March Update from the State Administrator

April 12, 2019

Dear IUSD Community,

While we are consistently raising the bar and promoting strong academics that are propelling our students into meaningful colleges and careers, today I also want to celebrate the facilities work we have done and the massive construction projects we are about to begin once school is out.

Just yesterday, I stood alongside students, parents and community members to celebrate the dedication of a new state-of-the-art playground at Bennett-Kew School. As we cut the ribbon and cheered its unveiling, I was inspired by our District’s commitment to providing students with tools and resources that will positively impact their lives.

Bennett-Kew is just one of the many campuses undergoing upgrades that will support our emphasis on ensuring all schools have optimal environments for learning. Oak Elementary and Warren Lane, for example, also are preparing for summer projects that will include updated classrooms, repaired athletic fields and other modernizations. There is more exciting work to be done, and we will continue to forge ahead knowing that each project will help to build brighter futures in Inglewood Unified.

INGLEWOOD HIGH BAND

Our award-winning Inglewood High School Band will be honored on April 17 during a presentation to recognize its first-place finish at the Los Angeles Kingdom Day Parade. IHS will receive the first-place trophy on campus so that the entire student body can celebrate the win. The band is led by Conrad Hutchinson, who has overseen the Inglewood band since 1977 and is such a rich part of our District’s history. Let’s all cheer them on together!

SECRETARY OF STATE VISIT

Finally, I’m pleased to announce that Alex Padilla, California’s Secretary of State, will visit Inglewood High School on April 23 to speak to students about voting and the importance of civic engagement. The event will include an assembly that features voter registration. This is a great opportunity to help our young people take ownership of the world around them and inspire them to be leaders.

As an Inglewood Unified community, let us continue to lead with a passion for student achievement that reverberates throughout our city.

Sincerely,

Thelma Meléndez de Santa Ana

Bennett-Kew Elementary Launches Leadership Academy; Accepts 6th-graders in 2019

Bennett-Kew Elementary School is expanding to accept sixth-grade students in fall 2019 and launching a Leadership Academy.

Bennett-Kew Elementary School is expanding to accept sixth-grade students in fall 2019 and launching a Leadership Academy to prepare kids for success inside the classroom and out.

By adding sixth grade, the school will allow current fifth-graders to remain in the school’s intensive, supportive learning environment, as well as offer that opportunity to new students. The Leadership Academy will feature career training activities, including a program of visits by professionals to share their paths to success.

“We’re excited to be launching a program that will instill confidence and purpose in each child and help them find their own unique path,” Bennett-Kew Principal LaRoyce Murphy. “We believe that all of our students have the potential to be leaders with the right support and instruction.”

At Bennett-Kew, students receive instruction that focuses on science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM). Bennett-Kew students were proud winners of the District’s 2018 math competition.

District Updates

April 11: Bennett-Kew Playground Ribbon-cutting

April 17: Board of Education meeting

April 17: Inglewood HS Band Kingdom Day Parade First-place Ceremony

April 23: Inglewood HS Voter Engagement with California Secretary of State Alex Padilla

April 24: City Honors College Preparatory Academy Pep Rally

April 30: Young Executives Fellowship Event at Milk Studios

IUSD Website

City Honors Senior Honored in IUSD Student Spotlight

City Honors College Preparatory Academy senior Kalis Collman has been recognized as the first IUSD Stellar Student Spotlight winner for her academic prowess and will be featured in the Eye On Inglewood digital publication.

Collman is the winner of the first-ever Black Panther Scholarship, sponsored by Walt Disney Studios and presented by the cast of the movie “Black Panther.” She has earned a 3.9 GPA and plans to study to become a pediatric dermatologist at Loyola Marymount University, where she has earned a full-ride scholarship.

“If I could give one piece of advice to my classmates, I would say apply to every extracurricular program you can, because you never know how spending a few Saturdays working with others to better yourself will change your life,” Collman said. “Hard work pays off!”

IUSD Stellar Student Spotlight will honor an outstanding student each month and showcase them in Eye On Inglewood. To nominate a student, send submissions to [email protected].

Inglewood High Band to Receive First-Place Trophy for Win at Kingdom Day Parade

The Inglewood High School Band will be presented with a trophy on April 17 for winning the annual Kingdom Day Parade contest.

The Kingdom Day Parade Committee will honor the IHS Band during a ceremony on school campus. In January, the band marched and played its way to victory by showcasing its woodwind, percussion and brass instrument sections, along with a drumline and cheer squad.

The performance honored tradition but also featured contemporary aspects, including r enditions of Travis Scott’s “Sicko Mode” and Tyga’s “Taste.”

“We are a southern style marching band but we try to make our performances versatile,” senior saxophone player Yareth Barcenas said. “We put a lot of work and practice in, so it was a good feeling to be able to win.”

The Inglewood HS Band will be honored on April 17 for marching its way to victory at the Kingdom Day Parade.

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Office of the State Administrator | Inglewood Unified School District | 310.419.2705 | Website