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Hillside University Demonstration School has earned prestigious, back-to-back awards for its work to ensure all students succeed academically.

The California Department of Education recently recognized Hillside with a Title I Academic Achievement Award for demonstrating that all students are making significant progress toward proficiency on California’s academic content standards.

The Title I Academic Achievement Award is given to schools receiving federal Title I funds as authorized by the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Title I, the single largest federal educational program for K-12 public education, assists schools in meeting the educational needs of students living at or below the poverty level.

In March, the National Center for Urban School Transformation (NCUST) named Hillside one of the nation’s top urban schools that achieve exceptional academic results. To compete for the 2014 National Excellence in Urban Education Award, schools had to serve predominantly low-income students. They also had to meet a long list of student performance criteria, including high achievement scores, high attendance rates, and low suspension rates, among other requirements. In addition, each racial, ethnic, and income group served had to demonstrate rates of proficiency that exceeded the proficiency rates for all students in the state. Schools also could not use any selective admission criteria to screen out less-capable students.

Hillside, which earned a Bronze Award from NCUST, was 1 of just 16 schools around the nation that demonstrated the greatest evidence of rigorous content, engaging instruction, and positive relationships among students, teachers, parents, and administrators. The only other California school to be recognized is a charter school in El Cajon. All of the award-winning schools were recognized at a special ceremony during the NCUST Symposium on Thursday, May 22 in San Diego.

“We are fortunate to have very dedicated teachers who put students first,” said Principal Tommie Archuleta. “Everyone, from our parents to our community partners, has high expectations for our students. And, our students have shown us that they can meet and often exceed those high expectations.”

Hillside Elementary is a University Demonstration School, where California State University, San Bernardino students who are preparing to enter the educational field work with master teachers. The school, which serves more than 700 students in grades kindergarten through six, offers the sought-after Dual Immersion program.

Hillside is a testimony to the transformation that is taking place across San Bernardino City Unified, said Superintendent Dr. Dale Marsden.

“Our schools are where hope is born,” Marsden said. “If our students, our employees, and our schools have hope, then our entire community has hope.”

Shequeta Smith

LOS ANGELES, CA- Hollywood is chalked full of great Directors and the alumni of talented African American Directors such as Steve McQueen, Lee Daniels, Spike Lee, Tyler Perry, and John Singleton is growing. However, what we are not seeing is an equal presence of female African American Directors, but one woman hopes to change that and that woman is Shequeta Smith, CEO of Rayven Choi Films.

A graduate of North Carolina State University, Smith possess a professional resume that includes working on shows such as VH1’s Flava of Love, the CW’s Everybody Hates Chris, and a handful of successful short films she has directed. She now has her sights on feature films and has a hilarious comedy in the works and has launched a crowd funding campaign to get it off the ground.

The film is titled The Gestapo vs. Granny and is a comedy set inside a retirement home that centers around Agnes Monroe, a no nonsense eccentric senior citizen who has been kicked out of eighteen retirement homes and been arrested nine times for bad behavior while leaving a trail of outspoken victims from her shenanigans. In a hilarious twist Agnes is recruited to take on the shrewd owner of a retirement home that the residents have nicknamed The Gestapo. Agnes’ major “Senior Moment” is never realizing she is a senior…not even for a moment.

Smith launched her crowd funding campaign on Indiegogo with a goal of $75,000 that her team is marketing as Agnes’ bail money and promoting on social media as “Free Agnes Monroe”. Confident the campaign will succeed, Smith plans to shoot the film this Fall in Los Angeles with a dream cast and if all goes according to plan, Betty White will star in the film as Agnes Monroe. Smith has even initiated an online fan petition for Betty White to star in the role of Agnes.

To support The Granny vs. The Gestapo’s Indiegogo campaign, log on to www.FreeAgnesMonroe.com. Follow the campaign and film on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/FreeAgnesMonroe and on Twitter, www.Twitter.com/FreeAgnesMonroe.

Danny Tillman

I am Danny Tillman and I am running for United States Congress for District 31. We are just days away from determining who will represent our community in Washington D.C. I am humbly asking that you vote for me on Tuesday, June 3, and elect me as your Representative for Congressional District 31.

Please allow me the opportunity to tell you a little about myself and just a few of my personal and community accomplishment in my 51 years of life. I am a lifelong Democrat born and raised in our district, right here in the City of San Bernardino and never left. I know what we need to grow our economy and I will work hard to make our district a better place for us all. I am a product of the San Bernardino City Unified District. I graduated from San Bernardino High School, San Bernardino Valley College and received a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with an Information Technology concentration from California State University San Bernardino.

I have worked for the County of San Bernardino for 34 years and presently as the IT Department manager for Human Services. I was raised in New Hope Missionary Baptist Church where I play the drums in the Men’s adult choir. I have been a mentor for 30 years, serving as President of the Black Future Leaders. In addition, I served as Vice President to the San Bernardino NAACP for 2 terms and sat on the San Bernardino Valley College Foundation. I have been on the San Bernardino City Unified School District Board for the past 19 years and was re-elected this past November to my fifth term. After locating 40 million dollars my first year as a school board member, I have led my colleagues in effectively balancing the multi-million dollar budget, building 17 new schools, along with  creating thousands of new jobs in our area.

Now it is my desire to go to Washington and fight for jobs, education, seniors, safety and to make sure we continue and expand Obamacare. This election is VERY important and your vote does count! Today, I am asking for your vote to assist me in fighting for our community in a much larger capacity than I have ever done before. If you have not had the opportunity to visit my website, visit it at www.dannytillmanforcongress.com.

We have been blessed to have a campaign office for the past two months. I need you to help me cross the finish line by making a donation and volunteering to call voters and walk door to door these last few crucial days of my campaign. Our Campaign phone contact is (909) 888-7042 or (909) 567-0222. We are located at 577 North ‘D’ Street, Suite 103—104 in San Bernardino (92401). Our hours are Monday through Friday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

If you have not voted yet you can vote early at the San Bernardino County Registrar of Voters Office at 777 East Rialto Avenue in San Bernardino, May 5 – June 2  Monday – Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday, May 31 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. On Election Day, Tuesday June 3, polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. If you have questions as to where your polling location is you can call the Registrar of Voters Office at (909) 387-8300.

• Lieutenant Governor:

  Gavin Newsom

• Secretary of State

  Alex Padilla

• Controller

  John Perez

• Treasurer

  John Chiang

• Attorney General

  Kamala D. Harris

• Insurance Commissioner:

  Dave Jones

• Superintendent of Public Instructions:

  Tom Torlakson

• U. S. Representative  District 8

  Bob Conaway

• U.S. Representative District 31

  Danny Tillman

• U.S. Representative District 35

  Norma Torres

• State Senator District 20

  Shannon O’Brien

• State Assembly District 40

  Kathleen Henry

• State Assembly District 47

  Cheryl R. Brown

• SB County Superintendent of Schools

  Ted Ajejandre

• SB County District Attorney

  Grover D. Merritt

• SB County Sheriff/Coroner/Public Administrator:

  Clifton Harris

• Proposition 41…

  Veterans Housing and Homeless Prevention Bond of 2014…. YES

• Proposition 42… Public Records… Reimbursement To Local Agencies… Amendment….

  NO

Re-Written By Naomi K. Bonman

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- The blending of musical genres is what makes music unique. Nicholas Haklitch (CSUSB Alumni ’12) and singer Ron Blakely (University of Redlands Alumni ’13 have joined forces in bringing a combination of classical, soul to the masses. The duo came together 3 months ago, and since then they have been productive for the past six weeks in playing at over 28 shows and recording, producing and publishing their first EP entitled ‘Tired’, which ranked in the 86 spot on iTunes Top 100. They sold over 200 copies within the first week of the EP’s release and were able to gain a dedicated fan base.

In addition to increasing their audience, the two college alumni musicians have been approached by several band managers and independent record labels, and have received a countless number of emails from other musicians and fans stating how the EP has “changed”, “inspired”, “helped”, and “influenced” them.

‘Tired’ takes two genres of music, classical and soul, to create a heartache album that takes listeners through the journey of Blakeley’s personal failed romantic relationship in a way that is able to connect the listener in an intimate and relatable approach. Ron encourages fans to reminisce on their lost times and loves.

The primary objective of BHJMusic is to write and publish good, humble, honest and compassionate music that can enhance the listener’s life. With every single sale that the duo makes, they have agreed to donate one-third of their earnings to local non-profits, soup kitchens, and homeless shelters in the Inland Empire.

“Music is the tool that will allow us to achieve our ultimate dream, giving everyone we encounter a financial break so that they can breathe a little easier, sleep a little easier, and feel like there are two people in this world that care”, Blakely states.

For more information, please visit www.bhjmusic.com. For those that would like to see the duo perform they play every Monday at the Fox Theatre in Riverside, and every Tuesday they play two shows, one at Augie’s Coffee and the second at Back to the Grind in Riverside.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- SBCCD Trustee Joseph R. Williams (D-Rialto) issued the following statement on Middle College High School:

“I was honored to join board members of the San Bernardino City Unified School District and my fellow Trustees of the San Bernardino College District at the Middle College High School Graduation held at San Bernardino Valley College. I believe it is extremely important to call out and highlight young people who are engaged in positive activities. I’d like to thank the administrators of the Middle College High School for provide such a great opportunity for young people to move from adolescence to adulthood. Middle College is a great program that I’d like to see as many students take advantage of as possible.”

Middle College is designed for high school students seeking to get a head start on college. The SBVC Middle College High School Program offers high school students who are not currently meeting their full potential with an opportunity to achieve their academic and career goals through a program providing high school classes combined with college classes in a challenging, supportive, and motivating college setting.

“Congratulations to all of the families and students of the class of 2014. I’d like to specifically send a shout out to class Salutatorian Stephanie Lizette Mora Garcia, Valedictorian Karla Beralia Gutierrez-Alfaro and Valedictorian Flor Azul Lorenzo.  Keep striving, serving, learning and pushing for you are our future and you are making things look bright.”

Photo caption: Team members of the Boys & Girls Clubs of San Bernardino pose for a photo after successfully completing the five-week Operation HOPE Banking on Our Future financial dignity program. They are joined by (Far Left) Boys & Girls Clubs of San Bernardino Program Director Alma Flores and (Far Right) Union Bank Branch Manager and volunteer instructor Michael Milian.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- As part of its ongoing commitment to responsible banking and to help increase youth financial education, Union Bank partnered with Operation HOPE (HOPE) and the Boys & Girls Clubs of San Bernardino (BGCSB) to educate high school students about the basics of personal finance using HOPE’s Banking on Our Future curriculum.  Union Bank volunteers Rosella Bernal, Michael Milian and Jason Nesbihal began teaching HOPE’s award-winning youth financial dignity program to members of the BGCSB on April 11.  The five-week course culminated with a recognition ceremony to celebrate the students’ completion of the program May 9. The Banking on Our Future curriculum offers five modules:  Course in Dignity (covers the importance of responsible budgeting and money management), Basics of Budgeting, Get Smart About Banking (Checking and Savings Accounts), Fundamentals of Credit, and Introduction to Savings and Investing.   Each week, students participating in the program learned practical lessons by using hands-on calculations and real-world examples. During the ceremony, students, teachers and parents were also treated to a special demonstration of the bank’s newest financial education tool – the Yuby app.

ONTARIO, CA- In an effort to promote education in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering Arts, and Math, join Victorville Motors and Shear Realty and buy a student a ticket to see Mindless Behavior and Friends at the Citizens Bank Arena, and also EXCITE their appetites for STEAM. Tickets are on sale now at Citizens Business Bank Arena for $49, $39, and $29. Proceeds will go towards providing FREE Millionaire Mind Kids Summer Camps and meals for Victor Valley’ Youth. Purchase tickets under one of the schools’ PROMO CODES which can be found on the Millionaire Mind Kids Smart Center Facebook page.

Millionaire Mind Kids is accepting applications for summer Camps. To receive your application, please email millionairemindkids@verizon.net. Deadline to complete and return applications is May 31. The Camp will be held from June 16-27 for ages 13 to 18; July 7-July 11 for ages 9 to 12; July 14-July 18 for ages 13 to 18; and July 21-July 25.  Open House for sponsors, businesses, educators, families and students (the public) will be held on June 16 from 9:00 a.m.—11 a.m.  Contact MMK for group student tickets at (760) 240-4044.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- Willing Winn Association and Mission (WWAM) Inc., will be providing free lunch to the youth of San Bernardino starting Tuesday, May 27 to Thursday, July 31. Lunch will be provided Monday through Friday from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. at Juanita Blakely Jones Elementary School, 700 N. “F” Street in San Bernardino (92410). There will be activities after lunch. For more information, please contact Dr. Deborah Winn at (909) 890-8674 or (909) 386-2020.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- BLU Educational Foundation is pleased to announce the kick-off of its Hustle & Flow Academy, an innovative hands-on approach to preparing young people for college and career success.  Considered the ultimate college and career readiness experience for young people, the Academy will be held June 9 – 13 and June 16 on the campus of San Bernardino Valley College.  The Hustle & Flow Academy is open to all young adults 16 to 23-years-old.  Tuition is $150 and includes lunch.

The Academy will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily beginning June 9.  Registration may be completed online.  Attendees will use their talents, skills and dreams to create a personalized action plan for their future.  Students will be guided by college advisors and business professionals through intense, results producing activities and workshops that will include resume building, public speaking, creating a personal statement, and interviewing and soft skills training for the workplace.  Attendees will also have an opportunity to compete for internships and win a $500 scholarship.  For more information, visit www.blueedfoundation.org or call (909) 820-2827.