Students Help Peers with Literacy Skills

The Colton Joint Unified School District (CJUSD) had an outstanding turnout for the district’s quarterly Community Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 2. The CJUSD Community Cabinet is an alliance between business, labor, community and education. Its purpose is to build a stronger future for the region by ensuring that our students enter the workforce with skills and knowledge needed for success. Keynote speaker, Colton Mayor Richard DeLaRosa, gave an in–depth overview of the exciting projects going on in our city and stated that it takes our entire community working together – our schools, local government, businesses and residents – to make our city great. Cynthia H. Breunig, President and CEO of the Girl Scouts of San Gorgonio Council, gave a presentation on how her organization is working to prepare young women for successful futures. She noted that Girl Scouts do so much more than sell cookies. They are learning crucial leadership and academic skills. Knea Hawley, Director of Fund Development and Alumnae Engagement for GSSGC discussed how programs such as Classroom to Career (which was piloted in CJUSD) are making a difference by helping young women learn they are capable of anything. Three young ladies from Colton High School – Kimberly Lopez, Marlen Lorenzo and Deanna Pacheco – shared their experience with the Girl Scouts’ Classroom to Career program, which exposes young women to many career opportunities they may not have thought possible. Miss Lopez, for example, said that a visit to the BNSF railroad inspired her to pursue a future in mechanical engineering, a career path she previously thought was not available to women. The audience then had a chance to see what students are learning as two Jurupa Vista Elementary School students (led by their Principal, Dr. Natasha Jones) demonstrated their drone piloting skills, which they learned at the Girl Scouts’ GenCyber Day Camp held at California State University, San Bernardino last summer. Superintendent Jerry Almendarez asked one of the young ladies how she learned to fly the drone, to which she replied: “First it was hard, then I advanced, then I could fly!” The program closed with mock interviews conducted between Community Cabinet members and students from the Colton High School HEAL Academy and Joe Baca Middle School’s AVID program. The interviews are designed as essential practice to help students hone critical skills they will need. The exercise prepares them for when they start interviewing for jobs, scholarships or college. The Colton Joint Unified School District Community Cabinet meets on a quarterly basis. The next meeting takes place from 10 a.m. to noon on March 2. San Bernardino County Supervisor Josie Gonzales will serve as the keynote speaker and the theme of the meeting will be literacy.