Editor Note: APOLOGIES! Please note corrections have been made below: RUSD Graduation are Thursday, June 6 at 5 PM and a revision to our STARS Transition article below. Thank you!
Rowland High School AVID Seniors Continue to Soar
Rowland High School AVID Senior Oscar Loya (who will attend UC Irvine) accepts his scholarship award from retired RHS teacher Craig Baumunk.
RHS AVID Vice President Daniel Hernandez who shared he will be attending Cal Poly Pomona at the RHS AVID Senior Signing Ceremony.
Superintendent Dr. Julie Mitchell, AVID Senior Jesus “Walter” Casuga & RHS Principal Mr. Mitchell Brunyer at AVID Senior Ceremony.
By Jake Magnant, RHS AVID Teacher

Rowland High School hosted their annual AVID Senior Signing ceremony in its new library. More than 100 people joined in celebrating the work and success of the 2019 AVID Senior Class. This event is designed to celebrate the success of the AVID Seniors as they enter a new chapter of their educational careers. This year marked the 7 th straight year that all AVID Seniors had been accepted into a college. The 2019 RHS AVID Senior Class was accepted to 105 colleges and or universities and awarded more than $1.15 million dollars in scholarship and grants.

  “This is truly a remarkable accomplishment for the individuals of the class,” said Jake Ryan Magnant, RHS AVID Coordinator (pictured above at podium, along with RHS Assistant Principal Mike Ward and Principal Mitch Brunyer.)

The AVID program has expanded at Rowland High School to 7 sections in order to meet the demand. This allows the program to serve more students on its campus than ever before. Recently, Craig Baumunk, a retired educator of 47 years, created a yearly AVID Scholarship for one deserving student. This year’s recipient of the scholarship is Oscar Loya, who will be attending the University of California Irvine to study physics. “As a kid, I knew that I had the academic drive to go to college, but I didn’t know what to do with it. AVID instilled the guidance that I needed to set me on the right path to college," said Loya. "Thanks to the AVID program, I’m going to my dream school to study my passion. I plan to one day offer similar opportunities for future AVID students so that they too can pursue their dreams.”

Another worthy scholarship recipient was Nathan Cruz. He was awarded the David and Teri Malkin Humanitarian   Scholarship that is designated for students who have a passion to pursue a career helping others. Current RUSD School Board Vice President David Malkin was in attendance to present the award to Cruz. “This scholarship means a lot to me and my family," said Cruz. " I want to thank the Malkin family for their support. I would also like to thank the AVID program for guiding me through the entire college process.”

Rowland High School Assistant Principal Mike Ward said, “ I am proud to say that under the leadership of Coordinator Jake Magnant, our AVID program has continued to improve and expand. The impact of this program is not just felt locally, but school-wide, enhancing our college-going culture. More AVID students are not only accessing, but being successful in Honors and AP classes than ever before .”
AVID Senior Mr. Nathan Cruz & RUSD Board Vice President Mr. David Malkin.   
RHS Principal Mitch Brunyer, AVID President Roya Seaton with Superintendent Dr. Julie Mitchell.
Transition Students Host STARS Coffee Event
Photos: Special Education Director Michael Tincup with Transition Student Raymundo at the "soft opening" of the STARS Coffee Event on May 7 at the District Office. Below: Employees came out for the second event on May 29 to support this learning experience!
It's been a busy month for RUSD STARS Transition students (STARS stands for Specialized Transition Adult Resources & Skills Program) . Students baked cookies and brownies, created specialty packaging for their treats and designed menus and promotional signage. They became baristas and launched a "STARS Coffee Event" that was hosted at the District Office. The idea was sparked by a parent and the project-based educational experience was a team effort thanks to students, staff and parents. Be on the lookout for the next STARS Coffee event planned for the upcoming school year!

The District's STARS Transition program helps Special Education students that are 18-22 years old gain life and work skills so they can transition to independent living. The Transition Program has partnerships with local businesses who train and employ students.
Pictured right: RUSD's Susan Ramos from Human Resources (pictured right with students) donated her creative talents to make the special STARS event aprons for Transition students!

A big thank you to RUSD's Special Education team for their support of this project, including Transition students and their families, teachers Olivia Pallares and Cristina Ruiz, along with the many volunteers and excited "customers."
Nogales Senior Seminar Students Celebrate
Rowland USD CTE Program Specialist Vickie Burch and Nogales CTE Department Chair Nancy Torbert with ROP Student of the Year Priscilla Esquivel. Priscilla is in the Health & Medical Pathway with her career goal of being a Naturopathic Medical Doctor. She has been awarded several scholarships and has an internship with Kaiser Permanente this summer. She will be attending Azusa Pacific University in the Fall. Pictured at the Senior Seminar Event.
On Monday, May 20, forty nine Nogales students with their families and teachers celebrated completing their Career Certification Program at the Senior Seminar Banquet. Students earned a Certificate of Completion for completing five courses in Arts and Communications, Business, Health and Medical, and Public and Human Services career pathways. Students in the program have completed a 36-hour internship experience, research related to their career pathway, presentations to a panel of judges and developed a portfolio that was evaluated by professionals from the field. Throughout the program, these students have developed professional and personal skills that have prepared them for employment and higher education. 

"Senior Seminar is the culminating class to a student’s career path of choice. RUSD's successful program is due to so many caring and hardworking teachers and administrators," said Nogales High School Business Seminar Teacher Alfonso Colmenares. "Our students are eager and ready to tackle life after 12 years of school. One of my goals is to prepare them for a successful start of life after high school. We cover commonsensible topics such as how to dress for an interview, how to start a conversation, how to network and why, how to properly handshake, and how to create and maintain your resume. Most importantly, they are able to step outside their comfort zone and gain confidence. I am truly blessed to be a member of our Career Pathway Program at Rowland Unified School District."

The award-winning RUSD Career Certification Program is offered at both Nogales and Rowland High Schools. For more information please visit: http://careerpathways.rowland.k12.ca.us/
Nogales High School CTE Department head Nancy Torbert is proudly awarding Tyra Taylor a Senior Seminar Stole and Cord for completing her CTE Certification in the Health and Medical Career pathway.  Tyra completed a multi-year sequence of CTE courses that integrate core academic knowledge with the CTE Health and Medical courses that provided her with a pathway to post-secondary education and her career.  
Dianey Navor Receives National Hamilton Scholarship Award
Dianey Navor, a rising senior at Nogales High School, has received the Alexander Hamilton Scholar Award, a national recognition for superior community service and academic achievement. Dianey is one of 29 students from across the United States that exhibit the highest standards of character and leadership through service, selected from a pool of more than 600 high-achieving high school juniors nationwide.

Provided at no cost to the student, the program consists of individual support through phone calls, video conferencing and emails with staff members and an assigned peer Scholar mentor, and attending conferences called Leader Weeks. In addition, all scholars have access to internship programs and join a distinguished cohort of peers from across the U.S. Award winners will complete a rigorous 5-year program designed to empower each Scholar to be successful in college and career, and will attend yearly conferences called Leader Weeks.

One of Dianey’s greatest accomplishments is being a part of the Pomona College Academy for Youth Success (PAYS), a three-year rigorous residential program designed to strengthen the skills of students and prepare them for college. “My experiences with PAYS gave me something that can never be taken away: my voice,” said Navor. Navor is very passionate about dancing Folklorico and is the president of the Grupo Folklorico Fiesta at Nogales. She is the secretary of the California Scholarship Federation, National Honor Society, and Active Minds. Navor values giving back to her community and volunteering, and she is especially passionate about working with children and immigrants.
Nogales High School Junior Dianey Navor, a 2019 Hamilton Scholar Award Winner
This is the 15th year the award has been presented by Alexander Hamilton Scholars , a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in Seattle, Washington, and the second Alexander Scholar selected from Nogales High School. The curriculum shared with students encourages Scholars to think about how they engage with the world, what social impact they want to have, and how they can be leaders of their communities going forward.
GRADUATIONS JUNE 6
Get ready to celebrate the Class of 2019 on Thursday, June 6 at 5 PM:

  • Rowland High School Stadium
  • Nogales High School Stadium
  • Santana High School: Ceremony at Rowland Heights Community Center at Pathfinder Park.
REGISTER NOW FOR SUMMER LEARNING & FUN!
June 10 - June 28, 2019
Nogales High School
Open to all students 1st - 8th grades (within and outside of RUSD). Experience three weeks of art, dance and perform drama and music from Mulan Jr.!
8 AM - 3 PM (Lunch, T-Shirt and all supplies included.) Fee $400 +$10 application fee. Location: Nogales High School in La Puente. For more info call RUSD Ed Services at
(626)854-8348 or click HERE .


Fine Arts Day Camp
June 17 -21
Hurley Elementary School

Develop your child's intelligence with the arts! Children love singing games, art classes and storytelling. Full day program for campers 5-14 years old (lunch and snack provided). The songs of ETM (Education through Music) use language, movement, and social interaction to enhance the learning process. Monday - Thursday 9 AM -2:45 PM, Friday 9 a.m. to Noon. For more information call Hurley Elementary at (626)965-2429.



July 8 - July 26, 2019

Open to all students grades 1-6 (within and outside of RUSD). Each day your child will experience MakerSpace (design, build & create with purpose), Arts (painting, drawing & more!) and Introduction to Mandarin & Spanish!
8 AM - 12:30 PM Fee $210. Location: Rorimer Elementary in La Puente.

For more information call RUSD Ed Services at (626)854-8348 or click HERE .
May 31, 2019 Issue Questions? Contact RUSD News Editor gward@rowlandschools.org
Proud to Serve Our Communities of Rowland Heights, La Puente, Walnut & West Covina
www.rowlandschools.org