April 16, 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.
Parent Partnerships

Last week, more than 130 parent leaders from nearly all GGUSD schools attended our first Parent Leadership Academy to collaborate on parent community outreach. The Parent Leadership Academy is a series of workshops designed to equip parent leaders with information and tools they can bring back to the parents at their schools to increase parent engagement district-wide. These parents and district ambassadors were filled with  #GGUSDPride . We are so grateful to work hand-in-hand with amazing parents.  #ChooseGGUSD
Fighting Hunger in our Community
Peters Elementary School hosts a Mobile Food Pantry in partnership with the Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County to help fight hunger in our communities. The Mobile Food Pantry is set up like a farmers market and provides Peters families and neighbors with free fruits and vegetables and other food staples.

Last week, GGUSD Superintendent Gabriela Mafi visited the Mobile Food Pantry to help parent and school volunteers serve food to the community. This program is secured through a competitive application process, and currently serves 30 schools across Orange County. GGUSD is proud of the staff and parent volunteers at Peters K-3 and Peters 4-6 elementary schools for the work they have invested to bring this important program to their school.

The next food pantry dates at Peters are Friday, May 4 and Friday, June 8. All community members in need are invited to attend.
Cook Celebrates Top Award
Cook Elementary School students celebrated their recent award as a 2018 California Distinguished School. The model practice that earned this award is the school's strategic approach around guiding a culture of growth. S tudents love learning and accomplish their goals through hard work and a growth mindset. The motto, "I can and I will," is celebrated and rewarded. Scholarly habits are clearly defined and are embedded into the academic life of Cook's campus.
Walton students Celeste Torres and Valerie Garcia were among the first place winners for their experiment called "Sun Alternative."
Students Embrace STEM
Last week, GGUSD students received college scholarship funds, gift cards, and certificates for winning science projects in the Science Fest Showcase hosted at Endologix, a medical equipment manufacturer in Irvine. The company funds the Science Fest for several GGUSD intermediate schools and provides after-school STEM programs, and a tour of the company's headquarters where students observe product creation and interact with professional engineers.
Homegrown at Garden Grove High

#GGUSDPride  is strong at Garden Grove High School where a large group of the school's staff is  #GGUSDHomegrown  and many of those employees are ALSO Garden Grove High School graduates. Check out this awesome photo of the homegrown Argonauts.
Walton Welcomes All Families at Open House Last week, dozens of families attended Open House at Walton Intermediate School to enjoy food, family, and a focus on student achievement. Students shared their school work with parents and enjoyed student performances and great food.
Santiago Students Focus on Sustainability
On Friday, Santiago High School's Student Sustainability Council hosted a school-wide Earth Day celebration to promote everyday environmental sustainability practices and increase awareness for water conservation projects happening on campus. The assemblies featured educational skits, inspirational videos, songs, and a presentation from Dr. Masri, an air pollution scientist from the University of California, Irvine. Way to Go Cavs! 
Build it. Code it. Fly it.
Warren students combined drone components in different ways to create everything from hexacopters to hovercrafts using innovative building systems. With magnetic attachments and modularity, the drones were only limited by student imaginations. Students were able to take their drones to the skies and learn to pilot the new creations, then discovered how to use codes and algorithms to give the drone a mind of their own. At Warren, the sky is the limit!
An Academic Accolade
Russell scholars received school-wide recognition for recent achievements on the state's SBAC test. Students who earned proficient or advanced in ELA and/or Math received a Gold Medal and a certificate. Students were also recognized if they grew in proficiency level from the prior year of testing. Sixth grade students Adriana Bernabe-Ruiz, Kimberly Balbuena, and Flavia Antunez (left to right) were among some of the scholars who were honored in front of the entire school with parents in attendance at the Russell monthly Spirit Assembly.