Buena Park School District Superintendent Dr. Julienne Lee celebrates the park opening with Whitaker Elementary students on Aug. 7. (Photos courtesy of Buena Park School District) 
Buena Park city officials and school district leadership cut the ribbon on Whitaker Park on Aug. 7. 
Whitaker Elementary School students play on the swing set at Whitaker Park Aug. 7. 
A Whitaker Elementary School student tries out the new fitness circuit at Whitaker Park on Aug. 7. 
Whitaker Elementary School students play basketball at Whitaker Park on Aug. 7.
Playing pickle ball, running on the track and swinging on the playground set are just a few activities that await Buena Park School District students thanks to the recent opening of Whitaker Park.
In partnership with the City of Buena Park, the district held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Aug. 7. to unveil the new resource, which is equipped with courts, a fitness circuit and a play structure for children. Buena Park Superintendent Dr. Julienne Lee and City Manager Aaron France hosted the event, featuring presentations from local elected officials and a performance by Whitaker Elementary students.
“This beautiful space showcases the power of working together,” Dr. Lee said. “It began as an idea, a conversation between the city and the school district, and it came together over the past year. This park is a legacy for our families and a green, vibrant space where our community can thrive.”
Once the gates officially opened to the public, students were able to test out the equipment with their classmates and family members. Since the park is located just adjacent to the Whitaker Elementary grounds, Principal Stephanie Williamson said school staff will move its daily morning trek, known as the “Whitaker Walk,” to the quarter-mile track and invite families to join in on the last Friday of each month.
“We are so excited for our students and families,” Principal Williamson said. “Our teachers have big plans to teach science lessons in the outdoor classroom, especially once the butterfly garden is in full bloom.”
Whitaker Park will serve students from Whitaker Elementary School during instruction hours and then open to the community after school and on weekends.
The Buena Park School District serves approximately 4,000 students from kindergarten through eighth grade across five elementary schools and two middle schools in Buena Park.
Here are the other stories we’ve been following this week:
- To help local communities prepare for the first day of the new academic year, the OCDE Newsroom has created a breakdown of school start dates for all districts and charter schools in Orange County.
- Orange County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Stefan Bean shared his story and perspectives on education in a recent interview with EdSource.
- Hundreds of local elementary students picked out free shoes and backpacks at Toyota of Huntington Beach’s sixth annual back-to-school supply giveaway on Monday.
- More than 210 Orange County students recently began their journey as Class 34 cadets in the Sunburst Youth Academy program, a partnership between the California National Guard and OCDE.
- Julian Escalera’s school assignment sprouted into a lesson on resilience and cultural connection when the Santa Ana Unified School District student shared his grandfather’s homegrown multicolored pumpkins with his kindergarten class.
- This week, the Fullerton School District joined the Garden Grove and Saddleback Valley unified school districts in welcoming students into the classroom in typical first-day fashion, as reported by the Orange County Register.
- As some families prep for the coming back-to-school season, teachers and pediatricians have offered tips to help parents ease their children’s worries before the start of school.
- Starting Sept. 24, the Orange County Department of Education will invite teachers and administrators to deepen their understanding of civic engagement and student agency at the annual OC Civic Learning Institute.
- Former Corona del Mar High School student Trinity Rodman and former Huntington Beach High School student Jenna Nighswonger helped Team USA win gold in the Olympic women’s soccer final match on Aug. 10.
- With the academic year kicking off for many California schools, Gov. Newsom has called on schools to restrict the use of cellphones on campus.
- The California Credit Union Foundation is looking to fund innovative class projects created by Orange County teachers as part of its fall grant program.
- Nine Advanced Placement courses — including computer science principles and world history — will be offered in a digital format to high schoolers starting in May of next year.
This is the part where we encourage you to keep up with local education news stories by bookmarking the OCDE Newsroom, subscribing for emailed updates and following us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.