Spectacular Sonora Spotlight Program:

Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID)

Each week we will feature one of our pathways/families of learners to determine where you belong among any/multiple pathways at Sonora High School. This week we will feature our Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) Program. AVID stands for Advancement Via Individual Determination.  AVID is a program that aims to close the achievement gap by helping prepare high school students with academic potential for success in advanced high school classes and in a four-year college. 

The AVID curriculum is focused on developing study, organization, and academic skills that will benefit students in high school and college. Additionally, the program offers in-class college and career counseling, personal mentoring, tutoring, and leadership development to help students reach their full potential.  One of the key features of AVID is the weekly tutorial sessions on Tuesday and Thursday with trained college tutors. For every seven students in AVID, one trained college tutor is provided to guide them during the tutorial sessions. This provides students with personalized academic support that can greatly improve their chances of success.

AVID provides extensive guidance throughout high school to help students find the right college for them. College and career research projects are a great way for students to learn more about the colleges they're interested in and the careers they want to pursue. AVID also invites college advisors and admission representatives to come into their classes to provide students with valuable information and answer any questions they may have.  In addition, AVID takes its students on college campus tours to give them a firsthand look at different types of colleges and universities. By visiting at least one UC, one CSU, one private 4-year university, and a community college per year, AVID students can compare and contrast the different types of colleges in California and make more informed decisions about their future educational path.

AVID provides services and assistance to help make college more accessible and affordable for AVID students. Writing college essays and personal statements can be challenging, so AVID provides guidance and support to help students showcase their strengths and accomplishments in their college applications. AVID also offers assistance throughout the entire college application process, from selecting colleges to submitting applications.  Filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) can be complicated, so AVID provides guidance and help to ensure that students complete it accurately and on time. Additionally, AVID helps students find and apply for scholarships to help pay for college, which can greatly reduce the financial burden of higher education.

By offering these services and assistance, AVID is working to ensure that its students have the resources and support they need to pursue higher education and achieve their academic and career goals.  Our AVID program consists of a team of dedicated teachers, counselors, and administrators who are committed to supporting the success of AVID students at Sonora High School. We hope that more students will take advantage of this program by reaching out to Mr. Nguyen.  If you are interested in joining the AVID program please email Mr. Nguyen at dnguyen@fjuhsd.org or call 562-266-2151.

We are so proud of your students and staff associated with this phenomenal pathway. Behold our Blue and Gold!! Go Raiders!  #beholdblueandgold #iamsonora

Table of Contents

Any new information for our newsletter will be in Sonora Gold.

Rotary Student of the Month

Raider Ranch News

School Accountability Report Card (SARC)

Academy of Nursing and Medical Careers

Visual and Performing Arts Recognition

CAASPP/CAST

ESports Update

Prom Information

Class of 2023 News

Food Services

Attendance

Activities

Counselors' Corner

Academic Supports

Athletics

Parent Involvement

PTSA Election Information

Connect with Us

FJUHSD News

School Calendar

Mental Health Supports

Community News

Employment Opportunities

Important Dates

Women's Month Quotes of the Week

Rotary Student of the Month

It is with great honor that Sonora High School recognizes Ms. Sarah Baker as the City of La Habra's Rotary Student of the Month. Sarah embodies and exemplifies courage and resilience both academically and personally. Ms. Baker is in the second decile of her graduating class of 401, with a 4.0 GPA. She has taken a variety of rigorous courses and is a recipient of a variety of academic achievements, including the Principal's Honor Roll.  

Over the last 4-years, Sarah has been the personification of persistence. She has navigated difficult moments and diagnoses graciously, with poise and strength; a true testament to her incredible family and their unconditional love and support. Sarah has faced many obstacles in her life. She has dealt with hearing loss, vision loss, as well as auditory processing issues that have affected every aspect of her life. Sarah continues to meet with numerous specialists undergoing many medical evaluations and procedures. She has been hospitalized four times since high school began and was on a low dose of chemotherapy. Sarah continues to navigate her High School career while continuing infusions and medication in the hope of controlling her symptoms and in search of relief. In addition to the various autoimmune diseases, Sarah was most recently diagnosed with a rare blood disorder that has no cure. Yet through it all, Sarah continues to make school a priority and does so with elegance.  

While sitting with Sarah we shared three vital aspects of her life; God, family, and friends. Sarah states that she draws her strength from her faith. Faith in the processes that she is going through. So many people want to quickly get to tomorrow and quickly get to the end of a project so they can go to the next one. Sarah says that she has learned to take one day at a time and to be in the moment. One of the most valuable times for her is when she is sitting with her family eating dinner. Sarah’s mom is her greatest inspiration for the lessons that she has taught. Sarah’s mom has taught her to put life into perspective. Mom has led Sarah to know what really matters in life. Sarah is so grateful for the time that she has with her friends. The most memorable thing that she said about her friends is that she values quality over quantity of friends. Sarah is more concerned with who you are as a person which is so unique in a world where so much value is placed on “followers” or “likes”.

Sarah’s teachers have worked so diligently with her over the years. This has led Srah to be accepted to Biola University, Cal Baptist, Cal State Fullerton, and the University of Hawaii. At any of these colleges, she would ultimately like to pursue a degree in graphic design.  

Here are some quotes from her teachers:

“Sarah is a diligent, wise, and emotionally intelligent student who has faced and overcome many challenges in her young life.

Her work ethic has impressed me from day one as a freshman. Undeterred by frequent health problems that require missing school, she pushed herself to do her personal best and clearly valued the learning experience. She has earned an A or A+ in almost every class she has taken in high school, both honors and college preparatory. Sarah will be the first to admit that it takes her a lot of time for her to produce her best work.”-Mrs. McGee 

“Sarah is intelligent and is never hesitant to ask questions about content material when she feels a connection between topics can be made. Sarah uses questioning and her intelligence to dive deeper into materials and really make the connections that we love to see students make. Sarah is also incredibly motivated, organized, and incredibly polite. It is these characteristics that allow Sarah to thrive in the classroom, stay on top of her assignments, and persevere regardless of what is going on in her life. Sarah is the kind of student you wish you had in every class, as she always brings a positive attitude and brightens the room.”-Mr. Takkinen 

“Sarah is kind, lives with integrity, and strives for excellence in all that she does. She is polite and well-spoken, and her tenacity is unmatched.”-Ms. Nia 

It is with enthusiasm and our greatest present to you Ms. Sarah Baker. 

Raider Ranch News

It’s been an amazing time for our FFA students. They are at the 95th annual California State FFA Conference. There are over 6200 FFA members in attendance from all over the state. This year it is being held in Ontario. The students participate in leadership workshops, and general sessions and make decisions about the organization. FFA is the largest student-run organization in the nation. 

One of our Sonora graduates, Class of 2022, Savannah Grove is on the ballot, in the top 15 for the whole state, for a state office seat. Good luck Savannah! #oncearaideralwaysaraider

School Accountability Report Card (SARC)

By February 1 of each year, every school in California is required by state law to publish a School Accountability Report Card (SARC). The SARC contains information about the condition and performance of each California public school. Under the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) all local educational agencies (LEAs) are required to prepare a Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP), which describes how they intend to meet annual school-specific goals for all pupils, with specific activities to address state and local priorities. Additionally, data reported in an LCAP is to be consistent with data reported in the SARC.

Academy of Nursing and Medical Careers News

This past Wednesday (3/15), our Academy of Nursing & Medical Careers junior-level students had the opportunity to visit America Career College and West Coast University. Students were able to be hands-on with state-of-the-art equipment, including patient care mannequins, X-Ray Technology equipment, Medical Terminology games on iPads, and Occupational Therapy equipment. Students were also able to watch Surgical Technician students remove a gallbladder from a mannequin patient, witness dental assistants in action, see the effects that smoking has on our lung function and they also watched as future medical assistants drew blood from each other. The campus tour concluded with lunch and a presentation from school personnel. All in all, the students really enjoyed the trip and really enjoyed the hands-on opportunities that were provided by the school.

We are so proud of our Nursing and Medical Careers Family! Thank you Mr. Witt and Mrs. Edmunds for providing this opportunity for our students! #beholdblueandgold

Visual and Performing Arts Education

On Tuesday night our Board of Trustees recognized our Visual and Performing Arts Teachers. VAPA as Sonora High School consists of our Vocal Music, under the direction of Jerome Diebolt, Theater under the direction of Jeff Brem, and our Dance Programs under the direction of Jennifer Galvan and Sierra Ledesma. We are so proud of these Raiders and their contribution to our students in the award-winning Visual and Performing Arts Programs at Sonora High School! 👏🏻

“The best part about being a vocal music educator is seeing the musical growth in the students throughout the year. The joy they exude when a performance ‘hits’ is absolutely contagious.”-Diebolt

“Theater is a physically, emotionally, and psychologically engaging art form that empowers students to realize that their unique personal characteristics can also be their artistic strengths.  Theater depends on rules but also encourages actors to break them in unexpected and fun ways.  Theater practitioners create worlds out of nothing.  Every performance is a way of making water in the desert.” -Brem

“I strive to create an environment where our dancers and athletes are able to cultivate their voice through the art of dance and performance. Seeing their personal progression is my greatest achievement”-Galvan

“One of the best things about being a dance educator is to be able to provide a safe environment for ALL students, share my passion for dance, and motivate students to always be proud of their work. I always sum it up to one moment - My favorite moment as a dance teacher is seeing my students perform and exit the stage with the biggest smile on their faces! At this moment, they are proud of their work, effort, and peers.  IT NEVER GETS OLD (:" -Ledesma

#RAIDERPRIDE

CAASPP/CAST

Our testing season will begin on Monday, April 3rd through Tuesday, April 11th with California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) and California Science Test (CAST) Testing for all of our Juniors. Sonora High School will have a Block Schedule for all students to allow sufficient testing time for our students. We will send out a specific communication to our Juniors with regard to testing the week of March 27th. Also, we will conduct inspirational talks through our US History classes the week we return from Spring Break.

Sonora High School will have the schedule below from Monday, April 3rd through Tuesday, April 11th.

Please let us know if you have any questions.

ESports Update

Prom 2023

Class of 2023 News

Please click the picture if you would like to review any information. Thank you to Mr. Lee and Ms. Virden for leading us through this celebratory time of year.

LET'S GO CLASS OF 2023!!

Food Services

Attendance

Raider Activities

If you would like to join ASB for the 2023-2024 school year, the applications are now available. Please go to room 422 for additional information.

Counselors' Corner

Academic Supports

One more quarter left!!

How will you finish this school year? Will you finish Sonora Strong?

Sonora High School offers a plethora of academic support for our students. Please click the picture below to access your Aeries account.  #beholdblueandgold

Please click the picture below for the sign-in sheet if you would like to keep track of your attendance.

Raider Athletics

California Interscholastic Federation (CIF)-Southern Section held its annual Women and Sports Leadership Summit. The students below represented Sonora High School at the conference this year. They were able to hear motivational speakers from Olympians and other accomplished women in sports. Thank you to Mrs. Rodriguez for organizing this event for our Sonora Raiders!!

Just wanted to share the positive press- Senior Larissa Robles was named Whittier Daily News Player of the Year for Girls Basketball. We also had Seniors Mia Chavarin and Natalie Robles and Junior Kiana Graham named to the All-Area First Team. Please click the picture below for the Whitter Daily News Article about our Raiders.

The weather did not stop our Softball Team from serving in our community. They went to El Portal Elementary to serve in their Quest Community Service Event and conducted various softball drills. Yes, they played softball inside....shhh don't tell anyone.

Great job, Raiders Softball!!

We are ready for league in all of our Spring Sports. Here are some of the pictures from last week!!! Let's Go!!!

Please click any of the buttons below to have an update on the latest scores and standings as reported by MaxPreps.

ATHLETIC CLEARANCE PROCESS

ALL Sports Including Cheer, Dance, JROTC & Band Must Register

1) Go to homecampus.com

• Please use the following Handout to help guide you through the Athletic Clearance process
• Create an account and complete all sections: Watch the VIDEO for detailed instructions
• **Very Important** Choose “Sonora” (CIF-SS)” on the list and the School Year "2022/2023"

2) Print out the Confirmation Page from homecampus.com

• Print & Fill Out (Both parent & student signature is required)
• Please be advised that each sport/activity will require a separate confirmation page

3) You must complete all 4 pages of the Physical Evaluation Forms 

Downloadable Physical Form

1. Print & Fill Out all 4 pages (Both Parent & Student signature is required)
2. Pages 1-2 are filled out by the Parent(s) and Student 
3. Page 3-4 MUST be COMPLETED, SIGNED, and DATED by a PHYSICIAN 

• Only the Signature from an MD, DO or PA will be accepted. Signatures from Chiropractors and Nurse Practitioners are NOT accepted
• NO PHOTOCOPIES will be accepted
• Student's Physical & Physical Form Must be Completed After May 15th  

Athletic Clearance paperwork must be returned to Mr. Steve Cazares. Please submit your completed Athletic Clearance Forms, all 4 pages, plus the AthleticClearance.com Confirmation Page(s) for each sport you intend to participate in for the 2022/23 academic school year. 

If you have questions, please contact Mr. Cazares, Assistant Principal, at scazares@fjuhsd.org.

Parent Involvement

We like to pride ourselves on being a community school. One of the key components is our parents. We have our booster programs, ELAC, and PTSA. Please see the flyers below if you would like to get involved with any of our groups. 

Please plug into our community because we need you to ensure we stay a place of excellence in education. #beholdblueandgold

PTSA Elections

Nominations for the 2023-24 year are open! The following PTA Board Positions are open: 

Secretary

If you’re interested please reach out to us via email @ sonorahspta@gmail.com. 

Election meeting will be held Monday March 27, 2023, at 6:00 pm in the Conference Room of Sonora.

Fullerton Joint Union High School News

Congratulations to ACSA Secondary Principal of the Year, Laura Rubio from Fullerton Union High School! Principal Rubio will now be considered for recognition at the State Level. 

Please click the picture below to for the Vendor Application.

Please click the picture below to register!

Employment Opportunities

Please click the picture below for additional information on how to obtain a work permit.

Quotes of the Week