten playground to instruments for a mariachi band,” Bobka noted. “We get great satisfaction from helping our local teachers fund special projects.”

Individual grants range up to $3,000. This year, 23 projects were funded by Ecolab.

Science took the top spots, with both Villacorta Elementary in La Puente and Shelyn Elementary in Rowland Heights receiving nearly $3,000 each for robotic kits.

Read more in Rich Irwin’s story ECOLAB.

Rowland Unified names Julie Mitchell superintendent

Rowland Unified applauds new superintendent Julie Mitchell. Photo by Watchara Phomicinda

Rowland Unified applauds new superintendent Julie Mitchell. Photo by Watchara Phomicinda

By Richard Irwin, Staff Writer

After a year of infighting and turmoil, the Rowland Unified School District named a new superintendent on Tuesday. Julie Mitchell, the chief personnel officer for the Tustin Unified School District, will serve as Rowland’s top administrator.

“Dr. Mitchell stood out among the highly qualified field of candidates for her passion and proven track record in making student-focused decisions that support academic success,” said RUSD school board President Heidi Gallegos. “She has in-depth expertise in instructional strategies and models using technology, innovative professional development programs and breadth in curriculum.”

The search for a new superintendent began last April, when Superintendent Ruben Frutos decided to step down. His tenure was marked by hundreds of teachers demanding that Frutos resign.

In February, the Association of Rowland Educators asked the board to search for a new superintendent.

The board hired Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates to provide input on the qualities desired in a new superintendent. The firm held focus groups, community meetings and an online survey to canvas the community.

Families said they wanted someone who understood the learning process and the importance of new technology. But they also wanted a leader who was approachable and friendly.

More than 50 educators applied for the superintendent’s position. Board members whittled the field down this summer, conducting final interviews over the past couple weeks.

“I am excited and honored to have been chosen as the new superintendent and look forward to working corroboratively with the school board, staff, parents and community,” Mitchell said.

She brings 26 years of experience in public schools. Mitchell worked her way up from instructional aide to assistant superintendent in school districts including Anaheim Union, Capistrano and Irvine. Along the way, she taught middle and high school students, before becoming an assistant principal, then principal.

Read more in Rich Irwin’s story SUPER

Rowland High staff, students happy after renovations

By Richard Irwin, Staff Writer

Even the blackboards at Rowland High School are “smart.” And it’s more than just the name of the fancy digital whiteboards found in the new science and business wings at the Rowland Unified school.

While the noise of construction has finally abated at the local high school, teachers and students said all the bother was worth the new facilities that opened this school year.

Students and staff have settled into their new digs over the past couple weeks. And the reviews have been positive.

Students gathered in the computer labs located in the renovated E wing. Teachers had taught last year in portable classrooms lined up outside the Raider gym.

Most of the portables are now gone, letting the Rowland instructors return to their usual classrooms. Which have become unusual with the all the technology crammed into them during the massive remodeling project.

“We gutted the whole wing and rebuilt it with new utilities and modern technology,” said Principal Mitch Brunyer.

Business teacher Caroline Manookian was learning how to use her smart board. The new digital projectors help instructors reach the tech-savvy students. The Raiders study everything from personal finance to advanced accounting in the business department.

“It’s really nice to have them all facing me now, before they sat around tables,” Manookian said. “The new furniture is much more efficient with plenty of room for their books. Plus, there’s lot of storage.”

Students found 160 new Mac computers bought for the remodeled classrooms.

“The computers will also be used for the online testing now required by the state this year,” said Brunyer.

On the other side of the building, the Rainbow Preschool was open for business.

“We’ve waited more than 30 years for this remodeling,” said preschool director Patricia Hakim earlier. “But it was worth the wait!”

For more, read Rich Irwin’s story RAIDERS.