April 30, 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.
A Leader in College Readiness
GGUSD continues to soar as a leader in college readiness across Orange County and throughout California. During the 2016-2017 school year, 57.5% of Garden Grove High School seniors met rigorous a-g college entrance requirements qualifying students to attend UC or CSU schools, compared to 52% across Orange County and 46.8% statewide.

GGUSD also saw more growth in college readiness rates than the Orange County and statewide average with GGUSD growing to 57.5% in 2016-2017, up from 51.6% in 2015-2016. In comparison, the Orange County and the California average only went up by approximately one percentage point.

The district’s success is due in part to its outstanding school-wide implementation of AVID’s college readiness curriculum at the intermediate and high school levels. Doig Intermediate School and Santiago High School have been named national demonstration schools by the AVID program and Alamitos Intermediate School was named a school-wide site of distinction.  GGUSD is also breaking new ground by offering opportunities for sixth grade students to learn AVID strategies. 
GGHS Class of 2017 salutatorian Tricia Viveros graduated college ready and now attends Yale.
Russell Hosts Cultural Festival
On Friday, April 27, Russell Elementary School hosted a Cultural Festival with student performances, carnival games, great food, and "Passport to the World" exhibits that were created by students to highlight the traditions of a variety of countries. GGUSD schools often host events to celebrate diversity and honor the many cultures of our students and families.
Zeyen's Distinguished Scholars
Recently, Zeyen Elementary School hosted a pancake breakfast for students and families and school-wide assembly to celebrate being named a 2018 California Distinguished School. The Distinguished School award is the state's top honor for the most inspiring public schools that demonstrate significant academic gains in narrowing the achievement gap.
AVID Students Earn Hundreds of Thousands in College Scholarships
Thirty AVID seniors from GGUSD were awarded more than $640,000 in college scholarships during the 2018 AVID Senior Standout Recognition & Scholarship Presentation hosted on April 24 by the Orange County Department of Education. During the celebration, Los Amigos High School AVID Senior Standout Jessie Duran presented a keynote speech about overcoming personal obstacles and the power of AVID in her own life.
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MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS

Rancho Alamitos High School students organized a series of engaging events to put a spotlight on Mental Health Awareness Week. Students brought in therapy dogs, hosted a yoga class, signed positivity ribbons, and promoted school-wide awareness about this important issue. Way To Go Vaqueros!
FULL SPEED AHEAD

Santiago High School's Automotive Technology Career Pathway is on a roll. The program received a brand new state-of-the-art Kia Stinger for students to work on. The car was donated by the Orange County Auto Dealers Association and KIA Motors as a result of Santiago students’ first place win in a countywide auto skills competition. For more, click here .
Alamitos Students Put A in STEAM
Alamitos Intermediate National Junior Honor Society students took part in the OC Fair STEAM (Science Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) Imaginology exposition, where they created and submitted many individual and group projects. One of the group submissions was for the "Build Your Own Scarecrow" event where the students had to build a STEAM scarecrow. The students created and assembled Bob Ross, who definitely puts the "A" in STEAM! Way to show our creative side and CONDOR PRIDE!
GGHS Celebrates Vietnamese Culture

The Garden Grove High School Vietnamese Student Association (VSA) hosted its first Vietnamese Culture Night on April 20. The event was a special opportunity for students to preserve and promote Vietnamese culture, language, and tradition through music and arts. VSA students from Bolsa Grande High School and other nearby high schools also participated. Aside from musical performances, students also played videos that they created about what the Vietnamese language and culture mean to them.

“It is important to reflect on Vietnamese culture and identity and to embrace who we are as a Vietnamese culture and as Vietnamese Americans," said GGHS student Michelle Nguyen. What is so exciting about this event is that we began planning it for the 2018-19 school year. So many people became involved and had such incredible ideas and energy that we went ahead and scheduled it for this year."
Superintendent Serves as Sub
Superintendent Gabriela Mafi last Thursday spent the day at Fitz Intermediate School serving as a substitute teacher. Students enjoyed spending time with the superintendent, showing off their scholarly habits, and gaining tips on perseverance and grit. Dr. Mafi frequently spends time in the classroom to stay connected with students and staff. #ChooseGGUSD
Supporting Family Wellness
GGUSD co-hosted a Vietnamese Family Wellness Conference on Saturday at Golden West College. The event was made possible by the BPSOS, Boys & Girls Club of Garden Grove, Garden Grove Police Department, Project Motivate, and Waymakers. The conference provided families with information about healthy family communication, stress management, and youth wellness. GGUSD Board of Education Trustee Walter Muneton, district administrators, Student Services staff, and the Parent and Community Outreach team attended the event to provide important information about mental health.
La Quinta Students Excel in E-Sports
La Quinta's team Rizette took second place at the 2018 Orange County High School Esports League championship this past Saturday. The La Quinta esports program was recognized with many season-ending awards, which are voted on by players and coaches, and included numerous individual accolades as well the Excellence in Club Development award. Way to LQ!