Westside Story Newspaper – Online The News of The Empire – Sharing the Quest for Excellence
SAN BERNARDINO, CA— As the only Latino History Bee in the nation, the San Bernardino City Unified School District (SBCUSD) event is truly unique and the student winners are among an elite group of who have proven that they value the rich culture and history of Latin America.
Last month, students in grades 6–12 from 11 SBCUSD schools competed in three rounds focused on different aspects of the Latino experience. Round one focused on Latino history. During round two, students identified Latino artwork, including the title, artist, and country of origin. New this year for round three, students presented a Latino-inspired dance, skit, monologue, or other performance.
This year’s judges included Dr. Barbara Flores, Dr. Scott Wyatt, Dr. Esteban Diaz, and Dr. Enrique Murillo.
The winners of the middle school division (grades 6–8) were:
1st Place—Alani Guzman, Richardson PREP HI Middle School
2nd Place—Sophia Williams, Arrowview Middle School
3rd Place—Katty Camacho, Arrowview Middle School
The winners of the high school division (grades 9–12) were:
1st Place—Elizabeth Bañuelos, Arroyo Valley High School
2nd Place—Crystal Tello, Arroyo Valley High School
3rd Place (tie)—Stephen Zermeño, San Gorgonio High School, and Valeria Ramirez, Arroyo Valley High School
“We are proud of the hard work that our students put in to prepare for the competition and their ability to perform under pressure,” said Multilingual Department Director Tex Acosta. “Their collective mastery of facts and knowledge of the Latino culture was impressive.”
