 December 2021
 Dear Whittier Union High School District Community,
It has been a very exciting month at the Whittier Union High School District. Our students and staff have truly embraced the holiday spirit by participating in holiday-themed winter assemblies, spirit weeks, contests and so much more.
Earlier this month, I announced my retirement to the Board of Trustees, effective June 30, 2022. It has been an absolute honor to be a part of this District for so long and serve as Superintendent for six years. Whittier Union has the best employees – I am awed by their dedication to our students and their success. I am excited for what is to come in the new year and will remain focused in supporting our students and entire District community, emphasizing our motto “To Achieve and Maintain Excellence.”
In the following months, our Board of Trustees will be reaching out to the District community, seeking input to help shape the selection process for a new Superintendent. More information will be shared as it becomes available.
As a reminder, Whittier Union High School District’s Open Enrollment for the 2022-2023 school year will begin on Jan. 24, 2022 and end Feb. 4, 2022. This process is for students who live in the District attendance area and want to attend a school within the District other than their school of residence. More information regarding the Open Enrollment process is available on our website.
Our students, teachers and staff have worked incredibly hard this semester and we are proud of all the success and achievement we have seen as a District. I wish you all a happy, healthy and safe winter break and look forward to seeing our students as they return to campuses for the start of the new semester on Monday, Jan. 10, 2022!
Happy Holidays!
Sincerely,
Martin J. Plourde
Superintendent
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Pioneer High School Hosts ’12 Days of Winter’ Spirit Activities
Pioneer High School students participate in “Cocoa and Cram” during the school’s 12 Days of Winter spirit days.
Pioneer High School students celebrated the holidays all month long with a variety of holiday-themed activities, aimed at bringing students and staff together.
In addition to the 12 days of holiday festivities, Pioneer High’s Drama Club hosted an after-school movie night, Club Literario held a holiday Posada, and the school also hosted an after-school ‘Cocoa and Cream,” where students were able to study for finals while enjoying a cup of hot chocolate.
During lunch, Pioneer students participated in games such as Uno and Jenga, and activities such as a holiday-themed obstacle course, musical chairs, and arts and crafts. The spirit days aimed to foster a sense of community and holiday cheer throughout campus as students prepared for winter break.
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2 Santa Fe High School Teachers Receive Navy Impact Influencer Award
Santa Fe High School teachers James Blake and Alexis Stead.
Santa Fe High School teachers Alexis Stead and James Blake have been honored with the Navy Impact Influencer Award, recognizing the role they played in the education of Class of 2021 graduate Brendan Kennedy.
Kennedy was recently accepted into the U.S. Naval Academy’s Nuclear Engineering Program – a process that included letters of recommendation written by Stead and Blake. The Nuclear Engineering Program is considered to be one of the U.S. Naval Academy’s most challenging academic programs.
“It is always exciting when my former students go on to do great things in their lives,” Stead said. “I am especially honored to be recognized for any part I played in helping Brendan to achieve his goals and dreams.”
The award was presented to Stead and Blake for their support and dedication to providing quality education for their students, while ensuring they believe in themselves enough to chase their goals for future success.
“This award is special to me because it highlights the importance of Brendan’s accomplishments,” Blake said. “He was a student on mine and demonstrated a desire to excel. I was proud to write him a recommendation for the Navy’s nuclear engineering program and I am happy to see him pursing it.”
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La Serna High School Students
Enjoy Winter Assembly
La Serna High School students participate in a competition during the school’s Winter Assembly.
La Serna High School Associated Student Body (ASB) successfully brought together their classmates during a winter assembly on Dec. 1, inspired by a “Classic Christmas.”
Each grade level was assigned a theme; seniors represented the Polar Express, juniors dressed as Whos from Who-Ville, sophomores embodied Rudolph and the reindeers and freshman represented Santa Claus and the elves.
Games such as musical chairs, relay races, dodgeball and a snowball fight created healthy competition between the Lancers. La Serna’s ASB Senate Speaker Jaden Moreno and his Who-Ville entourage, the Lancer Song Team and the La Serna Band excited the crowd with their musical performances.
ASB worked in close partnership with the Link Crew, Lancer Pride, Sophomore Spirit and class council groups to encourage attendance and participation and make the Winter Assembly a success.
“It has been a joy to witness the ASB classes and class councils join forces to make each La Serna event bigger and better than the last,” ASB Director Jenna George said. “Their creativity is surpassed only by their desire to serve others and make each Lancer moment a special memory. I couldn't be prouder of their accomplishments this year.”
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Whittier High School Hosts ‘How the Grinch Wrecked Whittier High’ Winter Assembly
A Whittier High School student dresses as the Grinch during the school’s winter assembly.
Whittier High School students showed their school spirit during the school’s “How the Grinch Wrecked Whittier High” winter assembly, where students participated in a variety of holiday-themed games and activities.
Such games included holiday musical chairs and “Wrap the Who,” where students wrapped their partner in wrapping paper and placed a bow on top. Other activities included a sport video, aimed at celebrating the upcoming winter sports season; a reveal of the spring musical, “Mamma Mia;” and a reveal of this year’s Grad Nite, which will take place at Disneyland and Disneyland California Adventure.
During the assembly, the Cardinal Brigade, Song Team and Cardinal Dance Company excited the crowd with their holiday-themed performances.
The winter assembly was the first event of its kind to take place in more than two years. For freshman and sophomore students, it was the first opportunity to attend a school assembly. For juniors and seniors, the assembly provided them a chance to take part in a normal, treasured school activity.
“The assembly was truly a fun experience, it provided our entire school an opportunity to experience something normal and traditional,” senior Sarah Tafolla said. “For me personally, it was fun to get up on stage, be loud and emcee an assembly, which is something as a senior in ASB that I have been looking forward to experiencing."
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California High School Condor Entertainment Unit Advances to State Championships
California High School’s Condor Entertainment Unit, made up of the school’s instrumental music program, Color Guard and Winter Guard students, comes together in the fall to create Cal High’s competitive marching band.
This fall, the Condor Entertainment Unit advanced to the California State Band Championship (CSBC) circuit finals.
“We had a great student leadership team that stepped it up big time. They knew that we were going to have a younger ensemble this year since it now marked two classes that were having to learn how to march and play for the first time and one class whose last time marching was in 2019,” Director of Bands Salvador Hernandez said. “They led their peers so well that the gap in performance level was non-existent. This of course does not happen without having a great group of students who worked tirelessly all season long to create the most exciting and energetic field show performance possible – I am incredibly proud of them.”
The achievement of making it to the CSBC finals is one that Hernandez describes as a defining year for the Condor Entertainment Unit and a memory that will last a lifetime for students.
“In many ways, this achievement marked the start of the new legacy while showing that we are still maintaining the high level of performance excellence that the Condor Entertainment Unit has been known for,” Hernandez said. “Our students proved that they are one of the finest marching ensembles in Southern California with our bid to the CSBC finals.”
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Frontier High School and Sierra Vista High School Host Blood Drive
 Fronter High School and Sierra Vista High School leadership students hosted a Blood Drive for all United Sierra Education Center (USEC) students and staff on Dec. 3.
The Blood Drive was held in collaboration with the American Red Cross.
In total, 21 units of blood were collected, which estimated up to 63 lives impacted by the donations – three lives per donation.
“I am very proud of our leadership students and their ability to sign up more than 33 potential blood donors,” Assistant Principal Richard Rodriguez said. “They were proud to know that they have positively impacted 60 or more lives within our community.”
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Whittier Union Adult School Student Sees Bright Future through Electrician Certification Pathway
When Whittier Union Adult School electrician student Ruben Alaniz was a child, he kept busy with building and fixing things around the house, loving the feeling he got after a job well done. As a general maintenance worker specializing in logistics for Tri-West Flooring in Santa Fe Springs, Alaniz has proven to be an indispensable employee looking to expand his skill set.
When Tri-West offered to pay for training to become a certified electrician, Alaniz leapt at the chance, enrolling in Whittier Union Adult School’s Electrician I and Math/Electrician classes with the goal of passing his apprenticeship application and pursuing a career as an electrician.
“Whittier Union Adult School’s Electrician I program is completely hands-on, which I love. My instructors are amazing. They work with you every step of the way to make sure you succeed. It’s never a struggle,” Alaniz said. “I would recommend this course to anyone who is serious about learning the profession. I have told my friends about the class, and they are interested in joining too.”
Immersing himself in amperes, wiring, outlet switches and blueprints, Alaniz credits his instructors, Alfredo Salas and Lance Young, for making the curriculum relevant and easy to understand and for instilling confidence in their students.
Once he has completed his electrician certification, Alaniz hopes to return to Whittier Union Adult School to take the plumbing and construction courses.
The Electrician I and Math/Electrician classes are designed to prepare students for the Apprenticeship Exam and interview at the Electrical Training Institute, as well as prepare students to locate other apprenticeships with local businesses.
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Whittier Union Transition Student Perseveres, Graduates from Program
Whittier Union Transition Program student Anthony Acevedo has demonstrated hard work and perseverance during his time at Whittier Union. Since beginning the transition program in 2017, he has been offered employment opportunities, gained valuable life skills and participated in numerous volunteer activities.
Anthony was hired to work at T.J. Maxx in 2019 – a job he still holds to this day. He has become a successful participant in the District’s partnership with the California Department of Rehabilitation, which helped him secure his position at T.J. Maxx.
“Anthony is an amazing hard-working, responsible guy. He’s a joy to work with,” said Alexandra, his direct supervisor at T.J. Maxx. “He is respectful, takes direction well and is always willing to help others.”
Anthony is now able to put forward his skills and help contribute to his family. He is set to graduate from the Whittier Union’s Transition Program at the end of the fall semester.
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