Among December’s recipients is third‑grade teacher Barbie Sanchez of Callie Kirkpatrick Elementary School in Menifee. Upon hearing the news, Sanchez expressed heartfelt appreciation, saying she was honored to receive the grant. She plans to use the funds to purchase Expo dry erase markers and art supplies, materials she believes will help “brighten our creative minds” and enhance daily classroom activities.

Second‑grade teacher Melanie Carver, who teaches at Chester W. Morrison Elementary School in Menifee, was equally delighted by the unexpected award. Calling it a “wonderful surprise,” Carver shared that she intends to use the grant to “expand my classroom library with new books,” resources she hopes will inspire her young readers and strengthen their love of learning.

At the San Jacinto Technology Institute, Christa Slater, who works with kindergarten and first‑grade students in the school’s K/1 lab, plans to use her grant to support hands‑on learning and motor‑skill development. Slater has already purchased “Drop  Sticks” reflex challenge games to build hand‑eye coordination, rocket launchers for STEM lessons, and bean bag toss games” for both indoor and outdoor use. She also selected Scholastic books to bolster her classroom library.

Rounding out last month’s honorees is Scott Stolte, who teaches sixth‑grade math, sixth‑ and seventh‑grade science, and CTE at Hemet Dual Language Academy. Stolte outlined three practical and engaging uses for the funds: “I have needed a new rolling cart for a year now, I will put some of the money towards getting an air purifier for my room, and … we are going to do a Jello model, using the Jello in a cup as the cell and various candies to represent the different parts of a cell.”

Through these grants, CalRTA Division 33 continues its commitment to supporting public school educators and strengthening classroom experiences across the region. Division 33 also offers sixteen $1000 scholarships to qualifying seniors each year.  For more information about CalRTA, check out their website at calrta.org, or Division 33’s website at div33.calrta.org.

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“We have a lot more activities planned,” Preschool Administrator Lenora “Ponie” Mojado said. “We have more than 15 new students this year but a lot of returnees, too.”

She said there will be more focus on social emotional learning (SEL) which involves self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision making. Lessons will revolve around identifying feelings and learning how to express them in a positive way and be adapted to each specific age group. Preschoolers will learn more through play therapy while kindergartners can understand bigger concepts and grasp ideas since many already possess social emotional intelligence.

Preschool teacher Julissa Garcia has assistance from Instructional Aide Jess Thompson and preschool staff member Jasmine Basquez where they have dubbed it the “Home Sweet Classroom.” They have set it up to closely mimic a household to help the children make the transition from their first experience of being away from home. They have a reading garden, a kitchen and laundry room. There are framed photos of family members throughout the room.

“We want to make them as comfortable as possible, making it feel homey in here,” Garcia said. She said the children are opening up a lot more already and they are seeing their unique personalities emerge. The focus will be on improving fine and gross motor skills that will be achieved through crafts and fun activities. They are also trying to incorporate the Luiseño language into their lessons a lot more this year.

Pre-kindergarten teacher Ana Garcia and Instructional Aide Alaina Adkins have a “Welcome to the Jungle” classroom theme and the children are loving it. From a reading hut area where they can pretend to be animals in the forest to areas for art and life skills, students are encouraged to be “wild about learning.”

“We are offering a lot of hands-on learning for the first part of the semester and after winter break we will offer more in-depth lessons to prepare them for their transition into kindergarten,” Adkins said.

She said many of the children in her classroom attended the preschool last year, so they are familiar with the campus already. There are three new students that have been added so far and she said they are adjusting very well.

“It’s their first experience being in an environment with other children their age but they all love doing the new things we put out for them, so it makes us happy that they enjoy it,” Garcia said.

Marian Chacon’s great-grandson Brian is four years old and his older sister Violet, who graduated from the Soboba Tribal Preschool, is in second grade now. Brian treated his family members to a grand tour of all the different areas he utilizes in his pre-k classroom.

Shakoora Kabeer has two daughters at the school this year—Daiya Muhammad, 3, and Sumaya Muhammad, 4. She said enrolling them at the preschool came at the perfect time as she also has a newborn, Safiya, who is only a month old.

Kindergarten teacher Laura Aldrete said things have been going well since school started in early August. To conserve paper, the children are using dry erase workbooks and are working on their fine motor skills. The students are seated in small groups of three, which is a change from last year’s class where each desk was independent.

Chase Davies has a son, Hunwut Castello, in preschool and a daughter, Moyla Castello, in kindergarten and loves the school. She said Moyla has lots of friends and cousins in her class.

“They do a lot with their culture and teach them words of the day and week in Luiseño,” Davies said. Even though this is his first school experience, she said once Hunwut gets on campus he loves it.

Families were treated to a delicious stew created by Head Chef Anita Morillo and her kitchen staff Arturo Horta and Perry ReDonde, served in the multipurpose room. Also on hand were vendors that offer resources to families with children of all ages. School psychologist Rachelle Peterson shared her role with families, which includes spending mornings at the preschool to provide emotional and behavioral support, counseling, skills building, family support and more.

Representatives from Soboba Tribal Family Services shared the various programs they offer to support families. Alicia Golchuk, Desiree Salazar and Catherine Gonzalez were available to answer questions and share information.

Health Education Assistants Hosea Jones and Taylor Hart with the CalFresh Healthy Living program for Riverside University Health System offered activity books that make it fun for young kids to learn about eating healthy. They also brought along a fresh fruit punch to show there are delicious tasting healthy alternatives to sugary drinks and sodas.

“We plan to stay connected to the preschool and provide nutritional information whenever we are invited to do so,” Jones said.

Sylvan Learning has tutors working with some of the kindergarten students Monday-Thursday and they also offer assistance to Soboba Tribal TANF students of all ages. “Parents find it helpful that the tutoring closes any gaps their child may have,” Lead tutor Victoria Valenzuela said. She added that being able to do their homework in that setting is a huge benefit for the students.

Tribal Family Partners Project Coordinator Jessica Plumlee shared a fishing game with the young people that helps enhance hand-eye coordination, while bringing awareness to her program to the adults. The home visitation program serves mothers and babies as it is built around mindfulness and can help reduce any postpartum issues that new mothers may have. “It’s all about keeping our families strong and healthy,” she said.

Also hosting tables and handing out goodies for the children at the event were members of the Soboba Fire Department and the Department of Public Safety.

The Soboba Tribal Preschool provides comprehensive education for children from preschool to kindergarten and staff is committed to creating a pathway to success. Age and developmentally appropriate lessons and activities are designed to engage children and promote growth in all areas. Its quality programming and nurturing environment meet the educational and developmental needs of children living on the Soboba Indian Reservation and surrounding tribal communities. The Luiseño culture and language play a significant role in the school’s curriculum.

Mojado, who works closely with Administrative Assistant Maria Hernandez, said she hopes to get more parent volunteers this year. She said they are also encouraging parents to make sure the students arrive on time so as not to cause a classroom distraction. Mojado added that while there are definitely times children need to stay home due to illness and other factors, she wants parents to understand that missing school means their children are missing out on important lessons as many things are taught on a graduated basis and all steppingstones are necessary to reach their full potential.

For more information, call 951-487-8732 or visit https://preschool.soboba-nsn.gov/.

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Here is a look at five new schools or facilities opening in the 2025-26 school year.

New kitchen serves up meals

The Val Verde Unified School District has opened its new central kitchen for the school year.

The state-of-the-art facility will allow the Perris-based district to serve fresh meals and improve efficiency year round.

The kitchen will deliver fresh, scratch-cooked meals that are nutritious and culturally inclusive for more than 17,000 students a day. The facility significantly expands the district’s capacity to prepare meals throughout the year, including during breaks.

The new kitchen has:

• Expanded capabilities for culinary training and farm-to-school programs
• Greater operational efficiency and menu flexibility

It is in the same parking lot as the district office, at 975 W. Morgan Ave., Perris.

A school returns to Riverside neighborhood

For the first time in almost 60 years, Riverside’s Casa Blanca neighborhood will have an elementary school.

Casa Blanca Elementary School, where the bell will ring Monday, Aug. 11, is a 9.8-acre campus comprised of six main buildings.

The school has three two-story buildings called “Learning Villages,” outdoor learning spaces and three hands-on STEM labs.

The school broke ground in 2023 and is projected to start the year with 420 students from transitional kindergarten through sixth grade.

The campus will be the first in the mostly Latino community since an earlier Casa Blanca school closed in 1967 under the Riverside Unified School District’s plan to desegregate schools. After its closure, students were bused to schools outside their neighborhood.

Murrieta church now a preschool

The Early Learning and Enrichment Center will open at 25664 Madison Ave. in the Murrieta Valley Unified School District.

The facility is a renovated church bought by the district more than a year ago, district spokesperson Monica Gutierrez said. It will act as a preschool and the home base for administration of the district’s after-school programs.

The preschool has 10 classrooms.

“We fully renovated, moved, and rebranded our early-childhood education programs,” Gutierrez said in a Wednesday, July 30, email.

New childcare center in San Bernardino

A new $27 million facility at San Bernardino High School will welcome preschoolers in the new school year.

The Frances Grice Cardinal Childcare Development Center was built by the San Bernardino City Unified School District.

Named for Frances Grice, a community activist known for her role in the desegregation of San Bernardino schools, the center will provide “opportunities to connect to nature and support creativity and independent thinking at the preschool and transitional kindergarten levels,” the district’s website states.

The center was prompted by a law that phased in transitional kindergarten for 4-year-olds, beginning in 2022-23 and reaching full implementation by 2025-26, according to the website.

The center sits on about 2 acres at the campus’ south edge and has 14,700 square feet of classroom, administration and other space. It has a covered walkway outside. Its solar panels will produce enough energy to offset the building’s electricity consumption, according to the Tilden-Coil Constructors website.

Corona swimming complex makes splash

A new aquatics center at Centennial High School in Corona features an Olympic-sized pool, an administration building and covered bleachers.

An approximately 6,500-square-foot building contains locker rooms, coaches’ offices, a pool mechanical room and other areas.

A second 1,000 square-foot building houses restrooms and concessions. Concrete bleachers overlook the 50-meter outdoor pool.

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School and districts across the Inland Empire have been honored for innovative programs that do everything from analyze test scores to help diabetics care for their feet.

The Golden Bell Awards are handed out each year by the California School Boards Association to recognize programs that work to improve student achievement and promote overall excellence in education.

The honors were given at the group’s conference in late November/early December in San Francisco. “These outstanding programs in Riverside County schools are making a difference for our scholars and their families inside and outside of the classrooms,” Riverside County Superintendent of Schools Edwin Gomez said in a county schools news release.

Inland Empire winners include the following.

Riverside County

Corona-Norco Unified School District — Auburndale in Action at Auburndale Intermediate School works to get English learners classified as fluent while they’re in middle school so they won’t have that status in high school.

Hemet Unified School District — The Teacher Residency Program addresses staffing shortages, retention and diversity. The district works with the neighboring San Jacinto Unified School District and the Alder Graduate School of Education to offer aspiring educators a yearlong apprenticeship, stipend and a master’s degree.

Jurupa Unified School District — The JUSD Dell Student TechCrew is a career pathway program that prepares students for technology careers with hands-on training in technical and other skills. The goal is for students to graduate high school with certification that qualifies them to get a job.

Moreno Valley Unified School District — Its Commitment to Environmental Sustainability program aims to connect environmental education efforts, health and wellness with solar and water conservation. It hascut expenses by $2.9 million in two years and has an anticipated savings of $19 million over a decade.

Murrieta Valley Unified School District — Its Inclusion initiative works to remove barriers for special education students and ensure they receive an equitable education.

Riverside County Office of Education — Early Childhood Education University is a virtual training series for employees that helps those who work with young students stay current on policies.

Riverside Unified School District — “Cafecito, Amigos de RUSD Facebook Live” is an online community overseen by the district’s Family Resource Center. It connects more than 400 parent viewers a week with information to help their students learn and get guidance.

San Bernardino County

Chino Valley Unified School District — The High School Road Show began in 2018. Counselors at Ayala High School use meetings to dig into academic data and set goals for improvement.

Redlands Unified School District — Its Computing, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (C-STEM) program mixes hands-on coding and robotics into math courses. A key goal is to close achievement gaps among students who are underrepresented in STEM courses.

Rialto Unified School District — The RITZ, which stands for Rialto’s Incredible Talent Zone, is a gala show that lets students perform while raising money through the district’s Sharing Our Love Foundation.

San Bernardino City Unified School District — The Bullying Intervention System sends experts assigned to a school where bullying occurred to use the Undercover Anti-Bullying Team, which uses peers to support the bullied student.

Pomona Unified School District — The Garey High School InvenTeam earned a U.S. patent in 2022 for inventing a medical device that lets diabetics monitor their own foot health.

Find your latest news here at the Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle

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