March 19, 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.
GGUSD to Open First Computer Immersion Academy
Garden Grove Unified School District has partnered with Code to the Future, the nation’s premier creator of computer science immersion schools, to launch the district’s first Computer Science Immersion Academy at Heritage Elementary School beginning in 2018-2019. All students who attend Heritage will be part of the Computer Science Immersion Academy, learning programming, robotics, coding, and other computer programming skills as part of their daily instruction.

On March 8, Heritage hosted a special event to announce the academy program to families. Parents and students enjoyed a barbecue, school-wide coding, and an evening packed full of interactive STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) activities.  
A National Leader in College Readiness
Three schools in GGUSD were recognized for earning the AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) Schoolwide Site of Distinction award for 2017-2018. Alamitos and Doig intermediate schools and Santiago High School were among only five schools in Orange County to earn the national recognition for demonstrating the highest level of implementation of AVID’s college and career readiness program.

Across the nation, 173 schools were recognized with the AVID Schoolwide Site of Distinction award and 68 were from California. This puts GGUSD in an elite group of schools that are leading the way in college and career readiness. Click here to learn more about this exciting AVID accolade.
College-Going Culture
Russell Elementary School does a fantastic job creating a school culture focused on college and career readiness. The learning extends beyond the classroom to the college campus. Sixth graders recently took a college tour at the University of California, Irvine. These students loved meeting college students and experiencing the life of the UCI Anteaters.
Amazing Artists

On Saturday, awards were presented to hundreds of student artists who participated in the district's 40th annual First Impressions Art Show. Above, Fitz Intermediate student Tiarra Murdock won 7-8 Best in Show for her piece entitled, "Purple Guy."
Victor Contreras is #GGUSDHomegrown
Victor is a Bilingual Testing Clerk (Spanish). He attended Faylane Elementary,Lake Intermediate, and graduated from Rancho Alamitos High School in 2015. 

“I was given the opportunity to work alongside Dr. Mafi in her mentoring program, as well as participate in College Boost. Through these two programs I found my passion for working in education and was later given the chance to work as a college worker with Jordan Intermediate's assistant principal. My favorite thing about GGUSD is the dedication to giving back to the community and Dr. Mafi's desire to provide our students with necessary tools they need in order to be successful in their future endeavors.” 

Victor has been working in GGUSD for 2.5 years.
Dancing into the Weekend
Russell Elementary School students participate in an after-school enrichment to learn about dancing by student volunteers studying dance at the University of California, Irvine. The club meets every Friday and students dance their way into the weekend.
The Power of Imagination

Gilbert Elementary School students were all smiles during a presentation from The Imagination Machine, an organization that provides interactive and engaging assemblies that help students use their imagination and improve their creative writing skills. Through the program, The Imagination Machine actors help bring students' writing to life in these fun, educational assemblies.
Arts at the Ranch
Rancho Alamitos High School hosted an on-campus, interactive experience called Arts at the Ranch to showcase the artistic talents of its students. From ceramics and choir, to theater and culinary arts, Rancho Alamitos High School artists demonstrated their skills to the entire school through music, painting, performance, photography, cooking, and more. The campus was filled with art displays and performances from choir, band, orchestra, drama, and color guard. Students and guests practiced various art techniques at “hands-on” art stations. This event allows the Rancho Alamitos Art and CTE (Career and Technical Education) departments to demonstrate their skills and recruit interested students.
Patton Masterpieces
Earlier in the school year, Patton Elementary School's PTA hosted a Family Paint Night for students and their families. The instructor provided a blank canvas to 30 students and their families and taught the group how to paint a winter scene. Each student had fun learning a new skill, putting their creativity in paint, and all went home with their own masterpiece.
Youth of the Year
Mya S. from Garden Grove High School was named Youth of the Year by the Boys & Girls Clubs of Garden Grove, the organization's highest honor for student leadership, academic excellence, community service, and a healthy lifestyle. Mya is an amazing 1st Team All League soccer player, a multi-event track start, and a gifted singer. Last year, she won the Voice of Garden Grove and she is a leader in the the Boys & Girls Clubs performance arts program. She now advances to the California Youth of the Year competition.
Little Linguists & Powerful Mentors
Garden Grove High School student Melanie Nguyen has established a language instruction club called “Little Linguists” at Peters Elementary 4-6. Melanie and her fellow National Honor Society students volunteer their time after school to lead lessons in Vietnamese or Spanish for 6th graders. Lessons are developed and led by high school students, many of whom are Peters 4-6 alumni . The program has been very motivating for Peters students especially as they hear about how their mentors have navigated the transition from elementary to secondary school!  Having mentors and role models for our elementary students is so powerful, even more so when those mentors are trying to give back to the school from which they came through the study of language and culture! A sincere thank you to Melanie and her fellow GGHS classmates! 
Riverdale Students Take the Stage

Riverdale Elementary School students lit up the stage in this year's production of The Aristocats. Riverdale is one of six GGUSD elementary schools to offer the popular Disney Musicals in Schools program, allowing students to use their creative energy on the stage in an annual production of their favorite Disney fairy tale. The program is made possible through a partnership with Segerstrom Center for the Arts.
Lawrence Parents in Action

Lawrence Elementary School's Parents in Action group paired up with Kid Healthy, an organization committed to promoting health and wellness by engaging parents and students in programs that improve nutrition and fitness levels. Three times each week, Lawrence parent volunteers lead various games and activities set to music during students' lunch recess.