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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2026

San Bernardino City Unified School District Earns Prestigious Golden Bell Award for Pathway to Biliteracy Program

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- The San Bernardino City Unified School District has been selected by the California School Boards Association as a 2025 Golden Bell Award recipient for its in- novative Pathway to Biliteracy program. This honor recognizes the district's strong commitment to world languages and its long- standing investment in preparing students to graduate as confident, capable communicators in more than one language.

The Golden Bell Awards high- light programs throughout Cali- fornia that demonstrate excel- lence in governance, innovation and student-centered practices. SBCUSD's Pathway to Biliteracy Program stood out in the category of Curriculum and Instruction for World Languages and Biliteracy for its comprehensive approach that supports students from ele- mentary through high school with language development, cultural understanding and opportunities to earn recognition for their bilin- gual achievements.

The San Bernardino County Su- perintendent of Schools and the San Bernardino County School Boards Association honored the winning programs during the An- nual Meeting held Feb. 2. The biliteracy initiative is run by the Multilingual Programs Depart- ment, under the leadership of Di- rectors Les Ojeda and Tex Acosta. The program expands access to high-quality language instruction, elevates cultural and linguistic di- versity and equips students with skills that strengthen college and career readiness. Thousands of students participate each year, and the district continues to expand assistance for students learning English and heritage speakers so more students can earn formal Biliteracy Pathway Awards and the California State Seal of Bilit- eracy.

"As a bilingual educator and a proud product of public schools right here in San Bernardino, this award is deeply meaningful to me," said Superintendent Mau- ricio Arellano. "Our Pathway to Biliteracy program honors our students' cultures, languages and identities while preparing them to thrive in a global society."

SBCUSD was one of five school districts in San Bernardino Coun- ty recognized with a Golden Bell by CSBA this year. A Golden Bell is often seen as the Emmy of pub- lic education because it represents the highest level of recognition for excellence in school programs across California.

GOLDEN MILL

Golden Bell Awards Ceremony

SBCUSD Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services Ana Ap- plegate proudly accepts the 2025 Golden Bell Award from the Cali- fornia School Boards Association while Board of Education Vice President MaryEllen Grande looks on. (Photo provided courtesy of SBCUSD)

58th Annual Black History Month Parade & Expo Coming to North Fontana

FONTANA, CA--- Concerned Citizens for the Development of North Fontana, in partnership with the City of Fontana, proudly presents the 58th Annual Black History Month Parade and Expo on Saturday, February 28, 2026.

The parade will step off at 10:00 a.m. beginning at Summit Avenue and Citrus Avenue, continuing to Sierra Lakes Parkway, where the Expo will begin at 12:00 noon in the North Fontana Home Depot parking lot, located at the corner of Citrus Avenue and Sierra Lakes Parkway, just north of the 210 Freeway.

This year's theme, "Youthpre- neur: Celebrating Future Lead- ers," highlights the creativity, innovation, and leadership of young entrepreneurs in our community. Grand Marshal: Cyrus Moss This year's Grand Marshal, Cyrus Moss, is being recognized for his dedication to preserving local Afri- can American history. After learn- ing that the land where his school stood was once owned by an Afri- can American family whose home was tragically burned down with the family inside, Cyrus sought to learn more about the story. Upon discovering the history of racial division in Fontana, Cyrus envisioned renaming the school- formerly Randall Pepper Elemen- tary School-after the original property owner, O'Day Short. Working alongside his mother, See "58th Annual Black History Month..." page 8 future lack vyer.