Bruce Wright, fleet manager at Claremont Toyota, shows Lompoc resident Terri Coleman some of the features of her new RAV4 LE on Thursday in Claremont. Ms. Coleman won the vehicle, which was donated by Claremont Toyota, in Claremont Educational Foundation’s annual car raffle. This is the 11th year CEF has held its raffle but it’s the first time they completely sold out of tickets. Ms. Coleman said the timing was ideal because her husband’s car is 17-years-old and has 220,000 miles COURIER photo/Steven Felschundneff
Let’s be honest, 2020 was not the best year for a lot of people—not by a long shot. And for high school students, it was probably a year they’d rather—but won’t—forget.
COVID-19 wreaked havoc on schools, forcing teachers and students to switch to an online format they were neither familiar nor comfortable with. But due to the hard work from the CHS yearbook staff, this year's yearbook became a reality. Here they are in the library organizing the copies for sale. Photo/David Sawhill
Registration is now open for Claremont Education Foundation’s two sessions of “SLICE of Credit,” which allow students entering seventh through twelfth grades a chance to earn five high school credits this summer.
The nonprofit, in partnership with the University of La Verne, is offering a WASC accredited for-credit high school course in technology education for the 21st century. Each three-week session provides five units of credit, equivalent to one high school semester.
SEE THE VIDEO INSIDE. You know it’s a good day when the school you have served for so many years honors your efforts by naming a prominent new building with your name. But that’s exactly what happened to Brett O’Connor, the current Claremont High School principal, and number one champion of CHS. The Dr. Brett O’Connor Student Center is 3500 square feet and will have a massive multipurpose room and classrooms for the student body. Check out the podcast with the story inside.
On Saturday, the Claremont Educational Foundation (CEF), in partnership with Claremont Toyota, will draw this year’s winner of the annual car raffle. The lucky contestant will take home a 2021 Toyota RAV4-LE along with some other neat prizes.
Longtime Claremont High School Theatre Director Krista Elhai put off her retirement last year because of the coronavirus pandemic but now she is officially scheduled to leave the district in September. Ms. Elhai leaves a long legacy at CHS including a program that has consistently been recognized for its fine live theater performances.
It was a day of firsts at the Claremont Colleges Saturday. At Claremont McKenna College, the cap throw marked the end of an in-person ceremony at Parents Field on the campus grounds. CMC had the first in-person graduation of the colleges in the area since the pandemic had cancelled them all in 2020. COURIER photo/Jessica Aitken
In a 4-1 vote, with Steven Llanusa dissenting, Claremont Unified School District’s Board of Education approved the hiring of Jeff Wilson last week as its new superintendent. Mr. Wilson starts July 1, taking over for interim Superintendent Julie Olesniewicz, who stewarded the district after the departure of Jim Elsasser in December 2020. His starting salary is $273,646 per year, plus benefits.
Claremont’s Sunrise Rotary Club, along with creator and San Antonio science teacher Jessica Ly, cut the ribbon last week on The Lion’s Den, a resource center. The joint venture, funded by Sunrise Rotary and administered by Ms. Ly, offers free everyday items to the San Antonio’s student body.
After nearly 13 years of dedicated service, Geraldine M. Perri, Ph.D., is retiring from Citrus College. Dr. Perri is only the seventh superintendent/president to lead the institution during its 106-year history, and she has the distinction of being the first female superintendent/president. The college is now embarking on the search for her replacement.
The WesternU Health Vaccine Clinic is now in full swing, but this is not the only way Western University of Health Sciences faculty and students are helping to vaccinate the community. Several WesternU faculty and students are volunteering at vaccination sites throughout Southern California. College of Pharmacy (COP) Associate Professor Micah Hata, PharmD ’07, has been volunteering at the Anaheim Super POD (point of dispensing) at Disneyland since it opened in January.
Now that Claremont students, teachers, administrators and that final, all-important shadow group—parents and caregivers—have tasted the sweet nectar of kids being back to in-person learning, the natural next question is, “What happens next fall?”
“I’ll be honest, right now we’re planning for a regular fall,” said Claremont Unified School District interim Superintendent of Schools Julie Olesniewicz.
So far, so good. “It’s going very smoothly, no hiccups,” said Claremont Unified School District interim Superintendent of Schools Julie Olesniewicz, as Claremont secondary schools joined elementary sites this week in welcoming students back on their campuses for the first time since March 13, 2020. “I was at [Claremont High Monday] morning greeting the first two periods and it just went seamless; the kids lined up, masks on, no issues,” she added.
Claremont’s middle and high school students returned to campus Monday, one week after primary students in the district returned to in-person instruction. Above Claremont High School students show proof they have answered a COVID-19 symptoms questionnaire as they enter campus.
Claremont Courier on Social Media