BALDWIN PARK – Baldwin Park Unified School District welcomed more than 13,000 students for the 2018-19 school year, launching Aug. 16 with an expanded Dual Immersion program, increased science, technology, engineering, arts and math (STEAM) opportunities and new leadership at four schools.
While students across the District’s 20 elementary, middle and high schools prepared for the back-to-school rush, teachers, staff and administrators geared up for another year of excellence.
Four schools will be guided by new leaders: Angela Robbins Maestas will helm De Anza Elementary School as its new principal, Alicia Fields will lead Vineland Elementary School, Pamela Cruz will direct Pleasant View Elementary as its new principal and Gilberto Rodriguez will serve as Baldwin Park High School’s new principal.
Robbins Maestas comes to Baldwin Park Unified from Coachella Unified, where she served as principal of Saul Martinez Elementary. Fields holds a master’s degree in education with concentrations in school counseling and educational leadership.
Cruz has been in education for approximately 22 years, and she holds master's degrees in teaching and in educational administration. Rodriguez comes from Downey Unified, where he served as a teacher, department chair, coach and assistant principal.
“We are excited to welcome our new and returning students to another successful school year at Baldwin Park Unified,” Superintendent Dr. Froilan N. Mendoza said. “We can’t wait to help our students reach their personal and academic goals.”
The District’s esteemed English, Spanish Dual Language program, which is offered at nine schools, expanded instruction to preschool grades at two elementary schools. The program will also be part of a five-year effort to integrate arts into the instruction of English Learners.
Jones Junior High School incorporated two Project Lead the Way classes into the curriculum, as well as a new STEM lab that includes state-of-the-art electrical systems, dedicated laptop computers, robotics tools and specialized software for design.
A new mental health career pathway is launching this year at Baldwin Park and Sierra Vista high schools, which will also feature a course in sociology.
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BPUSD_Back_School _1: Baldwin Park Unified’s Pleasant View Elementary students enjoy their first recess of the 2018-19 school year on Aug. 16.
BPUSD_Back_School _2: Olive Middle School students write about their summer for their first writing assessments of the 2018-19 school year on Aug. 16. Baldwin Park Unified welcomed back more than 13,000 students for the new year with increased science, technology, engineering, arts and math (STEAM) opportunities.
BPUSD_Back_School _3: Baldwin Park Unified’s Olive Middle School students interact with new and familiar classmates as they play human bingo, an icebreaker that helps students learn interesting facts about each other.