January 3, 2019
#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.
Happy New Year! Let's Take a Look Back at 2018!
Celebrating Our Homegrown Employees
In January we rolled out our "GGUSD Homegrown" Social Media Campaign. Homegrown employees are those who attended schools in the district as students before returning to work in the district as employees. The “GGUSD Homegrown” campaign garnered interest from nearly 500 employees who shared their stories through an online form. Some of these stories were spotlighted on the district’s Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram social media accounts. It all culminated in May with a GGUSD Homegrown Celebration as many of our #GGUSDHOMEGROWN employees came together to share their stories with one another.
Awarded for Success
In 2018 GGUSD was recognized at both the district and school level with the district being recognized as the first, and so far the only, California Exemplary School District in Orange County. Eleven GGUSD elementary schools were recognized as California Distinguished Schools, all seven comprehensive high schools were named to U.S. News and World Report's Best High Schools list, GGUSD and 40 of its schools were named to the California Honor Roll, and the district was recognized as a leader in dual language education. The district also holds the distinction of being the first and only district in Orange County to have three National AVID Demonstration schools.
Celebrating the Class of 2018
In June 2018, the Class of 2018 officially graduated but not before they were celebrated in a variety of ways. There was college signing day, a time for all students to come together at each school to celebrate their commitment to higher education, our #GGUSD18in18 social media campaign highlighting decorated seniors, and the installation of banners on street light poles and around district campuses highlighting various GGUSD scholars.

Our graduates left GGUSD well prepared to enter the next phase of their lives. 692 graduates earned the Seal of Biliteracy for fluency in two or more languages, an important skill needed for good-paying jobs in the 21st century, and 632 graduates earned the Golden State Seal Merit Diploma demonstrating mastery in at least six subject areas. 
Dual Language Expansion
With the success of the Monroe Elementary Language Academy and the Vietnamese Dual Language Program at Murdy, GGUSD was proud to open up two more dual language programs for the start of the 2018-19 school year. The Russell Elementary Language Academy and the Heritage Computer Science Academy joined the line up. Heritage Computer Science Academy joins an elite network of schools that have partnered with Code to the Future, an organization that is known as a national leader in developing computer science magnet schools. Code to the Future provided coaching, professional development, lesson guides, and the framework to help Heritage infuse technology into classrooms across all content areas. The Russell Elementary Language academy offers the same Spanish program as Monroe, starting with kindergarteners learning in 90% Spanish and ending with a 50/50 Spanish and English split by the time they hit sixth grade.
Stunning Visual and Performing Arts
GGUSD visual and performing artists hit the stage many times throughout the year with parents and the community being treated to an assortment of amazing events; from the Alamitos and Los Amigos winter concerts, to the Jungle Book being acted out by Allen Elementary school students as part of the Disney Musicals in Schools programs, to our students taking home prizes at the annual First Impressions Art Show. Not to mention another successful year for our band programs who celebrated individual team success and put on an amazing show at the 16th Annual Showcase of Bands in November.
Athletics Shined Year Round
It was a fantastic year for many athletic programs in GGUSD. The year started off with success with the girls ruling supreme. Los Amigos had two programs make deep runs as girl's soccer and water polo both made the semi-finals in their sports. In girls soccer Pacifica was a runner up in division 3 and made the state regional semi-finals.

The boys came alive during the spring as our boy's volleyball programs made their presence felt. Rancho Alamitos made the semi-finals in their division while Garden Grove took the same route as the Pacifica girls soccer team, earning runner-up in their division and a state regional semi-final appearance. The Bolsa Grande boys tennis team also saw success as they made it to the CIF semi-finals. In softball Pacifica once again took care of business in the Empire League as they won their 9th consecutive league title and defeated county power Los Alamitos in what many saw an upset during the second round of the playoffs before losing in the quarter-finals. Pacifica also saw Sophia Hartwell jump her way into school history during the track and field season as she broke the school long jump record.

Fall sports closed out the year with some old faces in new places as the Garden Grove League saw Garden Grove High School leave for the Golden West League. In football it was, as usual, an Argo show as they posted a 9-1 regular season record and made it to the CIF-SS Division 9 semi-finals. Senior running back Mike Carrillo was a huge part of that success and was recognized as the Big 4 league MVP. He was also chosen as a first team offensive player on the O.C. Register's 2018 All-County football team. Rancho Alamitos defended the Garden Grove League as they emphatically took home the title by beating Loara 42-14 and ensuring the title stayed in GGUSD. The girl's made some noise as well during the fall as the Pacifica girls volleyball team made the CIF-SS quarterfinals in division 5. Garden Grove and Bolsa also each won a game in their respective divisions. La Quinta, Pacifica, Santiago, and Garden Grove all saw success in cross country and the Bolsa girls tennis team had playoff success as well.
A Special Thank You To Our Amazing Parents
GGUSD would like to thank the parents for another amazing year. We have the most dedicated and caring parents who help make the district the successful. Their unwavering support is part of what makes GGUSD the best district!
Huge Savings on ACT/SAT Prep Courses!
GGUSD juniors can take advantage of huge savings on ACT/SAT Prep Workshops which are proven to improve results on these rigorous college entrance exams. Classes are being offered at a steep discount and will only cost $50! Workshops are offered at all GGUSD high schools. Call your school guidance counselor to sign up today.
Heritage Computer Science Academy is hosting Parent Information Meetings and Tours for parents interested in learning more about student enrollment opportunities at the school. The district's first-ever Computer Science Academy infuses cutting-edge technology into daily curriculum across all content areas. Students learn computer programming, coding, and robotics through innovative lessons powered by Code to the Future, the nation's leader in computer science schools. Parents will have an opportunity to tour classrooms and learn more about the benefits of computer science. Heritage students will have a competitive advantage in mastering the technology skills needed for success in high school, college, and 21st century careers that haven't even been created yet. Meetings will be offered in English on January 10 and January 17 from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. They will also be offered in Spanish on January 10 and January 17 from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese on January 17 from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m.