Frontier High School recently celebrated its golden anniversary with a field day for students and a reunion for former principals who reminisced about their years leading Whittier Union’s continuation school to help students overcome challenges to reach their dreams.
Former administrators who attended the May 5 event included Gabe Moorman, Tom Roberts, Carlye Olsen and inaugural principal Merv Bloom, who explained that the school was named by students who saw themselves as being on the Frontier of starting something new.
“Over the past 50 years, Frontier has helped thousands of students overcome impossible odds to achieve more than they believed they ever could,” Superintendent Martin Plourde said. “With the dedicated support of our teachers and staff, Frontier has provided the foundation for our students to succeed no matter the obstacles set before them, and that mission will continue long into the future.”
Frontier High, a six-time Model Continuation School, provides alternative education services to students in grades 10 to 12 who are behind in credits or need a more flexible schedule. The school offers instruction designed to match each student’s individual needs and small class sizes to help students progress toward graduation.
The school has been recognized by the state for increasing credit completion rates, closing the achievement gap and aligning assessment and instruction with the rest of the District to ensure students who return to a comprehensive high school are successful. Frontier also has an established credit recovery system and year-round schedule for enabling students to get back on track quickly.
“This important milestone marks five decades of providing quality education and support to students as they pursue their academic endeavors while addressing their personal needs,” said Principal Margie Moriarty, who has helmed the school since 2011. “Our community is stronger because of the teachers and committed administrators who have nurtured our students and fostered an environment in which every student has the chance to succeed.”