BUSD News

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Bellflower Unified is proud to host our FREE 2nd Annual Cancer Walk — 6 laps around the track (1.5 miles), for hope, health, and healing. Staff, families, and neighbors- all of you are welcome.

• Saturday, October 24

• 9:00 AM

• Ron Yary Stadium, 15301 McNab Ave, Bellflower

Free resources, support, and education on site. Bring your family, friends, and someone you’re walking for.

Register here: bit.ly/busdcancerwalk

We hope to see you there—and don’t forget to wear your pink!

What an amazing day celebrating Filipino American History Month at Ernie Pyle Elementary! We were so excited to welcome the Bellflower High School Filipino Club, who treated our Panthers to a beautiful performance and history of Tinikling, a traditional Filipino folk dance.

Our students loved learning about the culture and connecting with older students from around the district!

Huge thanks to the BHS Filipino Club for sharing their culture, history, and talents with us today!

The Bellflower Middle and High School Buccaneer Brigade was honored to join the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new McDonald’s on Alondra. Thank you for inviting us to celebrate with you! We’re excited to build community partnerships that bring our neighbors together.

• Veritas Preparatory Partnership: The district launched a historic partnership with the nationally acclaimed Veritas Preparatory program, selecting 24 inaugural scholars. This initiative provides early access to rigorous college-level instruction, Ivy League trainers, and critical skills development in debate and public speaking.

• District Milestones: Superintendent Dr. Simon reported near 94% graduation rates, Advanced Placement (AP) pass rates climbing to 70%, and a 6% improvement in dual enrollment.

• Strategic Blueprint: The district has renewed its mission and core values, creating a "Framework for the Future" to strengthen instruction, expand career pathways, and elevate student voices.

Assistant Superintendent Bonnie Carter provided a comprehensive Fall 2026 data update highlighting multi-year growth outperforming state trends:

• State Dashboard Ratings: BUSD achieved the highest possible status—a Blue performance rating—on the California School Dashboard for its College and Career indicator. The district also earned a Green rating for long-term English Learner progress and district suspension rates.

• Graduation & Achievement: The district boasts a strong 93% overall graduation rate, with African American scholars achieving a 97.6% rate. English learners who have reclassified are achieving at some of the highest academic levels in the district.

• Attendance Improvements: Chronic absenteeism has dropped significantly over the last five years, falling from over 30% down to 18%.

• Awards: Bellflower Middle and High School received the prestigious CSBA Golden Bell Award for school-wide AVID and college/career readiness. Las Flores earned an all-blue status on the state dashboard.

• The PTA is starting the year strong with 1686 members and recently hosted its 33rd Fall Leadership Conference to discuss e-bike safety and self-care.

• Upcoming Events: The PTA highlighted the upcoming Cancer Awareness Walk, Red Ribbon Week school tours, and the ongoing student Reflections program (submissions due November 3rd).

• Unified Champion School Program: The Board approved an MOU expanding the Unified Champion School program, which includes compensating teachers for the extra hours required to run and grow the initiative.

• Financial Approvals: Ms. Delores Perley presented revised unaudited actuals for the 2025-2026 school year. The revisions successfully corrected system balance discrepancies, resulting in a $261,000 increase to the unassigned fund balance.

• November 12, 2026 Board Meeting - 6:30 PM
• December 11, 2026 Board Meeting - 6:30 PM

All Board of Education meetings are held in the Board Room of the District Administration Building, 16703 South Clark Avenue, Bellflower, CA 90706. Regular and Special Meetings are held at 6:00 PM on selected Thursdays, unless otherwise indicated below.

Meetings Now Available on YouTube: @BellflowerUSD

Join us for Somerset’s Haunted Maze, inspired by Stranger Things ! Get ready for a night filled with spooky surprises, thrills, and chills !

When ? Friday, October 30, 2026

Time ? 7:00 PM – 9:30 PM

Location ? 9242 Laurel St., Bellflower

FREE ADMISSION !

Hot dogs, nachos, and sodas will be available for purchase. All proceeds will support future ASB events.

Donations are greatly appreciated !

Will you make it out of the maze, or will the Upside Down get you first ?

Thursdays, October 1, 2026 - November 5, 2026, 11 - 11:30 am

Let’s get ready for school! Enjoy books, songs, rhymes, and movement while learning school readiness skills and having fun.

On October 29, please join us for an opportunity to chat with a Family Community Specialist from Alma Family Services to learn about their Child and Family Development programs available to our local community.

Attendance is limited and advance registration is required. To sign up, see library staff, or register online at Visit.LACountyLibrary.org/Events and filter by location or event date.

This program is part of Smart Start at the Library, LA County Library's collection of programs and services for early learners ages 0 - 5 and their caregivers.

For ages 2 - 5 with their parents or caregiver.

Clifton M. Brakensiek Library

9945 E. Flower St. Bellflower

562.925.5543

An accessible Halloween celebration for Adaptive Recreation participants, families, and friends. Put on your favorite costume and find your way through the maze on Thursday, Oct. 29, from 4-6 p.m. at Caruthers Park (10500 E. Flora Vista St.). Admission is free, but pre-registration is required by Oct. 26 (participants must be accompanied by an adult caregiver age 18 or older).

For more information, call (562) 804-1424, ext. 2261.

Register here

We have officially launched the Water Replenishment District’s student art contest for this school year. This is a great opportunity to connect art and science in the classroom, with prizes included! The contest deadline is Sunday, November 1, 2026, at 11:59 pm.

Program details are below for your information:

Eligibility: Students and teachers in grades K - 6 located in the WRD service area

What: Create a water-focused piece of art that matches the contest theme

Student Prize: 23 students will be selected to win a $75 gift card, be recognized at a school assembly, and be featured in our 2026 Water Awareness Calendar!

Teacher Mini Grant: The top teachers with at least 10 submissions from their class will receive a $100 gift card.

Art Lessons: Limited in-classroom art lessons are available for teachers who want to bring STEAM to their classrooms. Teachers can sign up here: https://forms.gle/RK44xcsxWLgbeZgz9

Learn more: www.wrd.org/student-art-contest

Learn more: www.wrd.org/student-art-contest

Our middle school Leopards are sharpening their minds and putting their strategies to the test in Chess Club! From thinking several moves ahead to learning from each game, students are building critical-thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making skills while having fun with their peers.

Every move is an opportunity to learn!

Our ILC Eagles enjoyed a special performance by Mayfair High School right here on campus! It was even more special seeing our ILC alumni shining as part of the cheer team! Once an Eagle, always an Eagle!

Unity Day is all about choosing kindness, acceptance, respect, and inclusion. Every Bolt has a part to play in making sure everyone feels welcomed, valued, and supported.

When we stand together, support one another, and celebrate our differences, there’s no limit to what our Bolts can accomplish!

Thank you Firefighter Grant for coming by and teaching our 1st graders about fire safety!

Our 6th-grade scholars teamed up with our kindergarten friends for a special Buddy Read Day! Together, they shared stories, built friendships, and celebrated the joy of reading. Moments like these remind us that reading brings us together and that a love for books can start at any age!

Thank you Ms. Brown and Mr. Young!

Second graders in Mrs. Avalos’ class read The Juice Box Bully, a picture book that teaches the importance of standing up to bullying with kindness. Students put their learning into action by creating their own juice box designs filled with messages about how they can help stop bullying.

Together, we’re building a school community rooted in kindness, courage, and respect!

This week, the Lakewood-Bellflower Elks Lodge #888 brought smiles and excitement to our third-grade Woodruff Wolves by gifting each student their very own dictionary! Through The Dictionary Project, founded in 1995, students receive a valuable resource to support literacy as they transition from learning to read to reading to discover and use information.

Dennis Woodson and David Shindledecker proudly handed out dictionaries to our students, sharing in the joy of helping young learners build their vocabulary and strengthen their literacy skills. This visit was especially meaningful because Mr. Woodson attended Woodruff as a student back in 1942!

We are incredibly grateful to the Lakewood-Bellflower Elks Lodge #888 for investing in our students and supporting their learning. Mr. Woodson’s visit reminds us that the Woodruff Wolf spirit lasts a lifetime!

Our Washington school community came together on October 14 for our Trunk or Treat Fall Festival! Students and families enjoyed an afternoon of costumes, treats, and time together.

Congratulations to our Candy Classroom Donation Contest winners!

1st Place: Mrs. Ruark and Mrs. Shaw
2nd Place: Mr. Kamstra
3rd Place: Mrs. Ramirez

Our first-place winners earned a popsicle party and a free dress day! Second- and third-place winners earned a free dress day.

Thank you to our families for donating candy and to our staff and volunteers for helping make this event special. We loved seeing our Patriots celebrate and connect with one another!

Washington Elementary students are learning to recognize their feelings, practice calming strategies, and build positive relationships through classroom lessons with Mr. Ayala. These lessons help our Patriots develop skills to manage emotions, show kindness, and connect with others. We’re proud to support their social and emotional growth!

Individual League Final!! Congrats to Abygail in placing 1st and advancing to CIF. Another congratulations to Allyson in placing 5th

Our Bucs wore orange to celebrate Unity Day and raise awareness for ADHD Awareness Month! Students and staff came together to create a chain representing inclusion, kindness, and acceptance. Each link reminds us that we all have a place in our school community and that our differences make us stronger.

Together, we are building a campus where everyone feels seen, valued, and included.

Congratulations to our varsity volleyball team!Your Monsoons are heading to the CIF-SS D6 QUARTER-FINALS!!!

One bead, one bracelet, one act of kindness at a time.

This Kindness Week, our Wellness Center is weaving kindness, connection, and community together—one colorful bead at a time. Because when we choose kindness, we create something beautiful that connects us all.

Small acts. Big impact. One Monsoon family.

A huge shoutout to Los Angeles Trade-Technical College (LATTC) for visiting Somerset High School and giving our Saints the opportunity to learn about the exciting programs, hands-on training, and career pathways available after high school. Thank you for bringing college and career exploration directly to our campus and helping our students discover the possibilities ahead!

Food & Nutrition Services updates the menus monthly.

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