January 17, 2018
#GGUSDPRIDE E-newsletter
The #GGUSDPride E-newsletter features many of the great things happening in GGUSD.   
Send your photos to pio_department@ggusd.us to highlight your school or students in the e-newsletter.
January Employees of the Month

At its January 16 meeting, the Garden Grove Unified School District Board of Education honored the January Employees of the Month. Pacifica High School's music teacher David Joseph was honored as Certificated Employee of the Month and Garden Grove High School's Attendance Clerk Elizabeth Flickinger was honored as Classified Employee of the Month. These employees were nominated for their powerful positive attitudes and for going above and beyond to make staff and students feel supported. Click here to read more.
GGUSD Homegrown
GGUSD is launching a social media campaign this week to showcase the district’s many homegrown employees. Homegrown employees are those who attended schools in the district as students before returning to become employees. The “GGUSD Homegrown” campaign has already garnered interest from nearly 500 employees who shared their stories through an online form. Some of these stories will be spotlighted on the district’s Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram social media accounts. This wonderful idea came from one of our own fabulous teachers, Bridget Lockhart, at Rancho Alamitos High School. Several years ago, she was the co-editor of the GGEA newsletter, The Advocate , and did a fantastic article on teachers who were homegrown in GGUSD and it sparked great conversations about employee pride. Included below is her "homegrown" story.
  
Bridget Lockhart is GGUSD Homegrown

Bridget is an English teacher and Assistant ASB Director at Rancho Alamitos. She attended Hill Elementary, Jordan Intermediate, and graduated from Bolsa Grande High in 1992.

“I wanted to teach in the community I grew up in. I had really positive experiences at each of my schools. I was lucky enough to have a few teachers who really influenced me when I was student and they are the reasons I wanted to become a teacher...and then they became my colleagues. Also, I love the diversity of the district. We have the potential to foster respect, acceptance, and love of different cultures by embracing the varying perspectives of people of our community.” Bridget is in her 19th year as a teacher in GGUSD.
The Path of Peace

This year, Mitchell Elementary School has been more peaceful and fun thanks to implementation of the Peace Path! Each third through sixth grade classroom elected two student Peace Ambassadors. These were students who are naturally responsible, helpful, mature, and someone that students already turn to when they needed help.

Mary May and Tanya Reay, Peace Path advisors and Mitchell teachers, trained the Peace Ambassadors on the Peace Path, a conflict resolution tool. When using the Peace Path, students are empowered to settle their disagreements fairly with both parties being heard. Students are learning to talk through their disagreements.

T hanks to the Peace Path, referrals to the office have declined sharply and students are more willing to address issues with the help of the student Peace Ambassadors. Mrs. May and Mrs. Reay continue to support the Peace Ambassadors to ensure students are trained properly, feel a sense of community, and are rewarded for their hard work and dedication to this task. A big thank you to Meghan Case, Cook Elementary School teacher, who provided integral support in getting this initiative started.
Coaches and Athletes of Character
At its January 16 meeting, the Board of Education recognized Athletes and Coaches of Character from each of the district’s seven comprehensive high schools. The coaches and student athletes represent a wide variety of sports and help develop and enrich GGUSD athletic programs by modeling respect, teamwork, and a winning attitude.
Students with Drive

Los Amigos students in Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses such as Automotive Performance and Customization get hands-on experience welding, building an electric vehicle, and using the same cutting-edge tools used in today’s automotive industry. This Career Pathway helps many students discover their passions to go into jobs in mechanical engineering, automotive technology, and aviation.